Copenhagen, Denmark
Vikings and football, tapestries and sculptures, graduates, Carlsbergs, raindrops and roller coasters...the table has been set and cleared, but I’ll try to explain how all such an odd collection left its mark upon our visit to the Danish capital. We arrived in the morning under darkened skies, but a full day, even more so than we would believe, lay in wait and could not be missed. And so we set out to see the sights and scenes that are the sources of pride for the Danes.
One of our first stops included a look at the historical tapestries of Christianborg Palace. A picture’s worth may be a thousand words, but these woven wonders cover over a thousand years. A collaboration between Danish artist, Bjorn Norgaard, and two French tapestry workshops contributed to the works that electrifyingly depict the royal family and both Danish and world history. Some of the works even take the viewer into Norgaard’s vision of the future. They can best be summarized as a series of hanging murals that would take a number of visits and far more time than we had on hand to fully appreciate and memorize their intricate detail.
Most of us returned to the ship for lunch and a brief rest before heading back into the city and the rain to stop off at either the National Museum and it’s extensive collection of Viking artifacts or the Glytptotek sculpture museum. En route we began to notice something other than raindrops in the air, cheering and revelry had hit the streets as graduating high school students riding in the backs of lorries converged upon the “Horse” statue at one end of the pedestrian street, Stroget. The statue actually depicts one the many King Christian’s, but there have been so many, the populace has forgotten which king this one actually represents; hence the statue has come to be known as simply “the Horse.” And each year the forgotten king hosts the youth and stands guard over their celebration of song, fulfillment, and a good deal of Carlsberg beer!
Carlsberg Brewery’s finest may be Denmark’s most widely known export, but that’s not for lack local consumption and enjoyment. Perhaps less well-known, however, is the brewery’s status as a considerable patron of the arts. The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek museum houses an admirable collection of both national and international art and sculpture, though the museum itself may be the real treat. Though now overseen by the Ny Calrsberg Foundation, it was originally conceived and financed by Carl Jacobsen, owner of Carlsberg Brewery, in the early 1900’s. He graciously donated his extensive private collection to the public and commissioned a museum that he wanted to “have a beauty all it’s own, to which the people of the city would feel themselves irresistibly drawn.” The result surely fulfills his wish as both inside and out, the museum impresses with beauty and serenity as much as the very art it houses within. No where is this more evident than in the dramatic entry shown here as the lush indoor garden embraces the “Water Mother” of Danish sculptor Kai Nielsen.
We emerged from the museum across the street from Tivoli Gardens, and though for some the day had already been overwhelming for the senses, the lure of the roller coasters and suddenly parting clouds drew us on and into the amusement park. Or perhaps the spectacle of the Danes’ intense love and support for their national football squad lent a hand in energizing the evening. Across the city, and probably the nation, fans watched the home team move one step closer to the second round of the European Championship with a victory over Bulgaria which sets up a pivotal and decisive match early next week with a long familiar foe and friend, Sweden. And though we were welcomed today, our Swedish crew here on board the Endeavour would likely receive a far less hospitable invitation on the day of that grudge match.
Vikings and football, tapestries and sculptures, graduates, Carlsbergs, raindrops and roller coasters...the table has been set and cleared, but I’ll try to explain how all such an odd collection left its mark upon our visit to the Danish capital. We arrived in the morning under darkened skies, but a full day, even more so than we would believe, lay in wait and could not be missed. And so we set out to see the sights and scenes that are the sources of pride for the Danes.
One of our first stops included a look at the historical tapestries of Christianborg Palace. A picture’s worth may be a thousand words, but these woven wonders cover over a thousand years. A collaboration between Danish artist, Bjorn Norgaard, and two French tapestry workshops contributed to the works that electrifyingly depict the royal family and both Danish and world history. Some of the works even take the viewer into Norgaard’s vision of the future. They can best be summarized as a series of hanging murals that would take a number of visits and far more time than we had on hand to fully appreciate and memorize their intricate detail.
Most of us returned to the ship for lunch and a brief rest before heading back into the city and the rain to stop off at either the National Museum and it’s extensive collection of Viking artifacts or the Glytptotek sculpture museum. En route we began to notice something other than raindrops in the air, cheering and revelry had hit the streets as graduating high school students riding in the backs of lorries converged upon the “Horse” statue at one end of the pedestrian street, Stroget. The statue actually depicts one the many King Christian’s, but there have been so many, the populace has forgotten which king this one actually represents; hence the statue has come to be known as simply “the Horse.” And each year the forgotten king hosts the youth and stands guard over their celebration of song, fulfillment, and a good deal of Carlsberg beer!
Carlsberg Brewery’s finest may be Denmark’s most widely known export, but that’s not for lack local consumption and enjoyment. Perhaps less well-known, however, is the brewery’s status as a considerable patron of the arts. The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek museum houses an admirable collection of both national and international art and sculpture, though the museum itself may be the real treat. Though now overseen by the Ny Calrsberg Foundation, it was originally conceived and financed by Carl Jacobsen, owner of Carlsberg Brewery, in the early 1900’s. He graciously donated his extensive private collection to the public and commissioned a museum that he wanted to “have a beauty all it’s own, to which the people of the city would feel themselves irresistibly drawn.” The result surely fulfills his wish as both inside and out, the museum impresses with beauty and serenity as much as the very art it houses within. No where is this more evident than in the dramatic entry shown here as the lush indoor garden embraces the “Water Mother” of Danish sculptor Kai Nielsen.
We emerged from the museum across the street from Tivoli Gardens, and though for some the day had already been overwhelming for the senses, the lure of the roller coasters and suddenly parting clouds drew us on and into the amusement park. Or perhaps the spectacle of the Danes’ intense love and support for their national football squad lent a hand in energizing the evening. Across the city, and probably the nation, fans watched the home team move one step closer to the second round of the European Championship with a victory over Bulgaria which sets up a pivotal and decisive match early next week with a long familiar foe and friend, Sweden. And though we were welcomed today, our Swedish crew here on board the Endeavour would likely receive a far less hospitable invitation on the day of that grudge match.
