![]() My second day in Stockholm I started with visiting The Abba Museum. The Abba Museum is not included in the price of the Stockholm Pass and you have to purchase your tickets either from the ticket office at The Abba Museum or online. I opted to purchase my ticket online as this also gives a queue jumper. The cost of the ticket us 250 SEK (Approx. £20). Easily accessible by tram, if you’re an Abba fan or your like Abba like myself then this a must visit, it truly is a magnificent place. The museum not only takes you through the history of Abba, you can also get on stage and sing and dance along, sing in karaoke booths or dress up in virtual costumes, making it whole lot more enjoyable. Each room and exhibition play different tracks of music released by Abba, from some of your well-known songs to some the less popular songs that the released over the years. The museum will also take you through the lives of each of the singers, Bjorn, Benny, Frida and Agnetha, where they grew up, what their lives were like, how they met and how they got into the music business. There are videos and audio clips throughout the museum showcasing everything about Abba, making the museums experience even more enjoyable. Everything in the museum, from the costumes, instruments, dressing room, have all been used or owned by the members of Abba, replica dressing rooms have set up in exhibitions so can truly see how Abba evolved over the years. ![]() Once you reach the end of the museum, there is a little gift shop that sells a vast array of Abba Themed gifts and souvenirs, I opted to purchase an Abba fridge magnet to add to my ever-growing collection of magnets. Unfortunately this gift shop does not accept cash, though if you know how much you want to spend, then you can buy a gift card, pay cash and then use the gift card to purchase what you need from the shop. Which I could not have been happier as I know have an Abba magnet on my fridge. It was defiantly the best £20 ever spent and it would be top of the list for suggestion for things to do in Stockholm. The website states that you will walk in and dance out and you absolutely do leave feeling on high, which I did myself A short walking distance from The Abba museum or the previous tram stop is the Nordic museum, now I was in two minds as to whether I wanted to visit the place or not as I had quite a lot planned in such a short space of time, but as it was near buy and I had free entry with my Stockholm pass, I decided to pay a flying visit and see what the museum had to offer. The museum from the outside looks like a Nordic Castle, with its large spire in the middle. The museum has a large number of exhibitions in areas such as Nordic Light, folk art, fashion, interiors and tradition. With hundreds of artefacts, facts and displays, there is so much to take in at this museum. Some of the exhibitions I got to see while visiting the Nordic Museum were not only interesting but priceless in terms of value. If you visit and want to experience the whole museum then I would suggest setting a side a good few hours to take everything in. The museum also offers a café on the ground floor, unfortunately like a few other places, this only accepts card payments, so do bare this in mind if your wanting to have some refreshment’s while you’re at the Nordic Museum. ![]() One thing that Stockholm has to offer are a number of museums in particular Viking museums, one of the museums I chose to visit was Vikingaliv, quite simply as I was passing. Vikingaliv is a museum that brings the Vikings to life through an exhibition and even ride. Vikingaliv is based on historical facts combined with the most recent findings. Its free with the Stockholm Pass and is only a short distance from The Abba Museum. It’s not the biggest of museums, its relatively small in all honestly, however it is interesting and worth a visit, and with the museum not been that large, it doesn’t take that long to walk around. It worth a visit and it isn’t too time consuming. One selling point of this museum is that it has a ride, think of this ride as Ghost train, however instead of ghosts, it takes your through Viking life. Something different, but if you have an interest in Viking then its maybe worth a visit. ![]() Another attraction I would recommend and for my next point of call in Stockholm was Sky View. Skyview is a gondola ride with a panoramic view of Stockholm. Situated at Globen about fifteen minutes on the train from Stockholm Central Station, you will also come across the Ericsson Globe or known locally as Globen. Globen is an indoor arena that can house over 16,000 people and is the largest hemispherical building in the world. It can host major sporting events from hockey to handball, as well hosting concerts from Swedish and Global superstars, the globe has a height of over 400 feet, and built on the exterior of the Globen is Skyview. The gondola will take you to the top of Globen, where you will have 360-degree panaoramic view of Stockholm. The Skyview experience starts with watching a pointless video telling you about the history of Globen, and each of the four arena that make Globen, along with some safety instructions, that was ten minutes of my life I will never get back, I would have been happy with just the safety instructions. Anyway we were finally allowed to enter the Skyview Globe, to which we then start to climb the globe and it certainly wasn’t disappointing, the views are amazing. Skyview is dependant on weather and in certain weather conditions it does not operate, so if your planning on visiting, a quick check on their website is all that is needed to save yourself a thirty-minute round trip journey. So that's about it from this blog, keep your eye's posted for a little more on Stockholm, hope you have enjoyed this blog
Chow for now.
