Petzi's World

Tivoli Gardens has this amazing soft playground for younger kids that is free! Petzi is a beloved Danish cartoon character. We did occasionally see Petzi's images around the airport and in some advertisements. He is a popular mouse (?) There is also a nice nursing/changing room nearby as well as kid friendly toilets (e.g. smaller, lower ones for the preschool set).  We zoomed through here. Though it was hot in the afternoon, we returned at night.

Dek got really familiar so in the evening when we were leaving, he bolted down an exit on the opposite side (about 100 feet away) without us realizing. I was scouring the playground looking for our little man before I realized he may have tried to leave.

I ran to the opposite exit looking for him. He was a huge pile of tears and franticness. He had found another nice Danish lady that was going to help him look for mommy. Though we were fear stricken for a minute, luckily we were in a pretty safe environment (Amusement park that requires paid admission - so less grifters one would think) in one of the safest cities in the world (where people park their prams outside while having dinner or going shopping). Eventually we found him and then we had a long talk about sticking together. Every time we'd get off the train he's say something like, "Mommy, don't forget me!" He's been much more careful about sticking with mom and dad - though the excitement of a new place will send him racing ahead of us still.  But, just the other day, back home, he kept me from crossing into the street since I wasn't looking closely enough. Funny how you they become the one that keeps you in check.

Eating at Tivoli

So.tired. Taking a break before my back collapses.

Dek  enjoys some of the Danish Ballet at the Peacock Theater

Finally Dinner in Groften - complete with a Cap!

We suffer from this need to do EVERYTHING on the first couple of days. Usually this is what crashes the trip. For example, we wanted our money's worth so we went from Tivoli Gardens and then took a bus to take a boat tour (20 minutes for the bus and an hour on the boat), then decided to go back to Tivoli so we could continue to rock out and eat dinner. Tivoli does have a Michelin star place and some amazing eateries, but all the walking left me completely drained. I went from feeling sad for those babies abandoned in their prams and happy to have Quinn snuggled to me to feeling completely envious of everyone pushing around a gigantic granny cart and wishing I had one so that Mike could tote me around.

No matter. We had a hard time deciding where to eat because 1) we didn't plan to take the boat tour detour and 2) everything was so expensive. I could not bring myself to pay 175kr (30 USD) for a kids meal. It was ridiculous.  Finally after gathering some energy from sitting stationary, we decide to head to Groften, a Danish family restaurant. I had some reservations because its early in the trip and I don't know what the protocol for eating with young children is.  Though it is family friendly, most of the children are at least 8 years old. Much of the trip, I spent worrying about the possibly ruckus and dirty looks that I would get from eating out, when truthfully, most places were very accommodating.  This place was so awesome, they gave out hats and high end markers to color with. Dek's kids meal was priced at 75 kr (15 USD) which was more manageable and Quinn was asleep so I could kind of just eat over her head. 

Tivoli Part II

Milk Shake in the "Chinatown" Area

We let him look at the candy, but not eat any.

More in the Gardens

The Panda

One of Derek's favorite rides was "The Panda" - a mini-version of the tower rides that drop you from high. It was so joyous to see him laugh hysterically among his blond co-riders as the ride scaled up and down. He always favored the seat all the way to the left and never asked us to go with him. There was a "big" seat for one adult per ride but we convinced him it was a kids-only ride so he had to go alone. Not sure why it was called the Panda, one can only guess where amusement rides get their names, but he also enjoyed wrestling the Panda statue next to the ride itself.

Dek's Tivoli Obsession

We rode Vintage Cars at least 25x.

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Derek loved.loved.loved Tivoli Gardens. Often referred to as Europe's oldest amusement park, it boasts a 100 year old rollercoaster (no, we didn't ride it -- "too scary" for Derek), beautifully manicured playgrounds and lots of overpriced foods. We only intended to go once. We went 5 out of 7 days - 3 included on Copenhagen card and an extra two days because Derek loved it that much. Yes, he is spoiled and overindulged.

Copenhagen Public Transport

Waiting for the bus, since the last one had 2 strollers already. In Copenhagen, strollers don't have to be collapsed, but there is a limit to how many a bus can hold. 

The best way to nimbly get around with kids is to ditch the car seats while traveling. Though there is a limitation to traveling by public transportation, it can actually be much easier to explore a city so you don't have to worry about driving and parking, or taking taxis without car seats. Copenhagen had an AMAZING network of trains and buses that made getting around very easy. We spent a week here and were able to get around easily, and even took a day trip to Roskilde.

Also, I cannot emphasize this enough for people traveling with kiddos and wanting to use public transport: GOOGLE MAPS. When I was a younger, more adventurous traveler, all I needed was a map to the city and I enjoyed navigating a place I'd never been. I would actually enjoy the experience of finding myself lost when I wandered off the beaten path, knowing that I could always get to a main road and catch a taxi back if all else failed.

