They do say that if you want to be historic then go where the history is. Dating back to 1043 Copenhagen has a significant set of landmarks and places of interest to keep any tourist busy.
You cannot help but spot that right from the get go about Copenhagen, or København as it is known in Denmark.

There was one thing I lost on the way here, and that was one more hour.  I was however surprised to be greeted by bright winter sunshine and pleasant temperatures as I stepped into Scandinavia.

The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and the Pea, The Little Mermaid and The Emperors New Clothes .. all these were written by Hans Christian Andersen, and Copenhagen celebrates the famous Danish writer as you see tributes to him that makes you just want to delve deeper into those fairy tales he wrote such a long time ago.  Like I say, go where the history is.

You can’t help but notice the bikes, they are everywhere.  Whilst from experience I can confirm that Amsterdam is the bike capital of Europe, Copenhagen is not far behind.  You do have to keep your eyes peeled to not get bundled over, but from today’s evidence the bicycle folks here seem very relaxed whilst making their way around this beautiful capital city.

After a tip toe start of venturing into this new city I quickly began to learn the lay of the land, and as always thoroughly enjoyed that experience of learning a new place ~ me, a map and a pair of shoes, that is all I need.

There was of course a hiccup as I left home this morning, as I Ieft my big coat behind when I headed to the airport.  Bearing in mind I shall move on to Norway, Sweden and Finland on this trip that would not be a good move.  So I spun the car around and headed back to ensure I don’t catch pneumonia later on !!

The bright and beautiful area of Nyhvn provides a colorful environment and atmosphere for bars and restaurants, and Hans Christine Andersen used to live a number 20 Nyhavn.  Are you getting the drift, that old Hans is a pretty big deal around these parts!

In 2013 reports said Copenhagen was top of the charts as the happiest place to live.  So far it seems a fun, clean and safe city that I am looking forward to exploring some more tomorrow.  At the moment I am liking the happiness of the place… Carlsberg helps 🙂