Day 6: Copenhagen - Look, the lights are on!

We awoke bright at early at 8 and then sat around for an hour and half waiting for things to open. At 9:30 we set out, dropped by a bakery to grab breakfast (the pastry haystacks (the baker called the Oranges, but I am not sure if he understood me)

and an almond butterscotch tort for Myra and I, and a pop tart like pastry for Rich), then proceeded to walk to Christansborg Slot (palace).

We had purchased the Copenhagen Card at the airport yesterday, and it gives us 24 hours of free admittance and transportation. So we visited the ruins of the older palaces under the current one,

then went inside to visit the opulent Royal Reception rooms. We weren't supposed to take photos, but that didn't stop me from taking a picture of every single amazing room.

I took a lot of pictures.

Afterwards we hopped on a bus and visited Amalienborg Castle Museet (Museum),

where they charged to take pictures, a policy that worked well in keeping me from snapping more than one photo.

But it wasn't much of a loss - this museum was devoted more to the last century of the royal family, a topic none of us were hugely attached too.
(The Amalienborg Castle is still used by the royal family of Denmark, and their flags are flown atop their buildings when they are there. The Queen was not there, but other members of the family were.)

We then took a Canal Tour with a tour guide who repeated everything in three languages. Danish, English, and then Spanish. She spoke very well.

It was fun, though windy and cold. We got to duck under at least a dozen bridges.

There were some great sights.

Afterwards, we took a very brief look inside the Amber museum, because it was there and because our card let us in for free. It was very tiny, but it was also kind of fun to see all of the various bugs trapped in amber and the ships made out of amber and the amber chess sets.

After that, we walked to Rosenborg

and visited all three areas of the palace. There were tons of awesome rooms and displays.

These clock contraptions were really cool:

 Here's a toilet for dad's collection:

 The mirror room:

Displays:

Throne room with guardian lions:

 One of the many themed rooms:

Myra told me it was ok to take pictures, but I didn't think it was (it was), so I made sure to do it out of the guards' view (there was a guard in every room and they watched us take pictures).
We also saw the treasury in the basement, which houses three different crowns, some crown jewels, various decretive pieces, and some awesome weaponry. But there, my camera ran out of battery and then Myra refused to take pictures of the treasury (where it was forbidden to take pictures without paying for the sticker), which was disappointing, but not too much so. (I did get one picture:)

After we were done admiring Christian IV's crown and the rest of the elaborate treasures, we went to the Round Tower and climbed to the top.

We snapped a few pictures, then went down to catch a bus to the zoo.

We saw most of the zoo before they closed and kicked us out. Our favorite part were the bushbabys, adorable little nocturnal animals that look a little like a cross between a squirrel and a mouse, with huge eyes. They jump. It was fun to watch them, but because they were in the nocturnal enclosure, it was really hard to take pictures. Myra tried to get some video, but I don't thing it turned out well.

On our way back, we bought some frozen pizzas, took them to our apartment and cooked them one at a time in the tiny oven. Finally, enough food!! (The pizzas were only about $4 each). Once we had eaten, we headed to Tivoli, the oldest amusement park in Europe (?).

We weren't planning on any rides, which was good, since it was $5 a ride for the cheapest ride (mind, this is after admittance to the park, which is about $17; we got in free with the CC). We walked around, looking at the rides, restaurants, and shops. At 8:30, we headed to one of the stages to watch a short ballet,

which I really enjoyed and Rich didn't. He asked 'What if it never ends?', but it only lasted 30 minutes, so he needn't have worried.
All in all, it was a very eventful day!

-Mia

From Myra:
Mia forgot -- in the wake of all that excitement and wonder -- that we saw this:

P.S. We would like to note the wake of destruction we leave: just after taking the Flåm railway to Flåm, part of a tunnel collapsed. No one was injured, but the train had to go back. Then, the day after we flew into Copenhagen, another volcano in Iceland erupted, and flights all over Denmark, Germany, Norway, UK, etc. were canceled. What luck we have! It's hard to remember we've only just started our trip -- let's hope our luck holds out!

Day 5: Bergen & Copenhagen - Duck, Duck, Goose!

One nice thing about Europe's 6 hour work day is that it does't pressure us to do to much. In this case, Myra didn't complain too much when I slept in until 8:30, because she knew nothing would be open until 10:00 anyway. After a nice home-cooked breakfast (we made hot dogs), we did our last minute shopping and then packed up and caught the bus to the airport.
Here is a shot of Bryggen:

The flight to Copenhagen was one of the easiest I've had. We signed in using a computer and all it required was the conformation number. Then it printed our boarding passes, which were the only thing we needed to get through security and on to the plane! We didn't have to show passports at all! Getting on the plane was easy too, they just announced it was boarding and we all got on. Rich was a little miffed that they tried to sell us drinks, but the flight was cheap so I didn't mind. What I thought was funny is that they forced us to go through duty free shopping to get to the international terminal. I repaid their aggressiveness by trying as many samplers as I could before I lost my sense of smell.

