Copenhagen: Part II
25 January Sunday
This makes night four in Denmark, night five away from home, and it’s a total disaster. I am staying in the only hostel in Helsingor, and I am the only person here. As soon as I checked in , the guy working the desk left. I hate this hostel. I wish I had stayed another night in Copenhagen. I had been considering it, but thought I might be better to come up tonight, so I could wake up early, see the hamlet Castle, then catch the ferry and be in Sweden b lunch time. It’s a good plan, but I didn’t realize there is nothing to do in Helsingor besides the castle. I am eating a bag of Gummi Baren for dinner, because this is a city for people with cars; I don’t think there is anything in walking distance. I can’t ask the desk guy because he left two hours early. I’m not up for an adventure, because if I get lost, there are no people on the street to ask. This place is a shithole.
I think the only reason this town even exists is to be a train station. I am developing a disdain for suburbia. Why did I leave Copenhagen? I hope Helsingborg is better than this. The worst part of the situation is that I planned such a long rip because plain tickets were cheapest this way. Now I’m paying $100 to stay in this damned hostel. Please let Helsingborg and the Hamlet castle be worth it.
Leaving Copenhagen this afternoon, I cried on the train. I was sitting in my seat, listening to the Old 98’s, watching as I passed in reverse hundreds of sky-scraping barren trees, and my eyes became hot with tears. Just writing about it is making me tear up again. Nothing started it - I just saw Copenhagen getting further away, and it started. It’s a strange combination of feelings, even now. Part of it is a fear of my trip going downhill from that moment - I had such a fun time with Rosa and Rebecca, and I had a great time walking around the city with Soren, and I boarded the train with a very real trepidation. Then I was just so happy to have seen a friend from home, but also sad because he’s so excited to go back to Austin and begin his life with Lisa, and that’s something I can’t at all relate to. Then I was overwhelmed with happiness for he and Lisa, that they’re so perfect for each other, and have such a fantastic relationship. They make it work across the ocean and seven time zones, and they do a great job of it. It’s magnificent.
I finaly understand dhow it feels to be so happy for your friends that it brings you to tears. So naturally, as I’m crying for them, the Of Montreal song “Friends of Mine” come on my iPod, which I had never heard before. I started crying even more.
Naturally, thinking about Soren and Lisa made me think of all the thins I won’t be able to go home to, which upset me even more. I’m so lonely. Wandering around a city with a friend make me realize how lonely I am in my daily life, and how badly I want to share my experiences and my time with someone. Literally, I’m so lonely I could cry. It’s not even about not having a boyfriend, although that plays a part. I don’t even have a partner in crime, a travel buddy, a true friend. Of course it doesn’t help that now I have an entire cabin to myself, and nowhere to go, so all I can do is wallow. I don’t even have a book - I finished The Alchemist and left it with Rosa, so she can read it.
I wonder what they’ll make for breakfast for one.
26 January Monday
I am sitting in the coolest café I’ve seen since I left Austin, “Ebba’s Fik,” and it might be equal to most establishments back home. It has a “bric-a-brac shop,” counter service, an old school menu board with the specials spelled out in individual lettering, and a tantalizing dessert case. I ordered an omelet with mozzarella, tomatoes, black olives, scallions, and melted bleu cheese, and I’m eyeing a piece of lemon cheesecake. I think I might also buy some cookies to take back to my host, Johan. He told me to call him when I got to Helsingobrg, but also said in e-mail that he had a very long, hectic work day today, so I decided to just wander around town, eat lunch, wander some more, and call him closer to the end of his work day, and once I was ready to be done for the day. I feel like it’s also more interesting for the host, when I come in and already have seen some of the city on my own.
The Swedish krone is cheaper than the Danish krone, so this should be nice. Ic doul have saved money by taking the ferry over last night, but I doubt I would have been happy then either - I am realizing I hate arriving in a city at night. I never feel good about a city the first night.
I am sitting at the harbor station, trying not to panic. I just called my host to tell him I’m here, and the call went straight tot voicemail. I lef t a message telling him I’m here. I worry because Rosa was unable to call me - Vodafone told her my number was not in service. I just activated my emergency 2 euro- I didn’t’ even know I had it, but I received a text message about it. I bought 15 euro for my phone the day I left for Munchen. Calling form a German phone in Denmark to a Danish phone in Denmark is expensive.
