So, here is a picture of peonies from the Botanical gardens in Berlin.
It took about 45 minutes by bus to get there from Checkpoint Charlie – but the bus ride was worth quite a bit of sightseeing as well. And the trip out there was so worth it. Peaceful. Flowers. Though the heat was murder either way, getting some shade from the greenery was also golden.
Basically getting away from the tourists was lovely. (Yes, I get the irony of a tourist celebrating this…)
On the train from Copenhagen to Hjørring, where I would spend the night, I ran into an old school mate of mine. She had been too busy to meet me in Copenhagen, so it was very nice to randomly meet her and hang out with her for a bit in Hjørring.
Hjørring was basically a stopover – as the ferry from Hirtshals leaves at such times that it made sense to not attempt to go directly from Copenhagen. It’s a sleepy town on Sundays.
Next morning – hotel breakfast – and taking the local train from Hjørring to Hirtshals. Onboard the ferry and buying tax-free candy – and then Kristiansand. A pleasant crossing in sunshine.
I had booked all my nights on Hotels.com – and by the time I got to Kristiansand, I had a free night (at least) – so I got an upgraded suite (for nothing more than the tax) and hung out with a sister and had ice cream.
Next day, after the hotel breakfast (where you could make your own waffles) I went to a bakery and shopped for the train home. Pastry cream filled buns, for my Dad, from Geheb.
I could tell that I have become used to sitting on the train, as a 3 hour train ride went by like no time at all.
What I have learnt:
I came back with at least some things I hadn’t worn. A sleeveless dress, (which I had many of with me), a couple of tops and a skirt.
Underestimate the amount of entertainment you will need on the train rather than overestimate it – I brought back things I desperately thought I needed the night I packed, that I didn’t use. Some of which were heavy to lug around.
Don’t underestimate food to bring on the train.
Don’t underestimate the amount of fluids you will need in hot climates.
Get to museums as they open to avoid the queues. Head to parks for the afternoons. (Instead of the other way around)
You don’t need to bring more than two pairs of shoes – a pair of sandals that can (if needed) be dressy and a pair of comfortable shoes for walking. If you need more – buy it there.
Keep the luggage so light that you can put it on the luggage shelf yourself. (as well as take it in and out of the train.)
From Paris, I took the Thalys to Cologne. What sucked was that I had upgraded my ticket to include wifi – but of course they had wifi issues on that particular train.
In Cologne it was 33 degrees, which is way too hot for me. My hotel room was fortunately located so I could see the cathedral from my window.
I headed out to get some food – a salad at a restaurant. And I stopped at McDonald’s for some fries and a sundae to take with me. I then walked down to the Rhine and had an afternoon snack.
From Cologne, I took the train to Hamburg where I spent the night. I had a late train the next morning, so it gave me time to be a tourist.
The next train was from Hamburg directly to Copenhagen. It included a ferry from Puttgarten to Rødbyhavn.
In Copenhagen my hotel room was directly facing the tracks.
Which wasn’t so bad, until the next morning when the train started super early. Fortunately, I got to switch hotel rooms to one that faced the courtyard. (Smaller room, but being able to sleep is more important than the view.)
I headed for the Glyptotek and looked at sculptures.
I hung out with friends.
I randomly ran into a current coworker of mine who was on a girl’s trip to Copenhagen. In the pouring rain. (So glad for my rain coat.)
I had some days in Copenhagen, and I am really happy I scheduled it that way. I had the time to meet friends (sadly not everyone, but a lot) and I had the time to savour what I liked about living there.
After spending the night in Frankfurt – in a hotel room that had three distinct smells, none of which were pleasant – I went to the train station and McDonald’s for breakfast.
Turned out that there were some works on the tracks in Germany so my train to Karlsruhe and onward to Paris was delayed. It was delayed by 15 more minutes than the train company had set as the layover time. So, instead of switching trains in Karlsruhe – I ended up changing to an entirely different train in Mannheim. Worked out nicely enough.
Getting to Paris – I had booked a two week stay at an apartment hotel there.
(Basically, because of my ever changing energy levels, I don’t know from day to day if I would have the energy to get out of the hotel room. So – spending extra long time, and having a tiny kitchen, so I didn’t have to head out for restaurants to get food – so worth it.)
The hotel was located super centrally, and almost everything was within walking distance. My goal for spending the two weeks in Paris wasn’t necessarily to see everything, or to shop like crazy – but rather to get the atmosphere and slow myself down.
A lot of pictures:
My sister came down for a long weekend. Unfortunately, I was flat in bed for a lot of that. But it was nice to have company. And we went out to the fountain nearby, and had gelato.
