A Blog of Unforgettable Adventures

A world made of Legos

2009-10-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

Walk into any crowded room and mention the word Lego, and I am sure more than one person would likely share with your their love of Legos. In fact, it might be hard to get people to stop talking about them.

Nearly everyone has played with them at some point in their lives, from constructing basic houses to complex cities to...well....the possibilities are endless.

When I was growing up, the Lego castles were all the rage. My sister and I would spend hours building them.

So yes, I was more than a little excited to go to the original LegoLand in Denmark.

LegoLand is centrally located in the town of Billund, which is almost smack-dab in the middle of the country, as you can see here:

This actually gives you an idea of how small the country actually is. You see the town called Aalborg, between the E45 and E39 tags? We drove from that general area and it only took us two hours. So you could probably drive from the tip of Denmark to the German border in about 5-6 hours.

Here is a satellite view of the park:

Now for those who have been to Disney World or Disney Land or any other large amusement park around the US, you will probably be a little disappointed at the size of LegoLand. Big, it is not, as you can see from the picture above. It is actually smaller than I expected it to be. There were no huge roller coasters or other attractions we are so used to seeing at amusement and theme parks. And most things are geared towards smaller children; I am pretty sure that most teenagers would be completely bored. So the best ages would be for kids under the age of 12, or adults reliving their Lego dreams from childhood.

Like me.

So here we are at LegoLand...

...where we are first greeted by none other than Hans Christian Andersen.

While the size of the park and lack of bells and whistles might disappoint some people, for me the best part was walking around the mini LegoLand, where everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - is made up of countless Legos. Entire villages and cities from all over the world made from those tiny little plastic bricks. It amazed and amused me to no end.

Let's take a tour, shall we?

Cool, isn't it?

But that is it for now. I have many more pictures to share, but I fear that this post would get way too long. So I will share more again soon.

So tell me, what is your favorite Lego memory?

Have you ever held the key to a 5,000 year old tomb?

2009-10-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

From the road it looks like any other small hill in the middle of an ordinary wheat field. Which, when thinking about it makes that suspect on its own, since there are very few hills in Denmark. Denmark being a relatively flat country and all.

Those that live here, though, know that this is no ordinary pile of dirt. It is actually a 5,000 year old burial mound, or passage grave, from the Neolithic Period, or Late Stone Age, known as Lundehøj.

The Neolithic Period, which started in the Middle East around 9500 BC and spread to northern Europe around 4500 BC, is characterized by a huge cultural shift in which the people from this era transitioned from a food-collecting society (hunting and gathering) to a food-producing culture (raising crops on farms). Small villages began to dot the landscape, and the people began to use stone tools.

It is also a time when the people of Europe began to build the passage graves to bury their dead. These passage graves, constructed from large stones, or megaliths, consisted of a narrow entrance which opened up to one or more rooms, or burial chambers. Once the stone structure was finished, it was then completely covered in dirt. Graves like this can be found all over Scandinavia, and even in Britain and Ireland.

Experts estimate that there were once around 40,000 of these passage graves around Denmark alone, dating from between 3500-3000 BC. Out of these, only around 500 have been preserved. One of the notable and mysterious things about these passage graves is their entrances. Each entrance had been oriented in the landscape to point toward the east, and new research suggests that the openings had been oriented in that direction according to the rise of the full moon.

This particular passage grave, Lundehøj, had been discovered by accident in 1837. Two young boys were on their way to church to attend their confirmation and decided to take a short cut across a field. As they neared the mound, they saw what looked like a fox hole dug into the ground. Curiosity got the best of them and they decided to investigate.

They began to dig around the hole and after an hour uncovered large stones underneath the ground. Not being able to continue digging, they decided to continue on to church, where they were met by an angry priest. After explaining the reason they were late, the priest dismissed everyone and had the boys show him what they had found.

The discovery ignited the curiosity of several people, and soon a small portion of the grave had been excavated. Many people came to see it, among them a local school teacher who surveyed the chamber and made several sketches. He wrote a long letter to the Royal Commission for Antiquities in Copenhagen about his observations, including the discovery of 2 stones with sketches and some human bones.

After receiving this letter, they Commission asked for more information. Several priests and other locals called for the Commission to turn the passage grave into a monument so that it and its contents would be under the protection of the State. In the meantime, several people had convinced the landowner, Jens Christian Nielsen, not to touch the passage grave or do anything to it until a preservation agreement could be made between him and the State.

Why all the fuss?

During the 1800's large stones such as the ones used in passage graves were a highly sought commodity for building roads and other construction projects. Thus, many passage graves had been dismantled and their stones sold to the highest bidder. Many of the locals were worried that such a fate would befall Lundehøj.

Fortunately, the Commission in Copenhagen agreed to the importance of the passage grave and agreed to pay the landowner the price he demanded for the small parcel of land. The passage grave was finally put into the care of the National Museum in 1838.

Once that was all said and done, the tomb was largely ignored until 1890, when the entire tomb was finally unsealed and excavated. In all, some human bone fragments, a battle ax, and some pottery shards were found in the tomb. In the ground outside the tomb, some small bronze objects and a clay urn containing some cremated remains were found, dating from the late Bronze Age.

Here are some of the letters and sketches preserved by the Danish National Museum:

Today, 119 years later, you can tour the passage grave by simply asking the farmer for the key, and making a small donation. The farmer cannot ask outright for an entrance fee, since the land is owned by the Danish government. But a donation is appreciated.

Here are some satellite photos of the passage grave and surrounding farm land.

And here is the key.

Overall, the passage grave remains the way it did 5,000 years ago, except for the lack of artifacts. There are no neon signs or huge billboards advertising it's existence.

As I had mentioned earlier, there is a narrow passage to get into the tomb...

...and then you are inside.

As you can see, I was very excited to be sitting in a tomb that was constructed 3,000 years before Jesus walked the earth. And besides, I am probably the only American that has stepped foot inside. Who else would spend thousands of dollars to sit amongst a pile of rocks?

Peter, on the other hand? He hates to have his picture taken. At least Emilie seemed to share my enthusiasm.

And Emma? She refused to step inside, claiming it was spooky.

After a short tour of the interior, we went outside to have a look around and then eat lunch. From the top you can get a good view of the area around the grave.

It was rather windy, so after lunch I did a quick tour around the field, wondering about the people that put the grave there. Who did they put in there, and why right here? What significance does this particular location have?

Soon it was time to head off. I briefly wondered what would happen if I kept the key, but then remembered that Peter had signed the guest book.

Hanging out at Husby Hole

2009-09-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Ballad about the Battle of Husby Hole.
As translated from the Old Danish by Peter Dyrholm

The peasants, they gathered in hords
on both the arable and heathland;
they selected/appointed them a headsman,
Henry Tages can he be called.

They rode forward towards Olborg Sund,
advancing along the hollow roads,
for then rode their headsmen three,
they probably dress a steep.

They rode forth on Agersbro,
advancing along Agersborg-city:
they set fire to the house of the king,
it stood out high in the sky.

