Copenhagen: Day 3

My room has underfloor bathroom heating! Why doesn't everywhere have this? It is amazing. The switch, or more correctly dial, for it is hidden and unlabelled but that didn't stop me from finding it and putting it on max. It is such a wonderful feeling to have warm feet while on bathroom tile.

I am up and about late in the morning so the first stop is to Max for lunch. After another quick stop and photo in the hotel courtyard I take a short stroll to the train station and the Max contained within. A Frisco burger with fries and a strawberry milkshake are my nutition for the morning. Normally Max is one of the better fast food joints but today the burger and fries are poor. The shake is on point as always and continues to be one of the best milkshakes available anywhere.

After clearing my table I walk past all the other lonely souls eating alone and head for Frederiksberg Have, a large park. This journey takes me past my hotel and after a quick wave out of respect to my home for these days I carry on. It is cold today and I'm underdressed so I stop at a cafe, Kaffesturn Vesterbro, to get a tea and warm up. It is really nice and comfortable inside, with a wood burning fireplace, but there is only one man working. Dirty cups and dishes sit stacked up on dirty tables. It takes a while to order and to get my tea. Thankfully it wasn't busy when I arrived. The queue that formed a few minutes later was no so lucky.

After warming up I head back out to brave the cold for as long as I can. A walk down the pretty street of Frederiksberg Alle brings an unexpected view. Many pop-up shops with Christmas trees for sale and people actually buying them and walking home with them. So the Christmas markets are closed by the 23rd but people buy trees the day before Christmas Eve. Denmark is odd.

At the end of the street is the entrance to Frederiksberg Have. It is neither impressive or very pretty. The park itself though is quite nice. I imagine in the other seasons it is extremely pretty. It isn't busy today but there are more people than I was expecting. Mostly runners and dog-walkers. A few families with strollers and one young couple are also enjoying the park. On one side of the park by the palace is the zoo. It is not possible to get into the zoo without paying but it is possible to watch the elephants play outside. Unfortunately they were not out while I was there. There are many steams, lots of grass, ducks, and geese. I only see one piece of litter in the whole park and pick it up, thus making the place spotless.

Now somehow feeling both warm and cold at the same time and with the sun going down I head back to the hotel. My plan was to go out to the local gin bar this Friday evening but after some wine in the hotel and getting nice and warm in my room with the underfloor heating I decide to stay in. It is doubtful many people will be out anyway as it is Christmas weekend. A time to go to home and be with family.

I have decided to go to Amsterdam next as I have never been and there is an overnight bus available for a good price tomorrow. So I will have all day free to explore some more and then the 12 hour Flixbus ride in the evening. I wonder how many places with be open for what the Danes call Christmas, even though it is really Christmas Eve.