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On day six, it was time to move to Odense.
Surprise, surprise! The sun greeted us yet again when we woke up. And as much as I am eager to tell you everything about our first day in the hometown of the great Hans Christian Andersen, my comments will come a little later.
Here is a ”silent” tour in the meanwhile 🙂
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As previously mentionned in my last posts, the incredible weather has got me running late on this blog. Tonight, I hope to post the pictures of days 6, 7, 8 and 9. And possibly start completing my previous ”pictures only” posts. I’ll make sure to publish a note as soon as I get there.
In the meanwhile, I hope you’ll enjoy the pictures for Day 5. They are mainly of Vikingeskibsmuseet (a museum about viking ships), and Roskilde’s Museum.
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Already day four of our journey…
As previously mentionned in my last post, we are running on a lucky streak, weather wise… When we arrived in Copenhagen on day 1, the forecast announced a couple of rainy days, starting when we were to get to Roskilde.
I expected a quiet day at our Airbnb apartment, with much time to catch up on my day-to-day posts, but so far, the clouds have been parting everywhere we go, so we just make the most of it, and spend as much time outdoors as we can.
So here is my selection of pictures for day 4. I’ll post a notice as soon as I fill in the comments and descriptions…
For now, we’ll just keep enjoying this amazing Danish springtime!
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Day three started with a little scare, since this was the view from our balcony. I thought I might have broken Copenhagen! Luckily it seemed to have been more of a smoke-show than anything else, because we didn’t find any mention on the fire on the internet, and everything was under control when we walked downtown.
But let’s begin at the start.
After a good night of sleep, we were surprised to find the sky absolutely cloudless again. It was still pretty (understatement) windy, and the temperature was still a little frisky, but it was very promising.
So after two cups of tea for me (coffee for David), we packed up what we needed for the day, and left the apartment, decided to go check for ourselves where that thick smoke was coming from.
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On our way, we walked in front of the Glyptotek. We didn’t have time to visit it (again), but if you ever come to Copenhagen, and love visual arts, I really recommend making a stop there. For one thing, the Carlsberg family has provided the museum with an impressive collection of Rodin scuptures. The place is huge, and filled with masterpieces of all kinds. Just a friendly advice, though… If you buy yourself a ticket to the Glyptotek, make sure you have time on your hands, because you won’t want to leave for hours!!
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Many canals run through the Danish capital, and above are just a couple of the numerous bridges that pedestrians and cyclists use to move around the city.
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… And as you can see here, people are quite happy with the easy access to the different neighbourhoods!
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Our walk along the water took us back to Nyhavn, and I thought I’d take David to the hostel when I had stayed during my last trip in 2019. The Bedwood Hostel is a little gem, hidden along the famous canal, and probably the only way I ever could ever afford to sleep at Nyhavn. The advertising isn’t very flamboyant, when you walk in front of the adress, but a few steps away, in the inner-yard, you discover all the charm of the place. The staff is super welcoming (even if you’re not a twenty-something kid discovering the world). And if you are comfortable with sharing a dortoir with a couple of fellow travelers, it is quite cozy, and affordable!
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Next stop was at Kultorvet, to pick up some yummy cheese at Osten Ved Kultorvet.
Unfortunately, when I entered the small shop, the man behind the counter wasn’t the owner. I had doubts at first – it had been four yours since my last visit, after all – but Mikael couldn’t have changed that much.
It so happened that it was his only day off, and when I explained that I was from Montreal, and had made it a tradition to come by everytime I traveled to Denmark, the man at the counter started chatting, suggesting places to go, and asking about my previous trips, while preparing my Viking Blue and Fyrmester (both a-ma-zing Danish cheeses) packages.
He even tried to call Mikael, to let him know I was at the store. I meant to tell him that the owner might not even remember me after all this time, but he dialed before I could do so.
I promised to try to come again when we’d be back in Copenhagen at the end of our little tour, and we left the store.
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There was one last spot where I wanted to take David, before our feet gave up on us. But we still hadn’t been able to change our phones’ SIM cards, and I knew we’d need them working as we would start moving around the country.
So we stopped in a Telia store. We very much doubted that they would help us, not seeking business with the company, and not even having purchased the SIM cards from them.
But surprisingly, when I explained our situation, the young man that welcomed us in the store picked our cell phones, and our cards, and took care of everything in no time. No questions asked. He then offered us coffee, and started chatting about our trip, and how his brother had a stand in Torvehallerne, a fantastic food court just a couple of minutes walking away from the store.
So we walked in doubting we’d get any help, and came out with our phones working in Denmark, and a great new place to pick up stuff for dinner!