It was Henrik Tagesen,
that looked up to the sky:
"Now the Morsing's (people from Mors) are vacating
and then the traitors of Thy".

First the Morsing's vacate
and then the traitors of Thy;
after that stood the Vendelbo's (people from Vendelbo),
they would not run (escape/retreate).

After stood the Vendelbo's (people from Vendelbo),
they would not run (escape/retreate),
so they built them a rolling fortress,
therefore they let their lives.

In the year 1441 the Danish king Christopher of Bavaria was having a bit of trouble controlling his people. He had taken over the Danish throne from his uncle, King Eric of Pomerania a year earlier and not many were happy about that.

After suppressing peasant rebellions on the island of Funen (the middle island on the map below), he concentrated on the rebellions taking place in northern Jutland, near Aalborg (the northern part of Denmark on the map below).

It was in this area that the peasant Henrik Tages Reventlow had amassed an army of 25,000 men and they were creating havoc all over the region. Once word got around that the king was coming to put down the peasant army, noblemen across the area banded together to form an army of their own to attack Reventlow's army. The peasants entrenched themselves in an area west of Aalborg known as Husby Hole with a huge wagon fortress to protect themselves from the mounted knights. There was a bog near the fortress, so for good measure they covered it up with dirt and branches to make it look like solid ground.

On May 3, 1441 that the noble army led by Eske Brok attacked the peasant army. They were quickly consumed by the bog, and the peasant army killed them all. They dismembered Este Brok and sent pieces of him to all the surrounding cities as a warning.

After this the Danish king was furious. He continued with his plans to put down the rebel army, and on June 8 attacked the men still encamped at Husby Hole. The rebels did not fare so well in this battle...they were quickly overcome by the heavily armed knights. Many rebels from Mors and Thisted had returned to their homes after the King promised that they would be offered safe passage home. Out of those that remained, thousands were killed, and the survivors were punished severely. As a consequence of their actions, all Danish peasants lost their free status and became serfs on the farms they worked. The were also banned from carrying weapons larger than a small knife. The peasant rebellion was finally suppressed...for the time being.

And so it was a little over 24 hours after we landed in Denmark that we found ourselves here at Husby Hole. What once was a bloody battlefield is now a small farm surrounded by beautiful countryside. It certainly is not a huge tourist attraction

Here is a satellite image of the area...

...and a little history...

This granite memorial was placed here during a public celebration at the end of the German occupation in 1945. It commemorates the battle between peasants and the kings army.

Here is a picture of Emma, contemplating life.

Once we were done looking around the monument, we started walking down one of the paths you see in the satellite picture.

When a friend saw this picture posted on Facebook she made mention that it must be so cold in Denmark that even the butterflies have wear fur coats.

Here are some shots of the battlefield. The farm was established in the early 1900's, and during plowing a large number of skeletal remains were found.

And when Emma caught sight of the cows in a distant field, there was no stopping her.

Oh wait, yes there was. On her way to see the cows she noticed two horses.

And you know what? California isn't the only place that has happy cows. Denmark has some, too.

Wonder what they are looking at?

Him.

For some reason, these cows were fascinated by Peter. They would follow his every move. I tried to make him feel better about it by saying that he must remind them of the farmer.

While we were looking at the cows, Emilie started mooing at them, and Emma told her matter-of-factly:

"They won't moo back because they don't know you."

Once we were done with our tour, we returned to the parking lot and had a picnic lunch.

And then it began to rain. While packing up our food I didn't see Emma anymore. I looked around for her and found both girls under the historical sign.

Lindholm Høje

2009-07-31T16:57:00.002-07:00

Travel Date: July 26, 2008
Travel Destination: Lindholm Høje

Before we begin, you can click here to see the panoramic pictures Peter took of the harbor in Hanstholm. He even has a picture of what used to be ocean floor between the islands. Go check them out, they're pretty cool.

Anywho....

After our trip to Aalborg we went passed by Lindholm Høje (an ancient burial ground used during the Iron and Viking Age, located in the town of Nørresundby) and decided to stop. It has been a couple of years since I've been there, and I knew that Emma would love to see it, too. It is here I learned something about my husband....he had never been here before. Now I have been there three times since 2003 (two business trips before I moved there and once while I lived there). He, on the other hand, lived in Denmark for the first 30 years of his life and had never been here.

When I asked why he said something to the effect it's just a bunch of rocks. I was shocked! A bunch of rocks? Their not just rocks...it's an ancient burial ground. From 1400 years ago! And besides, some of his and Emma's ancestors might be buried here.

Maybe Danes do find these sorts of things boring because there's so much old crap scattered all over the country, but for me it is all new and exciting. And I want to teach Emma all I can about Denmark, since it's part of her heritage.

But before we begin our tour, here's the aerial view courtesy of Google Maps:

As I said before, it's an ancient burial ground, used from about 400 AD to 1000 AD. Excavations between 1952 and 1958 uncovered over 700 graves. The ones located at the top of the hill are the oldest, the youngest at the bottom of the hill. Most of the graves we see today are from the Iron Age, just before the Viking Age. Over times stones were removed for other purposes, such as building roads.

There is also evidence that villages were located here, but as with much of Denmark during those times, moving sand dunes forced them to abandon their land around 1200 AD. But archaeologists have uncovered a wealth of everyday items from the site...from cooking utensils to ancient coins from the Middle East. This shows that the site was an important trade route during that time.

It is interesting to note that there is a distinction between the male and female graves. Women were placed in circular graves....

....while the men were buried in a ship-shaped grave.

Even though this is a burial ground, very few people were actually buried here. Most were cremated. The body would be placed within the stones and then burned.

I also learned something extremely sad....the men were buried with their dogs. Even if the dog wasn't dead, they'd kill it and bury it next to their owner. How mean! Why didn't they just give the dog to the guys kids or best friend? As Peter explained, the Vikings took their dogs with them everywhere. It was their constant companion. So the dogs had to go with their owner on their trip to the afterlife, too. I suppose it makes sense, but still. I don't think that practice would be very popular today.

So here are the pictures...and yes it does look like an ordinary field of rocks. But it's a cool pile of rocks. Try and see how many graves you can pick out.

Here's a panoramic view from Peter.

Wining and Dining in Hanstholm

2009-07-31T16:57:00.001-07:00

Travel Date: July 25, 2008 (a continuation of yesterdays post)
Travel Destination: Hanstholm, Denmark

After shopping in Thisted, (click here to see what Peter did with the girls) Peter's mom and I went back home to gather up the rest of the family (Peter and the girls, Peter's stepdad, and his brother and his girlfriend) so that we could go out to dinner in Hanstholm.

Here are the "young people" having afternoon coffee outside:

Then it was off to Hanstholm for dinner. As you've come to expect, here's the route we took:

And here's the aerial overview, courtesy of Google Maps:

See the two break walls that extend way passed the harbor? We walked all the way out to the end of the one on the right. Dangerous? Yep. Fun? You betcha.

