2011-06-10 Copenhagen 4 Frederiksborg Castle

2011-06-10 Today we took a train trip to visit the Frederiksborg Castle Gardens. The castle dates from the 1600s, although it was reconstructed in 1859 after a fire. The garden dates from the 1720s. It has several major sections: the four terraces; the monograms (made up of 65,000 box plants) of Frederik IV, Frederik V, Christian VI and Margrethe II; the cascade (waterfall feature); two ponds in addition to the castle lake; and the sculptures. We split a nice roast beef sandwich and potato fries, and had a coffee and a beer (179DKK or about $36) at the Vivaldi Café. Then we walked back through the pedestrian-only street, with shops on each side, to the station. Along the way I bought four AA batteries for DKK 70 or about $14). We were impressed with the quiet efficient train and rail infrastructure. It seems to serve the Danes well, and is a boon to tourists, too. Back in Copenhagen, we were again impressed by the large number of cyclists apparently returning from work. The bike lanes separated from pedestrians and motorists are a real help to encouraging cyclists. For dinner we had "A Taste of Thai": coconut chicken soup, pad thai and two beers (176 DKK or about $36).