The Aussie Nomad

Day One Helsinki

The Aussie Nomad — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:16:40 +0000

Waking up to my bunk mates moving around and preparing to disembark the ship was defiantly not welcome after my late night of drinking. To make things worse it was about 6:30AM and I still had to find my hostel before I could begin to relax.

Jumping ship and heading off to the tram that would deliver me in the vicinity of my hostel I was surprisingly joyful. My decision to come to Helsinki was based more around the fact I’d never heard much about it. Everybody talks about Amsterdam, Berlin and Rome but Helsinki… what’s there?. In a way I was starting to feel like I was leaving the beaten path so to speak of the usual backpacker circuit and venturing off into less well known terrain.

Obviously that’s not really true but to me it was the first stop that I didn’t know what to expect. One though I should have expected was the usual Chris gets lost finding his hostel routine. Getting off the tram a couple of stops too early I wandered in the already warm sun to the Olympic Stadium where my hostel was located.

From the stadium I found the sign that said hostel this way and off I went. Walking and walking before I worked out I was getting further from the stadium than I was closer to it. Backtracking I tried again but with nobody around to ask, the task was becoming overwhelmingly annoying as the sweat dripped from my face.

Eventually using my brain and some expensive internet data time on my iPhone (saved me again my precious) I found the hostel around the back of the Olympic Stadium.

Dumping my gear I enjoyed an awesomely hot shower before catching a couple of hours kip in an effort to catch up on missed sleep from the ferry over. Had it not been so warm I’m sure I could have slept there all day.

Waking to the sun beating in through the window and my stomach groaning for food I set off to explore Helsinki for the first time. Another first for me in Helsinki was that I was to have my first Couchsurfing experience here as well. You see when booking last minute accommodation like I have done all trip, I found Helsinki could only accommodate me for one night and I really wanted 2 days or more to explore.

I reached out to a couple of hosts and crafted my requests as best as I could. Ensuring to make each request different and personal to each host as nobody likes a generic send to all message. I got answers back but due to my short notice they were all full up. Almost resigned to having one night in Helsinki I got another answer back handing me not only a second night in town but also my first ever Couch surfing night.

First impressions from walking around Helsinki weren’t mind blowing. Sure I’d just strolled past a great lake and parks, spied the Opera house and a few other bits and pieces but I just got the feeling it was just another big city.

It wasn’t until I met my Couchsurfing hosts that things started to pickup. Meeting up I grabbed a drink with Jonas while we waited for his gf, Titiu to arrive. Here we had a chat before making out way back to their house where I was treated to yet another great meal (seems I only eat well when other people cook for me).

With all the food demolished it was time to make the most of the sun (since it doesn’t set till midnight this time of year). Grabbing some cider from the local store I met up with some of my hosts friends in a local park and enjoyed the evening. With this much sunlight I can see why there are so many parks around Helsinki. I’d want to make the most of it given during the winter months there is very little of it around.

After the cider was demolished we finished the evening with a walk along the coast. It has to be said even on the edge of the city this part of the world is pretty beautiful. When we had got enough of the shoreline we headed inland to check out the harbour and the Helsinki Cathedral, before making our way back to the plaza that I had first met my hosts at. Here we departed ways as I made for my hostel, tomorrow I would explore and then meet up with my hosts to see Soumenlinna and spend the night with them.

The Ferry to Finland

The Aussie Nomad — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:04:51 +0000

The last day in any place is a sad one, your leaving familiar surroundings that were once foreign to head to new lands and repeat the process. Still this time I wasn’t leaving via train it was an overnight ferry that takes a good old 16 hours to complete so it had an excitement factor that I was eager to explore.

Saying goodbye to my new friends as they made for their flight home, I made the most of the fast free wifi at the hostel before wasting away a couple of hours catching up on missed tv shows and news from home. It then dawned on me as I enjoyed my laziness that I was yet to find the bus that would deliver me to my ferry.

Not wanting to miss the ferry and my stomach reminding me it wanted food I made my way into the stinking hot weather with my gear lashed to my back. As usual when I panic about not being able to find a place, I find it instantly. Directly opposite where I had bought my ticket the day before was the bus stop I needed.

