Tag: royal palace

Skol! Our Trip to Scandinavia Day #6 “Don’t Come Here (Copenhagen in May) For the Weather”

by reissmd, posted in Copenhagen

Today was billed as a day with a lot packed into it “Don’t be late, we have lots to do”. And we were not deceived. We did have a very full day but got a great start by having a wonderful night’s sleep. After breakfast we met our local guide for the day and headed onto the bus. We were told that we would be doing a lot of street walking. The tour guide warned us when crossing the street be careful of the “Psychopaths”. We asked him to repeat himself and without hesitation he again warned, “When crossing the streets be careful of the psychopaths”. We remained bewildered and our expressions must have revealed our confusion so he further explained, “Yes, the bicyclists have the right of way so you will need to be aware of their location on the CYCLE PATH”. Okay, got it.

The morning tour was complicated by rain and cold weather. We did a short walk before getting on the bus. During the drive we passed a number of historical sights and then found this one:

The Little Mermaid.

Our guide said that the statue has been the victim of multiple cases of vandalism including twice having her head cut off and once being completely demolished with explosives. Why would anyone want to hurt this sweet thing?

We did some more touring from there but I have to tell you being on a boat or bus hearing a tour guide go on and on about fact after fact just doesn’t do it for me. Patrice said she disagrees and likes that aspect. Hmmmm, see below.

Robert and Patrice taking in every word the tour guide is saying on the boat portion of the activities.

We were given a midday break to have some lunch and get some rest. We found a nice place where we could get some authetic Danish cuisine.

Can you get any more authentic Danish food than some good old Italian pasta with burrata cheese?

Then we were back on the road with our guide making sure to avoid the psychopaths. Our next stop was a bit out of the city. We passed some gorgeous homes on our way to Frederiksborg Castle. This place was beautiful inside and out. Here is a picture approaching from a distance.

Frederiksborg Castle (Frederiksborg Slot 10, 3400 Hillerød). The picture doesn’t adequately show its beauty.

After the castle we headed to dinner for an authentic Danish meal (unlike the Italian food we had for lunch) at Gamle Humlebæk Kro (are you impressed I could type the Danish letter æ?). The dinner was great but the highlight for me was a mindreading/card trick I performed for the group. People laughed at the jokes and were blown away when I picked the correct card. I promised to do my calculator trick the night before the trip ends and people were very excited. My magic ego got a major boost today.

The master magician and his assistant.

Tomorrow we fly to Norway.

Til i morgen.

Erica, Prague, and Madrid in That Order. Day #8 “Robert Once Again Risks His Life For His Fans” May 8, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Madrid, Uncategorized

When I last left you I was having dinner with 6 beautiful women. If that wasn’t enough of a daring activity to do for your enjoyment I decided to further risk my life for my fans. Yesterday we took a ride on the Teleférico. This is a gondola system that officially is called Teléferico de Madrid (Madrid Cable Car) and it links Parque del Oeste (Park of the West) to Casa del Campo (which means cottage but refers to a gorgeous public park adjacent to the Royal Palace). It opened in 1969 and the gondolas travel 2,457 meters (8,061 feet) providing its occupants with spectacular views. Upon entering the gondola we got our usual comeuppance regarding our Spanish. I asked the operator ¿Cuánto dura el viaje? (how long does the trip take) to which he quickly replied, “Eleven minutes”.

The views were great. I tried my best to get photos but it was hard because there was a lot of movement of the gondola making using the camera difficult. I did get this great shot.

Two beauties high above Madrid.

I knew it would be hard to top that picture but I did manage to get a few that I think looked pretty good.

I used my zoom to get this shot of the Royal Palace.
Decent shot of the Rose Garden.
View of the Manzanares River.

It was a wonderful, relaxing trip that provided breathtaking views of parts of the city. I recommend it to all.

Patrice the editor here. What Robert failed to tell you was that the pictures were taken by another person in the gondola. He was too scared to let go of the poll in the gondola. I did manage to catch one picture of him during this delightful journey.

Does Robert look relaxed?

After the ride we were in the park known as Casa de Campo. Quickly we saw how Madrid is very progressive and cares for their physically challenged people. This was a handicap ramp for those unable to use the stairs.

Is this a handicapped ramp or a thrill-seeker ride?

In the park we met another of Erica’s friends, Aitor, and his parents (Alfonso and Almudena). We had a very enjoyable picnic in the park and practiced our Spanish. Patrice did great and I think I might have understood a thing or two myself.

Typical Spanish picnic platters.

At night we met ANOTHER one of Erica’s friends. Yes this girl has more friends in Spain than I have had in my entire life in the USA. We connected with Esther and had dinner while watching a Flamenco show. Esther takes Flamenco classes and the show was presented by some of the students from her school. The performance was excellent and the food was also superb. No food pix but here is a shot of two beauties.

Esther and Erica
The Flamenco dancer. Notice pedestrians walking by got a free glimpse of the show.

Today we had the type of experience I have learned to love while in Spain. Patrice has had a cough so we stopped by a pharmacy to see if we could get some medications. I was fascinated by a machine that they had in the pharmacy. The pharmacist explained that they have two robots upstairs that deliver the medication after he types the command on his keyboard.

The chute where the medication comes down after the pharmacist gives the command.

I mentioned I was a doctor in the United States and it was as if I said the magic word because what followed was truly magical. The pharmacist took us upstairs to see the robots in action. He then took us to meet the owner of the pharmacy. Next we got to see a floor dedicated to veterinary mediations, orthopedics supples, and holistic treatments. Finally we got to see the robots in action. In addition the pharmacist told us about the history of the pharmacy including showing us pictures of the aftermaths of the the building being bombed in the Spanish civil war.

We were about to leave the pharmacy when I asked if I could take a picture of him. He then gathered around his staff to pose for the picture. He beckoned Erica to join him and also asked a surprised customer to pose with them. It was truly an incredible visit.

Pharmacist, Jose, flanked by two of his co-workers, Erica and an unknown customer. Just like a visit to CVS or Walgreen’s, no?

If you would like to see the robot in action click the Robot Video Link below. I think it is fascinating. Patrice says it was boring. Click on the Robot Video Link and you be the judge

Tomorrow we head for home. I have lots more to say but need to pack and get ready for our flight home.