Wednesday, September 23, 10:49 pm:
Have just sat in my seat on the train. Am taking an 8 hour overnight train ride from Bergen back to Oslo. This time, the scenery will be absent as it's way too dark outside to even try to glimpse a intimidatingly gorgeous mountain.
I made a stupid mistake. Decided I wanted to leave a day earlier, so I bought a 199 NOK ($33) train ticket for tonight. Went in after to get my refund for my 1,099 NOK ($150) ticket only to find out that it was non-refundable. So, have essentially wasted $150. Lovely. However, I did overhear a guy in the hostel today who was planning to buy a sleeper ticket for tomorrow night. Told him of my dilemma and he bought my ticket off me for 400 NOK ($68). He got a great deal and I got to feel a bit better about being a massive idiot. Oh well, I suppose these things happen when we travel. Can't expect everything to be perfect.
11:30 pm (maybe?):
Have just overheard an American girl (why are they always American?) on the train talking about being a vegetarian. She doesn't believe it's for everyone - at least being a total vegetarian. "I don't believe in absolutes," she says. Well, you're absolutely annoying Princess Granola. She sounds like she just got on the train from Santa Cruz, not Bergen. Good God! Eating meat is bad for the planet and bad for you, she says. At least I can agree with that one (even if I have stuffed some burgers and hot dogs down my throat since landing in Europe - they're so cheap!)
Midnight (whatever, I have no idea, but it sounds accurate):
I wish I could permanently feel the vibrations of the train beneath my socked feet - like a portable device that would just always deliver this sensation under my feet whether walking, sleeping or sitting. So gooooood.
It's late, that's all I know:
There's no way I'm getting any sleep tonight. These girls are so loud near me and I can hear them through my iPod earphones. And now my earlobes are sore from too much wear so that's not really even an option anymore.
2:30 am:
I should have paid another $100 for a sleeper. This sucks.
6:05 am:
Well, I didn't get much sleep, but it did go by surprisingly fast. Will arrive in Oslo in 10-15 minutes. I can't think anymore, bye.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Travel Diary: Bergen, Norway
Thursday, September 22, 8:09pm:
Well, I hate to say it, but Bergen has turned out to be a bit of a bust. I don't blame the city though. It's exciting, yet quaint, and very appealing to the eye. This city definitely has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the weather has been just awful, which has pretty much shoved its potential in a box. It's also ruined most of my plans - namely, my grandiose fjord adventures.
I suppose I knew all this going into the trip. Before I bought the ticket, I actually expected a lot of rain everywhere I went (it being September and all), but after the beautiful, sunny days in Copenhagen, I guess I just got my hopes up.
9:08 pm:
I have spent the last hour planning the rest of my time in Bergen tomorrow and the beginning of my trip to Stockholm. Something tells me Stockholm might be the highlight of my trip. I hate to put all the rest of my eggs into one basket, but I really do just have a good feeling about it. I do realize, however, that I have neglected to share my experiences in Bergen so far.
So far, my favorite part of this city is Bryggen - the medieval fish market street with rebuilt medieval houses along the water making it a UNESCO World Heritage site. Today, I also went up the funicular to Mount Floien. Beautiful views overlooking Bergen. You can see how the city sits in a fjord between two towering mountains. Even through all the fog and rain, it was a remarkable sight. It reminded me of standing atop Mt. Timpa in Brasov, Romania.
There are houses that sit just perched on top of hills here - almost like in Laguna Beach, but in an obviously completely different environment. At night, looking out the window of my hostel, I can see all the lights on inside the houses. It reminds me of my mother's Christmas village knick-knacks she would decorate the house with during the holidays. It turns out they really do exist!
Wednesday, September 23, 3:30 pm:
Today, I walked around with Anton, a Russian expat musician living and working in Bergen. Anton was kind enough to show me around the outer parts of Bergen. (You know, the parts that require getting on a bus - something most tourists don't dare to do.)
