A few years ago, I finally visited Billund.

Billund, you say? And where might that be? Billund, dear reader, is a tiny Danish town, so tiny you can walk everywhere, to the airport even. Billund also seems to live and breathe Lego. Well, almost. There’s a little more to this place than Lego: a small town centre with a few shops, a bakery or two, some creative outdoor art, and fountains popping up from the ground at random. Cat loved dodging them.

Billund, home of Lego – and Legoland

But, as just about everyone else, we were in this tiny Jutland town for one reason: Lego. Billund is home of that most brilliant of toys. This is where it all began. The Lego company headquarters are here, as well as the original Legoland – everyone’s childhood fantasy, at least for us in the pre-Nintendo generation.

Lego HQ

Entrance fee to this large park is 254 DKK (about 32 EUR – 2013 prices), and there are plenty further opportunities to empty your wallet inside, as shops seem to outnumber attractions and exhibits. But the exhibits are impressive; and impressively huge.

There are larger than life Lego people and Lego wildlife (I’m reminded of nearby Givskud Lion Park).

There’s Lego Abu Simbel, Lego Mount Rushmore, a fierce fire-breathing Lego dragon, a Lego airport, a port and locks (that works), a space centre, a mine with lifesize Lego miners, and various world cities. The UNESCO-listed Hansa houses of Bryggen wharf in Bergen are here, as are the gabled houses and canals of Amsterdam. An entire Lego world!

Lego Bryggen in Bergen

Cat’s Lego faves

Children from 7 – 13 can get their driving licence at the traffic school, and beware, they’re quite strict about the age limit here. After a short driving lesson where the kids learn basic rules of traffic and the most common road signs, they have 30 minutes to drive along city streets, stopping for red lights, go the right way on one-way-streets, filling up the car at the Statoil petrol station, go through the car wash and most importantly, not crash into one another.

Cat was 7 at the time (well… near enough to 7 that I thought 7 sounded right). She did splendidly and became the proud owner of a driving licence. It looked very real, too – with the Norwegian flag inside the EU stars! Trouble is, Norway isn’t a member of the EU. Only in Legoland can you get a Norwegian EU driving licence.

Taking the driving test at Legoland

From the Legotop, a rotation panoramalift, you can see all of Legoland and all of Billund, including both Legoland airport and the real Billund airport right behind. A bit surreal, that.

The aquarium is good, too; passing through glass tunnels surrounded by tropical fish and sharks (not Lego ones). It’s also possible to reach into water basins to touch the sea creatures without damaging them. For lunch, I can recommend fish and chips at the Legoland Hotel. The chips, of course, are shaped like Lego.

Is there a branch of this creative Danish park in your part of the world?

Legoland, the original one is a post from Sophie's World

A road trip in the Faroe Islands is a treat, with awe-inspiring vistas or colourful little villages whichever way you turn.

Around a bend in the road, this is what you might see:

… or this:

We’re on Sheep Islands, so you will also see this:

On the island of Eysturey, you’ll pass by Eiði. With nearly 700 inhabitants, this is a large settlement.

Eiði

The old Viking settlement of Funningur, on the other hand, is home to about one-tenth as many:

Funningur

The Road to Gjógv

… and the fishing village Gjógv, our goal for the day, has even fewer inhabitants. Once home to a whopping 210 souls (and a fleet of 13 fishing boats), about 50 live in Gjógv today.

Curious about the pronunciation? It’s simpler than it looks: the first ‘G’ is silent, so just say ’jog’ with a ‘v’ added at the end. Gjógv means gorge and it’s a gorgeous place with a natural harbour, a village church, a school for the three children, and a post office in a private house, open 1 hour every weekday. There’s also a helicopter pad and a guest house.

The gorge – and natural harbour – at Gjógv

Plenty of space – and room to play with your garden:

The ancient landscape at Gjógv:

The Road to Gjógv is a post from Sophie's World

Faroe Islands: land of sagas

Have you been to the Faroe Islands? If not, maybe you have an idea of what you will find on these Viking isles? Perhaps you’re thinking steep green hills, wooden houses, grass roofs…? You would be right.

The photo above shows Kirkjubøargarður, once the home of a Viking king. The oldest part of the building is 1000 years old, so it’s actually one of the oldest inhabited wooden houses in the world. The Patursson family has lived here since 1557, now on the 17th generation.

Sagas abound in the Faroe Islands. Tórshavn, the tiny capital, is home to the world’s first parliament, established by Vikings in 850 CE. However, the islands are older than that. When the Norwegians stopped by for the first time in 795, they stumbled upon hermit Irish monks. The monks probably arrived in 625, hoping to find natives to save. No such luck! Instead, they occupied themselves with keeping sheep and growing oat. The monks are said to have moved on towards Iceland about the time the Norwegians came along.

So much for sagas. Perhaps more surprisingly, Tórshavn is also home to a fabulous sushi restaurant and some colourful street art.

Sushi in the Faroe Islands – North Atlantic fish meets Japan

Perhaps you thought the Faroese mostly ate puffin and whale meat? Not so.

With funky decor, location in the heart of Tórshavn, excellent food, and a sleek wine bar, Etika is a local highlight. As you might guess from the name, Etika is also an ethically and environmentally aware establishment, offering locally sourced fish and green gift items for sale. Freshly caught North Atlantic fish meets Japanese philosophy.

I’m hardly a raw fish connoisseur, but my daughters adore sushi above all else. During our three days in the Faroes, they visited Etika four times!

Faroe Islands public art

So you thought street art was a big city phenomenon? The 13 000 residents of Tórshavn might disagree. Here’s a small selection.

Torshavn

Faroe Islands: Sagas, sushi and street art is a post from Sophie's World

A: Age of first international trip: At 11, I went to New Orleans with my mum and brother to visit our aunt. It was a long, arduous journey, involving 4 planes and 5 airports each way. We had heaps of fun though. And unlimited sodas.

B: Best (foreign) beer: I’m hardly a beer connoisseur, not even that keen, actually. Maybe I had too many, too strong German beers on my first parent-free holiday at 15. Sick for days. I prefer light beers, like Corona, with a bit of lime in it.

C: Cuisine (favourite): Arabic (fondly remembering a summer in Jordan more than 20 years ago).

D: Destinations, favourite, least favourite and why: So many faves: London, Australia and our once temporary home in New Zealand are just a few. Heaps of beauty spots at home in Norway, too. And the Middle East continues to fascinate me.

Our backyard in Takapuna, NZ

I don’t really have any least favourites: But if someone held a gun to my head, forcing me to choose, I might say I can probably live happily even if I never saw Belarus again. I was in Minsk in 1994. It was a short business trip, just a few days, with very little time to explore the city, let alone the country. And yet…

E: Event experienced abroad that made you say “wow”: Frau Greber’s cooking. When I was 15, I spent a summer in Bregenz. Even though much of that summer was spent experimenting with too strong German beer (see above), I still remember my Austrian host mother’s cooking. As far as I’m concerned, she’s the best cook in the world. She could make a gourmet meal of anything. And she made a cherry yogurt I still dream about now and then.

F: Favourite mode of transportation: My cool, quick little Citroën, boats and trains. (Considering the somewhat tedious train journey I take every day, I’m surprising myself). And boats? I dream of taking the Royal Mail ship to St Helena, a 31-day journey from Britain. Now, to get the kids to come along.

