Day 18: Travel/Balestrand

We started early with breakfast in the room again. We packed up and were waiting for our tram at 7:20 this morning. At the main train station, We got on a scenic train that took us farther north, towards the fjord country. It was about a four hour train ride and it was gorgeous. The scenery was amazing beautiful mountains and rivers. Some of it reminded of the Rockies but it's so much more green and there's more water. we had upgraded reserved seats, they were very comfy and I could stick my legs straight out without touch the next seat. There was also free coffee and tea which I took advantage of due to not sleeping well and needing caffeine.

We arrived in Myrad and got off to switch trains. The one we got on was far less spacious but had far more amazing views. Giant mountains, soaring cliffs and waterfalls at every turn. We stopped once at these amazing falls and nearly everyone got off to take pictures. The cool mist coming off the falls  felt so good. All of the sudden music started playing and there was a woman on the cliff near the waterfall singing. It was obviously a tourist show but very cool. Then the whistle blew and everyone pushed back on the train.

At Flam, we got off the train and switch to a boat to take us up the fjord. After an hour and a half of stunning views, we arrived in Balestrand. We hiked uphill to our hostel. We got balconies with our rooms. We overlook the fjord and the mountains across the way. The walk up the hill is more than worth it for the scenery. Words can't describe the beauty. We had a picnic dinner on the balcony watching the ferries cruise by. We called home one more time. After supper we went for a nice long walk through town. Upon our return we are just catching up on journals/blog. I am sitting watching the sky change colors as I type.

Day 17: Oslo

To start the morning Mom Aunt Deb and I mailed some stuff home to lighten our loads. After grabbing some caffeine, we met the boys at the fortress to see the Resistance museum. It was about the Norwegian resistance in WWII. It was really cool. There were displays on what the Nazis generally did and how the resistance in all it's forms responded. When the Nazi's attacked the King barely got out. Almost immediately the resistance started. There were tons of underground newspapers and all sorts of ways to hide microfilm to get information to the Allies. There was so much cool stuff it was awesome.

After the Resistance museum, we went to the famous sculpture garden. It is on 75 acres and has a ton of statues in the main area. This park would not be found in the states, every single one of the statues is a nude. It was very cool and interesting. We at lunch at a cafe in the park. It was very nice. We had open faced sandwiches and people watched.

After lunch, we headed to tour the Ski jump. We took the metro out to it and walked a great deal up. It was massive 361 m long and very tall as well. Ir had a neat skiing museum in it. After a quick buzz through the museum we took the funicular/elevator up to the top. Even Dad did it, which is great for him. It had great panoramic views of Oslo. Mom, Aunt Deb and Uncle Chuck decided to take the faster way down: a zipline. They went down all 362m at 60 km/h. Completely crazy but they had a lot of fun.Dad and I took pictures and carried the bags down. Afterwards Uncle Chuck and I did the Ski jump simulator.

We caught the metro back to the hostel and gabbed some supper. After supper, we all hung out for awhile. Everyone else decided to go wander some more. I stayed back because of a slight headache and being tired. They had a lovely time. We all went to bed pretty early due to an early train the next morning.

Day 16: Oslo

It was a museum filled day. We started with breakfast in the room. We jumped on the tram to the City Hall and from there hopped a ferry to an island I like to call Museum Island. We got off the ferry and walked through a neighborhood that had gates to every house and was very fancy. Our first museum of the day was the Viking Museum. Three viking ships found in burial mounds were on display there. They were really awesome. One of them had very ornately carved prows. All three of them the were mostly whole. There was also an exhibit of the artifacts that had been found on board. Most of what we know about Viking clothing comes from the fragments from these three ships. 

Our next museum was another hike through the fancy neighborhood. We went to the Fram museum. It was two A-frame complex that was all about the exploration of the poles, primarily the North Pole. Lots of people and dogs died trying to explore the areas. One of the ships, the Fram, we were able to climb aboard and all over inside. It was really neat and there was a ton of information.

Our third museum was right across the street. It was the Kon-Tiki museum. If you don't know, the Kon-Tiki was the balsa wood raft that was sailed/drifted across the Pacific Ocean in 1947. The researcher did it to try to prove that South Americans from Peru could've settled in the South Pacific. Everyone thought he and his crew would not survive. It took them 101 days but they made it across. He also did two cross Atlantic trips on Egyptian based papyrus boats. The first time failed and the second succeeded. It was a great museum.

After the Kon-Tiki, we caught the bus across the island to the Holocaust museum. It was chilling and depressing as all Holocaust museums are. This had a lot about the Nazi invasion in Norway. It also had a room with all the names of the Norwegian Jews who were killed. It was hard to do but not as hard as going to Auschwitz was 4 years ago.

After that museum, we decided to head back to the hostel. We took the buss that went over a bridge off the island back. We grabbed a picnic supper and hung out in the room.

Mom wanted to go check out the opera house and so we all went out again. It was stunning, all white marble and glass. It was designed so that you could walk up the sides and on top of it. We did so and watched the sunset. We played with our long shadows and took pictures. Mom and I stayed longer than the others and saw the moonrise. After taking several pictures of that, we decided to get some ice cream. I ended up getting some of the best mango sorbet ever. Mom and I took the tram to the square by City Hall and wandered for awhile. When we got back to the room it was after 11:30 and everyone else was asleep.