At the bus stop, we waited for a bus for a while. Anton told me that Bergen has just completely reorganized their bus system, so it's pretty much brand new for him as well. We finally found our bus though, and it took us 15 minutes out to the city's outskirts.
We then hiked a bit along the highway and Anton pointed out some student housing to me. Naturally, I asked if there was a university in the area and he told me that, no, there wasn't. Mostly international students live in these dorms and bus in every day to the university in the center of town, he says. Hmmm, so Bergen makes all non-Norwegian students live at the city limits? Very interesting.
After a bit more hiking alongside the road, we enter the forest and all of a sudden, in the middle of nowhere there's a church. But it's not real, it turns out. It's just a model of an old church that was burnt down years ago. I cannot remember the Norwegian translation, but I believe it's Wooden Church in English.
From here, we hiked more downhill, out of the forest, through quaint suburban neighborhoods to a castle along the fjord's inlet. This castle, Gamlehaugen, was used as a summerhouse for Norwegian royalty. It's very beautiful, but not like the castle I saw in Denmark.
5:05 pm:
It rains for 5 minutes, then stops for 5 minutes, then continues this pattern endlessly. This incessant rain is crazier than Seattle. I'm at the end of my trip and to be honest, I'm just ready to move on. I realize that the way I've described my adventures here in Bergen make it seem like I had a miserable time. I absolutely did not. I loved this city. It's just that my expectations for it were way to high.
Well, it's time for me to head out. The only thing more obnoxious than this rain is the American from Colorado staying in my hostel who keeps making conversation with people who obviously don't care. "We've got more elk per capita in Estes Park than any other town, city, or state. They outnumber humans 10 to 1. I'm not lyin'!" That's... super.
Well, I hate to say it, but Bergen has turned out to be a bit of a bust. I don't blame the city though. It's exciting, yet quaint, and very appealing to the eye. This city definitely has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the weather has been just awful, which has pretty much shoved its potential in a box. It's also ruined most of my plans - namely, my grandiose fjord adventures.
I suppose I knew all this going into the trip. Before I bought the ticket, I actually expected a lot of rain everywhere I went (it being September and all), but after the beautiful, sunny days in Copenhagen, I guess I just got my hopes up.
9:08 pm:
I have spent the last hour planning the rest of my time in Bergen tomorrow and the beginning of my trip to Stockholm. Something tells me Stockholm might be the highlight of my trip. I hate to put all the rest of my eggs into one basket, but I really do just have a good feeling about it. I do realize, however, that I have neglected to share my experiences in Bergen so far.
So far, my favorite part of this city is Bryggen - the medieval fish market street with rebuilt medieval houses along the water making it a UNESCO World Heritage site. Today, I also went up the funicular to Mount Floien. Beautiful views overlooking Bergen. You can see how the city sits in a fjord between two towering mountains. Even through all the fog and rain, it was a remarkable sight. It reminded me of standing atop Mt. Timpa in Brasov, Romania.
There are houses that sit just perched on top of hills here - almost like in Laguna Beach, but in an obviously completely different environment. At night, looking out the window of my hostel, I can see all the lights on inside the houses. It reminds me of my mother's Christmas village knick-knacks she would decorate the house with during the holidays. It turns out they really do exist!
Wednesday, September 23, 3:30 pm:
Today, I walked around with Anton, a Russian expat musician living and working in Bergen. Anton was kind enough to show me around the outer parts of Bergen. (You know, the parts that require getting on a bus - something most tourists don't dare to do.)
At the bus stop, we waited for a bus for a while. Anton told me that Bergen has just completely reorganized their bus system, so it's pretty much brand new for him as well. We finally found our bus though, and it took us 15 minutes out to the city's outskirts.
We then hiked a bit along the highway and Anton pointed out some student housing to me. Naturally, I asked if there was a university in the area and he told me that, no, there wasn't. Mostly international students live in these dorms and bus in every day to the university in the center of town, he says. Hmmm, so Bergen makes all non-Norwegian students live at the city limits? Very interesting.
