Christmas in Copenhagen

We know it's after New Year's but we are trying to catch up. It has been an enjoyable holiday season thus far and we are sad to say goodbye to 2008. Alas, we have a few things to say before we close the book on the past year.

We had the splendid opportunity to spend Christmas with Rob's Mom and Dad in Copenhagen. It was a sad start for our parents because they ended up being delayed on one of their legs overseas. We bet you will never guess where? Bueller...Bueller...yep, that's right, CHICAGO. Due to this delay, they missed seeing Rob's game which was on their "must see" list while visiting Copenhagen. In the end, this tragedy turned out to be a comedy because my parents did not actually miss a hockey game. They missed Rob's team getting beat down like Nancy Kerrigan did in 1994. It was like we were the Mighty Ducks before Bombay and the other team was The Hawks with Adam Banks scoring goals like it was his job. This whole experience does not shock us because every time an activity involves both parties something goes awry. Here's a couple examples:

1. Before our wedding this summer, we planned a visit to the West Bloomfield castle for what was supposed to be a fun filled week. However, they day before we arrived, Detroit had a big storm and most homes were without power. The castle was one of the many casualties. My parents said not to worry because the power would be back on in a day or two, but they were wrong. Good old Detroit Edison turned the power back on the day we left. It was fun being under candle light during dinner and calling the power company every fives hours to get our "new" estimated time of renewed power.

2. After our wedding this summer, we were going to Detroit for our wedding reception which was held at the Globke Family residence. On our drive up, we received a phone call from Mom to find out our ETA and some other things. Among these things she failed to mention a very important point. We soon found out when my brother called to mention that Mom and Dad were going to the hospital because Mom had fallen and possibly broke her hip. Turned out, she did break her hip and needed surgery the day before the big party. She was out of commission for the grunt work of setting up, but still managed to be the hostess with the mostess. Not to mention, it poured throughout the reception.

So you see, when the younger Globke's collide with the older Globke's, chaos is going to happen.

We don't want to make you jealous of our sweet vacation (and we don't want to type all night), so we will just give you some of the highlights of the rest of the trip.

1. Pedestrian street - We spent the majority of the day touring around the many pedestrian streets perusing shops, eating food, and checking out a few local attractions. The street started at the Radhuset (City Hall) and ended at Nyhavn, a well known canal street in Copenhagen. A pass through Kogens Nytorv and an outdoor skating rink as well as the Round Tower, the tallest building in Copenhagen.

2. Amlienborg - The Royal Palace and Church is the current home of Queen Margarette II and her children (the same queen that our Danish teacher hates). It was here we saw the changing of the guards and the interior of the beautiful church. On a side note, it is weird how the guards need guards (the police) to protect them. Their main duty is to protect the Royal Family, so why can't they protect themselves.

3. Tivoli - One of the first and oldest theme parks in Europe. It is a Copenhagen landmark and becomes extra special during Christmas. The park, decked in it's Christmas gear, made for a festive evening.

4. Frederiksborg Slot - This is the oldest and biggest castle in Denmark. Not only was this a very cool castle, but to our delight, it was one of the only things open on Christmas Eve. Surrounded by a moat, this castle has it all. They have a church, museum and beautiful landscape which is why this used to be the most preferred castle among Danish Royalty.

We saw many other things and have posted a gallery in our photos link for your viewing pleasure.