Day 15: Oslo

We were all up by 6:30 and in a cab just after 7. We ate breakfast at the airport. I tried a coin operated massage chair to get rid of some of my change. We were changing currencies yet again. It was really nice, I was so relaxed and sleepy I slept most of the flight. We were off the plane and getting on a train by 11 in Oslo. We got off the train into the city and caught a tram that put u right in front of the hostel. They weren't ready for us so we dropped our bags and gabbed a picnic lunch. (Anybody sensing a recurring theme, drop bags eat lunch hmmm...). There's a grocery store just around the corner from our hostel. We took our food and found a park to eat lunch in. 

After lunch we jumped back on the tam and headed for the National Gallery. The National Gallery is a museum dedicated to paintings mostly of Norwegian origin. They had a special Munch exhibit, if the name doesn't ring a bell it should. He painted "The Scream" and surprising that was among my least favorite in the exhibit. Much of the normal exhibition was put away for the Munch exhibit, so there was very little else to see. However, the other things that were there were incredible.

After retrieving our bags, we went to the city hall. It was nearly as awesome as the Stockholm one. This one is the home of the Nobel Peace prize banquet. It had stunning murals along the walls of the main area and a large ballroom that had big windows that overlooked the harbor. After wandering the city hall for a time we headed through the gardens to the Nobel Peace Prize Museum.

The Peace Prize Museum, was amazing and inspiring. It had a bunch of stuff about the EU on display, due to the EU winning last year. The next prize will be announced in December. There was also information about every single Nobel Peace Prize winner. It was so cool. In the gift shop the had postcards with the winners on them. I got a few: Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, the Dali Llama, and Nelson Mandela. Some of my heroes. 

After the museum, we sat and had drinks (the usual combination of beer and my soda). As food is very expensive here, we went back and had a picnic in the room. Because we have a little kitchenette with a fridge, we decided to get breakfast too. After eating we just lazed around a while. People gradually went to bed. I think was the last up as par usual.

I'm not going to get today up tonight due to Mom and I going out and wandering till 11:30 at night. Due to majority of morning people I need to go to bed or risk being grumpy tomorrow when they wake me up.

Day 14: Tallinn

Our morning began like all the others with breakfast. After breakfast we met with the private guide Dad had hired before we left. He was going to take us on an two part tour of Tallinn: car (the outer city) and walking ( the inner city). Before we left in the car he gave us a basic understanding of Estonian history. Here is essence of it: The Swedes took control of it but the Estonians were too much trouble so they sold the land to some German knights, from whom the Russians got it. The Russians ruled over Estonia for 200 years until 1918ish when Estonia finally got it's independence. It didn't last long, the soviets took over in 1939. The Nazis took it from the Soviets in 1941. After the fall of Nazi Germany, Estonia became a Soviet country and was such until 1991. There you go crash course in Estonian history.

So on the driving tour we saw a ton so I'm just going to start with a list with a little explanation. If you want more info google or ask me a question in the comments. Here goes: the "white house" where the KGB operated, the Viru hotel made of "micro-concrete" (60% concrete 40% microphones), Stalin's birthday cake building, Catherine I's summer palace and gardens, the President's house (which didn't even have a fence), the Forrest Cemetery for heroes, the singing ground, the TV tower where the tense moment between Soviets and Estonians happened, the rich's villas, the poor's apartments, a memorial to a ferry accident, a memorial for a ship that went down, a memorial to heroes, a memorial to WWII heroes, old wooden houses on a limestone clint, the 1980 Olympic sailing center that looked like a cruise ship. Many of the things on this part had to do with the Soviet era. Our guide had to serve in the Soviet army at one point and was later part of the resistance when Estonia tried to get there freedom.

Next came inside the city. Another list coming at you: St. Mary's Church, the Finnish embassy, the town square, the three sisters buildings, entrances into the walls, a parking garage that had excavated walls from the 1200s in it,  several towers in the walls including Fat Margret, the baker's alley, two different overlooks from which he pointed out the industrial district and the train station, he talked about how many peninsulas are on the coast, and told us about how complicated things were after the Soviet Union collapsed. When all was said and done we'd had an amazing 4.5 hour tour. 

We had lunch at an Estonian place our guide recommended. We tried a dessert that had Kama in it. Kama is a local grain mx thing, it has a granularity about like sugar with the flavor of wheat. It was folded into whipped cream and served with a foxberry sauce.

We spilt up, boys and girls, after lunch. We went to St. Olaf church and climbed the tower. It had some spectacular views. After the church, we went to wander some and found a place where we could climb up on the wall. We walked along the wall and enjoyed keeping dry because the on again-off again rain we'd had all day was coming down. Then we headed back to the hostel to meet the boys.

We had a picnic dinner in the kitchen and settled in for the evening. We read and caught up on journals and hit the bed early due to needing to be at the airport at 7:15 in the morning.