G: Greatest feeling while travelling: Being completely free to let the day – and fate – be my guide.

H: Hottest place travelled to: June 1992, Cairo, 45 C. Still remember. So does my oldest daughter, then 4.

I: Incredible service experienced and where: Aggie Grey’s in Apia, Samoa, one of my favourite hotels.

Aggie Grey’s

J: Journey that took the longest: Oslo to Auckland always seems to take a while.

K: Keepsake from travels: I’ve lugged around ridiculously heavy souvenirs too many times to count. But I do like that Malawi chair. And the huge wall hanging from Jaipur. And the curtains from Windhoek. Even the bird cage from Lucca.

L: Let-down sight, why and where: None. Not a place’s fault if I have faulty expectations.

M: Moment where you fell in love with travel: Bente, a school mate, always travelled everywhere and brought home the most exotic souvenirs. Exotic through the eyes of a kid during the 70s, at least. I was madly envious – and spent many happy hours playing with her plastic Venetian gondola and munching on tangerines from Costa del Sol with leaves still on them…

N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: One that springs to mind is the Polana in Maputo, Mozambique.

O: Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?: Everything: animals, people, buildings, parks, trees, sculptures, landscapes, details…

P: Passport stamps, how many and from where? Over the years, there’s been a gazillion stamps from more than 100 countries. When I first began travelling, we were given passport stamps even in Europe. Not anymore, sadly.

Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: The dead monks in Kiev’s Persch-Lavra, maybe…

R: Recommended sight, event or experience: Any memorial or museum to human cruelty is worth seeing, to solidify our stand against it, for when it next occurs and we’re given an opportunity to make a difference.

S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: Transportation. Also, sometimes I can spend an indecent amount of money on a hotel room, if it’s quirky or interesting enough. I’m so staying at the Pera Palace next time in Istanbul.

T: Touristy thing done:

Nuff said.

U: Unforgettable travel memory: Hmm…, probably riding a camel through the Great Rann of Kucth in the Indian province of Gujarat, more or less scotch-guarded by camel pee, with no toilets and no showers for days, sleeping in hay in a shed and waking up next to newborn lambs on Christmas Day.

V: Visas, how many and for where? I’m lucky – Norwegian citizens can get around most of the world hassle-free and without visas. But I do have a few, several US student visas among them. My favourite is the Chinese visa I was given to go to Fujian to get my youngest daughter.

W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where? Visciola, under the trees in Giovanni Giusti’s vineyard in Marche.

X: eXcellent view and from where?: Seeing the misty and mysterious Faroes appear before me from the deck of M/S Norrøna was pure magic. I can just imagine how the Vikings must have felt, when first setting eyes on those ancient isles.

Iguazu Falls are a close second. I hung back after closing hours and had a few minutes all to myself before I was spotted and very politely told to leave. Imagine just coming upon such a sight (and sound), completely unaware it was there, as the first visitors must have been, thousands of years ago.

Y: Years spent traveling?: Decades!

Z: Zealous sports fans and where: The annual cross country races at Oslo’s Holmenkollen, especially the 50 km. Norwegians are absolutely mad about cross country skiing, doing and watching.

Passing the baton to you,

• Jeremy of Living the Dream
• Mariana of Travel Thirst
• Monique of Mo Travels
• Thomas of Top Backpacking Destinations
• Laurence of Finding the Universe

The travel ABC of Sophie’s World is a post from Sophie's World

Oyggjarvegur, the old mountain road from Torshavn, the tiny capital of the Faroes, towards the northern islands, is spectacular. But then, nothing less is to be expected in the world’s best island-destination. In places, there are no barriers between us and a 1000-foot drop into the chilling waters of the North Atlantic fjord. We edge slowly towards the deliciously dizzying chasm.

Taking a step back, I almost stumble over a ram’s skull, tufts of grass protruding through the cavities where its eyes once were. All along the road, sheep graze, oblivious to traffic. This is the Faroe (meaning sheep) Islands, after all.

With verdant, stunning scenery, shaggy sheep in the middle of the road and plunging gorges; these ancient Viking isles are quite literally drop-dead gorgeous.

Visit DeliciousBaby for this week’s PhotoFriday fun.

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Flirting with Fate in the Faroe Islands is a post from Sophie's World

Where in the world is this castle?

It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s also haunted! Strategically situated between two rough weather seas, it’s just minutes away from another country. Once these two countries were enemies, fighting brutal battles. Today, relations are very friendly. You can even live in one and have your daily job in the other. The castle has played an important part in military history then, yet it’s most famous for being the home of a legendary prince immortalised by the world’s most famous writer. We do not have to go to Wittenberg, but where are we?

A winner will be selected among those who give the correct answer. She/he will be featured here on “Where in the world?” and on my Facebook fan page with his/her name, blog, twitter handle and a short bio!

Want more guessing games? Jeremy at Budget Travel Adventures started this weekly series. Have a look at all the players over at Budget Travel Adventures here.

Kronborg Castle, Hamlet’s castle in Elsinore

Update 10 June 2011: As many of you guessed (or knew), this is Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark – perhaps better known as Shakespeare’s Elsinore, home of Hamlet, that notorious Prince of Denmark. This week’s winner is Katherina, author of 100MilesHighway. Katherina was born with a German passport and a Spanish heart – and is currently enjoying life as an expat in Switzerland! She has had the travel bug ever since she had spaghetti ice cream, got lost in a toy shop in New York, played the piano in a hotel bar in Rio, stopped by Disney World in Florida and fished in a private lake in Belgium – and all before the age of 8! Do follow her on Twitter and enjoy her Facebook page. CONGRATS, KATHERINA!

Helsingor

Where in the world: Kronborg Castle, Elsinore is a post from Sophie's World

In January, I was in Geneva. It was mostly business, visiting ILO. But I always enjoy visiting Switzerland. For a change, I didn’t make the tiniest effort to discover anything new. Lazy and relaxing.

The long hallways of ILO

I spent a few ice-cold days in Helsinki in February. The Finnish capital is such a stylish city and I enjoyed it heaps, even though it was snowing horizontally.

Helsinki, freezing

In spring, what was meant to be a 3-day walking holiday in Norfolk, sans kids, turned out to be twice as long, courtesy of the little tease Eyjafjallajökull. Instead of the usual 1.5 hour flight from London to Oslo, it took a train, an over-night international ferry, more trains, another international ferry and yet another train before I managed to get home.

Norfolk Coast Path at low tide

Next was a drive to Trondheim, city of the Viking King. A lovely drive across Mt Dovrefjell, it was.

Dovrefjell in May

In June, work took me to the West Country, to Molde and Ona Light House. Such a tiny, windblown island, yet so beautiful – with a whopping 30 inhabitants. The local potter told me her daughter lives in London!

Ona Light House

View from Ona Light House

Such a busy work year, I first found time for a proper family holiday in July. This time, we focussed mainly on Cornwall, which is now our favourite part of Britain. We stayed at the spooky Jamaica Inn on the even spookier Bodmin Moor. We visited Truro, St. Ives, Land’s End, Mousehole, Penzance, Fowey, Looe, Polperro, Newquay, Tintagel and Port Isaac, which we adored so much we visited twice!

