Things I'm Getting Used To

Happy Mother's Day to my mama Shari and all the other moms in my life!

Our high speed tour of Scandinavian capitals is coming to an end soon.

After a boisterous cruise from Stockholm with the hard partying Finns, we are in Helsinki where the weather has been improving in inverse proportion to the cityscape.  Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm are lovely cities with Stockholm taking the top prize for 'Outstanding Beauty', but with Helsinki, I think we are getting a sneak preview of what Russia and Eastern Europe will be.  At least the prices are moving in the right direction, so I'll take it.  

Like most things in life, beauty ain't cheap.

A few random musings for your pleasure- what I'm getting used to on our trip so far.

Bathroom Shenanigans

No shower curtain?  No problem.  PS.  This is our bathroom in Helsinki which is enormous compared to Copenhagen.

We have had some of the smallest bathrooms imaginable, but the one where we stayed in Copenhagen takes the cake.  So tiny, your feet are in the shower while you sit on the toilet. You couldn't extend your legs if you wanted to- not that I'm in the practice of extending my legs while toileting!  I remember thinking this is what it's like on a cruise ship, but both of the bathrooms on the two cruises we've taken were bigger.  

Additionally, the sink was so tiny, you couldn't brush your teeth in it, as the cabinet was too low and there was no way to align your mouth to spit.

Interestingly, the Copenhagen shower was a powerful rainforest-style one that was a welcome sight after a long day of walking in the cold and wind.  However, wth no true separation between the shower and the rest of the bathroom, water sprayed on everything, including my dry pajamas.

In Oslo, while the shower appeared to be enclosed, it had a large gap at the bottom of the door which I was oblivious to until I turned around and saw a huge flood making its way towards the bathroom door.  Panic taking over, but with shampoo in my hair, I turned the shower head away from the gap and crouched in a corner against the wall while I feverishly hurried to rinse out the shampoo and conducted the briefest application of conditioner, hastily rinsing that out as well.  

I stepped out of the shower and assessed the damage.  Water was everywhere and there were only two extra towels on the rack.  Perry needed one and I wasn't sure if I should save one for our host, so in desperation, I used my hands as a squeegee and directed the water back into the shower.  FYI, that was gross.  Then, I grabbed a dirty kitchen towel out of the laundry basket and mopped up as best I could.  By this time, I could hear voices, which meant our host had returned.  I hadn't met him yet (we were let in by a friend of his) so I hurried to dress while I fanned the area with my towel.  It felt like I was in an episode of I Love Lucy.

The Chocolate Factory episode!

All of our showers have had some form of water seepage, but I now know how to manage the flooding- short and efficient showers.   I'm reminded of childhood where we had a strict 5 minute shower limit in the morning with five kids using one bathroom.  Back then, I get it, but I've since grown accustomed to luxuriously long showers.  That was the old Paula- Travel Paula takes it in stride.  Ok, maybe with a tiny whimper.  The one bathroom luxury I have been afforded has been heated floors which this cold-footed girl finds so amazing, I'm making it a top priority in any future home I live in.

What am I NOT getting used to?  Bad Floss

I'm trying very hard not to be fussy about toiletries.  Once I use up what I've brought, I'm buying whatever is available.  Except for floss.  Perry and I are die-hard Glide users and we agreed to share to save space (like floss takes up so much space?) but accidentally left it on the cruise to Oslo.  I had a small backup from my dentist, but when that ran out I was forced to use Perry's back up- 'Top Care' brand that he bought for a magic trick.  AWFUL!  The second we got to Helsinki, I ran to a pharmacy where the gods of oral hygiene smiled upon me with a beautiful new box of Glide (also known as Pro-Expert Premium here in Finland).

Being Fully Caffeinated & Carbed

Note the urn of coffee on the shelf against the wall

Here is a bold statement:  Scandinavia is coffee's spiritual home.

Yeah, yeah, I know Italy is famed for its coffee culture, but for strong black filter coffee, Scandinavians are my coffee people.  Coffee is available everywhere and you can order it with your lunch (as opposed to after) without anyone batting an eyelash.  They keep it in an urn on the side where you can fill your cup as many times as you wish.  It's my version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  While Stockholm had the most coffee shops and I nearly gave the title to Fabrique Bakery in Sodermalm, United Bakeries in Oslo wins the award for best damn coffee and baked goods I've had on the road to date.   Scandinavia has kept me fully caffeinated, which is happily compensating for any bathroom deficiencies.  

