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Scandinavia trip

April 2023
A 15-day adventure by Dan Read more
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  • TravelerScandinavia trip
    Day 1

    St Pancras to Brussels-Midi

    April 7, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    The new Eurostar trains are terrific. The (rather light) vegan 'meal' was at least tasty and balanced. Well seasoned grains and seeds with slices of butternut squash lightly spiced with cinnamon, followed by fruit and coffee.

    It is a ahame my first visit to Brussels was only 20 minutes long; easily enough time to get over to the international ICE train on the next platform though.

    The train was a decent vantage point to catch a glimpse of the 'Lombard' building with its large billboard of Tin Tin and Snowy pitched on top. Starting to get into the swing of 'ride by tourism' for this trip.    Read more

  • TravelerScandinavia trip
    Day 1

    Late lunch in Cologne

    April 7, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    My late stop in Cologne, necessitated by the need to get a connecting train, doubled as lunch stop and the stage for a series of minor culture shocks.

    The station information was at first glance utterly baffling. Having deduced that displays I had found were showing information only about the immediately adjacent platforms, I went exploring in search of my connecting train. I eventually found displays stating upon which platform various trains can be found are placed only at the station's four entrances, at the very end of the station's dual concourses; less than ideal for making connections. Finding the displays had in any case been an exercise in futility: the single, non-scrolling screen with capacity to display a dozen or so trains was clogged with six-or-so late trains so my train due in about 45 minutes was nowhere to be seen.

    Having resigned myself to remaining in suspense about which platform I should be on, I went in search of food. The station concourse was awash with bakeries selling delicious looking breads, pretzels and sandwiches - closer inspection revealed tragedy - each and every one was slathered in cheese. A closer reconnaissance of the offerings did turn up an intriguing looking bagel and an avocado sandwich; the Eurostar 'meal' having amounting to a meer morsel, I naturally got one of each.

    The station itself was absolutely bustling, perhaps as a consequence of the bank holiday and populated with a very energetic group of beggars (but as heartbreaking as anywhere else you find people begging). Every platform was perpetually crowded, such that one had to weave or retrace one's steps to progress along its length.

    The trains themselves came in all varieties, small commuter electric multiple units, inter city trains with power cars and double decker carriages and the sleek ICE high speed trains. The numbering convention for carriages wasn't very clear, but it appeared that to reduce confusion between trains each service has unique carriage numbers (I was in car 264 of a train I am certain had far fewer carriages than that).

    When my train arrived I was surprised to see that, in contrast to the matrix displays on most every other, it displayed paper carriage numbers and each seat carried a paper slip to indicate if it was booked. Beyond that it gave little sign of its relatively advanced age; as smartly appointed and quiet as any I've ridden. Most importantly it's huge windows have a great view of Cologne's central cathedral and the Rhein river as we headed toward Dusseldorf.    Read more

  • TravelerScandinavia trip
    Day 1

    Hamburg

    April 7, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    In Southern Germany, as we travelled along the Rhine the country had appeared to be an unending conurbation. As we headed further north however, woodlands and farmland replaced the omnipresent giant Mercedes logos and concrete. Dome shaped silos that reminded me of the original 'Command & Conquer' and the long

    With the change in scenery came a restoration of good weather. From Brussels to Düsseldorf the weather had been rather grotty, with a leaden sky and dull rain present. As we progressed the sky turned first to a quilt of friendly white clouds with seams of blue, then returned to the clear azure skies of that morning.

    The train's huge windows offered a great view of the sunset, before we eventually arrived at Hamburg. Arriving in the dark, the station's first impression was of modern design with its large elevated concourse, but this was soon revealed to be in a cavernous Victorian age iron framed canopy. I met a homeless man who asked for some food and drink, which I supplied before taking the short walk to my hotel.

    Novum hotel provided a basic but pleasant enough little room, which the first physical hotel room key I've had in over 15 years. I justified bringing so much computing gear by connecting up to the TV to stream Picard before turning in.    Read more

  • TravelerScandinavia trip
    Day 2

    Nykøbing Falster

    April 8, 2023 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Whilst I'm unsure about the luck:judgement ratio, I figured out German rail replacement buses sufficiently to make my way further North (though not with as much time to spare as I might have liked). Whilst I'm not usually fond of replacement bus services using this one did let me see the experimental lorry pantographs that Germany are trialing. If successful it will allow electric lorries to be lighter, have less down-time and use fewer rare earth metals in their construction.

