SATURDAY JANUARY 27th

Woke up a few times during the night but got up at 7:30. Went right out for a run around the lakes. Saw a man kicking snow up and his dog was eating the snow. Swans, magpies, mallards etc are all around.
Took a shower. Had a croissant and tea for breakfast.
Went into DIS and headed off for a tour of Kronborg Castle in Helsinger (Elsinore in Shakespeare’s play) Where Hamlet was set. The bus went along the coast. We saw some beautiful large houses on the way. It was very scenic and the houses looked more like the typical ones in the US than the house I am living in.
We had time to look around in shops first. It was really cold. Elizabeth and I walked around together. Very cute old area. Many clothing shops and bakeries. One large indoor mall like center but mainly smaller shops. They had a cheese shop and a meat shop.
We ate lunch on a bench in an indoor shopping center on a bench. I had a rosemary roll and and a banana.
Went to the castle for a tour. Very cool.
Shakespeare may have worked with a group of players that worked at Kronborg or he may have heard the story about Prince Amlet that was passed on through Germany, France and then England. The castle was called Hook Castle but it burned down and was rebuilt.
I can’t imagine how they kept such a large place warm. Apparently there was frequently ice on the floors and the bedrooms are small because that makes it easier to heat. Many huge fireplaces.
Guide kept referring to stuff that Sweden stole which I though was funny. Shows the rivalry. I have a new appreciation for home much work royal life must have been. Just keeping the castle warm, everyone fed, at cleaning up would be a production. Neat stairways that curve and are narrower in the middle than the outside.
The casements were very cool but small and dark and creepy. I can’t imagine being a soldier or a prisoner and spending much time down there. Statue of a god who will come back to live and save Denmark. Prisoners and soldiers given lots of beer 8 Liters a day because the water was bad and they needed it for moral. Story about prisoners how had to walk the gamut and be hit by everyone else as they ran through the middle of the room.
See pictures and captions.
Took bus back to DIS along the highway.
Ate pasta with shrimp, leeks, and brussel sprouts. Water to drink. Talked about how putting the fork in the right hand is considered royal because the French did it and some American president liked the French very much. The danes eat with knife in the right and fork in the left all the time. Watched Danish TV show set in 1940s. Couldn’t follow much but the acting was good and there were no commercials or exaggered background music like in the US. After show had bread and cheeses (blue cheese, brie and a cheddar/ swiss cheese.