Nordic Europe: Viking Adventures

WHAT AN AMAZING FEW DAYS. This leg is the best example of what is brilliant about this entire trip: it forces you to: (a) plot your way through multiple countries (without being able to ask any hotel concierge for help or jump on google); (b) strategize on the best (and most point-filled) way to navigate an entire section of Europe and (c) requires you to basically inhale entire cities within hours. We got dropped off in Frankfurt two days ago and were told to check-in with Bill and Pamela today at 11 AM in Copenhagen. We had literally hundreds of potential scavenges to choose along the way which gave us multiple options for seeing Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. We took off running as soon as the dinner was over, did our mandatory Frankfurt challenges and headed out of town on a very late night – early morning train in Berlin. The course we choose was to go from Frankfurt – to – Berlin – to – Hamburg – to – Kiel (all Germany) – to – Gotteborg (Sweden) – to – Malmo (Sweden) – to – Copenhagen (Denmark). And all in less than 40 hours…Yes, the answer to your first question is – we have not slept very much for the past few days.

PLUS – for this leg – we have to carry all of our stuff with us (into trains, ferries, taxis) and through every city. I bitterly regretted every extra pair of socks on this leg as my suitcase got heavier and heavier by the hour as I hauled it up and down stairs in train stations. Just the luggage alone makes this trip so much harder than the others.

We have done SOOO much stuff over the past few days that I could write an entire book just on this leg. I have tried to pick out a few fun ones…

BERLIN:
Bonus Scavenge: Visit the former site of Check Point Charlie in Berlin.
We schedule a 1 ½ hour lay over between trains in Berlin so we could rush to see the old Berlin Wall (they have preserved a section of it right where it used to be – graffiti and all) as well as Checkpoint Charlie (the transition check point area between East and West Berlin). It was so interesting to think that just a few decades ago this modern city was divided down the middle with fundamental differences in culture, socioeconomics and lifestyle between two sides.

HAMBURG:
Scavenge: Ride a balloon in Hamburg
There is this very awesome tethered balloon ride in Hamburg that takes you up above all of the buildings for a full view of the city. It does not sail away but it still seemed like a great idea. Unfortunately, bad weather grounded it so the best we could do was a photo in front of it. SO sad, I have never been on a balloon and I would have loved to at least "pretend".

Scavenge: Stop a local on a bridge and ask them how many bridges there are in Hamburg.
We interviewed an 84 year old woman who said that there were more than 2000 bridges in the city (the guide book says 2500) but both of these numbers seem unbelievable. She was very sweet and her English was excellent.

Scavenge: Interview two tourists along the Binnenalster: ask where they are from and tell them about your adventures so far.
The Binnenalster is this pretty lake in the middle of town which has cafes and shops aong the edge. We stopped two women who thought that we were trying to either sell them something or scam them until we did the full explanation. Then they warmed us and told us all about what they had been doing in Hamburg. Again, an example of something that you would never normally do (unless there are points involved) and which ends up being a highlight of your day.

KIEL:
Bonus Scavenge: Take a ferry from Germany to Sweden
Not having any clue about these things, we envisioned that a ferry in this part of the world would be one step above a shrimp trawler and that we’d be lucky if we ended up with a wooden upright seat for the 14 hour crossing. What a surprise when we showed u pat the Kiel pier to find that “ferry” means cruise liner type ship with beds, clean sheets, a porthole, a fancy restaurant, gambling and even a man with a guitar singing Abba songs… This is me doing the “happy dance” when we realized that our night travel to Gotteborg was going to be GREAT instead of miserable.

GOTTEBORG
Scavenge: Take a stroll in the Gotteborg Botanical Gardens for one hour.
It was cold. It was raining. It was windy. But we had just come 14 hours to get the Gotteborg points so by golly we were going to “stroll” in the gardens if it killed us. Ben took a photo of his watch as we entered the gardens and we counted down the cold, wet minutes until we could leave. But – as with everything about this trip – just when you feel like grumbling, you turn a corner and see a patch of beautiful tulips that take your breath away and it makes the whole trek across 2 countries worthwhile.

MALMO
Bonus Scavenge: Take a swim in the Baltic Sea
When we got to the beach in Malmo (a small town on the South tip of Sweden – right across the bridge from Copenhagen) the wind was blowing so hard that you could barely stand up. But Rainey had set his mind to getting the bonus 100 points for getting into the Baltic – so in he went – freezing water and all. Ben refused because it was so cold and windy but then regretted it. So Rainey went back in again with him (to keep Ben’s company) as Ben dipped down into artic temperature Baltic sea. Our two brave men!!!! (Because, to be honest, this might have been 100 points that I left on the table – that’s how much I HATE cold water). Ben said that it was so cold that you went numb as soon as you stepped in.

We have now reached Copehagen... We did TONS of great things there ... stay tuned for my next blog.