Tivoli!

Last night, I met up with my friend Grace and went to lovely little Tivoli. Rumored to be Walt Disney's inspiration for Disneyland, this amusement park (for lack of a better description) is something of a national pride for Denmark. With Michelin-star restaurants, gardens, concert venues, rides, and an upcoming Tivoli Hotel, the place literally has it all. And even if you're not big on crazy, upside-down sorts of rollercoasters, it's a great place to go walk around and grab a beer with friends in the Scandinavian summertime. When I moved to this country last year, my dad and I went to Tivoli a couple of times (including his last night here); we got beer at the brewhouse, rode the Himmelskibet, saw Kaiser Chiefs at Fredagsrock, and just enjoyed ourselves some quality Tivoli Time.

I was going to see the Pantomime Theatre's premiere of La Ventana. I have a couple of friends in the Pantomime, including a few who recently arrived in Copenhagen from the good ol' USA for the Tivoli summer season. So last night, though it was raining and not-so-nice outside, I went to see a little outdoor ballet and to enjoy my first Tivoli date of the summer. The Pantomime had a fantastic premiere, Grace and I had a wonderful time (albeit under umbrellas and hoods) watching them, and we enjoyed a little premiere reception afterwards onstage, complete with a soundtrack of Disney songs provided by a marching band playing near the peacock stage. All in all, a great evening: A little rain won't ever stop me (or the Danes) from enjoying some Tivoli fun.


Welcome to Tivoli :)


The entrance to Tivoli is lined with lights, trees, and happy people entering and exiting the park. I know it well, and every time I walk in, I smile.


This was a new one to me: a Tivoli Truck! Painted on the side of the mini-car was this wonderful sign. I love the Tivoli Truck.


Before the performance, we grabbed a glass of wine at a karaoke bar, sort of in the back of the park. It's on a wonderful little lane full of these weird shop signs, and I love walking along looking at them hanging down lining the street.


The Peacock Theatre, where the Pantomime performs. When the performance starts, the peacock collapses down into the stage. And rumor has it they're getting a new one next year, so catch the original while you can :)