travel

Day 101

Today, Joe and I took a long drive to Plitvička National Park. Famous for miles of cascading waterfalls and crystal clear lakes, the experience was unforgettable. We ran into a snow storm on our drive up (what?!?) so we ended up jogging a good portion of the 6 mile hike to keep warm! But the views made the day all worthwhile 🙂

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Brighton

Within  hours of arriving home from Denmark, I jumped on a train to Brighton for a day trip with friends. They call Brighton the “San Francisco of the UK for its hilly roads and beaches. The weather was sunny, beautiful and I loved every second of it. Once I arrived we grabbed some food, we headed to the pier for carnival games and rides. Coming from Arizona, I hardly get the chance to play on piers so I was like a kid at a carnival. Afterwards we walked around town, and soaked up rays in the park with some beautiful tulips. The day ended with some delicious cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres before heading home. DSC08323DSC08347 DSC08337DSC08352DSC08374DSC08334

Scandinavia

Last weekend I ventured up North to visit my friend Claire in Denmark. Despite the cool weather, Copenhagen was absolutely delightful. From the moment I stepped off the plane, everyone I spoke with was welcoming and friendly.

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Warm blankets for those willing to endure outside seating

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In general, the Danes had a very quaint yet progressive way of life. From their subway systems to their recycling programs, the Danish community felt unified and efficient. Coming from a big city like London, it was refreshing to feel such a strong sense of community organization.

 

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Community wall for people to create messages using flip panels

 

Claire did some research and found a huge designer forum going on downtown. We showed up and hundreds of designers had set up booths to sell their work. It was such a cool way to see Danish fashion and culture in action. Plus I scored a gorgeous leather jacket for a few bucks.

Designer Forum

On Sunday morning we took a quick train ride to Malmo, Sweden. Despite being so close, Malmo had much different atmosphere than Copenhagen. Though most things were closed (dang Sundays), we had a splendid afternoon walking through the city’s iconic Kungsparkengarden, cemeteries and Malmöhus Castle.

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My wonderful hosts

The castle was one of the creepiest places I’d ever been to. Given it’s almost 500 year old age, the castle’s purpose has changed over the years from a residence to a prison to museum today. We read about past inmate’s stories and even stumbled upon a room of dolls. I knew Scandinavians loved their murder mystery stories but it wasn’t until the creepy exhibit of serial killers that I got the picture.

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The Turning Torso

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Despite the spooky afternoon, I left Denmark/Sweden hooked on the series “The Bron”. All in all, it was a wonderful change of scenery!

 

xx