But before we begin our tour, let me tell you some interesting things I've found out about this area of Denmark. When you first drive up to the little town of Hanstholm and look around, you get the feeling that not much happens. And you'd be right. The harbor provides the most activity - fishing and catching ferries to the Faroe Islands, Scotland, Iceland and Norway.

However, this little part of Denmark has a lot of history that makes it an interesting place to visit.

The name Hanstholm means "island of Hansted" which is a little confusing since it obviously is not an island. So did the Danes get confused when naming the town a thousand or so years ago? Nope. Over a thousand years ago this was a series of small islands, but rising tectonic plates and drifting sand dunes began filling in the coastal areas between them.

Another interesting fact about Hanstholm is that it has been inhabited by people since 1000 BC. Yeah, you read that right. 1000 BC. Pretty cool! Between 1000 and 150 BC it was inhabited by the Teutons and Cimbri but in 150 BC they began migrating south.

Then between 850 - 1050 AD the Vikings moved into the area and used it as a staging point for their invasions into England and France. However, English priests came over to Denmark and began converting the pagan Vikings to Christianity (most likely in an effort to get them to stop pillaging England). Their plan worked.

Since then, the harbor has been used as an industrial trade center, beginning with Norway in the 1600's.

So it is here that you can find some of the best seafood I've ever tasted. And when the restaurants in the area advertise "the day's catch" you know it was literally the days catch.

Here we are, parked at the restaurant.

I ordered the days catch:

After dinner we took a leisurely stroll around the harbor:

But first we had to climb over the wall we weren't supposed to. This is one of the few areas where Danes break the rules.

And see, we weren't the only ones. Many Danes come to fish here, since there's some good fish to catch.

Oh, did you want to see some pictures of the harbor? Peter will have those up later on, so I'll link to them when he has them posted.

Of course no post about Denmark would be complete without a tour of....a....(can you guess???)...German bunker from World War II!

This bunker, however, is no ordinary bunker. It was a fortress. The largest that the Germans built in Europe.

Here's the aerial view from Google Maps:

Unlike many of the smaller bunkers you've seen on the beaches, this bunker was equipped with some huge guns and cannons. See this one?

It was mounted on this:

and theoretically could have fired a missile halfway to Norway. It was never used, or even tested. And there are rumors that it would not have worked.

The fortress is now a museum, which was closed by the time we got there. You can click here to read more about it:

MuseumCenter Hanstholm

So we just walked around. It was pretty cool.

Shopping in Thisted

2009-07-31T16:56:00.002-07:00

Travel Date: July 25, 2008
Destination: Thisted, Denmark

Two notes before I start. First, Peter has put up some more pictures from Skagen. Head over there to see pictures of boats and babes. Second, I promise this post will be shorter than the last few.

Every time we visit Denmark, Peter's mother and I make sure to leave the girls home with Peter at least once or twice so that we can have a Girl's Day Out. We get to shop and talk without being interrupted every 2.8 seconds. It's something I look forward to a lot.

So this time we went to Thisted, a little town nestled along the bay, and the birthplace of Peter. Below is the aerial view courtesy of Google Maps:

Here I am, armed with a camera and plenty of money to spend (and spend it I did):

I made sure to buy at least one outfit from each of my favorite stores: Noa Noa, Fransa, Noa Noa Miniature (for Emma) and Miniature Copenhagen (for Emma).

There are several things I love about shopping in Denmark (besides the really cool clothes). One thing is that most of the shops are located in the center of town along pedestrian streets. Meaning, no cars allowed. So you don't have to worry about the threat of being run over. The stores themselves are quaint and cozy, unlike shopping malls and the big box stores of America. You aren't rushed; you can take your time.

And when you need a break from shopping, you can just stop at any one of the outdoor cafes for a cup of coffee or tea, or even a beer (these people are having a beer at 11:00am).

Another thing I find very charming is that stores can leave their sale items outside without the threat of them being stolen. Look:

Now do you think this could happen here in the US?

This brings me to another thing I love about Denmark. Danes are generally honest and respectful people. It just isn't in their nature to take something that doesn't belong to them. They don't consider the "honor system" a set of rules; rather, it's just natural to them. It's so refreshing to be in that kind of environment.

This honesty also extends outside the cities. When you drive around the countryside you will come across many of these roadside stands sitting in front of houses (this sign is advertising new potatoes):

Some have just potatoes, and some offer more (other kinds of vegetables, homemade jellies and jams, that sort of thing). The interesting thing is that there is no one to collect the money. You just take what you want and put your money in the box. Amazing!

So that is it for this portion of our day. After shopping the whole family went out to dinner, and that is a whole other post for another day.

To the North

2009-07-31T16:56:00.001-07:00

Travel Date: July 24, 2008
Destination: Skagen

The day after our trip to Spøttrup we went to Skagen, the northernmost part of Denmark. Really, it is. If you went any further you would literally fall into the North Sea, as you can see from the Google Map image:

And I can't resist. Here's the map of our drive through Denmark:

Would you be able to find your way there?

Skagen is one of those places that are hard to describe, you just have to be there to experience it all. It's a beautiful beach and extremely interesting because when you reach the tip, you see the waves from both sides of the North Sea (the Kattegat from the right and the Skagerrak from the left) bumping into each other. In the late 1800's it was home to some of the most famous Danish artists of that time, but today it's a very popular tourist attraction (I think more Swedes, Germans and Norwegians visit Skagen than Danes).

To reach the beach area you have to climb over some rather large sand dunes. Once you reach the top, this is what you see:

And why yes, that is a German WWII bunker you see. In fact, you will see momentarily that there are three here.

Zooming in a little more towards the end of the beach (Grenan):

And looking towards the lighthouse, which is covered for renovations:

So we made our way down the beach....

....and found a nice spot to set up camp. Here are two pictures of all three bunkers:

And a warning sign:

While we were eating lunch I just sat and watched everyone around us. And I came to the conclusion that Danes (all Europeans actually) just let it all hang out at the beach. Literally. Clothing of any kind is optional. Most small children (infants and toddlers) were naked. Not many women actually wore a swimsuit or bikini, they just stripped down to their bras and panties. The old women took off their shirts and sunbathed in their white granny bras.

Me? Well, I didn't have a cute bra on, so I kept my shirt on. But next time? I'll be prepared.

After eating lunch we took our first step into the North Sea. That is as far as Emma and I got, because I am not one to swim in anything cold. And that water was cold.

Danes, however, are used to it. So Emilie had no problem just diving in.

Then it was Peter's turn to take Emma into the water.

So while they splashed in the water and hunted for rocks and seashells, I looked around to see what interesting things I could find.

Wanna see?

Why did I get their backs? For one, I like looking at a nicely-toned back. Second, Peter left me with the camera that had the huge telephoto lens on it, so aiming the camera at them would have been a little too obvious. But I must say, I now understand why we need two cameras in this family.

After playing for a while we decided to take a walk up the beach.

