A Touch of Cold

Thomas woke up today feeling like he is getting a cold. This is unfortunate as I have struggled with a chest, throat and sinus cold for the last week and I did not want him to get it. I hope that he does not get the same cold that I have had as it wicked and has definitely impacted our holiday. The poor guy is sleep deprived by all my coughing and nose blowing 24 hours a day. I think we need to visit another Apoteket to get more Strepsil lozenges as they won't last until morning if we are both using them. 

After the rain stopped this morning the weather turned cooler and it took two coats to keep me warm. The title refer to two different types of cold.

We enjoyed the Konstmuseet and artworks by European and Scandanavian artists. The Fish Church/Feskekorka and Haga District were satisfactory but nothing to write home about. I loved the 200+ stairs climb to the Skansen Kronan an old fortress that is now a conference and wedding venue setting. The panoramic views of the city were fantastic and I am glad that Thomas kept walking in the direction where we found the steps.

For lunch we had an amazing fish soup that made our colds feel somewhat better and at the same time the clouds parted and the sun warmed us in the outdoor cafe. We have enjoyed out time here but are ready to move on. I am a bit worried as I have read that Norway is more expensive than Sweden. Laundry will be our number one priority in Oslo as we are wearing the same warm clothes over and over and they all need washing. I have already found a laundromat 30 minutes from our Hotel so we can do it and ensure that none of our clothing gets destroyed. We are staying at the First Millenium Hotel and hope that it is as great as our last two hotels.

Glorious Gothenburg

Our train trip from Copenhagen to Gothenburg went smoothly and less transfers were needed thanks to the recommendation from a ticket distributor to take an earlier train to Malmo and avoid the previous transfer scheduled at the Copenhagen Airport. This gave us additional time in Malmo to walk around and see the sights around the train station. 

Our hotel is cozy, comfortable and compact and close to all sights. Hotel Vanilla has a public cafe which serves delicious desserts and we are looking forward to their breakfast experience in the morning. We would definitely recommend our temporary home to others as our room called the "Peppar Room" feels just like home. We are only a 3 minute walk from the Domkyrkan cathedral.

Gothenburg is a bustling city and the cafes are packed with friends sharing drinks and food. We are amazed at the number of young people sitting in the cafes and wonder how they afford it! Fashion is a priority with most and we appear to be too casual in our hiking clothes. Clothing, drinks and dinners out must take most of their earning! Food is cheaper here than in Copenhagen but alcohol continues to be overpriced and I wonder how these social people save money for travelling which I know they love to do.  Swedes must live in the moment and not worry about the future which is not a bad philosophy. 

Today we did a walkabout around town and saw many sights and then planned our priorities for tomorrow which is our only full day in the town. The Konstmuseum, Fish Church and historical Haga section of town will be where we spend our time. The rain stopped once we arrived today and I hope it stays away until we leave on June 1. We have had little rain so far and able to walk everywhere that we need to go.

History and Hygge

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Copenhagen, Denmark is a modern city full of fashion, history and charm. Everything there is to see is within walking distance if you have energy and good shoes and the city is packed with shops, bars, restaurants and sights. We managed to walk 7-8 miles most days we were in Copenhagen and slowed down on our last full day as our legs were aching. Cyclers are everywhere but we did not bother to use that mode of transportation. Our hotel is near Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park that dates back to 1843, as well as the train station. We were able to see many key sights in two days.

Slotsholmen, an island separated from the city centre by a moat like canal on three sides and the harbour on the other side was an easy walk for us. We visited it on a work day for Danes and enjoyed the absence of crowds. The Christiansborg Palace, Det Kongliege Bibliotek, Royal Library and Danish Parliament were a relaxing, peaceful experience with no crowds. Our time at the Marble Church or Frederik's Church, was the highlight of our day and was a breathtaking sight with its copper green dome and golf leaf designs. It was located beside some beautiful French style apartments in the elegant area of Frederiksstaden where I would love to live if I won the lottery. Nyhavn and the Harbourfront were glorious on the weekend but packed with people enjoying the sunny weather and this incredible section of Copenhagen. The Little Mermaid statue was nothing too exciting and I wonder why it receives the attention that it does.  

Copenhagen is more expensive that Toronto as a tax of 26% is added to meals and costs are higher for all foods because of the higher minimum wage for workers in the food industry. We had an incredible dinner at Royal Steak on our first night that exceeded out expectations. A hamburger can run close to $20 and large beer  is more than $15. Looking forward to Ontario prices after we return home.
Tomorrow we leave for Goteburg, Sweden and hope that we can get to the train station before the rain which is predicted arrives. Our May 27th trip to Copenhagen from Stockholm on SJ was a bit frustrating as we sat on the tracks for 2 hours because of a freight train breakdown and then all passengers were dumped in Malmö instead of being taken to Copenhagen Central as our exit point. We had to take a city train from Malmo to Copenhagen as our high speed train needed to return to Stockholm. We paid for first class for the complete trip and did not get what we paid for on that voyage. SJ is very focused on customer satisfaction and refunded us $78 for our ticket before we returned home. I am sure that tomorrow will be uneventful trip.