Day 13: Helsinki/ Tallinn

Hey anyone whose reading this. Sorry for not posting for a few days, I've been enjoying my vacation too much to write! I'll try to get up to date today. Here's the first installment: (I did write first bit on the day but didn't get a chance to post)

This morning Mom and Aunt Deb went to the sauna in the hostel before breakfast. I, being a typical teenager, decided to get another 45 minutes of sleep. Then we went down to breakfast. Uncle Chuck had also been in the sauna. After a quick breakfast, we got on the tram again. We switched trams at the train station and rode out to the dock for our boat to Tallinn. We painlessly checked in and grabbed a coffee at the coffee shop, whilst waiting to board the boat.

We had to walk a ton to get to the boat. It was much bigger than any of us expected, closer to our cruise ship than a ferry. It was a fairly uneventful ride. we grabbed a table. I played cards, the others read or wrote in their journals or played on the iPad. Once we docked we had to walk a ton again, Uncle Chuck joked the we walked 10% of the way to Tallinn. Once outside we caught a cab into the old town where we are staying.

Our hostel wasn't ready for us so we went to the store and got food for a picnic. We found a park and sat under a tree, while we were eating. Then we were ready to start sight seeing.

First we just wandered. It was beautiful, think quintessential medieval old town. Cobbled streets, old stone buildings and red tile roofs. We found the town square with the old city hall. There were the usual tourist traps; restaurants with servers dressed in medieval clothing and such. There were stretches of the old wall. 

We stopped in the Church of the Holy Ghost. It was pretty with wooden carvings and an organ. There was also a piano which someone played magnificently. Then we headed to the  Russian Orthodox Church. It was even more amazing than the one in Helsinki. After that we went back and checked into the hostel. We stretched out on ours and most of us took a nap, me a long one.

Our stuff stored in our room, we headed out to dinner. We ended up at German brewery.The meal was enjoyed by all, particularly Dad, who raved about the beans and sausage. As we were sitting sipping the last of our drinks, we decided it was about time to call home again. I'm glad we're here and not there. Apparently it's been very hot. I wish to send some cool breezes your way. 

After calling home, we wandered again for awhile before heading back to the hostel for bed. I had trouble going to sleep due to afore mentioned nap.

Day 12: Helsinki

We had breakfast at the hostel this morning. We walked out the door to our tram stop and rode it to the Senate square, where we switched to a tram that makes a circuit of the city. It was fun to see the city. We hopped off at one point to check out the memorial to Sibelius, the famous Finnish composer. It was really awesome. It looked like a bunch of pipes from a pipe organ. 

We got back on the tram and finished the tour. We had lunch at the market again. Everyone else had salmon soup, which was apparently some of the best soup they'd had.  I had potatoes, they were quite good. We went shopping and got these cute coasters and a wooden mug.

We got on the tram again and went to the National museum, this time it was open. It had a huge exhibit of prehistory stuff and great exhibits of a whole bunch of stuff. It was very cool. 

We then spent some  of the afternoon hanging out at the famous cafe here. It was some good people watching. We also had some fresh pastries. Then we headed back to the hostel to do some laundry. We're currently hanging out in the restaurant talking with someone we met and having a good old time.

Day 11: Helesinki

We got up and were very tired. We went down to the breakfast buffet, which wasn't as good as the evening one. I was kind of surprised they had american bacon, I was expecting ham. We watched the ship come into port. It was about 11 when we go off the ship. We went straight to our new hostel. They weren't quite ready for us so we dropped our bags and set off to look at the city. 

Our first stop was the Orthodox Church. It was a read building with a green dome. It was ornately decorated inside and worth gawking over. Our next stop was a very stark contrast to the orthodox church. It was the Lutheran cathedral. It was white with very little decoration. It had all of five statues, which is a minuscule number in cathedrals. To get to the cathedral, we climbed a bunch of stairs which are one of the main meeting places in Helsinki. 

We went down to the market square, which is by the harbor. It has stalls that sell fruit and veggies, souvenirs, and fresh food stands. Being next to the harbor these places serve tons of fresh fish. I wasn't hungry really, so I went and got some raspberries. The raspberries were unlike I'd ever seen before, they were golden. Everybody else had fish plates or salmon soup. 

After lunch, we went to the free Helsinki City museum. It was a cool little museum. There was this old video of a dunk tank and you could through a ball and trigger the drop. Pretty much everything was in english. There was a movie theater in the basement showing free movies about Helsinki. Every single one of us fell asleep at one point "watching" the movies. 

Once we had all woken up, we went to another church. This one was blasted out of the rock. It was incredible and they had really cool music playing.  Mom and Dad both bought rosaries. We stopped for coffee at a little shop because we had time to kill before the museum had free admission.  Then we headed toward the National Museum.  When we got there, the times had changed and they were closing. 

So we caught the tram back to the hostel. We sat in the restaurant at the hostel and had drinks and talked. We passed around some fries and onion rings. We also shared a pizza with a funny name: Rudolph the red-nose. It was a reindeer pizza with pickles, onions, bacon, and of course, reindeer. We hung out then hit the hay.

