COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
Arrived in Copenhagen to a low 20ish degrees - extremely pleasant after the heat of the
Middle East. We met the rest of our group in the evening – 48 others on what
for us looked like a very crowded Trafalgar Tour. It didn’t take long to work
out that Trafalgar is not yet our kind of touring, although Guide Jenn has been
very pleasant and co-ordinated mass evacuations and arrival very
professionally. Our hotel in Copenhagen overlooked the canal on the afternoon
of the Copenhagen ironman.
The heat intensified a bit [but still very pleasant] and it was great to see so many people out sunning themselves and cheering on the athletes as they ran past our hotel on the canal walkways. The afternoon was started with our orientation walk into the shopping area of the old city where a visit to the only Lego shop in Copenhagen captured our fancy. We constructed our own Lego men and then bought three! Our first morning took us on a tour of the old part of Copenhagen and rather than take the optional extra of a trip to the ‘Danish Riviera’ we decided to stay in the city and visit more slowly, the places we had basically bussed past in the morning. And so we got to see the Little Mermaid and the castle in the garden [Rosenborg] as well as the Round Tower which gave us our high views of a very flat Copenhagen in the Vesterbro District.
It was great to wander around and visit the city, which a two hour bus trip was never going to allow. We sneaked in as much as we could before the rain came [again!] in the afternoon but after a slow walk [we were actually lost for a while] back to our hotel by way of familiar landmarks of Tivoli Gardens and City Hall, and the re-emergence of the sunshine, we wandered back into the city for a Pizza and beer dinner. Lovely!! It was interesting to be sitting under the gas heaters even at this time of the Danish summer.
Views from the hotel room: Triathlon Course and sunrise....Copenhagen
The heat intensified a bit [but still very pleasant] and it was great to see so many people out sunning themselves and cheering on the athletes as they ran past our hotel on the canal walkways. The afternoon was started with our orientation walk into the shopping area of the old city where a visit to the only Lego shop in Copenhagen captured our fancy. We constructed our own Lego men and then bought three! Our first morning took us on a tour of the old part of Copenhagen and rather than take the optional extra of a trip to the ‘Danish Riviera’ we decided to stay in the city and visit more slowly, the places we had basically bussed past in the morning. And so we got to see the Little Mermaid and the castle in the garden [Rosenborg] as well as the Round Tower which gave us our high views of a very flat Copenhagen in the Vesterbro District.
Round Towers, Mermaids and Palace Guards, Copenhagen
It was great to wander around and visit the city, which a two hour bus trip was never going to allow. We sneaked in as much as we could before the rain came [again!] in the afternoon but after a slow walk [we were actually lost for a while] back to our hotel by way of familiar landmarks of Tivoli Gardens and City Hall, and the re-emergence of the sunshine, we wandered back into the city for a Pizza and beer dinner. Lovely!! It was interesting to be sitting under the gas heaters even at this time of the Danish summer.
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
The trip to Stockholm was long – a bus ride of around 10
hours by the time we got held up in road works approaching Stockholm city. It
was almost straight to dinner in the hotel [a quality hotel meal and well-worth
waiting for] but that was day 1 – travel and dinner, and much of it in rain or
cloud. The next morning dawned grey but it was mild, again around 18 and we
again headed off to do an orientation bus tour of the city.
This was followed by a visit to City Hall and the Vasa Museum which housed a sunken ship [sunk in 1628 on her maiden voyage – rather like the Titanic] and which was excavated from the mud in Stockholm 300 years later in near pristine condition. An amazing sight and well worth seeing. An early sailing on the overnight ferry to Helsinki meant we had to board the boat at about 3.30pm and we set sail [so to speak] for Helsinki at exactly 4.45pm on schedule.
