Mar 2007 - Amsterdam/Copenhagen/Sweden

In March of 2007 I decided to see Amsterdam, Copenhagen , Malmo and Stockholm.  I wanted to spend the most time in Amsterdam and Copenhagen and take advantage of the March timing to take in as many musical concerts as possible.  I had a nice little hotel near the city center on on of Amsterdams many canals. In Amsterdam, I did the usual tourist stops, including visiting the Anne Frank house,  the Rijkmuseum with its immense building and huge collection of art, the Rembrant House, and the Van Gogh Museum.   It was a joy to walk the heart of the city and back and forth to my hotel.  I was amazed that after concerts on the way to my hotel late in the night that the streets were thick with people on bicycles.   They also rode so upright and there were so many women riding everwhere late in the evenings.  I took a wonderful lengthy canal and harbor boat tour, which I truly enjoyed.  The cultural stay was wonderful, as I took in the Nederlands Opera doing a very contemporary , modern version of Puccini's Madam Butterfly at the Muziektheatre on a canal.  Then another evening I was treated to the Nederlands Philharmonic doing Mendelssohn's Elijiah at the renown Concertegebouw concert hall.  The varied restaurants were also a delight with one night at an Indonesian restaurant being my favorite.

The immense Rijkmuseum

A canal "street" In Amsterdam near my little hotel

The famous old  Concertgebouw Concert Hall

A typical street stall along one of the canals

The Muziektheatre home of the Nederlands Opera

The Anne Frank House Entry Building in front of the preserved  original  " Annex"

A typical section of the main pedestrian shopping street

The main square near city center 

Another view on a typical shopping pedestrian  street

A contemporary designed building seen from the harbor on a canal/harbor cruise

Another modern building at the harbor side. 

Plaza in front of central rail station 

Flying back to Copenhagen from Amsterdam I settled in again to a small hotel right in the city center on the famous pedestrian street, the Stroget , Europe's oldest and longest pedestrian shopping street with its many high end stores and varied shops.  CPN was a joy for my 6 days there. I walked everywhere, even way out to the edge of the harbor and the famous "Little Mermaid" statue at the waters edge.  I visited the charming Nyhavn canal neighborhood with its sidewalk cafes lining the banks, where I enjoyed Danish beer and lunch in the sun taking in the sights and people watching.  There was not enough time to fully enjoy the many attractions in the city.  I spent time at the Royal Palace ,the Rosenborg Castle and grounds,  watched the changing of the guard at the Amalienborg Palace, visited the Marble Church, spent several hours in the Danish National Museum, enjoyed the wonderful Danish Architecture Center, and had a marvelous Bach noon organ concert in the Christians Kirke.  For my musical and cultural time, I had events 5 of the 6 nights I was in CPN.  I took in 2 operas in the incredible half a billion dollar new grand opera hall on the edge of the harbor.  One opera was Claude Debussy's Pelleas and Melisande and the other was Simon Boccanegra by  Verdi, neither of which I had ever heard.  The hall was beyond belief.  Then I visited theTivoli concert hall in Tivoli Garden  to enjoy the Danish Symphony doing a  Mozart symphony and the Mahler 9th Symphony.   The Tivoli concert hall had an immense marine aquarium in the back wall of the lobby.  I also spent a wonderful evening seeing  the Royal Danish Ballet do a modern ballet , Napoli.  This was performed in the elegan,t old, famous Kongelige Theatre.  My favorite meal was at a wonderful Indian restaurant just off the main square in the city center. All in all , Copenhagen is a must see.

View at start of Stroget & central square near my hotel

                    The charming and popular Nyhavn canal sidewalk cafe area near the city center

Central Copenhagen

a canal neighbor hood near downtown

The beautiful " Marble Church"

World famous "Little Mermaid " at the harbors edge

park like area and church on walk back from "Little Mermaid"  at harbor side

The nearly $400 million Opera Hall, gift to CPN from a wealthy Danish shipping magnate.

The busy central square 

Russian Orthodox church in central Copenhagen

Christian the II in St. Anne Square near Amalienborg Palace, with Marble Church in back

Malmo was a "must day trip" and only an hours rail trip from Copenhagen. One makes the crossing on  the Oresund Bridge, the longest high bridge over the ocean in Europe.  I took the earliest train one morning while in CPN, and the bridge crossing was amazing.   I got into Malmo early and spent the day.   The city is lovely with its graceful downtown, parks , and the wonderful ancient Malmo fortress and Museum.  The city landmark is the stunning Santiago Calatrava "Twisting Tower" skyscrapper at the waters edge downtown.  A walk along the long beach on the ocean was a pleasant break near the end of the day before catching the train back across the big bridge to CPN.

View after arrival at Malmo central rail station

a lovely park and square in Gamla Begravn or Old Town  in central Malmo

Another view of the square with the food and flower stands

Malmo Castle , moat and Museum

Stunning "Turning Torso" of Malmo by famed Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava

Immense Oresund Bridge from Sweden near Malmo to Denmark and Copenhagen

Ancient Malmo Town or City Hall

Spring time and St Peters Church in Malmo

I took  another day while in Copenhagen and caught the 1st early am train out to the airport for the short flight to Stockholm  to spend a long, busy day seeing the sights before catching a quick evening flight back to Copenhagen .  Stockholm is a lovely city for sure.   I really enjoyed the downtown and the harbor and palace area , along with the ancient old city center area.  The Royal Palace and the elaborate changing of the guard,  the Royal Armoury, and a nice lunch deep underground in an ancient cafe/pub were highlights.  I also spent short visits to the Stockholm City Museum near the core area, the National Museum, and the Kronor Museum . I would love to have had more time in Stockholm.  It has some 70 museums that acomodate 9 million visitors a year.  During my afternoon I also managed a stop in the Sveriges Riksdag, the Swedish Parliament, where I sat to observe the parliament actually in session, debating agenda items. I just will have to go back some day when I have more time.

Changing of the guards in Stockholm at Royal Palace

Scenic, graceful central Stockholm

River in central Stockhom and Riksdag Parliament Building

Downtown Stockholm

city harbor and Swedish National Museum in back across the harbor

Tre Kronor Museum

Changing of Guard at the Swedish Royal Palace

Pedestrian street in oldest part of Stockhom, the Gamla  Stan

Another scene in downtown Stockholm

view in other direction across harbor

Royal Palace and tower

Royal Palace map and sign

Busy downtown Stockholm

Changing of Guard marching thorough downtown Stockholm

Changing of Guard at noon in front of Royal Palace

Another view of Riksdag Parliament after I watched them in session

And back to Copenhagen after a whirlwind long day in Stockholm.   Thus drew to  a close  my 2 and a half week journey to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Sweden.  All that remained was the long SAS fight back to Seattle after a wonderful travel and music experience.