After a bit more hiking alongside the road, we enter the forest and all of a sudden, in the middle of nowhere there's a church. But it's not real, it turns out. It's just a model of an old church that was burnt down years ago. I cannot remember the Norwegian translation, but I believe it's Wooden Church in English.
From here, we hiked more downhill, out of the forest, through quaint suburban neighborhoods to a castle along the fjord's inlet. This castle, Gamlehaugen, was used as a summerhouse for Norwegian royalty. It's very beautiful, but not like the castle I saw in Denmark.
5:05 pm:
It rains for 5 minutes, then stops for 5 minutes, then continues this pattern endlessly. This incessant rain is crazier than Seattle. I'm at the end of my trip and to be honest, I'm just ready to move on. I realize that the way I've described my adventures here in Bergen make it seem like I had a miserable time. I absolutely did not. I loved this city. It's just that my expectations for it were way to high.
Well, it's time for me to head out. The only thing more obnoxious than this rain is the American from Colorado staying in my hostel who keeps making conversation with people who obviously don't care. "We've got more elk per capita in Estes Park than any other town, city, or state. They outnumber humans 10 to 1. I'm not lyin'!" That's... super.
You Can Dance. You Can Jive. You Can Learn?
I realize that when I share secrets on my blog, they're not really secrets since they could potentially reach the entire world if the entire world really cared to read about my absurd life.
I also realize that shame is something that should be reserved for teenagers and fools. The times I have been embarrassed or ashamed of the things I've done have been almost completely eliminated in a gradual progression since middle school.
Therefore, I have a secret that I am neither ashamed nor embarrassed to share with you:
Today, I will be visiting the official Abba museum - ABBAWORLD.
Here's a throwback to where it all started:
I also realize that shame is something that should be reserved for teenagers and fools. The times I have been embarrassed or ashamed of the things I've done have been almost completely eliminated in a gradual progression since middle school.
Therefore, I have a secret that I am neither ashamed nor embarrassed to share with you:
Today, I will be visiting the official Abba museum - ABBAWORLD.
Here's a throwback to where it all started:
Saturday, September 26, 2009
I Most Certainly Approve: Ruminations.com
My friend Jackie recently sent me an email with the "All Time Best" pieces of wisdom from our generation according to the website Ruminations.com.
I was just getting ready to get some dinner. However, as soon as I got the email, I basically sat at my computer screen and laughed for about thirty-five minutes instead of eating. And now instead of eating, I'm writing a blog post about it.
If you haven't seen the website, you should visit it now. People just post random thoughts and revelations that are totally relevant to the generation of us born in the 1970s and 1980s.
Here are a few of my favorites from the email Jackie sent me:
(Note: I've also taken the liberty of changing the font OUT of Comic Sans - whoever compiled this list should know that Comic Sans is definitely the worst font ever.)
1) The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase “Regards” again.
2) Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn’t work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQs. We just figured it out. Today’s kids are soft.
3) I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I’ll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone’s laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I’m still the only one who really, really gets it.
4) That’s enough, Nickelback.
5) How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6) I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
7) Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.
8) How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear what they said?
9) While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it…thanks Mario Kart.
10) MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
11) If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
12) Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I’m from, this shouldn’t be a problem….
13) “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this ever.
14) I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it’s on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
15) Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
16) It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.
17) I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
I cannot stop laughing. I most certainly approve!
I was just getting ready to get some dinner. However, as soon as I got the email, I basically sat at my computer screen and laughed for about thirty-five minutes instead of eating. And now instead of eating, I'm writing a blog post about it.
If you haven't seen the website, you should visit it now. People just post random thoughts and revelations that are totally relevant to the generation of us born in the 1970s and 1980s.
Here are a few of my favorites from the email Jackie sent me:
(Note: I've also taken the liberty of changing the font OUT of Comic Sans - whoever compiled this list should know that Comic Sans is definitely the worst font ever.)