It was an amazing crossing experience. It seemed like there was a shopping street on the boat – heaps of entertainment; sunshine to sit ion for the early part of the evening and a chance for a Finnish beer as we sailed past island after island in Sweden’s archipelago. Cruising is great – but not good for the belly line, especially when, in a two hour window there is free food and alcohol. And a lovely meal as well. Post dinner saw a visit to ‘mainstreet’ to get rid of our Swedish Krona before a view on deck and an early retirement about 9.30.
The cruise was VERY comfortable and we only experienced a bit of pitch and little roll around the early hours of the morning. While there was no chance of a Titanic we got to the vessel’s bow and had great views of the surrounding area as we headed into the morning sun and the myriad of islands that make up the Finnish archipelago.
Early morning view of Stockholm The Vasa having been raised from its watery grave
This was followed by a visit to City Hall and the Vasa Museum which housed a sunken ship [sunk in 1628 on her maiden voyage – rather like the Titanic] and which was excavated from the mud in Stockholm 300 years later in near pristine condition. An amazing sight and well worth seeing. An early sailing on the overnight ferry to Helsinki meant we had to board the boat at about 3.30pm and we set sail [so to speak] for Helsinki at exactly 4.45pm on schedule.
Changing the Guard at the Royal palace - about lunchtime!
It was an amazing crossing experience. It seemed like there was a shopping street on the boat – heaps of entertainment; sunshine to sit ion for the early part of the evening and a chance for a Finnish beer as we sailed past island after island in Sweden’s archipelago. Cruising is great – but not good for the belly line, especially when, in a two hour window there is free food and alcohol. And a lovely meal as well. Post dinner saw a visit to ‘mainstreet’ to get rid of our Swedish Krona before a view on deck and an early retirement about 9.30.
Looking around the inner city streets of old Stockholm -with a reminder!
The cruise was VERY comfortable and we only experienced a bit of pitch and little roll around the early hours of the morning. While there was no chance of a Titanic we got to the vessel’s bow and had great views of the surrounding area as we headed into the morning sun and the myriad of islands that make up the Finnish archipelago.
HELSINKI, FINLAND
After leaving the ship we were whisked around Helsinki [ not really that much to see] but
we thoroughly enjoyed the ‘feel’ of the city as it basked in a highly unusual
20 sunshine.
Finns by this time have usually kissed summer goodbye but today was very pleasant. We were taken to the Olympic Stadium [Helsinki hosted the 1952 Olympics, the first post-WW2 Olympic event] and they still seem to eke it out. At around lunch time we were dropped off in the Central Market area [as it turned out only about a 10 minute walk from our hotel] where we mucked in with locals and visitors alike for a market lunch.
Hope it doesn’t have negative
consequences!! A visit to the Lutheran Church and a perch on the steps in the
sunshine filled in the early afternoon. Later in the afternoon, having checked
kin to the hotel we wandered back to the Harbour and bought a 90 minute harbour
cruise to explore the islands of the inner city in a more leisurely and
intimate style. Perhaps we like the place so much because it is coastal [as are
both Stockholm and Copenhagen] and it was nice to experience the sunshine and
last rays if summer warmth, before the dark days of winter begin to approach.
Sun up is still around 6.30 and sunset not until about 8.45 but the days are definitely getting shorter. It won’t be too long before the ice rinks come out and the Baltic freezes over – at least around here in Helsinki.
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| Easy and comfortable overnight travel between Stockholm and Helsinki |
Finns by this time have usually kissed summer goodbye but today was very pleasant. We were taken to the Olympic Stadium [Helsinki hosted the 1952 Olympics, the first post-WW2 Olympic event] and they still seem to eke it out. At around lunch time we were dropped off in the Central Market area [as it turned out only about a 10 minute walk from our hotel] where we mucked in with locals and visitors alike for a market lunch.
Churches old and modern are standout features on Helsinki's Urban landscape
Helsinki's Central Market on the waterfront Monument to Johan Sibelius, Finnish composer
Sun up is still around 6.30 and sunset not until about 8.45 but the days are definitely getting shorter. It won’t be too long before the ice rinks come out and the Baltic freezes over – at least around here in Helsinki.
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