Denmark Day 3

Friday, December 22, 2006

Day 3: Jet lag is still winning the fight, but I'm starting to get onto a schedule. Today started off with a big let down. The Christmas market was really lame and had nothing worth buying. It was a colossal disappointment because I was hoping to find authentic Danish items for gifts. It was situated on a pretty part of the harbor though, if you Google images of Copenhagen, that area is usually the first that will pop up. Very colorful houses on either side of a canal filled with small ships. Slightly discouraged, we ended up going back to the main pedestrian center with all the small boutiques and major shopping centers. Got some good shopping done this time. We did lunch at McDonalds, and wow! what a cultural difference. It was totally the hot hang out spot for teenagers, lots of couples. Seemed like a date place. It was also super busy (we waited in line for like 15 min...) There was 3 stories, which was good because they place at no less than 100 people in it when we left. It was just an odd cultural difference. Also, since it is in a pedestrian district, instead of a drive through they have the McExpress, which is a walk through. Fantastic Idea, people just waiting in line outside, bought their Big N Tasty, and went on their way. The last interesting thing I noticed at Mcdonalds was the dessert menu. In addition to McFluries, they had the McDonuts (no joke) and Triple Chocolate Muffins. It was worth eating lunch there, even though they only have a handful of choices. The Danes are very health oriented. We also saw a lot of street vendors today. Kids playing instruments both well and poorly, a funny British juggler on a unicycle (he was a good showman), and some pleasant violin groups. When dad got home we went to a place called Tivoli Gardens. It is supposedly one of 1000 places you need to see before you die. It was pretty awesome, very similar to a 6 flags, only Christmas themed, less rides, and more small boutiques. In fact, 6 flags got inspiration from Tivoli. We arrived just in time to see a spectacular lazer light show. The way the lights interacted with the fountains was remarkable. Luckily, Emmy caught some on video, so I hope to get that uploaded when we get back home. It was neat place, worth going to for anyone interested in going to Demark. Lots of small Christmas shops were I bought some more authentic Danish Christmas characters. I can't imagine what Copenhagen looks like during the summer months. There are huge, ornate, and beautiful fountains in almost every square, but they are not turned on during the winter.