Copenhagen Chronicles

After having travelled across Scandinavia, starting from Helsinki, in Finland, it was time to explore our final, and most eagerly awaited, destination, Copenhagen. Given all that the city has to offer, we were glad to have spent the most time here. It was just our kind of city, offering cycling, walking, green spaces and importantly, fantastic food. What more could we ask for? We bought the 4-day City Pass Small, which gives access to all the means of public transport in Zones 1-4 as well as the return trip by train from the city to the airport, if one is travelling light (not really a Mantri thing 😉).

We checked into the charming Coco Hotel just for a night, since we needed to book this last minute. I’m glad we got to experience it. Very cute, cosy boutique hotel and highly recommended if looking for affordable accommodation in this expensive city. Our first day was spent walking by the Christianshavn canal and getting a glimpse of the colourful, slightly notorious, lawless Freetown Christiania. Its’ Pusher Street is famous for its open trade of cannabis, which is illegal in Denmark. 

We headed there after lunch at Popl Burger, started by a core team of Noma (voted as the World’s Best Restaurant for several years) veterans. Little wonder then that the burger was the best we have EVER had and it’s going to be tough to beat!

The beer accompaniment was delicious too. With appetites sated, and a quick exploration of Freetown Christiania, we thought we would climb the bell tower of the Church of Our Saviour, which also happened to be in the neighbourhood. However, it was prohibited on the day, given the gusty wind conditions which rendered the climb dangerous. So, we decided to do the canal tour of Copenhagen, offered by Stromma, instead. A great way to see the city from the water and a must-do. This was followed by a stroll around Nyhavn, with its colourful houses, lively restaurants and narrow side streets.

The next day, we headed to Amalienborg Palace and walked to the statue of the Little Mermaid – the Statue of Liberty of Copenhagen of sorts. 

On the return, we walked through the beautiful Langelinie Park and past Kastellet, a 17th century fortress, back to the palace just in time for the Changing of the Guard at noon. The guards march from the Rosenborg Castle to reach Amalienborg by noon. A fun fact is that the bearskin hats worn by the royal guard, each weigh about 6 kgs and cost 50,000 Danish kroner! 

Following that, the beautiful Frederiksberg Church or The Marble Church, as it is more commonly known, for its rococo architecture, is a must-visit. Exquisite interiors! It has the largest church dome in Scandinavia with a span of 31m, resting on 12 columns, with the inspiration suspected to be St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Lunch at Aaman’s deli to taste the renowned smorrebrod, beckoned thereafter and it did not disappoint. The Netflix program ‘Somebody Feed Phil’, was the inspiration for some of our dining choices in the city, and most hit the spot. 

We decided to explore just one palace / castle from the inside and Rosenborg Castle was the obvious choice. It is reportedly one of the most well-preserved Renaissance castles in the world, with some of the rooms almost completely as they were when the castle was built in the early 1600’s. The castle was built by King Christian IV between 1606 and 1624. We were awestruck by the artefacts made of ivory and amber, dating from 1585 to 1850.

The crown jewels were spectacular too, as were the tapestries that adorned the walls. Well worth a visit. We decided to grab an early bite at the highly recommended Torvehallerne Food Hall before heading back to the hotel. The tacos and margarita from Hija de Sanchez were the highlight for me.

One can’t leave Copenhagen without trying one’s hand at a bit of biking, so we did so on two occasions. The first was before our visit to the Rosenborg Castle, around Ostre Anlaeg park and the second time, was in Faelledparken, the only park where one is allowed to bike within the park. For those interested in doing so, download the app ‘Donkey Republic’ and set up an account ahead. It is super easy to rent and return bikes on the app. The parks that were scattered all over the city really endeared us to the city. The lovely weather and cute fauna – ducks, geese and swans with their young – made for memorable moments. If one has time, Frederiksberg Park is really pretty and we are glad that we visited.

The following morning, we finally did get to climb the bell tower of the Church of Our Saviour and the views from the top made the gruelling climb worth it. Another must-do when in the city. Not having had enough of climbing 😊, we headed to climb the Round Tower observatory and popped into the adjoining Trinitatis Church. 

Of course, Tivoli Gardens is not to be missed and after resting at the hotel, we headed there in the evening. Lots of rides, performances, beautiful flora and the nightly illumination show at the end make for a lovely evening. Gasoline Grill burgers within the park and Letz Sushi at the Tivoli Food Hall sated our appetites while we were at it. 

Reffen street food is also not to be missed and an experience in itself. It is the largest street food venue in the Nordics – 6000 sq.m. in area and over 50 stalls, offering food from all over the world! We chose to go on a Friday for the ‘Beer and Blues’ fest. The Argentinian Fuego street food, Gosht – Kurdish street food and pulled pork tacos from Tacos Pastor were our favourites. 