Rocky-Style Traveler Training

When I walked through JFK airport with my backpack for the first time, it was heavy, but manageable if I didn't have to walk very far.  Every time I've picked it up since then, I can' t help but hear the Rocky theme song.   I've lost weight since we left St. Louis, the combination of carrying that heavy pack every 4 days plus walking nearly 10 miles every day.  Most recently, we walked over a mile from the Helsinki port to our apartment and I even declined Teemu's (our host) offer to carry it up the three flights of stairs.  At that moment, I felt like I caught that damn chicken.   

Next Stop:  St. Petersburg, Russia

Split Personality: Copenhagen

Anti-establishment socialists or venture capitalists?  Historic beauty or modern sensibility?  In Copenhagen, you get it all, with two-for-the-price-of-one bargains such as:

• Multi-national corporations living in harmony near a hippie commune
• Suburban-style shops equally at home alongside independents
• Pretty, historic districts blending seamlessly with industrial complexes

Despite these differences, they all agree on one thing:  environmentally clean healthy living.  The bike lanes are full and it's tough to find anything BUT organic food in the shops.  Well, maybe not the Shawarma vendor.

Change and diversity have always been in Copenhagen's DNA.  Originally, a sleepy fishing village, it became a haven for merchants (Copenhagen = Merchants Harbor) but eventually became the ruling center as the capital of Denmark-Norway and driving force behind the Kalmar Union (between 1397 and 1523, the Kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden and Norway formed a state to block the expansion of Germany and the Hanseatic League).  It further evolved into cultural powerhouse during the Danish Golden Age of the 19th century, where painting, sculpture, literature and philosophy thrived with key contributors such as Soren Kierkegaard and Hans Christian Andersen.

King of Fairy Tales:  HC Andersen

Today, it is a bustling haven of capitalism, set apart by a vibe that strongly identifies as Nordic.  Yet despite this northern stoicism, Danish culture also has a unique edge that feels even more liberal and progressive than neighboring Norway and Sweden.  These deep rooted values are felt throughout the city, but particularly at the hippie commune Christiania, founded in 1971 in the harbor borough of Christianshavn.  After intermittent struggles with the city officials (mainly over open cannabis) who sought to close it, the site is now one of the top tourist attractions in Copenhagen.  Consistent with the paradox that is Copenhagen, Christiania is self-governed, yet pay taxes.

We started our touring in Christiania and after a stroll through infamous Pusher Street, an open cannabis zone with a surprising amusement park-like atmosphere, we stopped for a fabulous vegetarian lunch at Morgenstedet.  Photos are forbidden in the 'green light district' as Pusher Street is also known.

We stayed in the borough of Norrebro and did a fair bit of exploring there as well.  On the progressive scale, it's a bit more gentrified than Christiania, but with a gritty edge.  Labelled as 'up and coming', Norrebro is a creative center for artists and its (relatively) low rents have attracted migrants and young families.  There we all were:  babies in strollers, bearded hipsters, Pakistani Muslims and us.  

Copenhagen is compact and easily explored on foot, so we walked everywhere.  There are plenty of places to rent a cycle, but the crowded lanes didn't feel very leisurely, so we voted against it. 

While Norrebro has the rough edges, most of the city center and historic landmarks are well manicured and make for pleasant walking.  Besides the city center, Vesterbro is also great for strolling, with plenty of galleries, coffee shops and wine bars to tempt you.

Radhuspladsen (Copenhagen City Hall)

Kastellet, 17th century fortress

Copenhagen city residential street

Den Lille Havfrue

While I photographed the obligatory historic sites such as Tivoli, Nyhavn, Rosenborg Castle and The Little Mermaid, I'm apparently fascinated by doors on buildings, as evidenced by the number of them I had on my phone.  

Shops on Christianshavn

I liked the barn-esque doors..

Apartment building on the harbor 

But it was from the top of Our Savior's Church that all the contradictions faded away.  I wanted to spend more time contemplating Copenhagen so I could leave you with something philosophical about the fusing of ugly and beauty into something real and appealing, but I had an attack of acrophobia (you climb the stairs on the outside of the building for Pete's sake!), so I'll just leave you with these shots.

