Not exactly ‘trains, boats and planes’, but almost. We had a long and diverse day travelling from Berlin to Copenhagen. First, there was a very full Deutsche Bahn train from Berlin to Hamburg, then a frantic dash to catch our train connection to Puttgarten in far northern Germany. There, the train rolls, complete, onto a waiting ferry to cross to Denmark. As the ferry leaves, you get off the train and enjoy a brief 50 minute international mini-cruise on the decks above, complete with duty-free. Unfortunately, on the Danish side we had to de-train onto a bus all the way to Copenhagen due to major rail works.

The Danes are a very liberal lot, according to travel guides. Copenhagen is certainly grittier than the other cities we’d visited on this trip, with graffiti and messy streets aplenty, sex shops trading comfortably next to nice hotels, and a friendly, engaging, laid-back approach from all the Danes we met. The Danes have an amazing knack of switching instantly from Danish to English as soon as they are approached by English speakers like us. They seem to pre-sense language preference. According to the bar staff at our wonderfully funky Copenhagen hotel, Danes learn English from the time they start school and most remain fully bilingual for life.

Okay, now I’ll fess up. I have a badly bruised little toe as a result of banging into Ian’s heel in my walking sandals while barrelling along a Berlin street. There was a crack that was audible even on the busy street, and instant, awful pain. It was about a kilometre back to the hotel, and it wasn’t a fun walk, but I did it. Over the next few hours, my little toe turned into something resembling a sizeable cabochon of shiny black onyx, with a lesser bruise starting to creep across the top of my foot. It was impressive and painful, but also worrying, given that we walk everywhere we go. But I must be a tough old broad. Although it’s slowed us down considerably, it hasn’t stopped me walking.

The reason for telling my tale of little-toe-woes is our subsequent decision to subscribe to Copenhagen’s Hop-On-Hop-Off bus for the duration. A shame, given Copenhagen’s walkability, but a good move in hindsight. Along with other advantages, we could get around quickly (and painlessly) and we also really enjoyed the canal and harbour boat trip that came with the ticket.

Right in the middle of Copenhagen, there’s a large city block completely hidden from view behind high fences and trees. You would pass it unnoticed were it not for the sight of high, brightly-coloured and strange-looking towers, and the almost constant sound of excited squealing from beyond the trees. This is the famous Tivoli Gardens, opened in 1843, and (apparently) the inspiration for Disneyland. Invisible from the street, it’s a magical world of fairy-lit gardens, concerts and performances, and vintage crazy rides that still have the power to delight kids of all ages. The minute you start walking through the Gardens, the busy city streets outside disappear and you are in an enchanted world. I loved it 50 years ago and love it still.