August 9: Copenhagen to Odense

This morning Ojiichan, Kyoko-san and I took the bus to Hart Bageri to pick up some breakfast before we had to check out of the hotel. We then walked to Central Station to catch the train to Odense. The train ride was a little less than an hour and a half and LB fell asleep while we went through the Danish countryside. 

That's One Way to Nap

When we arrived in Odense, Kyoko-san's daughter and granddaughter, Yuri and Kie, met us at the station and showed us to our hotel. Unfortunately our rooms weren’t ready so we left our luggage in the luggage room and Yuri and Kie took us to Druen & Bønnen, our restaurant for lunch, and then they had to leave. We had a selection of smørrebrød for lunch, all of which were delicious, and then Kyoko-san had a strawberry trifle and Hirojichan had a cheese plate for dessert. 

Fried Herring Smørrebrød

After finishing lunch we took Ojiichan and LB to nap in the lobby while the rest of us went to walk around town while we waited for our rooms to be ready. Kyoko-san and Hirojichan first took us to St. Knut’s Church. Knut was king in Denmark from 1080-1086 ad and was murdered in 1086 in Odense. His and his brother’s remains are located in the lower floor of the church and are in very good condition. 

King Knut's Remains

Right next to/behind the church was the monastery gardens and a park that had a statue of Hans Christian Anderson and several sculptures that were based on his children’s stories. We wandered around this area for a little while until it was time to head back to check into our rooms. 

Hans Christian Andersen

After we took our luggage to the rooms we relaxed for a little while and then met in the lobby to head to dinner. We went to Restaurant Klosterkroen, which was like a Danish pub. The food was very basic and filling, but still very good. When we finished dinner we headed back to the hotel and got ready for bed.

Klosterkroen's Fried Plaice

August 8: Copenhagen Day 3

This morning we all went to a coffee shop called Andersen & Maillard, which is known for their filled cube croissants. Today they were filled with either pistachio cream or coconut cream, so of course we had to try both. The fillings for both were really good. The pistachio cream was extremely silky and smooth and the coconut cream had a really good punch of coconut flavor, Yeh-Yeh would have loved it! LB opted for a canelé and a spandauer, which is a danish filled with a marzipan cream. After we finished eating we headed back to the hotel. 

Cubic Croissants

After reorganizing a little bit, Christal, Ojiichan, the kids and I went out to visit the Little Mermaid statue, or Lille Havfrue, and take some pictures of it. 

The Little Mermaid

From there we walked to Nyhavn to take some daytime shots of the colorful buildings. Then we walked along the Stroget back to the hotel, but not before Christal got some new shoes, since her old ones were falling apart, and LB went into the Lego store with Ojiichan. We ended up buying LB the Ninjago set that he wanted most and it turned out to be a few dollars cheaper than on Amazon. 

An Overcast Day in Nyhavn

When we were done shopping we dropped our stuff off at the hotel and then met up with Hirojichan and Kyoko-san and went across the street to Tivoli Gardens. After we got into Tivoli Gardens we headed over to Gasoline Grill and had burgers, a chicken sandwich and elderflower lemonades for lunch. From there we walked around the park, rode on the ferris wheel, and went to the aquarium to watch them feed the fish. The aquarium was pretty good for being in an amusement park. They had a small shark that looked like a reef shark, a few leopard sharks, a couple rays, a small Napoleon wrasse and lots of other colorful tropical fish. LB and Ojiichan were getting sleepy by this point so we found a bench for them to sit at and take a nap while the rest of us walked around the rest of the park. 

Good Spot for a Nap

The best way I can think to describe Tivoli Gardens is a mix between a botanical garden, a city park and a small-scale Disneyland, which makes sense because Walt Disney was inspired by Tivoli when he built Disneyland. 

View from the Ferris Wheel

When we finished walking around the park we went back and got LB and Ojiichan and headed back to the hotel to let both of them sleep some more while Christal and I got ready for Noma. 