So with nothing else to do I grabbed some food and contemplated what I was going to spend the next 2 hours doing. Obviously with all my gear in tow and the temperature in the warm spot I just made for the ferry early where I could relax. Being one of the first to the waiting area, I watched as it went from empty to overflowing with travellers seeking to travel across the water to Helsinki.

Eventually on-board I looked, and looked and looked some more for my room. Finding it hidden way down the back of a corridor, it was obvious I wasn’t getting a window. My immediate thought upon entering was how on earth are 4 people going to fit in here. My next thought was lets get out of here and hope the rest of the boat isn’t this small.

Wanting to spend time where I could move about, I found a rather large duty free store stocked with case’s of alcohol and anything else you can think of. I was kind of put off by the fact you seemed to be able to buy side’s of beef there as where are you going to store that in your room when the shop closes?

Along with the assortment of eating areas there was a bar and poker machines that I only ever saw school kids feeding their money into, guess the 18 year old limit doesn’t apply in international waters.

Not wanting to miss the view I spend some time watching the sunset. I parked my bum at the rear of the ship and admired the postcard scenery as the ferry slowly hugged the Swedish coast before heading off into open waters and onto Helsinki.

It was here at the back of the ferry that I met a Swedish guy and after a bit of talking we headed off to the bar to eat and drink of course. This lead to what I’m fairly sure was my first ever hangover at sea as we drank and talked and drank some more.

It wasn’t until about 2am when we had watched the on-board entertainment (an Abba tribute band of course) and run out of beer money did we decide it was probably best to get to bed. Parting ways I made for my cramped bunk bed and awaited the early morning rise when we docked in Finland.

One thing to note for the un-informed looking to travel aboad the ferry is that they do impose age limits of 21-23 I was told depending on the days you travel. The weekend trips are known to be a bit of a party so be prepared if your not up for that.

Featured Photo: Astronomical Clock, Prague

The Aussie Nomad — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:48:54 +0000

Head on into the center of Old Town and if you see a crowd of people looking up at the side of the Old Town Hall then chances are you’ve found the Astronomical Clock in Prague.

The clock or Orloj as its called is located on the southern wall and is made up of three components. The Astronomical Dial, The 12 Apostles and the Medallions of the Zodiac. On the hour you are greeted to the parade of the 12 Apostles and other animations before the show concludes with a special character that you just have to hear for yourself.

It’s nothing to write home about but a worthy stop off while you grab a Trdelník to fend off the hunger.

Vegemite vs Suzy

The Aussie Nomad — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:48:17 +0000

That’s right folks its about time I made someone else suffer enjoy the wonderful taste of VEGEMITE. So while I was in Florence (yes you’ll hear about that soon enough) I got to meet the wonderful Suzy Guese and hang out with her for a few days.

Along with the joys of eating pizza and enjoying some wonderful gelato in Italy I opened Suzy’s eyes to the beautiful breakfast spread that is Vegemite.

Want to see how it went, well hit the play button below.

Umm…. let’s just put that down as a fail in my attempt to convert everyone to Vegemite and move on shall we.

A Day of Everything in Stockholm

The Aussie Nomad — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:00:37 +0000

Crawling out of bed knowing I had a list of things to accomplish today was not a good feeling. Still there is no rest for the backpacker and I set off to see a little more of Stockholm before I had to take some time for the boring everyday tasks of old.

First stop was the Kroner Museum which I failed to see on my visit to the Stockholm Palace due to it closing early. I’m glad I went back to see it, even if the time it took me to tour the place was short. Getting a glimpse of the palace walls from days gone by was really interesting and the few artifacts they had on display were enough to keep me amused.

While in the museum I also ran into a girl from the hostel so after wandering some more of the palace area we made for old town and a quick feed. It was here that we parted ways as I needed to find a place to get my head shaved (yes I do have some hair people) and find a laundromat to rid my backpack of its overflowing array of dirty clothing.