There were a group of girls ahead of us, and Emma decided to join them.

And here we are, walking off of Denmark and into the North Sea. You can sort of see how the waves are starting to bump into each other.

Then it was time to leave. We were tired and hungry.

So at the Visitors Center we grabbed some pølser. Peter loves his topped with everything...three kinds of onions and pickles and sauces:

On the way home we had to fill up the gas tank. For those curious, 408 DKK == $80 and 36 liters == 10 gallons. So, yes, we paid approximately $80 for 10 gallons of gas. As Peter's mom told us, they don't look at the price anymore, they just fill up and go.

Then we drove off into the sunset.

Visiting Spøttrup

2009-07-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

Travel Date: July 23, 2008
Destination: Spøttrup, Denmark

So the day after our trip to Bulbjerg we packed up the entire family...us (me, Peter, Emma and Emilie), Peter's parents, his brother and girlfriend, and Peter's sister and her family (husband Uffe and children Johannes and Linnea)...for a little road trip. Here's our mode of transporation:

Actually, it wasn't. I think I'd develop a really bad case of clautrophobia riding in something like that for more than 30 seconds. But then again, if I paid $9.00/ gallon of gas I'd probably look for the most eco-friendly car I could find.

But anywho...our purpose for this road trip was to visit Danmarks bedst bevarede middelalderborg.

What is that? you ask. Let me give you a little hint:

That not enough? How about this one?

Still not enough? How about a little more?

Oh all right, here's the very last hint I'll give you, courtesy of Peter's brother.

This is Spøttrup Borg, Denmarks best preserved medieval castle. Here is the aerial view, courtesy of Google Maps:

And just in case you are curious, here's the route we took:

Continuing on with our tour, Spøttrup Borg (castle) dates back 600 years, to the early 1400's. The first known owner of Spøttrup was Niels Bugge of Hald, one of the richest landowners in the country and a very powerful opponent to King Valdemar IV of Denmark. I'm not going to pretend to know all the history of this castle, so let me just give you a brief summary of what I've read online. In 1534 the castle resisted an attack by a peasant army led by Skipper Clement. But the king overtook the castle in 1536 and gave it away. For the next 350+ years it was passed down to several rich aristocrats, and then in 1937 the Danish State took over the entire property and restored it. It is now a museum.

In order to enter the castle you must pass through two moats:

Then you find yourself in the castle courtyard. Looking to your left....

...and looking to your right:

On this particular day they were holding a medieval festival, so these women were putting on a fire-breathing demonstration. I could make a very crude joke here, but I won't.

After watching the demonstration, we toured the castle. First stop was the dining room:

Then the dancing hall (I'm so glad Peter took pictures of all the signs):

I imagine some pretty cool parties took place in this room. You know, tons of food and drink. A DJ spinning the Top 40 of the 1400's. That sort of thing. Or perhaps it was more like this.

Anywho...this not-so-little cabinet is dated 1501. It was pretty cool to just be able to touch it and open the doors and drawers, thinking back to all the other people the past 500 years that did the same.

Next stop was the Watchmen's Gallery:

Next stop on the tour was the Master Bedroom and Bathroom:

Kinda makes you thankful for our modern indoor plumbing, doesn't it?

And here I am, looking through an original mirror.

And a very cool canopy bed. Right after Peter took this shot Emma started rubbing the boobs and laughing. When she does that I refer to her as Peter's daughter. No daughter of mine would do that.

Okay, so those were the most interesting rooms of the tour (the rest looked the same, minus the interesting furnishings) so now we will go outside. When Emma spotted the horses she made a beeline for them. She loves horses and not afraid of them at all. In fact, she always asks if she can ride one.

Then we all got hungry and went back to the cars for a picnic lunch of smørrebrød and pølser.

And just for the fun of it, I'll leave you with two pictures Peter's mom took of us.

Bulbjerg og Lild Strand

2009-07-31T16:54:00.002-07:00

The second day of our trip took us to Bulbjerg, which is located not far from Peter's parents house. Actually, according to Mapquest it is about a 5 mile drive.

Here's an overview so that you have a general idea of where we are in Denmark (you may have to click on the picture to actually see the marker):

And here's the nifty little satelite image from Google Maps:

This particular place in Denmark is special for two reasons, and I'll let the sign tell you why:

Remember yesterday when I mentioned that the Danish countryside is dotted with churches, windmills and reminders of its Viking past? Well, the beaches are just as littered with reminders of the German occupation of Denmark during World War 2...bunkers. The Germans constructed about 7,000 bunkers along the Danish coastline between 1942 and 1945. That's pretty impressive given the fact that Denmark is only about the size of West Virginia.

Fortunately, there was little fighting in the country during that time. After the war ended the Danes emptied the bunkers of all contents. However, some bunkers were left untouched. Click here for an interesting story that was featured on Yahoo this weekend.

And for me, being a World War II buff, it's pretty cool to see them all.

But anywho....

So first we climbed the cliff to look around at the German bunker and the landscape below us.

Here's the picture of me and Emma standing in the bunker:

It didn't dawn on me until later as I was sorting through pictures, but I had snapped a picture of Peter and Emilie at the same bunker 5 years ago (kinda cool to think that in this picture Emilie was just a little bit older than Emma is now):

And here we are walking up the path. Yes, it was cold and windy!

This was taken on top of the cliff, looking towards the left:

And to prove at how little things change in Denmark, especially the landscape, this next picture was taken 5 years ago (the same time I took the other of Peter and Emilie):

Funny, isn't it?

But anywho...going on with our tour...here are some rare photos of us with both girls:

And now you are looking towards the right:

So at this point I was pretty cold and pissed at how windy it was, so we went back to the car and drove down to the beach (Lild Strand).

Again, some of the locals taking a look at us:

And look, in just a 10-minute car ride the clounds blew away and the wind calmed down. Fantastic!

And here is the limestone cliff that we had just been on:

Remember the sign saying that this is the breeding ground for the kittiwake gulls? Here they are in their nests:

This scene below is a good example of why I love Danish beaches so much. Not a whole lot people, and absolutely no seaside hotels or restaurants. All you see is the beach and sand dunes in all their beauty.

By mid-afternoon it was time for us to head back to the summerhouse for afternoon coffee. Look at this sign, it called Peter a fart!

Actually, the Danish word for speed is fart, so the words DIN FART are translated to YOUR SPEED. When you go above the speed limit, the lights blink. And just for the record, they were blinking.

Here's Peter's version here

So I think that is enough for today. Hope you enjoyed the pictures and little history lesson. Do you like when I include little facts and such in the posts?

A hyggelig day

2009-07-31T16:54:00.001-07:00

Summer really is the perfect time to go to Denmark. Especially in July. The days are long, since the sun doesn't set until around midnight and rises just four hours later. The weather is balmy and warm (in the mid to upper 80's) during the day and cooler in the evening once the sun begins to set.

