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aureliasaid · 7 years

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Bratwurst for Thanksgiving

Stockholm, Copenhagen and Berlin

November 16-25, 2017

Thanksgiving lunch atop Germany’s Reichstag where a delicious restaurant provided a special view and meal

Thursday, November 16

Arrived via SAS airlines into Stockholm with an hour + drive in since it was rush hour. Def would look into the train ride in from the airport next time. Stayed at the Nobis Hotel right in the heart of town, but very close to the main harbor area. It is a boutique hotel from an old bank where the Stockholm Syndrome originated after a bank robbery. Very hip nowadays with a delightful included breakfast. Crying baby, actually screaming baby, all night en route over on the plane called for a nap and luckily the room was ready. Then for an afternoon oversight of the city, we opted for a guide since we were there only 2 days. Guides are nice cause they eliminate having to think, get you into the front of the line and in places you can't always see on your own. We liked ours, Eva Bromberg Sharp, +46 7 60 45 71. Highly recommend!

We covered much area starting with City Hall, the home of the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony coming up in 3 weeks on Dec 10, Nobel's birthday. This was cool especially since seeing the ceremony recently when UNC prof Azziz won for chemistry in 2015. Then on through various sections including everyone's fav, Gamla Stan or the Old Town which is very charming as expected. Hot chocolate and a pastry and then a walk through the Cathedral (small by Euro standards) which was fantastic with everything made of wood, Sweden's main resource. See the St George slaying the dragon statue! On to Sodermalm, (home of the ‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” author Steig Larson btw,) for a view of the city and then on past numerous sections of the town to end at the Vasa Museum, which is built around a famous ship from the 1600s that sank on its maiden voyage after 20 minutes of setting sail. In the 1950′s, researchers finally found it in the harbor and took 2 years to raise it in its total preserved state complete with some of the dead passengers fairly well preserved. A great day with dinner at Hillenberg, which was hip, yet cozy.

Tip: There are two train stations, so make sure you have the right one.

Tip: Weather was def cold, high around 32 degrees, so be prepared. This is an off time to come, but meant we had sights to ourselves. It is also odd as it is starting to get dark by 3:30, so do outside things in the morning. We had two sunny days which apparently is not the norm for this time of year. Interestingly, the sun never gets high in the sky at this time of year...just sorta stays just above the rooftops all day.

Friday, November 17

A boat tour is in order. Perfect guided tour around the harbor, out into the Baltic and back into the lake for an hour. Great way to see a lot as well. Afterwards, we cruised past the Parliament bldg, popped into the huge Royal Palace, but parked it at the Nobel Museum, which was small, easy and very interesting. (Good cafe here.) Headed over to the Fotografiska, photography museum, which has a cool top floor huge cafe with harbor views.

Legs and intellect zapped, we blew through some shops (Sweden home to H&M, who knew?) as well as Zara and their big Saks type store NK. Back for a spell (aka nap) before heading to Broms for dinner. Famous for their Swedish meatballs as I had read, but our tour guide also recommended as they are family friends of hers. It was great...more bistro in feel, but buzzy and fun too. Nightcap back in the hip Nobis bar.

TIp: In summer, boat tours may go to the archipelago, but in winter, get a commuter ferry and go.

There are a million ways to see this city with all kinds of creative tours such as the rooftop tour where you are clipped in walking along rooftops! Hop-on Hop-off bus tour is a great way to see the city. The city is also very walkable, though it is not a small city.

Saturday, November 18 Copenhagen

We debated flying or training, but decided on training which was an excellent decision. 5 hours on the fast train, which probably would have been the same total time by plane. It was easy, on time, and nice to see the countryside.

Arrived Cope at 3:30 and met Relia at our hotel, Hotel Skt Petri in the Latin Quarter. (Saint Petri fyi). We headed straight for Tivoli, the 2nd oldest amusement park in the world that had just re-opened after being closed for 3 weeks to become a Christmas Wonderland with Christmas Market pop-up shops, full blooming hyacinths, white lights adorning everything, lighted trees at every trash can, mulled wine and special Christmas lagers and meals all with the roller coasters and sky drops in full action amidst the decor. It was packed to the hydraulics with merry-makers of all ages. We headed back, popping into Relia's flat first very near the Skt. Petri in the city center, before going to dinner at Bistro Boheme, a hopping French bistro.

Sunday, November 19

Let's just take a moment to talk about bikes...and more bikes and then more bikes. Never in my life. Incredible bike lanes, riding in all weather, all times of the day and night, with few helmets. But what is most important for non-bikers is to STAY ON THE SIDEWALKS or else you are toast, esp for us American non-bikeminded people. It is serious transportation and they come flying from around the turn just as you are about to jaywalk into their lane. Sweden similar, but Denmark gives China a run for its money at least in volume of bikes.

