Well, the last time I wrote, I think I said I was having reservation troubles. I did have a reservation in Honingsvag, gateway to Nordkap. But they only had a room free for the nite I arrived. It seems all hotels, both of them, were full. I did investigate a room in a pseudo-boarding house dorm, but decided against it. More on that later.
Back to Inari, with no double i, one of the few Finnish words with no double letters. I exaggerate. I think I mentioned a reindeer farm and rain. I decided to go anyway. Might as well do all the exciting things I can, right. Forgive me, this Norwegian keyboard has me baffled trying to get most punctuation, so no question marks, double quotes, etc. later on, I found that spell-check corrects for me. They used a reindeer mobile phone to call the reindeer for feeding time. Banging a club on a tree. Everyone got the chance to feed them by hand. Yipee..
They gave a pretty good explanation on reindeer herding, how the Sami people use them, etc. They use cuts on the ears to brand them. There are some 20 specific marks, and they are used in combination to make up a tremendous number of different brands. I looked at samples, and I couldn’t tell them apart, but I guess if it’s your reindeer and mark, you’d know. While they wander the country freely, it seems that they all belong to somebody. Every calf gets marks before maturing. They wander freely, though. Autos are listed as reindeer predators.
After returning to Inari, I went to the Siida, a Sámi cultural museum. I think Siida means Sámi community, but I’m not sure. Fair amount on their culture and history, and tribal affiliations. Even better rundown on the seasons up here, and their affect on nature. Seems that, with such a short growing season, things such as tire ruts in the wilderness, anything that disturbs the earth, takes years to correct. There are still remnants of tank and truck tracks from WWII in the far north.
The next day was my last in Inari. I had a choice of bumming around town until 2 PM, then taking a 2 hour cruise, or going to the Wilderness Church, a 15-16 KM hike in the woods. Knowing what happened to Gilligan, and wanting to get back for a lot of reasons, I chose the hike. And hike it was. My waterproof hiking shoes aren’t. Nice trek through the Finnish wilderness. Didn’t meet anyone on the way out, but several hardy souls on the way back. Nice trip, the Wilderness Church was just that, a church with nothing anywhere near it. I don’t know if it’s still in use or not. Linda, can I get you to forge my name on some of the BVS hikes, with the idea of earning a shirt. I’m logging a lot of Ks.
Back in time to catch the bus for Honningsvag, a 5+ hour trip. Really glad I had a room for at least that nite. Not many choices there, let me tell you. And no buses to the next town either.
So the next day, I tried several options for a room, and none worked. I’ll fill you in on the solution later. Took the bus to Nordkap, to see the northern end of the European continent. Nordkap and Honningsvag are actually on an Island, linked to the mainland by a 6700 metre tunnel. How far away does an island have to be before it no longer qualifies as part of the continent? I dint see too much of what Id hoped to see. Tehachapi, you’ve never had fog this thick, at least in my memory. I exaggerate again, but not by much. I couldn’t see down to the ocean. From the visitor center, I couldn’t see the monument, less than 50 metres away. But at least I can say I’ve been there, which in itself pleases me, if no one else.
The bus driver is a tour guide when he’s not driving, and did a really bang up job of filling me in on the area. He spoke such good English, I though maybe he was from the UK. Turns out he was born locally, and loves it there. Lived in Oslo for a time, but couldn’t take the city life and its pressure.
Back to how I solved the problem of where to stay. Ever hear of the Hurtigruten. That’s where I’m at. Look it up on the net, I’m not telling you, but you may get an idea from the following. The only surface transportation out of Honningsvag left before I get back to town. So I caught the Hurtigruten to Kirkenes, Norway. Arrived there today and decided that I’d change my itinerary. I’ll be on the M/S Richard With until July 4th, where I’ll disembark in Trondheim. On the way, I’ll have several stopovers for short periods at places I’d planned on visiting, but will miss a couple.
Figured out what it is yet. Sure you have. It’s the ship that runs from Bergen to Kirkenes and back, over about a two week period, stopping at many of the coastal villages. For years, it was the most reliable means of transportation for many of them, and still is for some. One of the family of ships leaves Bergen heading north every day of the year, so they are constantly covering the run.
So the next few days will be a cruising among the fjords holiday for me. Ill see a lot, as I’m still far enough north to have 24 hours of daylite. More on the Hurtigruten later, and look it up. You may find out something I don’t know about it. I’m sure you will. That’s enough for now.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Photos from Fredricksborg Castle, Denmark, Stockholm and Kalmar Castle
Kalmar Castle
More of Kalmar
Stockholm, the high rent district
Stockholm's Gamla Stan
Fredricksborg Castle, Denmark
Inside Fredricksborg
Another view of Fredricksborg
And a couple who entertained me in HillerodWednesday, June 27, 2007
Rovaniemi, the Arctic Circle and Inarii
Yep, I did the Arctic Circle today. In this area, it's a real tourist attraction. Santa has his home at the Arctic Circle, or so they would have you believe. You can even have your photo taken with him. For a price. Can't use your own camera, you have to pay for them to do it. Of course. Unfortunately for me, Santa was on his break when I was there, so i had to forgo the opportunity. Darn!! That area is really just one big tourist stop. Many souvenir shops, a post office to mail with the official Santa Claus postmark, or some such.
I did get my photo taken, with my own camera, standing on the Arctic Circle. I didn't write down the exact latitude, but it's stated as 66 degrees, 32 minutes and 35 seconds at the line. Or in one local publication 66 degrees 33 minutes and 07 seconds. So who knows? In any case, it's further north (or south) than I've ever been, and I'm going further tomorrow. And I thought it was something when I was in New Zealand and they touted the 45Th parallel. That is until I found it was about as far south as Portland is north.
There is one bit of trivia. Eleanor Roosevelt visited Finland in 1950. The local Finns built a cabin in her honor. It apparently was a rush lob. The saying is that the carpenter rushed out the back door as she came in the front. I'm not certain that this cabin is the original, or a reproduction, but it's a bit of history.
I then went back to Rovaniemi to return to the Arktikum. It was worth paying another admission to see the rest of it. I learned a lot about the arctic, the Sami people, the Roma who live in Finland, and the climate in general of the arctic regions. I'll forget most of it by tomorrow, but what the heck, it was really interesting. Seriously, this was one of the better museums I've been to. It's really worth spending a good bit of time there. Even a video of the northern lites.
And it cleared up one historical point for me. When I got here, I read that Rovaniemi had been burned nearly to the ground by the Germans during WWII. I thought the Finns were fighting Russia then, and usually, the enemy of your enemy is your friend, so why would the Germans burn Finnish towns? Because, it turns out, the Finns signed a separate peace treaty with Russia near the end of the war, and one of the conditions was to get the Germans out of Finland. So when the Germans left, they decided to leave with a scorched earth policy.
The town was rebuilt after that, to a design of a noted Finnish architect, ?? Aalto. He laid out the streets, it says, to look like reindeer antlers, if viewed on a map or from the air. If that's the case, I wouldn't recognize a reindeer if one came up and bit me, 'cause I've looked at the map a lot since I've been here, and I can't see any antlers. That's your history lesson for today. No, one more bit of trivia. Rovaniemi is the largest city in area in Europe, more than 8000 square KM. Lots of forest in the city limits.
And I topped of a drizzly day with an excellent meal at, of all places, the Santa Claus Hotel. It really is the best hotel in town, and the restaurant was very good. I felt adventurous, so I had the Finnish sampler plate. Elk, reindeer prepared two ways, Finnish cheese, Arctic char, and salmon, again prepared in two ways. Everything was delicious. You could have fooled me with the char. If i hadn't been told different, I'd have thought I had three varieties of salmon. Some gourmet!
Tomorrow I head for Inarii, my last stop in Finland. From there, it's a long bus ride to Nordkapp, or North Cape, the northernmost inhabited point in Europe. Don't know how Internet service is up there, so you may not get this, or any updates until sometime in July. But then, my cell phone has worked better here than it usually does in the states. On the topic of phones, I tried to buy a phone card, but was told not to by the salesperson. He said I wouldn't be able to find any pay phones to use it with in Finland, as everyone has cells. And so far, he's been right. I haven't seen a pay phone since I left Helsinki.
I'm going to put this in the drafts folder for now, and see if I can upload some more photos to the blog.
And now I'm well past the Arctic circle, in Inarii, the heart of Lapland. And it's raining Reindeer by the dozen today, so I won't see too much of it. A visit to a reindeer ranch in the rain, or a 4 + KM walk to the old wooden church aren't too appealing right now.
Bus ride up here was uneventful, except when we stopped for a break, and I saw the bus pulling out. Turned out, after my heart palpitations stopped, that he was just repositioning it. Another compassionate driver, too. He slowed down for two grazing reindeer on the highway.
Not much to report, as we didn't arrive until nearly 5 PM. With the long (24 hr) days, I did get a chance to saunter around the lake a bit. Tried to find the aforementioned church, but took the wrong path. Dinner was a very pleasant surprise. In a restaurant with chairs with Formica seats, you don't expect too much in the way of gourmet cuisine. But the dinner I had, whitefish and Salmon, with a reindeer salad, was excellent.
One more nite here, then on to Nordkapp. I'll close now, send this, and post it.
I did get my photo taken, with my own camera, standing on the Arctic Circle. I didn't write down the exact latitude, but it's stated as 66 degrees, 32 minutes and 35 seconds at the line. Or in one local publication 66 degrees 33 minutes and 07 seconds. So who knows? In any case, it's further north (or south) than I've ever been, and I'm going further tomorrow. And I thought it was something when I was in New Zealand and they touted the 45Th parallel. That is until I found it was about as far south as Portland is north.
There is one bit of trivia. Eleanor Roosevelt visited Finland in 1950. The local Finns built a cabin in her honor. It apparently was a rush lob. The saying is that the carpenter rushed out the back door as she came in the front. I'm not certain that this cabin is the original, or a reproduction, but it's a bit of history.
I then went back to Rovaniemi to return to the Arktikum. It was worth paying another admission to see the rest of it. I learned a lot about the arctic, the Sami people, the Roma who live in Finland, and the climate in general of the arctic regions. I'll forget most of it by tomorrow, but what the heck, it was really interesting. Seriously, this was one of the better museums I've been to. It's really worth spending a good bit of time there. Even a video of the northern lites.