Now I know Stockholm is expensive but even for a haircut? After what seemed like an eternity to find a place that was actually open, I handed over the equivalent of $25 aussie dollars for the privilege of someone to run a razor over my head. Now the guy was very nice and he seemed to pay more attention to the task that I have ever seen anybody before, but still $25 bucks for that??

Still my great expenditure didn’t end there. It also turns out Stockholm isn’t so highly stocked in the laundromat department as the sign at the hostel clearly stated there was only one within the area. So off I trundled with my washing over one shoulder and macbook on the other, after all what better time to write while your clothes go round and round.

The older lady staffing the place was nice enough, telling me to come back in a couple of hours and it would all be done. My spirits were high, then she dropped the price. Just over $25 aussie dollars for a wash and dry. By this stage she had me over a barrel as I’d handed the clothes over and I needed clean clothes for my arrival in Helsinki. Dropping the fee in her hand I departed and made for a park to relax and brighten my mood.

The park I found was relaxing and filled with people, the perfect combination to chill out until I needed to collect my laundry. As I sat and watched the father’s play with their children, the teenagers canoodle on the park bench and the rest just soak up the day I reminded myself just how lucky I was to be sitting in a park in Stockholm. Miles and miles away from home and having the time of my life.

Dragging myself up from my resting spot I collected my laundry and headed back to the hostel to decide what was next. Turns out the decision had been made for me, thanks again to the dutch girls I had met earlier. You see they had learnt of my eating habits in recent weeks and had decide I was to be included in the cook up tonight, I sure wasn’t going to refuse.

I then spent the rest of the night hanging out with the girls, watching as they cooked up a feast that was majorly awesome and playing a round or two of cards. There has to be something said for relaxing with good conversation and a casual game of cards. It was a great way to spend my last night in Stockholm and after talking the night away I was happy with the time I had spent here.

Tomorrow I was to catch the overnight ferry to Helsinki but first I had to find the ferry…

Featured Photo: Arc de Triomphe, Paris

The Aussie Nomad — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:51:54 +0000

Before I stopped off to check out the Eiffel Tower, I grabbed some lunch and relaxed while watching the cars navigate around the Arc de Triomphe.

I must have seen a million photos of this site and heard the stories about the cars driving around it. So I’ll be the first to say to see it with my own eyes was just incredible. The sheer size of the massive roundabout that surrounds it is astonishing and yet I saw no crashes and it all looked very calm.

Alas I didn’t have ten euro’s spare to climb to the top and watch the cars roll around, but if you do I’ve been told its amazing and you have to do it.

Vasa, Skansen and a Fail

The Aussie Nomad — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:37:34 +0000

Waking on my second morning in Stockholm I was better prepared for my pitch black room. Climbing the jungle gym of a bunk bed I joined the line for the shower before packing my bag for a day of walking around town.

First stop was a rather long walk out to the island of Djurgården where I was to see the Vasa Museum. The Vasa Museum is a maritime museum that houses the 17th century 64 gun warship Vasa, which sank less than 1 nautical mile into its maiden voyage.

The ship really is very well preserved and hot damn is it a big ship, this also makes it rather easy to see just how top heavy the ship was which resulted in its demise.

While you can’t actually walk aboard the ship (how cool would it be if you could, right??) you can climb 3-4 floors up to get a view from the very bottom right up to its deck.

My advice if you plan on vising the Vasa Museum; which is one of Scandinavia’s most visited, is to get there early. I was there by 10am and the line was crazy long and moving at a snails pace as the large tour groups jumped the line ahead of me.

Just a stone’s throw away is another museum, the first open air museum in Sweden. Scansen was created to showcase the different way in which the Swedish people have lived before the coming of modern times. Here I got a good look at some rather old creaky buildings, watched old time bread being made and last of all watched with unblinking eyes as the glass maker worked his magic.

I finished my visit to Scansen with a stop at the lookout point where I could gaze back at Stockholm. From here I could see it was time to take the long walk home to the hostel to get ready for my first CouchSurfing meeting.

To this point I had neglected my goal of CouchSurfing as much as possible (its so easy to get caught up when you need to plan out couch surfing) so I was looking forward to my first group meeting. I had got lucky with a meeting being run the very weekend I was in town so it just seemed like fate that I had to go.