All my host told me is his street address and phone number. He also said he lives 5 - 10 minutes walking distance from the train station, but he failed to specify which train station - the harbor station, where I am now? Do I take a train somewhere?
He just called. He wont’ be in until 6. I have two and a half more hours to kill. Usually I can entertain myself easily for several hours, but at this point I’m exhausted and ready to go home. I fell asleep last night at 9 p.m., and woke up when my alarm went off around 7:30, and then went back to sleep until 9 a.m. I didn’t even think I was that tired. Part of the problem is winter - I can’t sit outside to wait, and I can’t wander outside too long before getting cold. Yesterday Soren and I walked around Copenhagen for twenty minutes trying to find a place to eat lunch before we settled on a three-story Burger King which offered a great view of the Radhusplatz. The total lack of sunshine has put me in a terrible mood, too. Maybe tomorrow I can go by the Botanic Gardens again for some more fake sunshine. My estimated itinerary for tomorrow:
-wake up, leave Helsingborg (probably by 9 a.m.)
-Take ferry to Helsingor
-If I make it to Helsingor close to noon, then take guided tour of Kronborg ballrooms and chapel. If I get to Helsingor too early (~10) then continue on to Copenhagen.
-Take train to Kongs Nytorv or Norreport if I can and play over there for a few hours. Try Danish sausage stand, waffle stand. Go to Statensmuseum for Kunst if I can.
-Head to airport by 5 p.m. for 7 p.m. flight.
-Pray I make the S8 train to Pasing in time to catch the last train out to Garmisch. I want to sleep in my own bed, and sleep in Wednesday morning.
If for some reason I don’t make the last train out, I’ll stay in the same hostel (Jaegerhostel), wake up around 9, and go see a movie, then go home to be at work by 4 p.m. but then I would have to take the train back up to Munchen. Ugh.
So, what have I done so far?
In Copenhagen
-Took the S-train, Metro, and bus line, all with overall success.
-Went shopping at Fotex and H&M
-Ate at Big Momma’s Bagels on Norrebrogade (bagel with ‘laks’), a kebab stand (kebab durum), and Havfruen (steamed mussels in a white wine sauce with pommes frites.)
-Played poker with Soren’s friends and even won a few times
-Learned what handball is (Denmark is very, very good and the Danes love it)
-Went to three art exhibits in three days. First: the small exhibit in Islands Brygge on Friday. Saturday: Manga! In Louisiana. Sunday: Til Vaegs at Charlottenborg, where the artists worked directly on the walls.
-Saw the (little) Mermaid statue on the harbor. This time she had all her body parts, and a bouquet of flowers.
-Saw the queen’s guards leaving their home with the band, and arrive at the queen’s palace, and watched the changing of the guards. Usually the band isn’t here, but the queen was home, so they performed.
-Drank coffee and enjoyed it.
-Saw a Copenhagen university dormitory - pretty cool.
-Couch Surfed the first time!
-Realized how intrepid a traveler I really am - and I think I’m ok with that.
In Helsingor
-Stayed in Danshostel Helsingor Vandrehjem - disaster.
-Visited Kronborg, the “Hamlet Castle” - one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. Awe-inspiring. Massive. Seeing it at night was overwhelming. Truly, I’ve never seen anything like it - walking the perimeter took me an hour.
-Watched a swan beg for food - he put his beak in a man’s gloved hand, searching. A pathetic site, but so cute as well.
-Took the ScandLines ferry across the harbor to Helsingborg.
In Helsingborg
-Ate at Ebba’s Fik. Instead of the cheesecake I got the Luxorstrade (I think that’s what it’s called,) which was a fudge brownie with crisped rice and fresh crème. It had some caramel as well. So deliciously rich.
-Hiked up to the old watch tower that is the only standing part of the Helsingborg Castle. Unfortunately it’s not high enough to give a view of all Helsingborg, but I still had quite a view out to Denmark and all the churches below.
-Visited Mariakyrchen. I need to look up what this is. Inside the church was a picture of Martin Luther.