Leaving Cornwall, we explored Dartmoor and some great seaside towns along the Jurassic coast of Devon. We discovered Hayling Island, stopped in Portsmouth, had ice cream and did not visit the castle in Arundel, spent three great days in Brighton, had a look at Battle (by Hastings), a stroll through Windsor and a Sunday stop in Andover (msotly because Poirot was here for the ABC-murders – my oldest daughter adores him). Each city is worthy of a post, good and bad. Meanwhile, here is Alex’ summary on Cornwall and on the other South England spots.

Pt Isaac

At the end of the month, we went to the Hvaler Archipelago. So close, yet it was my first visit. Lovely place; the skerries are typical of the southern Norwegian coastline.

The skerries at Hvaler

In Port Isaac, we met a lovely Faroese couple – and so, we were inspired to hop on the ferry to Jutland, then drive south to Hanstholm, the sleepy Danish town that is the departure point for ferries for the Faroe Islands. On the M/S Norrøna, we sailed past the Norwegian coast towards Torshavn, capital of this stunning North Atlantic archipelago. It was absolutely magical to slowly see these green, vertical islands appear slowly before us through the mist – much like the Vikings must have felt, I imagine, when first spotting these isles 1000 years ago. Posts and articles are in the pipeline. Meanwhile, here’s Alex’ take on the Faroes.

Funningur, an ancient Viking settlement

In September, work brought me to London yet again. Tacking on a week or so, I met the girls, hired a car and drove to Wales to see my oldest daughter off to uni in Aberystwyth. We found lots of lovely spots in Pembrokeshire National Park and Ceredigion in Western Wales, many with names beginning with Aber.

The lagoon at Abereiddy

Copenhagen in November meant TBEX and the opportunity to meet lots of fellow travel bloggers. Look forward to seeing some of them again in Manchester in March.

Sorry, no photos – courtesy of the mad man of Nørrebro.

Work again in December, back to London. And another few days tacked on for Christmas shopping, Harry Potter exploration – and a visit to one of our favourite restaurants in our favourite London neighbourhoods: Carluccio’s in Hampstead.

Platform 9 3/4, King's Cross Station

But the travelling year 2010 isn’t over yet. We’ll end it this Friday, by celebrating New Year’s in Los Angeles. Not sure how, yet. It may well be just by sleeping off jet-lag.

…and 2011
As 2011 begins, we’ll leave – 25 degrees C behind (about -13 F) and spend about a fortnight on a boat, travelling down the Pacific coast of Central America, through the Panama Canal, then up to Key West, where I haven’t been in more than 20 years. We’ll be mostly offline, I think, as shipside wifi is rumoured to cost a king’s ransom. We’re anticipating this journey with great pleasure; my 9-year-old wants to swim with dolphins and zip line in Costa Rica. No doubt, the frisky Nordic winter weather will be here waiting for us when we return.

Further into 2011, no plans are set in stone. There’s Manchester. I’m also thinking Kaliningrad. And Caucasus. And Lebanon. And Libya. And and and…

So, what fun spots did you see this year?

Travels of 2010 is a post from Sophie's World

In focus today is København – or Copenhagen, also known as the King’s City (despite the fact that the ruling monarch is a queen – the very popular Queen Margrethe)

As I’ve mentioned, I spent a weekend in Copenhagen with heaps of fellow travel bloggers at TBEX two weeks ago. Although November isn’t the ideal time to visit this fairy-tale city, most of the bloggers enjoyed Copenhagen, despite missing two of the city’s most famous attractions: The Tivoli Gardens and the Little Mermaid.

The little Mermaid is currently in Shanghai for the World Expo – and Tivoli re-opened last week, in time for its magic Christmas market.

Tivoli
A visit to Tivoli Gardens is a must when in Copenhagen, and most especially if you’re travelling with children. After a visiting Tivoli, Walt Disney was inspired to create Disneyland. More on Tivoli here.

If you happen to be in Copenhagen in the romjul period – the week between Christmas and New Year’s – I recommend stopping by the Tivoli Fireworks Festival!

Nørrebro
Looking back, I see I’ve been to Copenhagen not 20, but closer to 40 times. Yet, I’ve never visited Nørrebro. Guided by Henrik from Wonderful Copenhagen, a group of us TBEXers did a walking tour of of this latest of Copenhagen’s hot (in more ways than one) spots. Beginning at Assistens kirkegården (the Assistent Cemetery) final resting place of H.C. Andersen, Søren Kierkegaard, Niels Bohr, and other famous Danes, we stopped to have a look at heaps of quaint and curious little shops and cafes, including the delightful Relæ restaurant, recently opened by Christian Puglisi, former chef at the world’s best restaurant Noma, the beautiful and delicate Kiin Kiin, one of just a few Thai restaurants awarded with a coveted Michelin star, the fun and lively microbreweri Nørrebro Bryghus, and the charming Cafe Cubanito.

Sadly, I lack photos from our walking tour. As I said, this neighbourhood is hot in more ways than one: After having snapped a photo of a restaurant, I was, shall we say, approached by a very angry man and his friends, demanding I delete the photo immediately. I hadn’t noticed them at all; apparently they had been hanging outside the restaurant.

The ring-leader was afraid he might be in my photo. Fair enough: had he asked nicely, I would have deleted the photo. He was anything but nice. Furious, threatening, twice my size, he was extremely in-my-face. The only sane thing to do, would have been to delete and walk away. Trouble is, arguing is second nature to me. I told him (not that politely, I’ll admit) I’d check the photo and if he was in it, I’d delete it. However, he was having none of that, threatening to smash the camera. Not hearing a word I said, he grabbed the camera, walked restlessly and furiously up and down the lane, screaming that he would smash it. As it turned out, he didn’t. The chef managed to calm him down enough to get my camera back but, sadly, not before every last photo had been deleted.

So there you are: one of those experiences that are a bit harrowing when you’re in the middle of it, but an interesting anecdote later. The moral must be: do visit Nørrebro; it’s an interesting neighbourhood. Just be aware of your surroundings. I’m frequently in Copenhagen, so I’ll be going back to check out a few more interesting venues we didn’t have time for, including Rust, the nightclub named for the Matthias Rust who landed a small plane on Moscow’s Red Square towards the end of the Cold War and the cafes Sebastopol and Pussy Galore’s Flying Circus.

Copenhagen

Charming Copenhagen is a post from Sophie's World

TBEX conferences have been held twice – in Chicago (2009) and New York (2010) and this was the first one in Europe. Local sponsors Momondo, MyDenmarkTV.com and Wonderful Copenhagen saw a great opportunity for introducing international travel bloggers to… well, wonderful Copenhagen. Tourism organisations in other European countries will no doubt scramble for the honour of sponsoring next year’s event. Who will win, I wonder? London? Amsterdam? Or perhaps Helsinki? Finnair was another TBEX-sponsor – this airline seems to have a very contemporary and creative approach to PR.

The conference venue was the fabulous 120-year-old Cirkusbygningen (the Cirkus building) in the centre of town. Funny, I must have been in Copenhagen more than 20 times – and I’ve never really noticed this building before. How could I not?

