Category: postaday

D day… Cold in Iceland

Published on by Cyranny3 Comments

I wanted to write from home before I headed for the airport, but I ran out of time…

I happened to catch the very first Montréal-Keflavik flight… The average passenger’s age was around 20 years old, making me feel kind a cool being geared like my fellows travelers… I might be almost twice their age, but I still can travel the cool way 😉

Too bad I didn’t think about checking the Iceland weather news before leaving… When I got out the airport, thinking it would be cool to go have a walk in Reykjavik, it was barely 3 degrees, plus rain and two or three extras of knock-you-on-the-ground wind.

I took the bus to downtown Reykjavik anyway, to learn on my way that today was a holiday in Iceland. Meaning that at 8 O’clock in the morning there is almost nothing open, and nobody walking around.

I walked anyway, thinking that it would at least warm me up. When my toes started to hurt and threatened to fall off, I stopped in front of an ATM machine got myself a little bit of money and entered a grocerie store – convenient store – café that offered shelter while I eat my tuna sandwich, waiting for the next bus to the airport.

Reykjavik is really nice, but I am not dressed to survive it today, and my thoughts are elsewhere. That, added to the fact that it is 4h15 am for me…  I just want to get on my plane and find my warm København bed…

Here are a few pictures, from the trip to Keflavik… I don’t know if my fingers will agree to take some from the city, but Google it, it is very nice, with its mixt of old and new, its paved roads and its large murals….

Cold kisses from Reykjavik…

Ok, pictures not cooperating for the moment… I’ll try later when in Copenhagen. Sorry for that.

 

D day-1

Published on by Cyranny1 Comment

I was waiting for that moment…

depart

Two words: Getting real!

I still have some packing to do tonight, and Chéri’s hair to cut, and my walking shoes to waterproof, and things like that…  But I am in what we call in French “le dernier droit”…

I’d like to write more, but I guess it will have to wait.

One night left, and I am taking the leap!

 

D day-2

Published on by Cyranny3 Comments

Today, I received an email from Pippa, suggesting where and when we should meet… And it struck me.

Now, all this is really getting really really real!

I got butterfly flutters reading the note. Because it is one thing to say you’ll meet someone, but it is completely different when you can picture things happening.

And now I can imagine myself sitting on the side of the street near the B&B where I’ll have spent one of the most resting nights of my life, knowing I am safe in Svendborg’s Fairy’s town… – That being Svendborg, if you have trouble following – protected from all evil spirits that could have wanted to give me nightmares. And waiting, with the magical green fairy dress I have fought dragons and evil Asian delivery critters (they are the worst!!) to bring to her on my lap. And there she will come, with her long wavy hair in the wind, walking barefoot (yes, even in May… she is a FAIRY!! Follow!!) in the green Denmark grass, the wind playing with the many ribbons dancing around her svelte silhouette, vintergæk pinned in her braided hair and all…

Ok, it probably won’t be just like that… But still, I know exactly where and when it will happen.

And things are really getting really real!

D day-3… The grand opening!

Published on by Cyranny2 Comments

May 1st.

It felt natural to open the doors of my Travel Blog to my friends and family today. In seventy two hours, I will be at the Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Airport waving at my brother as I head for the customs.

So welcome to all!

Welcome aboard this journey around the great Kingdom of Denmark, home country of all those little things you see everyday; legos, Bodum coffee makers, Pandora jewelry, Tuborg and Carlsberg beers…

For those of you who have had the chance of not being in my close surrounding during the past weeks, meaning that you didn’t have to suffer all the preps, here is just a quick summary of things…

Wednesday, I will be boarding a plane for a night flight to Keflavik, Iceland. (Yes, mom, I promise to look out the window as we land 🙂 I know you miss Iceland!) I’ll spend eleven hours of teasing time over there before flying my way to Copenhagen… At last!

denmark

Almost all the places I will visit are on that map 🙂

From there, it will be a hyggelig mixt of planning and improvisation. Three weeks of discovery, and I’ll try to find at least a Hotspot (free wifi zone) a day to give news, and share pictures with you all. I’ll be travelling alone with my backpack, resting where I’ll be welcome, getting to know Denmark through the eyes of the people who know it the best, locals!

Follow, share, “like” if you like, comment if you have questions or things to say…

Special thanks to four very special people, without whom I would never have been able to do this trip…

  • First, and obviously, Chéri! Thank you for letting me go for three weeks to live this dream trip. I know it will not be easy everyday, and that it will be lonely at times, but you were generous enough to tell me to go anyway, and I appreciate the value of that freedom every single day. Thank you for understanding that I needed to discover Denmark this particular way, which wouldn’t have been comfortable for you. Finally, thank you for holding the fort while I am away… Je t’aime!

 

  • My brother! When I decided I wanted to take only a carry-on backpack, I didn’t know what I was getting into. If my brother hadn’t been there to share his knowledge about light travelling, I would have been lost for sure. There are so many little details I never would have thought about… Thanks for the shopping day spent together, the conversations and the priceless advices! And, of course, thank you for the lift to the airport. I know mom and dad would have come gladly, but it would have been a lot of trouble just to see me go through the departure gate!

