Tag: Norway
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Museums, Cathedrals, and Ice Bars
With just one full day left in Iceland, we decided not to spend it driving and simply discover what the capital city, Reykjavik, had to offer. It’s easy to rise early in the morning as it’s daylight 24 hours a day here at this time of year. Jason got up a couple of times in the night to get photos of how light it was late into the night. The Hallgrimskirkja is a tall cathedral at the end of one of the main streets of Reykjavik. We entered the main church and were struck by what we saw. Instead of…
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Farewell Norway, Hello Iceland
Today, we were off to our final destination, Iceland. We ended last night at our hotel with a drink in the hotel bar, reminiscing about the 3 1/2 weeks we spent in Norway and all that it gave us. We were sorry to have to leave, but good things come to an end, and Jason will probably return one day with his family. We love to get off the main roads into the back areas, hoping to see new things, and today did not disappoint. Hundreds of sheep lined the road, some with their young ones resting on the…
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Finding Comfort in Norway: From Glassblowers to Paragliders
When you think of visiting a few outdoor museums and markets, and it’s pouring outside, you quickly change your mind and drive all day. That’s what we did today. The skies were dark, and there was little hope of sunshine, so we decided to make the long trip through Sweden and back to Oslo in one day and stay there for our final three nights. We barely stopped along the way except for the mandatory breaks, like food and stretching, and with not much to see, it was an uneventful drive. As we crossed the border back into…
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From Gross to Gorgeous
The forecast didn’t look promising for outdoor activities in the next few days, so we decided to drive to Sweden and check off a few of the to-dos on our list there. What could be more exciting and unusual than The Disgusting Food Museum? We should have known as soon as we walked through the door and our nostrils were assaulted with unpleasant smells that we should turn and run—but no, we stayed. A sign upon entering said that no patrons had vomited in two days, and we were handed a paper bag in case we were the next victims!…
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Coffee, Vikings, and Hidden Giants
Coffee is usually our first stop if breakfast isn’t included at our hotel. Today was one of those days. At a lovely little shop on the corner of a street in Roskilde, Denmark, we savoured the aroma of freshly baked Danish pastries and the rich, earthy scent of coffee before our short drive to a Viking Museum. We were the only people in the parking lot when we had been there earlier and found it closed for another hour. Upon arriving back, the lot was filling up quickly, and we parked our tiny car in one of the many stalls offered. The…
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Expect the Unexpected
We planned a full day today, so we were off to central Copenhagen again for a trip to the famous Tivoli Gardens. Of course, first, there was the ever-present challenge of finding parking. Jason spotted an underground parkade, so we chose it. We drove through a garage door while a second one blocked us from going further. It was like we were inside a glass cube. He suddenly realized we were in some kind of automated parking room. “What have we done?” he laughed as he followed the instructions. “Exit your vehicle and take everything you need.” Ok. “Follow the arrow…
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A Quiet Stay and a Bustling City
Before heading to Copenhagen, we started the morning with a quick stop in Odense, the hometown of Hans Christian Andersen. We had a look at his childhood home and visited a museum that documented his life. It could have been more interesting. Still, it offered some insights and a few moments of fun, like a display of ‘The Princess and the Pea’ fairy tale and an unusual interactive exhibit of ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ that shows you in a mirror in fancy clothes while the tailors/con men attempt to convince you how wonderful you look in them. Copenhagen began with…
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The Wonders of Egeskov Castle
When Jason suggested we visit a castle he had found online, I agreed it looked pretty interesting. The decision to go there led to one of my favourite days. The Egeskov Castle, built in the 1400s, was not just a castle but a journey through time. From its humble beginnings as an unfortified village manor, it was transformed into a highly fortified stronghold in 1554. Today, it stands as one of the best-preserved moated Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. As we stepped onto the grounds, the castle beckoned from a distance, and we strolled through the meticulously maintained gardens on…
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Our LEGO Adventure in Billund
Our last two days have been filled with everything LEGO. We had a short drive from our hotel to our first stop, LEGOLAND Billund Resort, in the small town of Billund. LEGOLAND Billund Resort is the original LEGOLAND park, opened in 1968. Over 50 million people have visited the park since its opening. First, though, we had to stop for pictures of the vast swaths of lupins—beautiful flowers that so colourfully decorated the ditches along the road. I have only ever seen purple ones, but there is every shade of purple plus yellow, white, and pink here. Stunning! After parking…
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Caves, Jazz, and City Lights
It’s our first full day in Denmark. It’s hard to believe we only have two more weeks on this fantastic adventure. The sunshine surrounds us as we begin our first day of sightseeing. Caves were on our agenda today, so after a quick city tour, we headed to Mønsted Kalkgruber—the world’s most enormous lime pits. Mønsted Kalkgruber is a marvel. It’s a labyrinth of 60 km of tunnels, 4 km open to the public. These tunnels, all hand-dug, are a testament to human ingenuity. Some tunnels open to caverns as massive as castles, while others are so tiny that you’d…