We got in to Copenhagen without incident and hopped on the train to our apartment.

It is literally across the street from Central Station

and isn't really 'our' apartment, since Peter, our host, mistakenly double booked it. We knew about this before we left, and we can't complain too much because it is still cheaper then a hotel room by at least half. And we get access to a kitchen.

We got in fairly early, so we set out to explore a bit. Myra and I visited the bakery on the corner and got what amounts to the pastry version of a haystack. It was very yummy. I plan to figure out what it was and to replicate it at home.

We decided to get a head start on our agenda, so we went to visit the grounds at Fredericksburg,

then walked back to our apartment. We got back after 7 and called it a day. After I finish writing this I am going to go read a book, then go to sleep. Goodnight!
Fredericksburg's primary residents:

-Mia


A note on the cost of food: when we say it is expensive, we mean it is about double the cost of stuff in the states. Hot dogs cost $7-$8 and when we finally broke down and went to a restaurant for Rich's birthday, I paid $24 for curry.

PS did the picture links in the first post work? (eventually we'll replace all with pictures)

Day 4: Bergen - The day we killed Christmas

Myra thinks waking up early is better than getting enough sleep. I disagree. We settled on agreeing to get to bed earlier than midnight next time. (Myra: I got enough sleep...)

So we got a bit of a late start on our first day in Bergen (since Mia slept so long), but since we had all agreed not to push ourselves too hard, it didn't really bother us. We went to a grocery store to pick up sausages (hot dogs), eggs, and sweet rolls for breakfast, then returned to the apartment to cook it. We didn't begin sightseeing until around 11. We started at Hâkon's Hall,

where we paid 50 kroner to see three rooms, two if which were filled with tables and chairs and were really boring. The hall itself looked nice, but nothing inspiring (it is used for some ceremonial occasions and concerts). Vastly disappointed, we headed out to explore the grounds. On the way out we passed by Rosenkrantz Tower

and decided to take a peek inside. As soon as I saw the map of the tower, I decided it would be worth the entry fee. We got a 50% discount because of our Hâkon's Hall tickets, so the tower only cost us 25 kroner (roughly $5) and it was absolutely worth it. It was much bigger than the hall and much more authentic. It also had exhibits and signs and doors and staircases. I loved it.

(It had stairs, how could she not?)

After the tower we returned to the apartment so I could change my shoes and Rich could eat lunch. Myra and I weren't hungry, so we just drank water and rested. Here I will make a note on the water - I read before we left that Norway had the best tap water in the world, and the water from our sink in Bergen lives up to that reputation. It tastes a bit like the bottled water from Costco that I like.
-Mia

From Myra:

After that, we did a little shopping, then went to the other side of the inlet to do a walking tour. It wasn't really exciting but it gave us a really good sightsee of Bergen and all its cute little houses and cobblestone streets.

We saw a church (Nykirken),

a witch burning stone,

the National Theater

(with a statue outside that was so ugly it was kept in storage for years -- but the building was pretty),

statues of Ole Bull, the founder of the National Theater,

the West Norway Museum of Applied Art, and lots of cool house areas.
Then we went in search of a restaurant our host said many people recommended, a Thai Norwegian place. In honor of Rich's birthday we had decided to eat out, and since the prices here didn't make us faint in horror (just wince), and it had reindeer, we decided to eat there. Mia got a curry dish, Rich and I each got a soup combo that had the reindeer soup ('we've killed Christmas' says Rich), a beef stew, and chicken soup with saffron.

It was good food, expensive but good, it was also just nice to have a good, warm meal -- especially because it had started raining.
And guess what, it didn't stop.
Ever.
Again.

We went to check out a laundromat for Rich, but the place closed at 6 and since it was 4:30 that wasn't enough time. It doesn't open until 10 tomorrow either so we gave up on that idea. We went back to the apartment for a while, hoping the rain would clear, but it didn't, so at about 7 we decided to go ahead with our planned excursion even so.

The Fløbanen Funicular took about 6 minutes to climb the mountain, then we were at the top where the wind threatened to catch our umbrellas and pull us over the edge of the overlook.

We survived, barely, and set off down the mountain. (There were creatures in the woods.)