As I mentioned yesterday, we collapsed into bed around midnight, exhausted from our long trip. But then around 5:30am Peter woke up ready to seize the day and tried to get me up with him. I think I mumbled something to the effect "Hell no, you're crazy" and rolled back to sleep.

So while the rest of us slept, he took the opportunity to drive around and snap some pictures of the landscape and a 1,000 year old Viking graveyard just a mile or so from his parents house. This is one of the things I love about Denmark. The countryside is dotted with little reminders of the country's past. Within a 5-square mile of where we live here in Virginia, we have about 5 grocery stores and just as many Starbucks, 12 gas stations and probably about 100 other shops and restaurants. In the Danish countryside? All you'll see are farms, windmills and oh, just quaint little 600-year old churches and the occasional 1,000-year old Viking graveyard. You know, little things like that.

Here's the satellite view of the graveyard, courtesty of Google Maps:

Bonus points for the first person (besides Peter) that can tell me what this rock says:

Give up? Okay, itsays something to the effect: Starting in the year 1000 (AD) the Vikings raised rocks here for their dead. In 1937 the ones that had fallen were picked up.

But by lunchtime, however, he was out cold:

The rest of the day was spent at the house, playing and unpacking.

After dinner we made our way to the summerhouse in Amtoft (which is only about a 15-minute drive from their house in Frøstrup) to visit with Peter's sister and her family, go to the beach and have some coffee.

Here's a satellite view of Amtoft, courtesy of Google Maps:

...and some of the locals out to greet us:

Before I go any further, I should explain something about Danes. Being married to one has shown me that they hold two things very near and dear to their hearts....family and coffee. And when you combine the two? Can't get any better. So for them, one of the hightlights of the day is sitting down a few hours after dinner for some coffee and dessert. Danes find this very hyggelig.

What does that mean, you might wonder? Let me try to explain one of the funniest words in the Danish language to you....hyggelig.

The word hyggelig is difficult to explain because there is no direct translation (for example, kaffe = coffee). This single word posesses a wide range of meanings and connotations. You can't just describe hyggelig as being cozy or comfortable or pleasant or satisfying or enjoyable or even relaxing. It is more than just any one particular feeling. In fact, I've come to understand that it is more of a mentality than anything else. It's just...hyggelig.

Forstår du det? You understand it? Great!

So we had a very hyggelig time at the summerhouse, visiting with family and beachcombing for shells and rocks:

We ended the night around 11pm, went back to the house in Frøstrup and went directly to sleep. In all....a hyggelig day.

You can read Peter's version here.

Saeby, Denmark

2009-07-31T16:53:00.000-07:00

For the next installment of our travel blogs, we will visit the Danish town of Sæby. It is a small, picturesque town on the eastern coast of Denmark, dating back to the 12th century.

Here is a map of where it is located in Denmark:

My first time visiting Sæby was the day after I had arrived in Denmark and was still suffering from jetlag. So much of what I was shown by my friends' mom was forgotten the next day. And, it was a Sunday, so no shops or restaurants were open. The second time I visited was when my sister came to visit and she has all those pictures, as my camera had run out of batteries.

The town's landmark is the "Fruen fra Havet" or the "Lady from the Sea", a beautiful statue that sits in the harbor, welcoming sailors and the rising sun. The design in her dress is actually little clay tiles made by local school children.

Another interesting landmark is the old hospital:

In this picture you can almost see the church, Sæby Kirke, which dates back to the 1400's and is quite beautiful.

One of the things I noticed is that nearly all the houses were yellow. I do not know the significance of that, but it was pretty cool. Especially since these well-preserved houses date back to the 17th century.

Did you notice the lack of people in these photos?

Here is the Sæby Manor House (photo courtesy of Webshots, as I do not have a picture of this since we just drove up to it, but did not get out of the car):

The town of Sæby became a spa destination back in the early 1800's with the discovery of an Iron Spring, Sæby Jernkilde, which provided visitors with iron-rich waters to drink. Photo courtesy of Webshots.

And this, my friends, was the hotel bathroom. I had forgotten to include it last time, so I am now because it is just too good to forget. It is the only bathroom I know of where you can literally sit on the toilet and do your business, brush your teeth and shower at the same time. Not shown is the little shower curtain you could pull around you.

And I can assure you that all other bathrooms in Denmark are not this.....ugly.

Amtoft, Denmark

2009-07-31T16:52:00.000-07:00

So last week we visited a couple of beaches in Denmark, where there are no palm trees or fruit smoothie stands to greet you, but who needs that when you have some cool WWII bunkers?

This week we will take a look around the tiny little beach town of Amtoft, where Peter's parents (along with a few other Danes) have a summer house (sommerhus).

And, of course, here is the map of Denmark to show you where we are:

Now one thing that always struck me as a little funny is that Peter's parents have a summer house that is only about 10 miles or so from where they live.

But, it really is a nice, quiet getaway. And provides some extra room to put people when you have a lot of friends or family visiting.

Anywho....the trip from Aalborg to the summer house is a bit longer and provides a nice scenic drive. You see lots of this.....

...and after a while come to the conclusion that the Danish countryside is flat. In fact, the highest elevation point is only about 600 feet.

Something else you will see a lot of are windmills. There are thousands of these scattered across Denmark.

And here is Peter's parents summerhouse. These two pictures were taken a couple of years ago, before Peter's step-father started doing some home improvement.

Here is the "after" picture. Peter's stepdad is an excellent carpenter:

And look, if you stay here Peter's mom will have breakfast waiting for you each morning:

Around the area you will find homes like this:

After a short walk from their summerhouse you will come to the beach.

Looking to the right...

...looking to the left...

...and looking down. I always thought that jellyfish were only found in warm waters, so these little guys must be arctic jellyfish.

Here is the harbor:

Recently they had a wind storm (I told you Denmark is windy) and here is a picture of the harbor during that:

The wind was so strong that it knocked down several trees on their property:

Thanks for joining me on this little trip through Amtoft. Join me again next week when we take a tour of Rubjerg Knude, a lighthouse that is now half buried under a huge sand dune.

The Beaches of Denmark

2009-07-31T16:51:00.001-07:00

For this post, we are going to take a visit to some of the beaches of western Denmark. I am not going to clutter up the post with lots of talking, but just share some pictures and maybe make a few comments.

I will note, however, that these pictures are a combination of ones I took when I lived there and what we and Peter's mom have taken on our trips back.

So sit back and enjoy the visit!

And just so you know where we are in the country, here is a map to help you out:

I can tell you that it is very windy this side of the country, as seen by my hair in the picture below. This was taken on my first trip to Løkken (at the top of our map):

Some cute little beach houses:

Some cute little fishing boats:

And here we are visiting a bunker used during World War II:

EDIT: Peter thought I needed some more commentary (I am just not in a talkative mood today) so he has provided the following information:

A little more info about Hanstholm can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanstholm

and in particular it could be interesting to read about the bunkers from world war II.

