Tag: History
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Helsingør: Shakespeare and the Sea
IN THE AFTERNOON I VENTURE FURTHER NORTH to the costal city of Helsingør, where I meet with Yanyan. Helsingør is a ferry port with regular connections to Helsingborg in Sweden just 5 kilometers across the Øresund. Helsingør’s strategic location helped turn it into one of Denmark’s most important cities in the Middle Ages. In the…
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Copenhagen: Rise to Happiness
A STEADY DRIZZLE STARTS TO FALL ON COPENHAGEN on a gloomy Wednesday morning. I’m walking along the Stroget district’s cobblestone paths with a group of other tourists. “There’s one thing predictable about the weather here, and that’s it’s unpredictable,” says Alan. Our Danish guide is leading a small group of us through the narrow alleys of…
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Gothenburg: Neoclassical and Industrial
MOVING ON FROM STOCKHOLM, Yanyan and I travel to Gothenburg in the evening to experience another side of Sweden. The country’s second largest city is replete of Neoclassical architecture, interesting museums, and elegant pathways that make it one of Sweden’s most beautiful cities. It’s a cosmopolitan place as well, not only because it’s home to the biggest…
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Uppsala: Sweden’s Historical Heart
IN THE AFTERNOON Yanyan and I make our way further 40 kilometers north to the city of Uppsala, considered to be the historical and spiritual center of Sweden. It’s a city steeped in history as evidenced by the number of buildings from bygone eras in the city center, most notable of which are the cathedral…
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Sigtuna: Sweden’s Oldest Surviving Town
ON OUR FOURTH DAY IN SWEDEN, Yanyan and I move away from Stockholm and take a day trip to two sites around the capital. In the morning, we go by train to Sigtuna 40 kilometers north. At first glance, the center of this compact little town seems like every other Swedish town with its cobbled streets…
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Stockholm: Cobblestones and Waterways
I’M DRENCHED FROM WALKING IN THE DRIZZLE through the cobblestone paths of Gamla Stan’s narrow alleys. My aching feet are chiding me for opting to walk around in this soggy weather for three hours instead of resting in the hostel. But I feel very much fulfilled nonetheless, seeing the city radiate such charm even in the…
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Norway in a Nutshell Part 6: Oslo
I AM STANDING AT THE EDGE OF OSLO’S WATERFRONT, looking at the construction projects going on behind the Oslo Opera House. Yanyan is a few meters away, taking pictures of the birds that approach humans at a proximity I’m not used to seeing. The opera house is an architectural marvel that has become an icon…
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Norway in a Nutshell Part 1: Bergen
ONE SIGNIFICANT DETAIL I FAILED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT when planning a trip to Bergen was that it’s one of the – if not the – rainiest cities in Europe. And to compound matters, fall is usually the wettest. “Man, that’s Bergen for you,” a local at the fish market tells me when I comment about the…
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The Iceland Ring Road Trip Part 11: Akureyri
WE SPEND THE REST OF THE DAY IN AKUREYRI, Iceland’s second city and an important fishing center and port. However, in the last few years, as more and more tourists visit the country, tourism has become one ofthe fastest growing sectors of the economy. Today, Akureyri serves as a hub in northern Iceland, where visitors…
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The Iceland Ring Road Trip Part 1: Reykjavik
IT’S FOUR IN THE AFTERNOON, and I’m standing with my sister Yanyan on the tower of the Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavik’s iconic church. The admission fee, as with any other thing in Iceland, is quite steep at 10 dollars. But I’d told her that getting on top would allow us to get a wide-angle perspective of the city…
The Tourist Gaze 