Hello/Bonjour from Big Hawk Lake, Ontario. How are you? Comme ca va? Wonderful to have you back to get caught up on the last leg of my international travel - for now, at least.
I've returned to Canada as planned. I've been negligent in updating my blog post. My excuse is being back in Canada has distracted me from my writing responsibilities. I have succeeded in applying for my new passport which I will pick up on September 29. I've also ordered new sunglasses which will be ready on the 29th as well. I replaced a damaged credit card and debit card along the way.
I'm now firmly in place at my friend Dave's cottage/cabin which is on Big Hawk Lake. The peace and quiet is so welcome. The cottage is water access only so the solitude is reinforced. I'm thinking that I will abandon big cities from my future travels. In the brief time I've been at the lake, I met members of the Haliburton Highlands Quilt Guild and Dulce and her daughter Annabelle who work at the Country Bakery in Canarvon, Ontario.
I've decided to continue my blog posts, however I'm going to skip the past week. I'll have a post ready early next week that covers the two-week period. In the meantime, please enjoy a sunrise accompanied by the call of the loons. Quintessential Canadiana!
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| 6 am EDT |
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| 6:30 am EDT |
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| 7:05 am EDT |
May the universe bring endless blessings (blessings in disguise) and moments of magic 🦄 to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏
Travel update: I'm back in Canada now. I have traveled to Big Hawk Lake, about three hours northeast of Mississauga, after spending four nights at the Waterside Inn in Port Credit (within the city of
Mississauga). My hotel is on Lake Ontario so I have the gift of early morning walks to experience the daily sunrise and commiserate with long time friends I've met during my walks. I'll be at my friend Dave's cottage/cabin until Sunday, September 28. Then it's back to Mississauga until Friday, October 3 when I fly to Minneapolis on my way back to Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Travel Administration
Be aware - there is a marked difference in how the four Scandinavian have accomplished going cashless. And then there is Ireland where you can still use cash on the local buses!
Travel Maps
I started the week in Aarhus, Denmark's, took the train to Esbjerg for a night, took the train to Odense for a night and finished the Scandinavian tour in Malmö, Sweden (my base for visiting Copenhagen) for two nights. I then fly from Copenhagen to Dublin, Ireland through Amsterdam. I took the bus from Dublin to Galway for two nights. On Saturday, I took the return bus to Dublin Airport for a night at the Crowne Plaza before boarding an Icelandair flight to Toronto, connecting in Reykjavik.
Denmark: August 27 to September 4, 2025
Inter Country Travel: Denmark to Ireland - September 4, 2025
Ireland: September 4 to September 7, 2025
Extra Special Train Journey - Aarhus to Esbjerg
So, the saying goes that it's as much about the journey as it is about the destination. Danish Rail certainly tried their best to make this a truism in my train trip from Aarhus to Esbjerg. I discovered at the train station that the train to Esbjerg I was booked on had been changed from a four carriage train to a two carriage train. One of the two 'missing' carriages happened to be where my reserved seat was booked. Apparently Danish Rail shortens this train frequently enough that is a common expectation. So common that a local traveler, in the same predicament as me, advised the expected passenger behaviour was for all of us to squeeze onto the remaining two cars. The only notification provided is a short blurb on the departure board advising the train was reduced to two carriages. Following up with impacted travellers for alternative arrangements was totally absent. I decided against being uncomfortable for the two plus hour train trip and visited the station ticket office to find an alternative. Blessedly, the ticket office was surprisingly quiet. After the ticket agent recovered from my shocking behavior of asking to be rebooked, I was given a series of three tickets (two connections) for my two hour ride. I'm unsure if the ticket agent was being vindictive in her travel solution for me. The final result - I reached my destination about 30 minutes later than if I had taken the original train I was booked on.
I also learned Danish Rail has a less than stellar reputation with its customers. From what I can ascertain anecdotally, Danish Rail is a notch lower than the unfavourable reputation Swedish Rail has with its customers. In Sweden's case, the rail system is trying to play catch up with decades of infrastructure underfunding.
My objective in traveling to Esbjerg was to spend at least one night on Denmark's west coast. The typical tourist route would limit me to traveling Denmark's east coast.
My overnight stay in Esbjerg offered me a limited opportunity to see the city's highlights. I did manage to explore, on foot, in the vicinity of my hotel. If you like shopping, the city had a wonderful pedestrian walkway with loads of stores to explore. I did visit the Water Tower (from the outside, at least), one of the top ten things to see in Esbjerg. The city had what I thought was a great idea - an amphitheater at the Water Tower's base.