Awoke to hideous rainy, cold and windy weather along with Will coming in from the States - spent the morning getting him situated...aka a nap. Met Relia later and went to the Rosenberg Castle very close by in a pretty park, good because its small and most important, the Crown Jewels are on display here....which is worth the trip alone.

Will bailed for another round of napping and we three headed to the famed old area of Nyhaven, went through the Christmas market there, marveling at the sausages over the firepit, pork inches thick being smoked and salmon being smoked. We blew through the formal D'Ingleterra Hotel, (happy to have saved our $$ not staying there) before crossing the Kissing Bridge to Christianshaven en route to Torvehallerne (or Papiroen or the Copenhagen Street Food Market Hall or Paper Island for non-Danespeak,) which is a huge old warehouse that houses picnic tables and some 30+ food vendors of all sorts. The pulled duck and duck fries were amazing as were the hot dogs. Sadly, this location is closing in December as capitalism has taken over the warehouse key spot...its too popular not to re-open somewhere else though.

Still licking our chops, we went back to the hotel by way of Strøget, the long pedestrian shopping street. Ready to be out of the elements, we chilled til going to Mikkeller and Friends, the flagship location (big description for a small, non-descript basement bar of two rooms in the meat packing district) but is all that in the craft beer world called "the most imaginative beer bar in the world." We tried several which were very different, but quite tasty. Then on further into the Meatpacking district for dinner at Kodbyaens Fiskebar, a stark and casual seafood spot back in the depths of the converted warehouses. Delicious. The non-filtered organic cloudy Gruner Veltliner was a surprise, but good. But hey, Will finally awake, so the night is young and over to The Bastard Cafe, a bar dedicated to playing board games, which apparently is a Danish pastime (wouldn't you with dark and cold prevalent? We passed several stores dedicated only to board games in fact.). Most were, of course, Danish games or in Danish, so we opted for Scrabble, which was actually an English version because there is a Danish version with those funky letters.

Monday, November 20

YAY, a beautiful sunny day, albeit still chilly, but sun glorious sun. Relia is in class so we take to the streets first climbing the Round Tower for great views of the city, then on to the Frederick church and across the grounds of Ameliaborg Palace, home to the current Royal Family. (Passed a Segway Tour, which would have been a fun way to see the city, though maybe a bit chilly.) From there, a walk to see The Little Mermaid statue which is said to be underrated, but its still nice to see and a pretty walk along the water. Over the bridge and through Nyhaven to the Gasoline Grill we go...for the "life-changing best hamburger ever..." from a gasoline station. And it was true....organic meat hand ground daily and fries with choice of salts (vinegar, truffle, etc.) Day 2 of delightfully junk food content and we perused Nyhaven while awaiting our canal boat tour. Another must. Of course afterwards, it must be time for a snack so to the famous La Glacé bakery for hot chocolate and their famous cakes and macaroons. A few pit stops in some Zara's and H&Ms as well.

The heart app showed 6.5 miles of walking and I agree. DInner was at Geist, a hip and highly touted dining EXPERIENCE with creative and complex, sophisticated small plates in Nyhaven. It did not disappoint, but hurt the wallet for sure, so take note.

Tuesday, November 21

First stop, the Church of Our Savior with the spiraling spire. 400 narrow steps lead to far-reaching views maybe not for the faint-hearted height phobiacs. From sin absolve to sin den, we leave the EU and go into Christiania, the free world of hippies and home of top notch weed. Free living with no laws and it looks it - disorganized, clutter, dirty environs home to the ultimate hippies and their families. Vendors line the streets and photography (and running since that indicates a possible raid) is strictly prohibited. Since it was a Tuesday around 10:30am, the town was still waking up and setting up, and thus sorta eerily quiet. So alas, on to more junk food decadence (inevitably a well traveled path from this locale for those partakers) as we returned to Paper Island to indulge Will and meet hometown friend Bethany Garrison.

There is much to do in Copenhagen and museums of EVERYthing seem to be a Scandinavian requirement. There were several key spots that we missed, but we were done and thus headed out to the Kronborg Castle in Helsingborg, about a 40 minute train ride (thank goodness for local knowledge of our gals.) This is worth a day trip as the town is quaint and the Castle is everything you ever imagined a castle to be, moat and all. On a full day, we would have also taken in the Louisiana Modern Art museum, but the girls had been and the day was nigh. Besides, we had a date with dinner that deserves its own paragraph.