It was a nice hike, once we went numb, and we made it back to the apartment mostly alive.

We saw everything on my agenda, so I can call it a successful day, though I sure am happy to be back inside. Bergen is a nice place and it would have been nice to stay a bit longer, but we look forward to the sunny forecast in Denmark.

Hooray to another day of adventures!

-Myra

P.S. from Mia to Dad - We found Joe's Norwegian apartment.

It looks like he kept this one a little cleaner then the one he lived in in SLC. But this one was bigger.

Day 3: Flam & Bergen - Fjording

Myra was up at 7 and I was up by 8, but Rich didn't seem interested in waking up, so we went for a walk. We walked along the fjord for about an hour as we enjoyed the scenery and the fresh air. Then we dropped by the store for some fruit for breakfast. Upon returning to the room we discovered that when Rich said he would be up at ten, he actually meant he would be up in ten minutes. And since he was mostly asleep at the time, he didn't hear me say that we would be back at ten. And we took the only key. So he was a bit annoyed. (Or that's Mia's version of the story, Rich says.)

Flåm

Sognefjorden

Trolls seem to be a big thing here in Norway. I don't really understand it, but I read off the back of a book that trolls inhabited Norway before humens did, so I guess it has something to do with that. So here is a troll with the Norwegian flag:

(Note from Myra: Trolls are prominent in Norse folklore. Recall The Hobbit, based on Norse myths.)

After breakfast we returned the key and left our luggage at the front desk so that we might better enjoy our time in Flåm. We spent much time perusing the gift shops and being astonished at the prices. Fox pelts are very expensive I'll have you know. We visited the train museum, but honestly, it was a little boring. We went for another walk, then got our bags and ate lunch at the cafe. At 3:30 we boarded the express boat for Bergen. Flåm is located the top of the Søgnefjorden and Bergen is at the base, so we got to cruise down the entirety of the fjord. The scenery was beautiful, though at times it was hard to appreciate it through the water splatted windows. Going up on deck made everything about ten times more awesome, but also ten times as cold. (Like boating, but much colder and windier and yes, cooler scenery, although Norway reminds us a lot of Vancouver Island.) Still, the entire trip was about 6 hours, so we go to see plenty. The weather was cold and rainy, and a little bit foggy at times. But it was still totally worth it.

Myra on the deck of the express boat:

 Sights:

Mia with a backdrop of Bergen and a rainbow:

(as soon as we hit Bergen we hit falling snow !)

At the train station in Oslo, we went to a grocery store for dinner supplies for the train. Nothing was looking particularly appealing to me until I saw a jar of Nutella. I bought it and spent two days eating bananas and bread with Nutella. Myra helped me some, but I ate most of the jar myself. Surprisingly, I still like Nutella, but it really intensified my desire for real food. And by real food, I mean meat. Until Myra talked me out of it, I was all set to buy hot dogs at the store and eat them cold on the boat. Once we get to Bergen and have access to a kitchen, I am buying hot dogs and ketchup and eating them to my heart's content.

-Mia

From Myra:
We have arrived in Bergen, and it is a pretty little town. This is Bryggen, the wharf area:

Our apartment is nice and has wi-fi.

The road outside is a narrow cobblestone alley, and all the houses are white.

We are about 5 or so minutes from the main harbor area. Our host was a little worried when he first showed us to our apartment because there was water on the floor, but it turned out to the only that the last guests had turned off the fridge and the ice melted. We have no food and it's late on a Sunday so the grocery store is not open, but we ate earlier so we will probably survive until morning having had a couple pickle slices from my jar of pickles. Until then, Rich is elated listening to baseball (note that the Giants haven't lost since we left, and he's been wearing his SF hat), Mia and I will be happy to shower in our own space, then we will sleep cause the sun is setting. Tomorrow is Rich's birthday and we will have dinner somewhere that is not the grocery store. Bergen is pretty small so we can see everything while it's light out (haha).

Day 2: Oslo - Trains, trains, and walking

So as far as I am concerned, day 2 didn't start until the second time we woke up around 7. We enjoyed hot tubbing on deck with the beautiful Norwegian shoreline on either side.

We docked in Oslo at 9:30 and started our walking tour. It was kind of boring, so we just walked around looking for interesting things. I spent $5 on a small hot dog for breakfast. Myra was lucky in that she wasn't all that hungry at any time during the day, so food wasn't much of a concern for her. It was interesting to wander the city, but two days of carrying around a heavy backpack was taking it's toll on each of us. Still, we walked the city for over four hours, seeing some parks, a palace, and walking the roof of the opera house, before making our way to the train station where we discovered Internet access, both at the station and on the train! Finally.
We borded the train around 4 and departed soon after.

