The Big Trip Part I
This has been a long time coming but with the sudden load of school work, internship report, and not having a computer on top of it all, I haven't had much time for an update. Hope you guys have all been doing well!
I think my last email ended in Oslo...
I'm glad I decided to stay a while in Oslo. The original plan was to catch the 7am train to Copenhagen. Ehhhh... not so much. There were plenty of things to see but I couldn't make it around to everything, especially after I lost my map. It wasn't so easy to walk around on the cobblestone streets wagging a suitcase along behind either. But I got to see the Royal Palace and the docks near the city hall. It was a gorgeous day! I caught the 13:00 train to Copenhagen which took me around the coast of Sweden. It was a really long eight hour ride, but at least I got to get out of the train in Göteburg, Sweden and go for a walk. The rest of the ride to Copenhagen was uneventful except for the 15 minutes the drug-sniffing dog was aboard checking everyone out. Not that I had anything to hide, but you can't help but be a little nervous when a huge German Shepherd comes your way. No worries. He gave me a reassuring lick on the arm and went on his way.
It was pitch black when I finally got to Copenhagen and I had a long and confusing walk to the hostel. My map wasn't the greatest and the streets weren't marked well either. A nice local helped me out and I finally arrived at "Sleep In Heaven". Oy, how do I describe this place? It was ANYTHING but heaven. My room was a 10 x 10 closet that I shared with 5 other people in two sets of three-bed bunks. I decided to try out the showers since it had been a long day and I felt gross. I'm sure I was cleaner than the shower. Thank goodness for flip-flops! And the water was nice and hot, even though it turned off every 2 minutes. Annoying timer faucets... The other people were already asleep so I had to unpack and make my bed in the dark. No blanket! I crawled into my cubby-hole exhausted but looking forward to morning so I could get out of there. After about an hour of being unable to go to sleep because I was freezing, I put on my jacket, two pairs of socks, and spread my towel out over me. It helped, a little.
I was up and out before the other people in the room woke up. Lazy bums. Dragging my bags along with me again, I endured the cobblestone streets and dodged the bikers towards the bridge where I ate breakfast and watched the sun come up over the river. So Copenhagen isn't so bad after all! I walked through a few of the many parks, saw Rosenborg where they keep the Danish crown jewels ('cept it was too early to go in), Amalienborg where the Danish Royal Family stays in the winter and where Parliament meets. After about 3 and a half hours of lugging bags around, I was worn out. Copenhagen is a BIG city!! I decided to head for the train station to catch my reservation for 11:45.
While engrossed in my map in the square near Tivoli, trying to get my bearings for the train station, I apparently attracted the attention of this Italian guy from Germany. He came up to me holding his map and laughing saying that he was lost as well. Being the cautious gal that I am, I feigned confidence. "I'm not lost. Thanks. Bye." And started on my way across the street. Boldly, he followed along asking me where I was going. I told him the train station and started walking faster. He kept up, trying to make conversation with very broken English. He did manage to get me to say that I'm from America but living in Ireland. He said he'd like to visit me there sometime. He didn't seem to understand why I laughed in his face. After I turned down his offer for coffee the upteenth time, we finally got to the train station. I kept hoping that he would give up and go away, but he seemed to think that I was nice and kept following along saying something about it being destiny that we were both lost in the same square at the same time. He asked for my number and told me I should wait and take the 6pm train to Berlin with him. Right, buddy. He hung around while I waited in line to get my ticket, helped me find the right train platform, and even bought me a Snickers bar for the ride. I felt bad for being so rude to him, but the whole situation was just too weird for me. I'm not used to guys approaching me. I told him bye, puzzled by his continued interest, got on my train and found a seat. Just as we were pulling away, he ran up to the window and waved to me as we drove away. WEIRD.
I got to Berlin around 6 and enjoyed a much shorter walk to the hostel. This one was very nice. I made up my bed and went downstairs to the hostel restaurant for dinner. I met two girls from the States and we ate together. Mmm... Wienerschnitzel and sauerkraut!
I'm gonna wrap this up for now. It's getting a bit long and there are tons of pictures to see. I've got pictures from Glasgow up to Zurich so you'll see more than what I've talked about so far, but that's ok. I know you mostly just want to see the pictures and not read my ramblings. :-p
Pictures 168-195
I think my last email ended in Oslo...
