Day 174: Full Day Tour — Kronborg Castle — Lunch at Sletten — Louisiana Museum of Modern Art — Night Out with The Rookes
Sine picked us up with a new driver today and we made a few stops in Copenhagen before heading north for the day. The weather was absolutely perfect — mid 70s and scattered clouds.
First, near the hotel we did a drive-by of the Queen’s residence, Amalienborg, swam through a sea of tourists for a pic in front of the Little Mermaid, then hit a very cool rooftop “urban gymnasium” featuring a kids playground and adult workout area.
Then we took a scenic 45 min drive north along the coast, passing beaches, marinas and beautiful water-front cottages.
First stop was Kronborg Castle, a 16th century palace and UNESCO World Heritage Sight. It’s the model for Elsinor in Hamlet and has regular performances throughout the grounds. We checked out the royal bedrooms and banquet rooms and caught the last 2 minutes (literally) of a performance. My dad and I agreed it was the perfect amount of time! The kids got a pic with one of the actors and his swords.
Lunch was the highlight of the day. Sine joined us at Restaurant Sletten, a Michelin starred place with outdoor tables overlooking a marina. The style is small plates, but not designed for sharing — the ideal combo in my opinion. Everything was delicious — from the bread to the homemade lemonade. It was one of my favorite meals of the whole year.
It was a “hygge” meal indeed. My dad was getting into the Danish mood and said he might name his next boat Hygge. “You gotta start sometime. Not now now, when?”
After lunch we explored the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. It’s a water-front art museum and sculpture park with a creative space for kids. We browsed a few of the exhibit rooms and let the kids paint for a bit but the landscape and views are what we’ll remember. It is one of these places that automatically lowers your heart rate — that is, when your five year old isn’t hitting your seven year old with a stick.
We got home around 6pm, bathed the kids and then sent them off for pizza at Fiat. Watching them go from our hotel room…
Margaret and I walked over to Bronnum for a drink — another rec from Sine. I had a Matcha Mint Julep. We were met there by Tom and Emma Rooke. Tom is the younger brother of longtime NYC buddy James. They are Brit expats with two young kids (left at home tonight) who have lived in Copenhagen for three years but are going back to London in a couple weeks.
After our drinks at Bronnum we walked over the footbridge for roady gin and tonics at one of the stands in Christianshavn, then strolled along the canal to Restaurant Kanalen. We all had the three-course menu and Chablis, served to us by a Quinn Rounseville doppelgänger (an old DC buddy) and paid for by Tom and Emma. Super generous. It was awesome to catch up with them.
We had a nightcap at Balthazar in the back of our hotel then hit the rack. A very full and fun day.