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Unfortunately, we didn’t find the guy’s brother… But we did get a ”pain batard” (bastard bread). And call me childish, I thought that was funny.
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Because Danish days never seem to come to an end starting in May, we still had time to go to a park I wanted to show David.
We cheated a little… We took the metro to Nørrebro Station. When we got there, I was confused. I clearly remembered Superkillen, and it looked nothing like the above. I did remember the swings, and the murals, but where was the rest of it?
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We walked a little, and I realized that we had just entered the park from the opposite side, compared to my first visit.
So here it is, Superkilen with all the cherry blossoms making it even prettier.
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And everything to keep the young active in the heart of the city!
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It was getting late, and we needed to get back ”home”. On our way, we caught this mini-mini-mini escalator. And to save you a couple of minutes, we did the research, and the smallest escalator in the world is in Japan, and has 5 steps! Oh, Denmark, you were so close to a World record!!
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And, finally… We got back to the apartment, to feast on our ”pain batard” and our cheese and other little things.
It was time to charge the batteries for the next day to come!
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Day two started rather smoothly.
A three weeks tour around Denmark is a marathon, not a sprint and we figured we didn’t need to be out and about as soon as the sun rose, although I was awake when the first rays appeared over the horizon.
We left the apartment a little before noon, well rested and ready for a second round.
David suggested that we went to Tivoli Gardens, because the last time we had visited it together, it was in late September, and not quite as impressive as we imagined it would be in May.
I agreed, but we had second thoughts, when we arrived near the entrance;
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It was Sunday, and the weather was nice, so of course, we weren’t the only ones who got that idea. We didn’t feel like waiting to get in the park, and it would probably be way too crowded anyway, so our visit was postponed to the evening, hoping to catch a few pictures of the park all lit up.
So, instead, we stopped at Copenhagen’s Central train station to grab some lunch, and decided to go to one of my favorite spots; Kultorvet.
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We walked along one of the (if not the) best known streets of Copenhagen: Strøget. If you like shopping, this is the place for you!
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I’m not much of a Gucci or Prada girl, or a shopper in general, and much prefer these less crowded allées, with their older and colorful buildings!
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We also walked by Rundetarn (The Round Tower), a must, on your to-do list if you ever visit the capital.
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One of the reasons I wanted to go to Kultorvet, was to visit my favorite cheese store: Osten Ved Kultorvet… Unfortunately, it was closed, and we’ll have to go again today. I can’t wait to meet with the owner again. I’ve come here for a piece of Viking Blue and Fyremester cheese on each of my previous trips, and even if it’s been four years, I still hope Mikael will remember ”the girl from Canada”, hehehehe.
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Because it was just around the corner, we made a detour to take a few pictures of the apartment I had stayed at with J, in 2017.
Souvenirs, souvenirs…
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Since we still had time on our hands before a second attempt at entering Tivoli Gardens, we decided to give Copenhagen’s ”Believe it or not” museum. Because traveling doesn’t need to be serious at all times, right?
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An egg the equivalent of 183 chicken eggs… My worst nightmare!
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A woman statue entirely made of buttons!
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A vampire slayer kit!
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And last, but not least… ZOLTAR!!
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We also tried the Hans Christian Andersen Experience… But… Hum, not quite worth it, if you already know pretty much anything about the legend already. Keep your kroners for something more exciting, hehehehe.
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It was finally time to go back to Tivoli, but not before having one of these equally beautiful and delicious Smørrebrød! Yum!!
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Finally Tivoli… I’ll let you scroll through the pictures! I really wanted to get great pictures with all the evening lights on, but the Danish sun is a tricky one. And it just won’t go to sleep. Even if the Internets said it was supposed to be in bed by 8:59 PM, it still was asking for a glass of water by 9:15, when we finally left…
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Finally, my fifth visit to Denmark… And it was about time!
As you might know, my last trip dated back to May of 2019, not long before a little thing called covid hit us without warning. Little did I know that it would keep me away from my favorite big little country for so long.
Four years!
But we’re back, and though it seems like the Danes had a rather rough springtime start, the clouds parted as soon as our plane landed in Copenhagen. It was a long and weird trip (that’s a whole seperate story), but now we’re here, and the new journey can begin.
We were off to a great start, when we reached the customs’ desk (I bet you’ve never been excited by that part of any of your trips), and I noticed that the customs’ agents were stamping the passports of the travelers ahead of us in the file.
Note that during a previous trip, I had asked for the stamping of my passport, and had been told that the customs didn’t do it anymore in Denmark, which had been a huge disappointment for me.