Making it back to the hostel I sampled some of my left over rolls with ham and cheese before waiting out the time before I had to be at the CouchSurfing meeting. It was here while I waited that I found myself making friends with a couple of lovely dutch girls; doctors who were just having a weekend away. They introduced me to a card game I have never heard of but had a great old time playing until it was time to head out.

Ensuring I wasn’t going to be late for my meet up I got there early and got lost finding the entrance to the building. It was here however that things went awry. After finding the location and walking two laps of the place I failed to meet any couch surfers. With no phone number to call I had to call it a night and head for home defeated.

To say I was a little depressed about the whole thing was an understatement. I’d finally made time and planned out something only to be left wanting. I had also left new friends at the hostel who had asked me to come out with them and when I had returned to the hostel they were gone.

After such a great day exploring it had really turned into a disappointment,so naturally I ended up throwing back a couple of beers while watching some ice hockey. Before long I made my way to bed and hoped for great new things tomorrow.

Featured Photo: Auschwitz, Poland

The Aussie Nomad — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:39:16 +0000

We all know what happened here, it will live on forever as a great blip in our history. Walking the grounds and buildings while learning about the people and what happened to them was the most depressing day of my entire trip.

And while it might be a great tourist attraction, make the effort to visit anyway. Just be sure to leave your happy faces and goofy photo ideas at home and just pay your respects.

Stockholm Palace and More

The Aussie Nomad — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 21:37:07 +0000

When you go to bed at night you expect it to be dark. When you wake up at 10am in the morning however you would be fairly comfortable in assuming there would be light around. Yet when I woke from my slumber my first morning in Stockholm it was pitch black. Why you ask? Well I failed to notice that my dorm room had no windows the previous day. I think it was for this reason that I managed to sleep so late for a change.

Still it was my first full day in Stockholm, and with the sun shining bright I was keen as mustard to get out there and explore. My first task was to navigate the long road of shops and people that lead me down to the Stockholm Palace.

Wandering over the bridge and through the great archways I made my way to watch the Swedish Royal Guards perform their changing of the guard show, and what a show it was. With a marching band and lots of really weird walking around the entire event went on for a good 45 minutes or more.

From here it was time to explore Stockholm Palace, which is one of the largest still used for its original purpose. For a fee you can wander around the Treasury (don’t bother its tiny), the Armoury and inside part of the Palace of course. It’s a shame that most places like this do not allow pictures as there really are some amazing rooms to explore. I also got lucky by making the free tour of the inside of the palace. It really does make for a better experience as you learn about what the rooms have been used.

After getting my fill on all things royal I made my way to old town in search of some food and a place to get out of the heat. Luckily after finding millions of antique shops (some great some really bad) hidden down little alleyways I stumbled upon a feed and a nice cold drink.

I then spent the rest of the day wandering back to the hostel via the shopping area. It was rather chill to wander the shops just like back home, some things are just the same no matter where you are. Along the way I even picked up a bargain new t-shirt from H&M and scored my souvenir bottle opener for Stockholm.

Last on the list of things to do was visit the supermarket to stock up on food for the few days I was planning to send here in Stockholm. I was doing well too; had some nice rolls, a bit of meat and cheese and even a couple of beers to relax the night away.

Then I got to the checkout and was confronted with a self-service checkout…. in swedish. After some rather obvious dumb looks at the screen a lovely older lady came over and helped me find my food on the checkout screen and tell me everything else I had to do. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t understand her and she couldn’t understand me, we both understood what was going on.

It’s funny how such random moments stick out so much. I’d visited the Palace and old town all day yet that brief moment in the supermarket really made my day. Just re-enforces the fact that when your travelling EVERYTHING is an experience.

Featured Photo: Herculaneum, Italy

The Aussie Nomad — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:24:54 +0000

Everybody knows about Pompeii but have you even heard of Herculaneum? It was a small town that was also destroyed by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD.