I did miss visiting Fanø Island which is located just off the coast of Esbjerg. Fanø Island is known for its picturesque landscapes, charming villages, and unique cultural experiences.
I did meet Rosane and Michael while enjoying a hot chocolate and peanuts in the hotel lounge area. This most interesting couple from Scottsdale, Arizona were world travellers with amazing insights from their adventures. Always a special gift when I meet fellow adventurers who offer travel tips from their first-hand experiences. They had had plans to visit Fanø Island the following day which may have been thwarted by the steady rainfall. Yes, I did share the link to my blog with the couple when we exchanged WhatsApp contact info. Just can't help myself when the opportunity presents itself! 😀
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| Pedestrian walkway |
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| Town Square |
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| Interesting buildings |
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| Port |
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| Interesting building |
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| Looking towards North Sea |
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| Interesting building |
Welcome to the home of
Hans Christian Andersen (HCA). Happy to report my short train trip was completely uneventful other than the four carriages were stationed about as far as possible from the Esbjerg Station making for an interesting dash in the pouring rain. My overnight stay provided a decent opportunity to explore the area around my centrally located hotel. I guess this would be an important city to visit if you are a big HCA fan. I had a chance to walk by the house he grew up in and the beautiful museum built to sustain interest in his writings.
Streets
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Capturing the city's architectural
vibe |
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| Love these corner buildings |
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| Pedestrian walkway |
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| Walkway starting/end point |
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| Sculpture near archway |
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| Old town near HCA museum |
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| Old town |
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| Old town |
'Odense Cathedral was built in the 14th century. It is a Gothic cathedral with a high and bright nave, and in the crypt you will find the remains of Saint Cnut, Denmark's last Viking king. The cathedral is named after Saint Cnut who was murdered here in 1086.'
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| Odense City Hall - Cathedral is to the right |
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| Odense Cathedral |
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| Odense Cathedral |
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| Odense Cathedral |
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| Odense Cathedral |
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| Odense Cathedral |
Hans Christian Andersen (HCA)
Here's my photos to highlight the different HCA highlights I managed to find, despite my disinterest. I thought whoever reads this post may have a keener need to know.
The museum and surrounding gardens were masterfully designed as my photos below hopefully give a hint of.
I had the blessing of meeting a couple from the south of Denmark who were walking the
Carl Nielsen Camino trail (see italicized text below) with Odense as their starting point. They were intend on covering the entire walk through an app they had downloaded on their phones.
'Carl Nielsen's Camino is a brand new audio walk on Funen that pays tribute to the world-famous composer. The Camino is 120 km long and divided into 12 routes from Odense to Faaborg. Carl Nielsen's Camino leads you to great nature experiences in places you have never been before. From deep forests to open fields, from small cozy villages to lively city scenes.'
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| HCA - from the ground up |
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| HCA home |
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| A broader view of his home |
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| Museum gardens - museum to the right |
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| Museum gardens |
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| Gardens |
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| Gardens |
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| Gardens - Museum to the right |
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| Museum to the right |
When I was unable to find reasonably priced hotel accommodation in Copenhagen, I opted to spend my last two nights in Denmark in the city of Malmö, Sweden. The city was a 30 minute train ride between central area of the respective cities. My 24 hour train pass was good for my day's travel plus the next day's early morning train ride to the Copenhagen Airport.
City Streets
My hotel was located in Västra Hamnen, or the Western Harbour. 'This area is a must-visit for architecture lovers and those who appreciate a sustainable urban environment. Once an industrial shipyard, the area has been transformed into a stylish, eco-friendly district featuring cutting-edge design, waterfront promenades, and great dining spots. The iconic Turning Torso skyscraper dominates the skyline, and the seaside boardwalk offers stunning views of the Öresund Bridge.'
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| Turning Torso tower |
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| Canal |
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| Canal |
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| Intact windmill near castle |
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| Heading to central Malmö |
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| Central square |
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| Elite Hotel Savoy |
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| Spectral Self Container |
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| Malmö Old Light House |
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| Historical buildings |
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Add to my growing collection of
lighthouse photos |
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| Historical buildings |
'In 1434, Erik of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, built a citadel in the town of Malmö, traces of which can still be seen in the walls. During The Count’s Feud the citizens of Malmö occupied it and tore down the walls separating it the city. When the rebellion was crushed, Christian III (1536-1559) had a new citadel built. In 1607 Denmark’s “builder king” Christian IV among other things also added an elegant storehouse with Dutch Renaissance gables to the castle.
