cycling copenhagen

paris meets amsterdam

rosenborg castle

biking like locals

emil says:

solid last stop on the trip was copenhagen. i had never heard much in the way of anything positive or negative about this place but i must report this is an almost top 5 urban stop on our trip.  along with sydney, tokyo, buenos aires, paris, barcelona and amsterdam the canal and waterway intensive copenhagen is right up there at the top of the list.  you gotta love a metropolis that boasts more bikes than cars, and where cyclists have their own 'bike highways'.  it's a bit presumptuous of me to call a population 'happy' but they really don't seem to mind tax rates north of 50% and to the contrary seem to love and thrive within this system of wealth redistribution.  the food scene here is amongst the best in the world. and the hippy-drug-based non-commercial area of christiana is an eye-opening social experiment that makes burningman a 365 day a year way of life. if i wasn't stuck in a semi-clean, semi-frat house youth hostel writing this due to the outrageous cost structure here, it would make the cut on the top 5 urban centers list. 

hans christian andersen's little mermaid- the symbol of copenhagen

royal palace and frederiks church

laurel says:

copenhagen is a real find.  it is paris meets amsterdam- a rather fab combination .   i am shocked this place has not made its way onto the a-list of euro destinations because in my opinion it is one of the most charming cities in the world.  taking in the delish food and hipster vibe was the perfect way to wrap up our round the world tour.  and of course the best way to explore the city is on a bike.  in this town bikes outnumber cars and there are dedicated bike lanes, bike traffic lights and even bike super highways to help you get around.  and the danes are happy as clams.  they pay the highest tax rate in the world- up to 70% depending on your income.  but in return they have free healthcare, free university education, state sponsored pensions and just about every other social welfare benefit you could imagine.  it may sound like i am describing mitt romney's own personal hell, yet the danes rank in the top 5 happiest nations on earth year in and year out.  they have one of the smallest income disparity gaps in the world and they have an expression: 'few have too much but many have enough.'  maybe they are onto something. 

the main harbor

coping with canals 

parliament building...completely open to public so any nut job with an agenda can be heard

the royal palace

norway's fjords

our trusty fjord cruiser

laurel having a sonja henie moment

emil having an eddie the eagle moment 

a real viking ship

the boat the norwegians used to capture the south pole

one of the many waterfalls in fjord country

what $15 gets you in norway

our cabin in flam

hiking the fjords

laurel says:

norway is crazy beautiful.  while oslo has some interesting sites to see- including the iceberg inspired opera house, polar exploration museum, viking ship museum and the holmekellen ski jump- it is mother nature that is the real draw.  the fjords are simply stunning.  only problem is, few can a-fjord to see them.  norway is the most expensive country in the world and definitely takes the cake for priciest stop on our trip.  we did the classic 'norway in a nutshell' trip that takes you by scenic train from oslo to the tiny town of fram (population 450) where we stayed for 2 nights in a cabin overlooking the gorgeous fjords.  glamping in our one room cabin, hiking along the fjords and whipping up gourmet meals in our tiny kitchen made it one of the most memorable parts of the trip.  a stunning boat ride thru the world heritage listed fjords was another highlight.  it is difficult to describe just how beautiful the fjords are- crystal blue waters lap up against sheer rock faces that jut thousands of feet into the sky all surrounded by piercing green forrest and dozens of waterfalls.  our final destination was the adoreable fjord and hill studded town of bergen.  we spent our last couple of days in norway enjoying bergen's charming harbour, hiking thru the beautifully forrested hills, taking in stunning fjord views and attempting to find the only affordable dining options in town- in this case the fishmarket and subway (alas i don't think $15 footlongs would make for a catchy jingle).  no doubt norway is painfully expensive but along with antarctica and switzerland it is one of the most beautiful places we have visited all year.

overlooking flam

viking pointing the way

cruising the fjords

hungry and broke in norway

befriending the local wildlife

emil says:

the physical beauty of norway is rivaled only by antarctica and the alps of switzerland. the capital, oslo, is decent. more going for it than helsinki but a lot less going for it than stockholm. but i am learning that scandinavia is much less about it's cities and more about it's rugged nature. the biggest knock on scandinavia as a whole is the outrageous cost structure but nowhere is it more painful than in norway. $17 beers, $30 frozen pizzas and a $15 cold cheese sandwich wrapped in cellophane is just a peek.  at some price point it just makes a place a lot less fun.  my buddy truls pointed us to the rural fjord town of flam.  what a genius spot. situated on a pristine fjord (a long, narrow inlet with steep cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity) where all one can do is rent a cabin, head for a hike to the nearest of a mere thousand waterfalls, boil some pasta and smile from ear to ear. i feel good. the fjords of norway, where vikings did roam, are omnipresent and serene.  this may just be the best kept natural secret we have seen and amongst the most beautiful landscapes we have set eyes upon.