Day 10: Stockholm Part 2

We set out from the hostel to catch a bus to the modern port. We walked from the stop to the cruise ship docking point, yes I said cruise ship. We did a one night cruise from Stockholm to Helsinki. It was a 12 story ship. It was really nice. We got on and went on the sun deck and had a drink while we waited to push off. We had the first dinner setting at the most incredible buffet I have ever seen. There were over 100 items to try. There was a ton of fish and it was all great according to the others. There was also potatoes seven different ways, lots of meat, and tons of different little desserts. Wine was also included in the buffet. It was all very good and I ate waaaaay too much! 

After supper, we went back on deck to try to walk off some of the food and wine we had consumed. We were going through the archipelago and it was so gorgeous. The flora and fauna looked very similar to Colorado except greener and surrounded by water. It was beautiful. I wanted it to go to the sauna/spa because they had a jacuzzi. Aunt Deb, Mom and I decided to do it. 

We were planning on just doing the jacuzzi but ended up trying the traditional Finnish sauna. It was so hot, it was hard to breath. When it started to cool down a little, someone would through water over the stones heating the sauna. After a time in the sauna, we went and hung out in the jacuzzi. The jacuzzi had view out to the passing scenery. 

We got out to watch the sunset and take pictures. Mom, Aunt Deb Uncle Chuck, who met up with, and I spent some time taking an boatload of pictures. Then we wandered down to the promenade where all the shops and such  were. I found Dad and we all sat down an a soda or beer. We all sat long enough to finish our drinks and then went to bed.

Day 10: Stockholm Part 1

We got up and strolled down the walking mall. We had breakfast at Wayne's Coffee, they had really great cinnamon rolls. We were planning a seeing more of the royal palace but discovered that they were closed on Monday. Instead we ended up going to the City hall. It was a beautiful building. They had a room that was designed after an Italian courtyard with a roof, the camber room for the town council was like a viking longhouse, there was an entryway that was in the gothic style, one hall like a french palace, and a completely gold mosaiced giant hall. All these styles should've clashed but they didn't. We saw where the Nobel banquet is held, the Italian courtyard, and the ball afterwards, the mosaic hall. It was super cool and something that would never be built in the states. They had a gift shop and Mom, Aunt Deb and Uncle Chuck all bought Dala horses. I almost did but they weren't quite what I was looking for

After touring the city hall, we had a light lunch in the garden between the harbor and the hall. Then we split up, Aunt Deb, Mom and I went back to the old town, while Dad and Uncle Chuck went off into a new section. We girls were on a mission. I wanted to buy a Dala horse, if you don't know what that is go google it now. Seriously, you're on the internet anyway right? 

Now back to the Dala horse buying. I wanted on because there has been one sitting by the door of our horse since before I was born and I want tone standing guard someday in my house. What better thing to do than get one from the country they're from? So we went to this little shop where Aunt De had gotten a traditional sweater the day before and I found the perfect one. They're hand painted so each is unique. The woman who ran the shop was very kind and we all bought something.

After we go my Dala horse, the three of us wandered back towards the hostel. We stopped at Wayne's again, this time for a soda and an afternoon bite. We split a Raspberry Crumble that was served in vanilla sauce. It was delicious! After our little stop we met the boys back a the hostel. The rest of the day I shall write up later because I am very tired and need sleep. I will do my best to get the rest of day 10 and 11 up tomorrow. Ta-ta!

Day 9: Stockholm

We got up and went the harbor to find breakfast but there really wasn't anything open, so we went back to the hostel. After we ate we went back to the harbor for a canal tour, which was really nice and relaxing and a good way to see the city. We then wandered the Old Town. We stopped in the Cathedral where the current Crown Princess was married. We also wandered by the German church.

At 1:00, we went to the royal palace ad watched the ceremonial changing of the guard, which was very cool. There was a lot of very impressive marching and a band. The bass drummer was very good. It sounded almost like cannon-fire when he let it rip. Many of the soldiers were female, which I thought was a great thing. 

After the changing of the guard we were starving, so we set off to find lunch. We ended up down a little street at Irishlooking-pub serving traditional swedish food, swedish beer, and playing Irish music. It was a great little place. Then we stopped in the Cathedral where the current Crown Princess was married. 

We then went to Nobel Museum. It was neat little place. It had information on the prize and every prize winner for all the categories. We all spent quite a long time looking at the mission for peace exhibit which combined all the categories. Mom and I stopped for Nobel ice cream, which has a well deserved reputation for being very good. All of the Chairs have been signed on the bottom by Nobel prizewinners. 

All of us went to the Royal Armory, which had very interesting exhibits on the royal family. It's amazing how many Swedish monarchs died in battle, or had horses shot out from beneath them. We learned about Queen Christina, who was a totally different woman for her time. Mom and I were in there so long that we had a person shoo us out. 

Mom and I walked some more through the town center and got food for dinner from a co-op. We found a big park, it was beautiful. We also found a Czech beer tent in the park. We caught the tram back to the hostel, where the other three were waiting. We decided to head back to the beer tent for dinner instead of doing a picnic. At the beer tent there was a cover band. The band members were British and Polish, they were singing American songs, and they had an Australian Elvis lookalike come on stage. It was a fun evening.