If your short on time and can’t make it to Pompeii or just love all things history like I do then you don’t want to miss this great little site. Just catch the Circumvesuviana train line towards Sorrento and hop off at Ercolano – Scavi. From there its a nice easy stroll down the hill to the coast and your there. If your tight on money and don’t want to shell out the 10 euro entry fee you can get a great view from above as you walk into the site.

From Rain to Sun in Stockholm

The Aussie Nomad — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:20:11 +0000

I started off my europe trip wanting to make the most of every day and not waste time just for the sake of it. However after having travelled to a few stops now I found myself wishing I was back in bed and not heading for the bus stop, before 8am and in the rain.

Still Sweden was calling my name and with just a hint of sun recorded on the weather forecast for Stockholm I was keen to exchange my hoodie and jeans for a singlet and shorts. After a quick breakfast at the Copenhagen train station I said goodbye to my new friend Caitlin and headed off to catch my 5+ hour train ride to Stockholm.

Slowly the train passed from the wet and cold of Denmark into the warmth of Sweden (it’s weird to be saying that given I just think of Sweden as being cold). As the hours passed I found myself looking out the window admiring the beautiful scenery. Green green fields for as far as the eye could see rolled by my window, reminding me that not all of the world is suffering from the drought that has plagued my beloved Australia for several years.

Reaching Stockholm train station in all of it’s sunny glory I made a quick stop to grab yet another different currency from the cash machine. After that is where I managed to walk around and around Stockholm train station and surrounds, unable to find the street that would lead me to my bed for the night.

What made it worse was the 5pm reception closing time on my hostel. Slowly the clock ticked on from 3pm to 4pm as I began to get sweaty, confused and just plain fed up. I swear train stations are setup to confuse backpackers as the exit to the street I required was hidden downstairs and over through a narrow little walkway.

With my orientation restored I made a quick march in the direction of my hostel where I could dump my gear and relax, before heading back out to walk the streets and get my bearings. As it turned out my hostel was rather well located at the top of Drottninggatan street, which is one very long street full of shops ranging from restaurants to tourist haunts and department stores.

Deciding to head in the other direction and loop around the town I wandered the streets finding small parks and different views of Stockholm. Stopping at the Stockholm Observatory for a moment I rested my legs and took in the setting sun as it fled across the rooftops of Stockholm.

From here I headed down into the streets passing churches and buildings, climbing stairs and street curbs until finally making it back to my hostel where I crawled into my tiny 6 bed dorm and slept the night away.

Featured Photo: Frank Zappa, Lithuania

The Aussie Nomad — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:40:28 +0000

What does Frank Zappa have to do with Lithuania you ask… well nothing actually. This however, never stopped some die hard fans from erecting a statue to the man after his death from cancer.

The statue, which you will find hidden off a side street and erected in a car park makes for a great way to see a bit more of Vilnius. Just be sure to do your research (or contact me) for his location as you won’t find him on any of the local tourist maps.

A Video From Copenhagen

The Aussie Nomad — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:00:01 +0000

Everybody is making videos these days, so while I was in Copenhagen with Cailin from www.travelyourself.ca we made a video of what we got up too.

I won’t bore you too much with words because I know your already pressing play on the video but I will say that it was good enough for the BBC Fast Track program to take a snippet of our video and broadcast it. Always a cool feeling hearing that someone from France saw you on their TV one day.

Anyway enough of the chit chat here’s the video enjoy it and if you’ve already watched it well…. watch it again, its pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

Final Day in Copenhagen

The Aussie Nomad — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:00:26 +0000

What do you do on your final day in a place when you find yourself a solo traveller again… you go exploring some more of course. Waking a little later than I would have liked the plans were to visit Rosenborg Castle and make my way to the Carlsberg Brewery. Who am I to deny a visit to a brewery??

With my late start already putting me behind I rushed off hoping to have enough time to make it to the Castle and then the brewery after lunch. At least that was the plan until I walked through the gate at Rosenborg Castle and wandered about. Now this isn’t a big castle, but with the beautiful gardens that surrounded it and the things to see inside, it was clear even I wouldn’t make it to a brewery.

I think the most interesting thing to see at the castle besides the awesome painting that changes depending on what angle you look at it from (see even back in the day this was cool) was the crown jewels they store down under the castle in the treasury.

