Here are a couple of maps showing our track and where we stayed. Unfortunately, I had to eliminate most of the detail on the maps due to the scale.
Ireland and Great Britain
The Europe portion.
The entire distance I cycled was just over 2800 km, including a couple of rides before we started the Pub Ride and one after when we cycled to Fredenborg, Kronborg & back to Copenhagen. The Pub Ride portion was about 2600 km.
That's the last post for this blog, assuming I have no disasters or adventures on the way home tomorrow.
This is it - my last full day. What to do? I did fulfill my promise and make up maps of the trip. I'll add them as a separate post.
With nothing planned I wandered off towards Christiania and the naval base beyond. Turns out that there's lots to see.
First photo is a most unusual bicycle frame. I assume this is a custom as I haven't seen one like this before. Modern version of a Penny Farthing?
Next a vegetable stand just outside of Christiania. Prices for restaurants, accommodation and other similar services are really expensive in Copenhagen, but the basic prices for food, while not cheap, are not as high. Looking at the prices for some of these items, they don't seem significantly more than at home.
At the entrance to the Naval Station are a pair of figureheads. This one is from the Dagmar, a corvette in service from 1861 to 1901.
There was public access to the naval base, so I wandered in.
This pair of very polished and shining boats must be used for ceremonies.
This is the Peder Skram, built in 1964 and Denmark's major contribution to NATO naval forces during the cold war. It was decommissioned in 1990. Now it is restored by volunteers as a museum. Actually, it looks more modern than some of Canada's ships..
The bridge of the Peder Skram. I'll spare you the other photos and technical details about the ship, although I found them fascinating.
This is the yard's dock crane, dating from 1751. I saw a photo of a Danish warship scuttled in front of the crane in WW2 to prevent the Germans from using either.
A small coastal submarine, also on display.
The original shore defenses. The cannons can be aimed by swinging the gun on the wooden tracks, which also serve to limit the gun's recoil when fired. (There were modern guns behind me wrapped in tarps with a No Entry sign.)
Leaving the naval base, I have seen this at least 3 times today - a fellow pedaling his fully grown significant other in the box of a cargo bike.
NO, Laura, we are not going to get this style of tandem bike!
(Unless, of course, you want to pedal)
Docked near the Naval Base is the Georg Stage. This is a training ship and it looks as though things are happening as there were young people in the rigging shortly after I took this picture.
This vessel is a replica (built in 1937) of an earlier ship of the same name that had a long history.
And I finally got my harbour cruise - sort of. This is the local harbour bus boat - 5 bucks (Cdn) to get back across the harbour, instead of hoofing it around.
I finished the day with a Latte on the dock at Nyhavn - with about a zillion of my new closest friends. Everybody is out and about, sitting down, chilling and enjoying life. A fellow with a clarinet is playing behind us.
A very pleasant way to end my stay here.
One more short post with the maps and I'm done. Hope you enjoyed the tales.
This morning started with some chores and then a walk to Christiania.
Christiania is a 'suburb' of Copenhagen that came into being when people (hippies?) took over some abandoned army barracks in 1971 and formed a commune. It's had a tumultuous relationship with the authorities over the years, partially because of cannabis use and other issues affecting local governance. There are about 1000 inhabitants.
Street art
The market, especially popular at Christmas.
I had to use one of the pubic toilets in the area. I haven't seen a 'pooper' of that style since I was hiking in South America. You don't need to see a picture.
Remember this spire? I talked about it a few days ago and said I'd get around to having a look at it.
This is the tower of Our Saviors Church, which has been around in some form since the late 1600's; the spire was finished in 1752.
The public is allowed to climb the tower and visit the church, although the church was closed today for a wedding.
Climbing the brick part of the tower starts off with wooden stairs that get progressively narrower and steeper.
Once outside the stairs are copper with a nice tall, strong railing (although there were some jittery people up there). As you get to the top the stairs disappear.
So, why did all use crazy people climb the tower - for the views of course.
View down the river east towards the ocean. Five (count 'em) cruise ships in town.
You can see the line of boats in the canal a street over from the church.
To the southeast, in the distance, is the 16 km tunnel / bridge to Sweden.
The canals to the northeast. Our hotel is on the other side of the canal, just behind the boat.
On the way down, here's the clock mechanism. To be honest, I could no detect any motion, so maybe it is replaced.
Some of the bells. The church has a large carillon, but luckily, no bells were struck while I was there.
Leaving the tower and walking back, here's some live aboard boats in one of the many canal marinas.
Speaking of canals, I thought I should include a map of Copenhagen's centre so you can orient yourselves.
Some of the features:
-The blue dot at the centre is the hotel.
- Christiania is directly east , on the next canal.
-The Little Mermaid is the cut off blue marker top centre.