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An introduction to Stockholm and my first evening![]() Situated towards the South East, The Swedish capital Stockholm is a beautiful vibrant city, with plenty to do from Canal Tours, Viking Museums, The Abba Museum, Art Galleries, Museum’s and even an open-air museum showcasing life in Sweden over the centuries. Stockholm does not disappoint, and there is something for everyone. I was spoiled for choice. I stayed in Stockholm for three nights, giving me and two and half days to explore this multi-cultural city, and that was not long enough, I opted to purchase a Stockholm Pass, which gives you access to over fifty tourist attractions in and around the city. There is also another company that offer a sightseeing pass as well, this company is called Iventure. On balance the Stockholm pass is defiantly the better of two, as this gives you access to more tourist attractions, thus giving you more value for money. ![]() I flew from Copenhagen up to Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Arlanda Airport being the main international airport that serves Stockholm. Situated about twenty-five miles from the city centre, the Arlanda Express Train service will have you in the City Centre in less than twenty minutes. Tickets for the Express service are unfortunately not cheap I paid just over £40 for my return ticket, however it was the quick non-stop service that sold it to me. You can use other commuter services; however these take longer, and they are not nonstop. A bonus of purchasing a ticket on the Arlanda Express is your not restricted to getting a specific train at a set time, you can travel on any time train, so this perfect should you encounter a delay with your flight. The Arlanda Express will take you to the main Train Station in Stockholm city centre, the service offers free WIFI, charging ports and comfortable seating. Unfortunately with the Stockholm Pass I had purchased, transportation around the city is not included, however you can purchase a travel pass, which allows you unlimited travel on the commuter trains, metro, bus, boat and trams. I paid 260SEK (£21) for three days, which compared to some places I have visited is a good bargain, or at least I think it is. ![]() After travelling from Malmo to Copenhagen for my flight, it had been a long day. The Stockholm Pass I purchased had to be collected from one of the tourist offices around the city, it was mid-afternoon, and I had already selected my first excursion. A two-hour boat ride around the canals of Sweden. It was a warm sunny afternoon, and this was the perfect opportunity to sit back, relax and take in the sights of Stockholm. There are couple of boat tours to choose from, and with the Stockholm pass if you have enough time you can do all of the cruises, I opted to another shorter cruise the following day. The cruise I had chosen to do this afternoon was called Under the bridges of Stockholm. As Stockholm is made up of fourteen islands there is plenty of sights to see. The boat also has a bar on board so you can buy some locally brewed Swedish Beer, though it isn’t cheap, but it does taste good. The bar also offers, coffee, water, pop as well as some light snacks, so it has everything to offer. The set off point for the boat tour is down opposite the Island of Gamla Stan and The Royal Palace. Headphones are provided on the board, which you basically plug in, select your language so that you can also get an audio guide of the tour. The tour takes you through locks, some of the Islands including Sodermalm and Lilla Essingen. A fantastic was to take in the city and have stress free two hours, crew on board the boat is also exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable of the local area. ![]() For the evening I went for a little wonder to Island of Skeppsholmen, Skeppsholmen Island is beautiful little Island, where you can walk along the water front, there are various boats which a moored up, the island itself offers absolutely stunning views of Stockholm, and at night it look even more stunning, you also had some great views across the water of Grona Lund Amusement Park (Not as nice as Tivoli Gardens Copenhagen might I add). There is also one boat that doubles up as open-air bar, where you can sit on deck, have a beer, and it would have been rude if I didn’t. As this was a clear night, I sat backing watching the moons reflection on the water and as there were not many people around, listening to the rustling of the water up against the boat was so relaxing. Heading back to the train station was an experience, I got lost trying to find my way back to the city centre to head back to the train station, after nearly two hours, I finally got back on track and headed to the train station, only to get lost a second time, and having to rely on a local to get me back to the train station. By god was I glad when I got back to my AirBnB, as my anxiety was through the roof at this point. Thats it for this part of my blog on Stockholm, far too much to write for one blog, so keep your eyes posted for part two and three.
After a few days in Copenhagen, my next stop was Sweden’s third largest city Malmo. The Oresund bridge connects Copenhagen and Malmo and you travel across the Oresund Bridge in less than forty minutes and for as little as £25 return on the train, which makes Malmo a must visit, and this as one of my reasons why I chose this city and if you want to learn a little bit of Swedish history then there are many places around Malmo where you can learn this. Something that I’ve mentioned many times before is my liking for a canal or river tour, and I was in luck again in Malmo. Literally across the bridge from Malmo train station, you come to the departure point of the Rundan Sightseeing Boat, which is an hour’s tour of the Canal and the sights of Malmo. Also situated at the departure point is a little coffee kiosk where you can purchase tickets for the boat as well as some light refreshments. Now there is a little downside to this coffee kiosk, as with a of catering and bar venues in Malmo, they only accept card payments, and I don’t often take my card abroad with me, as I do not trust myself. However about a five minutes’ walk is the Malmo tourist office, where your able to pay cash for the Rundan Sightseeing boat. The cost is 160SEK which is equivalent to about £13 ![]() Unfortunately this canal you are not allowed alcoholic beverages, unlike previous canal or river tours I have done, but that wasn’t an issue, I just wanted to sit back and relax and enjoy taking in the sites of Malmo. The tour starts of heading out to the harbour where you pass the Monument to seafarers lost at war, where you turn around and head back into the Canals of Malmo. Heading along the Canal you pass Malmohus Castle and Castle Mill (Which is a Windmill situated next to the Castle). The tour also takes you past The Town Library, Main Fire Station, The Turning Torso (The tallest building in Scandinavia) and St Petri Church, our friendly guide we had with us, give us a little bit of history on each of the landmarks. The tour takes you under many of Malmo bridges, a few where you must crouch down to prevent you hitting your head. ![]() My first night in Malmo was the closing night of the Malmo Festival. Known as Malmofestivalen is a street festival that takes place in the heart of Malmo every year. With street performers, street food from all corners of the globe, and drink, culture and music from around the world. There is something for everyone at this festival, regardless of your age, religion or gender. Your spoiled for choice with the vast array of street food and international beers. There were two main stages, one of which where I ended up spending thee evening, enjoying a local Swedish beer and listening to the live entertainment. The festival returns this August and runs from 9th August to 16th August. Something I would defiantly recommend. ![]() My second day in Malmo was slightly more relaxing, my first stop was Malmo Castle or known locally as Malmohus castle. The caste was founded in the early 1400s thus making it Sweden’s oldest castle. For 40SEK or just under £4 you get access to the Castle, Transport Museum, a small Aquarium and Submarine U3, al located with walking distance, and a great place to spend the day. Also located in the castle is an aquarium, a little random and not something you expect but it’s great for families and young children, featuring many different aquatic creatures from around the world. A few minutes’ walk from Malmo Castle is the Technology and Maritime museum, which also houses Submarine U3. The museum takes you though some of the history of Swedish technology and Martine history. You can also climb aboard Submarine U3, if your claustrophobic then not something I would recommend, but you get a feeling. Submarine U3 gives you the chance to learn about submarine life during and after World War 2. A lot of the technical equipment used is still on board the Submarine and you also can hear first hand from veterans what life was like on board. Defiantly an education visit learning about Swedish history. My final stop for the evening would be Lilla Torg. Lilla Torg more