Tivoli Gartens

After our morning in Sweden, we STILL had time to kill before heading the airport. We'd heard fun things about Tivoli Gartens and figured we give it a try. Tivoli is an amusement park smack dab in the center of Copenhagen. It's between the train station and the city square and we'd walked by it every day on our sight-seeing quests. Built in 1843, it's the second oldest amusement park in Europe. An amusement park that looked teeny from the outside and surrounded by big city madness, how not fun is this going to be?

Thanks, Wikipedia, for this aerial shot

We were wrong! Don't let Will's comatose napping mislead you. Tivoli is AMAZING! How could something so teeny in such a huge city seem expansive and magical? We don't know, but it sure felt that way! Meticulously kept food stands, rides, walkways, gardens, etc. Tivoli was a weary traveler's delight.

Tivoli even has play yards for children

The highlight of our time at Tivoli came when some of their characters emerged in a center courtyard where we just happened to be. Will spotted them even before Jeff or I did. He was soo enamored by the huge bear and seal he just stood there 20 feet away, mesmerized feet glued to the ground, frantically waving. He needed no encouragement to go towards them, I'm only pushing him in the picture because he didn't realize they couldn't see him 20 feet away. When I was a little girl, I was super shy around characters.  When Jeff was little, he asked Cinderella for a date.  Our son? President of their fan club and #1 groupie. He wouldn't walk away. He just kinda stood around them staring, smiling, and waving.

I'm sorry this video is a little shaky and unsteady, but I was laughing so hard I had tears running down my face. My favorite part is how Will actually starts talking to the seal, pointing things out to him, wooing the seal with his presidential promises. Everyone will be a voter in 2050, Will!

I'm so mad because I accidentally stopped filming right before the seal went in for a hug. For those of you who know William, he's so full of love, smiles, and waves, but the kid doesn't hug. Never has. He gets hugs everyday, but he still chooses to remain a limp noodle . . .

like this. Thank goodness Jeff caught the moment! At least he shuns lovey seals just as much as his loving parents.

* For the record William is getting better at kisses. He likes to blow them. He enjoys kissing mirrors and shower doors. He prefers to french kiss dogs. (Maybe he thought it appropriate because it was a poodle?) Jeff and I still have yet to receive a kiss from our little man, but we remain hopeful!

More beautiful gardens at Tivoli

This little slice of heaven reminded us so much of Disneyland.

Here's a little excerpt from good ol' Wikipedia explaining Tivoli's connection to Disneyland.

Tivoli is always evolving without abandoning its original charm or traditions. As Georg Carstensen said in 1844, "Tivoli will never, so to speak, be finished," a sentiment echoed just over a century later when Walt Disney said of his own Tivoli-inspired theme park, "Disneyland will never be finished as long as there is imagination left in the world." Walt Disney during a trip overseas with his wife Lilly visited Tivoli Gardens. Walt was so impressed with the Danish amusement park, he immediately decided Disneyland should try to emulate its "happy and unbuttoned air of relaxed fun."

Thank you, Copenhagen (and Malmo) for a fun, relaxed weekend!