So when I got all enthusiastic as we got to the stand, the agent started to chat with us. He was quite impressed, because, as he mentionned, most travelers just come to Denmark as a step in a Europeen or Scandinavian tour. The mention of my fifth tour of DK put a wide smile on his face, and the stamp he left in my passport, one on mine!
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After a quick stop at the airport’s 7 Eleven to get Danish SIM cards (again, another story… I’m still angry at Virgin), we were off to our home for the next three days.
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Grethe, our host, was waiting for us at the sixth floor of her building. She was kind enough not to laugh when she saw us panting our way up the last couple of steps. She welcomed us warmly into her home, and showed us around.
The apartment is nothing short of a museum. Grethe has so many artworks – paintings, drawings, pictures, scuptures, ceramique, and fancy glass pieces… The place is also a paradise for book lovers, given that you can read Danish LOL. I understand most titles, but I’ll have to settle with a small children’s book if I ever have time to sit back and read a little before we move on.
After making ourselves at home, we decided to take a walk downtown, just in case the wonderful (yet quite windy) weather wouldn’t stick.
I had to admit that after four years, I was a little rusty. After my first four visits, I didn’t need a map of the city anymore, unless I needed to get somewhere very precise. I knew my way around the different neighbourhoods, knowing where the major buildings were, and keeping an eye on the differents highest towers.
We did walk almost pointlessly for a while. We’ll blame that on the more than twenty four hours without any sleep!
But finally, I did find our way back to the first spots I wanted to see.
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First stop was Kongens Nytorv. The above pictures might not look particularly impressive, but it was the first time I saw the famous downtown round about without any construction.
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Though not a delicacy, a Danish hot dog always sits at the top of my list of to-do things when I arrive in Copenhagen. And after a couple of hours of walking, these were very welcome!
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Second stop, the very (VERY) well and widely known Nyhavn canal. Most probably one of the two Danish emblems you have seen, even if you’ve never paid attention to the country (the other one being the Little Mermaid, of course).
And Mindeankret (The Memorial Anchor), the reminder monument of the Danish sailors’ lives who lost their lives at sea, during WWII.
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Ravhuset (The house of Amber), a classic for me in Copenhagen. Because amber is one of the emblems of Denmark, and I don’t care what other countries say; Danish amber is the best (and Danes will agree with me LOL)!
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The Marble Chapel. Again, first time I could see the beautiful church with a load of scaffolds around it. A must-see, if you ask me, and you can get in for free (but I recommend making a donation).
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On our way back to the apartment, we did make a few stops, not necessarely worth of taking pictures… We helped a group of men who, and I quote ”were drunk, and about to get high, and just wanted to have a souvenir of their day together the next morning”, by taking their picture (I was voted ”Best photographer” for said bunch of pictures, but I am not sure if the title still stands this morning).
We checked that some of my favorite stores had made it through the pandemic (so far, so good!). We went shopping for everyday products we just couldn’t (or didn’t want to bother) travel with. And we went to the grocery store to get something for dinner.
By 4 PM, we were completely burnt out, and could keep our eyes open. I have no clue how we managed to eat and not fall asleep face first in our plates.
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Fiskfrikadeller with a pasta salad, and (of course) remoulade!
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This was taken just prior to losing counsciousness under our duvet.
I hope you’ll enjoy following us along our trip, and I hope to keep up with the daily posting, hehehehe.
I’ll try to at least come and share a couple of pictures every morning.
Leaving Aarhus was a somewhat stressful experience, since the train indications were not the clearest for once. I even asked employees of the train station, just to be sure I was taking the right ride to Esbjerg, you know? But torn between what I was told and what the Internets were saying, I decided to trust my lady’s sixth sense, and chose not to listen the the Danish Railroad’s workers!!
How lucky for me, one more time! I have to say, if I might make a little “aparté”, that I learned two things during my three weeks journey…
Here is what my standard set up was when I took a train for more than a 45 minutes ride… My loyal tablet, my now-lost-somewhere-in-Skagen water bottle, my now-retired Lumia phone, and not-in-pijamas bananas 🙂
Once on the train, and not worrying anymore about where I would end up, the train controller showed up to check my ticket. I found out, as I was handing the freshly printed pieces of paper to the lady, that I had two receipts, and no ticket per say. In Denmark, boarding a train without a valid ticket leads to a fine (not so fine fine, if you ask me) of a little over 700 kr. (just a little less than 150$) It wouldn’t have been the end of the world, but that was starting to look like a bitter goodbye from Aarhus!