And it cleared up one historical point for me. When I got here, I read that Rovaniemi had been burned nearly to the ground by the Germans during WWII. I thought the Finns were fighting Russia then, and usually, the enemy of your enemy is your friend, so why would the Germans burn Finnish towns? Because, it turns out, the Finns signed a separate peace treaty with Russia near the end of the war, and one of the conditions was to get the Germans out of Finland. So when the Germans left, they decided to leave with a scorched earth policy.
The town was rebuilt after that, to a design of a noted Finnish architect, ?? Aalto. He laid out the streets, it says, to look like reindeer antlers, if viewed on a map or from the air. If that's the case, I wouldn't recognize a reindeer if one came up and bit me, 'cause I've looked at the map a lot since I've been here, and I can't see any antlers. That's your history lesson for today. No, one more bit of trivia. Rovaniemi is the largest city in area in Europe, more than 8000 square KM. Lots of forest in the city limits.
And I topped of a drizzly day with an excellent meal at, of all places, the Santa Claus Hotel. It really is the best hotel in town, and the restaurant was very good. I felt adventurous, so I had the Finnish sampler plate. Elk, reindeer prepared two ways, Finnish cheese, Arctic char, and salmon, again prepared in two ways. Everything was delicious. You could have fooled me with the char. If i hadn't been told different, I'd have thought I had three varieties of salmon. Some gourmet!
Tomorrow I head for Inarii, my last stop in Finland. From there, it's a long bus ride to Nordkapp, or North Cape, the northernmost inhabited point in Europe. Don't know how Internet service is up there, so you may not get this, or any updates until sometime in July. But then, my cell phone has worked better here than it usually does in the states. On the topic of phones, I tried to buy a phone card, but was told not to by the salesperson. He said I wouldn't be able to find any pay phones to use it with in Finland, as everyone has cells. And so far, he's been right. I haven't seen a pay phone since I left Helsinki.
I'm going to put this in the drafts folder for now, and see if I can upload some more photos to the blog.
And now I'm well past the Arctic circle, in Inarii, the heart of Lapland. And it's raining Reindeer by the dozen today, so I won't see too much of it. A visit to a reindeer ranch in the rain, or a 4 + KM walk to the old wooden church aren't too appealing right now.
Bus ride up here was uneventful, except when we stopped for a break, and I saw the bus pulling out. Turned out, after my heart palpitations stopped, that he was just repositioning it. Another compassionate driver, too. He slowed down for two grazing reindeer on the highway.
Not much to report, as we didn't arrive until nearly 5 PM. With the long (24 hr) days, I did get a chance to saunter around the lake a bit. Tried to find the aforementioned church, but took the wrong path. Dinner was a very pleasant surprise. In a restaurant with chairs with Formica seats, you don't expect too much in the way of gourmet cuisine. But the dinner I had, whitefish and Salmon, with a reindeer salad, was excellent.
One more nite here, then on to Nordkapp. I'll close now, send this, and post it.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Scenes from Vienna, and Sopron
View at the top of Schoenbrun Palace.
Sopron, Hungary.
Your's truely, with Shoenbrun in the background.
St. Stepan's Vienna.Sunday, June 24, 2007
Helsinki, Savonlinna and Kuopio in living color
Savonlinna Castle
Tower and Ski Jump at Kuopio
On the water road to Kuopio from Savonlinna
Kuopio from the water road
Cathedral in Helsinki
Bridge and Church tower on Suovenlinna Island, Helsinki harborAnd here I am in Rovaniemi
Last report was at the beginning of my visit to Oulu. And now I'm in Rovaniemi, a few minutes below the Arctic Circle. And the length of the days show it. Long Fellows. Seems I heard a joke with that punch line before. Oh Well. While I'm in a joking mood, I'll get it over with. Visiting Oulu is similar to visiting Toledo. I spent a week there one day. It has a population of about 125,000, and I counted 17 people. Traffic was so lite I couldn't have been hit by a car if I'd tried. Fortunate you, I'm done with the jokes(?), and none too soon, right?
I forgot one really nice thing I found in Kuopio, Clas Ohlson. It's a store that combines nearly all the good features of K-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, Sears and Wal-Mart. Although I didn't find any lumber, I found everything else.
Oulu isn't quite as quiet as I made it out to be. There really wasn't much traffic. I took photos of some of the streets to prove it to myself later on. It seems everyone was congregating at the harbor/marketplace, and everything else was closed. Just a lot of milling around, and sitting in cafes drinking beer and people watching. I did saunter (thanks, PB, MvbF) around the park for a good hour or more. A very nice park it was, too. Lots of paths, streams, white bridges, a fish ladder that looks like a real stream for most of its course, fountains spouting out of the lake. Seems croquet is a popular pastime here. They were playing it in both Oulu and here in Rovaniemi in the parks. Had a really nice outdoor dinner in a restaurant in the marketplace. Really something to be sitting in bright sunlite, sun well above the horizon, and realize its after 9:00 PM.
Went back to the hotel, thinking I'd try the sauna. I did in Savonlinna, but wasn't particularly impressed. Figured it was worth another try. But the sauna was only open from 8:00 to 9:00 PM for men. My room, however, had it's own steam bath, so I soaked in that for a while. I don't think I'll rush to install either when I get home.
On Saturday, I thought it might be a good idea to go out to the botanical gardens, since everything else, literally, was closed. I asked the hotel clerk how to catch a bus, and she said they weren't running because of the holiday (Midsummer Festival, remember?). She said it would be a nice bike ride, 6KM, but that all the bike rental places were closed as well. So I decided that another hike was in order. The map laid out the way on walking trails pretty well, and I didn't get too lost. The gardens were nice, but the most interesting and exotic plants were in the huge hothouses which were..... You guessed it, closed for the holiday. Nice walk anyway.
After arriving here and checking it, I strolled the 500 or so metres to downtown to look around. Decided on some home cooking for meals today, so I had an ice cream cone, then a Subway sandwich for lunch, and then McD's for supper. McD's even has a drive thru here. But still no Starbucks.
I did go to the Arktikum, the local museum. And a very good one it was. I can usually cover a museum in 2 hours, so I figured I'd rush and do this in the 1.5 hours before it closed. Wrong! An excellent museum, and I'm going to have to go back tomorrow, because there's a lot I missed. You may have guessed from the name that its a museum about the Arctic. Roveniemi being where it is is probably the inspiration for having it here.
Travel pointer, if you're a senior traveling here, make sure they know it. I bought my ticket to Oulu on the train, and the conductor charged me much more than I was told it would be when I asked the day before at the station. He wouldn't budge when I told him, so I paid. When I bought the ticket today for Rovaniemi, she asked if I was a pensioner (the key word for seniors) and I said yes. got me a 50% discount. So I asked her about the other ticket. She took it to a supervisor, came back and gave me 50% back. No forms to fill out or anything. She said the conductor should have asked me If I was a a pensioner. I guess I should feel flattered that he didn't.
I think that's about enough of my ramblings for one nite. So here it goes.
Just as a reminder, all these are posted on the blog, if you ever want to go back to one, and didn't save the e-mail. The blog address is
dick-scandinavia.blogspot.com
I forgot one really nice thing I found in Kuopio, Clas Ohlson. It's a store that combines nearly all the good features of K-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, Sears and Wal-Mart. Although I didn't find any lumber, I found everything else.
Oulu isn't quite as quiet as I made it out to be. There really wasn't much traffic. I took photos of some of the streets to prove it to myself later on. It seems everyone was congregating at the harbor/marketplace, and everything else was closed. Just a lot of milling around, and sitting in cafes drinking beer and people watching. I did saunter (thanks, PB, MvbF) around the park for a good hour or more. A very nice park it was, too. Lots of paths, streams, white bridges, a fish ladder that looks like a real stream for most of its course, fountains spouting out of the lake. Seems croquet is a popular pastime here. They were playing it in both Oulu and here in Rovaniemi in the parks. Had a really nice outdoor dinner in a restaurant in the marketplace. Really something to be sitting in bright sunlite, sun well above the horizon, and realize its after 9:00 PM.
Went back to the hotel, thinking I'd try the sauna. I did in Savonlinna, but wasn't particularly impressed. Figured it was worth another try. But the sauna was only open from 8:00 to 9:00 PM for men. My room, however, had it's own steam bath, so I soaked in that for a while. I don't think I'll rush to install either when I get home.
On Saturday, I thought it might be a good idea to go out to the botanical gardens, since everything else, literally, was closed. I asked the hotel clerk how to catch a bus, and she said they weren't running because of the holiday (Midsummer Festival, remember?). She said it would be a nice bike ride, 6KM, but that all the bike rental places were closed as well. So I decided that another hike was in order. The map laid out the way on walking trails pretty well, and I didn't get too lost. The gardens were nice, but the most interesting and exotic plants were in the huge hothouses which were..... You guessed it, closed for the holiday. Nice walk anyway.
After arriving here and checking it, I strolled the 500 or so metres to downtown to look around. Decided on some home cooking for meals today, so I had an ice cream cone, then a Subway sandwich for lunch, and then McD's for supper. McD's even has a drive thru here. But still no Starbucks.
I did go to the Arktikum, the local museum. And a very good one it was. I can usually cover a museum in 2 hours, so I figured I'd rush and do this in the 1.5 hours before it closed. Wrong! An excellent museum, and I'm going to have to go back tomorrow, because there's a lot I missed. You may have guessed from the name that its a museum about the Arctic. Roveniemi being where it is is probably the inspiration for having it here.
Travel pointer, if you're a senior traveling here, make sure they know it. I bought my ticket to Oulu on the train, and the conductor charged me much more than I was told it would be when I asked the day before at the station. He wouldn't budge when I told him, so I paid. When I bought the ticket today for Rovaniemi, she asked if I was a pensioner (the key word for seniors) and I said yes. got me a 50% discount. So I asked her about the other ticket. She took it to a supervisor, came back and gave me 50% back. No forms to fill out or anything. She said the conductor should have asked me If I was a a pensioner. I guess I should feel flattered that he didn't.
