I am leaving on a short trip with the family today. Ski and I are taking a four day boat cruise with the kids to Copenhagen. DFDS, the company that sponsors these trips, usually offers decent packages for short getaways. We are going to sail down from Oslo to Copenhagen on the “Pearl of Scandinavia”. We had taken this trip a few times in the past by ourselves but this was only the second time that we had taken the kids. We debated on whether or not to bring them this time since it seems like months have gone since we have been out by ourselves. However I think we would have felt guilty leaving them behind since there is so much for them to see and do in Denmark.
It was a great mini vacation for the family and I. The hotel we stayed was top notch. I highly recommend The Admiral Hotel (http://www.admiralhotel.dk/) if you are staying in Copenhagen. The rates were decent and the hotel room was an amazing duplex with these sloping skylights that overlooked the Copenhagen waterfront. We were also just a short walk away from the main strip that runs through downtown. The kids love the place because it isn’t to far away from the Tivoli amusement park. Nikita and Jonas had a great time on all of the rides at the Tivoli during our last trip. And this time they would be old enough to go on some of the more exciting ones.
Copenhagen has to be one of the prettiest cities that I have ever visited. The only other city that comes close is Prague in my opinion. The architecture throughout the city was just amazing. It was very different from Manhattan. But then again most places are different from the Apple. In Copenhagen they have managed to merge radically different styles of design in a way that is both hip but yet rustic. You have these buildings that are hundreds of years old next to these ultra modern glass structures and somehow it still works visually. It is hard to explain.
The people were very nice but made me feel slightly uncomfortable. I don’t think they see many large bald headed Black Americans very often. I would find people staring at me and then quickly turn away when I look back. It was different than the stares that I get at home since the Danes tend to smile back when I smile at them. They seemed more curious than afraid of Blacks which of course isn’t the case back in the US.
Another thing that I have noticed is that these are some of the tallest people I have ever seen. Since I stand about 6’3″ rarely have I been to places where I feel short. However in Denmark I have seen teenage girls my height who still have a few years of growth left. They seem even tall by Scandinavian standards. Too bad they can’t play or jump for at all or this would be a basketball recruiters’ heaven. But then again, they have universal healthcare, education, and one of the highest standards of living in the world so I guess it all balances out.
Tomorrow night we are having dinner with some of our colleagues from LaGuardia who are also traveling through Denmark. Ski has arranged for us to meet at this nice little restaurant in the center of town. It should be a nice evening. I just hope the kids don’t get too hyper. They basically want to spend the whole trip at the Tivoli so a night out with a group of adults isn’t gonna interest them much.