In Hanstholm or Hansted (outskirts of Hanstholm) all the citizens were removed and the biggest fortress in Europe was build there by the Germans. They also installed cannons that could shoot about half way to Norway and installed similar cannons on the Norwegian side to block allies from entering the sea beyond.

After the war the cannons themselves were removed but it was too dangerous to blow up the bunkers and they were too heavy to move so they still sit there today.

And here is some scenery around the bunker:

A nice little coastal town:

Some more bunkers used during World War II :

Emma's first footprints on the beach in Denmark:

Unlike most public beaches, were you have to park and then walk to the beach, in Denmark you just drive right up and claim your spot:

One of the things I love about Denmark....the fresh seafood! If you get a craving for fish, you just run out to the beach and wait for the fisherman to bring in their catch. And let me tell you, it is delicious!

Aalborg, Denmark

2009-07-31T16:50:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have been faithful readers of my blog for a while now know that I have lived in Aalborg, Denmark and that is where I met my husband. I won't bog you down with all the details, but I will give you a few fun facts about Denmark:

1. Denmark is a small Scandinavian country in northern Europe. Surprisingly, this fact is lost on many people. More than one person asked me: "Is that in North Dakota?" (I assume they were mistaking Denmark for Bismark...you know, because Bismark and Denmark do sound similar).

2. And by small, I mean Denmark is small. There is approximately 100 miles separating the west coast from the east coast, and 240 miles from the northern tip to the southern border.

3. Denmark has a population of just under 5.5 million people.

4. Denmark has a socialist government, in that education (all the way through the university level) and medical care are free. The downside of this is that taxes are high. The Danish government took about 40% of my pay in taxes. But I didn't care. I wasn't there to make tons of money, I was there to ~~travel and party and meet good-looking guys~~ work hard.

5. Owning a car in Denmark is extremely expensive. Not only is the retail price of the car expensive, but the Danish government adds a 180% registration tax and 25% Value Added Tax on top of that. Thus many people use public transporation and simply ride their bikes. I was very fortunate that Peter had a car.

6. Unlike in the US where you are lucky to work and get any paid vacation, in Denmark you get six (count them, SIX) weeks of paid vacation. New parents get an even better deal. Women get 6 months of 100% paid maternity leave. And they have the option of taking more. At the end of the woman's paid maternity leave, the father can then take 6 months of paid maternity leave. I was not able to take advantage of this, as my work visa was about to expire and Denmark has pretty much stopped issuing visas of any sort to non-EU citizens.

7. Major exports are pigs and semen. Don't ask.

The town I lived in, Allborg, is the fourth largest city in Denmark. Below is a map of a few places of interest:

And now for the tour:

This is the Lindholm Høje (Lindholm Hills), a large and very old Viking burial ground. It dates back to around 700 A.D. The rocks you see are the grave markers.

Danes in general do not find Viking graveyards very exciting because they are all over the country. To them it is just an empty grassfield with rocks. But for me, it was totally cool.

Next is the shopping district in the center of Aalborg. I spent a lot of time and money on this street. It was always an enjoyable shopping experience because it was pedestrian only. And as you can see in the picture, the stores placed all their sale items on the sidewalk. And then there were several cafe's to stop in for a cup of tea or coffee.

And unlike American with our "Open 24 hours" stores, the stores in Denmark close between 4-5pm Monday-Friday, earlier on Saturdays and are closed all together on Sundays.

These statues were dubbed "The Naked People" by my American coworkers who would visit on business trips. Not quite sure what their significance is, but they are naked and yes, anatomically correct.

This is just a little alley off of the main shopping street. Very cute little homes. Nice and cozy.

And if you are wondering, yes there are fast-food joints in Denmark. There was Burger King, McDonalds and Pizza Hut within walking distance from my apartment, but I hardly ever ate there. Eating out is expensive in Denmark to begin with, and so when Peter and I did go out to eat, we went to traditional Danish restaurants.

Since health care is managed by the government, you are assigned a doctor by the local government. If you want to change doctors, you have to pay a fee. The doctor I was assigned when moving to Denmark has his office in this house. Pretty cool, eh?

Another shot of the shopping street, and you can see Budolfi Church, which dates back to the 12th Century.

This was my apartment building in Aalborg, which was in the center of town, right off the pedestrian streets. It was a great little apartment.

Mona Lisa Smile

2009-07-31T16:45:00.000-07:00

In April of 2003 I was in college and the guy I was dating at the time (this was before I had met and married my husband) was studying for his PhD in Holland, so I took a Spring Break trip to visit him. We ended up taking a train from his home to Paris for the weekend, where I was really looking forward to visiting the Louvre and the many masterpieces on display.

We spent hours wandering the halls, marveling at all wondrous paintings and sculptures, drinking in all the beauty around us.

It was awesome. I didn't want to leave.

We saved on particular painting for last. One of the most famous, most talked about masterpieces in any museum.

The Mona Lisa.

She has been described as enigmatic. She's been speculated about for many generations. Who is she? Was it a self-portrait of Leondardo himself? Why are her hands positioned the way they are? Was she pregnant? What is up with that smile? What secret is she hiding?

I couldn't wait to see her. And here she is:

My first impression? Not impressed. I was actually disappointed.

Perhaps it was the fact that the crowd surrounding her was so huge, with hundreds of flashes going off a second. I've read that nearly 6 million people visit the Louvre every year, and I can believe that. They were all there that day.

Unlike the other paintings, where you can practically reach out and touch them, she was roped off and protected behind glass. So you couldn't get close and make a connection. She was high up above us.

But maybe it was her size. I had seen the painting in many books and featured in many documentaries, so I imagined it to be...somewhat larger and magnificent. But she was actually rather small.

So there you have it. I had the opportunity to see one of the world's priceless works of art, and I walked away disappointed. Sorry, Mr. da Vinci.

Tempelhof Airport in Berlin

2009-07-31T16:43:00.002-07:00

You know, filling out all the security clearance paperwork for my new job (which hopefully starts soon!) has reminded me that I haven't written a travel post in a while. In the packet, they ask where you have lived and traveled the past 10 years, and my response is "where do I begin?"

But unlike past posts, where I try to cram in as many pictures and as much information as possible, from now on I am just going to focus on one historic site that I have visited at a time. I think that will be better.

So today's post is about Berlin's historic Tempelhof Airport (Zentralflughafen Tempelhof-Berlin for those of you who speak German), which was built by the Nazi's in 1936 and quickly became a symbol of Nazi power, and was the center of the Berlin Airlift from 1948-1949.

Peter and I spent a weekend in Berlin in 2004 and even though it is probably the most depressing city I have ever visited, it is among my most favorite. I have long been a huge WWII buff, reading everything I could get my hands on about it and watching documentaries. And of course watching Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers. So to actually get the opportunity to visit Berlin was just amazing.

But anywho, I got the idea to post about the Tempelhof Airport from a recent Washington Post article. Apparently it is scheduled to close to air traffic in October of this year, even though many Berliners tried to keep it open. Thankfully, however, it is protected by preservation laws and cannot be torn down. And unlike in the US, where it would have been leveled to make way for a mall or luxury condominiums, many people are suggesting that the airport terminal (the third-largest building in Europe) be used for a museum or art gallery.