I think that's about enough of my ramblings for one nite. So here it goes.
Just as a reminder, all these are posted on the blog, if you ever want to go back to one, and didn't save the e-mail. The blog address is
dick-scandinavia.blogspot.com
Friday, June 22, 2007
Savonlinna and Kuopio are history, now for Oulu
Well, I made it to Kuopio by boat. A 10+ hour trip through a really scenic area. I never imagined being on a boat for that long, with such interesting scenery. Not that it varied much. Many, many small islands, some fairly large ones, and on occasion another boat, but not nearly as many as I thought we'd see. We went through several locks, but never went up or down by more than 2 or 3 metres at the most. I guess a cruise down the Mississippi (there are as many double letters in that as there are in many Finnish words) or Nile, or Rhine, or Danube, or Yellow or Yangtze might do it. I'll have to try one or all of those some day. Anyone want to come along?
Back to Savonlinna for a moment. I think I said the castle was on a small island, right next to the city, on another island. Even as cold as it gets here in winter, and I guess that's mighty cold, the water never freezes. The flow between the islands is sufficient to prevent freezing. I guess that's the case for all the narrows between these lakes. But the lakes themselves freeze over. The boat run I took to Kuopio just started running the Monday of this week.
I had a relatively short stay in Kuopio. Not really a lot to do there, but it was a nice, relaxing place. Stayed in a hostel about 2+ KM from town, so I took a taxi up there. Glad I did, as it was nearly all uphill. Not with a backpack and
suitcase in tow, thank you. Room was pretty nice. I wanted to stay another day, but they were filled up. Rather than try for another hotel for one nite, I headed on to Oulu.
One of the highlights of Kuopio was the museum, which I rather liked, as they had a handout for those of us not fluent in Finnish. A good bit of the area history , as well as a good bit on the Finnish wildlife. The museum was celebrating it's 100th anniversary, so there was also a special section on it's growth. The reason I wanted to stay another day was to see their "Historic Old Town". I didn't have time on Thursday. A reason to go back. Please note I've finally found the double quote key on these Scandinavian keyboards" "
The other highlite of Kuopio was the observation tower right next to my hostel. 75 metres high, with a rotating restaurant. Yes, I ate there, and made sure the meal lasted long enough for a full one hour rotation. Before the meal, one deck above, was the open air observation tower. Windy, but some fantastic views. And next to the tower was a huge ski jump. How long and tall, I forget, but nearly as high as the tower, and went down the hill a lot farther. I was told that in summer they run water on it, and skiers practice on that. No Thanks! But I would have liked to see someone try it--- and survive.
This AM when I looked for the breakfast, included with the room, I found they didn't serve it, as today is a national holiday, Midsummer Festival, or first day of summer to us ordinary folk. The instructions were to go to another hotel, which turned out to be down the hill, and up another. No thanks, as I was leaving and there was that luggage to contend with. And, due to the holiday, nothing was open in town either, other than a few mobile coffee stands. So breakfast was coffee and a Finnish version of a Danish.
Took the train to Oulu, just over 4 hours. Trains aren't much for scenery in Finland, unless you love seeing trees flash by. At least on the bus, the trees are cleared back a way from the road. On the train, they are right there. An occasional glimpse of a lake or farm, but not many. I think (you won't believe this) that I enjoyed the trip across the Nullarbor Plain in AU better. The view sure wasn't obstructed there.
And on the topic of AU; I met two on the boat from Savonlinna, and one more at the hostel. You Aussies are the easiest folks on earth to talk to.
That's about it for now. Nearly everything here is closed as well. Found a burger stand for lunch, and then, of course, found where all the action for the festival was. I'll head there for dinner tonite, right after I get this off. Which I think will be right now.
Back to Savonlinna for a moment. I think I said the castle was on a small island, right next to the city, on another island. Even as cold as it gets here in winter, and I guess that's mighty cold, the water never freezes. The flow between the islands is sufficient to prevent freezing. I guess that's the case for all the narrows between these lakes. But the lakes themselves freeze over. The boat run I took to Kuopio just started running the Monday of this week.
I had a relatively short stay in Kuopio. Not really a lot to do there, but it was a nice, relaxing place. Stayed in a hostel about 2+ KM from town, so I took a taxi up there. Glad I did, as it was nearly all uphill. Not with a backpack and
suitcase in tow, thank you. Room was pretty nice. I wanted to stay another day, but they were filled up. Rather than try for another hotel for one nite, I headed on to Oulu.
One of the highlights of Kuopio was the museum, which I rather liked, as they had a handout for those of us not fluent in Finnish. A good bit of the area history , as well as a good bit on the Finnish wildlife. The museum was celebrating it's 100th anniversary, so there was also a special section on it's growth. The reason I wanted to stay another day was to see their "Historic Old Town". I didn't have time on Thursday. A reason to go back. Please note I've finally found the double quote key on these Scandinavian keyboards" "
The other highlite of Kuopio was the observation tower right next to my hostel. 75 metres high, with a rotating restaurant. Yes, I ate there, and made sure the meal lasted long enough for a full one hour rotation. Before the meal, one deck above, was the open air observation tower. Windy, but some fantastic views. And next to the tower was a huge ski jump. How long and tall, I forget, but nearly as high as the tower, and went down the hill a lot farther. I was told that in summer they run water on it, and skiers practice on that. No Thanks! But I would have liked to see someone try it--- and survive.
This AM when I looked for the breakfast, included with the room, I found they didn't serve it, as today is a national holiday, Midsummer Festival, or first day of summer to us ordinary folk. The instructions were to go to another hotel, which turned out to be down the hill, and up another. No thanks, as I was leaving and there was that luggage to contend with. And, due to the holiday, nothing was open in town either, other than a few mobile coffee stands. So breakfast was coffee and a Finnish version of a Danish.
Took the train to Oulu, just over 4 hours. Trains aren't much for scenery in Finland, unless you love seeing trees flash by. At least on the bus, the trees are cleared back a way from the road. On the train, they are right there. An occasional glimpse of a lake or farm, but not many. I think (you won't believe this) that I enjoyed the trip across the Nullarbor Plain in AU better. The view sure wasn't obstructed there.
And on the topic of AU; I met two on the boat from Savonlinna, and one more at the hostel. You Aussies are the easiest folks on earth to talk to.
That's about it for now. Nearly everything here is closed as well. Found a burger stand for lunch, and then, of course, found where all the action for the festival was. I'll head there for dinner tonite, right after I get this off. Which I think will be right now.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Last from Helsinki, First from Savonlinna
I started this earlier today, but must have pushed the wrong button when I tried to save it, 'cause it's not anywhere to be found. So, try, try again.
As you may remember, Thursday was rainy. Friday started out looking the same, so I took my umbrella. Sure enough, the clouds blew away, and it turned out to be a pretty nice, if windy day.
I took the ferry to the island of Suomenlinna in the harbor. It was fortified by the Swedes as protection against the Russians. But the Russians won anyway. Until the Russians took over in the early 1800's, Helsinki was just an outpost. Guess that's why there's not too much of a historical nature here. The Russians made it the new capital, as it was nearer Russia. Turku had been the capital till then, although Finland was controlled by Sweden. Didn't become independent until 1917, I think. European borders have really changed over the years.
Back to Suomenlinna. It now has about 900 inhabitants. Many commute to Helsinki. Guess the ones who don't work in museums, or the small shipyard. The fortifications are really interesting, to me at least. Sure was a lot of work put into building this place. Now many of the original buildings, warehouses, quarters,etc. are used as apartments. Several related museums, but I didn't visit any. Still was on the island for probably 5 hours.
Stopped by to see the church. Turned out they are preparing for an opera festival, and there was a practice, in costume, going on in the church. I even recorded a bit of it, for what reason I don't know. Quality with my camera can't be very good.
On Saturday, I headed for Savoinlinna bu bus, a 5 hour trip. But a very pleasant one. Good weather, sunny blue sky, pretty white clouds, lots of green trees, plenty of lakes, many boulder outcroppings. The bus driver was a compassionate soul. Stopped to let a mama duck herd her brood across the highway. On the lake thing: Finland makes MN, the land of 10,000 lakes look like a desert.
Once I arrived, I asked the bus driver where the hotel was. He was kind enough to take me with him as he took the bus to it's garage and dropped me off as close as he could. And no problem this time with getting the room. I had it reserved for 2 nites, but have decided to stay an extra two, it's so nice here. Really nice place. There's an an indoor pool and sauna, and a really nice buffet breakfast included.
After I checked in, with all the day-lite there is, I took a walk around town for orientation. This is a great little town, wonderful to relax in. I found the castle, the main attraction here in Savonlinna. The prettiest I've seen. Set on a small island, and reflects beautifully in the lake. Really is quite a sight. The town of Savonlinna sits on a small island at the narrows between two lakes. The hotel is on a smaller island, with access by a foot bridge. There's actually a road at the other end of the hotel's island, but I like to think of my island-bound hotel.
And just off-shore from the hotel is another small island, accessed only by a footbridge. About 1 or 2 KM of main paths, with any number of side trails. I walked around on it for a good two hours. Really gets one back to nature. Several folks were swimming in the lake. I may try it, but not today. It's clouding up, and I'd rather swim in the pool in those conditions.
I did take a tour f the castle yesterday. They have guided tours in 4 languages. You know which one I took. Now that I know the castle somewhat, I think I'll go back and just wander around on my own. Lots there to see. I marvel at the work that was done in Europe so many years ago, with so little in the way of tools and equipment.
Savonlinna has several areas that are pretty much 'the forest primeval', much like the island I described earlier. I hiked another today. Except for the well maintained trails, you'd have no idea that you are so near the center of a town. Until, that is, you get to the point where I heard someone busy with a chain saw. Do I sound like that at home in the spring, with my saw and weed-whacker? Guess so. Sure does take away from the 'back to nature' experience.
I leave here on Wednesday for Kuopio. I'll take the boat cruise I think I mentioned. It's an all day thing, around 10 hours all told, with about 8 stops along the way. Either a very slow boat, or a long trip.