For reasons I’ll get back to, I don’t have a photo of Cirkusbygningen. In fact, I don’t have very many Copenhagen-pictures at all. This one by king_david_uk on flickr’s Creative Commons

The programme featured good, useful presentations, hands-on workshops and fun entertainment. Here are some of the highlights:

- Karen Bryan of Europe a la Carte-fame had good advice for wannabe travelbloggers. It isn’t all fun and games, travel blogging for a living includes boring chores as well, just like every job. And press trips don’t pay the bills. So don’t quit your day job on a whim. She managed to be both sobering and inspirational! Here’s a summary of Karen’s presentation

- Lola Akinmade, editor of MatadorGoods offered great pitching tips in her presentation A – Z of Pitching Outlets. Although I’m not exactly new to freelance travel writing, I picked up some gems from Lola. I was reminded to keep a backlog of ideas and look within a publication’s media kits (why haven’t I thought of that…?). Best TBEX-quote also goes to Lola: Don’t write about surfing if you can’t even swim.

- National Geographic’s Andrew Evans talked about storytelling, sharing his recent bus-trip from Washington DC to Antarctica, using twitter and social media to tell the story. Very inspirational and innovative. Beginning 1 December, National Geographic will send him out on the road as a digital nomad in a new project called Where’s Andrew?, where he’ll tweet and blog about his whereabouts – and the rest of us get to guess where he is. Andrew gave us a sample of this by hiding clues in a few Copenhagen locations. Sadly, I had to leave early, but I have reason to believe Lagkagehuset (The Layer Cake House) featured

Photo by aienn on flickr’s Creative Commons

The workshops dealt with narrative and non-narrative travel writing, as well as branding and using imagery. Sadly, I haven’t yet figured out how to be in three places simultaneously, so I had to choose. Branding and imagery is what I know least about, but I learnt heaps from Bart of Spotted by Locals and Heather of Heather on her Travels.

For lunch on Friday, we were entertained by two charming performers working at Wallman’s Cirkusbygningen: the wife-husband team Karin (trapeze artist) and Joakim (clown).

Funny – as I write this, I see that none of the presenters and entertainers I’ve mentioned above are from the same country. Karen is a Scot, Lola is Nigerian/Swedish, Andrew is American, Bart is Dutch and Heather is English; Karin is Swiss and Joakim is Swedish. I also had fun with Brits, Australians, Germans, Finns, Swedes, Danes, even another Norwegian, and many American expats. How cool is that!

Here are a few more takes on TBEX Copenhagen:
- How travel bloggers spend their Saturday nights by Candace of Rare Travels
- Enjoyed TBEX on Spotted by Locals
- TBEX girls want Georg Jensen for Christmas – well his ring, at least… by Heather On Her Travels

TBEX in Wonderful Copenhagen – very international! is a post from Sophie's World

Easy, right? Well, you’d think. But not so. Most found it a bit of a challenge, rating one spot above all others. We all adore so very many places, and favourites may depend on any number of factors. My favourite place often tend to be where I visited last.

Nevertheless, most of the contributing bloggers managed to choose one place. What follows is a long, delicious list of wonderful spots around the world: a market, several cities and towns, music, beaches, a hidden corner, a temple path, a castle, a fountain and a garden, a busy city square, islands, landscapes, a mud festival even. So grab a cuppa (or an apple), sit down, relax and enjoy all these great posts:

Julie Falconer, known as A Lady in London, loves Beijing’s 798 Art District.

• Tucked away in the northeastern corner of the city, the 798 zone is a former factory complex that is now packed with contemporary art galleries, chic cafes, boutiques, and exhibition spaces. Interspersed among the converted warehouses and modern buildings are massive sculptures and public art displays, making every street a surprise for the visitor… Giant red dinosaurs in cages gave way to cavernous warehouses full of thick red paintings. An exhibition of Socialist Realism from North Korea transitioned to a courtyard full of menacing clay wolves.

Sounds fabulous. I had never heard about it before Julie described it so temptingly, but now it tops my Beijing bucket list.

David Hogan jr of the snazzily-named website Malaysia Asia adores Luang Prabang. So does UNESCO, listing this former Laotian capital among World Heritage properties particularly worthy of preservation and protection. David says:

• Luang Prabang was built by the European colonials in the 19th and 20th century era and houses one of the best collection of French provincial style homes which many have been converted into cafes, restaurants or even boutique hotels. The beauty about Luang Prabang is that due to the UNESCO status (which was awarded in 1995), is there are absolutely no modern buildings here making it a perfect place to enjoy the natural culture and heritage of Laos. … When I was walking around the main town of Luang Prabang, I could not help notice the pure French Indochinese architectural marvels of that era. Some of them stand out in the night as they are beautifully lit.

Suddenly, I can’t understand why I haven’t I been to Luang Prabang – or indeed, Laos – yet. Definitely time for a visit.

In Home, Sweet Home, Ragne from Destination Anywhere shares her love for Morocco. She does make this North African country – and magical Marrakech especially – sound very enticing.

• First time i visited Morocco was in June 2008. I would never have guessed that this noisy, loud, hot and difficult country will have such a hold over me that even before the year passes i’m going back for the 3rd time. And i feel so pleased to be back – amidst all that roller-coaster of color, art and people. It feels like i’ve been away for way too long already, though it’s only been 5 months since my last visit. I can’t explain the hold Morocco has over me. It’s like a love-story that keeps burning with a bright flame, enticing and intoxicating me. I feel so unbelievably comfortable here.

Sounds dreamy, doesn’t it?

Kerry Dexter of Music Road shares this evocative post about music and hope in Derry.

Reminding us of the events of Bloody Sunday 38 years ago, she writes:

• People lay dead on the streets of Derry then, and it is one of the events which deepened the divisions and struggles across the political and personal landscapes of Ireland… Music has always been a part of the conflict, and the grieving, and the reach for reconciliation

before optimistically concluding:

• when people sing together, there is the possibility of hope.

Beautiful post. Also, check out this post for a video of local Derry girl Cara Dillon singing There were Roses, Tommy Sands’ haunting song, setting the political struggles in the context of everyday life.

Over at LeX Paradise, LeX Tan Yih Liang has an unusual favourite: The Boryeong Mud Festival

• The mud is dug up near Boryeong, trucked to the Daecheon beach area, and dumped at a ‘Mud Experience Land’. The mud is considered rich in minerals and used to manufacture cosmetics.… Some of the final weekend participants are foreign tourists, and especially American GIs, but most of the participants during the week are Koreans, attracted by clever marketing by the town. The town fathers and mothers discovered that the mud is more lucrative as a tourist attraction than using the muddy fields for agriculture.

LeX tells us about his experiences at this action-packed Korean festival and gives useful information on how to get there. The festival attracts a whopping 1.5 million visitors every year! Looks fun. Dirty, but fun.

Claire Algarme of First-time travels shares her favourite place, lovely Coron Island in the provice of Palawan in the Philippines.

• Though not as hyped as Bali or Boracay or Phuket or any beach destination in Southeast Asia, Palawan is a favorite among foreigners who come to this tropical country of 7,107 islands because of its beauty and serenity. Tourists get a close brush with nature, exciting adventures, and a large dose of peace and quiet.

Claire is not the only one who loves this spot:

• Famous international personalities and celebrities privately sneaked to this part of the globe to get away from the maddening crowd and enjoy the sun and the sand without the threat of paparazzi.

I haven’t been to the Philippines yet, but when I go, I’d like to hit one of those Coron beaches.