commonly known as little square, is a romantic square, paved with natural stones, surrounded by beautifully designed buildings offers a little place to escape, where you escape the heart of Malmo and come from some food and drink. Like everywhere else in Malmo, the bars and restaurants in Lilla Torg are expensive, and while some of these establishments do accept cash payments, not all off them do, the menus on display outside the various establishments will state whether they are card only. I found a nice little bar, that sold light meals and offered some great beers from around the world. Whilst Malmo is vibrant city, by the end of my second day I was looking for things to do, if it wasn’t for the Malmo festival, I could have seen everything Malmo has to offer in one full day, one thing I would suggest is, if you’re in Copenhagen, stay an extra night, and spend one day in Malmo. Trains run from early in the morning to around Midnight, so you would have ample time to explore Malmo, have a light snack, dinner and a beer or two. Finally, if your travelling to Malmo by air, then Copenhagen Airport is by the far the easiest and quickest airport to arrive into as opposed to Malmo Airport. Not only Copenhagen Airport is larger and handles more international flights, it is also actually closer to Malmo than Malmo airport. The train that travels across the Oresund Bridge stops at Copenhagen Airport and get you into Malmo in less than forty minutes, where as the journey from Malmo to Malmo airport is considerably longer and you have to take the bus, which isn’t as frequent as the trains. Following on from my second blog on Copenhagen after visiting Amalienborg, my next visit was to Nyhavn, about a ten minute walk along the harbour you will pass The Danish Architecture Centre, as it was summer there were deck Chairs sat on the decking over looking the harbour and I though it be rude if I didn’t have beer from the stand on the harbour and sit, soak up sun, have a beer and relax for a wee while. Sat people watching was just perfect after been on my feet for a few hours and the beer went down a treat. I didn’t have time to visit the Danish Architecture Centre, however my AirBnB host did recommend it, and it is also covered in the cost with the Copenhagen Card, so its free. Basically, if you did want to visit the Centre, it showcases exhibitions focusing on the city developments. It also hosts the latest international trends in architecture so if this is something that interests you, then head down to visit, you have several other attractions with on ten-minute walking distance as well, so you tick a few things of the to do list. ![]() Anyway, I had finished my beer, so I got up and headed to Nyhavn, I’ve seen pictures of Nyhavn, and it is a truly beautiful places in the heart of Copenhagen. With a small canal in the middle separating either side of Nyhavn I was totally in awe of the place, looking up the kaleidoscope of colours of the buildings, Nyhavn well and truly has a Dutch feeling. Either side of the canal you are spoilt for choice at the vast number of restaurants, bar and coffee shops that Nyhavn has to offer, with most of them offering outside seating, not only that they were several boats moored up at the side, making this place look even more magical. Unfortunately, as this was summer, it was extremely busy as Nyhavn is very popular with tourists, and the only thing that does come with that, this that the bars and restaurants are little on the pricey side, like with all popular places. Fortunately for me I was not planning on eating or drinking here, I purely just wanted to visit to see it looked as stunning as it does on pictures, and it was certainly no let down. If the place was not as busy or pricey, I could have sat in bar outside for hours watching the world go by, this is simply a place where you cannot get bored. ![]() #For my final night, I headed back to my AirBnB, quick shower and my plan was to visit Tivoli Gardens and then head back to Town Hall Square to enjoy pride week (I will write a little about that in a moment). Heading back for my final evening in Copenhagen, I headed straight to Tivoli Gardens to have a look around. As I have previously mentioned Tivoli Gardens is theme park in the middle of Copenhagen City Centre, I arrived around 6.30pm and giving the time, it wasn’t to busy, giving me plenty of opportunity to explore this place. I used my Copenhagen Card to gain entry and unfortunately that all it does, gives you free entry. There are addition charges if you want to have a ride on the rides or play on any of the arcades, but for me I just wanted to explore and have a walk around the theme park and gardens. If you enter Tivoli Gardens from the entrance opposite the east entrance of Copenhagen Central Station, you immediately come to little path leading down to a selection of bars, fantastic, beer, why not I’m on holiday I might as well. One or two people reading this will be thinking “he’ll be drunk” well al correct you now, I wasn’t before any makes that comment. Sitting down with a beer on a warm summer night watching the world go by, I couldn’t ask for a better way to relax. Walking around a park, you’re not spoiled for choice, with rides for all ages, beautiful gardens to walk around, Tivoli Gardens will not disappoint you. Right in the centre of Tivoli Gardens there is open stage, called The Pantomime Theatre, where Tivoli Gardens will put on regular shows, there were no shows scheduled whilst I was visiting Tivoli Gardens, but I can only image sitting outside in the summer, watching a show would be unique experience. Walking around Tivoli I came across another stage, this time there was a performance on, and there were Ballet performers on stage, this just adding to the relaxing environment that Tivoli Gardens creates. Every evening after doing all the tourist shenanigans and sightseeing, unknown to me, it was Pride week in Copenhagen, with the main event and parade taking place at weekend. City Hall square hosted pride week, and this would be ultimately where I would end up every evening, having a few beers and relaxing after a busy day of sightseeing was perfect, City hall square consisted if a main stage, and a number of stalls from various LGBT+ organisations, most of Danish but a few well known once not to mention a bar that only sold one brand of beer Tuborg as well as spirits, fortunately I took a liking to Tuborg, which is part of the Carlsberg group. I got talking a guy whilst walking round the market area, and he was from a group called Sabaah. Sabaah which if I remember rightly was set around 2007, and the group was created to support the ethnic minority LGBT+ people of Denmark. The idea of the group that it creates a safe place for people from the minority community to meet up, socialise without feeling persecuted for the sexual orientation. The group is brilliant idea, as people who come from a Muslim, sheikh or any other religious background can connect making their lives easier. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to the guy and can only commend them for the work the organisation does. It’s hard enough for anyone young person to come out as gay or accept their sexuality, but for people from an ethnic background where they can ultimately feel isolated its even harder, and this organisation is truly an integral park in the Copenhagen LGBT+ scene. As well as Sabaah you have your usual market stalls from sexual health stalls, to Danish political group stalls. ![]() The main stage offered several different performances mainly live singers as well as a jazz band. There was never a moment where the entertainment was boring. My last evening however there was a performance from a very popular Danish singer called Anne Linnet. I had previously heard of Anne Linnet, she was a judge on the Danish version of The X Factor, but I didn’t think that was as popular as she was. The City Hall Square that night was jammed packed, and the atmosphere when Anne came out to perform was amazing. She sang in Danish and I didn’t have a clue what she was singing, and the crowds were singing along, but she fantastic, to the point where I was also dancing with a group of Danish girls. After doing some research Anne her self in married to a lady, so I can only imagine this why the Danish LGBT+ community had much love for this singer, and what better way to see my final night in Copenhagen. For anyone wondering Copenhagen pride week is on again 13th August to the 22nd August 2019, so if your planning a trip to Copenhagen, defiantly try to visit during this time. Also Copenhagen will host Euro Pride from 12th August 2021 to 22nd August 2021. All in all, Copenhagen is a truly beautiful city ad with a Copenhagen Card you have access to over eighty tourist attractions. In Copenhagen you will find a wide range of entertainment, culture and shopping n the opportunity to visit classic destinations like Tivoli Gardens and Copenhagen Zoo (something I didn’t do unfortunately). Copenhagen is on of Scandinavia’s oldest capitals, and what come with that is the gorgeous royal castle and old building, but the same time has many new developments and buildings making this a truly unique vibrant city.
