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COPENHAGEN CARD
If you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing, look into getting Copenhagen's discount card, called the cOPENhagen card. It gives free access to 65 museums and attractions around the city and in the whole region. It also includes free use of public transport by train, bus, and metro, as well as discounts at restaurants. FYI: You can now buy and use it on your iPhone.



SIGHTSEEING
The first place I was going to take Natalie was on a walk to see The Little Mermaid statue, just like my mom and I did. But unfortunately the statue was still on display at the Shanghai World Expo. So instead we met my cousin Hanna and used our Copenhagen card to enter Tivoli for free. Tivoli, the city's famed amusement park, was directly across the street from our hotel. We didn't spend more than 45 minutes walking around, as we weren't into taking the rides--we just wanted to see the gardens, shops, and architecture of the world's second oldest amusement park in the world - it opened on August 15, 1843.

STROGET
We then met up with my friend Martin Lumbye, who is one of the owners of the popular search engine Momondo.com. Martin met us at our hotel and we walked to his office, which is off Copenhagen's main shopping drag, Stroget. Stroget means "the sweep," and I was told that Stroget is the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe. That's right, it's pedestrian only, so it's relaxing to walk down even when it's jam-packed with tourists and locals. It's definitely great for people-watching, and there's all kinds of entertainment. My favorite street performer was a guy who dressed up as a water fountain. On Stroget you can find everything: entertainment, fast food, chains, fruit stands, charming cafés, and a wide variety of stores, from your typical souvenir shops to ultra-high-end like Prada.

ROYAL COPENHAGEN STORE
One shop you don't want to miss is the Royal Copenhagen store. It's been around since 1775 and famous for its porcelain designs. But as Natalie wrote in her blog, they offer much more, including a wide array of tableware products in modern designs. Natalie loved the mugs with colorful ribbed rubber sleeves and bought one in pink. The mug was 199DKK, about US$35.

DENMARK'S VAT
Did you know that Denmark has the most expensive sales tax (VAT) in the world? It's a whopping 25 percent, but it's already included in the price you see. If you spend over 300DKK at one time in one store, you can ask for a VAT form to apply for a tax rebate at the airport. I was told that one usually gets at least half the tax back and it arrives weeks later.

ROYAL CAFE
Right next door to the Royal Copenhagen store is the Royal Café (website), which is where Martin took us to lunch for some Smushi! That's right--"Smushi." It's a modern twist on the traditional Danish fare of Smørrebrød (open-face sandwiches). Here they serve mini open-faced sandwiches that mimic sushi but are made with Danish breads and topped with an assortment of ingredients like eggs, fish, beef, potato, and fresh vegetables. My favorite was the chicken salad with bacon. Patrons can sit outside (like Oprah did) or inside (like we did) to marvel at its eclectic design featuring baroque elements that mix both modern and historical touches to create a truly unique space. It feels like something straight out of a fairy tale. FYI: All the dishware comes from the Royal Copenhagen store.

NYHAVN
After lunch we said goodbye to Martin and finished our walk down Stroget. We ended up in every tourist's favorite spot: Nyhavn. The 17th-century canal and waterway is lined with brightly colored buildings that are now restaurants, cafés, and townhouses. The harbor is filled with old wooden boats, and tourists line up in the summer to take canal tours. Like everyone else, we stopped for soft ice cream and sat along the waterfront to eat it while listening to talented street musicians.

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