Haslev and Copenhagen, Denmark: An Adventure and Stairs

Because today is Grandma and Grandpa's last day, and because we had quite an adventure, be forewarned: there are more pictures than usual.  Anyhow, early this morning, we caught the train to Haslev, the town where Grandpa's father was born and raised until he left for America at age 14.  Since all of Grandpa's relatives are dead, we went to the only place we could think of to connect with them: the cemetery.  Unfortunately, if you don't pay for your plot upkeep in Denmark, they take it, and bury someone else there.  We didn't find this out until after we had combed the cemetery in the rain for over an hour, but when we did (from the very nice gravediggers), we decided to take a picture by the stone commemorating the 'common grave' of everyone buried in that cemetery.

Even though journey to Haslev was not very succesful (and was very wet), it was still neat to see the town where my great grandfather frolicked as a youth.  The picture above is of Grandpa on Haslev's main square.

After our Haslev adventure, we trained back to Copenhagen to start climbing stairs.  Our first venture was up the tower of the 17th-century Our Saviour's Church.  The spire is 95m tall, and is located in the Christianhavn district of Denmark.  We begin our climb, and...

...398 stairs later (250 inside, and 148 spiraling on the outside of the tower), we made it to the top!  Because of the wicked wind and cold, the view was breathtaking!

After this climb, we needed sustenance, so we headed to the local cafe for some traditional fare: open-faced sandwiches with fish varieties for toppings.

Our next stop was the Round Tower, which is the oldest astronomical observatory in Europe, and was in service as part of the university from 1685-1861.  This climb was not as long as the other, but the view from the top was still nice (and it was still windy).

A stroll along Denmark's most famous pedestrian street and a successful search for ice cream completed our sojourn to Grandpa's homeland.  We all had a wonderful time...Grandpa and Grandma, thanks so much for coming to be a part of my travels with me!

Helsingor and Copenhagen, Denmark: Castles and Castles

Grandpa had "See a castle." on his bucket list.  Today, we took care of that.  We hopped on the morning train that ran north from Copenhagen along the coast to the delightful little town of Helsingor.  Because it was relatively early on a Sunday morning, there weren't many people around (as one can see by the deserted street behind us), but we did manage to find an open bakery to get a delicious cinnamon-roll-loaf and coffee for breakfast.

After breakfast, we walked to the castle!  Called Kronborg Slot or Elsinore in Danish, this castle is the setting of Shakespeare's Hamlet in fiction and is a heavily fortified military stronghold in reality.  Originally constructed in the fifteenth century, this was a residence of the kings first, a defense against Sweden next, a cash cow because of its location next, and finally a military garrison until it was abandoned in 1991.

After arriving at the castle, we were able to walk out on to the bastions and beaches on the sea side of the castle.  The picture above is from the beach on the outside of the castle, and behind Grandpa and Grandma is the Sound connecting the North and Baltic Seas, and behind that is...Sweden! 

Part of the reason this castle is so historically important is that it is strategically located on the Sound that is the only shipping lane from the North Sea into the Baltic Sea.  Because the cannons of the castle could reach all the way across the Sound (and because the area of Sweden that is visible used to be part of Denmark), the kings of Denmark were able to impose Sound Dues (a toll) on all ships that passed through this waterway.  This made Denmark a rich nation from the early 1600s onward.

After exploring the bastions, beaches, and outbuildings, we went to the inner courtyard of the castle, then inside to see the Royal Apartments, the Chapel, and the underground casements (used to hold soldiers and supplies when the castle was under siege).  It was all very interesting, but we weren't done with castles yet!

We headed back to Copenhagen, and visited Rosenborg Slot, another castle, though this one was built in the late 1600s.  This castle--which was another of the royalty's residences until the mid-1800s--now houses artifacts from the royal family and the Crown Jewels of Denmark.  Beautiful and extravagant, this castle was more of a cross between the old-style castles and the Baroque palaces.  Still, it was nice, and this allowed us to check this item off Grandpa's bucket list...twice!