Amass, the new restaurant by the chef from the famed Norma (supposedly the best restaurant in the world?) on the outskirts of Cope. Very stark inside, you only order the 6 small plate courses or 9 course and you get what you get which was: perch, salmon, potato bread, and more, all done with complex, minute and subtle layers, multiple cooking styles, steps and processes. E.g. the potato bread was made from potatoes that had been fermented for 2 weeks. This was an incredible experience right down to the chef calling out a command in the open kitchen and the other chefs answering "Yes Chef" in unison. Do not go if you aren't a foodie or are a picky eater. Also, it will put a large dent in your budget.

Wednesday, November 22

Travel day from Cope to Berlin. Since Air Berlin had gone bankrupt the month before, direct flights from Cope to Berlin were still getting reorganized and not existent. So we had to connect through Stockholm. In retrospect, I think I might have taken the train which would have taken the same 7 hours it took door to door to fly. It was kinda fun though to land back in Stockholm with a dusting of snow.

Arrived at the Grand Hyatt Berlin to find ourselves smack in the middle of it all right near all the major sights and basically at Potsdamer Platz. We loved the location and the hotel. It was 4pm by the time we got organized, so we went to the Jewish museum which is much more about the history of Judaism and Jewish life than it is the Holocaust, though that aspect is of course present. Dinner that night was at Katz Orange, a hip, yet shabby chic sort of place with a modern German/European fare.

Thursday, November 23

We met our guide Lars Jokubeit (who made the visit for us - he was excellent 49 179 524 7810 [email protected]) at 9:15am and did a walking tour of Nazi Berlin and the Cold War Berlin for 4 hours. He reminded us that we were incredibly lucky to have sunshine and temps in the 50s. It was LUCKY, but still chilly...missed my scarf! We learned and covered so much that I can only list the things to do and see: Sony Pavilion, Potsdamer Platz, Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie (study up before you go otherwise it is just a major tourist trap), current Finance Building which was the Chancellory for Hitler, the actual Wall remnant, Topography of Terror, Tiergarten, Russian Gov building with mural, Brandenburg Gate, current government buildings and mall, esp the Reichstag German Parliament bldg and the glass cupola, with a delightful (Thanksgiving) late lunch at the restaurant on top. Wow. SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO.

Lars recommended to get the real understanding and flavor of Berlin, a huge melting pot since the wall came down, was to visit the neighborhoods. He suggested a particular neighborhood around Oranienstraße to see all the immigrants there, the graffiti, of which they embrace and consider part of the cultural heritage and environment, followed by the Thursday night food hall of street food and live music at any number of places afterwards. And that is exactly what we did, starting at the new and hip Orania Hotel, walking Oranienstraße and then going to Markthalle Neun for a great follow up to Thanksgiving with foods from all over the world. Very much like Paper Island and very fun. Bailed on the music scene though opting for a drink at the Orania Hotel.

Friday, November 24

While still not freezing, the day was very windy, dark and overcast with rain coming in the afternoon which set the tone for the trip with Lars to Sachsenhousen concentration camp 40 mins outside of Berlin. Not an intentional “death camp,” but a labor camp more for the unwanted non-Volks, political prisoners, etc. While most of the original structures do not remain, there is enough and excellent displays for the disgusting and heinous place that it was.

Back in Berlin, we decided to go to the Old Town area and take in a museum after lunch with Lars. Have lunch at das Meisterstück which is tucked away in otherwise fancy restaurants or museum cafes. So fun to have a casual, modern grill restaurant that is dedicated to German sausages cooked right there. Not expensive and fun with lots of craft beers. Will continued his search for the best currywurst. This might have been it.

The old town is more of the huge ornate Baroque type buildings for Gov offices, arts and the famed Museum Island. The Nuese Museum is supposedly the choice museum, but we opted for the German History museum, which is lots of wars and Hapsburgs and such. Do a fly through or you will never emerge. This long strata Unter den Linden leads from the museums at Schloßplatz to Brandenburg gate and is fun to walk, though the parallel street of Fredeickstrasse is also fun to walk reminding me of 5th or Madison Aves. And this is where our dinner was at Crackers, a very euro, hip place with great food. A DJ comes every weekend night, which must be a Euro/German thing and she stood at her pulpit and played, according to our 20 somethings, more 80s dance music as opposed to EDM of nowadays. Ok.

Saturday, November 25

And so it goes. Check. A wonderful Thanksgiving indeed.

#sweden #denmark #copenhagen #germany #berlin #stockholm

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