Axel Towers

Christal and I took the bus to Noma, which was a few stops past Barr. When we arrived they had a couple of greeters at the beginning of the garden to check us in. Before they let us walk down the path through the garden and into the restaurant they had us wait until the couple in front of us had cleared through and then let us experience the entrance on our own. 

Well Hello Noma!

When we walked in the front door there were about 8-10 people there to greet us and they took our coats and showed us to our table. The meal itself was the best dining experience we have had, and it wasn’t even close! The food was mind blowing. 

Noma's Mold is Delicious

When we had finished they gave us a couple of small bottles of the Noma Projects dashi reduction and menus of the night to take home and then gave us a tour of the rest of the restaurant and grounds. 

The Pass

As we were leaving they made sure we didn’t need a taxi to be called and made sure we knew how to get back to our bus stop. Unfortunately, the bus we were trying to catch didn’t seem to be running that far out of the city, because there were some people at our stop that had been waiting for 40 minutes for the bus, so just like last night, we decided to walk to another bus stop closer to town where we could catch a few different lines in to our hotel. 

One of the Prep Kitchens

When we arrived back we relieved Ojiichan so that he could go back to his room and found LB showered and watching the Ipad. We got ready for bed and went to sleep.

The View from our Table

August 7: Copenhagen Day 2

This morning I met Ojiichan, Hirojichan and Kyoko-san in the lobby and we went to Hart Bageri to get some breakfast. As soon as we walked out the door a big gust of wind came and hit us and Ojiichan decided he was going to stay and get something at the 7-11 at the hotel, so Hirojichan, Kyoko-san and I went to Hart Bageri and got some goodies and brought them back to the hotel to eat. 

Some of Hart Bageri's Offerings

When we were done we decided to go to KU.BE, which is like a big playground for kids. It took us a while to find where to buy a city pass for transportation because they wouldn’t accept a US credit card online or at the ticket kiosks for some reason. Once we finally got our passes we headed to KU.BE, but once we got there LB was sleepy and just wanted to take a nap so we just let him nap a little while while we checked out the place. It was too bad he slept the whole time because they had a big slide that was two stories tall, a climbing hill with slides going down, a cargo net area that went up to another story as well as many other activities he would have enjoyed. 

1st Floor of the KU.BE

Once Christal and I finished looking at everything we decided to head back to the hotel and let LB and Ojiichan rest. Our whole family ended up taking a nap pretty much until it was time to head to dinner. We had dinner at Barr, which is in the old Noma location and it was our best meal on the trip so far in my opinion. Everything was delicious and we got to try some unique ingredients like sweet woodruff. 

Barr's Interior

After dinner we came back to the hotel and got LB showered. Then, since we all took a nap earlier, we dropped LB off at Ojiichan’s room and Christal, Maddy and I went out to Nyhavn to see if it would be any better for night photos tonight. It was pretty much the same as last night, so we walked back to the hotel by way of Strøget, which seems to be a major retail street in Copenhagen. Just before we got back we stopped at 7-11 for some drinks for the room and then we got LB and got ready for bed.

The End of Strøget

August 6: Amsterdam to Copenhagen

Today we packed everything up, had a quick breakfast at the hotel and headed to the airport at 8:15 am. Our flight to Copenhagen went smoothly for the most part and once we landed and got our luggage we met back up with Hirojichan and Kyoko-san and a couple of her friends. We all took a train from the airport to our hotel and were able to check in as soon as we arrived. After leaving our luggage in the room we all met in the lobby and walked to Restaurant Kronborg, which only serves smørrebrød or Danish buttered bread with toppings, for an early dinner. 

The waiter had recommended the meatball smørrebrød so I tried that and Christal ordered the “Aquavit special” which had potatoes, herring and herbs among other things. We both ended up liking her smørrebrød better. 

