Fabulous France. Village life in the Vendée agreed with us. The Vendée charmed us so much that we’re already planning a return at the end of our sabbatical. It wasn’t just the fantastic food, the spectacular sights, or the warm welcome. The French have a way of doing everything properly, and while in Paris this…
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Hardy Helsinki. At least as Slavic as it is Scandinavian, Helsinki charmed us during a quick visit. Our overnight Viking Lines ferry to Helsinki was not quite up to the standard set by our earlier cruise from Copenhagen to Oslo, though we loved the on-board sauna, hot tub, and plunge pool. We were happy to…
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Cosmopolitan Stockholm. Capital city of Scandinavia. We left Oslo by high-speed train, Stockholm by overnight ferry, and Helsinki by plane. It’s a good thing that we had so many varied modes of travel to separate one city from the next, because the week that brought us to all three of them was a complete whirlwind. Stockholm…
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Outstanding Oslo. A good time but not a long time in the Tiger City. Our trip to Oslo actually started at the Copenhagen Zoo. Our ferry didn’t leave until the late afternoon and we weren’t about to waste a rare semi-sunny day, so we left our bags with the hotel’s concierge and off we went….
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Relaxing Riviera (Danish style). We visited Hamlet’s castle, rowed a Viking ship out into the fjord, and enjoyed a nightly sauna in another fabulous Airbnb find. The main point of coming to Denmark, at least for me, was to explore the country’s legendary opportunities for historical engagement. In Lejre and Ribe we visited villages built…
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Joyful Jutland. Slowing down to enjoy the simple life in a classic Danish cottage by the sea. We’ve divided our three weeks in Denmark, and our blog posts, between Jutland in the west, the “Danish Riviera” in the northeast, and Copenhagen. I’ve already posted about our fantastic time in Copenhagen, I’m pleased to report that…
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Captivating Copenhagen. Sightseeing in the City of Spires. We’ll be in Denmark for almost three weeks: six nights in Copenhagen, five in the southwest, and six in the northeast before looping back to the big city where we’ll catch an overnight ferry to Oslo. We’ve been to Copenhagen before, but Sam didn’t see much that…
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Inspiring Iceland. From hot tubs to hotdogs, we loved it all. The only regret we have about our visit to Iceland is that it was so short. Iceland’s tourism infrastructure is still developing, and we allowed ourselves to be daunted by the frustrations of booking (or more accurately not booking) an organized Ring Road self-drive…
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