-The cruise ships are moored above the map.
The point of the map is to show you the number of canals in the city and how, in the past, they were crucial for the shipping trade of the city. Whenever you are walking / biking around the centre, you will run into canals.
I have one more day in Copenhagen before I fly home. Not sure if I am doing any touristy stuff tomorrow as I have to pack up and sort some stuff out. So, I may not post anything.
I hope to make up some maps of the whole trip and post them here. Check back in a few days to see if I have gotten around to it.
Today was a big museum day with a bonus - free access to the Butterfly House at the Botanical Garden.
Breakfast with Tony & Michelle and say bye to them as they head to the airport.
First stop is the Geological Museum - Part of the Natural History Museum.
This is the Agpalilik meteorite on display at the entrance. At 20 tons it is one of the largest meteorites to hit the earth.
A large part of the display is dinosaurs and their evolution. This is a Protoceratops family.
This is a Tarbosaurus bataar and is closely related to Tyrannosaurus rex.
The other main feature in the museum is the rock and mineral collection.
This critter is called a Coelestin, and is related to something colloquially called a Thunder Egg by my rockhound parents
This is a display of rock that fluoresce under UV light.
I wont bore you with endless mineral and rock samples.
My ticket for the Geological Museum also got me into the Greenhouses and Butterfly House at the Botanical Gardens, so off I went.
The Succulent display
The Butterfly House was next. Hard to get them to stay still for photos.
King Swallowtail
Not sure about this guy
Malachite (?)
The big blue winged butterflies were the hardest to photograph.
Peleides Blue Morpho. The tips of many of their wings were damaged, probably from hitting the sides of the house.
Before you think I know anything about butterflies, I took a photo of the poster showing the dozen or so species they had.
The water plant house:
Giant water lilies from South America - they may grow up to 2 metres across.
Mangroves. They can grow in water too salty for plants by utilizing various mechanisms: excluding the salt from entering, let it accumulate in older leaves that fall off, or excreting it through glands in their leaves.
In one of the tropical houses is a Wollemi Pine, thought to be extinct until a small patch of them were found near Sydney, Australia.
And, a couple of photos from the ever popular Carnivorous plant display.
It's unfortunate that I am so botanically challenged to not be able to fully appreciate the displays.
The sky cleared and the day turned warm, but I had another nearby museum to visit - the National Gallery of Denmark. This is a collection of Danish and International Art. Today the entire European wing, about 1/4 of the collection, was closed, but it still left a great deal to look at.
There is a small French Art 1900 - 1930 section to visit first. A couple of Picasso's and various others.
A self portrait by Matisse
Matisse's portrait of his wife.
(Oops, I'm crooked again - it wasn't the painting.)
The largest gallery I visit is Danish & Nordic Art from 1750 - 1900.
I quite liked this work by Frederik Sedring because it is of the Marble Church when it was sitting unfinished (remember my story from yesterday)
In a Roman Osteria by Carl Bloch.
This was a period of Realism for Danish Artists. You could get right up very close to the canvases and see the delicate brushwork.
The Lifeboat is Taken Through the Dunes by Michael Ancher
Onto the modern Danish artists exhibition.
To be honest, the modern stuff doesn't generally turn my crank. but there were some interesting pieces.
By the time I was through the modern section and the Installation Art (which I understand even less) my eyes were pretty much crossed and it was time to go.
As usual, this museum would take multiple visits. I didn't even look at any of the statues on exhibit.
As I left, a nice shot of the museum pool with the Rosenborg Palace behind. I did see somebody sitting on one of the chairs in the water earlier.
The Copenhagen Jazz Festival is starting today, so the Palace grounds were full of people listening to the group there.
Here's an entrepreneur at the festival - a cute little 3 wheeled coffee wagon with a real Cappuccino machine in the back. Add ice cream and I'll bet she's making a killing.
Here's a question for all you female fashion types - how would you like to have to contend with cobblestones in spike heels? It looks dangerous to me!
Off to watch the football (soccer) game.
With nothing planned I wandered off towards Christiania and the naval base beyond. Turns out that there's lots to see.
I finished the day with a Latte on the dock at Nyhavn - with about a zillion of my new closest friends. Everybody is out and about, sitting down, chilling and enjoying life. A fellow with a clarinet is playing behind us.
Christiania is a 'suburb' of Copenhagen that came into being when people (hippies?) took over some abandoned army barracks in 1971 and formed a commune. It's had a tumultuous relationship with the authorities over the years, partially because of cannabis use and other issues affecting local governance. There are about 1000 inhabitants.
Once outside the stairs are copper with a nice tall, strong railing (although there were some jittery people up there). As you get to the top the stairs disappear.
There is a small French Art 1900 - 1930 section to visit first. A couple of Picasso's and various others. 
