We had a great piece of news which we needed to confirm while here. We had had a message from Holland America asking us to open an email re some changes to find it looks like we have been upgraded. We wanted to confirm our reading and were able to log in and find we are definitely now in a veranda stateroom, having paid for a standard stateroom. We had opted for the cheaper room as we felt the use we made of a balcony would not be worth the cost, but as an upgrade we are delighted. I also heard that my credit card replacement was due today so life is definitely on the up.

The only downside was we needed to reprint our boarding passes so we headed into the Tourist Office to get advice about that, tours and travel passes. On the way we decided to use the HOHO (Hop on/Hop Off) system here, although we have had mixed feelings about them in the past. They have a deal for 72 hours instead of 24 and a boat trip was part of the cost. An easy day seemed a good way to keep our strength up.

The first bus was full but we soon got to the top level and did a full circuit. It was a good orientation and we had some ideas about places to get off. We were given the usual information about the city. The focus seemed to be on the number of bikes (5 for every 4 people), the fondness for coffee (third in the world) and the liking for hotodgs so that it was almost the national dish.

We enjoyed most of the views although there was one part which was a construction site. As usual, it was hard to take photos but we did get some. It had been suggested to us we could use a bus to get to the cruise ship but we quickly decided it was not a sensible idea as the route would be long and the buses not set up for luggage. We did get as far as the cruise port though and the harbour did like very attractive.

We first went past the colourful Tivoli Gardens and later got more views of the rides. The City Hall and the sculpture museum followed before the construction site. We then drove thought Christianshavn which is an alternative area where cannabis is or was (it was not clear which) sold openly but no hard drugs. The people in the community had built their own homes in the main. A few people got off the bus here. We had had a number of glimpses of the Church of Our Saviour and its interesting serpentine steeple, which people have climbed since it opened in 1752.  The view from the top is meant to be the best in Copenhagen. I was interested until I read that the last 150 steps are not for those with vertigo. I don’t quite have that but enough to put me right off.

We saw Christiansburg Palace at the next stop, which was also by the Canal where the boat tours left. A number got off here but we decided to wait until later in the day. Nyhavn, the former fishing area was next (more tomorrow)  then the Amalienborg stop for those who wanted to see the royal residence. It consists of four identical classical palace façades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard, because, we were told, the original palace burned down and the royal family bought up 4 existing mansions belonging to noble families to form the palace. This was all in1794. The palace includes a museum and is open for visitors.

We had 2 more stops (more detail tomorrow) before the stop with the Little Mermaid. The crowds told us where she was. We then went around the cruise port area to admire the harbour and shopping, then back around a few parks. The Kings Gardens and Botanical Gardens are popular with locals wanting a green space to visit all year round. There is a smaller park, Orsteds Park, which is near our place and we were to walk through there in the evening. We then went back to the centre as the 1.5 hour round trip finished. There are other lines but they were of no interest to us.

By then we were ready for food but more particularly a drink. We should have been warned and bought extra water, but were side-tracked by looking for hair colour. The woman warned me that the colour I wanted had a risk of my hair becoming green – so that idea was shelved.

Back on the bus, we got off at the boat trip stop, only to find it was a very full boat already. So we walked along the canal to fill in time and found a Czech couple looking for a cache. We found it and had a chat with them, while also admiring the reason for the cache. Under the water is a sculpture, although none of us were sure why. I did some research later and found that it was Agnete and the Mermen. It was a group of bronze sculptures. They portray a merman and his seven sons with outstretched arms, begging Agnete (his wife and the mother of the sons) to return home. It has been referred to as one of the least-known works of art in Copenhagen and we understand why. It was completely underwater when we saw it but is not always fully submerged I read.

The canal trip was really better in many ways than the bus trip as we could see more and take photos as the boat moved more slowly. Very slowly in a couple of places where it was not much lower or wider than the bridge we were going under. There is always one – the person who was smoking was the one who put his hands on the side of the bridge after the instructions were very clear to keep your hands inside the boat. The guide told him off, which I was pleased about.

We sat opposite a couple from Gibraltar, Glenda and Mario, and soon discovered they are going on exactly the same cruise as us. They were very pleasant and it would be nice to meet them again on board but we still feel the odds are against it.

We went through the canals, past a number of new apartments built in previously unfashionable areas. Lots of people were swimming in the canals. We had been told that this is popular but the authorities need to determine daily if the water conditions are acceptable.

We saw the Black Diamond from a few angles. It is the new library and its shiny black facets mirror the sea and give a diamond shape effect. People are also very proud of the new Opera House, on an island in the city in an old Dock area. It was donated by the cofounder of Maersk who had some say in the design and apparently did a lot of research. He wanted it to last and insisted the glass front also had steel in it. The foyer is designed for comfort with wall space for people to lean against. It certainly looked lovely from the canals. The roof is cantilevered and people dive off it as part of a Red Bull competition.

We went around a naval area and saw the Danish frigate which they mentioned was famed for an unfortunate oops (accidentally firing a missile at a passenger aircraft from memory) which John recalled. The trip obviously included the Little Mermaid, but attention was also on a nearby seaplane that was about to take off.

Back ashore and John was struggling as we had stupidly gone out without water. We found a stall selling drinks and made our way home. He was feeling better so we stopped to buy deli food for tea before he had a snooze and I typed.

Our host knocked on the door with mail for us….my replacement credit card had arrived. The only issue was going to be getting a pin on it as we can’t access netsafe as it is linked to my old SIM card. We sent an email to the bank and we left it to see what they advised.

After tea we had a lovely time wandering up the canal and over the Dronning Louises Bridge. It was built from1885 to 1887 and named for Queen Loiuse. Queen Louise's Bridge is built of granite and has three arches. The cast iron railings are decorated by four identical bronzes showing Copenhagen's coat of arms surrounded by weapons, helmets and lions.

We enjoyed watching the people sailing in boats shaped like geese and even considered joining them. We then continued to wander in Orsteds Park. This is one in a series of parks which were laid out on the grounds of the old fortification ring after it was decommissioned in the 1870s. The park still retains elements from the old fortifications. A section of the moat now serves as a lake and former bastions appear in the landscape as small hills. It was only spoiled by the bands of midges that sometimes appeared. We then returned as it was getting dark and it was time to blob out then sleep.