This is Tallinn

Cruising to Estonia

On board a ferry shuttle to Tallinn for the day. Don't know much about Tallinn, except that it is the capital of Estonia and the old city is designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Will see what I find there.

Kennel found!

Interestingly, this was at the top of my ferry to Tallinn, Estonia. I guess they must love their dogs here in this region to have a kennel setup in a ferry.

Almost midnight

It's clear that I'm in the land of the midnight sun when it is still so bright out at 10pm.

A little bit of both: Helsinki

When one mentioned Finland, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the cold weather or maybe Nokia (manufacturer of mobile phones, etc.). I didn't do much research about Helsinki before arriving here, but I can feel the presence of its Russian past while walking down the streets in the city. The monumental city plan was laid out in 1812 under the ruled of the Russian Tsar, as Helsinki was declared the new capital of Finland during that period.

Helsinki is no Stockholm, or even tries to be like one of its neighboring Scandinavian capitals. It has its own distinct taste developed from its eastern Russian past and a forward looking future from its western neighbors of Scandinavia.

Maybe it is because of this setting between the east and the west that I have mixed feelings about Helsinki. It is a nice city, but one that does not need more than a day to explore. The center is compact enough to get the full attention its need from its many visitors.

The future of Helsinki seems to be bright with a new urban development in the area of Kamppi, less than a few blocks away from the center. Take a stroll down a broad avenue from the city center to Kamppi, it is well worth the visit as you can experience a definite change in time between the old Russian past and the new technology focus future of Finland.

Good luck, Hans!

The thought of sharing a 4 bed cabin on a 16 hour long ferry trip can be quite scary. You never know who's going to be sharing the room with you, how is he like, what are his sleeping method, is he one of those football hooligans traveling with a big group or could he be someone, like me, traveling alone in a foreign land?

Fortunately for me, in a 4 bed cabin, I only have the pleasure to share it with Hans. It was just the two of us, perfect for the tiny cabin. Hans is from Frankfurt-Germany. He has been cycling from Frankfurt to Sweden and is on his way to Helsinki for a few days before making his way back to Frankfurt. Hans is not a professional cyclist, but he is a bicycle enthusiast and is cycling just for the fun of it.

I admire the strong will of people like Hans. He has suffered from brain attacks (not sure what the correct medical term is, but it is like having a heart attack in the brain) and is lucky to had survived that, but he still has the strength to cycle. However, age has been creeping up to Hans and this will be his last big cycling trip. Hans is 62.

All aboard to Helsinki

That's my ferry up there. For 40 dollars, I can't really complain as I'm stuck in the lowest class possible. Well, at least I have a bed to sleep on and a shower in the room. The ferry leaves at 5pm and arrives Helsinki at 10am. Finland is an hour ahead of Sweden.

Lunch with the Chinese

This is the second time around this region that I came across a Chinese lady handling the food service in a restaurant. It's hard to tell who owns the place when the menu is all in a foreign language. But the experience wasn't that bad as I was able to communicate well with her in Chinese. From her recommendation, my set lunch is basically a mix between a meatloaf and a meatball shaped into a burger patty, topped with a slab of butter. Total cost for lunch: 80kr.

Goodnight, Stockholm

Sweden, you have provided me with design inspiration from IKEA, classic pieces from H&M, and have filled me up with your meatballs, but nothing can compare to your capital, Stockholm. Grand, majestic, stylish, classic, fun and perhaps more than anything, inspiring. What more can I say about Stockholm? From the narrow lanes in the old city of Gamla Stan that resembles old Renaissance cities, to the broad avenues in the area of Norrmalm that are comparable to the grand avenues in Paris, Stockholm has so much to offer. You will be missed.

*Picture taken around 10pm.

Quick Lunch Break - Stockholm

It seems like an interesting combination. Couscous with cold smoked salmon, yogurt with a side of salad. Yet the yogurt works though. Fascinating.

Silja Line: Stockholm - Helsinki

I finally got my overnight ferry ticket to Helsinki for Monday evening for 236kr with a Eurail pass. Part of this blog is not just a record of my trip but also a guide for those who are just as curious to how I find my way around places.

Getting the ticket on a Sunday wasn't that easy as the office in downtown Stockholm was closed. So I went to the tourist information center in Kunstragarden and found out I can take the No.1 bus to where the ferry is and get the ticket there instead. There are two companies Silja and Viking, that serves traveler back and forth between Stockholm-Helsinki or Talinn, but I had a Eurail pass with me, thus I was limited to the Silja Line ferry.

