Thursday 30th July  Day 9

“Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen”, so the lyrics go from the film Hans Christian Andersen and how true it is! What a wonderful city, but with beer at £6.00 a pint, we won’t be emigrating  - ever!

Wherever you queue in Scandinavia, there is always a ticketing system and regardless of how many there are of you, if the number says 58 and you are 99, and there’s no one else in the queue, you have to wait for the numbers to tick through. Having bought our tickets to Copenhagen from Malmo, we then realised that we’d bought the wrong ones, so had to queue again and go through the dreaded ticketing process again, however, it did save us £30.00.

Tivoli Gardens... exquisite and so tiny!

We walked straight out of the  station into Denmark’s second biggest attraction - the Tivoli Gardens, the biggest being Legoland in Billund. The gardens were much smaller than we had anticipated, but it was a fun place and beautifully decorated. Probably everything that Alton Towers should aspire to; clean pleasant and welcoming. 

We went to watch the sharks being fed and having experienced Cape Town, where two divers complete with chain mail along the length if their arms immersed themselves into a massive aquarium, I was a little disappointed to see that these black tipped and hammerhead sharks were no longer than 3 ft long!

We headed for Nyhavn, which means new harbour, (as it was in the 1700’s) a really attractive little port that must have been bustling in its day. Lovely colourful buildings surrounded by bars, restaurants and all manner of marine craft. Apparently this is where Hans Christian Andersen lived and dreamt up all his fairy tales!

Nyhavn, bustling and beautiful

We then marched (Kate and I don’t do “dawdling”) to see the changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace, a ring of four identical buildings which is the winter home for the Danish Royal Family. This is not a “Buckingham Palace” extravaganza style operation and whether you are sexist or not, when at least one of the guards is female, it doesn’t seem quite politically correct!

Hmmm.... me thinks some were a little too girlie?

Kate (with some persuasion and a certain amount of trepidation) and I then wandered off to an area that I had heard about called Christiania. 

The Mafia and all sorts moved in and used it as a distribution centre to feed the European lust for all manner of drugs. How things change! As it has cleaned up its act, the Danish Government has now given the Christiania commune self governing status. You can even buy shares in Christiania to help them in their quest to continue to self-govern. Interestingly, no photos are allowed and when you are in amongst it all, you can understand why. Little kiosks are everywhere selling “stuff”, with each attendant wearing dark glasses, a hoody and a bandana covering their faces. This is despite notices everywhere stating that buying drugs is illegal. Restaurants abound, although they are more like cheap cafes selling a lot of veggie dishes! It would appear that if you can’t crush the illegal system, then the answer is to give it “independence”. I would have loved to take a photo, but preferred to keep both hands. Look it up on the internet.

It’s all in complete contrast to Copenhagen which makes it all the more interesting.

The Amelienborg Palace and the same Polo shirt once again!

So, we elbowed our way through the throng of camera clad Japanese and just like them, snapped away! So, not only are we on an intrepid adventure, but at times, we are also mere tourists as well!

The Little Mermaid meets Aqua Marina from Stingray!

Then  we joined a happy throng of Danish youngsters all sitting and squatting beside the canal! Armed with cans of beers they were all waiting for Tors Alan Nilsson, something of a come-back king as he was big in the nineties and all the youngsters have taken to him so he’s having a bit of a revival. Kate and I, once again, being the youngest in the crowd by some considerable years, bagged our spot , bought some “tinnies” and waited for Tors, who was performing in the restaurant the other side of the canal. One and a half hours later he strummed away and we decided he was Denmark’s answer to Van Morrison.

Tors Alan on the left bank and Kate in the throng on the right. Canoeists and some chap with his platform and outboard motor.

Copenhagen was a typical “Kate and John Full On Day!” We caught the train back and collapsed into our little pod. Because of the prices, we munched on a sandwich on our train journey back over the bridge and chatted to a Ghanaian chap who, like many in the area, live in Malmo (it’s cheaper) and work in Copenhagen, where salaries are much higher.

The photo just had to be taken. The zoom on my lens proving its worth!

