Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen

Yay, sunshine with just a few cotton wool clouds greeted us this morning.
Outside the IceBar (located in the same building as the Hostel), we catch the Hop On Hop Off bus again.  As we move through the stops, we wonder at the laid back attitudes of the staff - anyone would think that they are Aussies, and yet none we have encountered are!

We are headed into the Christianshavn area on a series of artificial islands within the harbour.  First founded in the 17th Century when King Christian IV extended the fortifications of the City, and at the time was an upper society residential area.  Description
Inderhavnsbroen - an opening bridge across the inner harbour.

In the 1970s a commune society set up in an area of the Christianshavn area that became known as Freetown in abandoned military buildings.  Later, many of these residents self-built their own homes, paying no regard to rules or regulations.  Following many attempts to make the residents conform to the laws of Denmark, finally in 2017 the 1,000 or so residents made their first payment to the state and so began the process of the area coming under the Copenhagen Council rule and home ownership status as opposed to squatter status.

But the area we have come to see is the magnificent Church of Our Saviour with its amazing helix spire that comprises 400 steps to the top.  Needless to say, we did not climb it!  This Church is definitely one of the more ornate and adorned churches we have seen here in Denmark.  The organ pipes dated 1698 and set in elaborate carved timber work borne on the backs of two plaster elephants. While the altar is stunning, and the carved pew heads amazing in their work - appreciated all the more because of my opportunity to watch the carving process of the Peace Pole being developed for the Rotary Club of Maryborough-Sunrise back home, it is the baptismal font that is the pick of the ornate statuary.  It is balanced at the other end by the austerity of the poor chests in the foyer.  The locks on these, as with the many other examples we have seen would seriously challenge any pick-pocket - old or recent!


From here, we walked back onto the City proper across 

Description

Inderhavnsbroen - the opening bridge that crosses the inner harbour, passing by the Børsen, the 17th-century Copenhagen  stock exchange, complete with its twisted spire of crocodiles or dragons - no-one really knows the inspiration.  The commentary on the bus yesterday wondered at how many crocodiles the locals of the 17th century would have seen.  We wonder how many dragons

they might have been witness to!!

We are looking for the Hop On Hop Off boat, only to discover that the ticket we have been given does not cover the boat - even though we specifically asked for it. Too bad.  So we decide to head for the Citadel and the Little Mermaid rather that waste any more time.

We alight the bus for the citadel in front of an amazing fountain, and the only Anglican Church in Denmark - much later, being constructed in the 1870s.  The fountain is the subject of a plethora of tour visitors making it very hard to get a good photo.  One of the standout features of Copenhagen as a city are the number of statues that are to be found at every turn.  This area is no different with artistic and commemorative statues almost every time you turn your head.  The Gefion Fountain features large-scale oxen being driven by the legendary Norse goddess, Gefjun. It is located in Langelinie Park next to Kastellet and is the largest monument in Copenhagen and used as a wishing well.  According to an ancient legend, Gefion was the goddess who ploughed the island of Zealand out of Sweden. The Swedish king Gylfe offered the goddess Gefion as much land as she was capable of ploughing within one day and one night.

Looking across the moat to the citadel, you can clearly trace the outline of the five pointed star.  Michael and I first saw an example of this type of fort in Blaye in south-western France.  Today, they are mowing the grass sides - with a domestic mower attached by a rope to a tractor riding along the top of the mound.  It looks so comical, and yet is so practical.

 The Citadel, or 

Description

Kastellet, is one of the best preserved fortresses in northern Europe, and like much of the existing city, dates back to the early 17th century.  This is still a working facility with mess houses and the normal workings of a military establishment.  It should have been easy to walk through the fort through to visit the Little Mermaid on the other side, but the City, among all the other places, is

undertaking works here - this time to protect the fort from flooding!  So back outside we trudge to wait for the next bus to take us around closer to this iconic symbol of Copenhagen.

The Little Mermaid sits on her rock pensively looking at you, pining for the loves she never.  Not often spoken of alternative mermaid - the Genetically Modified Mermaid - is found off a new Square at Langelinie.  She represents a tortured soul, albeit with feet,but still without a love.

The day is getting blustery now and darker clouds are moving in.  We decided to ride the bus around to Nyhavn and have some early dinner before returning to the Hostel.

In the dying light of the afternoon, this colourful canal community is stunning.  A 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district, it is lined by brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants.  Hans Christian Anderson lived in this district at the time that he wrote most of his fairy tales.

Not having had any lunch, we stopped at No.19 Nyhavn at the Skagen Restaurant where we feasted on seafood tapas (Donna) and Fish Soup (Maria) followed by Surf and Turf (Donna) and Rib Fillet (Maria).  It is raining as we eat and the wind has really come up, so we take advantage of the blankets the restaurant offers.