Copenhagen, Denmark: Grandpa's Homeland!

Today we flew from Berlin to Copenhagen.  This is Grandpa as he first set foot on his homeland on the tarmac of the Kastrup International Airport.  He was really excited!  (Unfortunately, this is the most sun that we saw all day.)  After collecting our baggage, we had our first experience with the efficient (but expensive) Danish public transport system on the way to our hotel.

Since we were already damp, we decided to embrace the water and go for a boat tour, which officially marked the fifth consecutive city that I have toured by boat (Grandma and Grandpa have been on a boat tour in every city!).  One of the first things we saw was the statue of The Little Mermaid, commemorating that fact that the fairy tale was written by Denmark's favorite son, Hans Christian Andersen.  As you can see in the photo, the tourists were swarming on shore...but the statue is actually pretty tiny.

Another of the sites we saw was the New Harbor, which is actually one of the oldest in Copenhagen.  It was one of the original harbors that the sailors of the shipping and fishing vessels used to come to for a party after a long time at see.  Now, it's lined with expensive seafood restaurants and houses, and the harbor itself is lined with ships, from beautiful three-masted schooners to new fiberglass creations.

After our boat tour, we walked around some of Copenhagen's many pedestrian-only streets, trying our best to dodge the intermittent rain.  Both the boat and the walk gave us a good overview of the city, and we are ready to start our sight-seeing of Grandpa's homeland in earnest tomorrow!

Berlin, Germany: Despite Sad History, a Truly Great City

We began the day by taking the hour-long train and the half-hour walk to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.  This camp, known as 'the model concentration camp' was opened in 1934 as a camp for political prisoners and other undesirables in the early days of Hitler's regime.  It gradually developed into a full-blown death camp and all that entails, though--likely because of its proximity to Berlin--the death toll here was only in the tens of thousands instead of the hundreds of thousands, and the atrocities committed here had to be more hidden because this camp was often the site of visits from other leaders who were aligned with Hitler.  Still, the visit, though informative, was incredibly sad.  The picture above is of Grandpa standing by the main gate, which has an inscription that reads "Work liberates".

These are some of the ovens that were used as crematoriums for prisoners who may have been either dead or alive when they were placed inside them.  One of the more interesting things about this camp was that not only was it used as a concentration camp during World War II, but it was also the Soviet 'Special Camp No. 1'--the place were all the undesirables from Soviet-ruled East Germany were sent.  Therefore, these ovens weren't actually out of service until the late 1950s--something none of us knew and was horrifying to learn.

On our way back from the moving Sachsenhausen, we stopped at Nordbahnhof, one of the so-called 'ghost stations' in the former East Berlin.  This station, which was on an underground line that started and ended in West Berlin, was walled up from the surface and heavily patrolled by border guards from 1961-1989 to prevent East Berliners from simply hopping on the subway to get out (the trains passed through but didn't stop at this station during those years).  This particular station actually saw some successful escape attempts by the East Berlin border guards themselves, as it was so close to the border that one exit is in the former East Berlin and one exit is in the former West Berlin.  In 1990, it was reopened, and has been turned into a free museum and memorial of the 'ghost stations'.  This is even more appropriate as, upon exiting the station, you are greeted with the site of a memorial with a piece of the Wall and the East-side 'death strip' that was left intact as a reminder of the horrors of East Berlin.

Our final excursion of the day was much more cheerful: a water tour of Berlin's vibrant city center!  The day was beautiful, the way was beautiful, and we had a great time seeing Berlin's new and old buildings by water.

A view of Berlin's cathedral and the arcade of the National Gallery from the water.  This was a great way to say goodbye to one of my favorite cities thus far, the excellent mixer of the new and the old: Berlin.