1) The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase “Regards” again.
2) Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn’t work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQs. We just figured it out. Today’s kids are soft.
3) I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I’ll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone’s laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I’m still the only one who really, really gets it.
4) That’s enough, Nickelback.
5) How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6) I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
7) Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.
8) How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear what they said?
9) While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it…thanks Mario Kart.
10) MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
11) If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
12) Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I’m from, this shouldn’t be a problem….
13) “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this ever.
14) I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it’s on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
15) Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
16) It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.
17) I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
I cannot stop laughing. I most certainly approve!
Travel Diary: Train Ride From Oslo to Bergen
Monday, September 21, 11:45 am:
Today marks the official halfway point through my Scandinavian vacation. Oslo was great and I got a really good feeling about it, however I feel like it was totally doable in a day. If I had stayed longer, am not sure what else I would have done, really.
I am currently on the train to Bergen, a city on the western coast of Norway. It's nicknamed "The Gateway to the Fjords" - so basically, I'm expecting a lot of natural beauty. I didn't get a window seat like I would have preferred, but I can still see outside of the windows. We're not too far into the train ride, but I can already see the beauty that is Norway. We just passed by a small town, Drammen, and it looked like a lovely place to live ... houses high on hilltops, people walking around the lake for an afternoon stroll. How nice, to stroll.
Around 1:00 pm:
The freshly naked sheep wander the fields that are colored with multi-shaded greens below the hills carved of granite. Red farmhouses, life-sized yet remarkably similar to a child's toy, dot the scenery like they would in a caricature painting of country life. A one lane street, with visibly old pavement but still fresh like nobody's ever driven on it, cuts through the hills at convenient points, but still looks like an outline for a roller coaster of a drive.
The sun shines down on the trees - I've never known green like this before. Lakes, too many to count, rest as peaceful as puddles. The beauty goes by too fast on this speeding train - so fast, I'd almost rather not look at it at all. Then it vanishes to darkness without warning as the train pushes through a tunnel. It's like clockwork - nature:darkness:nature:darkness:nature:darkness ... tick:tock:tick:tock:tick:tock. It's an overdose of impossible landscapes. It almost makes me want to cry.
There are no water banks - the lake and the land just blend together seamlessly. The water's so close and inviting, I just want to jump in from here. The trees are as long and skinny as pencils, but grouped together they're a formidable herd. As the train speeds by, seeing the villages behind these trees is like observing them through prison bars. We slow down. We've reached a town called Nesbeyen. A brief pause, immobility. Then the conductor blows his whistle and the ride starts again.
Around 2:30 pm:
Finse - where you can "bike the famous glacial road" according to signs. Looking out the window at the chill that has overcome this town, I have a feeling the season for this is over. I've overheard a train employee saying that this is the highest we'll get on our trip - 1,222 meters. I don't have to know what that is in feet to realize that it's high. But the waters here still rush like we're at the ocean - it's weird.
2:45 pm:
I feel like I'm on the train to Hogwarts.
3:30 pm:
Still on the train. The sun has abandoned his shine as we've made our ascent above 1,000 meters. The wind and the mist reign in these parts, but it only adds to the beauty. A consistent, mysterious gloom hovers over everything. I have a peek into the world very few have the privilige to live in - rather, the very few who have the courage to live in. Glaciers are visible on jagged mountain tops in the not so far distance. Thousands of tiny running streams flow with gentle fervor at their bases. Waterfalls spurt out of mountain facades like leaking pipes. Have arrived to Hallingskeid.
10:05 pm:
Have arrived in Bergen. Just spent about 2 hours online reserving plans for the rest of my trip. Walked around Bergen just for a bit, but it got dark pretty quickly. This town is adorable.
Today marks the official halfway point through my Scandinavian vacation. Oslo was great and I got a really good feeling about it, however I feel like it was totally doable in a day. If I had stayed longer, am not sure what else I would have done, really.