This makes night four in Denmark, night five away from home, and it’s a total disaster. I am staying in the only hostel in Helsingor, and I am the only person here. As soon as I checked in , the guy working the desk left. I hate this hostel. I wish I had stayed another night in Copenhagen. I had been considering it, but thought I might be better to come up tonight, so I could wake up early, see the hamlet Castle, then catch the ferry and be in Sweden b lunch time. It’s a good plan, but I didn’t realize there is nothing to do in Helsingor besides the castle. I am eating a bag of Gummi Baren for dinner, because this is a city for people with cars; I don’t think there is anything in walking distance. I can’t ask the desk guy because he left two hours early. I’m not up for an adventure, because if I get lost, there are no people on the street to ask. This place is a shithole.
I think the only reason this town even exists is to be a train station. I am developing a disdain for suburbia. Why did I leave Copenhagen? I hope Helsingborg is better than this. The worst part of the situation is that I planned such a long rip because plain tickets were cheapest this way. Now I’m paying $100 to stay in this damned hostel. Please let Helsingborg and the Hamlet castle be worth it.
Leaving Copenhagen this afternoon, I cried on the train. I was sitting in my seat, listening to the Old 98’s, watching as I passed in reverse hundreds of sky-scraping barren trees, and my eyes became hot with tears. Just writing about it is making me tear up again. Nothing started it - I just saw Copenhagen getting further away, and it started. It’s a strange combination of feelings, even now. Part of it is a fear of my trip going downhill from that moment - I had such a fun time with Rosa and Rebecca, and I had a great time walking around the city with Soren, and I boarded the train with a very real trepidation. Then I was just so happy to have seen a friend from home, but also sad because he’s so excited to go back to Austin and begin his life with Lisa, and that’s something I can’t at all relate to. Then I was overwhelmed with happiness for he and Lisa, that they’re so perfect for each other, and have such a fantastic relationship. They make it work across the ocean and seven time zones, and they do a great job of it. It’s magnificent.
I finaly understand dhow it feels to be so happy for your friends that it brings you to tears. So naturally, as I’m crying for them, the Of Montreal song “Friends of Mine” come on my iPod, which I had never heard before. I started crying even more.
Naturally, thinking about Soren and Lisa made me think of all the thins I won’t be able to go home to, which upset me even more. I’m so lonely. Wandering around a city with a friend make me realize how lonely I am in my daily life, and how badly I want to share my experiences and my time with someone. Literally, I’m so lonely I could cry. It’s not even about not having a boyfriend, although that plays a part. I don’t even have a partner in crime, a travel buddy, a true friend. Of course it doesn’t help that now I have an entire cabin to myself, and nowhere to go, so all I can do is wallow. I don’t even have a book - I finished The Alchemist and left it with Rosa, so she can read it.
I wonder what they’ll make for breakfast for one.
26 January Monday
I am sitting in the coolest café I’ve seen since I left Austin, “Ebba’s Fik,” and it might be equal to most establishments back home. It has a “bric-a-brac shop,” counter service, an old school menu board with the specials spelled out in individual lettering, and a tantalizing dessert case. I ordered an omelet with mozzarella, tomatoes, black olives, scallions, and melted bleu cheese, and I’m eyeing a piece of lemon cheesecake. I think I might also buy some cookies to take back to my host, Johan. He told me to call him when I got to Helsingobrg, but also said in e-mail that he had a very long, hectic work day today, so I decided to just wander around town, eat lunch, wander some more, and call him closer to the end of his work day, and once I was ready to be done for the day. I feel like it’s also more interesting for the host, when I come in and already have seen some of the city on my own.
The Swedish krone is cheaper than the Danish krone, so this should be nice. Ic doul have saved money by taking the ferry over last night, but I doubt I would have been happy then either - I am realizing I hate arriving in a city at night. I never feel good about a city the first night.
I am sitting at the harbor station, trying not to panic. I just called my host to tell him I’m here, and the call went straight tot voicemail. I lef t a message telling him I’m here. I worry because Rosa was unable to call me - Vodafone told her my number was not in service. I just activated my emergency 2 euro- I didn’t’ even know I had it, but I received a text message about it. I bought 15 euro for my phone the day I left for Munchen. Calling form a German phone in Denmark to a Danish phone in Denmark is expensive.