So, I am very thankful I got to see it before it is closed. And here is a quick history lesson:

The site of the airport was originally inhabited by the Knights Templar back in the early 1200's (and coincidentally I am reading about these Knights in a book for my book club), which gives it the name Tempelhof. It was also the site of a 19-minute flight by the Wright Brothers in 1909. The airport was constructed in the 1930's as part of Adolf Hiter's plan to bring visitors to Berlin and for a while his plan worked. It quickly became one of world's busiest airports, with more than 52 foreign and 40 domestic aircraft arriving and departing daily. These flights brought in politicans, celebrities and vacationers.

At the end of the war, the airport was turned over to the US Army under the Yalta Agreements but by 1948 the Sovient Union blocked all traffic into and out of West Berlin. Instead of abandoning the citizens living inside the blockade, the western Allies decided to airlift food into the city. For 11 months, from June 1948 until September 1949 Allied planes brought in nearly two million tons of food and other supplies. At the peak of the airlift a plane touched down every 90 seconds.

The Berlin Airlift Memorial, which stands in the Platz der Luftbrücke, is inscribed with the names of the 31 American and 39 British pilots who lost their lives during the Airlift.

Standing outside the airport, it wasn't hard to imagine how it looked during it's Nazi heydays. Hitler wanted to impress the world and it's sheer size and architecture is impressive, even today. For me, it was just really cool to stand there and imagine all the history that took place here, everything I had read about in high-school history classes and books and seen in documentaries. From all the glitz and glamour to the thousands of planes touching down to bring in supplies to keep West Berliners alive. It was very awe-inspring.

Amsterdam

2009-07-31T16:43:00.001-07:00

Before I ~~got pregnant by~~ met and fell in love with Peter (I love you, Peter!), I dated a guy who ended up moving to Holland to get his PhD. Instead of ending the relationship, I figured it would be fun to continue dating him and visiting from time to time. And it was....for about six months. Then our lives drifted apart.

But during those six months I got to visit him twice. And had a good time cavorting across the Dutch countryside. So here I show you Amsterdam, no passport required!

The first thing I noticed after getting off the train in Amsterdaam Centraal is that the primary mode of transportation in Amsterdam is by bicycle.

How would you like to have to find your bike in that mess?

Bicyclists have their own lanes, and if you dare walk in the "bike lane" at any time they will ring their bell at you to warn you to move. I was nearly run over a couple of times.

The second thing I noticed and loved is the tiny, narrow row houses. Looking at those reminded me of reading The Diary of Ann Frank and The Hiding Place.

Incidentally, do not have my pictures of the Ann Frank House because after my second trip my computer crashed and I lost everything.

The third thing I noticed were the canals. it is no wonder that Amsterdam is called the "Venice of the North."

And lastly, the infamous Red Light District. As we all know, Amsterdam is famous for things that most cities do not want to be famous for -- prostitutes and drugs. As a matter of fact, the city government is trying to clean up its image. Good thing I got there before that happened!

Even though my friend did not want to take me through the Red Light District, I insisted. I had traveled all this way, I wanted to see the naked women! The coffee shops offering you more than just coffee! My sister had just seen naked men dancing at the Moulin Rouge, I wanted to top that.

The concession, however, was no pictures. Apparently, there are unwritten rules outlining how to behave in the Red Light District and one of them is no pictures, unless you have express permission.

And it was.....interesting. We walked around during the day, because he absolutely did not want to at night. I sorta knew what to expect, but there really is nothing than can prepare for walking down a street and then all of a sudden seeing naked women on display in their little apartments. You can't just stare, that would be rude. So what do you do? Wave? Smile? Give a thumbs-up? The peace sign? I opted for a subtle wave and smile.

Some other sights around Amsterdam were the Royal Palace, which the Queen now only uses to receive some guests now and again:

This is the oldest courtyard in Amsterdam,
dating back to the late 1300's.

And now Blogger is throwing a hissy-fit so I shall publish this now.

Join me next week for the next installment of No Passport Required where I show you pictures from my weekend in Paris.

Now I can say I walked on water...

2009-07-31T12:51:00.003-07:00

Recently, I read on a website that if you haven't seen Stockholm, you haven't seen Sweden.

I am not sure about that; I would have to see more of Sweden in order to prove that theory right or wrong. But I can say that Stockholm itself in a very beautiful, very interesting city. It will take me several posts in order to capture the essence and beauty of it. (I hope you don't mind!)

Located along Sweden's south-eastern coast, it is often called the Venice of the North since it actually a series of fourteen islands connected by bridges. We spent the majority of our time in Gamla Stan (Old Town), which was first established in the 13th century. It is a charming part of the city, with medieval alleyways, cobbled streets, and iconic architecture.

Here's a satellite picture of it, for your enjoyment:

Over the next few weeks I will share with you many points of interest on this little island.

However, of all the things we did and saw in Stockholm and Gamla Stan, the thing that brought me the most child-like excitement was being able to walk on water.

That, and being able to touch a Viking ship from 1628.

But today we are talking about me walking on water.

Sure, it was frozen. But I walked on it. The first time in my entire 27 years of being that I was able to do it.

At first I couldn't believe my eyes. The ice was so thick that it was able to support that many people.

I admit that I was a little timid at first to try it, but then I walked out onto the ice. And it didn't crack, or even budge in the least.

And here is Peter, completely enthused about getting his picture taken.

Something new I am going to start with my travel posts is to also include a recipe from that country. I don't have anything from Sweden next, I promise to next week. So in the meantime, here is a Danish meal that we recently had. Because, we all know that Danes and Swedes are pretty much the same.

Now I gotta find a place to hide before Peter gets home.

Just click on the pictures to go to the recipes.

Around Stockholm and the Vasa Museum

2009-07-31T12:51:00.001-07:00

In the year 1611, the Swedish King Gustav II Adolf inherited the throne from his father, Karl IX, who had only been king for just a few years. When he inherited the throne, he inherited several headaches to go along with it. Sweden was a poor country embroiled in a major conflict with both Poland and Russia. Soon after Denmark invaded Sweden in what is known as the War of Kalmar.

Peter would like me to point out that Denmark won this war.

This victory brought an end to many years of war between Sweden and Denmark. However, the newly crowned Swedish king wanted to make himself known around the Baltic region. He began busying himself with building a great naval fleet in order to defeat Poland. In 1625, he ordered four new warships to be built, the largest of which was the Vasa.

The Vasa was to be his mighty royal ship, the largest battle ship built up until that time. He himself dictated the dimension of the ship, and what was to be put on it, with little regard to sound ship-building principles. No one dared to question him, not even the Dutch builders he commissioned to build it. 64 guns were to be placed on 2 decks.

This ship was his pride and joy; over 1,000 oak trees from the royal forest were used. Copper was used for the cannons. It took three years to complete.