Kronborg's "Aquavit Special"

When we finished at Restaurant Kronborg, Kyoko-san's friends left us to explore on their own and Hirojichan and Kyoko-san took us on a canal tour. Unfortunately, after dinner it started raining and it kept raining the rest of the night. The tour was very informative and we felt like it was much better than the canal tour in Amsterdam. 

Before the Rain

One of the more interesting facts our guide told us was that when the wind blows in the wrong direction it can cause the water level to rise in the city, which happened today and so the boat had to take a slightly different route than what is normally done. Another amusing story she told was of a military boat whose captain accidentally pushed the wrong button and sent missiles into a bunch of houses, completely destroying several and damaging hundreds. Luckily it was in an area of second homes and none of the owners were present so there were no casualties, but one of the houses destroyed belonged to the captain’s mother-in-law. 

I Hope They Don't Fire any Missiles

After the canal tour we went to a department store and had dessert at a bakery/coffee shop called Holm. We had a giant chocolate truffle, chocolate filled marzipan roll and a summer cake with layers of marzipan, strawberry and chocolate. They were all very good, but my favorite was the summer cake. 

Summer Tart

When we finished dessert we headed back to the hotel and got the kids ready for bed. After they were in bed I left to take pictures in Nyhavn and of the Circle Bridge and then I came back to the hotel and got ready for bed. 

Nyhavn

The Circle Bridge

August 5: Amsterdam Day 4

This morning LB woke up at 4 am because his mosquito bites were too itchy. We went to breakfast at 7:45 and then left for Centraal Station to meet up with Kyoko-san who was helping her friends get on the bus for Zaans Schans. After we met up with her we all headed to the NEMO Museum, which is an interactive museum for kids.

NEMO Museum

We spent three hours checking out as much as we could and LB was having a blast. He said his favorite parts were the giant water clock, the Rube Goldberg presentation, the exhibit on how clean water is produced, and a game where you had to protect earth from comets, asteroids, solar wind and UV-radiation by holding a shield that sensed where you were on the screen. 

Rube Goldberg Anticipation

We were finally able to pull LB away from all the fun in the Nemo Museum and go do a self-guided food tour of the Jordaan neighborhood with Ojiichan and Hirojichan. We went to a sandwich place called Broodje Mokum and tried a meatball sandwich, a hindustani chicken sandwich and a filet Americain sandwich, which was basically a steak tartare sandwich. Our next stop was Fa. H. Wegewijs for some cheese. We sampled five different kinds of cheese; they were a young (jonge kaas) Beemster aged 28 days, a young matured (jong belegen) Beemster aged 6-7 weeks, an old (oude kaas) Beemster aged 10 months, a truffle beemster and a goat cheese. They were all exceptional but our favorite was the 10 month aged Beemster. It had a perfect blend of creaminess and salty complexity. 

MMMMM Cheese!

From the cheese shop we headed to a gelateria called Monte Pelmo and on the way it started pouring down rain. Luckily the gelato shop was pretty empty when we arrived so we were all able to fit inside. Christal ordered the panna cotta with forest fruit and I ordered the panna cotta with forest fruit and passion fruit. The passion fruit was very good, but the panna cotta with forest fruit was excellent. It had a nice mixed berry flavor and the creaminess was very light and refreshing so it didn’t feel like it weighed you down. 

More Canals

After the gelato we were getting a little full so we were going to skip some stops and try to go to a place that had apple pie, but unfortunately when we got there it was packed to the gills because of a gay pride boat parade that was happening city wide throughout the canals and so we couldn’t even get in the door for the pie. Thanks to the gay pride events going on throughout the city the last few days I saw more than my fair share of fishnets, chains and leather. Since our last stop was a no-go we decided to head back to Centraal Station so that Christal, the kids and I could go to another stroopwafel place and Ojiichan and Hirojichan could head back to the hotel. After dodging all the gay pride revelers Christal and I made our way to van Wonderen Stroopwafels where I got a stroopwafel with chocolate and salted caramel candy and Christal got one with chocolate and mini marshmallows. They were both very good and very sweet, but we agreed that Rudi’s Stroopwafels were better since they were made fresh to order, whereas van Wonderen’s wafels were made en masse and finished to order with syrup and toppings. 