Day 8: Stockholm

The morning started with breakfast at the hostel . We rode the tram out to one of the many islands connect the city. Our first museum of the morning was the Vasa Museum. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. The Vasa, a ship that sunk, is preserved in the museum. I don't mean parts of the ship, the whole ship. It's the only ship so big and well preserved. It sank in 1628, twenty five minutes into its maiden voyage. It was so  awe-inspiring and amazing. There were really great exhibits and a free tour that talked about the ship. I can't really put the experience into words you had to be there. We had lunch outside the museum at a stand. We had chorizo, here a glorified hotdog, and a soda.

After the Vasa, we went to the Scandinavia Museum that showcases swedish history. It was interesting and had some cool exhibits. There was one that showed dinnerware through the ages and what a dinner party would've looked like. A audio guide was included with the museum, which was really nice. It was really cool. It was a little silver tube that fit in your hand, instead of punching in numbers you just pointed it at a sensor and it starts. 

After a much shorter stop, we went to Skansen. Skansen is the first outdoor museum in Europe. Think Colonal Williamsburg or Walker Ranch on a massive scale. There were people dressed in period costumes. There was a traditional folk dancing stage. Buildings from all over Sweden made up the place. There was a bakery, a print shop, a glass blowing place, a cheese maker, a mill, a blacksmith.It was really cool to wander it was also huge! They had a Scandinavian animals section.Reindeer, brown bears, an eagle owl, a moose, and my personal favorite some lynx. There were three baby Lynx and I got some great pictures. We got a drink, beer for everyone else and a strawberry thing for me.

Since we were still in the park we decided to do the aquarium that is attached to Skansen. It wasn't just an aquarium, the first thing we went through was the lemur area. I do mean through the area, we could've reached out and pet them. We didn't pet them because the signs said they would bite. Then there were snakes, frogs, turtles, crocodiles, and the requisite fish. At the end there was a place to pet a tarantula and a snake. I pet the tarantula, not the snake. Mom also pet the tarantula and nobody pet the snake. After Skansen, we headed back and had a picnic in dining room at the hostel. Then Mom and Aunt Deb did laundry, while Dad, Uncle Chuck and I crashed.

Blogger's note

Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been having too much fun! Hopefully I'll get up to date tonight.

Day 7: Travel Day

Today we did the crazy day 5 in reverse and added a leg. I sit on the plane to Stockholm as I type. Our morning started with another lovely breakfast at the pension. We lingered over breakfast discussing the politics of social programs in the US, which isn't all that strange a topic to have in this group. After breakfast we packed and paid. We were a half hour early for the ferry. 

The ferry ride seemed to take not time and next thing you know we were waiting for the first train. We switched trains at Odense again, deciding to skip Hans Christian Anderson's house. When we arrive back in Copenhagen, Dad, Uncle Chuck and Aunt Deb decided to go see city hall before we went to the airport. Mom and I just people watched and read in the train station.

We got on yet another train, this time to the airport. Where we spent more time than on the actual plane. At the airport in Stockholm, we got Stockholm cards, like the Copenhagen card they get us into attractions and on public transportation. Then we jumped on the express train to the central station. It was definitely express, we went 200 km/h ( about 120 mph). We had a little trouble finding the hostel but once we did, it was very nice. The room is pretty small though.

Day 6: Aero Island

We enjoyed a breakfast with fresh baked bread, still warm, this morning. The group split up today. Mom and I went out to the beach while Aunt Deb, Uncle Chuck and Dad rode around the island on bikes. 

Mom and I stopped at the grocery store and got some picnic stuff and sunscreen and headed out. When we got to the beach there wasn't anyone. We set up our towels and I sunscreened up. The wind was blowing and when I got in the water was freezing! Once I got used to it it felt so good to be in the water. It wasn't super deep I swam out quite a ways and could still touch the bottom. The waves weren't too big but they were noticeable and fun to jump in.We spent a few hours at the beach. Mom got in the water a couple times.

About 1:30, the bike crew came out to where we were. They had ridden around the island and stopped at brewery for food and a beer. Shocking, they would stop for beer. Alcohol seems to be a running theme on our trips. Anyway, after the bike crew stopped we went back in the water the bike crew got back one more time. Mom and I walked back, got a shower and relaxed in the room. The bike crew got back and did the same thing. Eventually they decided to get a picnic together to eat on the patio. I took a nap and slept through supper. Dad woke me up to tape my ankle, which helped a lot. He knows what he was doing due to having been a trainer for football at one point.

After my nap, we just hung out until the night watchman tour started. We went on the tour around Aeroskobing and our tour guide did it on three languages: Danish, Swedish and English. He had grown up on the island and had some great stories. So ended another day of fun and frolic.

Day 5: Aero Island Part 2

We got on the Island in the early afternoon. Our pension was run by one of hte friendliest people I have known. We were in two rooms: boys in one and girls in the other. Our host made us tea and coffee which we drank on the terrace of a beautiful lawn. There were three chickens who wandered about the yard and a beautiful black and brown dog by the name of Tilly. 

