Life on the Road - Good bye to Scandinavia

After our great trip to Sweden and Norway (made just a little bit disappointing because our camera lost battery in Oslo and we missed getting all the great photos we wanted from there and Bergen), we were happy to return to our cozy home in Glumsoe, Denmark for our last week in Scandinavia. We took one more day trip to Copenhagen and spent the other days continuing to explore the wonderful island of Zealand, as well as the neighboring islands of Mon, Falster and Lolland. There was nowhere more than an hour drive so we hit delightful harbor towns on the Baltic, the Norwegian and the North Seas. We had many highlights and really no lowlights - even the weather was exceptionally (according to the locals) beautiful - averaging about 72 every day. We had a couple of days of spotty rain, but generally just wonderful. The other amazing thing for us was that we didn't play a single day of golf!!! - just too many other things to do and see.

One of our favorite trips was up to the most northwest tip of Denmark - the Sjellands Odde (or peninsula). There is a little town there, Havnebyen, which has the best fresh fish market imaginable, plus the local farmers have a small market with the best berries we have ever seen or tasted - raspberries larger than my thumb. We hiked out to the end of the peninsula and put our feet in the Norwegian Sea. Another great highlight was arriving in Nykobing on the isle of Falster while they were having their annual festival. We were drinking beer in the town square listening to a terrific blues group from Brooklyn (!) when a friendly Dane overheard us talking in English and engaged us in conversation. This was pretty unusual as the Danes are really a shy people and, while friendly, don't really engage strangers voluntarily. He suggested that if we had the time that we should try his favorite restaurant - provided we had a good GPS, because we would never find it on our own. Happily we had one and we set out that evening to find it. We were a little nervous after we turned off on a one lane road, then even more concerned when we left the paved road and drove through a dense forest for about a mile before we saw a small sign. We turned in and parked and walked about 100 yards when the forest ended and we found ourselves on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Baltic Sea. This restaurant was perched on the cliff, had about a dozen outdoor tables, and were fully reserved for the evening!! About 20 miles from any town and on a Thursday evening - but they finally took pity on we poor Americans and found us a table inside. And it was wonderfully worth it - what a great find - both the festival and the restaurant. We also found ourselves only about 15 minutes from one of Denmark's most popular beaches - Karrebaekesminde, and went there several times both for the seafood and for the people watching. Sadly, my topless beauty count was pretty low - guess the Danes have cleaned up their act a bit.

Our home exchange was wonderful, and Nicolai and his family said they had a terrific time staying in our home and in Auburn. We certainly plan on doing many more exchanges in the future. And we also give all three Scandinavian countries the highest possible visitor rating. The countries are all beautiful with lots of varied geography, but with lots of emphasis on their relationship with the seas. The people are not terribly outgoing, but are exceptionally friendly and helpful - especially to Americans. Their social and political system is to be envied, not so much for the welfare aspect, but because their government, their businesses,and the people themselves all seem to put the interests of their people first. They are all rated amongst the happiest people on the planet and it rubs off on the visitors.

Looking forward to our next adventure and Life On the Road,

BJ and Al

Life on the Road - Stockholm, Oslo and Bergen

When we were last in Kobenhavn, we worked with the Danish Travel Bureau to set us up with a trip. They were extremely helpful and took care of all the details in all three countries - kind of tough to do on your own as there are three different languages and three different currencies. So we took off for a week long adventure via train, boat, bus, funicular, plane and foot.

We drove the little SmartCar about a mile to our local train station where we left it parked for free in the lot for a week - no problem. We hopped on the train to Kobenhavn where we transferred to another train to Stockholm. Their trains are clean, comfortable and fast - our trip to Stockholm took about five hours right through the heart of central Sweden - a beautiful, pastoral journey with dozens of lakes. Our first hotel was initially a challenge as we had to take a subway followed by a bus, but after we understood Stockholm a little better, we understood why. The city itself is made up of 14 islands, all linked by bridges and all actually walkable, although we didn't make it to all of them. Then these city islands are simply a part of the huge Skargarden, an archipelago of about 25,000 islands, mostly uninhabited, and spread out in nearly tideless, clear ocean water until you reach the open Baltic Sea. Stockholm has been a wealthy and important Baltic trading site for centuries and the entire city is built around its dependence on the water. Each of the islands has its own personality, from the old, medieval beauty of Gamla Stan to the Berkeley like bohemia of Sodermalm (where we stayed). Some are mostly residential and others are business hubs, while right in the center is Djurgarden which was once a royal game preserve and is now full of lovely parks and great museums. A terrific highlight was the Vasa Museum - the warship Vasa sank in Stockholm harbor in 1628, lay buried for 331 years, then was raised in 1961. The ship was about 95% preserved (no sea worms in this part of the Baltic), and has now been fully restored. This is one of the best maritime/cultural museums we have ever visited, rivaled only by TePapa in Wellington, NZ. Another highlight was the boat tour we took passing under 16 bridges and going through two locks, out of and back into the Baltic. Other great sites included the City Hall, the Opera House, the Grand Hotel, and, of course, Tiger Woods' apartment when he used to visit Sweden. The city is vibrant and full of young people, all of whom were jam-packed into the hundreds of outdoor bars and cafes which dot all of Stockholm. It is a great visit.