After 1658, the Swedes modernized the castle with a Dutch-inspired defense system, and in 1675 it withstood a Danish siege. However the fortress fell into disrepair and Malmöhus was used mainly as a granary and an arsenal for the Swedish army. From 1828 till 1909 it served as a prison.
From the 1930´s the castle was restored in the Renaissance Style, and today it is a museum.'
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| Description for piece of art - upper right |
My last full day in Scandinavia was spent exploring Copenhagen. In my humble opinion, this city ranks up there with Stockholm in terms of cleanliness, architectural interest and people friendliness. I have Oslo on the bottom of my list of the four Scandinavian capital cities.
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Malmö Central Train Station
Video images projecting on concrete walls |
'Colourful, captivating Nyhavn is one of Copenhagen’s most iconic sights and one of the locals’ favourite places to sink a cold beer on a hot day.' Hans Christian Andersen was the famous resident in this area.
'Amaliehaven in Copenhagen was founded in 1983, this petite park was given as a gift to the city of Copenhagen, by Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller.
It is named by its close proximity to Amalienborg Palace, where Her Majesty the Queen keeps her permanent residence. The park was designed by the Belgian landscape architect, Jean Delogne, and adorned with sculptures from the Italian artist, Arnaldo Pomodoro.'
Amalienborg Palace,in the heart of Copenhagen, is the seat of one of the world's oldest monarchies.
'Amalienborg is composed of four architecturally identical buildings. These are Christian VII's Palace (also known as Moltke's Palace, used as a guest residence), Frederik VIII's Palace (also known as Brockdorff's Palace, home of His Majesty King Frederik X, Her Majesty Queen Mary, and their children), Christian IX's Palace (also known as Schack's Palace, home of Queen Margrethe II) and Christian VIII's Palace (also known as Levetzau's Palace, used as a guest palace for Prince Joachim and Princess Benedikte). This building houses the Amalienborg Museum.'
The 18th-century Lutheran church has the largest dome in Scandinavia and a Kierkegaard statue in grounds. The awe-inspiring Marble Church with the characteristic copper green dome is promoted as one of the most impressive churches of the city.
'The church lies beautifully in line with Amalienborg palace and the Opera in the middle of the elegant area of Frederiksstaden in central Copenhagen. While the official name of the church is Frederik's Church, it is commonly called the Marble Church.' While the original plans specified marble in the church's construction, limestone was used given budget constraints (and a tortured 145 years to complete its construction).
I'm thinking I have a thing for pentagram shaped fortresses as I visited one in both Jaffna (Sri Lanka) and Hakodate (Japan).
The Kastellet was started by King Christian IV in the early 17th century and was completed by his son and the successor to the throne King Frederick III.
The star-shaped fortress is today one of Northern Europe’s best preserved military structures. Designed like a pentagram, the Kastellet was constructed with bastions at the corners, two gates (the south side protected by the King’s Gate and the north side by the Norway gate), ravelins and earthworks that further reinforced the fortress. Inside was a number of buildings that housed the soldiers and their families, the Commander’s House and several other structures that ensured the fortress would have adequate resources even during times of battle.
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| St Alban's Church |
Quite by coincidence, I discovered I was within 15 minutes walking distance to the Little Mermaid statue. This iconic bronze mermaid sculpture, by Edvard Eriksen, is a character from H.C. Andersen's fairytale and has become a go-to Copenhagen tourist destination. I might as well follow the crowds!
Interesting story related to the Maritime Monument (commemorating Danish sailors from WWI) I took. A local resident walking near the monument noticed I was taking a photo so he moved out of camera range. I thanked him as he was to walk by me. He kindly stopped to provide me with the monument's history plus more information about the surrounding area. He also wanted to know if I had seen the underwhelming Little Mermaid sculpture which was now five minutes away. My newest friend was out for his daily walk as he lived nearby.
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| Maritime Monument |
Yes, I did acquiesce to visiting the National Museum. This is THE place to go if you want a thorough briefing on Danish history. One of those stops I've made after misunderstanding the scope of the museum's collection. I believe I misinterpreted a reference to the British Museum in London (one of the world's greatest museums, just ignore how the British acquired the contents on display) that I had read. I trust you'll avoid making the same mistake I made as the museum is significantly unlike the British Museum.
I did have a lovely chat with the young woman selling tickets. She had visited/worked in Banff, Alberta area so we had a number of common sights we discussed. It's all about the people you meet!