We wandered through the cobblestone streets of Aeroskobing, the town on Aero.  The houses all were in long line tilting this way and that with brightly colored fronts and tiled roofs. There were roses of every color growing just about everywhere but the middle of the street. In short, it was a gorgeous place to be. We walked out to the beach,where some on the locals have beach hut that adorable. They have a dock with stairs into the water. I stuck my feet in to try to get the swelling to go down and because I just like being in the water. It was cold but not as freezing as I was expecting.

We stopped at one of the three museums on the island, the Bottle Peter museum. There over a thousand ships in bottles' there, it very impressive and a cute little museum. It's said that Peter drank the liquid from all the bottles except the milk bottles.

We went to a fish place called Rageri for an early supper. If you know me well, you know I won't touch anything that lives in water on plate. But it was smoked fish of various kinds and it was probably fresh caught that morning. It was very good as everyone else pointed out( I'm not saying "the adults" anymore, they pointed out technically I am an adult). I personally greatly enjoyed my french fries and salad. We had another amazing harbor view to go with our supper.

  After supper, we bought some wine and headed back to the pension. We sat in the back  garden and drank the wine, called home, and played word games on the iPad. When it started getting dark, we went inside to the library, which was floor to ceiling books. Everyone else had either Baileys or whiskey and sat up talking. 

Day 5: Travel Day/Aero Island Part 1

Well this day has been an adventure. Dad and Uncle Chuck had our tickets for today all booked. We even had reserved seats on the train. We got to the train station early, we stopped and had breakfast at a bakery. We were sitting and enjoying coffee when my Dad decided to check on our train. It was a good thing he did.The engineers had gone on strike overnight. They didn't know which trains would actually get out. We hurried down to the track to try to get on the earlier one that had been delayed. We waited among the confused people as the time got pushed farther and farther back. Dad went and asked somebody again. They told him there was one leaving right then on another track. 

So he raced back to us and we set off at a run, well a gimpy jog for me. Uncle chuck kindly carried my bag so that I could actually run, and he has on each of the mad dashes since then. We made the train with about 30 seconds to spare. We had to switch trains at Odesen, which we had planned on but instead of twenty minutes to switch we had maybe one. Our train pulled out as we pulled in, which we didn't know until a after we had raced to the right platform.

When our train arrived we got on and sat waiting for it to leave. Dad had planned about a half hour turn over before we had to be on the ferry. Now it had been cut down to five minutes. So when our train got into the station, we ran off the train dodging through the crowd toward the harbor. We went through a construction zone and over cobbles. In the end I was only about half a block behind the others and we made the ferry with a couple minutes to spare. I ran not only on sprained, bruised ankle through this but also in sandals because my sneakers don't fit right with a swollen ankle. I feel like a total badass. 

I now sit comfortably on the deck of the ferry as it moves through the little islands. I'm watching fields and windmills go by. The sun is out, breeze is cool enough for a light jacket, which is fine by me. The only thing I could ask for is no cigarette smoke.

Day 4: Copenhagen

We got up and the iPho people were packing the lobby again, so we took the bus back toward the Church of Our Savior. We ate breakfast at the bakery. Afterwards we went to Christiana. It was interesting to say the least. It is to potheads/hippies what Mecca is to Muslims. It is essentially a commune community in Copenhagen. It started in the early 70s, so people have lived there all their lives. There was a green light district where people were setting up pot stands, which is illegal here by the way. There wasn't a whole lot going on because we were there around 8 in the morning. I think the earliest things opened were at 10. There was a stall with clothing that was for anyone who wanted it. One of the shops sold lighters and glow sticks. I felt like an invader.It was a very strange experience and we got some weird looks.

After our jaunt to the weird and strange, we got back on the bus and went to the Carlsberg Brewery. They have a self guided tour that was on the Copenhagen card. You get two beers or sodas with the tour. Uncle Chuck and Dad made the point that it was afternoon when they had the first beer. It was 12:01. After trying the first beer (I took the soda option because you have to be 19 for them to give you beer) we went through the stables. Like the Clydesdales for Budweiser Carlsberg has horses, actually it's probably the other way around as Carlsberg predates Budweiser. The horses look kind of like clydesdales only shorter and more sturdy. Turns out they're Jutland horses, a breed specific to Denmark. The tour was very cool but the horses were the best part. We had lunch at the cafe in the courtyard.

Another bus ride later, we went to the Glyptotek museum, which is between Tivoli and the hostel. I collection was built on beer money from Carlsberg. It was very impressive but we were exhausted especially me. My ankle is swollen and turning purple. I was limping everywhere which is way more tiring than walking. After going through Egyptian and Degas exhibits we decide to head back to the hostel. 

We spent the afternoon/evening doing laundry, hanging out and watching the Tour de France. Mom, Dad, Uncle Chuck and I went to a free organ concert at Our Savior. We were slightly late due to the bus being behind. It was beautiful. The organ was huge and built in 1698. It was carved magnificently. The music was beautiful but we all fell asleep during the concert. The boys headed back to Christiana after the concert. Mom and I headed toward the hostel but decided to take walk. We happened across Aunt Deb and stopped at a grocery store to buy lunch for tomorrow. We headed back, packed up and are getting ready for bed. Tomorrow we're taking a train and a ferry to Aero Island (pronounced "arrow"). It should be fun!