And now the trivia: While enjoying the view of the castle, I came upon a wedding party having photos taken. I heard the bride say something distinctly American, including a reference to CA. So I asked, and she's from San Francisco. Her husband is Finnish. Then the lady who served my supper spoke with no accent either. She was from Chicago, and married a Finn 20 years ago. In Greece. Go Figure.
I've seen no Starbucks here in Scandinavia. Maybe the Scandinavian coffee chains have taken the US position; 'We don't need no stinking Walmarts here in our town' as it relates to coffee.
Eye contact, and greeting strangers on walks is not done here. If I manage to catch someone's eye with the idea of saying something pleasant, they quickly turn away and even look embarrassed. Must not be part of the culture to be a bit forward.
Last, but not least (at last): Anyone who's been to Europe has come across the fact that the first floor is one story up. Not necessarily so in Scandinavia. And that's the problem. Some places the ground floor is one, and some places it's zero. But not all. They are just trying to confuse me. Easily done.
I think that's about it for now. If not, you'll hear about it from either Kuopio or Oulu, the next two stops.
As you may remember, Thursday was rainy. Friday started out looking the same, so I took my umbrella. Sure enough, the clouds blew away, and it turned out to be a pretty nice, if windy day.
I took the ferry to the island of Suomenlinna in the harbor. It was fortified by the Swedes as protection against the Russians. But the Russians won anyway. Until the Russians took over in the early 1800's, Helsinki was just an outpost. Guess that's why there's not too much of a historical nature here. The Russians made it the new capital, as it was nearer Russia. Turku had been the capital till then, although Finland was controlled by Sweden. Didn't become independent until 1917, I think. European borders have really changed over the years.
Back to Suomenlinna. It now has about 900 inhabitants. Many commute to Helsinki. Guess the ones who don't work in museums, or the small shipyard. The fortifications are really interesting, to me at least. Sure was a lot of work put into building this place. Now many of the original buildings, warehouses, quarters,etc. are used as apartments. Several related museums, but I didn't visit any. Still was on the island for probably 5 hours.
Stopped by to see the church. Turned out they are preparing for an opera festival, and there was a practice, in costume, going on in the church. I even recorded a bit of it, for what reason I don't know. Quality with my camera can't be very good.
On Saturday, I headed for Savoinlinna bu bus, a 5 hour trip. But a very pleasant one. Good weather, sunny blue sky, pretty white clouds, lots of green trees, plenty of lakes, many boulder outcroppings. The bus driver was a compassionate soul. Stopped to let a mama duck herd her brood across the highway. On the lake thing: Finland makes MN, the land of 10,000 lakes look like a desert.
Once I arrived, I asked the bus driver where the hotel was. He was kind enough to take me with him as he took the bus to it's garage and dropped me off as close as he could. And no problem this time with getting the room. I had it reserved for 2 nites, but have decided to stay an extra two, it's so nice here. Really nice place. There's an an indoor pool and sauna, and a really nice buffet breakfast included.
After I checked in, with all the day-lite there is, I took a walk around town for orientation. This is a great little town, wonderful to relax in. I found the castle, the main attraction here in Savonlinna. The prettiest I've seen. Set on a small island, and reflects beautifully in the lake. Really is quite a sight. The town of Savonlinna sits on a small island at the narrows between two lakes. The hotel is on a smaller island, with access by a foot bridge. There's actually a road at the other end of the hotel's island, but I like to think of my island-bound hotel.
And just off-shore from the hotel is another small island, accessed only by a footbridge. About 1 or 2 KM of main paths, with any number of side trails. I walked around on it for a good two hours. Really gets one back to nature. Several folks were swimming in the lake. I may try it, but not today. It's clouding up, and I'd rather swim in the pool in those conditions.
I did take a tour f the castle yesterday. They have guided tours in 4 languages. You know which one I took. Now that I know the castle somewhat, I think I'll go back and just wander around on my own. Lots there to see. I marvel at the work that was done in Europe so many years ago, with so little in the way of tools and equipment.
Savonlinna has several areas that are pretty much 'the forest primeval', much like the island I described earlier. I hiked another today. Except for the well maintained trails, you'd have no idea that you are so near the center of a town. Until, that is, you get to the point where I heard someone busy with a chain saw. Do I sound like that at home in the spring, with my saw and weed-whacker? Guess so. Sure does take away from the 'back to nature' experience.
I leave here on Wednesday for Kuopio. I'll take the boat cruise I think I mentioned. It's an all day thing, around 10 hours all told, with about 8 stops along the way. Either a very slow boat, or a long trip.
And now the trivia: While enjoying the view of the castle, I came upon a wedding party having photos taken. I heard the bride say something distinctly American, including a reference to CA. So I asked, and she's from San Francisco. Her husband is Finnish. Then the lady who served my supper spoke with no accent either. She was from Chicago, and married a Finn 20 years ago. In Greece. Go Figure.
I've seen no Starbucks here in Scandinavia. Maybe the Scandinavian coffee chains have taken the US position; 'We don't need no stinking Walmarts here in our town' as it relates to coffee.
Eye contact, and greeting strangers on walks is not done here. If I manage to catch someone's eye with the idea of saying something pleasant, they quickly turn away and even look embarrassed. Must not be part of the culture to be a bit forward.
Last, but not least (at last): Anyone who's been to Europe has come across the fact that the first floor is one story up. Not necessarily so in Scandinavia. And that's the problem. Some places the ground floor is one, and some places it's zero. But not all. They are just trying to confuse me. Easily done.
I think that's about it for now. If not, you'll hear about it from either Kuopio or Oulu, the next two stops.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
More on Tallinn & some on Helsinki
Raining in Helsinki today, and a good bit colder than it's been for some time, so I thought it would be a good time to add to the blog. I was in a hurry last time, so I left out some things about Tallinn.
First, I don' t think I gave you the Town Tower's full name. It's 'Old Thomas', not just 'Thomas', as I think I said. And the steps up that tower are about knee high in some places, so it's quite a climb. But the view is worth it. I mentioned the Three Sisters hotel. My tour guide said Queen Elizabeth stayed there. Also heard today from the folks I met in Denmark, and they saw the Japanese Emperor there. I didn't realize I'd asked for help from such an exclusive hotel. On the side of town I didn't mention is Kariorg Park, the palace of one of the Russian rulers when in the area. Couldn't get in to see it, as it was closed on the days I was there, but it was impressive to see from outside, and in a really nice park setting. Nearby was the huge outdoor music venue. I was told the stage is big enough for 30,000 singers, and the seating area holds 100,000. Michael Jackson holds the record, I think at around 75,000. There is an area near where I stayed that has the old wooden homes of a number of people who were deported to Siberia near the beginning if WWII. They are trying to preserve it, may even be a UNESCO heritage site, but I may have heard wrong. The tour guide told us about an organ concert in one of the churches that evening, so I went to hear it. Not bad, to my untrained ear. On the tour, and again at the concert, I met several New Zealanders. Always a pleasure. Still no Aussies, though
The trip to Helsinki was by 'Fast Boat', a huge catamaran that covered the 25 or so miles in less than 2 hours. Really moved along for such a big boat. On arriving in Helsinki, I went to the Tourist Info (TI) center, as I'd been unsuccessful in reserving a room. I was told that 3everything was full, due to some conference or some such. Probably the best that could be found would be a room 20 - 30 KM from town. They suggested I try the TI at the train station where they did hotel reservations. When I got there, they gave me the same story. I thought I'd try Turku, a 2 hr. train ride away, stay there a day or so and come back. They checked Turku, and it was full also.
I went out to think about my options, and chose several towns I could get to reasonably by train, and went back to ask them to check. In the interim, they did find a place they thought might have a room for a nite, and checked. Turned out they were open for several nites, so I reserved that one, and took the tram to get there. Not too bad a room, either. Good luck was smiling on me.
Went back to town ate lunch, wandered around a bit, etc. Town was really crowded. Musicians on Bandstands, crowds listening and cheering, etc. Looked like they were right about whatever was going on. Found a decent place to eat supper, and took the tram back to the hotel. Only thing wrong was that they haven't heard of non-smoking. The whole hotel smells of stale cigarette smoke. Opened my window to help out a bit.
Yesterday didn't know whether o clear up or rain, so it drizzled all morning. I walked around with my hood up and took in the sights. One nice one was a church that was carved out of rock. The top was of wood, but the floor and walls had been carved out of a huge boulder. There was a pianist playing, pretty good, and I stayed to listen for a while. Church was pretty unique. From there, I went to see the Sibaleus monument. I guess he was Finland's greatest composer. Pretty abstract monument, but nice. I used the tram to get around when the walk seemed too far. Works out OK. After lunch, I took in the Finland Historical museum. everything from pre-history to the late 20th century. Some pretty interesting exhibits. Also some pretty bring ones. I can only look at so much stone and bronze age.
After I left the museum, the sun came out, so I strolled around town. Helsinki is a big city, and being one, it looks like most others. It doesn't have any distinct 'Old Town', or tourist areas. I think I prefer the smaller places, such as Kalmar and Tallinn, where the history stands out. After I leave here, I'll have my wish. I won't hit another big city until Bergen, Norway, sometime in July.
Today was to be the day to see the one historical area I did want to get to, Suomenlinna island in the harbor, site of the fortress that defended Helsinki from Russia. But it started out raining and much colder than It's been anytime on the trip. So I did laundry and read. And now to the library to type this. They allow 1/2 hour free, then you are logged off and have to request a new slot. There's always a waiting list. This is the third time around at the library today. The wait is around 10 to 15 minutes each time. And Yahoo now pops up advertisements, which slows down my already snail's pace review of e-mail. I guess tomorrow will have to be the Soumenlinna day. Hope it clears up a bit.
I did get my bus reservation for my next stop, Savonlinna. It's on a really big lake. And from there, I may get to take a lake ferry to the next stop, Kuopio. Hope so, but I'm not sure they run this early in the year. Also got my hotel reservation in Savonlinna through the Helsinki TI. I'd e-mailed several places, but got negative or no responses. The TI's sure seem to be a help to travelers like me, who try to wing it (rather unsuccessfully, I might add, the way some of this trip has gone) But it's kind of fun.
That's about it for this episode. Next report will probably be from Savonlinna.