Finally, I have mentioned the Copenhagen Card many times through these blogs on Copenhagen, without a doubt this is best money saving card you can buy. You have options to buy it over one, two, three or even more days, the good thing about it, it starts from the time you scan into your first attraction. For example if you purchased a three-day card, and your first attraction you visited was on Monday at 2pm, the card would expire at Thursday 2pm. The Copenhagen card also gives you unlimited access on public transport, so defiantly look into purchasing a one, for more information click on the link below to take you to the Copenhagen Card website. Continuing from my previous blog, my second day in Copenhagen was just as busy and I had plenty planned for the day. As an avid drinker and found of how beers are made, so the Carlsberg Museum would be my first stop of the day. A shot distance on what is called the S Train (About 10minutes) then a ten-minute walk. The Carlsberg museum is included with you Copenhagen Card if you have one, however that is just to visit the museum and for a free beer at the end. If you want to have a guided tour or do the beer tasting there are additional costs. I wanted to the beer tasting as well as visit the museum and I think this cost me around 160DKK or roughly Eighteen pound. At 11am in the morning, this was something I would regret as I did end up a little drunk when leaving around half past midday. ![]() The museum itself takes you through the history of Carlsberg and who Carl Jacobsen is, to anyone wondering he is the chap who founded Carlsberg back in 1847. Carl Jacobsen also funded for the statue of The Little Mermaid that I seen the previous day while on my river cruise. The first room in the museum, there is a collection of over Seventeen thousand bottles, which originate from the Carlsberg brand, I can’t help but feel sorry for who ever had to count them bottles, I would have lost count after twenty. Another one of the rooms you come into, takes you through the history of the brand and how it has developed into the brand it is today. Through out the museum are artefacts, equipment used to create the brand, all detailing this history and how the brand has developed over the years. Then came the best part, beer tasting. We got a little talk on how beer was made, and we got to sample for hops, hops are an ingredient used to give beer its bitter taste. There were three beers to sample, we had a Weissbier, Yakima IPA both of which were great tasting beers and finally a Porter which is dark and bitter beer which got the thumbs down for me. A great morning spent unfortunately if your travelling to Copenhagen, anytime soon, Visit Carlsberg is closed for refurbishment until 2020. Feeling slightly drunk headed back into Copenhagen city centre, I passed a nice little bar yesterday called Rosie McGee a two-minute walk around the corner from central station. I quick stop of, refuel and food and I ready to head of and continue exploring Copenhagen. Rosie McGee is affordable and plays live music, so its great place to stop of for light lunch or evening meal. Just around the corner from Rosie McGee bar is the Copenhagen Townhall, and one of the things Copenhagen Townhall has to offer is stunning views of the city of Copenhagen. With its 105-meter-high meter tower, it is one the tallest towers in Copenhagen, and what comes with that is the stunning views of the castle, churches and old buildings of Copenhagen. With being directly opposite Tivoli gardens, there are some great views of the city centre theme park. If you decide to visit the Town Hall Tower be prepared to walk up a lot of stairs over three hundred to be exact, so this unfortunately is not suitable for anyone who less abled or will struggle with the steps. This is free if you have a Copenhagen card. You can also get guided tours of City Hall at a small additional cost ![]() Christiansborg is another one of Copenhagen’s gorgeous royal palaces which is also home to the Danish government the Folketing and the Prime Minister’s office, which I had the pleasure of visiting. Located on a tiny island with in Copenhagen city centre it also houses the Supreme Court and the Ministry of State, a truly unique building, I don’t think there is any other building in the world, that houses so many features. The royal part of the palace is used by the Queen to host events for high ranking visitors to Denmark, such as other heads of state, also part of the royal section is the Thorne room and this where Danish Monarchs are proclaimed. From the main entrance to Christiansborg, the building itself looks like a palace, however a short walk around to the back of the building and you wouldn’t even think it was a palace. To side of Christiansborg are the royal stables, which are free for anyone to have a look around, and whilst I was there you could watch the stableman dress the horse in the royal saddles. For small fee you can also get guided tours of the Folketing and learn a little more about the politics of Denmark, however these fill up fast, and its best if you pre-book these, something I didn’t do. ![]() Amalienborg, which is the home to Denmark’s royal family is another must place to visit while in Copenhagen. Other than the United Kingdom, Denmark is the only other country in the world to have a Queen as their ruling monarch. Situated directly opposite the Copenhagen Opera house, it consists of four identical classical palace façades around an octagonal courtyard with a statue of King Frederick V who was the founder of Amalienborg. The two, palaces on the east side of the courtyard home the Queen and the other the Crown Prince of Denmark, Frederick. The North West building allows entry, where you can walk around a museum and learn about the history of the Danish Royal family. Entry to this is provided with the Copenhagen Card. As with all royal palaces, you can have the opportunity to watch the changing of the guards, unfortunately I did not research this, so never got the opportunity to watch this. As with most royal palaces around the globe, this often is a daily event, and they are always something