Berlin, Germany: A War History in Places

The first item on the agenda for today was to go and do laundry, as our clothing situation was not pretty.  So, Grandpa and I walked down to the Waschwelt in our pajamas, and spent an hour playing cribbage whilst waiting for the clothes.  This is Grandpa in front of the dryers--it was his first time ever in a laundromat!

After donning our clean clothes, we headed to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, which was very well done and had lots of information about Berlin and the Berlin Wall from 1945-1990.  It also included part of the original cement border, as well as the original "You are leaving the American Sector" sign, pictured with Grandpa above.  The guard shack outside is a reconstruction, but it was still very moving to see.

After the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, we ate some lunch, then took a four and a half hour walking tour of the city center of Berlin.  The building above, which was saw on our tour, is part of the once-prestigious Humboldt University, where Einstein taught before he left Germany in the early 1930s for fear of persecution (he was Jewish).  This particular square is remarkable because it was the site of one of the first book-burnings carried out by Hitler's regime--over 20,000 books were burned here because they contained 'dangerous ideas' such as pacifism and tolerance, among many others.

On our tour, we got some great history, and saw many of the remaining or reconstructed buildings and new monumentsa in the city center (the center of the current city, which was the part of East Berlin that was closest to the wall).  The picture above is of us in Parisplatz, and behind us is the infamous Brandenburg Gate, which was never destroyed, but was left in the so-called 'death strip' between East and West Berlin.

After our tour, we took the train to the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall, a 1.3 km section that has been covered with murals and turned into the East Side Gallery.  We walked the whole length, despite our tired feet.

Along this stretch is the famous mural based on the real picture of USSR-leader Brezhnev kissing East German-leader Honecher, a picture that came to be known as the Kiss of Death.  While this day was long, the history we learned and refreshed was absolutely fascinating, and well-worth the time on our feet.

Amsterdam, Netherlands and Berlin, Germany: Bad Weather, Good Food

Our first task of the morning was to get Jamiann to her plane on time.  We got there without issue, got some food in her little belly, and sent her on her way (just got word that she made it safely).  We'll miss you on this side of the pond!

Jamiann's departure must have brought that bad weather, because it literally down-poured for three-quarters of the rest of the time we had to walk around Amsterdam.  We still saw some things, but the highlight was definitely the Dutch ice cream that Grandpa found--only made in this place, only vanilla, and it was absolutely delicious!

Our next task of the day was to get to Berlin.  Despite getting on the wrong train, we made it in time and successfully got on our plane.  When we got there, we missed the train from the airport to Berlin by a few minutes, and had to wait an hour...but the size of our hotel room was worth the wait!  It is three rooms, a private bathroom, and super-comfortable beds.  Yay!

After checking in to our hotel, we went out for our one meal of the day--a German feast.  We happened upon a very old, very traditional restaurant, and the food was wonderful.  We can't wait to start exploring Berlin tomorrow!

Amsterdam, Netherlands: One Last Adventure

On Jamiann's last day, we woke up early to catch the train to Amsterdam...only to arrive at the station and find it had been delayed for an hour due to heavy thunderstorms.  No worries, though--with a lot of Euchre and a little nap, we made it to Amsterdam unscathed and in good spirits. 

After a mad dash to find our hotel upon arrival, our first stop in Amsterdam was the Heineken Brewery.  The self-guided tour was very interactive (there was even a ride!) and well-done; Grandma says they've made improvements since she was there thirty years ago.  Needless to say, this excursion ended on a high note.

 

Amsterdam is a city of canals.  Most of the city is 10 ft below see level, and it is comprised of 90 islands connected by over 1500 bridges and 160 canals, and all of this land has been reclaimed from the sea, which means all of the buildings are built on pilings.  The picture above is from one of the many bridges we crossed while wandering the city.

Jamiann and I on our way to the Red Light District after our meal of the day in Rembrandtplein.