The lady and I discussed a little, and I don’t know if it is the Canadian flags on my packsack, my hush puppy eyes pleading I really had bought my ticket, or the sight of the numerous bus and train tickets I looked through in my bag, hoping to find the ONE to Esbjerg… But she finally told me it was ok for this time, but that I had to be extra careful next time. Heldig mig igen!! (Lucky me, again)
Esbjerg is the largest city on the West coast of Denmark, and has the most important seaport on the North Sea. All I really knew about Esbjerg before getting there, was that it had a very impressive set of 4 statues called “Mennesket ved havet” (Man meets the sea) which was actually the only reason I chose to visit Esbjerg (no offense to the citie’s inhabitants, I am sure there are tons of great things to do around, but I was just foolish like that, wanting to see Esbjerg just because it was on the West Coast and had four really tall men looking at the sea!)
When I got there, the weather wasn’t actually great. It was pretty chilly, compared to what I had accustomed to during my first days of vacation, and the wind was pretty strong. I walked a bit downtown, had a McDonald’s cheeseburger, just to get WI-FI (and because I was hungry too). After visiting the Tourists’ Bureau, I decided that I’d better head to my hostel right away and decide what to do from there…
My home in Esbjerg, the Danhostel! No, I was not the only guest, but I must admit that we were just a few… Which is great, since I got the 4 bunk beds room all to myself!
It was about supper time, and I decided to go to the grocery store and get myself something yummy yummy for my tummy, since I had access to a fully equiped kitchen. I finally toned down my cooking frenzy, bought rye bread, sausage, two pots of bread spread, and some remoulade (all of my goodies costing me under 10$ total) and walked back “home”…
My loot… It might look basic, but I am just not a fancy eater!
I made myself comfortable in my new home, ate my meal at the round table by the open window, and enjoyed a good hot shower before preparing to hit the sack. I puffed my white duvet while thinking about visiting the four tall men the next morning, and fell fast asleep, once again, still happy in Denmark…
Previously…
Copenhagen, day 1 / Copenhagen, day 2 / Møn’s Island / Aalborg / Viborg, day 1 /
Viborg, day 2 / Aarhus, day 1 / Aarhus, day 2
My second day in Aarhus started at sunrise, which means a little before 5 O’clock. Actually the only time I really saw the sun rising, since in Denmark, come mid-May, even my excitement wasn’t enough to get me up that early…
I headed downtown, to my “secret” Wi-Fi spot to send a few early bird messages, hoping to find a nice place for my second night in town, and to make sure my next future stops wouldn’t be a worry once again!
While browsing around, concentrated on my tablet’s screen, I noticed a few people sitting at the other end of the large roundish bench. Two drunk men… Not an unusual sight at all, as alcohol drinking is largely enjoyed everywhere.
Danes are not all party-all-nighters like the Internets depict them, but it wasn’t uncommon to see men getting on the train with a six pack of beers, and leaving, after a short ride, without much to take home with them… People drink everywhere, and anytime, and those who party, party hard! In the early morning, the empty bottles were always there to testify that Mr. Fun was there the night before!
But surprisingly, drunk Danes, at least the ones I’ve seen, don’t go angry-drunk. They are loud (OMG can those otherwise discreet people scream loudly when under the influence of alcohol!!!), but other people just scream back at them, and that always seemed to settle the spontaneous need to express themselves in public (as loudly as possible, obviously).
So after a while, I left my drunk bench-fellows, and went to the bakery to get myself my very first Danish pastries. I am not into sweets, but pastries are a MAJOR thing in Denmark, and I felt like it would almost be a crime not to try them at least once.
So one frøsnapper and a chokolade bolle later (well, after buying them, I mean… I could never eat 2 pastries that fast), I was back on the road to get to Den Gamle By… The Old Town!
Example of a frøsnapper… Chokolade boller being chocolate croissant, I don’t think a picture would bring anything more to this post 😉
I had to see the open-air museum, and after my afternoon at Copenhagen’s Glyptotek, I thought it was better for me to show up early in case it would take me a little more time to see everything, than expected.
On my way to Den Gamle By, I received a text message from Ditte, my Aalborg host, who had noticed I was looking for a place to stay in Aarhus…
“My sister has a room to lend, near Den Gamle By, if you are still looking, that is?”
When I say that Danes are nice people, Ditte is one perfect example of the experience I had with them… Unfortunately, Ditte’s sister’s room wasn’t available that night after all, but who cares? Just the thought of having caring people following my whereabouts was enough to make my day.
That, and Den Gamle By.
