Around the city

Yep, time for another time lapse video, this time from around Copenhagen (we start with the sunrise at Helsingør, though).

Yet another mermaid

This is the Genetically Modified Little Mermaid and her location is only a few hundred meters from that of her 'older sister' the well-known Copenhagen landmark of The Little Mermaid. Danish professor Bjørn Nørgaard has created a sculpture group called 'The Genetically Modified Paradise'. It takes a humorous look at post-modern society and consists of eight sculptures of which this is the most striking, in my opinion at least. -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

Where is the Little Mermaid?

A tongue-in-the-cheek look at the fact that many tourists are surprised at how small the world-famous statue actually is and many walk around asking where she is.

-RS

Writing on the Elephant

Near the Little Mermaid statue there is a small harbour and this elephant made itself at home there.

Elephant Parade

A few weeks ago brightly painted elephants pushed their way into Copenhagen life when they took up residence in neighbourhoods and landmarks over the capital. This one is being admired near the Langelinie are which is home to The Little Mermaid and the Gefion waterfountain (background).

The Angel

One of my favourite statues in Copenhagen is this one; an angel at Langelinie looking out over the yacht club and the water of Øresund. It's a monument to the fallen Danish sailors of World War I made in 1928 by Svend Rathsack and Ivar Bentsenand has all the names of the sailors and ships lost.

From red to green in 20 years

The Copper Tower or Plesner Building is just a stone throw away from the statue of the Little Mermaid on Langelinie Warf. It's covered in copper plating, and therefore it started out flaming red (I haven't got a picture of that), then turned brown but as the copper oxidise further it'll turn green in the next couple of decades. Built in 2004 it houses the international law firm Plesner and has shops and cafe´s on the ground floor.

Just across from it are the ferries to Norway and Poland, and next to it is a little old building; a former train station. The train station is preserved and so can't be torn down or moved.

Gefion

Yesterday I wrote about the area near Langelinie. Another statue or fountain in the area is the one of Gefion. In Norse mythology Gefion was a young maid to the goddess Frig. She was promised a morning gift by the Svea King Gylfe; as much land as she could plough in 24 hours. She plowed out the island of Zealand from Swedish soil by transforming her four sons by a giant to oxen, leaving a hole in Sweden that became the lake Mälaren.

This grand fountain was made in 1908 by Anders Bundgaard originally for the City Hall Square (Rådhuspladsen) but it was decided to place it near the water instead. It has recently been restored with new water supply and lights so it can be enjoyed at nighttime too. In my opinion it's one of the finest fountains in Copenhagen especially in the summer when the water is running.

Wikipedia about Gefion

Angel

One of my favorite statues in Copenhagen is this Angel on Langelinie near The Little Mermaid. In Danish it's called Søfartsmonumentet (literally Shipping Monument) in rememberance af the fallen sailors of World War I. It's part of a park near the marina that also houses a rowing club. The monument was constructed in 1928 by Svend Rathsack and architect Ivar Bentsen. Near by you can find the stone raised to celebrate Mylius Ericsson's Greenland expedition in 1907 where he and three others died and just to the south is The Little Mermaid on her rock. To the north is the quay of Langelinie where the cruise ships berth. This area is a favorite spot for tourists, cruise ship guests and locals to take a stroll and on sunny Sundays there's quite a few people on the promenade.

Nearby you can also find Copenhagen's Citadel with it's surrounding park, the English church, a lot of monuments and statues and a museum about the Danish resistance during the German occupation in 1940 - 1945.

Regarding the Little Mermaid it has been decided Thursday in Copenhagen City Council that she will be loaned to an exhibition in China next year for 8 months. An even smaller copy will replace her during her travels.

Link to Danish brochure about the area around the citadel

BTW i've got a black/white version of this one here.