    As we travelled north through this delightful, forested part of Europe the cloud ceiling remained low, merging with ground fog. Wind farms could be partially seen in the mist; the lowest blade of each turbine peeking through into the visible world like the sweeps of some great galley piercing an ocean of cloud.

    I had expected to enter a tunnel or bridge to cross the straight, but when the bus parked up by the Baltic shore, it dawned on me that the crossing was in fact a ferry (which also takes the trains). We travelled in Danish flagged MF Princesse Benedikt, one of a fleet of hybrid ferries that ply back and forth along the 45 minute route between Denmark and Germany. A modest improvement in visibility was such that the German coast seemed to fade in symmetry with the appearing Danish: the moment the view of one crystallized the other finally disappeared.

    A short push on to the town of Nykøbing Falster; we arrived earlier than scheduled which gave time for a look around the town. The area around the station didn't look particularly appealing, but two minutes walk into the town revealed pedestrianised cobbled streets lined with cafes and boutique shops in traditional looking buildings. The streets opened periodically into squares and plazas; one contained a gnarled tree that made me think of Yggdrasil, the world tree.    Read more

  • TravelerScandinavia trip
    Day 2

    Copenhagen

    April 8, 2023 in Denmark ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    I stepped out the Copenhagen central railway station, to be immediately faced with the intriguing looking ‘Trivoli Gardens’ - which I later learned is the world’s second oldest amusement park. Encumbered as I was with my bag, I started walking towards the downtown and (even) more historic areas of the city heading vaguely towards some of the green spaces marked on the map. During the stop in Nykøbing Falster the weather had turned bright and warm; in consequence I soon encountered throngs of people who had come out to enjoy it.

    The time pushing well into the afternoon, I picked up lunch at ‘Vital Foods’ - a lovely and clearly very popular all vegan place in the main shopping area of town. Having collected a jackfruit chipotle burrito  and delightful still lemonade (along with a miso ‘ceaser’ salad for later) I pressed on to the park. I found a spot in the sun and sat up against a tree to eat and read the first chapter of the new(ish) Alistair Reynolds (it being about a voyage along the coast of Norway now seemed like a good time to start).

    I wound through various parks and gardens to my hotel for the 15:00 check in time, so that I could dump my modestly sized but still encumbering backpack and get to proper exploring. The hotel has a smart, urban feel to it and was very comfortable, but I was keen to make what I could of the rest of the afternoon. I packed my day sack with a rain jacket incase the weather altered, then changed into my shorts, and plimsoles (my feet which had remained in heavy walking boots for a few days were very grateful for this).    Read more

  • TravelerScandinavia trip
    Day 2

    Exploring & Museum of Danish resistance

    April 8, 2023 in Denmark ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    A brisk walk through Copenhagens delightful, eclectic buildings brought me to the Museum of Danish resistance, a neat little structure with a rusted industrial quality near the harbour. The exhibits are all on dimly lit basement levels, giving the whole exhibition an appropriately claustrophobic feel - literally going underground to learn about an underground. The chronologically ordered exhibits are well curated, with all manner of multi-media elements alongside carefully chosen, often poignant artefacts.

    Among the exhibits are concentration camp uniforms marked with the star of David to mark Jews or the red oblong marking political prisoners (particularly communists). Other cases contained the clothing of resistance members - still showing the holes made by the bullets that killed their owners. A display on Danish sailors who took their ships to join allied merchant navies or signed on with the Royal Navy caught my eye; it included four British service medals: the Atlantic Star, Pacific Star, Africa Star and Italy star awarded to Danes for their service with Britain in those theatres of war. Only the Arctic Star (created retroactively only about 10 years ago) was missing.

    I stayed until the museum’s 17:00 closing time, and then headed to the famous statue of the little mermaid from Hans Christian Andersen’s novel. It was predictably crowded with people seeking a selfie and I felt no particular desire to trade my currently good mood for the agitation of queueing, so strolled north along the harbour side with no particular destination in mind. The city seemed very empty, I have no idea what this part of town is actually called but I thought of it as ‘the ghost quarter’ because it was like a ghost town (albeit one with beautiful marinas and public art) - cruise ships dock in this area, so it is probably very different if one is in port.