From here it is a 5 block walk back to the normality of the hostel.

Tomorrow we begin our journey for home, flying first to Amsterdam from Copenhagen.  It would have been nice to go by train, but it is an overnight trip and the train gets in a little to close to our departure for our Sydney bound flight.

One more night - this time back in Amsterdam.

In Romania where . . .

Had no access to internet yesterday, so we are playing catch-up.

Tuesday 8 August.

As we had travelled to and fro from Casa Dinainte near Cluj, the road passed through this dark, cool, quiet forest. This morning we made a quick stop so we could get a photo.  Had to be quick though as this forest is supposed to have frequent paranormal phenomenon (what else would you expect from a forest in Transylvania?!)  Not sure what the mix of trees are although there is birch among them. 

And the bees couldn't give one hoot or buzz about the ghoulies - they were happy drinking nectar from the roadside flowers.

Today we had a big day of driving - we began by heading west to Oradea where there is a star citadel to explore. We are skirting one edge of the Carpathian Mountains and the scenery is stunning. Its very alpine and you could be in any one of a number of central European countries.  The last of the summer grass is being cut and piled high to dry to provide winter fodder for livestock. Old men seem to do the work here - you never seen young men

wielding the scythe to cut the grass.
The times estimated to travel relatively short distances is amazingly long. But when you add winding hairpins up and down slopes and meandering through valleys beside rivers to the poor condition of most of the rural roads, there lies the answer why. Believe me Helen - the Amalfi Coast has nothing on these corners!

Right along this route, we pass stall after stall after store selling locally made goods.  But alas, they are all too big for us to consider buying for home. 
As we reach Oradea, the architecture takes on a new twist. It soon becomes my castle is bigger, my castle is more colourful, my castle has more ornate guttering - than yours!

I soon realise that we are going to have to keep pushing on if we want to make our final destination of Viseu de Sus by nightfall. So we ration the visit to the Citadel to one hour. We might come back on our return to Cluj if there is time.

The Citadel has been fully restored (probably with EU money) and there are some excellent displays.  Many of the buildings inside are in permanent use by either the Museum or other civic duties.  It began with fortifications in the Roman era and despite being beseiged many times by the Ottomans, the Mongols and much later the Turks, the fortress was never taken. It has been built over many times and in one archaelogical display, the

layers of building and life are clearly visible.  Parts of the original paintwork and some of the sandstone carvings that would have adorned doorways and halls have been found and are on display. We had only just scratched the surface of this fascinating place, but had to push on.

We now turn north to Satu Mare, then east on through Baia Mare, through Sighetu Marmatiei and finally turn south for Viseu de Sus.  We have traversed the first edge of the Mamamures - that stunning range of mountains that straddles northern Romania and southern Ukraine. Oh, if only we had more time.  Is there a promising Lotto game any time soon back home?  I'll throw a few more photos on to Facebook!

And what is so appealing about Viseu de Sus?  Well, it lies deep in the

Maramures and there just so happens to be a steam train here - part of Romania's last working steam logging operation (there were 1500 still operational up until the 1970s with the last steam loco being built for this industry in 1972.)  And to really make Michael's day and night, we are booked in to the Carpatia Express Hotel - where we sleep and dine in railway carriages!

So an exhausting day of driving (only) 447 km where it took a total of 10 hours driving - with that one hour respite at the Citadel!

We were greeted by Bridgette from Switzerland at the Dining Car as we arrived and once we quickly gathered the key for the cabin, she filled our bellies with Vegetable Soup, toasted Ham, Cheese and pineapple on toast, Swedish Meatballs with the yummiest piquant gravy and potato and pea mash and rounded out the night with Swiss Mousse. Two tired travellers gratefully partook!

And tomorrow - the steam train!

ROMANIA WHERE:

• Mountain roads twist through birch and fir forests - but prove no challenge for maniac drivers hell bent on overtaking at all costs
• If any building code exists, it isn't enforced - everything from timber sheds converted into dwellings, from besser block or clay bricks daubed with mortar, to concrete cancer riddled leftovers from the days of communist rule, to the newer gaudy 'mine is bigger than yours' painted in every colour of the neon rainbow 
• Storks nest two by two high on telegraph poles
• It is still ok or the farmer to take his wife to town in the high sided wagon pulled by horse or tractor
• Old men deftly wild age-smoothed scythes in the fields as young men race by in late model cars
• New money eclipses old money - we have never seen so many high end cars
• Everyone in the rural areas is a market gardener - and they all sit patiently selling the same produce at their front gates
• It seems compulsory to sit on a bench seat outside your fence chewing the fat with your neighbour and taking the last of the evening sun between 5 and 7 in the afternoon
• It feels perfectly normal to be sleeping in a railway carriage as you hear the steam locos hauling timber, and being fed by a Swiss cook.