A short trip to København

okay, I actually went to Copenhagen before Stockholm! (it sneaked pass me on my files :P )

Jack, Burak (one of the Turks), and I decided to go to Copenhagen for 2 days, 1 night. We stayed at a great hostel near Tivoli and the train station; they even had little soap and shampoo packets (not common in hostels). We got there and had a little bit of a hard time getting from the airport to the city but we made it and immediately went out! We had an early flight so we could have the whole day. We walked around and when to the Museum Erotica (come on…we had to) and walked around some more and saw all the old buildings and the harbor. We also stopped and took a break in Rosenborg Palace Park.



{City Hall}

{Ooo, La, La}

Then we went to Tivoli right before dark which was a good call because all the lights were lit up and it looked so magical! Then we headed back and in the morning we would all go our separate ways. Burak headed….well I don’t remember where, Poland I think. Jack headed to the train station to make his way to Berlin and I hung out at the train station until I felt comfortable enough to head out in a foreign city on my own. Then I headed back to train station to catch my bus to the airport to catch my flight to Stockholm, Sweden. And they didn’t collect my fair for the bus so that was nice! As I flew over the water I got to see the cool wind generators that are in the seas! So cool!

{Tivoli before the sun went down}

{Jack, Burak, and me}

{Tivoli at night}

Stockholm

I get to Stockholm and take the super fast train from the airport to city, then I wait for my mom’s high school friend Åse's kids, Katharina and Christian, to come pick me up…hard to find people I have never met :P Well we found each other and then went to store to get dinner and a movie and then it was off to their house!

One of the days I was there, the oldest daughter, Elisabeth took me back into the city via a small local train and we did some shopping, sightseeing, and had some lunch. Headed back to the house, had dinner and then went out for a night on the town with Elisabeth and Katharina! We met up with some of their friends and went to an outside bar by the sea which I thought was really cool! Then went to a club and danced but Techno really isn't my style.

{The Baltic Sea}

One afternoon Elisabeth took me sun bathing on the banks of the Baltic Sea! So cool to say that! It was wonderful and relaxing. After my stay I headed back to Hønefoss for my last days in Norway :( so sad to leave but the end was near.

{out at Josefina!}

London Calling

Me and Big Ben

I have to say that we were so lucky to have a connection in London, England. Amanda has an uncle (really a close family friend) that works for Shell over there. He lived in a beautiful flat in a beautiful neighborhood! But let me start with our trip to get there…

Hello good chap!

Amanda, Jack, and I took this trip together. We took a bus to the “cheap airport” near Oslo and landed at the “cheap airport” near London. When it was all said and done, I’m not sure if taking the cheaper flights was worth it since we had to take so many buses and trains to get to our final destinations. We made it to London and met up with her uncle briefly (he had to finish his work day) and he showed us were we would meet up with him for the play we were seeing that night. So we had some lunch and then walked around the River Thames and popped in the Museum of Modern Art. We saw The Buddy Holly Story! How funny, crazy, cool is that? During the play they kind of interacted with the audience and asked someone where they were from…well they were from Japan…but how crazy would it have been if they had picked us and we got to say, “Lubbock, TX!” It would have been awesome! So we saw the play and headed home via our feet and strolled by Buckingham Palace, and the Queen was home too! The next day we went to the Tower of London and took the tour with the only female Beefeater (don’t ask me why they call them that but they are the “guardians of the Tower of London”) but it was very cool to be somewhere and see things that are so old! And of course, it’s part of my family history! My mom’s cousin has been able to prove that one of our family members was a bastard child of King Henry the VIII (one of many bastards I’m sure!) so it was just very cool! We walked by Big Ben many times and then went to Saturday mass at Westminster Abby! Very cool and the boys choir was so angelic. Then we went for a dusk ride on the London Eye (the best way to see London I am sure, and you must do it at dusk! Så vakkert)! When everything was all said and done I think we figured we walked 15 miles in 2.5 days! Talk about cardio!

the only female Beefeater

Where Queen Anne was killed

The London Eye at night

Jack, Amanda, and me

So much walking!!!

 

Classic!