Not As Good As Rudi's

After we got ourselves all hopped up on sugar we headed back to the hotel for a little bit before heading out for dinner with Ojiichan and Hirojichan. Dinner was at another Indonesian restaurant called Sampurna.  We ordered another rijstaffel and I don’t think Indonesian food is Ojiichan or Hirojichan’s favorite cuisine. I thought the food was good, about on par with Kartika’s, but Sampurna gave us more sambals and the grated coconut tasted better to me. Christal and I really enjoyed the rijstaffel though and for me the standout was the chicken curry. 

Ayam Rujak - Chicken w Lemongrass, Chili & Coconut Sauce

After dinner we headed back to the hotel and put the kids to sleep,then I took a walk around town. I walked by the red light district just to say I did and it was a bit underwhelming, and it was also so crowded that they had security on the streets directing foot traffic one way only. 

Red Light District

From there I walked to Centraal Station to catch a tram back towards the hotel. At one of the stops I saw that the canal bridge was lit up so I got off quickly and was able to try to take a few night pictures before the bridge lights turned off, which turned out to be at 11:05 for some reason. Then I went back to the hotel and went to sleep.

Centraal Station

August 4: Amsterdam Day 3

This morning LB woke up at 3 am because he was getting bit by mosquitoes and was too itchy to sleep. We had opened the windows a couple days ago and saw mosquitoes flying in. Since then we have been trying to kill them all, but somehow they keep coming in. LB ended up falling asleep at 7:30 so we let him sleep while we went to breakfast a little before 8am. After breakfast we went to the Rijksmuseum and wandered around there looking at all the great works of art. 

Van Gogh

They had one self portrait of Van Gogh, a whole lot of Rembrandt’s works including ‘The Night Watch’ and many more from Rembrandt’s proteges. The museum itself is a beautiful, old building with lots of intricate stained glass as well as having been recently remodeled to have a modern interior. 

The Night Watch

When we were done going through the museum we walked to the Metro and went to watch Kyoko-san perform again at Gymnaestrada. Her group’s performance this time seemed to be cleaner and they did a very good job. After their performance Ojiichan, Christal, the kids and I went on a self-guided food tour through the de Pijp neighborhood, and more specifically Albert Cuyp Market. 

Albert Cuyp Market

We signed up for it through the I Amsterdam card and then they sent us a PDF itinerary to follow with discounts for each stop. We went to FEBO for croquettes, Tjin’s Toko for Surinamese chicken and potato curry with rice, long beans and piccalilli hot sauce, Mezzava where we went off the tour menu for a Jewish smoked short rib sandwich, that the owner recommended more than what was offered for the tour, Vishandel (fishmonger) Albert Cuyp for herring and kibbeling, Poffertjes Albert Cuyp for poffertjes which are mini pancakes doused in butter and powdered sugar, Rudi’s Original Stroopwafels, and lastly Osaka Balls for takoyaki. By the end of our tour we were pretty full and had been able to see all of Albert Cuyp Market. 

Rudi's Stroopwafels Were Amazing!

From the market we headed back toward our hotel and booked a boat tour of the canals. Before our tour got started we had time to drop off the stroller in the hotel room, while also finally waking LB up from his slumber.

Rudi's Stroopwafels Soothes the Mosquito Bites

The boat tour got started promptly at 4 pm and went through the city on some of the canals, rivers and other waterways while we listened to an audio guide of the city. 