    I spent about an hour wandering a beautiful part of town with barely a soul around, before pushing backwards the centre of town. I spied a lady wearing the emblem of the Sea Shepherds conservation society, which I imagine is a bolder move than it would be at home given the cultural attachment to fish etc in this part of the world. Sadly, a Google maps hit for vegan waffles turned out to be a false promise, but I found an adequate bite on my way back to to the hotel for the evening.    Read more

  • TravelerScandinavia trip
    Day 3

    Copenhagen Skyline

    April 9, 2023 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    The Scandic Norreport, followed the pattern of others in the chain by having a rooftop restaurant with a terrace. I was was first in for breakfast at 07:00 and had a lovely mixed beans in tomato sauce (apparently this place is a cut above a can of Heinz), chia pudding and fresh bread.

    I finished with a second cup of coffee out on the terrace; it was a cool morning (around 3 or 4 celsius indicated) but the crisp low humidity of the Baltic and lightness of the breeze deprived the air of any power to chill - no need for my jacket. The city was peaceful early on a bank holiday weekend, and the hotel commanded a good view over its mid-rise towers, punctuated by a few spires and domes.

    I returned to my room, and spent a while catching up on writing for this journal, some work stuff and my miscellaneous side projects (doomed by the number and varied nature of their fellows to never be completed). I repacked my bag, dropped it in the luggage room and then headed towards the museum via the canals and royal palace - which you can pass right through.    Read more

  • TravelerScandinavia trip
    Day 3

    National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen

    April 9, 2023 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    The National museum of Denmark has locations around the country; in Copenhagen they have repurposed one of the lesser, former royal palaces to provide exhibition space. Notable displays include early Danish spiritual beliefs and a collection of rune stones.

    Peoples of the world and ethnographic treasures exhibits were fantastic, displaying distinct creations from cultures around the world; Samurai armour from Edo Japan, Polynesian fertility statues and a collection of Indian sari are among the eye-catching displays. Their exhibits on Innuit and Navajo culture in some ways rival those of ‘the Smithsonian Museum of the Native American Indian [SIC]’ in Washington DC; there are many artefacts, including displays of full size canoes, and fascinating titbits about the egalitarian culture of the Navajo similar to those in Washington.

    The centre piece of the museum’s viking exhibit is a frame representing the outline of a full-size viking longship, a few surviving original timbers are fixed in their proper places (perhaps a Danish solution to the ship of Theseus problem). The exhibit opens with an excellent visualisation of how various powers rose and fell during the Viking period - including the various English kingdoms (Wessex, Mercia etc). It closes with a series of short films which tell the story of a great Viking king and his (unsuccessful) quest to raid Rome. Throughout are hundreds of artefacts, many in gold or silver with surprisingly detailed art work and runic designs.

    Some of the more recent (and quirky) exhibits include one on the influence of Japanese culture on late 20th/early 21st century Denmark with a focus on cosplay and manga. Their toys exhibition includes an entire ‘street’ of dolls houses, each exquisitely furnished and lit, their open backs made viewable by placing viewing aisles parallel to the street scene.

    I regretted that I had only a couple of hours to spend in the museum, but it was time to head to the ship.    Read more

  • TravelerScandinavia trip
    Day 3

    MS Pearl Seaways

    April 9, 2023 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    I picked up my bag from the hotel, and took a last walk across Copenhagen. Being Easter Sunday, a lot of businesses were closed so I ended up going more or less directly to the ferry terminal. A 3 meter long lego model of the Jubliee Seaways greets passengers at the terminal- a 1/4 scale model of the original Jubilee Seaways, world record holder for largest lego ship. Check in was surprisingly quick, so much so that it would be some time before cabins would be ready for passengers, so once I had crossed the gangway onto the ship, I began to explore the various public spaces.

    Decks 7 and 8 are dedicated to restaurants, bars, a cafe, club and large duty free shop. Along the port side of Deck 8 cased models of the vessel’s various predecessors on the Copenhagen-Oslo route are displayed. Most of the outside deck space is at the very top of the ship (on decks 11 and 12). I found a spot outside at the aft end of deck 11 to sit and eat some lunch, enjoying the cloud diffused sun. A crew member was using a power sander to restore the finish on the tables in this area, but thankfully noise cancelling earphones reduced it from intolerable to barely inconvenient.

    A quarter of an hour before departure I headed below to stow my bag in my cabin, which was compact but comfortable and efficiently laid out.    Read more

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