I am currently on the train to Bergen, a city on the western coast of Norway. It's nicknamed "The Gateway to the Fjords" - so basically, I'm expecting a lot of natural beauty. I didn't get a window seat like I would have preferred, but I can still see outside of the windows. We're not too far into the train ride, but I can already see the beauty that is Norway. We just passed by a small town, Drammen, and it looked like a lovely place to live ... houses high on hilltops, people walking around the lake for an afternoon stroll. How nice, to stroll.
Around 1:00 pm:
The freshly naked sheep wander the fields that are colored with multi-shaded greens below the hills carved of granite. Red farmhouses, life-sized yet remarkably similar to a child's toy, dot the scenery like they would in a caricature painting of country life. A one lane street, with visibly old pavement but still fresh like nobody's ever driven on it, cuts through the hills at convenient points, but still looks like an outline for a roller coaster of a drive.
The sun shines down on the trees - I've never known green like this before. Lakes, too many to count, rest as peaceful as puddles. The beauty goes by too fast on this speeding train - so fast, I'd almost rather not look at it at all. Then it vanishes to darkness without warning as the train pushes through a tunnel. It's like clockwork - nature:darkness:nature:darkness:nature:darkness ... tick:tock:tick:tock:tick:tock. It's an overdose of impossible landscapes. It almost makes me want to cry.
There are no water banks - the lake and the land just blend together seamlessly. The water's so close and inviting, I just want to jump in from here. The trees are as long and skinny as pencils, but grouped together they're a formidable herd. As the train speeds by, seeing the villages behind these trees is like observing them through prison bars. We slow down. We've reached a town called Nesbeyen. A brief pause, immobility. Then the conductor blows his whistle and the ride starts again.
Around 2:30 pm:
Finse - where you can "bike the famous glacial road" according to signs. Looking out the window at the chill that has overcome this town, I have a feeling the season for this is over. I've overheard a train employee saying that this is the highest we'll get on our trip - 1,222 meters. I don't have to know what that is in feet to realize that it's high. But the waters here still rush like we're at the ocean - it's weird.
2:45 pm:
I feel like I'm on the train to Hogwarts.
3:30 pm:
Still on the train. The sun has abandoned his shine as we've made our ascent above 1,000 meters. The wind and the mist reign in these parts, but it only adds to the beauty. A consistent, mysterious gloom hovers over everything. I have a peek into the world very few have the privilige to live in - rather, the very few who have the courage to live in. Glaciers are visible on jagged mountain tops in the not so far distance. Thousands of tiny running streams flow with gentle fervor at their bases. Waterfalls spurt out of mountain facades like leaking pipes. Have arrived to Hallingskeid.
10:05 pm:
Have arrived in Bergen. Just spent about 2 hours online reserving plans for the rest of my trip. Walked around Bergen just for a bit, but it got dark pretty quickly. This town is adorable.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Holm, Swede Holm
For those of you keeping tabs, I'm leaving tonight on the midnight train (well 10:58) train to Oslo. Then I'm off to Stockholm in the afternoon. Very much looking forward to Stockholm. Think it might be the highlight of my trip.
Good thing I have a Swede tooth! (Cue drums)
Good thing I have a Swede tooth! (Cue drums)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Travel Diary: Oslo, Norway
Sunday, September 20, 2009, 10:15 am
Well, I have two Saturdays in Scandinavia and one of them just went to waste because I felt too ill to do anything. It's really too bad, although my general lack of energy probably would have prevented me from having much fun anyway. Major jet lag plus some sleepless nights out will take its toll on you, I suppose.
I got up early this morning to get to the airport from the Copenhagen train station. Well, did so with flying colors. I half expected it to be quite difficult given my previous experiences with European train travel in Romania and Moldova. I should have known better. Just as I started to get nervous about missing my train stop, a calm voice over the intercom told me when it would be... in English!
When I arrived at the airport, I found that my flight was actually an hour later than I originally thought. So, now I've been here for a couple of hours just waiting to fly to Oslo. Only spending one night in Oslo before heading off to Bergen.