Day 3: Copenhagen Part 2 Tivioli

When we got back to Copenhagen, we headed to the hostel and dropped our stuff. To Tivoli we went. Tivoli is the famous old amusement park in Copenhagen and a three block walk from the hostel. Our Copenhagen card got us free entrance. The Copenhagen card is a pass that gets you into various museums and attractions and also the buses, metro and trains. It costs quite a bit but was worth it because it paid for itself. Pretty much everything we've done except the Viking museum was on the card. Jeez, I sound like a commercial. Moving on. Tivoli was awesome, amazing and a total blast. Different sections had different themes, there was a Chinese area, an Indian area, a Caribbean area. There were beautiful gardens and fountains. Of course there were rides. There weren't as many as elitches but the rides they had were great. They had a swing ride that went about a football field in the air, you sat in a chair and swung in a large circle. It didn't make you dizzy but gave you a great view of Copenhagen, well if you could see, I had to take off my glasses.

We also did the big roller coaster, which was short but a great adrenaline rush. It was a dragon themed one and it did a loop-de-loop and stomach jumping drop. I rode it four times! We also did a more tame coaster that didn't go upside down but went through the trees. Seriously, I reached out and grabbed some leaves.

We did the drop ride, you know what I'm talking about: you go straight up in the air and then it drops you. It was fun; you are weightless for a few seconds. 

I got on a thing called the monsoon. It went up and around in a circle a couple stories high. your feet dangle and you face looking toward the middle of the circle, it's hard to describe but it was really fun. I should mention that my dad didn't ride any rides, any kind of ride makes him sick for days. He wandered around the park and drank a beer. Since we were there on a monday night there were really short lines, I think the longest we waited was about three rounds of a ride. 

After riding for awhile, we decide to get supper. It was about 9, surprisingly. There was an asian noodle place in the park that our guide book recommended. It was very good. I ate probably 98% of mine with chopsticks, a feat I am slightly proud of because about a third of mine was salad. After supper, we decided to head back to the hostel. I decided to do one more ride on the Monsoon and  I met everybody else back at the hostel a little bit later. I then wrote up the first half of the day.

Day 3: Roskilde/Copenhagen Part 1

This morning we couldn't eat breakfast at the hostel. The Ipho convention people were in line that not only went out the dining room but out the front doors of the hostel.We finally figured out what it was: the International  Physics Olympics. I've had jokes poked at me all day because my Dad and Uncle associate me with all of nerdom. 

Anyway, We went straight to the train and went to Roskilde, which is about 18 miles outside of Copenhagen. The royal family lives there. We stopped at a little coffee shop for breakfast after getting off the train. We toured the cathedral and it is the WestminsterAbbey of Denmark. Almost all the Danish monarchs are buried there. It was fantastic. Made of brick and glass, it was the height of technology at the time it was built. There were hints of the animosity between the swedes and the danes, for example Queen Margrete I's dress was stolen by the swedes during a war. The original dress is on display in a museum in Sweden, while a replica is in the cathedral.

After the cathedral we headed to the Viking Ship Museum. It was like being a kid in a candy store for me, I love history and who doesn't find the Vikings fascinating. There were parts of 5 ships that had been sunk to protect the harbor in viking times. They had the parts along a fame so you could see what they would have looked like.  They also had replicas of the ships built that were actually floating next to docks around the museum. You were allowed to climb on them, so of course I did. There was also rope maker, blacksmith, and weever showing how the vikings would've done things. It was one of the things I had been looking forward to and it surpassed my expectations. 

Alright if you read my bloggers note here's the explanation of m injury. As we were walking back toward the train station to get lunch I twisted my ankle. I know what you're thinking, oh a twisted ankle just walk it off. Only thing is that it was my bad ankle. Now as I lay here in bed, it still hurts like heck and is a serious pain to walk on. I didn't actually eat pavement when I twisted it though so that's good at least.Now moving on to happier things...

We had another picnic, we sat at a truly bright orange picnic table in the square of Roskilde. After lunch, which was at about 2pm, we got back on the train to Copenhagen. Our next destination: Tivoli, which I shall tell you all about tomorrow because it is now after midnight and I need sleep. 

 By the way feel free to comment so I know someone is reading and if you have any questions I'll answer them.

Blogger's Note

Sorry to be putting these posts up not on the day of but I've had a hard time getting wifi or time to write for that matter. The posts I put up were written on the days though, I'm just posting them now. I don;t know that I will get Day three up today seeing as how it is 11pm here and I am tired and injured, more on that later. Thanks for reading!

Day 2:Copenhagen Part 2

After the drinks we were off again, back the Church of Our Savior. Aunt Deb, Uncle Chuck, Mom and I climbed the tower while Dad went and got food for a picnic supper. My dad doesn't like heights so we climb the towers and he stays safely on the ground. The views from the top were incredible, not only could you see all of Copenhagen, but you could also see out into the ocean and to Sweden. In the ocean, they have the biggest wind turbines I have ever seen; they stretch out in a long line.

Once we had climbed back down from the tower, we took a bus towards the Black Diamond, a building that leans out over the water. There are a series of large steps leading down to the canal and that is where we choose to have our picnic dinner. You may have noticed that I said nothing about lunch, that's because we didn't have any, so as you can guess we polished off everything pretty quick. We stopped at the bakery, had one of those giant cupcakes, which is more like the size of a regular cake.  