Wednesday 29th July 2015. Day 8

Our first real grey day weather-wise and as we are in Trelleborg, a port on the southern tip of Sweden where not a lot has happened since the fort was used as a staging post by the local Vikings. 

We caught the bus to Malmo, Sweden's third city and booked into a hotel right by the railway station. (Stockholm and Goteborg are larger!)

We had spent that morning in Trelleborg booking ferries, trains and accommodation as far ahead as possible. I am not sure we appreciated how much admin time we were going to need! We have to be sharp-minded.... location is key to exploring a city as is the budget. Bearing in mind we both have our worldly possessions with us in two rucksacks, we need to make sure that our transition phases from train or bus to hotel and visa versa are as painless as possible!

We have cracked it though! As each rucksack weighs at least 25 - 30 kg and we also have a separate day pack (5 -7  kg), we need to be super efficient and organised. So, this is how it works!

Getting on a train:

Kate hops on and grabs two good seats and 'bags' them with her jumper! She then returns and I pass one rucksack to her which she holds on to. I then cross the threshold with the other, carrying the day pack on my back. Kate then sits down and I store them some where visible. If this is not feasible, I lock our rucksacks together using a high tensile wire I purchased with two eyelets. I strap them together and also tether them to a (preferable) metal pole on board!

Getting off a train:

Kate hops off and I pass one rucksack to her and then leap off with the other. We also have got into the habit of doing a "swoop"; a final check to ensure we haven't left anything behind.

Stairs:

To a certain degree, we are experiencing the travelling travails of the elderly or disabled. Stairs are a nightmare' and we use the escalators or lifts where possible. If not, yours truly grabs a rucksack in each hand and 'sweats' it to the top or bottom of the stairs. So, one question we do ask hotels (and soon to be hostels), is whether they have a lift or not!

(A side note: In Welsh, a microwave is translated as a "poppity-ping", which is rather lyrical and a very good onomatopoeic. In Swedish, a lift is translated as a "hiss".... ) When there has been no lift and two flights of stairs, there are times when I've been rather hissed off!)

Got chatting to the hotel owner in Trelleborg, whose daughter had just graduated from Warwick University! Small world!

The internet is becoming a "best friend" and we are now highly tuned to checking into a hotel and asking for the wi-fi code almost immediately. No internet  means no accommodation later in the week, so we are now trying to stay one step ahead.... just like some of our friends and family who go on holiday with another holiday already booked!

To save money, we have cancelled the roaming facilities on both our mobiles so as not to incur massive phone bills. It does mean we can only communicate where there is wi-fi. Elle informed us that if ever we are stuck, to just plonk ourselves in a McDonalds anywhere in the world as they always have free wi-fi. So they have some benefits after all! However, it is incredible now how common wi-fi is these days. Nearly every restaurant has access to wi-fi, so we often nip into places to catch up!

Our hotel was right on the river and opposite the main station. The good news is that it had a really good "pub" about 5 doors down selling some interesting beers, including one brewed north of the Arctic circle!

The hotel room was very interesting and a style that we will no doubt encounter later in our travels. It was a pod...tiny, with a small double bed and certainly no room to swing a cat and so small, that you could go to the loo, brush your teeth and change channel on the telly without moving, whilst repacking your rucksack.

I had finished my book that Chris Goldy had given me, so I gave it to Gustav, the young chap on reception who had been so helpful. On that note, aren't the Scandinavians great people. Generally very helpful, articulate, well mannered and pleasant - unlike the bl**dy Russians - but more of that later!

That evening, we encountered sky-high Scandinavian prices. Malmo city centre was buzzing. Everyone seemed to be out enjoying an expensive meal - except Kate and I. The prices are extortionate! So, off to a Burger King it was, so I guess with their prices and free wi-fi, they do have a place on the high street!

Another practical oddity we noticed, is that every restaurant with outdoor seating provides everyone with a blanket, so it's not uncommon to see a whole bunch of people under a canopy all wearing the same coloured blanket! But why not in England?

The Twisted Torso! Sweden's highest building

Apologies! I know I am miles behind, but klife has been hectic. Now have four days on a train to catch up!)