Danish delights: the charms of Copenhagen

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Jan, 1995 by Sheila Rothenberg, Robert S. Rothenberg

Since you're going to be spending hours aloft, diversion is the key to helping pass the time. Seasoned travelers the onboard movie is going to be bland enough to avoid offending anyone; flight attendants and fellow passengers invariably will be in the way; and announcements will interrupt the dialogue at a crucial moment. The SAS solution is to provide a Walkman personal video player on request with a menu of close to two dozen recent and classic films--ranging from G-rated movies for kids to R-rated adult fare. Borrowing from Siskel and Ebert, two thumbs up!

Gourmet airline food may sound like an oxymoron, but SAS is a member of the Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, the world's oldest gastronomical society, and dinner proved a memorable experience. Presentation is one key, beginning with the cabin attendants donning chef's jackets with blue-and-white-plaid scarves knotted jauntily around their necks. The colorful motif is carried out with the china and linen, making a pleasant setting.

The starter--a colorful combination of salmon and spinach galantine with shrimp and Waldorf salad--was a meal in itself. The main dish was limited to three choices, but each was prepared superbly. A seafood brochette blended lobster, crab, and cod with tomato, squash, and rice. Considering how difficult it is to cook fish properly under optimum conditions, doing so with the constraints of an airplane kitchen is little short of amazing. The filet mignon actually was rare, as ordered, tender, and juicy, unlike the uniformly gray lump most airlines wheel out. For those wanting to jump the gun on Scandinavian fare, the Swedish-style diced tenderloin, potatoes, and onions proved a worthy coming attraction--sort of a hash with panache. The crowning touch was an elegant chocolate confection that melted on the tongue. With a carefully chosen wine selection, SAS's flying restaurant gets top marks.

On the ground, when it came to a car rental, we opted for American know-how and Swedish engineering. Dealing with a familiar company--Avis--allowed us to make all arrangements before leaving the U.S., and our Volvo station wagon proved sturdy, roomy, and, best of all, economical. Getting good mileage is crucial when confronted by Europe's astronomical gas prices. A most welcome touch is Avis' policy of delivering the car to your hotel and picking it up when you are through, making it convenient for the client, rather than the company. Moreover, a full set of maps and destination instructions made motoring through unfamiliar terrain a pleasure.

Splitting our trip between Denmark and Norway normally would have meant having to perform the usual hotel-to airport-to hotel minuet. Of all the elements of traveling, airports are nobody's favorite. Accordingly, we were more than pleased to discover a diverting alternative. Scandinavian Seaways offers overnight ferry service from Copenhagen to Oslo, though labeling the Queen of Scandinavia a ferry is very much a misnomer. It actually is a cruise ship, with all the amenties--restaurants (ranging from full three-course dinners to smorgasbord to fast-food snacks), sauna, a disco, shops, movie theaters, gambling, and even a swimming pool.