12:35pm
Have just landed in Oslo. Exchanged my money only to spend about $18 on a pizza, breadsticks and 7-Up at the airport restaurant. This will likely be the most expensive leg of my trip; and likely the most unhealthy given food options in my price range.
5:30pm
Well, everyone has said that Oslo has little to offer. My first impression was quite the same to be honest. But I gave this town some more time and upon walking around with no agenda, I am taken aback by it's charm.
It's a quiet Sunday and almost all the shops are closed, but my peaceful stroll along Aker Brygge has changed my opinion of this seaside town. In fact, this section of town specifically reminds me of Seattle. It's cold and it's wet, but the occasional ray of sunshine peeks through the drifting clouds. The light waves lap up against the wooden piers and columns. The islands of green in the distance with the ferries that shuttle back and forth to them; the new condos above shops and restaurants clearly reserved for the city's elite - could Oslo be the Seattle of Europe?
6:00pm
A man puffs on his pipe while taking a picture of himself on his iPhone. A couple kisses at the pier's end in front of the setting sun - he's short and she's, well, Norwegian. A young man navigates his bike across the narrow beams of wood that separate land and sea all while carrying a cup of coffee in one hand. Out in the sea, a Swedish sailboat starts to dock on the pier, a young blond man giving orders in a foreign tongue to seahands who understand and start pulling at sails and grinding winches. Arm in arm with a long-haired beauty, a man whistles while he walks. He whistles while he walks. Sisters are giggling with each other, shopping bags in both hands. And then a church bell rings in the distance. No joke. Doesn't it always?
Well, I have two Saturdays in Scandinavia and one of them just went to waste because I felt too ill to do anything. It's really too bad, although my general lack of energy probably would have prevented me from having much fun anyway. Major jet lag plus some sleepless nights out will take its toll on you, I suppose.
I got up early this morning to get to the airport from the Copenhagen train station. Well, did so with flying colors. I half expected it to be quite difficult given my previous experiences with European train travel in Romania and Moldova. I should have known better. Just as I started to get nervous about missing my train stop, a calm voice over the intercom told me when it would be... in English!
When I arrived at the airport, I found that my flight was actually an hour later than I originally thought. So, now I've been here for a couple of hours just waiting to fly to Oslo. Only spending one night in Oslo before heading off to Bergen.
12:35pm
Have just landed in Oslo. Exchanged my money only to spend about $18 on a pizza, breadsticks and 7-Up at the airport restaurant. This will likely be the most expensive leg of my trip; and likely the most unhealthy given food options in my price range.
5:30pm
Well, everyone has said that Oslo has little to offer. My first impression was quite the same to be honest. But I gave this town some more time and upon walking around with no agenda, I am taken aback by it's charm.
It's a quiet Sunday and almost all the shops are closed, but my peaceful stroll along Aker Brygge has changed my opinion of this seaside town. In fact, this section of town specifically reminds me of Seattle. It's cold and it's wet, but the occasional ray of sunshine peeks through the drifting clouds. The light waves lap up against the wooden piers and columns. The islands of green in the distance with the ferries that shuttle back and forth to them; the new condos above shops and restaurants clearly reserved for the city's elite - could Oslo be the Seattle of Europe?
6:00pm
A man puffs on his pipe while taking a picture of himself on his iPhone. A couple kisses at the pier's end in front of the setting sun - he's short and she's, well, Norwegian. A young man navigates his bike across the narrow beams of wood that separate land and sea all while carrying a cup of coffee in one hand. Out in the sea, a Swedish sailboat starts to dock on the pier, a young blond man giving orders in a foreign tongue to seahands who understand and start pulling at sails and grinding winches. Arm in arm with a long-haired beauty, a man whistles while he walks. He whistles while he walks. Sisters are giggling with each other, shopping bags in both hands. And then a church bell rings in the distance. No joke. Doesn't it always?