I had a panic attack on the second to the last spiral from the top.

Green spaces.. and wind farms

Farewell!  DFDS cruise from Copenhagen to Oslo

Copenhagen, I get your split personality and I like where it's going.  Tak!

Next time on Gobsmacked...

Oslo:  My Spirit Animal?

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Attention!  I have a news alert pulled from the file of ‘No Sh!t, Sherlock’.

Scandinavia is cold. 

Cruise to Norway

Shocking, no?  And it’s not just in the winter, but in the spring, and I suspect, summer too.  However, there is hope and her name is Sweden- she brings sunshine and 60F (15C) temperatures.

With my northern heritage, you would think I would have a tougher constitution when it comes to dealing with cold weather.  You would also think as an adult, I could separate my surroundings from how I feel about a city.  Nope, turns out both of these things radically impact how I feel about a place.

For example, I’m in love with Stockholm.  Why?  Because I adore the Sodermalm studio where we are staying, and its sunny, relaxed open space seems to mirror the city, the people and my attitude.  But do I really love it or am I being swayed by the warm temps and cute apartment?  Would I love it as much if it was 45F (7C) and we were staying in a basement?

I’m wondering out loud because while I enjoyed Oslo, my overall feeling for the city was slightly muted due to the cold temperatures and less-than-ideal accommodation. 

Oslo Fjord cruise

We decided to rent a room vs. an apartment as it was half the price of what we paid in Copenhagen, and since it was only for three days, it felt relatively low risk.  Plus, before the trip started, we agreed to push outside our comfort zone by trying different types of accommodation, such as rented rooms, hostels, housesits and voluntourism.

While our host and the apartment were both very nice, the shared living spaces (especially the bathroom) proved fairly uncomfortable for both Perry and I.  *Top Tip* when using the bathroom with a stranger in the next room, please, no audible groaning.  I don’t care what you ate last night. 

As a result of our discomfort, we left the apartment first thing in the morning and didn’t return until after dinner, spending lots of money eating every meal out and generally running ourselves ragged.   

I read once that life begins at the end of your comfort zone and if that is the case, consider me born again after Oslo. 

Objectively, I should love Oslo- it’s a beautiful city- modern, vibrant and clean.  Also, I’ve got the whole Norwegian heritage thing going on and when I saw lefse in the store, do you think I knew what to do with it?  You betcha!  I had butter & sugar lefse rolls to drink with my coffee on the train ride to Stockholm.  I’m made for Norway! 

Not as good as Grandma's...

I want a do-over.  In July.  Mom, you game?

The lesson learned is that while having our own apartment appears more expensive, we spend less money on food (and less overall) by buying groceries.  And I don’t like sharing a bathroom with random Norwegian dudes.  Sue me.

It happened in Copenhagen, too.  We stayed in a cute apartment in the cool-hip-artsy-edgy area near the city center, and this attitude benefitted other parts of the city whether they deserved it or not.  Objectively, Christiania is too dirty hippie to be hip and Orestad is too suburban mainstream to be edgy, yet I somehow glossed over this in my mental post-visit recap of Copenhagen = cool-hip-artsy-edgy.  But true to the temperature linkage, the chilly winds also gave the city a slightly impersonal and cold feeling.

I hope I’m not going to be this literal for the entire trip.

The good news with all this cold weather is that it provides the perfect excuse to have hot chocolate.

'Civilized' hot chocolate at La Glace in Copenhagen

Kaffebrenneriet in Oslo

Library Bar at Hotel Bristol in Oslo

Shout out to the friendly Danish folks at DFDS Ferries- our overnight cruise from Copenhagen to Oslo was great fun!  Mom, tell Dad I ate the herring on the smorgasbord and I actually liked it.

DFDS cruise near Oslo

Lotsa parkas...

Only one minor mishap so far- I hurt my ankle after missing a step off the bike lane in Copenhagen  (the sidewalk, bike lane and traffic lanes are all on slightly different elevations) and it still isn’t back to normal.  Probably because we are averaging nearly 10 miles of walking per day (the only way I can eat all this bread) and I’m too obsessed with my daily mileage to rest it.

Next blog post:  Copenhagen Redux