Tuesday 8th September 2015
Drama started with breakfast, when it was decided to visit the Atlantik Brasserie. All the food was served from a huge trolley which came to our table, and individual selections could be made. I had been told that breakfast in this restaurant would be rather different, and indeed it was. The selection was vast, the presentation first-class and I enjoyed everything I chose. I think we left there after about an hour, having tried all sorts of fruit, meats and pastries, as well as various hot and cold drinks.
We have actually arrived in the port of Copenhagen, Denmark, under a cloudless blue sky, but have no definite plans for the day. Out on deck our attention was soon diverted as we watched the cruise ship MAGELLAN arrive in port and berth nearby. The PEARL SEAWAYS of DFDS was in port at a nearby quayside and across the water I could see the Danish Royal Yacht in a remote berth - such a lovely sight.
I took more photographs on my little tour of MEIN SCHIFF 4, including a door leading to the Butchers shop next to the Steakhouse, which was coloured bright red, with a model bull's head, horns and ring through its nose, hanging in the middle. Hmm, how appropriate...
From there on Deck 5 aft it was decided that we should go down to Deck 4 aft to the Cafe Lounge and perhaps enjoy the delights on offer down there. After approaching a staircase I had to stop first to view a mirrored grand piano with the lid up, displaying many bottle of wine standing up inside it. It was in the middle of a bar. A few steps more brought me to a display cabinet showing delicious looking chocolate creations.
Descending a few curved stairs found us all in a very green furnished and painted bar with a wonderful outlook to the water. The menu however offered various coffees to drink, plus various chocolates to drink or eat. That really was an understatement, as several intrepid souls ordered the item that brought them 5 small glasses of chocolate drink with 5 appropriate small chocolate bars to eat. They each made an amazing display, which the rest of us were allowed to photograph. Having been brought up in England and Cadbury's chocolate, this all looked quite overwhelming but it was fun to be given a sip of one of the drinks, and notice that some of our group enjoyed every mouthful.
Back on my tour I saw the Eis counter, with its big variety of ice-creams, the Bakery counter with its appetising selection of freshly baked goodies, the Children's area of the Restaurant with small size portions of fresh meals on offer, the Spa area with its living wall of something green, which looked remarkably like broccoli heads, the nearby forward bar with its wonderful views, the Cabtanz Bar with red roses on the walls, the Neuer Wall shopping 'street' just as in Hamburg, the Japanese food Restaurant area and finally I made my way back to the Gosch Sylt fish restaurant for lunch with my friends. It had been a very interesting morning.
Buffet Lunch in the Sylt restaurant Deck 12 aft area offered a good variety of food, with the sun beaming down outside. I was pleased to think that I had actually visited the island of Sylt on the Sylt Express ferry, not so long ago, and I have a tiny model ferry to prove it.
Later we met on the quayside to walk along the side of the ship and take photographs of MEIN SCHIFF 4 and MAGELLAN.
We left Copenhagen at 7 p.m. and enjoyed our voyage north, heading for Gothenburg tomorrow. We first watched our ship heading through the Kattegat waters between Helsingor and Helsingborg and I remembered sailing between those ports myself some years ago. This time we could see various ferries in port (HH Ferries) or sailing fore and aft of us as we sailed along.
Dusk was falling and we soon went for another interesting and delicious dinner. Tomorrow would see us, on board MEIN SCHIFF 4, visiting Gothenburg in Sweden.
Ships seen: Pearl Seaways, Magellan, Danish Royal Yacht, a red-hulled cargo ship in port, Aurora AF forward of us, Hamlet aft of us, and Tyco Brahe in port (I've sailed on her during a trip with the Cinema Theatre Association); HH Ferries two ships Merkandia IV and Merkandia VIII in port.
To be continued...