Kasper the Friendly Dane
Last Thursday, in Copenhagen, I went out to a bar with a guy I met at the hostel who found somebody interesting and left me stranded on a bar stool alone. (No hard feelings, of course. In fact I think I may have done something quite similar earlier in the evening.) The night was winding down, however, and my buzz was wearing off, which basically means my ability to initiate conversations with random, foreign strangers diminishes.
After a brief period of no conversation in the car (due to rapid consumption of hot dogs), Kasper starts talking about fairies. Somehow, I knew this was going to come up on my trip somewhere. Kasper tells me an elaborate story about how he saw a fairy when he was little. He was reading with a friend on his bed, and this little fairy in a red hat flew out of sight, but both he and his friend saw it. I can't really tell if Kasper's joking or not (he is in actor), but I sort of like believing that he believes, so I just take his word for it and move on.
Kasper continues to keep the conversation going. He asks me if all Americans are like Miss South Carolina, then does his best impression of her saying, "Like, all, like Americans, don't have, like, maps!" He tells me that there are only 30 homeless people in all of Denmark. He gives me some lessons in Danish, at which I fail miserably. Then he sings some "Les Miserables" in Danish - it's just not the same.
The car ride is getting a bit long again, so I ask how long until we're back to Copenhagen. "No," Kasper says. "We're not going back yet, we're going to Hillerod!" I say a bit wearily, "Of course we are."
But thank goodness we did. Hillerod has Frederiksborg Castle, which used to be the seat of the Danish kings. The oldest parts of the castle date back to 1560 and you can tell. It's so old, but so fascinating. I immediately fell in love with this castle upon looking at it. It's not like most castles you see in Europe. French chateaus, for example, are usually very isolated and have an extremely elite and inaccesably royal attitude about them. Their pretentiousness and grandeur is almost off-putting and tends to make them boring. Frederiksborg, on the other hand, is right in the middle of a thriving city. Joggers with iPods ran through the cobblestone streets of the castle courtyards and local dog owners walked their four-legged friends around ancient fountains. I myself may have gotten a little carried away when I simply couldn't hold it anymore, so decided to pee on the Queen's royal gardens.
After Hillerod, we finally headed back to Copenhagen. We ate at Oscar's Cafe - I had a Mexican Burger that was delicious (considering, like hot dogs, I don't eat burgers anymore). We then went to Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park essentially, right in the middle of the city, and saw a great laser show at night right along the lake.
I owe Kasper a huge thank you for everything he managed to show me in one day. So thank you, Kasper, for really showing me Denmark. I feel like you let me see parts that most tourists don't ever get to see. As any good traveler knows, these unplanned adventures are what always make the best travel experiences.
Luckily, I met Kasper - a Danish 21-year-old who actually worked at the bar I was at (I found out later). Well, after some nice conversation about my country and his country, Kasper invited me to some local spots in Denmark that I might enjoy. He said he had a car and he wouldn't mind showing me around a bit. Without any reluctance, I took him up on the offer.
We agreed to meet at 10am at my hostel. Fast forward to 10am at the hostel - picture me, asleep in my bed, oblivious to the time, dreaming about cuddly puppies. Then fast forward to 11am and picture the same thing. Ditto noon. Well, 12:30 comes around and Carsten (the owner of the hostel I was staying in) comes into my shared room and suddenly says, "Michael, there's a boy waiting for you downstairs." At first I'm confused because I've just woken up and I have absolutely no idea what he's talking about, but it could be exciting. Then I freak the eff out! I rush downstairs to see Kasper standing in the hallway and I put on my best "apology face" (you know, all scrunched up and innocent-like) and tell him I'm sorry. He basically says that he just woke up too, so there's nothing to worry about.
I shower really quickly, then get dressed and we head out the door and into Kasper's car. We drive for a while, then a while more, then a really long while. I guess it's my own fault for not asking Kasper how long it would take us to where we were going or doing any research on the place before going there (I'm currently picturing my mother wincing at these facts). Basically I just hopped into a car with a stranger and hoped for the best.