The crowns and swords are just beautiful. Then when you stop to think that people actually used them back in the day it really makes it amazing. I was itching to grab one of the swords and wield it around like I knew what I was doing. Obviously that would have landed me in the hands of the military that guard the place, but hey a guy can dream right???

Finally leaving the castle I realised that I was never going to make the brewery, so with a heavy heart (and dry mouth) I headed into town to get one last look at Copenhagen town before I was to leave the next day. Sadly after having roamed the streets with Cailin for the last two days I just couldn’t get into exploring so after a short time I made my way home for a bout of laundry and relaxing before having to be up early for my train to Stockholm.

As always thought, your day is never over when your living the hostel life. While chilling in the hostel with a beer on my last night I met Caitlin from Tennessee. She was only in town for a day or two and was trying to work out how to get to her train the next morning. Lucky for her or maybe me I was off to my train at the same time so after a bit of a chat I organised to meet her in the morning and travel to the train station together.

It’s funny but I’ve never been the type of guy to just strike up conversation with a random stranger, but after having seen a couple of hostels now I will pretty much talk to anybody that even looks in my direction. It’s one asset I’m happy to have gained as otherwise I’d never have met Caitlin and would have had to drink my final beer in Copenhagen alone.

Copenhagen Zoo and Christiania

The Aussie Nomad — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:32 +0000

With all the major Copenhagen attractions out of the way Cailin and myself (ok mainly Cailin) decided to visit the Copenhagen Zoo. Top of the list was to see the Polar Bears as Cailin apparently had never seen them before, even if her mother disagreed with her.

Before the Zoo however we stopped into the Hans Christian Andersen Museum and learn’t a little bit about the man and the stories he created. To me the place comes off as a little cheesy and while it was nice to visit I wouldn’t waste your money if your on a tight budget.

With Hans out of the way we boarded a bus heading in the direction of the Copenhagen Zoo. Some might see visiting a Zoo abroad as a waste of money or time, given you can go and see the same type of animals in the local Zoo at home. While this is true I was still keen to get a glimpse at what creatures called this place home and hey who doesn’t love animals anyway??

Starting with the Lions we strolled around the Zoo finding Monkey’s, Penguins, Butterflies and and all sorts of other amazing creatures until eventually making our way to the Polar Bears which made Cailin’s day. I swear she must have taken a bazillion photos of them.

One animal that I’ve never seen before however was the Okapi. It almost looks as if someone has decided OK I can’t think of any other ways for animals to look lets just mix a few together and see what we can come up with.

Calling it a day at the Zoo we made our way back into town to check out Christiania. The self proclaimed community that sprung up in an abandoned military base back in 1971. Walking in we came across a great little street performance before being greeted with a rough looking character yelling at us saying no photo’s no photos!!!

Once we rounded the corner and spotted the guys with the bongs and drugs its clear why they say no photos in this part of town. This was also the first time since I started my trip that I was genuinely worried about my safety.

Even with the awesome graffiti and the tourist information centre saying we had to visit here, I couldn’t wait to leave. Some things just aren’t for me and while I can say I visited I am sure I won’t be back anytime soon.

With the day fast ending we made for a great little street of restaurants in Nyhavn that we saw on the way to see The Little Mermaid the day before.

After walking back and forth several times to find a place that remotely fit my budget we sat down for some pizza and beers. Soon discovering the blankets they set out to keep people warm weren’t doing the job, we finished out meal inside while having a laugh with the staff.

Knowing this was the last night I had to hang out with Cailin we departed the restaurant and attempted to find a place to have a couple of drinks and relax. After skipping the local aussie bar due to the haze of smoke inside we sneakily grabbed some ice cream from Tivoli and and ended the night at a bar inside the train station.

Walking back to Cailin’s hostel it was sad to have her leaving me after just a couple of days. While I know we’ll be seeing each other again you just can’t help but miss the friends you make on the road, especially one’s you’ve been waiting to meet.

Still there was one more day of exploring for me to have in Copenhagen before making my way to Stockholm so I turned for home and my nice warm bed.

