Tivoli

After 9 days of popping in and out of the Baltic capitals, we had come to our final port.  Our bags were already on dry land, our room had been vacated and we were just awaiting word that we could disembark for the final time.  This time we were going to catch a bus to the airport.  But the catch was, we were not going home.  Not quite yet.  We had one final day full of surprises for the girls.

One final picture on board before we go.  (How cute are they?)

We caught our bus, left our bags at the reception desk at our airport hotel (so super convenient) and hopped the train.  The girls were none to happy with us because we wouldn't tell them where we were going or what we were doing so they thought that we were, once again, going to tour the sights of Copenhagen.  And that was what we let them believe.

We walked out of the main train station and across the street.  We bought day long tickets from the line and we got our wristbands.  The girls were really curious now, but we still hadn't really explained what we were doing.  All they could see was that we were going to a place called Tivoli Gardens and the Garden part did not seem to excite them.  Until they saw the rides.

Tivoli Gardens is a large amusement park smack dab in the center of Copenhagen.  It is visited by almost 4.5 million people a year and is the largest seasonal theme park in the world.  Built in 1843, it is also the second oldest in the world.  Tivoli's founder got Kind Christian VIII to grant him the land and permits to build the park by telling him that when people were out having fun, they were not thinking about politics.  So he built his oasis in the city and opened it to the people.  It follows a certain oriental theme, but is ever evolving and constantly changing.

We had arrived just before lunch time and decided to get the food out of the way while we planned our day.  I say we, but I mean they...

First things first - the fairytale ride.  It took us on a tour of the most famous stories by Denmark's own Hans Christian Anderson.  Many of which the girls are familiar with in their Disney forms, as they may still be a bit young for their true stories.

The Snow Queen - the first Elsa.

From then on it was rides, rides, rides.  We played all afternoon and into dinner.  Finally we had to call it a day.  We had a hotel to check into and a flight to catch the next afternoon.  But what an ending to such a great vacation.  I would chalk this up as one of our top family vacations to date.

This building is a restaurant!

Concentrating on driving her boat.  And then she gets a gleam in her eye - which means we are about to go after Papa and MadHatter...though they got to us first.

The boat is another restaurant.

Notice the guy in red, sitting on the chair what is row 5...He is actually braking the coaster.  By hand.  Around each and every curve!!!  It is the oldest, still running, wooden roller coaster in the world.  We didn't ride it, but we did ride the one below (that got you wet)

Dinner.  You got a basket, picked out your food and drinks and essentially had a picnic in the park.  Such a great idea.  And the perfect way to end the day.

We took the train to the hotel.  Stinkerbell tried to tell me that she was able to read Danish :)