worth watching. You never know what will happen, something I found out when I was watching the changing of the guard in Oslo (that blog will follow in the coming weeks). So for Copenhagen I have so much to write about, so I’ve decided to write three blogs on stunningly beautiful city and I need to keep these blogs short and sweet for you lot. Back in early 2018, I decided that I would like to do a little travelling across Scandinavia and Copenhagen the Capital of Denmark. August 2018 and Denmark were the starting point of my little travelling expedition. After doing some research into what there was too, I was pleasantly surprised, I had three full days to explore and with a vast array of royal palaces, castle, a city centre theme park, museums and the famous Carlsberg museum and beer tasting a new I would not be disappointed. Copenhagen is a historic city but at the same time youthful and innovative, which what made me fall in love with this city. The one thing you will notice is the vast number of people who cycle around the city, and the roads even have their own cycle lane. Arriving from my AirBnB, I collected my three-day Copenhagen Card from central station. A Copenhagen Card is a pass that gives you access to over seventy top attractions in around Copenhagen as well free transport in and around the city. So, this I would highly recommend if your visiting Copenhagen, it saved me over £150. The one thing you notice when you first step outside Central Station is the Theme Park, Tivoli Gardens, a great place to escape the Hussle and bustle of the centre, I will talk more about Tivoli Gardens in one of my other blogs on Copenhagen. ![]() There was one place that was top of the list that I wanted to visit, and this was a place called Freetown Christiania or simply Christiania. Christiania is an autonomous anarchist district right in the heart of Copenhagen. Located in Christianshavn area of Copenhagen, easily accessible by bus or metro, Christiania is well known for the open selling of Cannabis on the streets. Christiania is located on an old army barracks, which back in the early seventies, a group of hippies, broke into the barracks and squatted there and it has now become the area it is today, with a population of around nine hundred. With an array of building art, market stalls, street food and sculptures, its hidden gem. You not allowed to take pictures on the main street, due to the selling of Cannabis, however me being me, took some anyway. For around Fifty Danish Krone you can have guided tours by the locals and learn a little more of the history of Christiania, but for now it was time to head on to my next attraction. ![]() One thing I love it looking our over cities from high up, some of the views I have seen are breath-taking. One of the places that offered this in Copenhagen was tower called The Round Tower or Rundetaarn as it is known to the locals. Built in the seventeenth century as observation tower, its now open to the general public. You access the tower by walking up a steep walkway, which circles around the centre of the tower, closer to the top, there are a few stairs that you need to climb, before you can exit and walk out on the balcony at the top. The views from the tower are beautiful, Copenhagen has the feeling of an old town, and unlike most capital cities there are very few modern buildings and no sky scrapers. You can look out over the city and you can see the multitude of churches palaces and castles that Copenhagen has to offer. ![]() I opted to do a river cruise next, after walking around the city for a good few hours I decided I need to sit and unwind. As I previously mentioned in my Montreal blog, river cruises a great way to relax and unwind. The river cruise was included in the Copenhagen Card and as I was collecting my ticket, the guy who served me advised me to sit on the right-hand side of the boat, which give me the best views. Naturally it would have been rude to not purchase a couple of beers, so that I did, and I was sorted for ninety-minute relaxing sail through the rivers and canals of Copenhagen. The guide naturally was very informative, we got too see a lot of what Copenhagen had to offer. We stopped at the Little Mermaid statue, a very popular statue and I can not remember the exact number, but it has about ten new heads this statue, and if I recall correctly a new arm or two as well. We got to see many of the castles that Copenhagen has to offer, including Church of the Saviour. I never visited this church, but you can walk up to the top of the spire, which I can only imagine will again offer some amazing views of the city of Copenhagen. We also got to see the Folketing, which is there the Danish Parliament sits, as well as the Danish Opera house and many other interesting places. Day one was finally coming to an end and there was one final place that I wanted to visit. Copenhagen has a museum called Ripley’s Believe it or Not, if you have not heard of Ripley’s it a museum that houses items or details of events that you would question their authenticity. A great museum with a vast array of weird and wonderful facts. I wanted to visit the museum as I visited Ripley’s in Niagara Falls (watch this space for blog on Niagara Falls) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, having visited Ripley’s once, it did not have the same feeling. This not to say it’s not worth a visit, as I would highly recommend it, but I do recall the articles, facts in Copenhagen, were similar to what I seen in Niagara Falls in 2017. You have free access with the Copenhagen Card so please visit Ripley’s of you haven’t already done so, you will not be disappointed. Next door to Ripley's is the Han Christian Anderson museum, a Danish author best known for his fairy tales, not my cup of tea, but is free with the Copenhagen Card. Upon leaving the Hans Christian Anderson museum, which is located next to Town Hall and City Hall square, unknown to me, it was pride week, and set up in city Hall Square was a pride event, this is where I ended up each evening, and I’ll have a little talk about this in a later blog that I will write on Copenhagen.