Venice of the North

Nancy was not working on the first day that we plan to visit  Stockholm so she was our expert guide. Stockholm city, the capital of Sweden, has a population of 933,000 and people live on its 14 islands. Water which appears to be unpolluted is everywhere. Gamla Stan home to the Royal Palace is the historic core of the city and bridges that connect the islands, let visitors know they are moving from one island to another. The sights are spread out over a number of islands and walking is an easy way to get around. The Swedes are incredibly respectful of walkers and always stop when anyone is standing near a crosswalk. Nothing like the treatment that drivers give walkers in the GTA. 
The site where an ISIS sympathizer hijacked a beer truck and drove it into a crowd of shoppers in central Stockholm on April 7/17 was one of our stops. Four people were killed and 15 others injured during the tragedy. Notes were posted and covered the wood covering over the previous glass windows. 
Gamla Stan was very picturesque but full of tourists from the cruise ships so we did not spend much time there. The Swedes who had a state holiday were, also, busy enjoying the  sights and restaurants in their capital. We enjoyed our time along the waterfront and then made our way to Djurgarden to discover that the Vasa Museum had line-ups longer than we imagined. My legs were tired so we took a bus back to Norrmalm for dinner and the train back to Eskilstuna. We may attempt to see more of Stockholm when we return in June before our flight home.

Next Stop Sweden!

Our flight from Toronto was fine but Icelandic Air is like all other airlines and now only provides the bare essentials to economy passengers. Last time we flew Economy-Comfort and had a very different experience. The difference in the cost for each type of ticket was more expensive than 2011 and I refused to pay the difference knowing that the costs within each city we were visiting was going to be expensive. Our Economy Comfort seats in 2011 provided us with a private lounge between flights and that was missed by us as well. Washrooms were not readily available at the airport and usually only 1-2 stalls were within each bathroom cluster. Seating at the airport was limited as well and at least 50% of the people on our second flight had nowhere to sit while waiting for our plane. It surprised us as Toronto Pearson and many other International Airports have ample seating for their many passengers. Thomas always wants to fly and sit in Business Class but it is never going to happen as it is too expensive. We have heard that Emirates provides quality flights and service and I hope to fly with the in the future.

Once at Arlanda Airport we took the bus to the city of Stockholm and then took the SJ train to Eskilstuna to meet our friend, Nancy. She was waiting for us at the train station when we arrived and guided us back to her apartment. Once at her place we decided to stay at home for dinner where she cooked chicken curry with rice which was excellent. After dinner Nancy took us on a tour around the town and  it was evident that Eskilstuna is a city with lots to offer. Being exhausted from our flights as well as from our last week supporting mom and her funeral, we went to bed after our tour hoping that our jet lag would disappear by morning. The skies are never dark in Sweden and the sunrises at 4 AM, that impacted our ability to sleep as you never feel like it is bedtime. We are happy to be here and will certainly tolerate the feeling of being exhausted. It is part of travelling and I welcome the discomfort!

Planning Phase

On May 22 we leave to visit our good friend Nancy who is teaching in Eskilstuna. We are flying with Icelandic Air and depart from Toronto at 9:00 pm. Keflavik International Airport is our first stop at 6:20 am on May 23 while our final stop is Arlanda International Airport, Stockholm at 12:30 pm. The airport is 45 km north of the Stockholm so we will take a train to the city and then another  train to Eskilstuna.

During our 21 day expedition we will tour Stockholm and Goteburg, Sweden, Copenhagen, Denmark and Oslo and Bergen, Norway. Costs are very similar to those in Canada and hotels are not cheap.  A hostel in Copenhagen with a private room and bathroom is $200 night for 2 guests which means that accommodations will consume a good portion of our budget. We use to pay around $90 to stay at a hostel in 2000. Our number one priority is a comfortable bed and comfort is not easy to find in some hostels so we are not staying in any this time. At this point in time I have prebooked all of our hotels as there are limited accommodations in some cities. I prefer to plan while we travel but cannot take a chance on being homeless during this brief excursion. Wifi was a priority in all hotels as we can do our train bookings on-line.
Our good friend and neighbour, Spence, will be caring for our dog, Sebastian so our baby will receive lots of love while we are away. This will be my first trip using a backpack with wheels. Back and hip issues are preventing me from using my personal  backpack which I have taken everywhere since 2000. The new one has a hidden harness and wheels and will give my body a break when on the road. 
The failing health of my incredible mom was my focus for the three months before our trip and it was not until the last weekend before our flight that I even thought about packing or celebrating our trip. It was a debilitating, emotional roller coaster as we watched mom move to the palliative stage of life knowing that there was little quality and life left in this previously energetic and active woman. Mothers Day was the day that her body started shutting down and she died on May 16th. As I flew on the 22nd I thought about how close I was to mom and dad in Heaven and it gave me some comfort and peace at a time that I have felt great sorrow. She was ready to die but did not anticipate that the journey would be as challenging as it turned out to be. I can only focus on the peace that she is experiencing now and know that she is happy about being with my dad again.