It is basically a reconstitution of Danish life, in the 1800s, 1920s and 1970s… Genuine houses from all around Denmark have been moved to Den Gamle By, and you can enter some of them to discover the different merchants that provided their services back then. Every here and there, you can also find live characters glad to tell their story to the visitors…
This post is already getting very long, especially for Aarhus, and I wouldn’t want the city to get a wrong impression, thinking I liked it better than Aalborg or Viborg… So I’ll just put a selection of pictures and the official link to the museum’s website (https://www.dengamleby.dk/the-old-town/)
I’ll just add that the open-air museum is REALLY worth stopping by. Especially if you are off season, like me, and don’t have to bump into tourists every step you take in town. The characters are just incredibly interesting to talk to. (I fell in love with the general store’s owner who spent a long while telling me about his business as if we were still in the good old days… Not stepping out of his charming character one single time. I have a picture of him, but I promised I wouldn’t put it online, so you’ll just have to imagine him. Special mention to the baker too, who gave me extra sweets when I told her I was Canadian, hehehe) But plan at least a whole afternoon… Because it is HUGE! And you don’t want to rush in.
In the late afternoon, it was time to rest my Ow feet and check in at the City Sleep-In hostel (http://www.citysleep-in.dk/en/), since I hadn’t found any couch to surf for the night. I stopped on my way to buy a Frikadelle burger, a must in Aarhus, according to Lucas! And I wouldn’t want to miss one of Lucas’ musts!! I might write a post about the hostel later, since it was an adventure of its own… But here are a few pictures in the meanwhile!
P.S. The frikadelle burger is worth the detour… I thought it’d be heavy and a little dry, but it is a fast food delight! Med remoulade, of course 🙂
Previously…
Copenhagen, day 1 / Copenhagen, day 2 / Møn’s Island / Aalborg / Viborg, day 1 /
At last…. Well, not really, but blog wise, it was about time, I will give you that!
I was now in Aarhus, probably the city I would miss the less. Not that it was ugly, or dirty, or uninteresting… But Aarhus was harsh with me from the start. I wasn’t even in town, and people already kind of rejected me!
I had couchsurfing plans that didn’t work out, and as the day went by, I switched to researches on Airbnb for a room or an apartment to rent.
There again, no luck, but I was kind of fearing that I was a little short in time to find anybody ready to host me… So I went for my last resort (not that it was really bad, but it was the most expensive way I could afford to get a roof over my head); the hostel!
First day in Aarhus was spent mostly walking around, looking for good free Wi-Fi spots and hoping to find a place to stay. (by the way… If you are in Aarhus and looking for a hot Hot Spot, try the bench in front of “Magasin” in Lille Torv Square)
Oh, and since I don’t have much to say about this first day in Aarhus, here is a map with three important places… The little red heart is for my favorite Wi-Fi spot, the yellow star for my hostel, and the green spot (hi there, Green Spot!) a place we’ll be discussing in my next post… Den Gamle By, literally “The old town”…
Oh, and I feel generous… a view of “Magasin”, with my favorite bench – in Aarhus! (spent a loooot of time there, hoping for good news LOL)
Thanks Google!
And, as usual, a few pictures taken along my stroll…
Previously…
Copenhagen, day 1 / Copenhagen, day 2 / Møn’s Island / Aalborg / Viborg, day 1 /
Hey everybody!
No… I’m not stuck in Viborg, and no, I haven’t given up on this blog either.
I am now back in Montreal… And Looking back, I shouldn’t have thought I would be able to keep a daily blog while abroad. I love writing, writing just a few lines is something that is impossible for me, and while in Denmark, having the time of my life, I found out that posting a post a day was planin impossible.
Days in Denmark were (and still are, I wouldn’t pretend to have changed anything for Danes by just spending 3 weeks among them) sooooo much longer than they are here in Montreal! The sun was up around 4 AM and there was still some light in the sky at 11 PM…
The excitment of being in Vikingland had me up and ready to go very early in the morning. I was waking up, getting ready and hitting the road as soon as possible. That wasn’t a problem, per say, but I would wander, explore and visit until I’d notice that it was around 9 PM.
Denmark made me lose all track of time (among other things) and by the time I was “home”, I’d barely have the force to eat a little bit, take a shower (Yeah, baths are not a common thing over there… to say the least.) and fall asleep, EXHAUSTED. Many times, the order was changed, falling asleep fully dressed being the firt step of the process, and waking up in the middle of the night to have a bite, clean up and put on my pijamas for the last few hours of sleep!
So… I deeply appologize for not keeping my promise to keep you informed on a regular basis. But I will complete my blog now, and work on my previous posts also to give more information about the already posted destinations…
Thank you for your good thoughts, and your comments, come back every now and then, and I should have more to show! Denmark is a more interesting country than I had imagined, if that is even possible, and I hope to honor it with my own words.
Until next post… Knus 🙂 (hugs… in Danish, of course)
The Turtle's Journey... 