Watch this Space for my second blog on Copenhagen! After our White-Water Rafting experience, we set of on our next stop of my Canadian tour, which was Montreal. About a three-hour drive from Bryson, where we stayed for white water rafting, I was already excited, for what Montreal had to offer, and I wasn’t going to be disappointed by this vibrant city. It was Monday 25th September and on arriving in Montreal, the temperature was already hitting 35 degrees, which broke the record for the highest temperate ever recorded in September for Montreal, this record would be subsequently broken on following days whilst were there. We had a Hostel booked, this time, and this was my first time staying in a hostel. I would never have even considered staying in a hostel, but other the very warm room, which was down the too heatwave, it was a pleasant experience. Staying in a hostel can be very cheap and affordable and you also get to meet like minded travellers, most hostels are very central as well, like ours was, so it makes it extremely easy to travel around cities. Our first visit in Montreal was Mount Royale. Mount Royal is a small mountain in the city, over seven hundred feet high, this where Montreal get is name from, Mount Royale. We opted for a taxi or cab to Mount Royale and can walk to the top of Mount Royale through Mount Royal Park using the vast number of stair cases and steep paths through a park . Its certainly not for the faint hearted, but its well worth the walk once you get to the top Mount Royale. At the top you Mount Royal Chalet which can host events, but also you get the most gorgeous panoramic views of the city of Montreal. The view is one that I will always remember, totally different from Toronto (watch this space, for a blog on Toronto) and Ottawa, not to mention a totally different feel to Toronto. Where as back in the UK, you kind of get the same feel from city to city. ![]() NFor the evening we headed downtown for food, and whilst Canada is more expensive than the United Kingdom, there is still plenty of affordable bars, where you can enjoy a decent meal and beer for around twenty-five dollars or fourteen pound if anyone is wondering what that would cost in Pound Sterling. We were fortunate enough to find a nice little Irish Bar, where we tucked into a nice meal, beer and put lining on our stomach as were going to explore the gay scene in Montreal. Situated in the heart of Downtown Montreal on St Catherine Street, are Unfortunately a Monday evening, the gay scene was on the quite side, though that didn’t spoil ambience these bars offer. The next day we headed to Nuns Island, a small island in the St Lawrence River, my friend Sam wanted to find a beach, but I had other ideas for the day, I was hungover and wanted to explore the city, so I turned around and let her trot of to find the beach. I headed back into Downtown Montreal. This was a decision that paid of for me as the beach was closed. A quick use of Google, I quickly found a place I wanted to visit, the first was Notre-Dame Basilica or a Cathedral. Notre-Dame is in the historic district of old Montreal, about a five-minute walk from the nearest Subway station. What got my attention to visit this place was, this was where Celine Dion married her husband René Angélil in December 1994. Notre-Dame would also host a memorial service, when her husband passed away in 2016. For Six Dollars you can entre Notre-Dame, inside is stunningly beautiful, and what caught my eye was the deep blue colours, and the blue and gold marble flooring. You could here a pin drop, and I was in awe of the atmosphere and the design and colours Notre-Dame. An exquisite place which would be at the top of my list of places, for anyone who would want to visit Montreal. ![]() From Notre-Dame I then headed down the harbour, with Montreal situated on a river, you have the option of doing a river cruise. I love river cruises as you can sit back, relax and while travelling along the waters of a city, you get to take in some amazing scenery as well as learn about the history and areas of the city. There a quite a few options to choose from in Montreal, but the one I opted for was a Ninety Minute, river cruise and a live guide. As this was in September, tourism was on the quieter side in Montreal, and there was me and around six other people on the boat. We were greeted by the captain, who owned the boat and who would also be our guide and there we were offered a drink from a selection of beers, soda and wine you could purchase. In my opinion there is nothing more relaxing than sitting back, on a sunny day, beer in hand and sailing along a river. We sailed along the Saint Lawrence river, taking in some of the picturesque scenery, we would stop at points of interest so he could talk to us about the different landmarks, building and points of interest. The captain of the boat was extremely knowledgeable, informative and pleasant, which made the ninety minutes thoroughly enjoyable. ![]() For my next stop in Montreal I headed Rue Saint Paul (St Pauls Street). Paved with cobblestones and situated in Old Montreal, is certainly has the feeling of an Old Town. With a vast array of restaurants, bars, coffee shops and souvenir shops, Rue Saint Paul is perfect to pick up those souvenirs, I always get instructed to purchase a tea-towel for my friend Claire and there was plenty to choose from here. Giving the unique location, surprisingly eating out on Rue Saint Paul is affordable. You do have your more upmarket expensive restaurants, but you also have restaurants where you can eat for a respectable twenty dollars that’s about twelve pound if your wondering. So, don’t think for one moment dinning out in this area will cost you a fortune as it will not. Rue Saint Paul is a great place to do some shopping, or escape from the your sightseeing to have a coffee or even a beer. Rue Saint Paul is also about five minutes walking distance to the harbour and Saint Lawrence River, so it definitely worth a visit if your ever in Montreal. I finally met up with my friend Sam, who had been on hiking tour around the city after she had the misfortune of heading up this beech to find out it was closed. After spending nearly two weeks together, having our own space for the day was perfect, which is always good if you’re travelling with someone. I had already eating at lovely restaurant called Montreal Poutine earlier. The restaurant had been quiet and the service from the staff was exceptional, so much that I left them a generous tip. For anyone travelling to Canada, be prepared to tip, as it customary and as restaurant staff get paid considerably less than the Canadian minimum wage, they rely on tips to make up their wages, therefor you get much better service than you do back home in the United Kingdom. I suggested Montreal Poutine to Sam, and we headed back there so she could eat, I naturally had beer, it would have been rude not too. To wrap up, Montreal is a beautiful city, as Quebec is a French speaking province, Montreal has that European vibe to it. In the Old Montreal you can get a horse drawn cart, to take you along the harbour, and whilst it is a large city, it doesn’t have that city feeling to it. Unfortunately, two days was not enough to experience Montreal and I will defiantly be back to visit Montreal in the next few years. But if please if you visit Montreal definitely do everything mentioned in the page, and any questions then please leave a comment.