First, I don' t think I gave you the Town Tower's full name. It's 'Old Thomas', not just 'Thomas', as I think I said. And the steps up that tower are about knee high in some places, so it's quite a climb. But the view is worth it. I mentioned the Three Sisters hotel. My tour guide said Queen Elizabeth stayed there. Also heard today from the folks I met in Denmark, and they saw the Japanese Emperor there. I didn't realize I'd asked for help from such an exclusive hotel. On the side of town I didn't mention is Kariorg Park, the palace of one of the Russian rulers when in the area. Couldn't get in to see it, as it was closed on the days I was there, but it was impressive to see from outside, and in a really nice park setting. Nearby was the huge outdoor music venue. I was told the stage is big enough for 30,000 singers, and the seating area holds 100,000. Michael Jackson holds the record, I think at around 75,000. There is an area near where I stayed that has the old wooden homes of a number of people who were deported to Siberia near the beginning if WWII. They are trying to preserve it, may even be a UNESCO heritage site, but I may have heard wrong. The tour guide told us about an organ concert in one of the churches that evening, so I went to hear it. Not bad, to my untrained ear. On the tour, and again at the concert, I met several New Zealanders. Always a pleasure. Still no Aussies, though
The trip to Helsinki was by 'Fast Boat', a huge catamaran that covered the 25 or so miles in less than 2 hours. Really moved along for such a big boat. On arriving in Helsinki, I went to the Tourist Info (TI) center, as I'd been unsuccessful in reserving a room. I was told that 3everything was full, due to some conference or some such. Probably the best that could be found would be a room 20 - 30 KM from town. They suggested I try the TI at the train station where they did hotel reservations. When I got there, they gave me the same story. I thought I'd try Turku, a 2 hr. train ride away, stay there a day or so and come back. They checked Turku, and it was full also.
I went out to think about my options, and chose several towns I could get to reasonably by train, and went back to ask them to check. In the interim, they did find a place they thought might have a room for a nite, and checked. Turned out they were open for several nites, so I reserved that one, and took the tram to get there. Not too bad a room, either. Good luck was smiling on me.
Went back to town ate lunch, wandered around a bit, etc. Town was really crowded. Musicians on Bandstands, crowds listening and cheering, etc. Looked like they were right about whatever was going on. Found a decent place to eat supper, and took the tram back to the hotel. Only thing wrong was that they haven't heard of non-smoking. The whole hotel smells of stale cigarette smoke. Opened my window to help out a bit.
Yesterday didn't know whether o clear up or rain, so it drizzled all morning. I walked around with my hood up and took in the sights. One nice one was a church that was carved out of rock. The top was of wood, but the floor and walls had been carved out of a huge boulder. There was a pianist playing, pretty good, and I stayed to listen for a while. Church was pretty unique. From there, I went to see the Sibaleus monument. I guess he was Finland's greatest composer. Pretty abstract monument, but nice. I used the tram to get around when the walk seemed too far. Works out OK. After lunch, I took in the Finland Historical museum. everything from pre-history to the late 20th century. Some pretty interesting exhibits. Also some pretty bring ones. I can only look at so much stone and bronze age.
After I left the museum, the sun came out, so I strolled around town. Helsinki is a big city, and being one, it looks like most others. It doesn't have any distinct 'Old Town', or tourist areas. I think I prefer the smaller places, such as Kalmar and Tallinn, where the history stands out. After I leave here, I'll have my wish. I won't hit another big city until Bergen, Norway, sometime in July.
Today was to be the day to see the one historical area I did want to get to, Suomenlinna island in the harbor, site of the fortress that defended Helsinki from Russia. But it started out raining and much colder than It's been anytime on the trip. So I did laundry and read. And now to the library to type this. They allow 1/2 hour free, then you are logged off and have to request a new slot. There's always a waiting list. This is the third time around at the library today. The wait is around 10 to 15 minutes each time. And Yahoo now pops up advertisements, which slows down my already snail's pace review of e-mail. I guess tomorrow will have to be the Soumenlinna day. Hope it clears up a bit.
I did get my bus reservation for my next stop, Savonlinna. It's on a really big lake. And from there, I may get to take a lake ferry to the next stop, Kuopio. Hope so, but I'm not sure they run this early in the year. Also got my hotel reservation in Savonlinna through the Helsinki TI. I'd e-mailed several places, but got negative or no responses. The TI's sure seem to be a help to travelers like me, who try to wing it (rather unsuccessfully, I might add, the way some of this trip has gone) But it's kind of fun.
That's about it for this episode. Next report will probably be from Savonlinna.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
So Long, Stockholm
Yes, it's time to move on. A change in plans, though. My original thought was to go to Turku, Finland, then on to Helsinki. But talking to several folks along the way, and others in the past, I've decided to stop in Tallinn, Estonia rather than Turku. I leave on the ferry on Saturday nite, and arrive at 10:00 AM on Sunday. Not sure what I'll find there, but I'm sure it will be interesting.
Before I go into more on Stockholm, I thought I'd tell a story on myself. Why not? I think I mentioned that I had to change rooms in Kalmar. When the clerk gave me the key, she told me which hall to go through to find the room. Dutifully, I did so. Wandered up and down for 5 minutes or more looking for room 60 with absolutely no success. Finally broke all rules and conventions of machismo and asked for directions from one of the maids. She turned my key right side up and told me where room 09 was. Skill and science win out again over ignorance, superstition and evil.
Another side-lite: on my last European trip, I ran into many, many Australians, and even a few New Zealanders. Other than a few in Vienna this trip, there haven't been any. Don't you folks like Scandinavia, or have you stopped traveling the world?
I guess it's time to ramble. Remember Hitchcock's movie 'The Birds'? Well, in Karlmar, and then again last evening several birds really dive bombed me. On the first pass, I thought it was just a mistake, but they kept it up, and were getting closer and closer. Kalmar's birds looked and sounded like crows, but had gray heads. The ones here were gulls.
My plans to use my IPOD to pass the dead time haven't worked out. I remember reading in the manual something about being careful syncing it to other computers, as it will replace your computer's music with the music from the other computer. I ignored that, as it didn't seem like the way I'd design it. I synced it to my laptop to add a few songs. Guess what. They are the only ones I've got. Read and believe the instructions.
So far the English here in Scandinavia has been great. I really respect these folks for their determination to have English as a second language. Wish I was as dedicated. And as I head farther north, I hope it keeps up.
The weather here has remained in the low 80's since I've been in Stockholm. Seems from talking to folks that this is a bit high for this time of year.
And I did have the Swedish meatballs, with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam. Not sure if the jam was to be eaten with the meatballs, the potatoes, or alone. No bread. I tried it all three ways, and it was fine.
If you ever get to Stockholm and only have time for one major attraction, see the Vasa museum. The Vasa was a 17th century warship, at the time one of, if not the largest.. She's a tribute to nautical engineering incompetence. She took a bit of wind less than an hour into her maiden voyage, heeled over and sank! She lay in the Stockholm harbor for 333 years, before she was brought to the surface and restored.
She's the only example of a complete 17th century warship in existence, or so they say. The museum is excellent. They cover everything from her construction to her re-construction. I spent four hours there (including time for lunch and a snack). Later, reading the brochure, I found I'd missed several displays that I'd probably have enjoyed. Only problem I found was that the lighting wasn't bright enough to really see the ship. Maybe that's a preservation issue, I don't know. Their web site is vasamuseet.se Check it out.
Also went to the Junibaken, which is really a children's play-place and a tribute to the author of 'Pippi Longstockings', Astrid Lindgren, and a number of other children's books. A nice place to spend an hour or so, wishing you were a kyd again. There is one ride that takes you through one of her stories. There are models of the characters in various scenes from the story. I rode through it with two retired elementary school teachers from somewhere in south LA county.
Adding to the Stockholm summary on Saturday, I have to change my mind a bit. If you ever visit Stockholm, make time to see both the Vasa and Skansen. Skansen is an open-air museum. It was started in the late 19th century. It covers many acres on the same island that the Vasa is on. In it are original homes brought from all over Sweden to show what life was like as far back as the 18th century. The farmsteads in particular are interesting. The differences in construction from one part of the country to another are very evident. construction was based on available material. In the south, with few forests, 'half-timber' homes were the thing. A frame was built of wood and then the voids were filled in with clay. Sod roofs were in. Further north, wood becomes the primary construction material, for both the structure and the roof. They also had examples of city life, small shops, craftsman's workplaces, you get the idea. Enough of my rambling. Enough to say I really enjoyed the day there, and if you're interested in things like this, give it a try. LaRita and Jim, I know you'd love it.
At the end of the day, they had several musical presentations. First a pair of fiddlers playing Swedish folk tunes for about 15 minutes. Then after a short break, the fiddlers led a procession of 8 folk dancers. They performed a number of dances, and really looked like they were enjoying themselves. Then, on the way back to the railway station, passing through Kungstradgarden, the main event location for downtown Stockholm, I happened on a brass band. Just as I got there, they went into a rousing version of one of (don't know which) John P. Sousa's works. Naturally I stopped to listen. Unfortunately, I got there for the finale. Tough luck, but then it was getting fairly late.
It's now Saturday PM, and I'm killing time at the train station updating this. My ship leaves for Tallin at 18:00, and I have to be there atl least an hour or more before. Local buses seem to be a pretty good option for getting to the dock. At least I hope so. The fare was a lot, and I'd hate to miss the boat. I doubt if they give refunds. I'll arrive tomorrow at 10:00. I think they are an hour ahead of Stockholm.
I spent this morning just walking around. I tried to get to the top of the City Hall, close to the tallest building in town. But it's closed for renovation. There's an elevator to a restaurant near Gamla Stan (Old Town) that had a pretty good view, so I tried that. Not bad. But Stockholm doesn't really have much of an exciting skyline. Nearly all the buildings are 6 to 10 stories, with a very few a good bit more. Several church spires, and that's about it. I do think I like Stockholm better than Copenhagen. Maybe the weather has a bit to do with that.
Had an excellent salmon for lunch. Even better than my own pseudo-poached salmon. Nice outdoor restaurant in Gamla Stan, lots of people to watch. Nice relaxed morning and early afternoon.
I can't think if anything more to bore you all with, so I guess I'll close. Probably touch base again from Helsinki on Tuesday. Don't know what I'll find in Tallinn.