So having ticked off all the must-dos on our list, the last day was spent walking down the popular Stroget street in town to pick up a few souvenirs. Finally, it was time to head back to Singapore and we were really sad to leave this beautiful region, though felt blessed to have been able to visit. Signing off till the next adventure…

 Nuts about NORWAY 

I had heard a lot about Norway in the context of experiencing the Northern Lights in winter. But what I didn’t expect, was for the country to be just as beautiful, if not more so, in other seasons. I have to thank all my friends who recommended that we make Norway the key focus of our Scandinavian spring sojourn.

From Stockholm, we flew into Bergen, “The Capital of the Fjords” and the starting point of our exploration of the country. Thankfully, we chose to spend 3 nights in this gorgeous town. We lucked out with a perfectly designed, centrally located apartment, a few minutes’ walk to the fish market, in the heart of town. We fell in love with the town from the get-go as it reminded us of the beautiful, little towns in Europe that we had come to love – Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic, Zermatt in Switzerland and the quaint Tuscan towns in Italy come to mind.

After having settled into the apartment, we couldn’t wait to start exploring the town on foot and what better place to start than the Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf. 

It is a UNESCO world heritage site and a reminder of the town’s importance as part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century. Many fires, the last in 1955, ravaged the characteristic wooden houses of Bryggen. Its rebuilding has traditionally followed old patterns and methods, thus leaving its main structure preserved, which is a relic of an ancient wooden urban structure once common in Northern Europe. After a longish walk, the Mantris had to decide where to eat and the restaurant at the top of the recommended list it was. As it turned out, our dinner at Bryggeloftet & Stuene ended up being the best of our entire trip. In fact, that day, we were fortunate with the food choices. Earlier, we had stumbled upon Kaf Kafe Bryggen, which serves awesome coffee and nibbles.

The next day, we took the Fløibanen funicular to the top of Mount Floyen, 

which is a must-do while here. The views from the top are breath-taking besides offering a lot of gorgeous treks. And trek the Mantris did. As a reward, we treated ourselves to the yummy soft serve ice cream at the café at the top before taking the funicular back to town. Feeling peckish by the time we were done, the scrumptious hotdogs from Trekroneren really hit the spot! After a bit more walking in town and a rest at the apartment, it was time for dinner at the fish market and we chose Fjellskaal. The fish and chips of cod were the best we have ever eaten!

On Day 3 we decided to do a fjord cruise to Mostraumen, 
which is highly recommended. The views were to die for! That evening, after a delicious Mediterranean dinner at Baban Grill Pa Kull, Nordnes beckoned for the sunset and we were sad to be leaving this beautiful town the next day.

The next morning, we embarked on the ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ tour which is a must-do for any visitor to the country. The journey kicks off with a train ride to Voss. From there, it is a scenic bus ride to Gudvangen, where we got our first glimpses of snow-clad mountains. In Gudvangen, we boarded a fjord cruise to take us to Flåm. The cruise passes the Naeroyfjord and Aurlandsfjord along the way. Absolutely stunning scenery! On reaching Flam, one has the option to continue onwards to Oslo after spending two hours in the town. However, we decided to spend the night at the lovely Flamsbrygga Hotel and boy, are we glad we did! 

The restaurant Aegir Bryggeri, which was part of the hotel, was amazing and where the boys tried the 5-course Viking plank, paired with 5 different beers. An experience in itself!

We had done a short trek prior to dinner but saved the more strenuous trek to the Brekkefossen waterfall for the next day since we were taking the train out only at 4.00 p.m. While we had to negotiate around 570 steps on the way up, the views from the top were well worth the effort. Then it was back for a pint at the brewery before catching the Flamsbana train to Myrdal.

The Flåm Railway has been described as one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world and is one of the leading tourist attractions in Norway. The train runs from the end of Aurlandsfjord, a tributary of the Sognefjord, up to the high mountains at Myrdal station. The journey features the finest aspects of the stunning scenery of Western Norway. The pictures speak for themselves.

With our cruise company making a last-minute change to the schedule, we ended up having just half a day to explore Oslo. We chose to visit the Vigeland Sculpture Park and the Fram polar ship museum, both great choices. 

The former is Gustav Vigeland's life work, comprising over 200 sculptures in granite, bronze and wrought iron. It was installed mainly in the period 1940-1949, but is a result of over 40 years of work.

Not only were the sculptures very impressive, but the park itself was beautiful and lovely to walk around.

Meanwhile, the Fram Museum contains exhibitions of the most famous voyages of global historical significance. The centerpiece of the museum is the world´s strongest wooden ship, the polar ship Fram, which successfully completed 3 polar expeditions.

The public can go on board to see her cabins, lounges, cargo hold and engine room. It was very interesting and the interactive exhibits at the museum contributed to the overall experience. After a quick bite at Oslo Street Food (since our first choice, Mathallen, was closed), it was time to board our DFDS cruise for Copenhagen. It was a wonderful journey, made even better with 2 Commodore cabins as well as lounge access. We had a blast in the bar, playing the Danish version of scrabble.