There is a sand sculpture contest going on along the harbor. We checked it out and they were so cool. There were about 15 sculptures and the tallest was thirty feet high. One was even dyed different colors: green and purple sand.

After the sand sculptures we headed back to the hostel. Surprise of all surprises the adults are drinking beer again, this time in the lobby. There is a giant group of people here wearing IPho shirts, I have no idea what it means. But they are teenagers from all over the world. I rode the elevator with what I think was a group of Chinese kids. Well, I'm exhausted. Signing off for some sleep.

Day 2: Copenhagen Part 1

Well, we found that the sun comes up some time before three in the morning here. We were all up by 5:45 this morning, I was of course up last. We grabbed a European breakfast buffet, which means meat, cheese, cereal, and bread. We set of in the direction of the Church of our Savior which has an exterior staircase on it's tower and is completely gorgeous. After a morning stroll through the park, we got to the church and it was closed. We decided to go to the National Museum.On the way to the stop, we found this amazing bakery that had the biggest cupcakes  I have ever seen. 

The National Museum was amazing. It was in an old palace. There were parts of it that were preserved as a palace. The rest was completely filled with everything imaginable. There was an awesome early Danish history exhibit that had an unfortunate number of bog bodies, essentially Scandinavia mummies. We hung out in the museum for a couple hours and grabbed something cold to drink. 

Then we went to the Christianborg Palace. We saw the reception rooms and the royal stable. It was incredible to walk through the halls that the Queen of  Denmark has walked through. It was so cool!

We then took a canal tour on a week old boat. It was awesome, the sun was shining, there was a light breeze coming off the water, and the tour guide knew her stuff. Not to mention we got a break from standing. Uncle Chuck said he was starting to get the permanent vacation smile on his face and I am too! 

After the canal tour, we headed for the nearest square and grabbed something cold to drink. The adults got beers and I have a coke.  We're taking in some of the Jazz festival as we sip. They're  playing "You are my Sunshine" funnily enough.

Day 1: Copenhagen

Technically not a full day but we packed some stuff in. After we got settled into our hostel, we set out on a self guided walking tour around some of the city.  We checked out the first pedestrian street in the world. The Copenhagen Jazz Festival is going on while we are here. We saw the University of Copenhagen. We also saw the Cathedral of St. Peder. At the Cathedral of our Lady, there isn't a statue of Mary due to the reformation and the city no longer being Catholic. There was also a huge organ and someone came in and played it while we were there. It was so beautiful! We saw some sort of Indian festival, there were some really cool dancers. We then stopped and had a picnic near the famous play house. We ate meat, cheese, bread, cherries, and cookies while looking out over the harbor. We walked back to the hostel and the adults had a beer. We were all asleep before 8:30. The sun was still high in the sky, thanks to being this far north.

Arrival

We made it! On our flight to Iceland the sun went almost down, it was a beautiful sunset/sunrise. It went to the horizon and then back up again. We arrived in Iceland at 6:30 am local time and it was a bright out as 10am would be at home. Aunt Deb was about 15 minutes behind us and caught up to us at customs, only to be separated again as her flight was 45 minutes after ours. We had about an hour to wait and then we were back in the air for another three hours. I was out cold for most the second flight, the stewardess had to wake me up for landing. We landed in Copenhagen at 1pm local time and got train tickets to take us to the city center where our hostel is. We didn't get our passports stamped at the airport...that has to be some sort of crime. oh well, not much we can do now.
We are now at the  hostel where we are staying. It is the largest in Europe. I about fit in with the age group everyone else  in the group looks a little old. We ended up on the twelfth floor, with amazing views of the city out our windows. We're off to go explore the city and try to shake off the jetlag.

Departure

Here we are in the Denver International Airport. We being my parents, me and Uncle Chuck, whom we met at the gate. Our flight leaves at 5:15 to Reykjavik, Iceland. We took our dog to be boarded while we are gone and our neighbors are going to take care of our cats. Everything's set and ready, anything left at home is staying there and my Mom has finally stopped doing work! Now we're just waiting to be crammed into sardine sized chairs for seven hours. It is well worth the pain for the adventure. John Denver's song is running through my head, "I'm leaving on a jet plane...." 

The Beginning

So I am going to Scandinavia this summer and instead of keeping a journal, I'm writing a blog about it. I don't know if anyone will read it but here goes. I'll introduce you to the people I'm traveling with, as no doubt they will appear in any stories I tell. My father, Ken: a first grade teacher and travel planner extraordinaire. He has a dry sense of humor and a tendency to poke fun at me.  My Mother, Cindy: A local government offical and the only person not related to my father's side of the family and long suffering because of it. My Aunt Deb: a lawyer and my Dad's sister. My Uncle Chuck: A banker and my Dad's brother. He's also a teaser.  Me: I'm about to start college in the fall and the youngest by far on the trip.
We leave on the fifth, I'll be adding to this blog everyday, hopefully. Telling anyone who's reading what we're doing, where we are and any fun stories that happen.