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| Street near museum |
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| Fountain on a wonderful summer day |
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| Street leading to museum |
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| Museum entrance |
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| Common area leading to collections |
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| Bring on those runes |
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| About runes |
'Christiansborg Palace has a more than 800 year-long history and since the beginning of the 1400s has been the state’s centre of power. Today the palace includes several institutions of central importance. The Folketing has at its disposal most of the rooms in the palace, but the Prime Minister, the High Court, and the Royal Reception Rooms are also located here.
The existing Christiansborg Palace is the last in a long row of buildings that have been on Slotsholmen in Copenhagen. Christian VI had the medieval Copenhagen Castle demolished immediately after his accession to the throne, and between 1734 and 1745, he built the first Christiansborg Palace, which, however, burned in 1794. The second Christiansborg Palace was completed in 1828 during the reign of Frederik VI, but it also burned in 1884. The third Christiansborg Palace was built between 1907 and 1928. Frederik VIII laid the cornerstone, and Christian X inaugurated the palace.'
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| Be nice if they moved the tractor on the left... |
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| Art installation near palace |
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| Description for art installation on the right |
And the rest
A final three photos from my day in Copenhagen.
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| Statue of Christian X |
Denmark to Ireland
I opted to fly to Dublin, through Amsterdam, with KLM given the lower cost and marginal increase in travel time. While I was sitting in the Copenhagen Airport I was blessed with meeting the following fellow travellers (all this happened in less than an hour):
- A 51 year old woman who was traveling to visit her mother in the Ukraine. She had had five dance studios in her home city, however the Ukrainian government had commandeered the studios for bomb shelters. She moved to Denmark three years previous and was working in a hospital helping to care for older Ukrainian patients who were unable to speak English. I received a big hug before she headed for her flight
- A 49 year old man who was returning to Ghana, his home country, to visit his daughter. He had moved to Denmark when he was 26. My new acquaintance became a self-employed construction architect. He had commented he had almost spent as much time in Denmark as his mother country. He soon departed as he said he had to catch his plane. My best guess he left to escape talking with me as I discovered a little later that he was on the same plane as I was taking to Amsterdam. 😀
- A family of four from Vancouver, Canada who were on their way to Norway (on a two week holiday). Our convo lead to the discovery I had visited the Indonesian cities that the parents had grown up in (Surabaya and Malang). The two sons had also been born in Indonesia. My world is getting so much smaller.
On the flight from Amsterdam to Dublin, the man sitting next to me was from central Ireland. He is the CEO of an international meat products company with about 200 employees. He was returning from visiting vendors in northern Norway. I learned about the difficulty his company was having finding people to work. He had to find workers in Brazil to work in his Irish facility. He definitely had an opinion about what he thought was the Irish government's generous social welfare funding.
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| Leaving Denmark |
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| Netherlands |
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| Netherlands |
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| Approaching Amsterdam |
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| Self-explanatory |
Ireland
I had two main purposes in visiting Ireland. I wanted to return to The Black Rose (Gaelic name -
Róisín Dubh), a leading entertainment venue in Ireland, to attend a Joni Mitchell tribute band event. I had attended a Foy Vance concert in the same venue a few years ago and loved the venue's vibe. I also wanted to enjoy a cinnamon bun and coffee at the Gourmet Tart Co location that was near the water/The Black Rose. Somewhat irrational reasons to spend three nights in Ireland. There are times that I decide to follow my heart, this is one of those times.
Galway
I met my newest Irish friend, Scott, on the three hour bus ride from the Dublin Airport to the Galway Coach Station. The convo started with me inquiring what Scott was trying to do with his partner's ID using his laptop and mobile phone. He graciously shared what he was up to with an engaging conversation for the last 90 minutes of the bus ride. Scott is a bright, entrepreneurial man with loads of common sense. He's been involved with day trading which consumed his time and energy - 24 hours/5 days per week. He also had been an operations manager in an Irish refugee centre where the manager had abrogated his responsibilities to Scott. A couple key accomplishments to highlight - he successfully managed a number of people without prior management experience and his centre was the only centre in Ireland that had an accurate record of all occupants. Kudos to Scott; failing grade for the Irish government in managing the costs given they were being charged for refugees who had left the other centres. I also learned so much about the Irish famine from Scott; a legacy that had really touched his sensibilities. Scott mentioned I should visit the
Skibbereen Heritage Centre in Cork County if I had the chance - next visit at this point.
I became the beneficiary of a random act of kindness when I boarded the local bus to get to my hotel. A woman in the front seat gave me a 2 euro coin to pay for my fare as I was fumbling about to get my cash. She refused to accept my cash when I tried to repay her. Note that Ireland has a distance to travel in going cashless.
