To Copenhagen - July 31, August 1 and 2

Left on time from San Rafael, arrived SFO with healthy time margin to get through TSA and make my flight.  Plane (Scandinavian Airlines) was clean, crew was lovely, food was good (chef on board for business class!), but flat seat for sleeping was so uncomfortable.   Tried and tried to sleep and finally just gave up.    Nine and half hours later as we were getting ready for touchdown in Denmark, got sleepy!!!

Uneventful ride in taxi to hotel (SKT Petri).   Now the question was whether or not I would stay awake to sleep at a reasonable hour, or just give in and go to bed?   Had eaten little on the flight so decided to get an early dinner at the hotel and then sleep.   Had the most delicious pasta (YEP! - when in Denmark, eat pasta!) of Orrechiette with Italian sausage and kale in a light fresh tomato sauce, accompanied by a glass or two, of Barbera from Piemonte.   All absolutely delicious!

Asleep by 5:30 p.m., and of course, awake at midnight!!   After a few hours up, tried to sleep again and did okay.   Early breakfast and then a walk - about a mile and a half.   Just enough to make me sleepy again - and so another nap.  Wish I could do more walking, but ankle won't "stand" for it!!

Am up on the eleventh floor of the hotel, overlooking roof tops and out across to towers and steeples.   Very picturesque, except that the weather is overcast, rainy and humid!!

Eric (travel agent) asked me to join him for dinner at a favorite restaurant so I taxied over to his hotel for a drink in the garden, and then on to the restaurant for one of the most memorable dinners in my life. Restaurant Formel B, off the beaten track was a real treat. 

This wine display was at eye-level to the left of our table.

Each and every course was unbelievably unique and delicious.  Took photos of each course and will let the photos do the talking - adding the description to each from the menu.   All of this was accompanied by a lovely bottle of Montrachet (Eric's suggestion) because he felt that this wine would compliment all flavors.   He was right!   After my first experience of a Montrachet with this dinner, I will always consider Montrachet the "chameleon" of wines.

       

This appetizer was a fresh mini lettuce served with a garlicky bread crumb mixture, perhaps some almonds ground into the crumbs.  We were instructed to pick up the lettuce with our fingers, dredge it through the crumbs and munch away!

Baerii caviar with uncooked green peas, sour 

cream and chicken broth

                 

Salad of Danish lobster with cress, fermented strawberries and tomato juice

      

New Potatoes with rosti, lovage, pickled pine and foamy whey sauce

      

Roasted monkfish with spinach, onion broth and aged beef fat

      

Stuffed quail with morels, aromatic herbs and lemon thyme sauce

Served with the quail, on the side - an egg topped with very mild truffle shavings, and a pressed leg of quail, breaded

         

Syringa sorbet with ice cream sandwich on hay cream, summer honey and bee pollen

The ice cream sandwiches were served on a bed of rose bud potpourri!!

. . . and all of the above with this delicious wine!!

Copenhagen - which I always identify in my mind as the city of Hans Christian Andersen, and the sculpture of the Little Mermaid -  is a very pretty city that has grown by leaps and bounds since I was last here almost 20 years ago.  At the time of that visit, Adolfo and I did the mandatory boat ride showing off the city from the water, visited the area of Hans Christian Andersen's home, and spent a day at Tivoli Gardens.   Lovely gardens, rides for kids, great restaurants, and more.   Because my ankle is giving me fits, was happy to have seen this city before.  Rested and listened to my books, hoping to calm down the ankle so that I'd be able to participate in the first walking tour in Oslo.

There are as many residents and tourists on bicycles, as there are automobiles.  Everyone gets along very well on the road - really amazing.

Yesterday's start for me was a total disaster.  Was certain that I would sleep well, which I did.  However, when I woke at 7:00 a.m., thought a little more sleep would be fine as I would then have time for breakfast and then taxi to the ship.

WRONG!  I slept until 1:00 p.m..  Checkout was at 11:00 a.m.   Reception had called me and I'd not heard the phone ring.   I panicked, jumped in the shower and then heard the phone ringing.   By the time I got to the phone, it had stopped.  I called reception and told them I'd overslept and would vacate the room as soon as possible - gave them my apologies.  At the same time there was a loud knocking on the door.  Went to the door with dripping hair and wrapped in a towel.  Guess they thought I'd died and were ready to break down the door.   An international incident in the making!!!

So, this next photo is totally appropriate and I've taken sleeping to a new level of artistry!!

Threw my clothes in the suitcase, missed my Dyson hairdryer which dries my hair in a jiffy, and with red face went to check out.   They apologetically told me they'd have to charge me a bit extra for the inconvenience.  At that point I'd have emptied my wallet just to get out of there.   The extra charge was only $30.00!!

Once aboard the Seabourn Ovation, was happy to run into acquaintances from the last Culinary Cultural Cruise, and enjoyed their company at an informal dinner out on deck at the venue Earth and Ocean.  The weather was beautiful, sun was finally shining, sea was like glass.   Coming on to the Seabourn ships is like coming "home".   All is familiar and there is always someone on the crew that I've seen before - lovely way to begin a vacation - especially after my start this morning.

. . . and so to bed . . .

My apologies ahead of time as my photos are from my iPhone - forgot my camera at home!!