Vibeke Montero of Photito’s Blog has fallen in love with Oslo all over again. In Oslo for free, she recounts a lovely summer day full of pleasant surprises. In the most expensive city in the world, she encounters a bus driver who lets her ride for free, an Italian cafe owner who offers a latte on the house, a fruit seller charging only a symbolic sum for his apples…

Vibeke writes:

• … I was made to feel so welcome by a city I haven’t lived in for a good few years. It was as if Oslo herself wanted to remind me that she can indeed be a charmer, a real sweet talker with plenty of charisma. And I know exactly why. Look to the sky for the answer. If it is full of grey skies and drizzle you don’t get this kind of treatment. When the snow is inches deep and people are freezing and cars have to be undug to be used, I can assure you there are no free rides. You’ll be lucky to catch someone smiling from the depths of their scarves and woolly hats. However, when the sun is shining, magic happens.

So true! At the first sign of summer, Norwegians cast off their inhibitions – along with most of their clothes – and magic does indeed happen!

Oh, and by the way: Norwegian apples – best in the world! Totally objectively speaking, of course

Renee King of the cleverly named A View to a Thrill shares her love affair with Prague and heaps of great photos. Renee calls this city on the banks of the River Moldau one of the rarest jewels in the European Union.

• I managed to leave enough of my heart in Prague which would necessitate my going back someday to reclaim it, says Renee. Prague promised not only to court my senses to sublime ecstasy, but to ensure that I would fall hopelessly in love with it. So who was I to refuse?

Who indeed? Prague is like a fairy tale, drawing you in.

Liz Borod Wright from Travelogged tells us about Red Beach: The Best Beach in Santorini near the ancient, Minoan site of Akrotiri.

• We were intrigued by the name of the Red Beach and by the idea of red sand. We didn’t know much about it beyond that and we didn’t want to get our hopes up because of Kamari. However, it turned out to be among the most spectacular beaches I have ever seen. It has to be best beach in Santorini.

Check out Liz’ great Red Beach photo gallery, too.

No wonder you like it, Liz. Santorini is already high on my go-to list. I’m thinking Greek island-hopping (with kids), definitely including Santorini. After all, it’s said to be the last remnant of mythical Atlantis. Heaps of interesting history, philosophy and mythology here. And with this unusual red-sand beach near Akrotiri, I’m even more intrigued.

Jason of Alpaca Suitcase loves the Tuscan countryside, specifically the Val D’Orcia region around Pienza between Montalcino and Montepulciano. Jason says:

• We recently drove through the Val D’Orcia and marveled at the harmonious blend between natural beauty and man’s best efforts. The green rolling hills were so lush that the texture resembled a soft baby’s blanket, fresh out of the dryer, left to fall gently on the terrain. From that blanket a patchwork quilt is created. Start with a square of twenty-five trimmed olive trees standing in a perfect 5-by-5 formation, then a wild section of pine, chestnuts, cork oak and myrtle, and then patch in a small vinyard of grapes, the parallel lines wrapping tightly over a small hill. Everywhere you look, man has added to the natural beauty. We saw many straight gravel driveways with perfect lines of trimmed cypress trees on both sides leading to stone farmhouses with vegetable gardens of tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, basil, and sage. And wheat fields everywhere…manicured to perfection.

La bella Toscana: she does indeed inspire poetry.

Erin Ridley of La Tortuga Viajera proves choosing only one favourite is very difficult indeed. In there’s no place like …, she gives us two faves. The first is a perfect vista in San Francisco. Erin takes us to a little spot on the water side of Broderick Street, from where you can see the Marina, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

• Here, in this little piece of heaven on earth, you can just sit while your skin gets kissed by the crisp marine air, and everything around you seems to stand still. I’ve spent countless moments in this very spot, reflecting on a stressful day, pondering life changing decisions (to move to Spain or not to?), or simply just reminding myself how grateful I am to be at that very place with such a special city wrapped around me like a familiar hug.

Erin’s other favourite is a magical Moorish castle. You have to stop by her blog to find out more

Jeff Funnekotter of Big City Blog has numerous favourites as well: a beachfront cafe in Malaga, New Zealand’s Paihia and his parents’ kitchen (I love that!). But Jardin du Luxembourg – and particularly the Fontaine de Medicis – tops his list. Jeff says:

I’ve spent many happy moments in the Jardin du Luxembourg myself, away from the hustle and bustle of the boulevards. Next time I’ll have a closer look at this amazing fountain.

In How I Know a Favorite Place, John Houser of The Dotted Route, counts down to his number one spot. Runners-up include the stunning Tiger Leaping Gorge in China’s Yunnan province and Stuttgart’s lively Schlossplatz. But top billing goes to London’s Trafalgar Square.

• When I stepped into Trafalgar Square, I just knew that I was in London. The red double-decker buses drove around the streets, the postmodernist architecture, and the throngs of people all just spoke to me an immediate feeling that I was in London. This is no where else that this could be. It was as if the city said to me, “Here I am, John. Feel right at home.” And I did. London stands out, in my mind, as the cosmopolitan city of the world and the Trafalgar Square was the cross-section of where millions before me have come before.

London – my favourite city in the world!

Jennifer LoPrete of Orange Polka Dot lists Northern California’s Sea Ranch as her “favourite place just to be”:

• Created in the 1960s as a planned development that would have minimal environmental impact and a style that blended with the rugged natural surroundings. Sea Ranch is quintessential Northern California. Residential density is purposely low. Utilities lines are underground. Cars must not be parked in sight of others or on the streets. There are no fenced and landscaped backyards. But rather a simple deck over a common space of natural terrain, which is maintained by grazing sheep and deer.
  

I’ve never heard of Sea Ranch before, but it sounds absolutely wonderful. And very ahead of its time.

Over at Todd’s Wanderings, Todd Wassel’s favourite spot is the path behind the Iwayaji Temple, Japan Here’s why:

• The trail delivers the walker from a pristine wooded ridge line path into an ancient moss green forest with enormous cypress trees and age worn shrines and religious carvings. The forest is dark, damp and its enormity and silence creates an atmosphere were a Buddha or Shinto god could easily pop out from behind the next corner. It is also along this path that I came to a sudden realization about my life, where I want to be and what I love to do.… Not a week goes by that I don’t think about the path leading to Temple 45 and the effect it’s had on my life. I dream of going back, if for nothing more than to spend some time in that magical forest empty of humanity but full of gods, demons, enlightenment and bright green moss.

Todd provides fascinating background info and gorgeous photographs and is currently writing a book on the Shikoku Pilgrimage.

Wow, what a stunning secret temple path – almost enough to make one religious.

And finally, what’s my favourite, you ask? Well, perhaps you’re not asking, but I’ll tell you anyway. Like so many, I had great difficulties choosing – but finally settled on a short-list of two. Both are remote islands, neither of them tropical. One is a new aquaintance: the enigmatic, verdant Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic. The other is the haunting – and haunted – Norfolk Island. For the number one spot, I’ll choose the latter.

Once Britain’s worst penal colony, Norfolk is now a self-governing Australian island – and home to the descendants of the Bounty mutineers ever since Pitcairn became too small. Exciting history, stunning landscape, ghosts, secrets, mysteries; a most excellent little speck in the Pacific.

On this carnival around the world, we have covered 5 continents. We’ve been in China, Laos, Morocco, Ireland, South Korea, the Philippines, Norway, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, the USA, Spain, France, England, Japan and Australia/Pacific. I hope you’ve enjoyed all these wonderful spots around the world. I know I have.

