getting to Copenhagen

I THE JOURNEY

PART A

Good afternoon from some airport in Europe that I'd never been to, waiting for a flight on an airline I'd never heard of!

In other words, things did not go as planned. Let me recap the start of it all: I'm on my way to Copenhagen!

Off to a good start: a flight from Madison to Detroit leaves early, gets into Detroit early. I was to wait a couple of hours and then board a flight from Detroit to New York's JFK, where, after a four hour layover, I was to catch a direct flight to Copenhagen. But in Detroit all hell breaks loose and small snafus escalate and multiply and now, here I am, updating Ocean from Hamburg!

First of all, my flight from Detroit to JFK posted a two hour delay. If you read yesterday's post, you already know that. So now I have a four hour layover in Detroit. No problem, right? I relax. I run into a friend. I read. Four hours go by quickly.

PART B

At the gate now, with many anxious passengers. They're all wanting to connect at JFK to international flights. Why else fly to JFK airport, right? It's inconvenient for the city. So, everyone wants this plane to leave NOW! But first the aircraft has to arrive from Dallas. There it is! Pulling up to the gate.

Meanwhile, the passengers at the neighboring gate are really agitated, because their plane's cabin is overheated, registering close to 100 degrees F. (nearly 38C). They are, therefore, not allowed to board. Delta does not want to kill off its paying customers. Poor guys. Their trip to Houston will be dismally delayed. But we, who are JFK bound, are all getting ready to board ours, except, what's this? There will be a gate switch?? The Houston guys are getting our incoming plane and we get their overheated loser?? That's just evil!

We wait as various instruments and machines are brought in to cool off the plane. Tick tock, tick tock. Slowly the passengers leave with resignation. Their connections to Zurich, to London, to Sao Paolo are all falling by the wayside. I'm still hanging in there, but I set the wheels in motion for a change as well. If you stand near the counter and eavesdrop in on the conversations, you can easily figure out that Delta is just biding its time. This plane is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Now what??? All flights across the Atlantic are booked solid! I get on the phone. And this is where airline loyalty helps. I am put on a flight to Amsterdam (very late departure, so I feel I have lived at the Detroit Airport for half my life) on a standby basis. But as I am so loyal, they promise I will get a seat.

PART C

That was one long wait in Detroit. Nearly nine hours! But, you know, I am alone and what does it matter, really? Yes, I will have missed some hours across the ocean, but on the upside, I did finally get a seat and the flight to Amsterdam is pleasant enough, with just enough of the gentle bumps that lull most everyone except me to sleep. 

In Amsterdam now. I have about a three hour layover so I walk leisurely toward what I know to be the gate area for European connections. I check the screen. Say what? All flights are posting gates at this exceptionally busy airport. Mine, on the other hand, is posting a cancellation!

I'm back on the phone with Air France (the airline responsible for my original booking). I get scolded by passport control. Get off the phone! This is a security area! I hide the phone and pick up the conversation once officially in the European zone.

They have only one suggestion that would put me in Copenhagen at any decent hour today. I follow their suggestion.

PART D

And that is how I find myself on a KLM flight to Hamburg. I have never been to Hamburg. I hope I will not be there tonight either. I just want to pick up a flight on some strange airline that leaves Hamburg for Copenhagen pretty much as soon as I land in this German city.

For this part of the trip, all I remember is all the steps, with my suitcase: up the stairs to the ticket agent's desk. Down the steps to the bus that will take us to the flight. Up the stairs to the airplane. I am able to do this, with my backpack and carryon, even with the knee being still so very imperfect, but it's slow going.

On the KLM plane, I find out that the flight is going to be delayed. Airport traffic. And then delayed some more. Please, Hamburg airport! Be small! 

PART E

Hamburg Airport is not small, but nor is it too large. Sort of like Warsaw. But what is disconcerting is that my plane from Amsterdam again parks in outer space. Down the stairs. Onto a bus, up the stairs. And here's the real bummer: you have to exit the airport to connect to your next flight. This means you have to go through security again. Who thought of that dumb procedure?? Nevertheless, it all moves along, and I am at the gate for Copenhagen on time. Especially since THAT flight is also delayed. And it requires a bus. Down the stairs, up the airplane's steps, suitcase in hand. But hey! These are small steps. The flight on XFLY Airlines is on a tiny prop plane, the kind I used to get from Glasgow to the Scottish isles.

The flight eventually does take off and I eventually do land in Copenhagen at just about 5 p.m., which is in fact only about 5 hours later than my planned arrival.

II COPENHAGEN

What images come to you when you think of Copenhagen? Happy people, yes, that. Weather hardened (a mild but wet climate, which is sort of the opposite of Wisconsin!). Known for clever design, fisheries, the New Nordic cuisine, and Hans Christian Andersen. Who hasn't heard of the Emperor's New Clothes, the Little Mermaid, or Princess and the Pea? They're iconic! 

But of course, Copenhagen is so much more. Even as it's a small city. One of the smallest of the European capitals. I always thought of it as a finger jutting out into the North Sea, but in fact, Copenhagen is on an island and if you cross a bridge to the east, you'll find yourself in Sweden.

Ed says Danish people are more content because they dont have much strife nor complicated infighting between different demographics. In other words, it's a homogeneous nation. But Poland is homogeneous as well -- little diversity, very few Jews, Muslims or Buddhists, and yet, no one is surprised to see it rank rather low on the list of happy nations.

In my same old way, I want to get a feel for the place not necessarily through checking off the landmarks, but by walking the streets, looking inside public spaces, stores, bake shops --the usual.

But first, I have to change my mindset: from dry and hot and hazy, I have moved to crisp and wet and cool. 

I've been told that much must happen before you even leave the airport. For example: this is the time to purchase a Rejsekort -- a travel card that will let you hop on the train into town (and ride metros and buses up and down and all around). So I do that. And I hop on that train (well, more like drag myself onto it), which takes me to the Central Station, which happens to be steps away from my hotel (Villa Copenhagen).

The Villa Copenhagen continues the recent tradition of my staying at hotels that are not really something you'd think I'd choose. It's not small, not family run, not intimate. But it's lovely and proximate to the station, and to where the young family will be staying, and for all those stars it commands, the prices are not outrageous.

[Gone are the days when I can tag along with the kids and just crash in their rooms and rentals. Anything, anything at all will keep me from getting a night of fit sleep, so I have to disengage and shut off my mind, my thoughts, and keep myself removed from even imagined excitement for the night. So here I am, at the "Villa," ready to unwind and get prepared for the arrival of the foursome!]

I had planned some walks in the city, but of course, all those changed flights took away most of my daylight hours here (even though it does stay light for a wonderfully long time!). Too, I am mindful of the fact that I'm tired and it's very wet and I haven't yet gotten used to the Nordic climate, so I take it easy. Still, fairly quickly, I set out. 

I walk in the direction of Nyhavn, the iconic neighborhood by the canals. It's gorgeous and I'm sure I'll come back here. For now, let's take a look at the colorful blocks along the water's edge.

And I stop for dinner at nearby Iluka. My daughter sent me a list of possible eating choices and Iluka seemed so good! Small, seafoodish, informal. My favorite plate? The crab tail, with pumpkin seeds, fennel and peas.

(Walking home, while others bike... I cant believe she is not wearing a jacket!)

And so ends my first exhausted but happy day. Tomorrow, things intensify! Push "calm" by the wayside and plunge into excitement and adventure: the young family arrives!

Until then, godnat once more!