The Famous Canals

When the boat tour finished we headed back to the Gymnaestrada for one of their FIG Gala shows which seemed to be attended by over half of the participants and fans. Most of the countries present had one act from, I’m guessing, one of their elite groups and most of the performances were very impressive, whether it was the choreography, the acrobatics or the physical skill that was shown. Unfortunately we had to leave a little early in order to make it to dinner on time. Dinner was at a restaurant called Zoldering, which was awarded with a Michelin star and the food was all extremely good. After dinner we headed back to the hotel and after I helped get the kids down for bed I walked around to see if I could get some night pictures.

Unfortunately, none of the canals were lit up and the streets were pretty crowded with partiers because there is a gay pride festival going on. After walking around for a while I headed back and went to bed.

Rijksmuseum

August 3: Amsterdam Day 2

Thanks to the jet lag Christal and I woke up around 3am and then LB woke up around 5am. Since Maddy was still sleeping LB and I went for a stroll through Vondel Park, which was a block away from our hotel. The sky was overcast and the sun was just coming up so everything had a gray hue to it, and because of how early it was the park was completely empty.

Morning in Vondel Park

We walked past several ponds and a statue and eventually exited the park after about a half hour. On the way back to the hotel was a nice church called Vondelkerk, that we passed.

LB & a Church

When we got back to the hotel we relaxed for a few minutes and then headed up for the breakfast that was provided. We had yogurt, croissants, baguettes, cheese, sliced meats, hard boiled eggs and juice. It was pretty good overall.

What Jet Lag?

A few minutes after we finished Kyoko-san met us and we headed to Centraal Station to catch a bus for Zaans Schans, a small town with several old windmills that’s about twenty minutes away from Amsterdam. In Zaans Schans we walked around the touristy old town and out past the main four windmills. They had the sails extended on the blades and they were turning at a pace that was fast enough to hear up close. 

Windmills

After we walked out and back we checked out a building that showed how wooden clogs were made, which turned out to be quite interesting, and then headed into the Zaans Museum and checked out the exhibits that were in there. 

Clogs

Ever since the windmills have been present in the area Zaans has had several successful industries that were relied upon, which included lumber, oil-pressing, paper, chocolate and rice. After going through the museum we decided to have a quick lunch at the museum cafe and then head back to Amsterdam to make our 2pm time slot for the Rembrandt House Museum. Unfortunately there was some sort of problem nationwide with processing pins and our quick lunch turned into an hour and a half ordeal. 

View of Zaans Schans from the Museum

Luckily we were able to move our Rembrandt House reservation a little later and made that on time. The Rembrandt House Museum was very interesting. Thanks to an inventory of what was present in each room they were able to partially recreate how the house appeared when Rembrandt lived in it. He moved in in his early thirties and had to move out because of financial troubles in his fifties. The audio tour provided was very informative and interesting to listen to and seemed to give a good history of Rembrandt and his life. 

Outside Rembrandt House

When we finished at the Rembrandt House Museum we split up from Ojiichan, Hirojichan and Kyoko-san and went to try to find a stroopwafel place. Unfortunately they were sold out, but we were able to try a herring stand that was nearby. The herring we got came lightly cured or pickled with fresh onions and pickles and Christal and I thought the herring was really good. 

Dutch Herring

After enjoying our local snack we headed back to the hotel to relax for a few minutes before dinner. Before heading to dinner Ojiichan told us he was too tired for dinner and then Hirojichan was helping Kyoko-san with some kind of passport issue she was having so we ended up having a family dinner with just the four of us. We ate at Kartika, an Indonesian restaurant that was just around the corner from the hotel. We had a rijstaffel, which translates to rice table, and is a remnant of when the Dutch had colonies in Indonesia for the spice trade. It is basically lots of little dishes that you can eat with rice, so you get a great variety of food to try. It was all really delicious and Christal and I came out stuffed. After dinner LB and I wanted to show Christal and Maddy Vondel Park, so we walked around the park for a little while before heading back to the hotel for the night.

Some of the Rijstaffel