The last Lonely Planet Blogsherpa Carnival was hosted by Claire of First-time travel and was all about first-time travel outside your country. The next carnival will be hosted by Kat over at Tie-Dye Travels and is about food around the world. Yum! See you there!

Blog carnival: Your favourite place on earth is a post from Sophie's World

1. In February/March, I spent a long weekend in London and got a very good deal at Rydges Kensington Plaza on Gloucester Road. Nice hotel in a great location – a short walking distance from the museums, Hyde Park, the Royal Geographical Society and that cosy little breakfast place, Le Pain Quotidien.

2. In April, the girls and I had a look at the United Arab Emirates. To Cat’s delight, we spent the entire stay in one place, Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa in Dubai, a comfortable hotel, very centrally located in Bur Dubai. We were across the street from Dubai Museum and the old Bastakiya historic quarter; just metres away from Dubai Creek and the Old Souk.

Arabian Courtyard

3. Klækken hotell, near Hønefoss in Norway has an excellent kitchen. This area has 2500-year-old grave mounds. Also, fabulous finds indicate lots of contact between this area and Rome. Lots of Viking history here, as well as more contemporary history, albeit of a sordid nature: during World War II, the hotel was taken over by the German occupying forces and used as a Lebensborn maternity home for Norwegian women about to give birth to “biologically fit and racially pure Aryan children”, fathered by German soldiers.

4. Cat and I spent a long weekend in Sardinia in May/June and stayed at the charming little Aigua in the middle of Alghero’s old town, a B&B with self-service breakfast; all the ingredients are provided upon arrival.

Aigua, Alghero

5. I stayed at the very cool and contemporary Clarion Hotel Sign in Stockholm for a meeting in June. Fabulous rooftop pool and spa – and lots of black: black, slanting board sinks in the baths, black serviettes, black toilet rolls (felt a bit weird, that).

6. During our August journey through Denmark, we spent a night at Zleep hotel in Aalborg. Cat adores this no-frills, very Scandinavian budget hotel chain, mostly because of the bunk beds.

7. In Jersey, the girls and I stayed at the Radisson SAS Waterfront, a very nice hotel right in the marina – a slight walking distance from the centre of St Helier. The breakfast buffet was all-encompassing.

Radisson Waterfront, St Helier

8. Lovely Le Friquet Country Hotel: Set in a beautiful garden, complete with manicured lawns, a little bridge and a nice swimming pool, this Guernsey hotel was one of the girls’ favourite sleeps of the year.

Le Friquet, Guernsey

9. The large and modern Novotel Paris Gare Montparnasse turned out to be a child-friendly and conveniently located Paris hotel. We spent one night on our way back from the Channel Islands.

10. Pension Nossek is one of my all-time favourite lodgings and I stay here whenever I’m in Vienna. Nice, airy high-ceilinged rooms, pleasant staff and good, very Austrian breakfast; all for EUR 80. The location couldn’t be better: on elegant Graben Street, just metres from Stephansdom. For me though, the best of all is that Mozart lived in this house. From 1781 to 1782, this is where he wrote The Abduction from the Seraglio. There are few things I enjoy more than opening the heavy wooden door to Graben no. 17 with my own key (which you have to after 21:00), knowing that Wolfgang Amadeus would have done the same 228 years ago. Time is not of the essence. In fact, time doesn’t exist.

11. During my solo journey in the Arabian peninsula in autumn, I stayed at Le Meridien Towers in Kuwait, another cool and contemporary hotel. For KD 50, I had a very comfortable room and one of the best breakfast buffets ever! Every Western breakfast item imaginable, plus delicious Arabic fare. The rooms are very modern indeed; free-standing glass sinks in the bath and cool LCD-lighting in the bed’s headboard. I really liked staying in this hotel, but would have enjoyed it even more in a more convenient location. It was close to … nothing, really.

Le Meridien Towers, Kuwait

12. In Bahrain, for practical reasons, I spent one splurgy night at Mövenpick Bahrain, by the airport on Muharraq Island. Airport hotels are normally anonymous and rarely exciting, but this is beautiful, most especially the swimming pools. The Mövenpick is high up on the list of the best hotel chains. Minus points for charging extra for absolutely everything, though.

The Mövenpick, Bahrain Airport

12 fave hotels of 2009 is a post from Sophie's World

2009…

Winter

First trip abroad in 2009 wasn’t until late February. For Christmas, my wonderful family gave me tickets to the first ever Travellers Tales Festival I used the opportunity to hang about an extra day, and saw the fabulous Saatchi Gallery. Must admit I’d never heard of it, just happened to walk by. What a treat! An exhibit was on, showcasing all sorts of wonderful art by Middle Eastern artists. I especially remember a model of a Beirut block of flats. Not that it was the best piece there, really – I just seem to have Lebanon on my mind these days. It’s really about time to visit.

I also finally did a Jack the Ripper walking tour. And although Jack featured heavily, it was more of a 700 years of murder and mayhem in London-tour. It was great. Put some articles up for Halloween on BnA: about the bridges, about fun things to do on a Friday night of yore and one on said Jack. Despite the chill, I’m glad I did this excursion in February. We were only 6. Wouldn’t have been the same with a crowd.

Spring

In April, the girls and I went to the United Arab Emirates. We stayed at the same Dubai hotel for the entire trip, Cat loved that. We managed to fit in a visit to all seven emirates: Ras Al-Khaimah, Umm Al-Quwain, Ajman, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, as well as a short trip to Oman’s Musandam Peninsula.

Summer

In May/June, Cat and I took a trip to Alghero in Sardinia. We enjoyed it, saw and learned heaps. We even managed to visit Bonifacio in the wild, exciting island of Corsica for a day. Both Sardinia and Corsica warrant closer looks.

Later in June, I went to Stockholm and Copenhagen for work. Even later in June, Ali and I hired a small van and drove to Trondheim to get all her things from her student digs. She is now a B Psych (proud mum) and went off to the University of Copenhagen for an exchange term.

We all went to Copenhagen in August to set her up in a student flat there, making a roundabout ride through Jutland and Funen, to see all the sights and cities of Denmark I’ve been meaning to see for ages: we stopped in the ever pretty seaside village Skagen with the magical light, the windblown sand dunes of Råbjerg Mile, the cities of Aalborg, Århus and Vejle, The UNESCO-listed Viking Age Jellinge Stones, The Lion Park in Givskud, Hans Christian Andersen’s sweet little hometown Odense, Roskilde with its UNESCO-listed Cathedral and the Viking Ship Museum and finally, on the way home, yet another UNESCO-site: Kronborg slot by port city Helsingør (better known as Hamlet’s Elsinore).

Towards the end of August, we went to Paris, Saint-Malo in Bretagne and the Channel Islands, using planes, trains and ferries. We stayed in St Helier on Jersey for a few days, then continued to little Guernsey and took a side trip to even smaller, but most adorable Herm. We all really enjoyed the Channel Islands but the trip was too hectic for kiddie travel, esp. with a kid that likes staying in one place. I would do it differently next time; fly directly to the islands probably. Funny, I did the plane/train/ferry-thing when I first visited the Channel Islands about 20 years ago. Don’t remember it being a hassle then.