This is Jamiann, Grandma, and Grandpa on one of the less risqué lanes in the Red Light District (pictures aren't allowed in certain areas, but, suffice to day, all the rumors are true).  After this little outing, we took a canal tour by sunset, but unfortunately, it started down-pouring right before we got on the boat.  It was still fun because the boat had a roof, but I didn't really get any great pictures...so this will be the last picture of Jamiann, as she flies home tomorrow.  Safe travels cousin!

Blankenberge and Bruges, Belgium: A Watery Adventure, in Parts

Watery adventure part one: it was raining in Brussels and we covered a lot of ground yesterday, so we hopped on the ground and headed to a resort town on the North Sea (near the English channel) called Blankenberge.  Very similar to a Lake Michigan beach town (though with Panama City-sized hotels), we spent our time wandering around the shops and restaurants, dodging the hordes of old folks there in tour groups, and doing a little boardwalk people-watching.

Watery adventure part two: we stuck our feet in the North Sea!  Though the sea itself was quite swimmable, the air was pretty chilly, so none of us got wet past the ankles.  After our brief foray in the ocean, we hopped back on the train to go to Bruges.

Watery adventure part three: though we escaped the rain in Brussels, we weren't quite so fortunate in Bruges.  It didn't rain too hard, though, and lucky for Grandma and Grandpa, Jamiann was there to make their ponchos look good!

Watery adventure part four: we took a canal ride through the historic center of Bruges!  This city, which also has the honorary title of 'Venice of the North', is quite beautiful from the water, and the 12th-17th century buildings are really something to see.

Watery adventure part five: just as we got to the Burg, Bruges's medieval square, it started raining again, and this time it rained hard.  We decided it was time to return to our base in Brussels, and after a hearty meal of soup and salad (and, of course, beer), we ended our fun day of wetness.

Brussels, Belgium: Beer and Chocolate

Today we got up to take the train to our second country of the trip: Belgium.  The picture above is of the ladies in Paris's Gare de Nord station, waiting for our platform to show up on the board.

When we arrived in Brussels, we quickly realized why Belgium is so well-known for beer and chocolate: there are bars (with 250+ beers) and chocolatiers on every corner!  We even found a chocolate fountain that gave free samples...mmmmm.

After strolling around the Grote Markt and doing a bit of window-shopping, we found a place off the tourist track that had a nice (and cheap!) selection of Belgian beers.  Some Euchre and some beer and these were a few hours well-spent!

After our games, we wandered back down to the Grand Place to see the main square by night (and of course, find the requisite ice cream).  The picture above is of the Hotel de Ville, which comprises one side of the Grand Place.

Our final stop on our beer-chocolate tour of Brussels was the Manneken Pis fountain, which literally translates as 'little boy peeing'.  We thought it would be huge, given that its a major destination, but it's only a few feet high.  Jamiann and I elected to take a picture next to the much-larger piss statute at the nearby waffle store!

Versailles, France: Palatial Explorations

Today we took the train out to Versailles to explore one of the world's most famous palaces and their gardens. Because it is summer and very dry, the fountains only run for a few hours a day, and only on the weekends, so we began our visit there. Above is one of the musical fountains in the extensive (1000+ hectacre) gardens.

After exploring the gardens, we headed inside to see the magnificently opulent Palace of Versailles, built in the late 17th century by Louis IVX, and expanded on by later Louises. From the stunning Hall of Mirrors (pictured above), to the views of the garden from the many windows, to state room after elegantly decorated stateroom, the Palace was really something to see.

This shot is in the Room of War, a salon commemorating Louis IVX's victorious battles. This room is situated quite near the bedchambers of Louis VIX and Marie-Antoinette, both of whom were forcibly removed from their beds on July 14, 1789, which marked the start of the French Revolution.

After leaving Versailles, we went to the largest flea market in Paris, by request of Jamiann. Jamiann loved it and got some bartering practice, and it was interesting to see. After that, we took a much-needed nap after last night's boat cruise, then went out to one of Montmarte's many restaurants for a nice dinner.

We finished up our Parisian tour with one last stop by the Moulin Rouge for a night view. New city tomorrow!