All my host told me is his street address and phone number. He also said he lives 5 - 10 minutes walking distance from the train station, but he failed to specify which train station - the harbor station, where I am now? Do I take a train somewhere?
He just called. He wont’ be in until 6. I have two and a half more hours to kill. Usually I can entertain myself easily for several hours, but at this point I’m exhausted and ready to go home. I fell asleep last night at 9 p.m., and woke up when my alarm went off around 7:30, and then went back to sleep until 9 a.m. I didn’t even think I was that tired. Part of the problem is winter - I can’t sit outside to wait, and I can’t wander outside too long before getting cold. Yesterday Soren and I walked around Copenhagen for twenty minutes trying to find a place to eat lunch before we settled on a three-story Burger King which offered a great view of the Radhusplatz. The total lack of sunshine has put me in a terrible mood, too. Maybe tomorrow I can go by the Botanic Gardens again for some more fake sunshine. My estimated itinerary for tomorrow:
-wake up, leave Helsingborg (probably by 9 a.m.)
-Take ferry to Helsingor
-If I make it to Helsingor close to noon, then take guided tour of Kronborg ballrooms and chapel. If I get to Helsingor too early (~10) then continue on to Copenhagen.
-Take train to Kongs Nytorv or Norreport if I can and play over there for a few hours. Try Danish sausage stand, waffle stand. Go to Statensmuseum for Kunst if I can.
-Head to airport by 5 p.m. for 7 p.m. flight.
-Pray I make the S8 train to Pasing in time to catch the last train out to Garmisch. I want to sleep in my own bed, and sleep in Wednesday morning.
If for some reason I don’t make the last train out, I’ll stay in the same hostel (Jaegerhostel), wake up around 9, and go see a movie, then go home to be at work by 4 p.m. but then I would have to take the train back up to Munchen. Ugh.
So, what have I done so far?
In Copenhagen
-Took the S-train, Metro, and bus line, all with overall success.
-Went shopping at Fotex and H&M
-Ate at Big Momma’s Bagels on Norrebrogade (bagel with ‘laks’), a kebab stand (kebab durum), and Havfruen (steamed mussels in a white wine sauce with pommes frites.)
-Played poker with Soren’s friends and even won a few times
-Learned what handball is (Denmark is very, very good and the Danes love it)
-Went to three art exhibits in three days. First: the small exhibit in Islands Brygge on Friday. Saturday: Manga! In Louisiana. Sunday: Til Vaegs at Charlottenborg, where the artists worked directly on the walls.
-Saw the (little) Mermaid statue on the harbor. This time she had all her body parts, and a bouquet of flowers.
-Saw the queen’s guards leaving their home with the band, and arrive at the queen’s palace, and watched the changing of the guards. Usually the band isn’t here, but the queen was home, so they performed.
-Drank coffee and enjoyed it.
-Saw a Copenhagen university dormitory - pretty cool.
-Couch Surfed the first time!
-Realized how intrepid a traveler I really am - and I think I’m ok with that.
In Helsingor
-Stayed in Danshostel Helsingor Vandrehjem - disaster.
-Visited Kronborg, the “Hamlet Castle” - one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. Awe-inspiring. Massive. Seeing it at night was overwhelming. Truly, I’ve never seen anything like it - walking the perimeter took me an hour.
-Watched a swan beg for food - he put his beak in a man’s gloved hand, searching. A pathetic site, but so cute as well.
-Took the ScandLines ferry across the harbor to Helsingborg.
In Helsingborg
-Ate at Ebba’s Fik. Instead of the cheesecake I got the Luxorstrade (I think that’s what it’s called,) which was a fudge brownie with crisped rice and fresh crème. It had some caramel as well. So deliciously rich.
-Hiked up to the old watch tower that is the only standing part of the Helsingborg Castle. Unfortunately it’s not high enough to give a view of all Helsingborg, but I still had quite a view out to Denmark and all the churches below.
-Visited Mariakyrchen. I need to look up what this is. Inside the church was a picture of Martin Luther.