Traveling Northern Europe With Mike Bruno

After dealing with large crowds in Paris, Rome, and Barcelona, we decided to try a different approach. Look To The North! Scandinavia, here we come.

KEFLAVIK AIRPORT
Our first stop was actually a layover in the land of fire and ice. The airport at Reykjavik, Iceland, was lovely at 3 am. Its clothing stores offer the best selection of cold-weather gear on the planet. Since it was the first week of summer, we figured we didn’t need cold-weather protection, but we were wrong.

SHETLAND ISLANDS
Just North of Scotland is this tiny archipelago island. Mainly inhabited by sheep herders and farmers, humans have been there since the Mesolithic Period. Originally claimed by Norway, then annexed by Scotland, I got the sense from the inhabitants that they enjoyed the space from both of their neighbors. Renée made friends with the Famous Shetland ponies.

NORWAY
By the time our plane landed in Oslo, Norway, before 11 am, the sun had already been out for a full 7 hours. Sunset wouldn’t occur til 10:44 pm. It was only 3 days after the summer solstice. The sun barely dips below the horizon. Further north is referred to as The land of the Midnight Sun.

Norway is abundant in natural beauty. There are mountains with active glaciers. Bergen is a city on the west coast of Norway. It is surrounded by mountains and fjords (long, narrow sea inlets with steep cliffs created by glacial erosion). Temperatures are moderate due to its proximity to the Gulf Stream.

Norway is one of the wealthiest countries. They found oil in the North Sea many years ago. Rather than allowing a few tycoons to get rich, Norway funneled oil revenue into its sovereign wealth fund to
save revenue for future generations.

Most unusual dinner item in Oslo?

Whale. Legal for consumption only in 3 countries: Iceland, Japan, and Norway.

DENMARK
We recently spent a week in Copenhagen, Denmark. My grandma was born Helga Fedderson
in Copenhagen. As if I needed an excuse to visit. The Danes are physically fit. They walk, ride bikes,
use public transportation, and rarely drive cars. The Economic Intelligence Unit ranks Copenhagen as
the world’s most liveable city.

The city has preserved much of its old architecture, and there are many areas and plazas where people
gather to eat and drink. We enjoyed their famous Hot Dogs. Later, we walked to WarPigs Brewery and
enjoyed Texas Barbecue.

We also took a day trip to Roskilde, to visit the Viking Ships Museum and a cathedral containing the tombs of the past Kings and Queens.

English is commonly spoken in Copenhagen. Good thing, because the Danish language, unlike Spanish, seems difficult to learn.

Best Danish food? Smorrebrod. Open-face sandwich, on a thin slice of toasted rye bread. I preferred the Salmon.