I'm glad I decided to stay a while in Oslo. The original plan was to catch the 7am train to Copenhagen. Ehhhh... not so much. There were plenty of things to see but I couldn't make it around to everything, especially after I lost my map. It wasn't so easy to walk around on the cobblestone streets wagging a suitcase along behind either. But I got to see the Royal Palace and the docks near the city hall. It was a gorgeous day! I caught the 13:00 train to Copenhagen which took me around the coast of Sweden. It was a really long eight hour ride, but at least I got to get out of the train in Göteburg, Sweden and go for a walk. The rest of the ride to Copenhagen was uneventful except for the 15 minutes the drug-sniffing dog was aboard checking everyone out. Not that I had anything to hide, but you can't help but be a little nervous when a huge German Shepherd comes your way. No worries. He gave me a reassuring lick on the arm and went on his way.
It was pitch black when I finally got to Copenhagen and I had a long and confusing walk to the hostel. My map wasn't the greatest and the streets weren't marked well either. A nice local helped me out and I finally arrived at "Sleep In Heaven". Oy, how do I describe this place? It was ANYTHING but heaven. My room was a 10 x 10 closet that I shared with 5 other people in two sets of three-bed bunks. I decided to try out the showers since it had been a long day and I felt gross. I'm sure I was cleaner than the shower. Thank goodness for flip-flops! And the water was nice and hot, even though it turned off every 2 minutes. Annoying timer faucets... The other people were already asleep so I had to unpack and make my bed in the dark. No blanket! I crawled into my cubby-hole exhausted but looking forward to morning so I could get out of there. After about an hour of being unable to go to sleep because I was freezing, I put on my jacket, two pairs of socks, and spread my towel out over me. It helped, a little.
I was up and out before the other people in the room woke up. Lazy bums. Dragging my bags along with me again, I endured the cobblestone streets and dodged the bikers towards the bridge where I ate breakfast and watched the sun come up over the river. So Copenhagen isn't so bad after all! I walked through a few of the many parks, saw Rosenborg where they keep the Danish crown jewels ('cept it was too early to go in), Amalienborg where the Danish Royal Family stays in the winter and where Parliament meets. After about 3 and a half hours of lugging bags around, I was worn out. Copenhagen is a BIG city!! I decided to head for the train station to catch my reservation for 11:45.
While engrossed in my map in the square near Tivoli, trying to get my bearings for the train station, I apparently attracted the attention of this Italian guy from Germany. He came up to me holding his map and laughing saying that he was lost as well. Being the cautious gal that I am, I feigned confidence. "I'm not lost. Thanks. Bye." And started on my way across the street. Boldly, he followed along asking me where I was going. I told him the train station and started walking faster. He kept up, trying to make conversation with very broken English. He did manage to get me to say that I'm from America but living in Ireland. He said he'd like to visit me there sometime. He didn't seem to understand why I laughed in his face. After I turned down his offer for coffee the upteenth time, we finally got to the train station. I kept hoping that he would give up and go away, but he seemed to think that I was nice and kept following along saying something about it being destiny that we were both lost in the same square at the same time. He asked for my number and told me I should wait and take the 6pm train to Berlin with him. Right, buddy. He hung around while I waited in line to get my ticket, helped me find the right train platform, and even bought me a Snickers bar for the ride. I felt bad for being so rude to him, but the whole situation was just too weird for me. I'm not used to guys approaching me. I told him bye, puzzled by his continued interest, got on my train and found a seat. Just as we were pulling away, he ran up to the window and waved to me as we drove away. WEIRD.
I got to Berlin around 6 and enjoyed a much shorter walk to the hostel. This one was very nice. I made up my bed and went downstairs to the hostel restaurant for dinner. I met two girls from the States and we ate together. Mmm... Wienerschnitzel and sauerkraut!
I'm gonna wrap this up for now. It's getting a bit long and there are tons of pictures to see. I've got pictures from Glasgow up to Zurich so you'll see more than what I've talked about so far, but that's ok. I know you mostly just want to see the pictures and not read my ramblings. :-p
Pictures 168-195
posted by Kell | 5:41 PM
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