‘Magic’al Europe – Day 2
We started our day with breakfast at McDonald’s. Unlike in Singapore, McDonald’s in Copenhagen appears more upscale, decked out in designer chairs and lamps.
There was a breakfast promotion similar to our Grab and Go – McMuffin and Coffee or Tea for DKK15 (SGD 3). It was really good value considering everything is expensive in Copenhagen.
After breakfast, we made our way to Torvehallerne Market.
However, we could not resist the temptation and made a detour to Somods Bolcher. Somods Bolcher has been producing and supplying bolcher (hard candies) to the Royal Danish Family since 1891. The original techniques and recipes are still in use, passed down through four generations of the Somod family.
They sell over 70 different kinds of candies. We had a tough time choosing the candies. The staff were friendly and gave us some samples to taste. We ended up buying the apple flavoured and liqueur-filled candies. You can even watch the candy makers in action but we were too early. The candies were really well made – beautifully crafted and flavoured.
Torvehallerne Market is a buzzing food hall in the city centre of Copenhagen, close to the busy Norreport Street. There are over 60 stands selling everything from fresh fish and meat to gourmet chocolate and exotic spices, as well as small places where you can have a quick bite to eat.
As we were not hungry, we went straight to The Coffee Collective, arguably, serves the best coffee in Denmark. We stood in line behind the stylish espresso bar, enjoying the aroma of the coffee beans. We ordered a Latte (Double Shot) and a Coffee Soft Serve Ice Cream which was available only during summer. The soft serve was heavenly – you got to try it to believe it and the latte was very smooth and done to absolute perfection. I gulped down greedily.
Adjacent to The Coffee Collective was Laura’s Bakery, filled with pastries, danish and bread. But what caught my attention is this Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. The carrot cake was moist and incredibly good!
Not contented with my choice of carrot cake, Ashley went for a Raspberry Cheesecake. However, it turned out that she didn’t like the strong and sour taste of the raspberry and instead devoured Jarod’s coffee ice cream.
After the satisfactory morning tea, we took a walk towards Amalienborg Palace.
On the way, we walked past the awe inspiring Marble Church with the characteristic copper green dome. The Marble Church is one of the most impressive churches of the city. The church lies beautifully in line with Amalienborg Palace and The Opera. The church room is open to the public and there is a magnificent view from the dome. However, we chose to skip as we had wanted to catch the changing of the guard.
Amalienborg Palace is the winter residence of the Danish Royal Family. It is made up of four identical buildings and is famous for its Royal Guard, called Den Kongelige Livgarde. The four palaces where built by four noble families in the middle of the 18th century on direct orders by the King Frederik V.
Surrounding the palace square is the statue of King Frederik V from 1771.
Every day at noon, you can watch the changing of the guards in the court yard.
When the Queen is in residence, the ceremony is called The King’s Watch and the guards are accompanied by the Royal Guards music band. The route starts at the barracks and goes from Rosenborg Castle to Amalienborg.
If one of the Royal Princess is residing at the palace, the parade is called The Lieutenant Watch, and drums and flutes will be heard.
In other cases when the palace is not inhabited, the Guards march through Copenhagen without music accompaniment, and the route is shorter. This watch is called The Manor Watch. The one we witnessed was The Manor Watch.
There is also a museum which presents the private interiors of the most recent kings and queens and an exhibit on the monarchy today with its many traditions.
Our stomachs started rumbling and we decided to head for lunch.
While researching for wallet friendly places to eat, we stumbled upon Paludan Bogcafe. Paludan Bogcafe is located in a pedestrian only alley a stone’s throw away from Norreport metro station in the center of Copenhagen. It is an old bookstore-turned cafe and it is a very popular place with the locals. The books are not just for decoration. The cafe is also a legitimate bookstore and you can buy any of the books you see around you!
Paludan Bogcafe feels like a movie set with its mix and match furniture and walls full of books. It has a cosy, almost library-like atmosphere. There are many little rooms where you can sit in or simply grab a table outside and watch all the people passing by.
We settled for the first room near the cake counter. Paludan Bogcafe is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu has everything from a goat-cheese burger to nachos to wok.
A bonus – Paludan Bogcafe offers free WiFi!
Ashley opted for the Lasagne Bolognese, Jarod went for Shooting Star which is Pan fried and Steamed Plaice Fillet with Shrimps.
ZA went for something very Scandinavian – Plate of Herring while I chose a very American Mozzarella Omelette. Both our dishes were from the Breakfast/Brunch menu available from 9am to 2pm.
Everything we had were delicious and the food portions were very generous. The cafe also offered complimentary self service water. We had an enjoyable lunch at this affordable (the bill came to DKK 376; SGD 80) and buzzing cafe. It was exactly as they say: “Not just another coffee place!”
On our way back to the metro, we chanced upon Somods Bolcher again. This was their retail shop.
Without hesitation, we walked right in and bought more candies!
Our next stop was The Round Tower. As we navigated the streets, Ashley was drawn to a man making giant bubbles with his gigantic bubble wands. She loves playing with bubbles and joined the other children running and chasing after the bubbles.
The famous Round Tower situated in the heart of Copenhagen is one of Europe’s most beautiful and yet oldest observatory which functions to date. The 40 meter tall tower is a 17th century structure built by Christian IV between 1637 and 1642.
The observatory is is still being used by astronomers and is encircled by an outdoor platform from which you have a magnificent view of the old part of Copenhagen. To get there you need to walk up the spiral walk of around 210 meters to get to the top.
We began to ascend on the white-washed spiral walkway which was wide enough to accommodate a car. It was an easy climb with niches to hide in and places to stop and rest along the way.
And our reward – the stunning views over Copenhagen! We were rather lucky that the sun was out and we enjoyed a panoramic view of the city’s skyline. We could even spot our hotel!
On our descend, we saw the Trinitatis complex which housed a church and a library attached directly to The Round Tower.
The Round Tower was indeed worth a visit!
It was time to head back to our hotel for a short rest, but not before stopping at Fotex Supermarket.
That night, we had a late dinner reservation at Restaurant Flammen. We decided to try taking the bus which we have avoided as ZA had concerns that we might not know how to stop at the correct bus stop. His worries were unfounded. There was a screen on the bus showing the bus stop information. Jarod wished we have this in Singapore, which will be especially useful for tourists.
Restaurant Flammen is an all-you-can-eat buffet-style restaurant. However, do note that reservation is required and therefore we made one prior to leaving Singapore.
We were seated promptly and the server took our drink orders. We ordered two ultra large 75cl soft drinks which were extremely good value.
We helped ourselves to the buffet, which was extensive. There is a salad bar with various salads and dressings. Also, a soup of the day which was Cream of Tomato with bread on the side, croutons, sour cream and bacon bits. The warm buffet consisted of french fries, baked potatoes, cream potatoes, mushrooms, onion rings, chicken nuggets and sauces (Bearnaise, Whiskey, Gravy).
And then there is the section with meats, 15 different kinds of meats and sausages with selection of some exotic meat like Kangaroo for the adventurous ones were available! This is a true heaven for meat lovers!
We tried as many types as we could with each of us having a favourite. Jarod like the pork belly, Ashley liked the tenderloin, ZA liked the lamb while I loved the tomato soup! We had reservations about such buffets as the meat tend to be dry. But we all agreed that Restaurant Flammen did not disappoint.
As we were eating, there was a heavy downpour. Fortunately for us, it reduced to a drizzle by the time we were done. We took a bus back to our hotel to get ready for our adventure tomorrow.
