Royal Life Guards

The Royal Life Guards (Danish; Den Kongelige Livgarde) is an infantry regiment of the Danish Army, founded in 1658 by King Frederik III. It serves in two roles: as a front line combat unit, and as a guard/ceremonial unit to the Danish monarchy. The Royal Life Guards provide a permanent guard at the Amalienborg Palace, Kastellet (part of the old fortification of Copenhagen), Rosenborg Castle/garrison of the Royal Life Guards in Copenhagen and the garrison of Høvelte. -RS

Say "Cheese"!

Nordre Toldbod is a waterfront area located at the north end of Larsens Plads and just south of Kastellet. It is a favourite with tourists and has headquarters of Mærsk and the Danish Energy Agency. The area is adjacent to Churchill and Langelinie Parks within sight. -RS

Early Spring

If you have a chance to visit the Kastellet near Østerbro feel free to sit down and enjoy the view of the Marble Church (Marmorkirken).

Enjoy your Saturday!

-RS

Oxblood paint

Oxblood or deerblood tempera has been used since ancient time to protect structures from the elements. In Denmark the climate is extreme in the sense that water and ice form in the winter and high humidity is typical in summer. This leads to mould and water damage being a constant threat to structures.

In Kastellet near Langelinje the barracks and other buildings are painted in red and yellow colours derived from burnt ochre and either golden ochre or ferric oxid (I could not find a definitive answer as to which)mixed with oxblodd.

Many stories abound of the durability of tempera and the Rennaissance paintings certainly show it being true. One of specific interest is the story that an oak door on the "Priorshus" (Priors house) in "Ærøskøbing" on the island of "Ærø" in Denmark has, according to the tradition, been painted with only one layer of oxblood. This took place in 1690 and it has never been necessary to repaint it again.

-RS

Enjoying the sunshine

A favourite spot for walking around in the sunshine is the area around Kastellet, or The Citadel, near Langelinie. From here one has a very good view of the surrounding areas and, even though it is not allowed, some people also sit on the grass to relax.

-RS

The Citadel

Kastellet, located in the old part of Copenhagen, is one of the best-preserved fortifications in Northern Europe. It was constructed by King Christian IV of Denmark in 1626 with the building of an advanced post, Sankt Annæ Skanse. It was developed over time and today the Citadel is still owned by the Danish Defence Ministry and is an active military area.

The photograph shows the southern gate, known as the King's Gate.

-RS

Red tones

With the Camera+ for iPhone-app it's easy to take a photo and change it into something that looks very different from the original. In this I've used the red-tones effect to exaggerate the autumn colours. The photo is from the moat around the Citadel (Kastellet) in Copenhagen.

Just your average Sunday!

Kastellet, located in the eastern suburbs of Copenhagen, is one of the best preserved fortifications in Northern Europe. Today it is a peaceful, protected area, serving as a public park and a cultural-historical monument, a far cry from its military past. On this occassion thousands of people descended on the park for the annual Ecco Walkathon.

A Mill and a Canon

Inside the Copenhagen Citadel this mill can be seen. It's still in service on the anniversary for the building of the Citadel, which is the last day of October.

Entrance

On a beautiful November day, the entrance to Copenhagen Citadel, Kastellet, really looks nice. As I've told before, this is still a military establishment, but it's open to the public, so it's a popular place to take a Sunday walk.