From there, we took another beautiful, six hour train ride across the center of Sweden into Oslo, Norway. The train station is right in the heart of the city (as are most of Europe's great train stations) and we had just a short walk to our hotel. Oslo is also water oriented, sitting at the top of the Oslofjorden, but is hemmed in by lots of hills, forests, lakes, hiking and skiing trails, all within the city limits and all accessible by subway. Norway's economy (mostly oil and gas based) is thriving and it shows in Oslo. Although there is not as much "old" as the city has burned to the ground numerous times, the new is simply stunning - an archcitects delight. You can spend hours in Aker Brygge, an abandoned shipyard recently redeveloped into a striking residential and commercial area dominated by postmodern steel and glass buildings. Glass is everywhere, important in a country which gets only six hours of daylight in the winter. Again a boat trip around the fjord is worth it - the new Opera House opened in 2008 is magnificent, and the Radhuset (City Hall) where the Nobel prizes are awarded is just unbelievable, since it is also a working city hall. We caught our first rain of our trip so took a bus tour and were overwhelmed by getting to the very top of Holmenkollen Ski Jump, just being completely rebuilt for the world games next year. From the top, you have the most magnificent view of the entire city and the fjord - it would be hard to concentrate on your jump. We also stopped at the Vigelandsparken where Gustav Vigeland created over 200 bronze, granite and wrought-iron sculptures, all of people and all depicting the full cycle of life - just stunning. The Norsk Folkemuseum, all outdoors, is a perfect way to see all of Norway in a single visit, showcasing life from all of Norway's regions and going back as far as the 14th century. We dined in luxury outdoors at the harbor in Aker Brygge and had terrific pizza the next night in an unpretentious dive near the university called Villa Paradiso, a great find. We loved Olso!!

From there, we took the wonderful train ride over to Bergen. This was the highlight of the entire trip for me as this is rightfully touted as one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. We climbed up and over the top of mountains into the highest accessible plateau in Norway, and although only about 4000 feet in elevation is loaded with glaciers, waterfalls, plunging mountain streams and dramatic lakes, all being used by hundreds of Norse hikers and bikers. And then it is easy to fall in love with Bergen itself - it is on the water, of course, since it is the gateway to the fjords - and is surrounded by seven lush mountains, pastel-colored wooden houses, winding cobblestone streets, and the fantastic fish market on the wharf. It is also a rainy city so rain jackets and umbrellas are a necessity - there is even an umbrella repair shop which has been operated by the same family for over 400 years. We really got lucky the first morning there as we took a long ship ride up into several fjords just outside of Bergen as the rain stopped and the clouds lifted just enough for us to gaze awestruck at the towering cliffs cut above the narrow passageways, even spotting an elusive sea eagle. We got another brief no-rain break the next day and were able to take the funicular to the top of Mt. Floyen for a spectacular view of Bergen with its two harbors and beautiful, colorful city. The fish market is so fresh that everything is still alive and moving, cleaning and fileting taking place right before your eyes, with the fishermen still in their Norse sweaters and chest high waders hauling in their catch. And the produce, especially the various berries, are also out of this world. And, in spite of the rain, we absolutely loved Bergen.

We flew back to Kobenhavn from Bergen, took the train back to Glumsoe, where our little SmartCar was waiting for us just where we had left it a week ago - safe, free parking at its very best. So what can we say - Stockholm is wonderful, Oslo is spectacular, and Bergen is simply beautiful. Sweden and especially Norway is very, very expensive - $15 bucks for a beer or a coffee, and don't even think about buying a mixed drink. Generally speaking, I would plan on everything costing twice as much as at home, but is it worth it? Well our answer is absolutely yes as long as you plan for it - a week touring Sweden and Norway is worth every penny as they are two of the most beautiful countries in the world. This was an amazingly wonderful week - don't miss it if you have the chance!