Crystalline waters, colourful houses, open sandwiches and obliging locals – there’s lots to love about Scandinavia.
High above Eidfjord, rugged peaks dusted with remnant winter snow tower above quaint scarlet-coloured barns dispersed atop the lushest of emerald pastures.
The largest Iron Age burial ground in western Norway, archaeologists have uncovered broken pots, pearls, axes, arrowheads, the remains of swords and shields, a bronze brooch and, less surprisingly, human bones. Everyone everywhere here in Scandinavia – without protest – switches from their native tongue to perfect English in an instant .
Here in Eidfjord, where I’ve rugged up in a coat and scarf, it’s nowhere near those sort of highs, but if I wanted heat, I would have opted for a Mediterranean cruise not a Nordic one.If Scandinavia is Europe made easy, I really couldn’t have chosen an easier or better way to experience it than with Nordic specialists Viking Cruises.
There’s such a plethora of wood in this city of 300,000 people that it almost feels like I’m back in that Eidfjord forest. It’s Norway’s abundant gas reserves that have so far kept the rest of Europe warm following the ban on Russian supplies due to its invasion of Ukraine. The city features the relatively new and cutely dubbed Barcode urban revitalisation district, so named for its long row of edgy, modern high-rise buildings, which is in a former wasteland-like docklands area.
The ship had arrived in Copenhagen in the early morning after an overnight sailing from Aalborg, the architecturally rich Danish city and port located in Jutland to Denmark’s north, visited as part of the itinerary.
In all my visits to Copenhagen, I’ve never ridden a bicycle in what is a world-renowned paradise for two-wheels with my call-in to Christiana part of a leisurely day-long spin around the city and its network of cycle paths. It’s set slap bang inside Copenhagen’s beloved heritage Tivoli Gardens theme park – claimed to have been the inspiration for Walt’s Disneyland – where this specialist Danish sandwich eatery operates as part of the Nimb boutique hotel.Fru Nimb’s menu features an array of varieties such as marinated herring with curry cream and egg and prawn salad and slices of boiled egg topped with Danish caviar and watercress, teamed with a glass of champers.
Wismar’s wealth was founded on its trade in two important northern European staples, herring and beer, with the city controlled by the Swedes between 1648 and 1903. They’ve evidently wasted no time getting here having heard on the local grapevine that the Danish, royal yacht Dannebrog belonging to Denmark’s much-loved Margrethe II , is departing from the waterfront after a low-key and little-publicised visit.In an impressive, unheralded spectacle, white-uniformed officers and sailors are lined up along the deck of the white-hulled yacht with its extravagantly gilded bow glistening in the morning light.
It follows, on this decidedly action-packed voyage, an extended visit to the Polish port city of Gdansk, another Hanseatic League member and the home to the revolutionary Solidarity movement. Thank you for the music, guys, but I’m buggered if I can make it out. Oh well, there’s always a replica of the cottage at the Abba Museum in Stockholm.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why have petrol prices jumped to new highs and why do they vary between retailers?Retail petrol prices are the highest they've been since 22 July, and they're not expected to drop straight away.
Read more »
QIC’s PE team wins $500m mandate for European buyoutsDanish pension fund PenSam has signed an agreement to invest $500 million in the sector via QIC over the next three years.
Read more »
I visited eight European countries without flying, and loved itMy epic 40-day journey marks a grand return to rail travel, unlocking the sheer pleasure of seeing the continent unfold at ground level.
Read more »
‘The Eurocentric fallacy’: the myths that underpin European identityThe long read: The EU likes to celebrate itself as a place where borders are soft and ‘regionalism’ creates diversity and openness. But just as much as any powerful nation, Europe defines itself against the rest of the world
Read more »
In Northern Ireland, even a data breach can be deadlyThe return of power-sharing has never been more urgent, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle
Read more »
I visited eight European countries without flying, and loved itMy epic 40-day journey marks a grand return to rail travel, unlocking the sheer pleasure of seeing the continent unfold at ground level.
Read more »