Missing In Action

The Aussie Nomad — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:30:20 +0000

No I’m not dead… I don’t think and no I haven’t given up this blogging gig. Here’s a little peak at the future so you know what I’m up to before I get back to telling you all about everything I did and saw in Europe.

I landed in London some 2-3 weeks ago and with many thanks to Heather from www.theresnoplacelikeoz.com had a job interview waiting for me 2 days later. What has followed is a whirlwind of a start to my time here in London. Finding my way around to get to and from work (some 3 hours of commuting each day at the moment) as well as migrate from backpacker clothing to everyday normal people stuff.

I’m also busy trying to find some digs to call my own which is proving much harder than first thought, so feel free to offer me a place to live in your house . No place is too bad I can assure you as my hostel while cheap is pretty much the worst place you could call home, lucky the people staying here are super awesome and there is a bar.

So as you can see between the working, shopping and trying to find somewhere to live I’m feeling very disconnected from you all. Oh and there might have been a bit of drinking getting in the way of a good old blog writing session as well. Hey what can I say its been warm in London, you gotta make the most of it.

On a good note however I do finally have access to the internet on a regular basis and will begin to bring you the tales from the road as I continued my journey from Copenhagen onto Stockholm and the rest of Europe.

I do very much appreciate the support of you all, especially from my fellow twitter friends over the last couple of weeks while I have struggled to find my feet. I have missed reading about what you are all up too and being there to continue to remind you all how amazing Vegemite really is.

Right that should about do it, next you can expect to hear more about Copenhagen and how I had to put up with Cailin from www.travelyourself.ca complain about her sore legs as we explored the Copenhagen Zoo and wandered down to Christiania.

PS: The monkey is only sleeping, he too hard a hard day out playing at the Zoo

No related posts.

Featured Photo: Skyline of Riga, Latvia

The Aussie Nomad — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:27 +0000

I’ve taken lots of shots from the top’s of buildings or churches since getting to Europe so its only fitting I share them with you all. This is a photo I took from the Sky Line Bar at the Reval Hotel in Riga, Latvia.

The bar while being expensive to buy drinks at does offer an amazing 360 degree view of the city and well worth the stop for just one beer.

Meeting a Friend in Copenhagen

The Aussie Nomad — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:00:37 +0000

Sleeping well in a 14 bed dorm where all the beds squeak and not a single bed is spare could have been my biggest challenge yet. I’ve hiked over mountains back home sleeping on nothing but rocks with my sleeping bag for comfort but that was nothing. People snoring, people coming in drunk, people getting up early and playing with their plastic bags etc. There is a reason the room was cheap huh.

Still I battled on and fought my way in for a shower before setting off on a day of exploring. Today was to be extra fun as I was to meet the lovely Cailin from www.travelyourself.ca. This would be my 3rd time meeting someone from the blogging world and having spoken to Cailin many times before I couldn’t wait to see what we could get up too, even if she had failed the vegemite challenge.

First stop for the day was the cemetery where Hans Christian Anderson was buried. With my love to explore a cemetery I was set to wander for an hour or two. What I found instead was more of a park than anything else. I strolled about looking for some of the great tombs I had seen in Paris but just couldn’t find them.

Leaving a little disappointed I made my way into town passing over a bridge and down towards the Rosenborg Castle. Not realising at the time that’s exactly what it was, even though some rather serious looking guards with their large guns should have been a tip off.

From here I found the Round Tower and after a small fee I began the climb to the top. Every place I travel I attempt to seek out the highest viewpoint so as to look down upon a city and just admire it. How long has it been here, what parts are new, what are old, will someone some day look down at my home town and wonder the same things?

At this point I realised I was kind of lost and needed to meet Cailin at the train station. So after a long walk and only being delayed by one church I found the station and then Cailin not long afterwards. Now I’ve said it before but meeting people that I’ve previously spoken to either via skype, twitter or just from comments on my blog makes that first face to face meeting so much easier. It’s just like meeting an old friend and this was no exception.

