A good sleep and a great buffet breakfast at the Scandic hotel. Helps to remember though that Denmark time is one hour ahead of UK so get up early if you want to leave plenty of time to eat!

Outside the day was looking very grey and damp, but luckily not too cold as we set off to explore. We found the tourist information office a few minutes walk away from the hotel and armed ourselves with some useful leaflets. Just across the road was the famous Tivoli amusement park and we could see some of the rides from over the wall, with plenty of pumpkin faces on display in honour of Hallowe'en. Just opposite was the central station so we wandered inside for a look around. It was very busy with local people and tourists alike. There was a mix of old and new with stained glass windows on high looking down on the ubiquitous MacDonalds and Upper Crust.

From the station we set off in the general direction of Nyhavn on the waterfront. Throughout our walk we were very aware of just how much a cycling friendly city Copenhagen is. Cycle lanes in every direction and bicycles absolutely everywhere!!

As we strolled along we were very glad that we had brought the umbrella as the bit of drizzle turned into a heavy downpour. We continued on our way past the impressive Town Hall and left the busy traffic to walk along th Stroget, narrower, pedestrianised streets lined with shops and cafes and dotted along the way with food carts selling appetising hot snacks. Every so often the narrow lane opened out into a large square with a fountain or statue and once we came across a bustling collection of stalls and entertainment which appeared to be in aid of the homeless.

We reached the Nyhavn area and it was just as lovely as we had been led to believe. Lovely old buildings with cafes and bars in front, all looking onto a waterfront lined with boats. Feeling a little chilled after the rain, we sat down at one little bar and enjoyed a warming Irish coffee as we admired the boats on the water.

We walked right to the end of the street, looking for the house where Hans Christian Anderson had stayed at one point. Not so easy to find. Afterwards we made our way back through the streets and stopped for a glass of wine in a pub called The Bishop's Arms which seemed very popular with crowds of people inside.

Getting hungry by now we decided to try a place we had seen near the Tivoli Gardens where they did a buffet which would give us the opportunity to sample lots of local fare. It was a lively place and a good buffet with plenty of choice. We ate far too much (of course!) and washed it all down with an enormous beer.

Simon spotted that people were leaving out of the back door directly into Tivoli Gardens. This seemed like a bit of a sneaky thing to do, especially as entrance to the park, not including rides, is 95 Kroner per head but nevertheless we decided that we would do it too! It was lovely to wander through the park with everything lit up and watching people on the rides and taking part in the usual fairground games of luck and skill. We paused to watch some young children on a mini version of The Abyss where you drop like a stone from a great height. They were raised up and dropped from only about 10 feet up in the air but they all loved it and it was lovely watching their squeals of pleasure as they played just like the grownups.