Wonderful Wonderful Copenhagen

Whoever wrote the lyrics to that song obviously didn't stay at the Centrum Hotel! Let me explain..........

It was too easy. The car ride to Heathrow from Wales. Dropping Jodie off at Terminal 3, then dropping the hire car back and getting the shuttle to terminal 5. Arriving with 2 mintues to wait until our flight was open to check in. There were no lines at the check in. A great flight. A taxi right outside the airport. A lovely cab driver. It was all going too smoothly - then we arrived at the hotel. The taxi driver asked if we were happy. "As Larry" I replied. He said, "Ok, if you're happy, then I'm happy". It wasn't until we entered the hotel that I realised what he was probably talking about.

We had arrived at 7.30pm, we booked in and went up to our room on the 3rd floor. I say "room", but it was more like a wardrobe with a long single bed down one side and a bedhead slotted in the middle to break it up into two beds.

I looked out the window and across the road was a non stop sex show and topless bar. Jen looked and added...... and I think those girls are prostitutes!

After much deliberating and looking at each other, both wanting to go somewhere else, but both knowing that it would be too hard, we decided to just go out, get some food and get back before it got dark, which luckily wasn't until quite late. I knew where the Hard Rock Cafe was and it seemed like a safe enought place to go as far as knowing where it was and having an idea of what we would get to eat there. Jen suggested we get hammered!

The bar was noisy, we couldn't hear each other and the place seemed full of grosse English blokes pawing over the waitress. Eat up Jen - let's get the hell out of here! 10.10pm - still light.

We got home, pursing our lips at the groseness. Jen checked things out on the street and said,"oh, I can see someone watching TV over there..." then after watching for a few more seconds added...."um, I think it's porn". Luckily it had double glazed windows. Pity the room had no air. You can't have both I guess. We tucked up and popped the telly on - scrunched on one bed - the only place you could see the TV and then we realised that we were watching he same show as the people across the road! Not porn as it turns out, although taht seemed very plausible at the time!

The bathroom: You opened the door and stepped into the shower. The toilet was an after thought as was the massive, circular shower curtain that went around the entire room.... except for the toilet. The shower hose was twinned with the sink taps where you turned it on. After the shower you pulled back the curtain and stepped back into the living/bedroom area.

During the night, we both felt hot and had to open the window, but it turns out, we found out in the morning, that the radiator had been on the whole time. Funnily enough it was the best night's sleep I'd had since leaving home!

Now what do to in Copenhagen when you've only got a few hours, don't know where you are going and aren't fussed on walking too far? Hop on - Hop off Bus! Now the city isn't very pretty, but we did see where Mary lives in the winter and there was one street where Hans Christian Anderson used to live which has lovely, old, pastel coloured buildings along a canal where we hopped off for a pint and a stare at people.........

....... until a scatting jazz band set up right next to us and a woman lit up her cigar at the next table - honestly!!!!!

Next job - back to the hotel to pick up the bags (one things I must say is that the hotel staff [all 3 I spoke to] were perhaps the friendliest, most helpful people I've ever dealt with!) adn then to the ship.

There are 2,600 people on board the Star Princess and so Jen and I have decided that we get a point when we see the same person twice - so far the score is Jen: 3 Shell: 2. We're wondering if we can go the whole 10 days without making small talk to a single person. Will let you know how we go.