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Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise, Day 14: Meeting the “Genie-Soul” of Copenhagen

Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise, Day 14: Meeting the “Genie-Soul” of Copenhagen

Last updated on: June 4, 2015 at 9:41 pm by Nancy French

Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise, Day 14: Meeting the “Genie-Soul” of Copenhagen 2015-06-04T21:41:23-05:00 Nancy French

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In “The Moviegoer” (one of the books I read on the cruise), Walker Percy writes about cities having “souls.” He described a trip to Chicago:

“One step out into the brilliant March day and there it is as big as life, the genie-soul of the place, which, wherever you go, you must meet and master first thing or be met and mastered… Nobody but a Southerner knows the wrenching sadness of the cities of the North. Knowing all about genie souls and living in haunted places like Shiloh and the Wilderness and Vicksburg and Atlanta where the ghosts of heroes walk abroad by day and are more real than people, he knows a ghost when he sees one, and no sooner does he step off the train in New York or Chicago or San Francisco than he feels the genie soul perched on his shoulder.”

I thought about that description as we went into Copenhagen, our last destination on our Disney cruise. If Northern American cities have these souls, what would we find in a city as old as Copenhagen? On half of our ports of call, we did the Disney approved excursions and half we didn’t. In Copenhagen, we decided to meet its genie-soul on our own and see if we could master it.

The day began cloudy, with intermittent bursts of sunshine. Eventually, however, the sun emerged from the clouds, and the city was spectacular. There are reportedly more bicycles in the city than people – which means it may have been city destined to be my favorite. David had the brilliant idea of renting bicycles, and we found a shop that had a bike with a large wooden box attached to the front of it.

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As the four of us pedaled through the most charming city, it felt like we’d met and mastered the spirit of Copenhagen. We rode in the harbor to see the famous “Little Mermaid” statue honoring Hans Christian Anderson, we rode and visiting a palace, we came upon a citadel, we ate, and we shopped. I loved the fact that the kids — who have only ridden their bikes in rural Tennessee – were so game to get on their bikes in a major European city.

“There’s a Porsche two inches on my left and a pedestrian two inces on my right,” Austin said at first. “I’m not used to this small margin of error.”

But we got used to it and rode our bikes through the sunny streets, looking at sites and enjoying being on land after our long voyage. I’m not kidding when I reported that dinner (when we detailed our “highs and lows” of the day) that cycling through the city with David and the kids may have been my favorite few hours of life.

Screen Shot 2015-05-30 at 6.51.29 AM We made it back to the ship in time for a final meal on the boat. One of the poignant aspects of a Disney cruise ending is saying farewell to the workers. After being on the boat for half a month, we’ve gotten close to the people who have been so kindly taking care of us. After saying goodbye to our servers (Sam and Marco), our housecleaner, and the people who served drinks every night, we went back to our room to pack our bags, to get one last game of gin rummy in, to have one more midnight room service meal, and to watch “Camp Rock” for the fiftieth – and final – time.

Tomorrow, Chicago, and a final blog wrap up of this amazing vacation!

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Read more in this series:

Day One, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: Anchors Away

Day Two, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: Medical Evacuation

Day Three, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: College Admissions Conversation?

Day Four, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: The Gut Punch of New York

Day Five, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: Day at Sea

Day Six, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: Nova Scotia

Day Seven, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: I Didn’t Know Cinderella Was Real

Day Eight, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: The Worst Thing About This Cruise

Day Nine, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: Three Racial Moments with Naomi

Day Ten, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: Frozen’s “Freezing the Night Away” and Internet Withdrawal

Day Eleven, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: Birds

Day Twelve, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: Not Living Up to Vacation Demands

Day Thirteen, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: It’s Not Over Until Someone Passes Out

Day Fourteen: Meeting the “Genie-Soul” of Copenhagen

Day Fifteen, Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise: The End, the Numbers, and a Final Word

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What's it like to go on a Disney

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May 28, 2015

Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise, Day 13: It’s Not Over Until Someone Passes Out

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May 31, 2015 Trans-Atlantic Disney Cruise, Day 15 – The End, the Numbers, and a Final Word

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