So I took the 1 bus from Kungsgatan and stopped at Sandhamnsplan. The bus final stop is Frihamnen, but when I stopped the bus driver at Sandhamnsplan, he told me I need to get off the last stop. After looking at the map and telling him where I need to go, he realized that I was right and can walk to the ferry from Sandhamsplan. And it is a quick walk, about 5 minutes (if you don't make any mistake of not looking at the map first). Once off the bus, make your way back, cross the street and there's a path through a park that will get you to the ferry line.

It was actually a good idea for me to make the trip out there because it will make my journey to the ferry a much easier one tomorrow.

Oh, when taking a bus in Stockholm, remember to get your ticket in advance at newspaper kiosk or the tourist center. A single ticket for 30kr is valid for an hour. So keep that with you!

*Picture above is the City Hall of Stockholm. Apart from where city council meetings are held, the hall inside is also where the annual Nobel prize is held. The city hall overlooks the water.

Stockholm: First Impression

I've only been in the city for 3 hours and I love it! Such a beautiful city. And the Swedes are much friendlier people compare to the Danish. So yeah, welcome to the home of IKEA, H&M and of course swedish meatballs!

What about Copenhagen?

Surprise but certainly not shocking. Copenhagen is a 1000 year old city, considered to be one of the most cosmopolitan city in the Scandinavian region, it holds true to that status. It is indeed international, yet for a city of that status, it is a relaxing one. To quote the Lonely Planet guidebook on Scandinavian Europe, "Just when you think you've got to know Copenhagen, you discover there are beautiful sandy beaches, wooded parks and elegant lakes just minutes away." How true is that!

Right in the heart of the city is Tivoli Gardens, a amusement park said to have inspired Walt Disney to build his own. Next to it is the train station, city hall square and one of the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe. In terms of scale, it's a fairly walkable city and all the entertainment you need is located right in the heart of the city. There are beautiful parks, and open squares all around the city in close proximity.

Of course there are areas of neighborhood surrounding this island/peninsula of the City, but I think a city can only be alive not because of its ideal location, but what it can offer the people who live and work in the city, as well as the amenities and entertainment that will attract people into the city during the weekends and holidays. I have the benefit of exploring the city during a bank holiday and a work week, and I must say that even with most of the shops closed, there is very little difference between those two days. In fact I didn't even know that I was in the city during a bank holiday, but I was certainly curious why most shops were closed.

I'm on my way to Stockholm right now. Both cities are about 5 hours apart by train and the travel between the two city is really easy and straight forward (just hopped on the train in Copenhagen, do a switch in Malmo and you're on your way to Stockholm) as there's no border control because of the Schengen agreement.

What's next for me in Stockholm? I do not know.

*The picture above is the famous Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen.

*Two interesting notes, I did not see any gas station inside the city limits and there are no street lights on the side of the streets because they are hung high up in the middle of the street.

Spotted in Copenhagen

For all you Boston sports fan, found in the Central Train Station-Copenhagen.

Marble Church

Malay or Danish?

Lunchtime for Cheap

I don't know much about Danish food, except for the cheese or lemon danish I get from Au Bon Pain occasionally. But I read that they have this specialty called smorrebrod, which is basically a spread of ingredient like salmon, chicken or beef with some greens, tomatoes and mayo on top of a thin slice of bread. It is considered a leisurely lunch where you have to sit down and eat it.

Anyway, while walking along a unknown street I stumbled upon this basement cafe which sells it and decided to check it out. When I walked in, there were chinese people handling the food service, and I was a bit skeptical at first but then I was really hungry at that point, so I decided to get the food there anyways. (There were some danish looking people in there having lunch which gave me some comfort on buying the food there)

Before I walked in, I actually heard them conversing in Cantonese, and I think the lady owner was surprised when I asked her what to recommend for lunch in Cantonese. She suggested the bun here (pictured above), which is somewhat similar to a smorrebrod (although she said its not), but it's more convenient to have it take away. So I went for that and with drinks from a neighboring convenience store, it all costs only 43kr. And I have my own leisurely lunch in a nearby park for less than 10 dollars.

Marble Church

This is the Marble Church. I thought it had an interesting setting because it sits in the middle of a square, surrounded by residential buildings and shops. Unlike old classical church design, it doesn't have a square in front of it.

Street Smart

Before I got sucked into 500kr for watching, I was able to get a shot of the guy from the back. You can probably guess what he's trying to do, 1...2...3... And where do you think the ball is hidden?

Along this 1km stretch of pedestrian way filled with shops, cafes and people, there are probably 5 people doing this trick at the same time. But I can't part with 500kr, that's like almost 100USD!!

Sunny Copenhagen

Just landed at Copenhagen. Flight was all right. Getting to the city and my hostel was a fairly easy journey. Apart from that, a general tip for users of card without a chip, even if you swipe it, you need to enter your pin number. So remember your pin or use your debit card.