After she left me, I headed for the botanical gardens at Jardin les Plantes. Beautiful even though I was there in the late bloom season.
I visited one museum in Paris – Musée d’Orsay – which I hadn’t been at before. I went almost as soon as they opened to avoid the queues. Afterwards, I took the bus past the Eiffel tower – and stopped to get some food. I then took the bus to the Luxembourg gardens and ate it while I read a book.
I took the bus quite a bit. The metro got too warm and crowded. With the bus I got to see things.
I used Yelp to find nice ice cream, and nice pastry.
Generally, just walking around, slowing down. Not rushing to be anywhere.
A very nice summer vacation.
My summer trip this year was a bit late. It was almost all about trains, trains, trains this year. My suitcase was slightly bigger than a carryon – I packed clean clothes for two weeks, and planned to do laundry on the way.
I started out on August 15 – taking the train to Kristiansand and the ferry across to Denmark. Taking the train from Hirtshals to Århus, and spending the night in Århus.
It rained the morning as I was leaving home, and that prompted me to bring my raincoat – which I would have good use of on the rest of the trip. When I got to Århus, it was pouring down.
The next morning, I got up – had hotel breakfast and stopped at the local Baresso for my favourite SmooTea for the train ride ahead. (I swear, my thesis was practically written on this stuff.)
That day’s travel went from Århus in Denmark, to Middelfart. I changed trains there, and the next train took me to Flensburg in Germany.
I had scheduled a bit extra time for the stopover in Flensburg, but was fortunate enough that the earlier train for Hamburg was in the station waiting to depart as we pulled in. I was allowed to get on that with my ticket. Of course, as the person I asked pointed out, that meant I had a longer stopover in Hamburg. Hamburg is a bigger station, with more happening – so waiting there was preferable to waiting in Flensburg.
From Hamburg, I took the train to Frankfurt. I stayed the night there.
Lessons learnt:
Have flexible tickets so you can take the earlier train if the one you’re on does make it in time.
Sometimes paying for first class is worth it (especially if the price point isn’t too different). Sometimes it isn’t. (In Denmark, for example, there is typically power outlets around the whole train, not just first class as in Norway.)
Don’t schedule long stopovers on tiny stations.
Bring tasty food and drink on the train with you. Not all trains have catering services.
Bring a light rain coat.
The Nobel Museum in Stockholm actually ended up being one of my favourite museums when I was there. Maybe because I expected it to be a boring and staid museum, like some of the other museums I had been at the day before.
But it isn’t.
It’s fun. They have their own area for the kids, so they can learn about various things connected to why the Nobel recipients got their awards. They have a room dedicated to Alfred Nobel. They have so much more, and in a very little space.
I really recommend it. And afterwards, stop by the takeaway counter of the hot chocolate shop next to it and take one to go, as you’re heading down the streets of the old city.
So I visited Stockholm two weeks ago. Naturally, I stopped by the Royal Palace.
Unfortunately, they have restricted the use of cameras inside – but it is well worth the visit.
If you go, I would try to get a guided tour of the treasury. The other rooms can be nice enough to have a guided tour of, but the treasury is minimal in information, so the guided tour is almost essential in order for there to be a point of walking down all the stairs to get there. Well, beyond – glitter and gold, that is!
I actually think that the Three Crowns museum beneath the palace was my favorite bit. Maybe because my main interest in royalty is actually the history of it all.
Nitpick: I’m not sure if this is just because the ticket building (outside the main palace) was being renovated, but it seemed like there was a charge to use the bathrooms in that building. When I’m being charged £14 for visiting a tourist attraction, it does rather feel to me like that should include free access to the toilets in the ticket building.
I was surprised by how prominent the Palace really stands in the city. It seemed like whenever I turned a corner, there it was again. It is much bigger than what I’d thought in advance.
There are two distinctions to be made here:
In my journey to explore Oslo – the time has come to the National Gallery. Oddly enough,as I was walking through the rooms, I was very much reminded of the National Gallery in London. The strong colours of the walls, the placement of the sitting benches in the middle of the room, the ceilings – very similar.
The art is pretty great. They have a temporary exhibition on the first floor dedicated to the bicentenary of the Norwegian constitution – and the Norwegian landscape. On the second floor are the more permanent exhibitions, the Munch pictures, the van Gogh, the Dégas and so on.
It is free on Sundays – otherwise it is 50 kr. Unlike the ski museum, I think this would be worth full price, but I am still so cheap that when it is free one day of the week, it feels like a waste to pay money for it – even if it is just a symbolic amount.
It is well worth the visit.