After the Rosenberg Slot, I had a picnic in the castle's gardens, Kongens Have. Christian IV had the garden laid out in way reminiscent of Versailles. My favorite stroll was in the rose garden. At the head is a statue of Queen Caroline Amalie. She married Christian VIII in 1814. He died and Frederic VI ascended the throne. When he died, she became Queen of Denmark in 1839.
The garden is divided by well-cropped boxwoods on the angle with lavender and roses in the open triangles. The roses were stunning and their perfumes were so delicate. The colors were either yellow, pink, or red. Of course there was a "H.C. Andersen" rose (red) and "Fredenborg Slot" rose (pink). My favorite was the yellow rose with the slightest bit of pink on the edges of the petals, "Peer Gynt."
 |
| rose gardens |
 |
| Peer Gynt |
 |
| Queen Caroline Amaile |
 |
| Frendonsberg Slot Rose |
 |
| H.C. Anderson rose |
 |
| Kongens Have's cherry trees |
 |
| cherries |
I also visited the Assistens Cemetry (Assistens Kirkegard) in Copenhagen. Inaugurated in 1760, it was originally a burial site for the poor laid out to relieve the crowded graveyards inside the walled city, but during the first half of the 19th century it became where many leading figures such as Hans Christian Andersen, Søren Kierkegaard, and Christian Jacobsen (founder of Carlsberg brewery) are all buried on the premises.
I have never been to a cemetry like this before. Graves built into the walls of the cemetery, and sites marked off with plants and stones rather than iron fencing or markers lined up directly in a row. It was a beautiful place. I wandered around for a while, watched the red squirrels, and enjoyed the sun.
 |
| graves built into the surrounding wall |
 |
| Soren Kierkegaard |
 |
| poplar trees lining the pathways |
 |
| Hans Christian Anderson's grave site |
 |
| my favorite marker thus far |
 |
| more park than graveyard |
No comments:
Post a Comment