By: Marcia Abramson
In fact, our very first stop in Copenhagen had to be at the waterfront to see the symbol of Denmark sitting wistfully on a stone looking out to sea. It was made of bronze in 1913 by the sculptor, Edvard Eriksen. "The Little Mermaid" presented a "Kodak photo op" for my daughter to bring back to her daughter who just loves the story of Ariel, the wistful heroic creature who rescued her prince charming from a storm which nearly drowned him.
But the story does not let her live happily ever after with her prince, because she had to pay for the magic potion to turn her tail into human legs by giving up her beautiful voice. Also as payment for her legs, she could never return to sea as a mermaid, nor could she tell the prince who was searching for the beautiful girl who had saved him from a watery grave that it was she, who had sacrificed her tail and voice for him. However, she still sits on her stone with the seawater splashing over her as she waits for her prince to find her. The Danes don't dwell on her sad fate, but her romantic hope. This has made her a national jewel and the focus of their consciousness.
Using our charge card for the taxi fare we were able to get from the port to the waterfront and then to our next destination, the world famous Tivoli amusement park. The original garden dates back to 1843 and must have been the inspiration for the American Disney Parks with lush gardens, scenic aides, colorful parades, top-name performers, classical orchestra performances, puppet theaters, a terrific pantomime theater, in addition to a carnival-like midway and restaurants galore. Just about every locale in the park had an event of some kind or other. The gardens and fountains are set upon a lake which is an original from the protecting ramparts that surrounded the city. In early June, Denmark was celebrating a two-day holiday with schools and businesses closed, but the park was filled with some of the most handsome families imaginable. Just relaxing at one of the outdoor cafes was a delightful experience. Each young woman who passed by was tall, blonde, blue-eyed and could easily pass as a cover girl. After listening to the concert we took our seats for the pantomime show which was just wonderful. The only problem was deciding upon what to watch with such a plethora of choices.
The evening in Tivoli is an unforgettable experience. It is spectacular with unbelievable lighting. I saw literally thousands of different colored lights on the Chinese pagodas with an awesome reflection on the surrounding lake. A fantastic display of fireworks lit up the entire garden just after a brass marching band of young people resplendent in regal uniforms paraded through the gardens with a finish of a gun salute. I headed back to the ship just past midnight for a good night's sleep, looking forward to another day in Denmark.
After a sumptuous breakfast in the Renaissance ship's Panorama Buffet, it was back to the City Hall Square for a boat ride through the canals of Copenhagen. The landscape was dotted with old Danish and Italian renaissance buildings. But I was looking forward to seeing the port town of Elsinore about one and a half hours from Copenhagen. Elsinore is not only the locale of Kronborg Castle, the locale made famous by Shakespeare's "Hamlet" where the young prince meets his father's ghost on the bastions of the castle. The view of neighboring Sweden from the castle is phenomenal and worth the trek up the hill. The castle was used as a military barracks from 1758 through 1922. The castle suffered many disasters from fire and armed battles. There was also mass looting of the royal treasures. However, the castle has been repaired and is a museum with one of the largest dining halls in all of Europe as well as magnificent marble fireplaces, ceiling paintings and ornately carved door frames. I was told by local historians that Shakespeare was a frequent visitor to this coast and found it to be the ideal location for his sad Dane.
Another interesting story told to me by some friendly townspeople centered on the rescue of 300 Jews from the Nazis during World War II. They said that the beachfront at Elsinore was used to launch a dozen open boats in the still of the night to get the doomed Jews to neutral Sweden. The mission was a success to the delight of the Nazi occupied Danes.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
E-mail:mascribe@aol.com
