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.

On board easyjet

Tips: There's no seat assignment. So you can seat anywhere you'd like.

Don't expect any refreshments for free. You can get a variety of snacks from a cup of cappuccino (€2.50), kit kat bars (€1.50), sandwiches (€5.00), mineral water (€2.00), Carlsberg (€4.50) to a bottle of 75cl champagne (€32.50)

5 Minutes Late

Got my ticket to Stansted airport yesterday, and was very glad that my student card got me a 25% discount, which costs me £12.75
for a single standard journey.

The journey takes about 45 minutes, but the first train I took this morning was running 5 minutes late.

Overall, its a fairly quick and easy journey from Central London to Stansted Airport.

Once at the airport, the long lines and slow service reminds me why I hate flying sometimes, especially when I'm flying budget airlines like easyjet. But I can't really complain too much as the fare was really cheap at only 35 quid one way. So lesson learned, get to the airport as early as possible, and pack lightly. The 20kg per baggage is really annoying (not for me fortunately, mine was only short of 5kg).

The Scoop on London

Second day in London and I'm spinning around like a kid in a candy store. Every time I visit London, something new pops up. Like many great cities, London is a cosmopolitan city with many districts. This time, I'm in the South Bank, across the Thames from the London Tower.

The new London City Hall is located here, next to the Tower Bridge. Before arriving at London, I've heard criticisms and complains about the building and thought I should check it out. From an architectural point of view, the building itself is not bad and like the Gherkin, I think Londoners nicknamed it the Beehive. But aside from that, the complains were the high budget cost for the building and the prime location of it that could be developed for something else to generate revenue for the city; part of which I may agree upon, because it is afterall a public amenity and the cost do come out from the taxpayers' pockets at the end of the day. 

However, in comparison to Boston City Hall plaza, the programs here are very similar, mostly commercial and government offices, but it is a much better place in terms of its scale and the environment. There are water features, a green park, restaurants, and fantastic views to London Tower and Tower Bridge, which makes it a highly popular tourist spot. Because it is so new, (there are also other new construction close by), time will tell if the building and space will have any great effect to the city of London. But so far, I think it is a great add on to the surrounding neighborhood.

- Update: Apparently, the area that the London City Hall is sitting on is privately owned and managed. On that note, why is City Hall not sitting on a public lot? Why the need to buy a private lot? Also, we're living in a world where most daily tasks can be done online, is there a need to go visit City Hall? Who goes to a city hall and why? And probably the biggest question is, who does a better job in maintaining the public's comfort and security? Public or private? 

Technical Difficulties

There seemed to be some technical error with blogger earlier today. Hopefully it doesn't happen again.

All aboard to Cockfosters!

So I have just arrived at London. Took the tube from London Heathrow to Central London to meet up with my sis. The journey took about 55 minutes and costs you 4 pounds on a single ticket. It's fairly easy and you probably won't miss the signals to Cockfosters. It's the last station of the Piccadilly line. So tips on getting to Central London using the Tube: Follow the train to Cockfosters and please mind the gap!

It has been a long journey with very little sleep. I'll be checking in soon.

*Seriously, you have to admit that Cockfosters is such a funny name.*

Trip Planner

The map attached is a draft on the cities and places I'll be visiting. I'll be flying into London for a quick pit stop before continuing my journey to Copenhagen. From there on, I'll be traveling around the Scandinavian region before stopping over at Berlin. The next stop after Berlin, I'll be flying into Athens and working my way along the Mediterranean before leaving for Paris for a quick celebration. From Paris, I'll be back in London for a week before flying back to Boston. There are still a lot to plan and schedule, but so far, the first two weeks are pretty solid.

All done! Next stop, London!

Almost there...

Racing towards the finish line.