norwegian parenting?

overlooking bergen

canoeing in bergen

going for canoeing gold

bergen's harbor

sweet sweden

angry vikings abound

canals of stockholm

emil says:

super solid improvement from busted neighboring helsinki.  surrounded by fantastic canals, waterways and part of a smokingly beautiful archipelago, stockholm is a gloriously situated city, with 360 degree water views from numerous vantage points.  great public spaces, an impressive national museum, site of the nobel prize, a punky vibrant bar scene and the most attractive people anywhere on the planet (6 foot tall blonde, blue-eyed and tan seems to be a requirement for a swedish passport) make for a fun metropolis.  there are long stretches of buildings along the water that truly remind one of paris.  the vasa museum is home to a nearly perfectly preserved war-ship from the 1700s that was to set sail for war against poland but sank a mere 20 minutes after embarking on its maiden voyage due to a bit too many cannons and poor design, but hey they made it into a great museum for all to admire. (also does poland get credit for winning a naval battle as a result of this flop?)  something else that was hard not to notice was the punk culture here, though i am told the correct term is cyber-goth rather than punk, regardless it makes for some spectacular people watching (or they might just be angry because they are not 6 foot tall, blond, tan, etc)  the downside of stockholm is the outrageous cost structure and the post-modern heinously ugly city-center which doesn't blend well with the historically charming parts.  stockholm was a fun stop on our journey and i'm now looking forward to the fjords of norway. 

the mighty vasa that sank

he is tall and blonde but lacking the tan part

accepting his peace prize

streets of old town

parisian-esque architecture

10% of the population own boats

is that bradley wiggins?

changing of the guard interrupts our ride

laurel says:

stockholm is a pretty spectacular place particularly in the summer when it is 75 degrees and the scandinavian sun is blazing. the downside is it costs an arm and a leg.  but as i always tell emil, things are expensive for a reason.  if you want picturesque waterways, 14 islands all with their own personality, more museums than one could hope to tackle, plus hoards of gorgeous swedish blondes running around- you gotta pay up.  we spent 4 fabulous days covering every inch of stockholm by foot, bike, boat, tram and train.  and it was a perfect time of year to be here.  these folks really know how to celebrate summer.  on a sunny saturday it feels like the entire 800k population is out enjoying the many parks, cafes and canals stockholm has to offer.  at night, the hipster area called sodermalm is one of the best nightlife scenes we have experienced all trip.  and to keep it interesting there are plenty of 'cyber gothic' gals about that look like they are straight out of 'the girl with the dragon tattoo' book.  stockholm has been a very solid stop.  it makes me proud to be part swede!

water everywhere

hel-stinki finland

the one pretty building in helsinki

yawn

attempting (unsuccessfully) to live up to its 'design capital' reputation at the modern art museum

laurel says:

what the hell-sinki is this place?  that was the thought that immediately came to mind upon on arrival in the helsinki port.  i guess i was expecting a little ikea village of blonde haired, blue eyed svens and toves wandering around in scandinavian christmas sweaters feeding reindeer and singing folk songs.  instead i got an industrial looking city with soviet block architecture and not an ounce of charm.  it was pretty brutal.  we tried our best to explore different parts of the city to see if anything would captivate us, but alas nothing here seemed to resonate.  my only highlight was visiting the merrimeko design studio and concept store (okay actually i went into every merimekko store in the town as emil patiently waited outside).  i am hoping scandinavia gets better from here.  off to sweden and not looking back.  

the second pretty building in helsinki

little islands in helsinki harbour

coat of arms at the fort

suomenlinna fort

emil after mounting the cannon

emil says:

another example of coming into a country with just the wrong set of expectations.  finland was my first visit to a scandinavian country and i was excited.  i thought we'd be greeted by some mythical woodland creature or perhaps a hockey playing elf named after some unpronounceable modern lamp shade from ikea like fjornkl and that people would live in handmade lincoln log homes constructed of live christmas trees.  alas it's a rather plain and tired looking town.  maybe the proximity to russia (15 hours by boat) has lead helsinki to pick up some bad soviet style or perhaps people stay indoors for such a long duration of their lives that they don't much care what the facades of buildings look like.  we took a forgettable boat trip to an island that acted as the principal fort guarding helsinki (it didn't work since russia attacked by land) and we checked out a forgettable museum or two.  the best part of helsinki was the salmon which is served on nearly every street corner and it was truly fantastic.  laurel just told me that ikea is in fact based in sweden not finland so alas i have something to look forward to.