On August 10, 1628 the Vasa set sail on her maiden voyage, carrying around 150 crew members and a lot of armament. Less than one mile from it's port, the ship was hit with a gust of wind, causing water to seep into the open gun ports.

Then it sank 100 feet into the harbor there in Stockholm. Below is a map of Stockholm from around 1640. The number 9 represents the spot where the Vasa sank.

There it lay in the mud for 333 years. Several attempts were made over the years, beginning soon after the disaster, to try and salvage it. About the only things the divers were able to recover were the cannons (in 1664), sculptures, and carvings around the Vasa. It wasn't until 1961 that any of those attempts to actually raise the entire ship were successful.

Due to the conditions of the mud and clay, Vasa was still very much intact. You can read all about the salvaging operation here.

And so it was, almost 376 years from the time it sank, that I was able to visit the Vasa, which today is housed in the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. It is also known as the worlds best-preserved 17th century ship, and the museum itself is one of the most visited in all of Scandinavia.

And let me tell you it was, for lack of better words, totally cool to be walking next to a perfectly preserved ship from 1628. To be able to reach out and touch it (I saw no signs prohibiting such activities) was truly spine-tingling. It was awesome.

Here are some of the pictures I took. As you will see, it is a little difficult to get a decent shot. But these give you a pretty good idea of what it looks like.

For more pictures and information, click here.

Not only is the Vasa just a ship, but it has been called an art treasure. King Adolf had commissioned over 700 sculptures and ornaments to be made and placed around the vessel. You can read about that here. A sampling of which is here:

This picture is of a scale model of what the Vasa would have looked like right before it's maiden voyage:

And this is me, walking through a life-size model of the ship.

So if you ever find yourself in Sweden, I highly recommend you stop here for a visit.

Welcome to Saltsjobaden, Sweden

2009-07-31T12:50:00.001-07:00

Sweden.

The home of Abba, Roxette, Pippi Longstocking, IKEA, Swedish meatballs, and my bloggy friend LadyFi.

And one of the first stops of my "I want to see as many European capitals before I am too old to travel" tours.

When I first found out I was moving to Denmark for a year, I bought several travel books and mapped out a plan. Stockholm was at the top of my list, for what reasons I don't really know. I had just seen and read a lot about Sweden and knew I wanted to go.

So after moving to Denmark and getting together with Peter, it worked out really well. We just enjoyed traveling and exploring new places together. Together we determined to save as much money as possible, and we did. One of us would pay for airfare, the other would pay for hotel accommodations, and then we'd split the cost of everything else.

Another perk of having Peter along is that he knew the language. There are differences, of course, but I like to tease Peter that Swedish and Danish are very similar. As you will see in future posts about our trip to Sweden, there is still a huge rivalry between the two countries.

Now I am sure you are a little familiar with where Sweden is geographically, but if you aren't, here's a map:

The red A represents where we were. As you can see, it's pretty far up North. Translation: cold during the winter months.

When did we go?

March. Of 2004.

Yes, it was cold. But I thought it was actually pretty neat to be there that time of year and see for myself what entirely frozen bodies of water looked like.

But anywho, we didn't stay in Stockholm even though that was our destination. We were going to, but when I started looking at hotels, I found this one...

...the Grand Hotel Saltsjobaden, a hotel built in 1892 in the picturesque seaside resort of Saltsjobaden, just 20-some minutes outside of Sweden. You can read about it's history by clicking here.

See...it wasn't too far outside of Stockholm.

Here's a cool satellite picture of it:

So I made the reservations, Peter bought the plane tickets, and we were on our way. After arriving at the airport, we oriented ourselves, found the train that would take us out to our hotel, and went on our way.

When we found this message waiting for us upon our arrival, I teased Peter that it was a sign we should get married. Little did I know the joke was on us.

Here's the breakfast room.

Yes, we felt a little out of place.

And here is the view outside our room. Notice the thick blanket of ice covering the sea.

Even though staying this far outside of Stockholm meant that we had to take a 25-minute train ride, I really enjoyed it. We got to see a lot of the Swedish countryside and just observe life around us.

I can't wait to go back someday. This time in the summer.

Take me home....country road...

2009-03-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

I know there are many times I complain about living in the shadow of our nation's capital. Believe me, there is plenty to complain about.

First, there's the high cost of living. The top two richest counties in the nation are here in the Northern Virginia area. It ain't cheap living here.

Second, there's the millions of people milling about. A little over 3 million people. It can make you a little claustrophobic. And people-stressed.

And lastly, there's the terrible traffic. This area consistently ranks in the top 3 for worse traffic in the nation. In fact, according to the latest study by the Census Bureau, we now have the longest commute in the nation. Now if that isn't something to complain about, then I don't know what is.

But you know what? As crazy as it may sound, I really can't imagine myself living anywhere else. Now Peter may have a differing opinion, but this is the only place I've really been able to call home. From birth to age 18, "home" was wherever the US Navy sent my dad. And we followed.

But now our house in our little suburb of Washington DC is home. My comfort zone.

One of the reasons why I love living here is the location. Take an hours drive eastward on I-66, and you find yourself smack dab in the middle of DC. Take an hours drive westward on Route 211...

...and you find yourself smack dab in the middle of Shenandoah National Park, along Skyline Drive.

Of course, getting to Shenandoah National Park is a treat in itself. Route 211 rambles and stretches across rolling acres of farmland. It's peaceful and therapeutic. Peter swears by it. When he gets stressed, he heads out to the mountains. About 15 minutes outside of town, his stress melts away.

Of course it doesn't hurt when we can stop along the way and get wonderfully greasy burgers and fries at a shack along the road...

My favorite time to go is in the spring and summer. Not only is it beautiful weather and everything is in full bloom, but there are so many yard sales and flea markets along the highway to stop at and treasure hunt.

Shenandoah National Park is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You can get to it two different ways; driving along Skyline Drive...

...or by driving along the base to one of the waterfalls and hiking up the mountain.

We've done both. Our favorite waterfall to hike along is White Oak Canyon. For one thing, the drive to the base is beautiful...

...and the hike is just gorgeous.

Emma has been there once, a few months after she was born.

Peter and I have gone by ourselves...

I remember this woman who tagged along with us on the trail one time. She complained for about an hour how she was so mad that she could not drive to the top of the waterfall. Towards the end I really wanted to push her over a cliff. But thankfully she gave up towards the end and turned around.

Along Skyline Drive there are many overlooks and hiking trails that give you beautiful views of the Shenandoah Valley and Virginia Piedmont...

Along the trails you will find plenty of scenery....

...along with plenty of wildlife...from the smallest and most fragile...

...to the most gentle....

...to the not so gentle...

During the summer Skyline Drive can get a little congested with people. From individuals riding their bikes and motorcycles to huge family gatherings. It can sometimes take the fun out of trying to "get away from it all." But it is still the place where we go for peace and quiet.

And where there is no cell coverage.