I was so not ready to travel last week. But, it turns out that section heads at large missions can’t just hit the road any time they like. Go figure! Six weeks after arrival at post was when the husband could get leave, so six weeks after arrival at post is when we packed up (again) and hit the road.

Other than making hotel reservations in Copenhagen, we did almost no research or planning for the trip. Fortunately, everything is really close together in Denmark. Unfortunately, it is all very expensive! The most expensive place we have ever traveled, I’m pretty sure. No kidding, it made even Vienna look affordable, and of course Warsaw now seems like a major bargain. (Which it is, but shhhh, don’t tell!)

With just the two of us empty-nesters, though, it wasn’t too bad. We carried water bottles so we didn’t end up paying $5 a pop for water. We walked as long as we needed to in order to get places, or took the bus. No one whined for ice cream all day (well, I might have whined a little, once, but dang, that gelato was good!) One tiny, slightly shabby, but comfortable, hotel room—with a free breakfast buffet that, with a snack mid-day, held us until dinner. At which point we just pretended Danish kroner was Monopoly money and enjoyed ourselves.  This is why you see so many middle-aged couples touring around western Europe: you have to wait until the kids leave until you can do the expensive places affordably once again!

We got really lucky with the weather. September in northern Europe can go either way, from cold and rainy to hot and miserable. Last week it went cool and sunny: perfect traveling weather, as a matter of fact. And such a gorgeous, endless sky over the pancake-flat Danish landscape.

We did a lot of sightseeing (more on that later) but couldn’t help ending each day in Nyhavn, a 17th century canal district near our hotel. It’s a tourist trap, but such a nice one.  We (slowly) drank our insanely expensive but excellent local beer while people-watching, listening to street musicians, and soaking up the sun. It was pretty great.