We were excited to be spending the last few days of our Nordic sojourn in the highly recommended city of Copenhagen, which definitely lived up to our expectations. More about that in a separate blog 😊

Wonderful NORDIC Sojourn

Our trip to Scandinavia in the spring of 2023 surprised on the upside. 

Before I proceed to detail some of what we experienced, a few tips to get a head start: 1. Travel in shoulder season (May or September), 2. Book accommodation and travel at least 3 months prior as prices start to soar closer to the date, 3. Book your own modes of transport rather than rely on tour companies, 4. Buy an eSIM card which covers all the Scandinavian countries to help with Google maps etc. and 5. Buy multi-day public transport passes in the different cities to make the best use of the amazing transport options available.

Our introduction to the Nordic countries started with a touchdown in Helsinki, where we spent the first two nights. In 2012, the city was awarded the UNESCO “City of Design” title, boasting its very own Design District. After checking in, the day was spent exploring the Toolonlahti area and Sibelius Park followed by the Senate Square.

Two things stood out for us. The Sibelius Monument, by Eila Hiltunen, dedicated to the Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius(1865–1957) and the 

Temppeliaukio Rock Church, a Lutheran church, which opened in 1969, built directly into solid rock. 

Besides sightseeing, food is key for the Mantris, so began the hunt for good food 😊 Ravintola Kannas hit the spot for dinner, while the Old Market Hall and all its delicious stalls were the best place to grab lunch. We tried the local delicacies of reindeer meat (which was too gamey for me), pickled herring and, of course, salmon in all its avatars, all of it delicious.

The highlight whilst staying in Helsinki, was the day trip to Tallinn, in Estonia, by ferry. The Old Town was simply magnificent. The meal at Rataskaevu 16 was also one of the best of our trip. Everything we ordered was not only beautifully plated, but also tasted divine. In our opinion, the restaurant is definitely worthy of a Michelin star rating. But thankfully it wasn’t, which meant that the meal was very affordable.

A trip to the 18^th century sea fortress, Suomenlinna, was also well worth the effort. The walk to the King’s Gate was interesting.  Famous for its’ bastion fortifications, Suomenlinna became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. Then it was on board an overnight Silja Line cruise to Stockholm, which was an experience in itself. We decided to throw in a couple of cruises as a means of transport in our itinerary, given that we hardly do so. Besides transporting you to the next destination, it also takes care of a night’s stay.

On arriving in Stockholm, we headed to the renowned Old Town, Gamla Stan. A visit to the Nobel Prize Museum was first on the cards. However, an unfortunate turn of events led to that being postponed by half a day. Hardly had we reached Gamla Stan when hubby’s passport was pick-pocketed! Apparently, this is pretty common in the Old Town, given the hordes of tourists. So people, be warned! Thanks to the amazing Singapore immigration authorities in Copenhagen and the prompt police response in Stockholm, we could continue with the rest of our holiday. However, we had to skip the Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace.

Given that there are several must-do museums and boat trips in Stockholm, it is advisable to get the GoCity pass which gives one access to most of the attractions. It also allows one to avail of the Hop On, Hop Off bus, though we refrained from doing so as it is pretty slow and not efficient. We preferred to use the Metro.

On our second day in Stockholm, we focused on seeing the 4 museums on our short-list in the royal parkland, Djurgården – Vasa, Skansen, Viking and Abba. The last is not included in the GoCity pass and it’s best that one books tickets in advance as entry is limited and by appointment only.

Vasa museum  was our favourite. It is one of Scandinavia's most visited museums and here you will find, the unique and well-preserved warship, Vasa, from 1628, embellished with hundreds of wooden sculptures. It is a Swedish warship which sank after sailing just 1,300 m into her maiden voyage because of a design flaw. It was salvaged after 333 years, from the bottom of Stockholm bay.

Skansen is the oldest open-air museumand zoo, opened in 1891 by Artur Hazelius to show the way of life in the different parts of Sweden before the industrial era. After extensive travelling, Hazelius bought around 150 houses from all over the country (as well as one structure from Telemark in Norway) and had them shipped piece by piece to the museum, where they were rebuilt to provide a unique picture of traditional Sweden.

The Abba Museum had lots of memorabilia – cars, outfits, etc. – with a few interactive stations providing entertainment.  While exploring the museums in Djurgarden, lunch at Rosendals Tradgard is a must. The simple offerings of this café were scrumptious. Other lovely cafes to consider for a quick bite in town are the chains Brod & Salt and Fabrique.

A must-do in Stockholm is the Under the Bridges of Stockholm ferry ride which gives one a great glimpse of the city from the water. We enjoyed the ferry ride to Fjäderholmarna, the closest of Stockholm’s Archipelago islands, as well. A lovely, early dinner at Fjäderholmarnas Krog made it worth our while.

So after having had a lovely introduction to the Nordic / Baltic countries of Finland, Estonia and Sweden, it was onward to Norway, which deserves to be dealt with in a blog on its own…