Autumn
September was busy. Work took me to Vienna and Bratislava for a conference and I managed to fit in a quick trip to Breclav in the Czech Republic on the way. Been meaning to see Breclav ever since I went through on the way to Mikulov one cold winter day, 7 years ago. I also managed to fit in an extra day and night in Vienna, staying at my favourite  B&B, the Pension Nossek.

At the end of September, Cat and I went to the airport together. She flew off to Copenhagen to visit big sis, while I flew to London, then onwards to Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, to see things we didn’t manage to fit in during our Middle Eastern jaunt in April. Enjoyed all three countries. Particular highlights were visiting the Al-Matrook family on Bahrain’s Muharraq Island and seeing the UNESCO-listed Qal’at al-Bahrain and Bahrain National Museum. (Lots of UNESCO-spots visited this year.)

In Kuwait, the disturbing Kuwait House of National Memorial Museum was memorable. So was a conversation I had with a European diplomat I met on the viewing platform in Kuwait Towers. It was about Kuwaiti politics and social affairs, particularly about the stateless Bedoun. Learned heaps (did research later – it all checked out). A sad story I’ll focus on in a separate blog post you can read more about here. Walking the entire length of the corniche in Kuwait City on a balmy autumn evening was also very pleasant.

Qatar was only a brief stop. But it’s amazing what you can do in five hours. I feel I’ve been in Doha and seen Doha, but the rest of Qatar is still missing. Perhaps next time. (Shouldn’t be too hard to fit in, Qatar is an easy stop-over going anywhere east).

Work again in December, back to Copenhagen. Despite freezing rain, Christmas Markets in Tivoli made for a nice end to the travelling year 2009.

…and 2010

No plans set in stone yet. Apart from work-related stuff, including Geneva in a few weeks, Helsinki in February and the West Country (the Norwegian one) in June. In Geneva, I’ll try to fit in another visit to only-one-item-on-the-menu Cafe de Paris, one of my favourite restaurants. Even though I’m not all that crazy about steak (which is all they serve), I adore that place. I’ll probably go to New York for TBEX in June (even got the conference ticket). Looking forward to meeting heaps of fellow travel bloggers there. Haven’t been to the USA in years.

I still like odd countries. What could be some interesting ones in 2010, I wonder? I keep looking at Air Baltic’s route map and long to visit Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. Maybe even Iran. Kaliningrad is probably on. Easy enough, fly to Gdansk and hop on a bus.

I’m considering the Faeroe Islands with the kids over the summer. And more of Britain. Scotland, Yorkshire, the Lake District, Cornwall or Southern Wales. Again, just down the street, very accessible and practically free flights.

Lebanon is on the agenda, of course. As is Libya. Possibly both through Voyages Jules Verne. I’m also looking at Alaska and St Pierre & Miquelon and Newfoundland. But I’m way into 2011 by now.

Well, we shall see.

Travels of 2009 – and plans for 2010 is a post from Sophie's World

Oslo and Copenhagen

Oslo’s Frogner Park and Copenhagen’s Tivoli

The question is, where will Obama be? In Oslo to receive his Peace Prize? Or in Copenhagen to help fight for the environment?

Earlier this month, Erik Solheim, Norwegian Minister (Secretary) of the Environment, said it’s more important that Obama attend the Copenhagen Conference. (Newspaper article in Norwegian only). Well said, Erik! I agree! If he had to choose one or the other.

Of course, he could easily do both. These two Scandinavian capitals are only a 50-minute-flight apart. Or an environmentally-friendly 7-hour train journey.

I recently wrote the article I Heart Oslo for National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel blog. In the interest of fairness, here’s I Heart Copenhagen written by none other than my oldest daughter Alex, who is currently studying at the University of Copenhagen.

Oslo or Copenhagen – where will Obama be? is a post from Sophie's World

This is the home of Hamlet, the mythical prince of Denmark. (The town’s Danish name is Helsingør, but Elsinore does sounds so much more romantic, doesn’t it?)

Kronborg Castle is interesting enough in its own right, even without any references to Shakespeare’s mad protagonist. It’s from an era when Denmark was one of the great powers in Europe.

Built as a naval fortress to guard the entrance to the Baltic Sea, King Fredrik II converted Kronborg into a fantastic renaissance palace. And since the Queen, the lovely (and might I add, beautifully named) Sophie, loved to dance, this royal summer house sported northern Europe’s largest ball room. Must have been a fun place to hang out in the 1500s.

The girls and I explore the royal apartments, surprisingly modestly decorated. Well… perhaps it isn’t so surprising. We are in Scandinavia after all, not France. Some saucy paintings decorate the otherwise stark castle walls:

Outside are moats and drawbridges. I half expect to see the dead Ophelia floating in the moat. Over by the swans there, perhaps? Or even see Hamlet’s ghost, or that of his father, brutally murdered by his wife Gertrude and his scheming brother Claudius. Dramatic stuff. But they must all be away today. Neither ghosts nor Ken Branagh or Mel Gibson roam the grounds of this magnificent castle on this warm August afternoon.

Helsingor

Elsinore is a post from Sophie's World

Lyngby

Fortunately, Ikea is in the Copenhagen suburb of Gentofte, which is near another suburb, lively little Lyngby, full of cafés and shops and people out. Typical of Denmark, most shops are small and unique, no boring chain shops. I quite like that; it’s so civilized, somehow.

One benefit of a driving holiday is not having to think about limited space in a suitcase or an overhead compartment. That’s how I ended up with a gorgeous large black velvet lamp shade, which matches … nothing else I own. Looks absolutely fabulous, though.

Tivoli

Can’t be in Copenhagen without visiting Tivoli Gardens, especially not with kids along. It’s a beautiful amusement park from 1843, the world’s second oldest, in fact. (The world’s oldest amusement park, Dyrehavsbakken, is also in Copenhagen, by the way – Danes obviously like pleasure gardens). According to Wiki, after a visit to Tivoli about 100 years after its opening, Walt Disney was inspired to create Disneyland wanting to emulate Tivoli’s

happy and unbuttoned air of relaxed fun.

Tivoli Gardens also hosts concerts. When we visited, Danish – Norwegian band Aqua was to perform at ten o’clock, so from five onwards, the crowds steadily increased. Never knew Aqua was so popular – enormously long queues outside, too.

Luckily for me, Tivoli now offers a new oasis: the lovely outdoor Chaplon Tea House, serving fresh teas of every kind, surrounded by flowers, next to the big beautiful fountain near the Chinese gate.

Copenhagen and Lyngby is a post from Sophie's World

Roskilde Cathedral

What drew me to town, however, was another must-see World Heritage site, Roskilde Cathedral. The Cathedral is an imposing structure and houses the graves of Danish monarchs through the last millennium, from Viking king Harald Bluetooth down the family line to the parents of present-day Queen Margrethe.

Vikings

Roskilde is also home to a creative interactive Viking Ship Museum. The Danes have made much of their relatively modest Viking Ships. Opportunities to take to the waters in replica Viking ships, workshops, Viking clothes to try on, Viking board games to play and much more. Excellent for educational purposes. And fun!

Norwegian Viking heritage vs Danish
Oslo is also home of a Viking Ship Museum. The Norwegian ships are more impressive – much better preserved.

Oseberg Ship in Oslo. Photo: arnybo

Danish Viking ship

However, apart from exhibiting the ships and artefacts found on board, nothing much is done in Oslo. No opportunities to be a Viking, to get a feel for how they lived. The gift shop, if you can call it that, comprises a few books behind the cash register. That’s it.

