Europe has largely been a continent that I have not explored. Until our trip to the UK and Ireland in 2024, I had only been to Spain way back in 2004. Back then, I could not (legally) drink, nor could I venture out much on my own since I was with a school group. Did I go to an English pub with a classmate and watch England in the Euros, taking place next door in Portugal, one night? Who can say.
Flash forward to me as an adult, and I am now getting out and around!
My partner has a former work colleague who is Finnish, and she was going to get married in Finland during the summer of 2025. With that in mind, we started to craft our own adventure through Scandinavia before and after the wedding.
At one point, there was a subplot about me possibly picking up a new car in Germany, driving it around Scandinavia, and then back to Germany, where it would be shipped home. That turned out to be crazy. Mostly because it just would not make any sense to do that. And because I decided to buy a car locally.
My future father-in-law spent time in Stockholm as an exchange student. In turn, he also housed some Swedish kids back in California. He has kept in touch with his former hosts and waxes poetic about his time in Sweden. My partner’s parents were already discussing a trip back to Sweden to visit those people and places, so when we learned of our exact dates, those two trips became one.
After that was ironed out, our adventure eventually turned into a road trip.
There really is only one airline when flying to and from Scandinavia: SAS. I mean, Scandinavia is in their name: Scandinavian Airlines System. Sure, there’s Finnair or Norwegian (except they don’t fly in the States anymore), but SAS will take you all over.
We ended up flying to Seattle and had a long layover there that was hair-pulling at times. I’m looking at you, baggage locker place! Your hours are not followed. Your entire team disappears for lunch, leaving no one behind the counter. Then, when we came back (as we were told that we could come back whenever), we had to wait for someone to show up and unlock the shop! GAH!
The movie you see on the screen, The Roundup: Punishment, was one of the movies I watched on the flight. I hadn’t put two and two together until I was watching the opening credits that I had actually watched The Roundup way back in 2023 on our way to New Zealand for the Women’s World Cup. I had to continue the series!
After nine hours and eleven minutes, give or take, of flying, we landed in Copenhagen. Full disclosure, I had a great-grandparent who immigrated from Denmark to the US a long, long time ago. This was my first trip to the “motherland”.
As I approached the customs agent, a sense of dread filled me. Existential, clearly improbable scenarios filled my mind. What if I were denied entry? What if my great-grandfather was deported from Denmark, and I, carrying his surname, was in turn not allowed in? It would be like Tom Hanks in The Terminal, only in CPH. What actually happened was the agent asked me why I was in Denmark, I told him about our trip, and then I was let in.
Sidenote: I miss getting physical stamps in my passport. They were a fun part of my travels that is now extinct, mainly due to the advent of technology.
While we were waiting for our bags, we started planning our journey to the hotel. Seeing that the city is pretty accessible by public transit, we went with that. Now, here is something that we discovered before leaving that saved us a ton of money in Copenhagen.
It’s the Copenhagen Card. I’m linking it because it was such a game-changer for us. The card offers you savings and various discounts at points of interest in Copenhagen over a period of time. We opted for the Discover Copenhagen Card. It costs 559 Danish Krone or 75 Euros and gives you unlimited access to all public transit and free access to 80+ attractions throughout the city. We were going to be in town for three days, so we selected 72 hours of fun. All you do is show the card; it can be kept on your phone, at spots across the city, and they let you in! The money saved from entry fees at museums and tours was worth the 75 Euros.
We collected our bags and easily made our way to the train. The train was busy, I mean, it’s an airport, but by no means was it an insurmountable crowd. I love getting on a train in another country. There is something about watching the countryside or city zip by the window that brings me joy.
When we popped up streetside at our stop, it was something to behold. The weather was perfect. We walked a little bit to our hotel, but it was worth it. We saw some truly unique and distinct architecture. It felt retro and futuristic at the same time. The dichotomy of metal and glass next to brick facades creates this ultra-urban factory-meets-residential vibe.
I forgot to mention how clean the city was! I am from a place where there is trash nearly everywhere. Even if it’s a small amount, it’s there. I did not see 1% as much trash walking around as I do when I am home or in other big cities across the States. I do understand that this might be the norm across the city, and there are probably parts that are dirtier than others, but compared to home, it beats it soundly.
Since there were four of us, deciding what to eat could be difficult. This is what makes local markets so essential to find while traveling. They have stalls with different local shops. From produce and cheese to fishmongers and butchers, there is something for everyone.
TorvehallerneKBH was our destination. It is known to locals and tourists alike. We saw many people with luggage wandering about, as well as many families taking in the sunny day and welcoming space.
Even after doing a full lap, it was challenging to make a decision! There were options on options. We eventually settled on fish & chips paired with the local Mikkeller beer. (I’ve actually had Mikkeller before, but at their downtown Los Angeles shop *RIP*, but there is something about having a local beer)
No meal is complete without a bit of dessert! After dinners with my grandma, she would always say, “You’re full of this kind of food” in reference to dinner food, and then we would go to Baskin-Robbins for a scoop. With those words forever in my mind, we found ice cream.
We consumed a fair amount of calories during this lunch. That meant a walk was in order.
Our original plan was to hit the ground running and do as much as possible to combat the jet lag. That was folly. We finished our dessert and then decided to head back to our hotel and reassess our plans. A nap was in the cards, and then we would set out about town.
Jet lag is a real mother.
With the Copenhagen Card, train rides were included, making it a no-brainer to use trains to the max. That meant it would be easy for us to go back to our hotel and take a nap. It was a quick ride back and a short walk to our hotel. Seriously, I am jealous of Copenhagen’s public transit. And the bike usage. I wish where I lived prioritized that over car culture.
But that’s another ball of wax to unravel at another time.
After waking up, we decided that our next stop was the Little Mermaid statue. I was warned that the statue was a bit underwhelming. I responded by saying that I’ve seen Plymouth Rock. That’s just a random rock, not even the one they “landed” on. Still, the statue was disappointing, but it sits in a gorgeous location.
There were numerous people around the waterfront snapping photos of the statue. I looked at it and went, “Yup, that’s a statue all right,” and took my own picture.
Then the walk continued.
We ambled down the waterfront and took in the views of the Kastellet. It’s a 17th-century fortress shaped like a star, complete with ramparts and a few bridges. We did not venture onto the grounds because it was getting dark, and we were looking for a place to rest our feet.
After gazing upon the fountain and statues, my future father-in-law found us a place for dinner. It was not far from where we were standing, and it had stellar reviews.
The Pescatarian sits on the corner and invites you down below the street. It also just so happened to be the day of the Royal Run. An event where people, including the royal family, run either a 1.6, 5, or 10km through the streets of Copenhagen. The restaurant looked to be in the middle of the action (earlier in the day, no one was running this late into the night), and crews were packing up barricades and signage from the race.
No one was expecting a five or six-course meal when we walked in. I don’t even remember the last time I ate a meal that was this expertly prepared and presented. I am also not one to constantly take photos of my food, but I had to at this point. “For the ‘Gram as they say.” Or, in my case, for my website, which a handful of people will read and see.
The meal was finished, and our appetites were satiated. The next thing was to get back to our hotel. My partner and I really enjoy taking scooters and bikes around towns. It is a fun way to travel. There’s nothing quite like the wind in your face and hair as you ride down a city street. If you do scoot, just be mindful of the rules of the road and the traffic. We found some e-bikes and then made our way back. The sun was nearly set on our first day in Scandinavia.
All in all, it was a great way to start our trip.
John Kidde Writes 