I met Tom Flannery at the Gourmet Tart Company as I was fumbling about (once again) getting settled to eat my cinnamon bun. He noticed my commotion and offered up his chair (my old seat, the cherished eating location, from my first visit) as he was on his way out. I mentioned my mother was Irish with her ancestors originating in Ireland; I'm unsure of the exact location. Tom has roots in Galway. He left me with my favoured seat as he took off on his bicycle which he had been guarding from his coffee shop seat.
About 30 minutes later, as I was parking myself on a park bench near the water, I met Daria and Chris who were visiting from Seattle. We had a lovely convo with me stressing with them the great importance for them to continue to travel. There are always lots of reasons that can prevent travel that I encouraged to address proactively. They were kind enough to share their recent bakery find with me - Magpie Bakery which was less than 500m away. Daria's parting words were 'We need to take that next trip we planned because David said so!'
My next blessing was meeting the Howard family from Akron, Ohio as I was waiting in line to make a purchase at the Magpie Bakery. There was Jake, his partner, his mother (Melissa), his father and his sister. I had an amazing convo with Jake Howard, an accomplished mandolinist, who played with the
Henhouse Prowlers, a Chicago-based bluegrass, Americana, and folk band with 10 studio albums and global tours. They also run a nonprofit organization, Bluegrass Ambassadors, that promotes cultural exchange through music education and diplomacy. Jake also has his own separate musical business,
Jake Howard Music. I put myself on the Prowlers email subscriber list with the objective to witness the band play live.
I ended my day by having dinner at the hotel restaurant where I met Nelson and his wife Chris, an English couple visiting Ireland to attend a close friend's surprise 80th birthday party. The couple were living at their primary residence in France. The current year had been very busy as they had sold a couple homes in England to reduce their residences to their home in France.
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| Gourmet Tart Co bliss |
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| Watching the world go by |
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| Irish version of Swedish Fika |
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| Galway waterfront |
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| Pratai chips - delicious |
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| Magpie Bakery |
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| Magpie Bakery |
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| Super delicious cinnamon bun |
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| Inside the venue |
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Grooving with the tunes. Hattie Whitehead,
the female lead, was outstanding! |
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An excellent intimate evening at the Black Rose
with Hejira |
Last Stop - Dublin Airport Hotel
After a quiet bus ride back to the Dublin Airport from Galway for my last night in Ireland, I experienced an extended wait (about 90 minutes) for the hotel's airport pickup bus. The hotel made amends by offering me access to the hotel's club lounge - free finger foods on Saturday evening and continental breakfast the following morning.
I managed to meet two couples while enjoying my finger food. There was Kevin and Theresa from Chicago who planned a seven night tour of Ireland with their daughter and son-in-law. The couple had arrived a day early to ease the jet lag transition.
I also had the most amazing conversation with Claire and TJ from Jacksonville, Florida. Claire had worked in real estate and TJ was a pilot with Delta. Seasoned travellers, they were. I learned about the ins/outs of becoming a Panamanian resident as they had embarked on that journey. They also have a studio apartment on the water in Belize, a relatively short distance from the Mexico border. The apartment is an item on my radar as they rent their place when they are not in residence. There was so much richness to our convo, was like having a heart to heart discussion with long time friends. What an unexpected and most welcome blessing. I am the most lucky person in the world! Yes, I did share my blog with my newest friends. Kevin and Theresa were spared!
Administration
The Scandinavian cashless economy falls on a continuum with Norway and Finland having progressed the furthest distance of moving cash into the history books. Sweden is somewhat in the middle as there are more ATM options than its neighbours. Denmark has the longest way in becoming cashless.
What this means for the traveller is being prepared with the appropriate apps (doing your advance homework) to make your purchases, especially if you are using public transportation. Aarhus, Denmark would be a prime example as I discovered. The only way to purchase a public bus ticket is by downloading the local public bus app to make an online purchase.
Ireland is a country onto itself when it comes to electronic payments. Local buses accept cash for fares (exact change, please!). Galway has a payment card that the passenger holds to a payment machine while the driver keys in the fare information. Like I say, best to do your homework in advance.
Next Two Weeks
I return to the Waterside Inn in Mississauga, Ontario Canada. I'll be leaving for my good friend Dave's cottage on Big Hawk Lake (about three hours northeast of Mississauga) on Thursday, September 10. I'll be at the cottage (aka cabin for those in Western Canada/USA) until September 28 or thereabouts.
Stay happy and healthy!
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