Before I go into more on Stockholm, I thought I'd tell a story on myself. Why not? I think I mentioned that I had to change rooms in Kalmar. When the clerk gave me the key, she told me which hall to go through to find the room. Dutifully, I did so. Wandered up and down for 5 minutes or more looking for room 60 with absolutely no success. Finally broke all rules and conventions of machismo and asked for directions from one of the maids. She turned my key right side up and told me where room 09 was. Skill and science win out again over ignorance, superstition and evil.
Another side-lite: on my last European trip, I ran into many, many Australians, and even a few New Zealanders. Other than a few in Vienna this trip, there haven't been any. Don't you folks like Scandinavia, or have you stopped traveling the world?
I guess it's time to ramble. Remember Hitchcock's movie 'The Birds'? Well, in Karlmar, and then again last evening several birds really dive bombed me. On the first pass, I thought it was just a mistake, but they kept it up, and were getting closer and closer. Kalmar's birds looked and sounded like crows, but had gray heads. The ones here were gulls.
My plans to use my IPOD to pass the dead time haven't worked out. I remember reading in the manual something about being careful syncing it to other computers, as it will replace your computer's music with the music from the other computer. I ignored that, as it didn't seem like the way I'd design it. I synced it to my laptop to add a few songs. Guess what. They are the only ones I've got. Read and believe the instructions.
So far the English here in Scandinavia has been great. I really respect these folks for their determination to have English as a second language. Wish I was as dedicated. And as I head farther north, I hope it keeps up.
The weather here has remained in the low 80's since I've been in Stockholm. Seems from talking to folks that this is a bit high for this time of year.
And I did have the Swedish meatballs, with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam. Not sure if the jam was to be eaten with the meatballs, the potatoes, or alone. No bread. I tried it all three ways, and it was fine.
If you ever get to Stockholm and only have time for one major attraction, see the Vasa museum. The Vasa was a 17th century warship, at the time one of, if not the largest.. She's a tribute to nautical engineering incompetence. She took a bit of wind less than an hour into her maiden voyage, heeled over and sank! She lay in the Stockholm harbor for 333 years, before she was brought to the surface and restored.
She's the only example of a complete 17th century warship in existence, or so they say. The museum is excellent. They cover everything from her construction to her re-construction. I spent four hours there (including time for lunch and a snack). Later, reading the brochure, I found I'd missed several displays that I'd probably have enjoyed. Only problem I found was that the lighting wasn't bright enough to really see the ship. Maybe that's a preservation issue, I don't know. Their web site is vasamuseet.se Check it out.
Also went to the Junibaken, which is really a children's play-place and a tribute to the author of 'Pippi Longstockings', Astrid Lindgren, and a number of other children's books. A nice place to spend an hour or so, wishing you were a kyd again. There is one ride that takes you through one of her stories. There are models of the characters in various scenes from the story. I rode through it with two retired elementary school teachers from somewhere in south LA county.
Adding to the Stockholm summary on Saturday, I have to change my mind a bit. If you ever visit Stockholm, make time to see both the Vasa and Skansen. Skansen is an open-air museum. It was started in the late 19th century. It covers many acres on the same island that the Vasa is on. In it are original homes brought from all over Sweden to show what life was like as far back as the 18th century. The farmsteads in particular are interesting. The differences in construction from one part of the country to another are very evident. construction was based on available material. In the south, with few forests, 'half-timber' homes were the thing. A frame was built of wood and then the voids were filled in with clay. Sod roofs were in. Further north, wood becomes the primary construction material, for both the structure and the roof. They also had examples of city life, small shops, craftsman's workplaces, you get the idea. Enough of my rambling. Enough to say I really enjoyed the day there, and if you're interested in things like this, give it a try. LaRita and Jim, I know you'd love it.
At the end of the day, they had several musical presentations. First a pair of fiddlers playing Swedish folk tunes for about 15 minutes. Then after a short break, the fiddlers led a procession of 8 folk dancers. They performed a number of dances, and really looked like they were enjoying themselves. Then, on the way back to the railway station, passing through Kungstradgarden, the main event location for downtown Stockholm, I happened on a brass band. Just as I got there, they went into a rousing version of one of (don't know which) John P. Sousa's works. Naturally I stopped to listen. Unfortunately, I got there for the finale. Tough luck, but then it was getting fairly late.
It's now Saturday PM, and I'm killing time at the train station updating this. My ship leaves for Tallin at 18:00, and I have to be there atl least an hour or more before. Local buses seem to be a pretty good option for getting to the dock. At least I hope so. The fare was a lot, and I'd hate to miss the boat. I doubt if they give refunds. I'll arrive tomorrow at 10:00. I think they are an hour ahead of Stockholm.
I spent this morning just walking around. I tried to get to the top of the City Hall, close to the tallest building in town. But it's closed for renovation. There's an elevator to a restaurant near Gamla Stan (Old Town) that had a pretty good view, so I tried that. Not bad. But Stockholm doesn't really have much of an exciting skyline. Nearly all the buildings are 6 to 10 stories, with a very few a good bit more. Several church spires, and that's about it. I do think I like Stockholm better than Copenhagen. Maybe the weather has a bit to do with that.
Had an excellent salmon for lunch. Even better than my own pseudo-poached salmon. Nice outdoor restaurant in Gamla Stan, lots of people to watch. Nice relaxed morning and early afternoon.
I can't think if anything more to bore you all with, so I guess I'll close. Probably touch base again from Helsinki on Tuesday. Don't know what I'll find in Tallinn.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Sunny Stockholm
Well, I made it through Kalmar, Sweden and arrived in Stockholm yesterday afternoon. First really warm day I've had since I left Austria. I'm even wearing shorts today.
Back to Copenhagen for a bit. The last day there, I saw quite a few groups of Swedes wandering around, loudly singing/chanting what I took to be sport fight songs. Also a lesser number of Danes doing the same thing. How can he tell a Swede from a Dane, you ask. The Swedes are blond, while the Danes ... No that's not it. The Swedes were wearing Blue and Gold T shirts, and the Danes red with a white cross.
Anyway, that evening, in the hotel common area, there was soccer (futbal) match on TV between Sweden and Denmark. Answers the question of why the fight songs. Nothing more to do, so I watched it. Things were really going Sweden's way when I got there. 3 - 0, but it soon changed to 3-3 and got really exciting. Then some idiot Dane ran out on the field and attacked the referee. The result was that the refs stopped the match, and awarded Sweden a 3 - 0 win. T&hat would really make some US fans stop and think. a Fellow American watching the game commented that his picture would be all over the papers the next day. It was. Some penalty.
Moving on. Took the bus to Kalmar. I may have told you that I skipped my planned trip to Malmo . It was rained out. Arrived in Kalmar and found a hostel/hotel to stay in. First nite in the hotel, and second nite in the hostel, as the hotel was fully booked. Not really much difference in the rooms. Found a nice restaurant, Italian, and had a pretty good seafood pasta dinner. There seem to me to be more foreign restaurants that local on this trip. Too late to do much but walk around the town. And that didn't take long. About an hour to circumnavigate the downtown area, which is also the second site of the town. More on that later.
The next day, I did some more looking. Nearly all the downtown area has cobblestone streets, as does what turns out to be the original town (Gamla Stan). I don't think they have been left untouched, though. They have metal access covers for utilities, sewers, etc. I went to the Seafaring Museum. It could have been much more interesting if they had anything in English. Lots of ship models and seafaring gear. It's their museum, so I can't complain. The docent spoke English, but he was much more interested in telling me about his adventures as a seaman along the US west coast from San Pedro to Astoria, and all places in between.
Then I went to the Kalmar castle. Dates back to the 16th century, and is quite the castle, or stoll in Swedish. Similar to schloss/burg in German. This one looked like a burg to me; where the warriors lived. But the kings lived here also. If I ever get to a computer on this trip with a CD, I think I know how to upload photos to the blog, so I may do that. I mentioned to original town earlier. Turns out it was situated right in the line of fire between the castle and any invading armies, and there were a lot of invading armies in those days. So they moved the Town to the island. The original town is now a rather nice residential area. Kalmar turned out to be a rather nice, relaxing stop on the trip. Far from the hustle and bustle of Copenhagen and Stockholm.
Had to leave early Tuesday in order to get to Stockholm at a reasonable hour. Took the bus again. 1/3 the price and a direct connection. I would have had to change trains with only 15 minutes to spare had I chosen the train.
The tourist info center I had counted on being in the train station closed two weeks ago. Guess they heard I was in the area. But the main one was a reasonably short distance away, and with only a three block overshoot, I found it right away. Does that make sense? Hope so. They found me a hotel in a residential neighborhood about a 10 minute train ride from the city center. Nice room, good breakfast, they do laundry, which has become important in recent days. The bag has filled up since I left Austria. I'd tried o book a room on the Internet, but all I tried had only dorms or were booked.
I found the downtown area clogged with people. There was some kind of demonstration going on. Many trucks and tractor pulled wagons filled with kyds. It seems this was a celebration for the end of school. At least that's what the two guys in the booth next to me at the ice cream parlor seemed to say. Really good ice cream, too. It was close to 30 C, or low 80´s when I arrived. A little cooler today, but not much. As I said before, it's shorts weather.
Town wasn't nearly as crowded this AM, around 10. Tried to find the Tallink office so I could make a reservation to take the ferry to Tallinn, Estonia when I leave here. But today is a National holiday, celebrating what, I'm not sure. Many commercial stores are open, but the travel office for Tallink was closed. A huge number of folks have come to town to help celebrate. The main drag is again packed. Not as bad a half dozen or so blocks away from the city center.
The big event for the day was to take the 'Under the Bridges' Boat tour. Stockholm is known by several titles, one of which is 'The Venice of the North', because it's built an a number of islands, necessitating bridges. Nice boat ride, nearly two hours long. That's one of the reasons I took it. It could be much shorter if it weren't for the fact that the boat has to go through two locks. The wait at each was close to 15 minutes. But I saw a lot, and it was a pleasant day to be trapped on a boat.