![]() When my Canadian friend Sam told she had white water rafting booked, I was thinking, OK, what the hell am I letting myself in for. We spent the afternoon in Ottawa, and Sam and Julia who I was travelling with were wanting a night out, but I decided to be sensible and have an early night, as I was apprehensive of what awaited us the following day in Bryson. The following morning, we were up at the crack down, and we drove down to Bryson, which took us about one hours to drive from Ottawa. Leaving Ottawa which was in Ontario and travelling up to Bryson which is in Quebec the one thing I noticed as a passenger in Sams car were the road signs and the slightly different traffic laws, which if your a visitor to area, I would advise to do some basic research, as from Province to Province traffic regulations can vary. When we arrived at Rafting Momentum which is the name of the company at Bryson (link is at top of page, check out their website), you are literally in most obscure place, there is nothing in about a 10 mile radius other than the barn where they keep all the rafting equipment. As soon as we pulled up into the car park we greeted by a very friendly dog, which belonged to the owner and he was called Maverick. Once everyone who had arrived, we were all invited to sit in the barn and this was where we met the owners and host for the day. You start of the day by finding about the rapids and the water in which we will be on, and then come the safety instructions. At this point I'm sat here thinking OK, no turning back you have to do this, they explain how to wear your life vest, and helmet correctly. Before you do a rapid, the instructor / guide will tell you if you flip, you either, swim left, swim right, or let the flow of water pull you forward, they also tell you do not let go of your paddle. Simple instruction..... hmmmm maybe, I'll come onto that in a short while. I'm also sat here thinking, if the boat flips, sod the paddle, what about me. Your also told of you flip, the life jacket is designed to bring you back to the service in no longer than 5 seconds, also the rapids are not that deep. Safety brief over, bus packed up, we now headed of where we needed to be. At this point the adrenaline is pumping. We arrived at the our destination, we had light lunch, thankfully it was only light as anything else I would have probably projectile vomit in way that would make Linda Blair an amateur. Final safety brief, and here we on our rapids rearing to go. The adventure begins, they were two rafts, one for the experienced white water rafters, and a beginners boat, for anyone who hasn't done rafting before, which myself, Sam and Julia were on. Our guide on raft was young guy called Jamie, who was not bad looking either, so it made the day even more enjoyable. We set of on the water, and we approached the first the rapid. If any one hasn't been white water rafting before, what usually happens, before you do each rapid, your guide, will tell you about the rapid, how fast or slow to paddle, they might also tell you left side paddles quicker then right, and also what way to sit in the raft as you hit it, as well as what way to swim should the raft flip. The guides are experienced so will they let you know what you have to do to get through the rapid safely, most guides or instructors would have done the same rapid many many times, so trust me, they know how to approach them. So here goes the first rapid. Jamie told us everything we needed to know, and so we set off, I remember hitting the first rapid with such force, a wall of water covered us, then at that point, all I remember was falling in. Those five seconds that we were told at the start of the day, literally felt like a life time, I remember resurfacing and a there was a guy stood on the water edge shooting a direction, but when your in the water, your brain does not take in that information, as your in survival mode. We were eventually rescued by the other raft and some us were pulled out the water, at this moment in time, I was still traumatised and all I wanted to do was to go back to the shore. My friend Julia was crying, I hated it at this moment in time, and the other people on the raft manage to calm us down and reassure us, to carry on as we will love it. Pictures of us flipping below. I'm not exactly selling the idea of White Water Rafting in the paragaph Thankfully the rest of the day, wasn't as traumatic. The rapid section we done had about eight rapids, seven off we got through with out a hitch, our guide Jamie, took extra time to explain each rapid and what to do so that we didn't flip, the adrenaline and feeling you get when you hit each rapid, is like being on a roller coaster, except getting soaking wet. The eighth and final rapid was called the Colosseum, and we advised to go and watch other rafts do that particular rapid. After seeing the sheer brute force and strength of the rapid, myself, Sam, Julia and couple of other people on our rapid, decided to opt this one out, and when see Jamie and the remaining others challenge the rapid, we watch as the raft flipped. If I had of been of that raft at time, I think I would not have lived to tell the tail. It was then we drifted down the river, taking in the beautiful countryside, as it was late September, and fall was setting in, and you could see the array of colours in the trees. At the end of the day we headed back to base camp, where the company owners provided us with a couple of free beers, and bar-barque, and what a great way, too unwind, and socialise with the other people who took part. ![]() Finally.... If anyone want to do White Water Rating, deep down I did actually enjoy it. You get to meet some amazing people, everyone who was their on the day were friendly and we had really good laugh. You guides a very experienced, and know the rapids like the back of their hand. You have a life vest, so any age can take part and you also don't need to be a strong swimmer. So any opportunity you have, go a head and do it. You also don't need experience, most companies will operate on a number of rapids, and there will also be smaller, quieter rapids for which you can enjoy. Back in Autumn 2017, or shall I say fall as we are taking about Canada. I was with my friend Sam, who was taking me and a little tour of Canada, and Manitoulin Island, was one of the place she took me to visit. Situated on Lake Huron, Manitoulin Island is the largest freshwater island in the world, I am still waiting for this fact to come up on a pub quiz, but it I'm still waiting. We drove down from Sudbury, which is about a two and half hour drive and if you want to know a little bit about Sudbury, then I have another post, where can have a read (click the link below this paragraph. We arrived on the Island via the Little Current Swing Bridge. We were fortunate enough to see the bridge in operation, every hour on the hour the bridge will open, and remains open for fifteen minutes, thankfully we arrived at about ten minutes past the hour, so we only had a five minute wait. ![]() Once the bridge had closed, we were then free to continue our journey into the heart of Manitoulin Island and our destination Kagawong. Kagawong is a small community settlement situated in the North of Manitoulin Island on Lake Kagawong. Whilst Manitoulin Island is situated on a Lake, there are still a number of large lakes on the island itself. On our drive down to Kagawong, we stopped of at Grocery store, to pick up some groceries, one the things I will say about Manitoulin Island is that a lot of the smaller settlements have little or no shops, so I would advice you to stop of at one of the larger towns, like Little Current and stock up on groceries. Our first stop was at