In contrast, the museum in Roskilde has a large browse-around gift shop with a good selection of Norwegian items, ironically. Could probably use some of those Danish marketing skills up north.

Roskilde

Roskilde: Cathedral, Rock, Vikings is a post from Sophie's World

Odense is Denmark’s third largest city, and named after the chief Norse god Odin (often called Wotan in English) – delightfully pagan, isn’t it! In fact, Odense is delightful in many ways and one of our favourite Danish cities.

Lovely Odense cottage – and it’s not even in the Old Town

Hans Christian Andersen

Outdoor stage by the H. C. Andersen museum

The Hans Christian Andersen Museum is located in his childhood home (although, oddly, he never confirmed that).

Through his windows we look out on the cobbled streets of Odense’s Old Quarter. It’s as if lifted from a fairy tale itself: old, low houses in bright colours, beautifully preserved, most in daily use as residences or shops.

H. C. Andersen museum and street outside

Hans Christian Andersen’s Odense is a post from Sophie's World

The Jelling Stones site has two carved rune stones: King Gorm was responsible for the oldest and smaller of the two:

… and Gorm’s son Harald Bluetooth, for the larger, pictured below from the front and back:

Harald’s stone reads: King Haraldr ordered this monument made in memory of Gormr, his father, and in memory of Thyrvé, his mother; that Haraldr who won for himself all of Denmark and Norway and made the Danes Christian.

This, in fact, is Denmark’s christening certificate (today, we’d call it birth certificate).

Integrated into the World Heritage Site are also the surrounding grave mounds as well as Jelling Church.

The present church is relatively new, from about 1100 AD. Three wooden churches preceded it, the original one erected by Bluetooth himself. They all burned down.

Just as interesting as these ancient monuments – and perhaps even more evocative – is a walk around Jelling cemetery. For a long time, I stand in front of the grave of a 6-year-old boy, beautifully decorated with pine cones and Schleich animals.

Meanwhile, my 7-year-old practices running on mounds.

The Jelling Stones: Denmark’s birth certificate is a post from Sophie's World

Nevertheless, seeing signs for the Lion Park brought back memories of childhood. Also, Cat adores lions, so visiting the lion park was a given. Givskud Zoo is a walk around/drive around kind of zoo – or more a safaripark, really – only we’re in Denmark, not Kenya. The animals are often close enough to touch. (Some you actually can touch, like the charming camels.) Have a look at the Givskud Zoo website; it’s a well-thought out animal park.

Givskud Lion Park

Givskud Lion Park is a drive-only area. This is the really exciting part, particularly the large areas where giraffes and zebras roam. Odd to have to wait for a giraffe to cross the road before you can continue driving. And the term zebra crossing gains a whole new meaning.

Then, of course, there are the lions. Needless to say, they are in the drive-only zone, with a system of locks for security. Even with the extremely high level of security, though, one can’t help but wonder what would happen if a lion or two got out to roam Danish streets.

Driving inside the locks, there they are. Close enough to touch. I drive ever so slowly through the large area. Beside us, lions are lazing on the unseasonably warm day (unseasonably warm for Denmark, that is – less so for their more natural African habitat). Others walk alongside the car, looking at us, rather disinterestedly. My 8-year-old is overwhelmed, quiet, happy, moved…

Lions are such beautiful creatures: proud, muscular, agile, strong, just gorgeous. In my next life, I think I might want to be a lioness.

Givskud Lion Park, Denmark is a post from Sophie's World

Aalborg

I had heard good things about Aalborg and looked forward to hang out and spend a night there. Arriving at about 5.30 p.m., the town seemed fairly empty. 4 – 5 hours later, it was practically deserted. Also, the town centre wasn’t that appealing, even with imaginary people talking and laughing. All in all, I’m eeeh on Aalborg. But I know opinions are divided, some call it a pearl and a culture city, so I’ll at least provide a Wiki-link about Denmark’s fourth largest city.

Interesting fact: Aalborg is where Jørn Utzon, architect of Sydney Opera House, grew up.

Aarhus

Aarhus on the other hand, was way better. It seemed much more energetic. A definite city feel, with cosy canalside cafés full of people. Good shops, nice restaurants and leafy parks. We enjoyed Aarhus and stayed longer than planned. Should have spent the night here instead. Perhaps next time.

Aarhus

Aalborg and Aarhus – of the two we preferred cosy Aarhus, with its city feel, lively canalside cafés, good shops, nice restaurants and parks.

Aalborg and Aarhus is a post from Sophie's World

Idyllic towns and villages aside, northern Jutland can be rough; pounding surf from the North Sea, winds sweeping in. The landscape around the pretty seaside village Skagen is remarkable, almost primeval: the heath, old mounds, interesting vegetation and Råbjerg Mile, the enormous migrating sand dunes; somehow unexpected in mild and mellow Denmark. Moving 10 – 20 metres eastwards every year, it mercilessly kills everything in its wake: flowers, shrubs, worms, any attempt at life.

The sand feels cool to the touch, different somehow from beach sand. Kids run barefoot through the sands, playing and laughing. Cat does cartwheels and splits. Pure joy.

Tomorrow: Aalborg and Århus

Skagen

Råbjerg Mile – Denmark’s windblown sand dunes is a post from Sophie's World

My 8-year-old wants to get up close with the lions at Givskud. I want to see Denmark’s three UNESCO’s World Heritage listed properties. (If you click on the link, you’ll see there are actually four, but the remaining one is in Greenland. That’s for another trip).

At the northernmost tip of Jutland, where the Baltic and North Sea meet, is the absurdly pretty fishing village Skagen, a favourite among painters for centuries, due to the area’s special light. The Skagen Painters used to hang out here in the late 1800s, among them P. S. Krøyer, Fritz Thaulow, Christian Krogh and Anna Ancher.

Present-day Skagen hasn’t changed much: low stone houses in warm shades of yellow, quaint little shops and restaurants, pretty parks.

Like most of Denmark, indeed most of Scandinavia, this area is very child-friendly with long white sand beaches. Most everyone gets around by bicycle. Plenty of activities are geared towards children, especially during school holidays. Skagen Museum organises art classes, the local history museum arrange treasure hunts and local farms offer animal activities. There’s a teddy bear museum for the young (at heart) and an eagle reserve, as well.

Nearby is Gamle Skagen, or Old Skagen, where people have lived since 1100. Only 26 people live here permanently today. We spot a few hotels and restaurants; otherwise Gamle Skagen is a quiet area. A great place to look out to sea and contemplate life in silence. Further out are the brutal and beautiful sand dunes of Råbjerg Mile.

Skagen

Skagen: Denmark at its prettiest is a post from Sophie's World

Bicycles in Copenhagen

What never ceases to amaze me is the sheer number of bicycles in Copenhagen. Walking to the conference centre every morning, they seem as numerous as the cars passing me. This is a major means of transportation – by bike is how you go to school, to work, to the shops…

Hardly anyone wear helmets. Introducing legislation requiring everyone to wear helmets is currently under debate in Denmark as well as in many other countries in the area. It’s part of the current (and so far quite successful) EU-scheme to reduce traffic accidents and deaths by 50 % by 2010. Looks like the bicycle helmet issue might be a tough one here, though.

Bicycles in Copenhagen is a post from Sophie's World