During my search for an Internet cafe (found one in a 7-11) I noted a lot of police vans along the street. They seemed to congregate on one corner, so I stayed to see what was up. Soon a troop of youngsters carrying flags and banners came marching by.In addition to all the vans full of police, there were a number on foot, and the marchers were escorted by about 18 or more mounted officers. What I didn't understand was that at the intersection, the marchers turned right, and the mounted officers turned left. Tis a puzzlement.
I think that's about it. Think I'll post this to the Blog and then head back for the main part of town. Hope the crowds have thinned, but I doubt it. I'll probably walk around in Gamla Stan (found out that appears to mean Old Town in Swedish. Malmo and Kalmar all have one). And think about something to eat. Swedish meatballs???
Back to Copenhagen for a bit. The last day there, I saw quite a few groups of Swedes wandering around, loudly singing/chanting what I took to be sport fight songs. Also a lesser number of Danes doing the same thing. How can he tell a Swede from a Dane, you ask. The Swedes are blond, while the Danes ... No that's not it. The Swedes were wearing Blue and Gold T shirts, and the Danes red with a white cross.
Anyway, that evening, in the hotel common area, there was soccer (futbal) match on TV between Sweden and Denmark. Answers the question of why the fight songs. Nothing more to do, so I watched it. Things were really going Sweden's way when I got there. 3 - 0, but it soon changed to 3-3 and got really exciting. Then some idiot Dane ran out on the field and attacked the referee. The result was that the refs stopped the match, and awarded Sweden a 3 - 0 win. T&hat would really make some US fans stop and think. a Fellow American watching the game commented that his picture would be all over the papers the next day. It was. Some penalty.
Moving on. Took the bus to Kalmar. I may have told you that I skipped my planned trip to Malmo . It was rained out. Arrived in Kalmar and found a hostel/hotel to stay in. First nite in the hotel, and second nite in the hostel, as the hotel was fully booked. Not really much difference in the rooms. Found a nice restaurant, Italian, and had a pretty good seafood pasta dinner. There seem to me to be more foreign restaurants that local on this trip. Too late to do much but walk around the town. And that didn't take long. About an hour to circumnavigate the downtown area, which is also the second site of the town. More on that later.
The next day, I did some more looking. Nearly all the downtown area has cobblestone streets, as does what turns out to be the original town (Gamla Stan). I don't think they have been left untouched, though. They have metal access covers for utilities, sewers, etc. I went to the Seafaring Museum. It could have been much more interesting if they had anything in English. Lots of ship models and seafaring gear. It's their museum, so I can't complain. The docent spoke English, but he was much more interested in telling me about his adventures as a seaman along the US west coast from San Pedro to Astoria, and all places in between.
Then I went to the Kalmar castle. Dates back to the 16th century, and is quite the castle, or stoll in Swedish. Similar to schloss/burg in German. This one looked like a burg to me; where the warriors lived. But the kings lived here also. If I ever get to a computer on this trip with a CD, I think I know how to upload photos to the blog, so I may do that. I mentioned to original town earlier. Turns out it was situated right in the line of fire between the castle and any invading armies, and there were a lot of invading armies in those days. So they moved the Town to the island. The original town is now a rather nice residential area. Kalmar turned out to be a rather nice, relaxing stop on the trip. Far from the hustle and bustle of Copenhagen and Stockholm.
Had to leave early Tuesday in order to get to Stockholm at a reasonable hour. Took the bus again. 1/3 the price and a direct connection. I would have had to change trains with only 15 minutes to spare had I chosen the train.
The tourist info center I had counted on being in the train station closed two weeks ago. Guess they heard I was in the area. But the main one was a reasonably short distance away, and with only a three block overshoot, I found it right away. Does that make sense? Hope so. They found me a hotel in a residential neighborhood about a 10 minute train ride from the city center. Nice room, good breakfast, they do laundry, which has become important in recent days. The bag has filled up since I left Austria. I'd tried o book a room on the Internet, but all I tried had only dorms or were booked.
I found the downtown area clogged with people. There was some kind of demonstration going on. Many trucks and tractor pulled wagons filled with kyds. It seems this was a celebration for the end of school. At least that's what the two guys in the booth next to me at the ice cream parlor seemed to say. Really good ice cream, too. It was close to 30 C, or low 80´s when I arrived. A little cooler today, but not much. As I said before, it's shorts weather.
Town wasn't nearly as crowded this AM, around 10. Tried to find the Tallink office so I could make a reservation to take the ferry to Tallinn, Estonia when I leave here. But today is a National holiday, celebrating what, I'm not sure. Many commercial stores are open, but the travel office for Tallink was closed. A huge number of folks have come to town to help celebrate. The main drag is again packed. Not as bad a half dozen or so blocks away from the city center.
The big event for the day was to take the 'Under the Bridges' Boat tour. Stockholm is known by several titles, one of which is 'The Venice of the North', because it's built an a number of islands, necessitating bridges. Nice boat ride, nearly two hours long. That's one of the reasons I took it. It could be much shorter if it weren't for the fact that the boat has to go through two locks. The wait at each was close to 15 minutes. But I saw a lot, and it was a pleasant day to be trapped on a boat.
During my search for an Internet cafe (found one in a 7-11) I noted a lot of police vans along the street. They seemed to congregate on one corner, so I stayed to see what was up. Soon a troop of youngsters carrying flags and banners came marching by.In addition to all the vans full of police, there were a number on foot, and the marchers were escorted by about 18 or more mounted officers. What I didn't understand was that at the intersection, the marchers turned right, and the mounted officers turned left. Tis a puzzlement.
I think that's about it. Think I'll post this to the Blog and then head back for the main part of town. Hope the crowds have thinned, but I doubt it. I'll probably walk around in Gamla Stan (found out that appears to mean Old Town in Swedish. Malmo and Kalmar all have one). And think about something to eat. Swedish meatballs???
Saturday, June 2, 2007
The rest of Copenhagen
Well, the luggage arrived, as I believe I said in the last episode, and the sun came out too, making Tuesday a much better day on the end than on the start.
Before I get into current events, let me tell you something I forgot. Pamela and Ralf are getting married this year. Twice. Once on a significant day, 20-07-2007, and in an airplane, to boot. That will be the civil ceremony. Then on 15-9-2007, they'll be married in the church. Congratulations to both of you.
Wednesday started out pretty dreary, so I decided it would be a good day to go museum hopping. And hop I did. First stop was the Throvaldson museum. He's Denmark's patron saint of sculpture, or at least the most revered sculptor they've had. But for me, it didn't do much, compared with my memories of Athens, Rome and Florence. Part of it was simply the lighting, which was poor, and part was that all the statues were very grimy. He did a great deal of work, though.
Next stop was the Danish history museum, which I enjoyed more than Thorvaldson. The bad part was that the section I was most interested in, the pre-history and pre-middle ages in Denmark and Scandinavia was closed for refurbishment. But the parts I saw were pretty interesting.
Then the Danish Jewish museum. A lot I didn't know came to light. The Danes really helped the Jews get out of Denmark. Only around 4 to 5 hundred were sent to a camp. The rest were, for the most part, smuggled to Sweden. Which surprises me, as I thought the Swedes were on Germany's side during WWII.. Something to ´look into someday. The part I didn't like was the design of the museum. The architect played a lot of games trying to make it unique, and made it difficult to enjoy the exhibits as a result. With the exception of the design, that was the most interesting museum of the day.
Then, after a late lunch, I went to the Christiana section of Copenhagen. It's sort of on the fringe of the hippy/druggy area of town, but has some of the high rent sections as well. Hard to figure. There is a church with an outside staircase circling the steeple which gives a pretty good view of the city. So I climbed the inside of the steeple to where the circular stairs started on the outside. Chicken me, I just circled the platform, but didn't attempt the staircase, after trying the first 10 or so steps. Came down instead and had a Danish pastry. Sure beats Sara Lee.
Then I went to the Rosenburg castle. Did my little pantomime of 'Would you like me to take your photo together?' to a couple taking photos, and found the folks spoke perfect American English, as they were from Eau Claire, WI. We chatted for a while, then went our separate ways. Turns out the castle closed while we were talking. So I went to the Botanical Gardens and took photos with an overcast sky.
On the way back from the Botanical gardens, passing through the city square, I noticed a lot of Politi (police) around. Then heard a lot of noise. Turned out to be a big number of young folks running into the square for some sort of demonstration. Truck, sound system, obscene singing in American, with frequent use of the F work. Not sure what it was about, but the Politi sure did keep a watchful eye on them. Watched for a while, and decided I wouldn't be able to figure it out, so headed on to the hotel.
That evening, I went to the Tivoli amusement park, one of the worlds first, and still going strong. An old fashioned amusement park. I wanted to kill two birds with one stone, as there's a restaurant I wanted to try inside Tivoli. Tivoli is quite a place, and everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves. While looking around, I heard someone call my name. The Fischer's from Eau Claire!! So we sat and talked for quite a while about our travel experiences, as they are pretty well traveled, and really like it. They are presently on a cruise. I found the restaurant, a Croation one named Herzogovina. The food wasn't that bad, a buffet, but as I was pretty late getting there the pickings were somewhat slim. Not great, but not terrible either.
On Thursday, I decided if I was going to be in Copenhagen, I had to take a ride on the canals, so I did. A one hour narrated tour, under a bright sunshiny day. Not too bad, but it's hard to keep up when the narration is in Danish, then English, then German. Cruised past the Little Mermaid, but as we were in a boat, and she faces the shore, from not very far out, we only got semi-side and rear views. Someone stole her head some years ago, and the one now is a replica. Now there's something you've all been dying to know!
After a nice outdoor lunch, huge sandwich, I headed for the art museum, and Rosenburg castle. On the way I stopped at the Rundetaare (round tower), built for astronomical observation a few centuries ago. the way up is on a spiral ramp on the inside. Quite a hike. Don't have the details, but the tower is several hundred metres high, and the ramp circles the tower about 7 times, if memory serves (It often doesn't) Even better views of the city than from the church spire yesterday, and the sun was out.
When I got to the Rosenburg, I found parts were closed, so I did a mental coin toss and the Art museum won. First went to the sculpture area, where some modern favorite sun was on display. Maybe I'll add his name later when I look through my notes. His work is somewhere on a line between obscene and grotesque. In layman's words, YUCK. The art part of the museum was really nice. Very well lit, and very well organized, That part I liked.
