(COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, Aug. 19, 1993) - Our ship, the Crown Odyssey, docked in Copenhagen this morning after a cruise from Oslo, Norway. This was the last leg of our tour. We are to spend the day and night on the ship in Copenhagen and tomorrow we will disembark and start the long journey home.

  We have covered 2,689 nautical miles according to the ship's newsletter and a nautical mile equals 1.15 statute miles. The longest leg was Warnemunde, Germany, to St. Petersburg, Russia, 724 nautical miles.

   This morning Betty and I took a bus downtown to the "shopping street". This is actually a complex of streets that are, as the name implies, for pedestrians only. Even bicycles have to be pushed, not ridden, through the streets.

  We sat on a bench for a while and watched the crowds throng by. It is easy to pick out the tourists but we weren't sure just why. Prices in Denmark are high. A large part of the reason is the Value Added Tax (VAT) being talked about in the U. S. In Denmark it is 25%. Tourists can get a partial refund. But only if you spend at least 600 Danish marks (around $100) in one store.

Predates History

  Copenhagen, and Denmark's, settlement pre-dates recorded history. There was a small community at the site of Copenhagen as early as 1025. The name Copenhagen translates to "merchant's harbor". It has been the capital of Denmark since 1445.

  Denmark was on the wrong side in the Napoleonic wars. Copenhagen was bombarded by the British in 1807 causing immense damage. In the aftermath of the war Denmark lost Norway, which was given to Sweden, and much of its influence.

  Germany occupied Denmark at the start of World War II without firing a shot and Denmark was under German control all through the war.

  This was our last dinner on board. In two weeks we became well acquainted with our dinner companions. Seating is at tables for eight. At our table are: Betty and myself, daughter and son-in-law Doug and Amy Bornemeier, a recently retired American Airlines pilot and his wife from Texas, and two retired schoolteachers from Washington, D. C., and Philadelphia, both widows.

  The food service was excellent. A typical menu started with a selection of appetizers, a selection of salads, a selection of soups, choice of a half dozen entrees and, after the meal, a dessert menu was brought around. There is no limit to what can be ordered. If you finish one entree and are still hungry, the waiter will happily bring another.

Tivoli

  We finished the evening by a visit to the Tivoli. It is an amusement park and entertainment center all rolled into one. The only size figure I could get is it is 82,717 square meters and I don't have a handy conversion table. An eyeball guess is about 200 acres. The Tivoli is celebrating its 150th year. It opened in 1843 and the brochure said it has had attendance of 270 million people. Among other features, Tivoli has 28 restaurants on the grounds offering everything from exotic delicacies to traditional Danish cooking and it has 25 amusement rides. It is a seasonal park, this year's season runs from April 22 through Sept. 19.

  Tonight we have to have our bags in the hall at midnight and tomorrow we disembark. We are in a group whose flight doesn't leave until 6 p.m. We have to vacate our rooms by 9:30 a.m. and, to keep us busy, the cruise line is sending us on one last tour, to a fishing village.