laurel wishing she could sail away

salmon, salmon and more salmon

russia w/love

laurel as a matryoshka doll

just another military submarine cruising thru town

many parks and green spaces

the fabulous hermitage

the famous jordan staircase in the hermitage

more art than walls

hallways of the hermitage

emil says:


there are only 2 things that haven't changed in russia since i spent many a frigid night in moscow on a 6 month study abroad program:  1) most russians continue to be maniacally obsessed with all things that are gold-plated or ostentatious in any manner whatsoever,  2) most russians continue to disregard the commonly known benefits to oneself, and those around you, of deodorant.  but that's about all that remains unchanged.  a robust decade of growth has really reshaped the attitudes and the overall feeling of russia for the better.  i must say st petersburg in the summer is quite a spot, with an emphasis on 'in the summer'.  laurel is obsessing over the place and i am trying to remind her that she should come to moscow in january to get a real taste of russian pain and duress.  there is a reason the world's greatest literature comes from this part of the world, and it's not because of the warm happy summer days that laurel and i experienced.  summer in st petersburg is an explosively celebratory time of year.  everyone is out enjoying the 20+ hours of daylight, the abundant public parks are teeming with folks, the grande nesky prospekt boulevard is about as close to the champs elysees and park avenue as one can hope for in russia, and there is just a brimming confidence and excitement that comes with economic prosperity which they have experienced in recent times.  the soviet union may have been tough on the masses with a lack of creature comforts for so long but the state did provide culture to one and all and nowhere is that more obvious than at the bountiful, and cheap to enter, museums, ballets, symphonies, etc.  they take their art seriously in russia. ballet is closer to religion than dance.  but it's the accessibility that is so breathtaking.  try taking a family of 4 to the ballet in nyc or sf and one quickly recognizes art is not accessible when tickets are $100+ a head.  in russia the ticket prices start at $3.  the arts are just a glorious part of the culture here.  it was fun to be here and see the changes and even more fun to be here with my wife who just could not get enough of it.    

palace square

kazan cathedral along nevsky prospekt

canals of st pete

our box at the ballet

laurel's dream job

no black swans in this group

final bow

post ballet stroll

laurel says:


even though i had to drag emil back to russia, kicking and screaming, (i guess after living in moscow for 6 months and having a run in with the russian maffia, i can see why he was opposed to being 'back in the ussr') saint petersburg was an absolutely a-mazing stop and one of the top highlights of the entire trip.  the hermitage alone would be worth the journey.  it is hard to tell what is more dazzling- the art or the glorious palace within which it is displayed.  from gorgeous marble staircases to striking gold chandeliers, oppulence abounds- those czars really knew how to live (until that whole commie thing).  and the collection of art that catherine the great amassed rivals that of anywhere in the world.  a top 5 museum on earth.  and the culture-fest continued that night when we attended the famed mikhailovsky ballet to see the season finale performance of don quitoxe.  we were fortunate to scalp some tickets outside from a 300 pound woman named svetlana.  (i can only hope she used the proceeds from the ticket sale to buy some deodorant).  the ballet was beyond anything i have ever experienced.  the male lead from the bolshoi was guest starring that night and i am pretty sure his quads were the size of my torso.  they danced their tutus off for 3 hours!  and then performed an encore for the raving crowd that would not let them leave the stage even after their 7th standing ovation curtain call!  it was a deeply moving and powerful performance.  afterwards we strolled to dinner at 11pm in the glow of the white night.  the other big highlight was the church of the spilled blood, which had been painstakingly restored for 27 years and recently re-opened.  floor to ceiling mosiacs in a kaliedescope of colors- it is like candyland with a jc theme.  i was blown away by the beauty of saint petersburg and am already plotting a return trip to russia to hit moscow one day.  from russia, with love!

emil in dostoevsky's old hang out

russian green movement

st pete finally gets dark at midnight

church of the spilled blood

floor to ceiling mosaics

the famous russian onion dome architecture

the russian museum

pretending it's a beach

czars final resting place

still named leningrad at the dock