Oslo

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Random Info on Oslo
The city was founded around 900 AD and became an important trade center by 1300. It's name probably comes from the 'os' referring to a long and narrow hill, and 'lo' meaning field. So Oslo means 'the field below the hill'. The current population is about 1 million. It has lots of old buildings and cobblestone streets.

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We arrived in the tiny, tiny village of Myrdal around 8 and boarded the Flåmsbana, which departed soon after. The next hour was filled with awesome views of waterfalls and valleys and a million tunnels. At the end of the ride we were in the village of Flåm. After a few wrong turns we arrived at the youth hostel where we spent the night.

Myrdal, about half of the entire town

A view from the Flåmsbanna

The inside of the Flåmsbanna

The youth hostel in Flåm

We aren't far enough north to enjoy the midnight sun, but there was very little true darkness in Norway. When we went to bed around 10:30 it was still light out. While we were on the ferry to Oslo, we left our room for a bit around 4 and it was light out, but before sunrise. So there is probably only 4 or 5 hours of darkness here. And it isn't even summer yet!

-Mia

From Myra:

City hall, where people were dressed up for some event:

Art display at the City Hall, scenes from Norse mythology. This one is the Eagle in Yggdrasil.

The last thing we did in Oslo was climb the roof of the opera house:

Mia left it out, but the train ride from Oslo to Myrdal was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The landscape really was beautiful (and after all the trains we've ridden, that means something!). Near the end especially, when we reached the higher altitudes, and were going past lakes, rivers, and mountains, covered in ice and snow.

I wanted to capture it all... so I took a lot of movies. See those later :)

Days 0 & 1: Flight and Copenhagen - Jet lagged

I have flown many times. Never have I had so many delayed flights! Our first flight claimed it was on time right up until 10 minutes before its scheduled departure. Then it was delayed for about 20 minutes. Our connection in Chicago was supposed to take off about 35 minutes after our first flight had landed. We still needed to check in with Air Canada, so even a mere 20 minute delay was somewhat worrisome. But we needn't have worried. Our flight to Toronto boarded 20 minutes late and then once on board, we were delayed another 40 minutes due to a runway closure in Toronto. Once we got to Toronto, we enjoyed the longest customs wait ever (in a long line of other passengers wondering if they were going to miss their flights), and then had to rush to our flight. We even got to hear the final boarding call for it! I'd never heard that before.

So in conclusion, don't fly through Toronto. But don't hesitate to fly Air Canada, they have nice planes! In addition to the personal entertainment systems, they have a USB port to charge your iPhone in! Doesn't work with the iPad though.
Rich was really excited to be in Canada. If we'd had a chance to explore the airport it probably would have been nice.
Proof of Canada

So we arrived on time at 10:30 AM in Copenhagen. Customs consisted of a single stamp in our passports. Everyone was happy not to repeat the experience we had in Canada. We bought a Kalipekart (Clip Card) and boarded the Metro heading to Østerport. We walked through the Kastellet and then went in search of food and water.

Kastellet

 Kastellet's Defences

 Map of the Kastellet

We found an ATM across the street from a small grocery store and spent a grand $20 on very little food, but plenty of drink. We then picnicked on the waterfront and then headed to the ferry, stopping to see the Little Mermaid statue on the way.

By the time we made it to the ferry terminal, jet lag had started to kick in. Once we were on board we were sorely tempted to just go to sleep. One sure way to ruin your international trip experience is to mess up your sleep schedule by conking out at 3:45. So we forced ourselves to stay awake by exploring the ship and taking showers. This helped us to delay dreamland until 5:30, which is still earlier than I would have liked. This lead to another lesson - don't expect to get much sleep if your room is above a nightclub. The music didn't stop until 4 AM. We got up shortly before then and played some cards, then went back to sleep.

Our room on the ferry:

-Mia

Travel to the Baltic

It is spring again and time to do some travel! Myra and I will be going to the Baltic with our friend Rich for 16 days. We depart the 19th and arrive in Copenhagen on the 20th. We take an overnight ferry to Oslo and then a train to Flam and then a boat to Bergen. Then we fly back to Copenhagen and stay there until we depart on a 9 day cruise through the Baltic. We aren't sure what internet access will be like, so it is unlikely that we will be able to post on a regular basis. Also, we will be keeping this blog on my iPad, which is what I am using right now to make this post. It is a little bit hard to type on, but I am getting the hang of it.

Just a week and a half until we depart!

(Posted by Mia)