After a quick hostel stop so Cailin could drop off her wheelie suitcase we set off to find our first major attraction in Copenhagen, The Little Mermaid. Taking the long way we discovered Amalienborg Palace where Cailin had to have a photo with one of the royal guards. Which was rather interesting since none of the 2-3 guards we spoke to seemed to agree on the right distance you should stand away from them.

Eventually making it to where The Little Mermaid should be we found, well this.

Yep the mermaid was off at the expo in Shanghai, so instead we were left with a large screen that’s suppose to be a live feed of her. To be honest it was live for all of 5 seconds, the rest of the time it was refreshing or something.

Heading back to town (the quick way) we decided on checking out Tivoli, the amusement park smack bang in the middle of town. Walking in I got the feel of a mini Disneyland, just with a lot less people. There was music playing and lights hanging from tree’s and buildings, it really looked like the perfect spot to be bringing your first date.

After a walk around the park we grabbed a bite to eat from one of the restaurants and then sat at another with a couple of beers before calling it a night. Which is just as well because we had grand plans of seeing the Copenhagen Zoo and Christiana the next day.

Copenhagen and Saying Yes

The Aussie Nomad — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:58 +0000

The train to Copenhagen I thought would be just like every other journey I’ve taken so far. And for most of the trip it was, well except for the bit that involves a ferry….

Yes travelling across Germany just taking in the scenery and then next thing I know I’m being told to be ready to get off the train once it gets onto the ferry. Sure enough the train stops and then takes of edging itself onto the ferry for the crossing from Germany to Denmark.

It really was something, how does a train that needs tracks drive onto a ferry that can bounce up and down with the sea. Who knows, all I know is that I spent 30-40 minutes abroad a ferry crossing the short section of water between Germany and Denmark. As for the ferry crossing well, I’ve never seen so many people go crazy in a very long time. Diving on the fact they were in international waters I saw boxes of cheap beer and the like walking itself across the checkouts.

Leaving the ferry behind I sat back and watched the cold wet weather form across the countryside, just praying that it wouldn’t keep following me to Copenhagen. Rolling into town later than I have arrived in a city before had me very lost and extremely confused. The tourist information was closed so that meant no map, add to that no staff to ask about what ticket I needed for a bus to my hostel I had to simply take a leap and hope I knew what I was doing.

My directions to the hostel stated I needed to get off the bus at stop 3. This was fine but what if the bus doesn’t stop at every stop along the way? It is for this very reason that I prefer a tram or train to a bus any day of the week. I at least know where they are going as opposed to a bus which can turn and follow whatever path it damn well likes.

Out of fear I would miss my stop I ensured the stop light was lit for each stop. No way was I missing my stop and having to find the way back in the rain and wind. Disembarking at my stop I found the hostel which was hidden down an alley behind another building. Entering I was greeted by an aussie guy working the reception desk. The usual what part of Australia are you from etc etc followed which then lead to me learning there was a street concert on up the road.

A couple of beers later and having stowed away my belongs in the small 14 bed dorm room I had met a Canadian and German who where headed for the concert as well so off we went. Meeting a Dutch guy and girl at the concert we set about drinking beers like all good backpackers do.

Drinking beers lead to dancing at a club which while sounding like a good idea at the time, turned into a horrible place and we departed an hour or two later. Even with the poor club in a matter of hours I had made new friends all by saying Yes. I could have easily just said NO to the question “do you want to join us” but then I would have missed the fun of meeting 4 awesome new friends and having a great night.

Time and time again I’ve had great fun just by being open to meeting new people. If your about to depart on a trip somewhere, go with an open mind and the willingness to talk to everyone. If you say no then you may just find yourself travelling the road very much alone until your next stop.

Featured Photo: Amalfi Coast Italy

The Aussie Nomad — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:34 +0000

Having just toured this amazing area I had to share a photo of the Amalfi Coast in Italy with you all. I can’t believe I almost didn’t see this beautiful coast line while I was in Italy.

I urge everybody to head down to Sorrento in Italy and jump the bus towards Amalfi. Along the 1-2 hour drive just soak up the 30 or so kilometers of amazing coast line. Oh and don’t worry about the bus not having room to fit along the roads, they manage… just.