About 2.5 hours later, we arrive in Moen in the south of Zealand. Moen is a coastal city where the cliffs are literally falling apart and dropping into the Baltic Sea. They are made of chalk, and the chalk comes tumbling down the side of the cliffs in little pieces that look like feta cheese. (Kasper jokes, "Every time these rocks fall, our country gets smaller and smaller." And he's right.) You can pick up these rocks and literally write with them. There are also tons of beautiful black rocks covering the beach. I ask Kasper what they are and he says it's flint. Like flint you use to make fire. I'm impressed... and I obviously steal some.
About 2.5 hours later, we arrive in Moen in the south of Zealand. Moen is a coastal city where the cliffs are literally falling apart and dropping into the Baltic Sea. They are made of chalk, and the chalk comes tumbling down the side of the cliffs in little pieces that look like feta cheese. (Kasper jokes, "Every time these rocks fall, our country gets smaller and smaller." And he's right.) You can pick up these rocks and literally write with them. There are also tons of beautiful black rocks covering the beach. I ask Kasper what they are and he says it's flint. Like flint you use to make fire. I'm impressed... and I obviously steal some.
On the way back from Moen, Kasper stops at a gas station to fill up. We haven't eaten all day and by now it's 4pm, so we decide to grab a quick bite. I had one of the best hot dogs I've ever tasted (especially since I've given up eating hot dogs a couple of months ago) - it was BBQ flavored with cheese on the inside and stuffed into a tiny hole in a crispy french roll filled with ketchup. They sell these all throughout Scandinavia and I've never seen them before in my life. Yummy, yummy, yumm-o!
Kasper continues to keep the conversation going. He asks me if all Americans are like Miss South Carolina, then does his best impression of her saying, "Like, all, like Americans, don't have, like, maps!" He tells me that there are only 30 homeless people in all of Denmark. He gives me some lessons in Danish, at which I fail miserably. Then he sings some "Les Miserables" in Danish - it's just not the same.
The car ride is getting a bit long again, so I ask how long until we're back to Copenhagen. "No," Kasper says. "We're not going back yet, we're going to Hillerod!" I say a bit wearily, "Of course we are."
But thank goodness we did. Hillerod has Frederiksborg Castle, which used to be the seat of the Danish kings. The oldest parts of the castle date back to 1560 and you can tell. It's so old, but so fascinating. I immediately fell in love with this castle upon looking at it. It's not like most castles you see in Europe. French chateaus, for example, are usually very isolated and have an extremely elite and inaccesably royal attitude about them. Their pretentiousness and grandeur is almost off-putting and tends to make them boring. Frederiksborg, on the other hand, is right in the middle of a thriving city. Joggers with iPods ran through the cobblestone streets of the castle courtyards and local dog owners walked their four-legged friends around ancient fountains. I myself may have gotten a little carried away when I simply couldn't hold it anymore, so decided to pee on the Queen's royal gardens.
After Hillerod, we finally headed back to Copenhagen. We ate at Oscar's Cafe - I had a Mexican Burger that was delicious (considering, like hot dogs, I don't eat burgers anymore). We then went to Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park essentially, right in the middle of the city, and saw a great laser show at night right along the lake.
I owe Kasper a huge thank you for everything he managed to show me in one day. So thank you, Kasper, for really showing me Denmark. I feel like you let me see parts that most tourists don't ever get to see. As any good traveler knows, these unplanned adventures are what always make the best travel experiences.
I Most Certainly Approve: All My Single Babies
I think this baby might be mine. I have no memory of ever impregnating a woman, but I think I may have secretly done so because this baby belongs to me.
Thanks, Christos for sending this my way. Hilarious.
This baby, he's clearly a single lady just like yours truly, and I most certainly approve.
Thanks, Christos for sending this my way. Hilarious.
This baby, he's clearly a single lady just like yours truly, and I most certainly approve.
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