Tag: travel blog

Things To Do In Copenhagen (Part One)

After writing about my arrival in Copenhagen, I wanted to spend some time enjoying it before I began to document my experiences in more detail. Now, as I sit on a train back to Hamburg I can reflect upon such a wonderful holiday. With two years of pandemic awfulness, it was so refreshing to travel to Scandinavia. This holiday has secured my love for such a brilliant and modern group of nations.

Before I came to Copenhagen, I knew a little about the Vikings, had an awareness of the Hygge concept which is often referred to on blogs and was aware of the geography of Denmark. That was about it though. I had no idea just how impactful my travels to Denmark were going to be.

Doing that tourist thing…

Of course, you have to start somewhere and when I did my initial research, one of the most intriguing historic buildings suggested was Rosenborg Castle which was slap bang in the middle of gorgeous Copenhagen. Originally the seat of King Christian IV, this 400 year old building was stunning and you could book a time slot to look around its well-preserved interior.

In front of Rosenborg Castle
The ornate ceilings.

This place is so beautiful and has a good tour brochure that briefly describes each room in Danish and English. Every room was a new discovery as we walked into it. From bedchambers to a basement packed full of the Danish Crown jewels, I was very impressed by my visit.

The Great Hall
Two crowns from previous monarchs.

Entry cost 125 DDK (about £14) and it was definitely worth it. The gardens were also impressive and it was an easy walk from the centre of the town.

The artwork is very special.
The armour and weapons.

That evening we had a lovely meal at a Chinese restaurant and then tasted some of the incredible gin recipes on offer at Two Socks Gin Bar.

A brilliant Chinese from Magasasa in the trendy meat packing area of Copenhagen.
Gin and olves

The man running Two Socks was really friendly and gave a detailed history of how each Gin came about. I had one with a peach flavour and went back for a pear based concoction. As someone who rarely drinks gin, I was really taken in by the drinks there. Best of all, it was just a short distance from our hotel.

I hope my blog has given you a taste of Copenhagen. Thank you so much for reading and don’t forget to follow my blog if you want to know more about my travels or about books, TV shows and the environment. There will be more about Copenhagen soon.

Copenhagen Places To Go

This summer I have been travelling by train around northern Europe and sharing some of the highlights in my blog. My last big holiday was to Zurich just before the pandemic but I did fit in a few days at Blackpool last year which was much needed. I like a combination of short breaks in the UK and city breaks in Europe. Anyway, this was how it began…

Beautiful NyHavn – New Harbour, Copenhagen

Recently I visited Amsterdam, as I documented here. Now I find myself in the Capital city of Denmark – Copenhagen. As I only travel by greener transport when going on holiday, it took me three trains to get here from Amsterdam. However, those train journeys were scenic and I really appreciated my arrival, after hours sat down in train carriages.

Initial Thoughts

After half a day on the train, I was pleased to arrive in such a spacious city, with wide roads, plentiful cycle paths (not unlike Amsterdam) and interesting buildings. Soon we were walking to the New Harbour (pictured above and below) which was a colourful street alongside one of the canals that leads out to sea.

A tired looking me on arrival.

Looking for somewhere to eat, I had my eyes on a restaurant near Tivoli that had an Italian look about it. Cafe Vivaldi had tables outside with little fire burners to keep you warm. Regardless of this we ate inside and I absolutely loved the food.

Salmon Salad
Cafe Vivaldi – I loved it there.

With so many plans, I was exhausted that evening. Surprisingly I still managed to do more than 10,000 steps even though half of the day I was sitting down. That is not to say you have to walk everywhere as public transport is excellent. I chose to walk as I enjoyed taking in the scenery and wanted to keep up my basic fitness, especially as I knew I would probably be eating way more than usual.

For the next instalment of my trip to Copenhagen, check my blog later on. Perhaps you feel like following my blog or have been to Copenhagen and want to share your thoughts in the comments below. Either way, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and check out my article.

Amsterdam – I Feel Welcome

I am happily enjoying the long-awaited summer holidays and have just embarked on a journey by train to a couple of capital cities in Europe. This is something that I had planned to do in 2020 but Corona got in the way. Anyway, here I find myself, emerging into a city full of interesting architecture and a general sense of busyness – beautiful Amsterdam.

Last time I was here was in 1998 as I passed through during a University residential trip to The Hague. I remember spending a few hours wandering around the streets, taking in the atmosphere and dropping into a rather peculiar museum about ‘romance’ (at least that is a cleaner way of describing it).

First drink – had to be JD and coke

This time…

On my first wonder around the streets my mission was to buy a new coat, as I left mine at home in the rush to get a taxi. H & M provided a cheap jacket to see me through. After this I grabbed a drink in a lovely cafe, which looked more like a pub. I have come to discover that most cafes here are actually bars. Suffice to say, that first cold sip of Jack Daniels was much needed after a hot walk, seeking out H & M.

It had been a 4 hour train ride from London and I really enjoyed the journey. One of the great things about traveling by rail for me is the fact you can relax and watch the landscapes drift by. Grabbing snacks in the onboard food coach is always a highlight and provides an opportunity for leg stretching. Many people would opt for a 1 hour flight but I much prefer using the Eurostar which creates 13 times less pollution per journey. I guess if you take into account the fact that the journey is four times longer by train then you can say a plane is creating even more carbon per hour. In reality, the train is 52 times more carbon efficient.

Anyway, enough of the greener thinking for a moment. Here are some snaps from my first afternoon in Amsterdam.

The Central Station
I just love the shape of the houses.
The red light district
Pinacolada and Mojito
I wanted to go to this Chinese restaurant but it was full.
Some of the architecture is unique.

I don’t want to bore you with pictures but hope you can tell just how excited I am about being here. The only downside is the constant smell of weed wherever you go. It can be a bit overpowering and has made my clothes stink a bit. It is all worth it though and I am really lapping up the sights and sounds of this fascinating city, nestled in the lowlands of Northern Europe.

For another of my travel articles, check out Five reasons to visit Brussels. Perhaps also consider following my blog or dropping a comment below.