From there I went again to the botanical gardens, as it was a sunny day. It will be interesting to see the difference in photos from yesterday when it was overcast. Ain't digital cameras great? I've already filled three CD's with photos on this trip. Of course, 5mp per shot it takes up a lot of space.
Yesterday was the best in Copenhagen, and it wasn't in Copenhagen. I took the train to Hillerod, about 45 minutes away, to see Fredricksborg castle. That was worth it, let me tell you. I spent as much time just walking around the outside and enjoying the views as I did inside seeing the exhibits. You'll just have to come here to appreciate it. Inside the castle was the King's own church, a huge grand ballroom, and much more to see, Everything was really ornate. I particularly liked the various pieces of furniture with the intricate inlay work. Most of the castle was reconstructed in the 19th century after a fire destroyed a good portion of it. The upper two floors were portraits of both historical and modern Great Danes (pun intended).
From there, I walked around the town, sat down a few times to people watch, a sport I find I can do anywhere with a great deal of skill. I found a trio in a mall playing chello, violin and flute, so I had a beer and sat down to watch. They finished the tune, closed up their instruments and shut down for the day. So much for my cultural experience. Something must have been going on in Hillerod, s there were a lot of folks wandering around, many in some form of costume, and a brass band wandering the town square. Didn't figure that one out either.
Today the plan was to take the bus to Malmo for a day trip. Waited at the bus stop for a while after it should have been there (right stop, too, by the map, the sign and the directions I had). As it was beginning to drizzle, and the bus was late, I decided that 'Malmo in the Mist' (is there a movie title there?) wasn't the thing to do today, so I just took it easy wandered around a bit and relaxed. I'll be back through Copenhagen in August, so maybe I'll do Malmo then.. Tomorrow is travel day, to Kalmar, Sweden.
In my wanderings today, the city square was filled with cows. No, not real ones, but life size whimsical statues. Reminded me of the same thing while I was in Florence, but there they were around for the entire time of the visit. These were gone when I passed through a bit later. And there was also music and dancers.
My impressions of Copenhagen, for what they are worth: I't not a clean and pristine as I had imagined. There is graffiti, litter, and in general a grimy appearance. In reality, I probably had expectations that were a bit high. This must be the bicycle capitol of the world. I swear I've seen more bikes in the few days here than I've seen in the rest of my life. And that may be true of just the square near Tivioli last night. It was wall to wall parked bikes! The hustlers were out in force on the pedestrian mall today, with a shell game, or rather ball in which box game. There were at least 5 in just one block. I was pretty good, but didn't risk any money. I think that was a wise decision. I'm pretty good at forecasting the Copenhagen weather. I have a system: If it's sunny, it will be dreary tomorrow. If dreary, it'll be sunny tomorrow. Worked every day but one. That's as good as the National Weather Service, I think.
Next edition will be from Stockholm, as I'll only be in Kalmar for two days.
Before I get into current events, let me tell you something I forgot. Pamela and Ralf are getting married this year. Twice. Once on a significant day, 20-07-2007, and in an airplane, to boot. That will be the civil ceremony. Then on 15-9-2007, they'll be married in the church. Congratulations to both of you.
Wednesday started out pretty dreary, so I decided it would be a good day to go museum hopping. And hop I did. First stop was the Throvaldson museum. He's Denmark's patron saint of sculpture, or at least the most revered sculptor they've had. But for me, it didn't do much, compared with my memories of Athens, Rome and Florence. Part of it was simply the lighting, which was poor, and part was that all the statues were very grimy. He did a great deal of work, though.
Next stop was the Danish history museum, which I enjoyed more than Thorvaldson. The bad part was that the section I was most interested in, the pre-history and pre-middle ages in Denmark and Scandinavia was closed for refurbishment. But the parts I saw were pretty interesting.
Then the Danish Jewish museum. A lot I didn't know came to light. The Danes really helped the Jews get out of Denmark. Only around 4 to 5 hundred were sent to a camp. The rest were, for the most part, smuggled to Sweden. Which surprises me, as I thought the Swedes were on Germany's side during WWII.. Something to ´look into someday. The part I didn't like was the design of the museum. The architect played a lot of games trying to make it unique, and made it difficult to enjoy the exhibits as a result. With the exception of the design, that was the most interesting museum of the day.
Then, after a late lunch, I went to the Christiana section of Copenhagen. It's sort of on the fringe of the hippy/druggy area of town, but has some of the high rent sections as well. Hard to figure. There is a church with an outside staircase circling the steeple which gives a pretty good view of the city. So I climbed the inside of the steeple to where the circular stairs started on the outside. Chicken me, I just circled the platform, but didn't attempt the staircase, after trying the first 10 or so steps. Came down instead and had a Danish pastry. Sure beats Sara Lee.
Then I went to the Rosenburg castle. Did my little pantomime of 'Would you like me to take your photo together?' to a couple taking photos, and found the folks spoke perfect American English, as they were from Eau Claire, WI. We chatted for a while, then went our separate ways. Turns out the castle closed while we were talking. So I went to the Botanical Gardens and took photos with an overcast sky.
On the way back from the Botanical gardens, passing through the city square, I noticed a lot of Politi (police) around. Then heard a lot of noise. Turned out to be a big number of young folks running into the square for some sort of demonstration. Truck, sound system, obscene singing in American, with frequent use of the F work. Not sure what it was about, but the Politi sure did keep a watchful eye on them. Watched for a while, and decided I wouldn't be able to figure it out, so headed on to the hotel.
That evening, I went to the Tivoli amusement park, one of the worlds first, and still going strong. An old fashioned amusement park. I wanted to kill two birds with one stone, as there's a restaurant I wanted to try inside Tivoli. Tivoli is quite a place, and everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves. While looking around, I heard someone call my name. The Fischer's from Eau Claire!! So we sat and talked for quite a while about our travel experiences, as they are pretty well traveled, and really like it. They are presently on a cruise. I found the restaurant, a Croation one named Herzogovina. The food wasn't that bad, a buffet, but as I was pretty late getting there the pickings were somewhat slim. Not great, but not terrible either.
On Thursday, I decided if I was going to be in Copenhagen, I had to take a ride on the canals, so I did. A one hour narrated tour, under a bright sunshiny day. Not too bad, but it's hard to keep up when the narration is in Danish, then English, then German. Cruised past the Little Mermaid, but as we were in a boat, and she faces the shore, from not very far out, we only got semi-side and rear views. Someone stole her head some years ago, and the one now is a replica. Now there's something you've all been dying to know!
After a nice outdoor lunch, huge sandwich, I headed for the art museum, and Rosenburg castle. On the way I stopped at the Rundetaare (round tower), built for astronomical observation a few centuries ago. the way up is on a spiral ramp on the inside. Quite a hike. Don't have the details, but the tower is several hundred metres high, and the ramp circles the tower about 7 times, if memory serves (It often doesn't) Even better views of the city than from the church spire yesterday, and the sun was out.
When I got to the Rosenburg, I found parts were closed, so I did a mental coin toss and the Art museum won. First went to the sculpture area, where some modern favorite sun was on display. Maybe I'll add his name later when I look through my notes. His work is somewhere on a line between obscene and grotesque. In layman's words, YUCK. The art part of the museum was really nice. Very well lit, and very well organized, That part I liked.
From there I went again to the botanical gardens, as it was a sunny day. It will be interesting to see the difference in photos from yesterday when it was overcast. Ain't digital cameras great? I've already filled three CD's with photos on this trip. Of course, 5mp per shot it takes up a lot of space.
Yesterday was the best in Copenhagen, and it wasn't in Copenhagen. I took the train to Hillerod, about 45 minutes away, to see Fredricksborg castle. That was worth it, let me tell you. I spent as much time just walking around the outside and enjoying the views as I did inside seeing the exhibits. You'll just have to come here to appreciate it. Inside the castle was the King's own church, a huge grand ballroom, and much more to see, Everything was really ornate. I particularly liked the various pieces of furniture with the intricate inlay work. Most of the castle was reconstructed in the 19th century after a fire destroyed a good portion of it. The upper two floors were portraits of both historical and modern Great Danes (pun intended).
From there, I walked around the town, sat down a few times to people watch, a sport I find I can do anywhere with a great deal of skill. I found a trio in a mall playing chello, violin and flute, so I had a beer and sat down to watch. They finished the tune, closed up their instruments and shut down for the day. So much for my cultural experience. Something must have been going on in Hillerod, s there were a lot of folks wandering around, many in some form of costume, and a brass band wandering the town square. Didn't figure that one out either.
Today the plan was to take the bus to Malmo for a day trip. Waited at the bus stop for a while after it should have been there (right stop, too, by the map, the sign and the directions I had). As it was beginning to drizzle, and the bus was late, I decided that 'Malmo in the Mist' (is there a movie title there?) wasn't the thing to do today, so I just took it easy wandered around a bit and relaxed. I'll be back through Copenhagen in August, so maybe I'll do Malmo then.. Tomorrow is travel day, to Kalmar, Sweden.
In my wanderings today, the city square was filled with cows. No, not real ones, but life size whimsical statues. Reminded me of the same thing while I was in Florence, but there they were around for the entire time of the visit. These were gone when I passed through a bit later. And there was also music and dancers.
My impressions of Copenhagen, for what they are worth: I't not a clean and pristine as I had imagined. There is graffiti, litter, and in general a grimy appearance. In reality, I probably had expectations that were a bit high. This must be the bicycle capitol of the world. I swear I've seen more bikes in the few days here than I've seen in the rest of my life. And that may be true of just the square near Tivioli last night. It was wall to wall parked bikes! The hustlers were out in force on the pedestrian mall today, with a shell game, or rather ball in which box game. There were at least 5 in just one block. I was pretty good, but didn't risk any money. I think that was a wise decision. I'm pretty good at forecasting the Copenhagen weather. I have a system: If it's sunny, it will be dreary tomorrow. If dreary, it'll be sunny tomorrow. Worked every day but one. That's as good as the National Weather Service, I think.
Next edition will be from Stockholm, as I'll only be in Kalmar for two days.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