Bridal Veil Falls, which is a little hidden gem. A little waterfall, which os by no way means its spectacular, but its little beauty spot, where I found it was a great place to go and just chill. There is also a little hike that leads you down to the North Chanel with some great views of Manitoulin Island. The one thing I loved about Bridal Veil Falls, was that you could actually walk behind the waterfall, the sound of waterfall blocks all other sounds out, so just being able to hear nature, is a totally unique and exquisite experience. After spending a couple of hours at Bridal Veil fall, we got pack in the car and drove further down into Kagawong and to our Air B and B. The views of Lake Kagawong are not only amazing, but the areas are so peaceful, meaning you can truly relax and take in the fresh air. Our host Stephen was great and will do an article on my Air B and B experiences at a later date. The next day, we had the full day to go out and explore, one of our first visits, was The Cup and Saucer trail, a popular hiking trail on the Island. The trail is about one hour long, and it does involve a little climbing, when I say climbing there a few stairs, some ladders and some steep banks, as you effectively travelling up. I'm certainly not the biggest fan of hiking, but the views at the end of the trail, are out of this world. The only downside of our hike, was that we didn't have any clear sky, and the weather was the slightly cooler side, compared to what we had whist travelling around Canada. That however didn't spoil the views. If your looking for somewhere just to escape everything and just sit, listen to nature and take in the views, then The Cup and Saucer trail is something that I would recommend to anyone who is visiting Manitoulin Island. ![]() Another area of Manitoulin which we visited was Gore Bay, and situated in Gore Bay is a brewing company called Split Rail. I was lucky enough to come across Split Rail Brewing at an Harvest Feast dinner my friend Sam took me too. I got chatting to this extremely pleasant girl after sampling four of the beers they brew, and t was then I made a promise with that girl we would visit Split Rail Brewing, and that we did. Split Rail Brewing is one of hundreds of small brewing companies in Canada and the good thing about these brewing companies is that the beer is not mass produced, meaning, you got a proper tasting beer. The company make only four different types of beer, those being a Copper Larger, an Amber Ale, a Hawberry Ale and a Stout. The Hawberry and Amber Ales were by far my favourite, and I give instructions to my friend Sam to head back to Manitoulin Island to stock up for me for my visit Christmas 2018. Hawberry for anyone wondering come from the Hawthorn plant A few minutes drive from Gore Bay, you can go on a small hiking trail, thankfully this hike was not as long or involved much climbing as The Cup and Saucer trail, but at the end of the trail your get some spectacular views of Gore Bay and Lake Huron. Lake Huron as some of you may know is one of five of the great lakes of Canada and what better way to enjoy the views, was with a Split Rail Brewing Beer. Luckily the sky had cleared up for us, which allowed to truly enjoy the views. In the summer months, who can look down on the bay and watch the water sports that go on down their. So that about it for this blog on Manitoulin Island. Definitely worth a visit if your in that area of Canada, and something that I would recommend to anyone who may be in the area. If you are visiting you will need a car, as there is not really a transportation system on the Island, and also stop of at a Grocery store and Beer store to stock up on supplies, as you only really find shops in the larger towns. Manitoulin Island would be ideal for anyone who enjoys long hikes, with amazing scenery, as it would suit anyone who enjoys who cycling. Plenty of open spaces to get and enjoy the area.
My first post, so bare with me, whilst I understand how this site works.
So for my most recent, travel experience, I headed across the pond to Canada. My first stop in Canada was to a little town in Northern Ontario where I spent Christmas and New Year with friends. With temperatures averaging -20, and more the snow than Ill ever see in a lifetime, I truly got to experience a Canadian winter. Whilst you may think -20 is cold, well it not that bad actually. It felt colder in Toronto and then the temperature was only 2 degrees. The good thing about Sudbury is, that it was a dry cold, where as Toronto which is situated on Lake Ontario, you get that cold, damp feeling with the cold. There are a few things to do in Sudbury, you can go on a number of hiking trials, something you may not want to do in -20, but I ventured out on a small trail, with one of my Canadian friends, her son and her adorable Newfoundland dog, Motley. There a good view bars and restaurants to visit, but be prepared to walk or use public transport. You also have the Nikel Centre, Science North which is a science museum and another point of interest I would recommend is Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, which looked like a winter wonderland in the snow, but also offers you some great views of the town of Sudbury. Another must thing to do, if you ever get to visit Subury, is to watch there local Ice Hockey team. This was my second time, watching the Sudbury Wolves, and ironically they were playing the same team, and the lost, both times. If you have never watched Ice Hockey, then this is something I would recommend. The games a fast and can be aggressive, however rules have changed recently meaning, that there is not so much physical contact now. I also got to try curling. Having watched Curling in the Winter Olympics, I though they make that look so easy. How wrong was I. It was actually quite hard, and attempting to keep your balance, push a stone on the ice, whilst travelling, is not easy. When you also see the teams sweeping the ice, to create friction for the stone, well lets say I didn't need to go to the gym that day, as my arms got a pretty good workout there. However this was a thoroughly enjoyable day. We also done an escape room, where you get locked in a room and have to solve a number of linking puzzles to get the code to get out. We literally done this with seconds to spare. If you have Facebook, search Sudbury Original Escape Room. The two rooms, have themes which are currently the Chernobyl Disaster and The Hartford Circus. The guys who runs the escape room, clearly put the time and expertise into these rooms, and is very knowledgeable about each of the disasters. Again another great afternoon. One thing that I got to experience, which is very popular with the locals was Porketta Bingo, at the Beef and Bird Pub. Whilst hiding from the cold, you get yourself a few beers, then at 3pm, your play Porketta Bingo. Where you get 3 playing cards, and as with bingo, when your card gets called out, you place a marker over it. If and when you get all 3 cards, you shout PORKETTA and you basically win a bowl of Porketta (pork) with some bread, I won once, and if its your 1st time, everyone shouts "He's a virgin" which add to the fun atmosphere that this event creates. So if anyone ever ventures to Sudbury, head to The Beef and Bird to experience this event. A little note, it gets very busy, so make sure arrive early, doors open at 11am, so get there then, to get a decent seat. So whilst Sudbury is away from the major cities of Canada, there is still plenty to do and there is something for everyone. |
James CMy name is James, I'm from Newcastle UK, and wanting to share my travel experiences with everyone Archives
February 2020
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