Not so ,when someone is clinging to your leg and another person is physically strapped to your chest, the priority is to get there now.  The urgency is compounded by the fact that the bus/train/subway is the only option since walking for miles in the summer heat isn't feasible with little ones (though we did do that too). This is where Google Maps really saved us. In Copenhagen, since all the public transport information, e.g. routes, what bus and time tables, was incorporated into Google Maps, it was a life saver. We had neither the time or bandwidth to process how to get there and rather only the impulse that we should go immediately. Note that bus/train information is not always available in Google Maps, such as the case in Paris, and it made traveling significantly more challenging that we had to map things out ourselves by staring at a mop the old fashioned way. 

Getting Into Copenhagen via Train & Bus

I'll regale you of the adventure we had when we had to take the train into the city to meet our Airbnb host. When you land at an airport and need to get to your accommodations, the priority is to figure out the following 1)how to buy a ticket 2) how to use your ticket and 3) how to get where you are actually going (most importantly).

Uh. Lost again. In the Main Station

Maybe #2 on the list seems a bit odd, but in Copenhagen and in some other places I've gone, certain thingsmay be stopped and asked to show your ticket or be subject to a fine.  Similarly when we later bought a Copenhagen Card, your job is just to carry the card with you and show it if necessary, but we didn't know this so again we were spending extra time wondering where we should validate the cards. They actually trust you that you've paid to get on the train. That was odd but actually very comforting that the responsibility is placed on the rider.
are on the "honor system." For example, once we bought a ticket, there was no where to stamp it. But I didn't know that, so we're trying to beep it up against the validating machine that is only for passes. Apparently ,we found out there is only the policy that you

Then onto #3, when we finally get to where we're going, turns out there is maintenance on the end of the line. We had to talk to a friendly red-headed Danish woman helped point us to the transfer bus. Thank goodness that Denmark is 90% English speaking, a helpful advantage when you're coming off a 15 hours of traveling with lots of luggage and trying not to forget your kid on the bus. She was so nice that she waited for us to get off the elevator since she took the stairs and when she accidentally pointed us to the wrong direction, she came back, and directed us to the right bus. Yes, that was an adventure and midway through Derek was so tired from inadequate sleep on the plane that he fell asleep. So we were pushing 2 big luggages, backpacks and we had to carry his stroller on to the bus. Another nice cultural norm, that unlike in the U.S., strollers do not have to be collapsed on buses. 

24/7 service. En route to airport @ 4am.

Finally we get to the right station, but we have to walk further now since I got turned around. We're about to have a major meltdown as we are lugging everything and Dek who has now woken up from his short nap. Luckily, Quinn at this age will sleep through anything as long as she's strapped to me.  So maybe here a taxi would have been nice for just the transfer into the city, but given it would have probably cost over $100 (Copenhagen is one of the most expensive cities in the world, only second to Tokyo, I've heard) and the no car seats... here we are. Lugging it all with us. The city is relatively flat so many people choose to walk and bike, which we would have done more of, if Quinn wasn't so small. 

Overall though, the buses, metro and trains are really top notch. Everything is clean, runs regularly, there is signage everywhere so its easy to find your way and very family friendly. More later on "pram culture" in Copenhagen, but most people with a baby have gigantic carriages that fit onto buses and trains without issue. Our AirBNB host was kind enough to share ours while we were there for the week so we could enjoy our truly Copenhagen experience.

Napping on the go

Sleeping through the TIme Jump

Passed out!

To me, the toughest part to me is not the flight there but the time change. Europe is 6 hours ahead, but we typically adjust the kids even further forward if possible (to a 9 or 10pm bedtime) so that we have some flexibility in the evenings with dinners and then we're not stuck with the 6am wake up call. The first night was extremely tough as they are up and down constantly (and never at the same time).






When we finally arrived in Copenhagen our first night, we made it out to for an early dinner at 5pm and then the grocery store and somehow the kids were exhausted and asleep by 8pm (which is only 2pm our time). Derek was up a few hours later since his body probably felt like it was only a nap and Quinn did a bit better but was up by 1am or so. As you can see by morning, we have completely given up and they are both sleeping in our bed. Mike had relocated to the couch and I was in Derek's little toddler bed next door.

How come they always end up in your bed anyway?

Eastern Shore, Part I

We spent Memorial Day weekend at the Eastern Shore with the Dinhs. We probably should have stayed home since Q was only 7-weeks old and we were all sick. She cried lots in the car (which rattled me and forced us to stop alot) though she looks nice and peaceful in the Moby here. Dek had a grand time with the family, especially cousins Mercy and Mai-Ly.