 

  • Pippa, AKA the Svendborg Fairy.  Pippa is my first Danish friend, we’ve been veninder (friends) for a while and I never thought we’d get to meet so soon. Although my interest for Denmark didn’t need fuel when we met, she confirmed tons of things I had seen and read about her home country, making me like it more and more every day… She was a great help with my first steps with Danish, and thaught me more than I’ll learn with any paid guide… Tusind tak igen Pippa! And on top of all that, Pippa have seen Mads in person, reducing my degree of separation with Sir Mikkelsen (yeah, he has been knighted twice) to one person!

 

  • Last but not least, Ib. After Sting’s Englishman in New York, the American man in Denmark! If there was a way to calculate the chances of making friends with particular people, the odds of the two of us becoming friends would have been pretty low. But life sometimes life works in mysterious ways, and I am happy to count you in! Your helping hand is always ready to stretch out, and your generosity has no end. Thanks to you, I’ll be safer with my Danish smartphone, and some people will sleep better at night in Canada. I’ll also carry the bag of advices you provided me with, some more serious than others… 😉 And hope you’ll keep them coming along my way. Thank you for your foreigner’s view of Denmark, proving that the Danish way of living wasn’t necessarly just good for Danes!  Forbliv fjollet min ven!

 

Ok, time to go back to preps now… Stay tunned 🙂

D day-4

Published on by CyrannyLeave a comment

Today, it just hit me…

“Enjoy speaking French while you can girl…” a little voice told me.

I should indeed. Because in four days, not only will I be surrounded by Danish (which was my will to start with, no complaining here!), but when I’ll need a time off, it won’t be in my good old French slippers… No, no, no… My only hideout will be English.

And the last time I had to spend weeks not speaking French (except to myself, but that is another story) was in North Carolina, more than 15 years ago…

I’m kind of happy I had that thought today.

Just saying…

D day-5

Published on by Cyranny5 Comments

This morning I woke up with a tender stomach, but all other symptoms I was experiencing yesterday night were gone, thank God!

I had a lot to do… And, although I didn’t get to take care of all I wanted to get done, I am happy with myself!

I went shopping, for a few knick knacks, and for gifts for my future hosts. It wasn’t easy, because I don’t have much place to carry them, but I hope they’ll be nice souvenirs from the crazy girl from Canada.

Back home, I finished the lists I had started… I am not very fond of lists, but it was a total must, in order not to forget anything… I only have 4 days to go, after all! I listed my clothes, my hygene and medical items, my electronic and entertainment stuff, my gifts, the documents I have to carry and what I had left to do…

I washed everything I am going to pack. Tomorrow, I’ll test-pack again to see what the scale has to say about it. I wish I didn’t have to be at work at 5 O’clock, but I only have 3 days of work left, so I can live with it 😉

Time to rest a little…

D day-6

Published on by Cyranny2 Comments

This one will be short…

Yesterday night, after my evening shift, I got back home at midnight as usual. I had a few stomach cramps, but nothing too worrying.

Until arround 2am, when it hit me… From nowhere, I started being sick. And it was particularly intense and constant. Every 20 minutes or so, all night long, I had to visit the bathroom.

In the morning, I hadn’t slept much, and I obviously had a fever flash, because the little sleep that I got was filled with delirious dreams in which I was trying to solve intricate puzzles…

I had to take a day off work, still being sick and dizzy during the day (and not wanting to share this with co-workers if it was contagious) and I spent my afternoon wrapped in a blanket, trying to wrap up as much online preparation as possible.

I feel like I’ve kind of lost a day, but at least, I didn’t get sick just before getting on the plane!

I hope things are better tomorrow. I have some shopping to do (for my future hosts’ little thank you gifts and some other knick knacks) and I have to work on my packing!

6 days to go… Can’t wait to come meet you Denmark 🙂

D day-7

Published on by CyrannyLeave a comment

One week to go…

I can’t believe that in a week, I will finally be on my way to Denmark… For real!

 

These days, it is all about lists, and lists of lists… What to do, what to get, what to prepare, information I have to gather… It is a bit hectic, working, dealing with everyday chores, and planning all this, but it is getting more and more exciting as the days roll by.

 

Accomplishments of the week…

Hosts searching:

Out of the 9 cities I will visit, people from 4 of them have agreed to let the crazy Canadian Turtle in their lovely homes!! I will not drop names without permission, but

Tusind tak til dig, søde venner og venninder i Aalborg, Viborg, Odense og Sønderborg!!

(A thousand thanks to my friends in Aalborg, Viborg, Odense and Sønderborg! – Well, soon to be friends anyway!! )

I have requests pending for Copenhagen and the Island of Møn… So things are going very well!

 

Other very good news! I now officially have a phone waiting for me… I have my phone number and all!! Wow! This is getting real!

 

Tomorrow I have to concentrate a little bit on paperwork that need to be done even if it is dull… Letting know my bank I’ll be abroad, gathering information like Canadian Embassy’s number, making myself a list of important and useful phone numbers and addresses… And such stuff!

When things get a little stressful, I sit back and tell myself that all I REALLY need fits in one hand:

IMG_20160427_232135_038.jpg

And I have it. So what could go wrong now? J