Day 4: Copenhagen and Esbjerg

As you might have noticed, Mart and I like climbing towers. We actually have a 'tower book', which I might show you another time, and in which we keep memories of all the towers we have climbed together.
So you can imagine that when we saw the amazing Vor Frelsers Kirke from our boat tour the day before, and heard that it was possible to climb it, we just had to go! That's what we did on our second day in Copenhagen, after some more shopping and strolling through side streets filled with fantastic little boutiques (such as this one and this one).

Climbing the church tower was really a great experience; it was so different than any other tower we had climbed so far. There are 400 steps to the top, weaving through small dark passages and steep ladders, and the last 150 are actually outdoors on beautiful golden stairs! No need to say the view from the top was great, especially with the beautiful weather we had that day. The inside of the church was very nice as well; we especially liked the huge organ, held by two impressive elephants.

In the afternoon we took the train back to Nyborg, which prompted a little detour to the west coast, in Esbjerg, where we saw the Mennesket ved Havet before driving off to Århus to stay with Janni and Daniel.

Day 3: Copenhagen

On Day 3 we set foot in Denmark for the very first time in our lives. We were so excited!

We left the car in Nyborg (on the big island 'in the middle' of Denmark) and took the train into Copenhagen. We absolutely loved the city. We couldn't believe how beautiful everything was. There are enough great buildings to keep your eyes (and camera) busy for days, but on top of that there is (1) fantastic shopping (we could have emptied several shops if our wallets agreed), and (2) everyone in the street is truly attractive. And as if this wasn't enough, every single person we interacted with was genuinely friendly and terribly helpful. I had read somewhere that Danish people were the most happy people in the world... well, I have no trouble believing it.

Our highlights of the day (apart from buying great clothes) were:
- climbing the Rådhus tower and admiring the city from the top
- taking a boat tour around the harbor
- having a drink sitting on the canal edge in Nyhavn (probably our favourite spot in the whole town)
- stumbling upon the most perfect Thai restaurant for dinner
- and of course, visiting Tivoli at night...

Day 2: Afternoon in Luebeck

Here is part 2 of Day 2; the afternon in nearby town of Luebeck.

Luebeck was once the richest city in Germany, and it truly shows. There are so many beautiful and impressive buildings around. We especially liked the gigantic and sturdy Holstentor at the entrance of the city and the beautiful Marienkirche with its bells that crashed to the ground during the war in 1942.
And our boat tour around the city's canals was lovely as well. The city was so beautiful in the early evening light.

The last photos are from driving up North in the evening, as we were getting closer and closer to Denmark.

Day 2: Morning in Hamburg

There's way too much I want to show you from Day 2, so I'll split it in two: here is part 1; the morning in Hamburg.

We ignored the pessimistic weather forecast and got up early to get to the Fischmarkt on time (it actually shuts down at 9h30, isn't that amazing?). Well, it was truly worth it, even if we did get rained on. The range of 'products' was wonderful: there was fish (duh!), but also lots of live animals, plants, amazing fruits and veggies, souvenirs, etc. A lot of stuff was sold 'by the basket': not only do you get a great selection of beautiful fruits (for example) but you also get a nice woven basket to carry them home. I like it.

From there we walked along the water back to the city center, where we climbed the tower of St. Michaelis Church. The view from the top was great, and the inside of the church itself was wonderful too.

Day 1: Hamburg

As promised, I will take you along our holiday up North, day by day.

So here we go: we start with an evening in Hamburg, where we were amazed by the size and beauty of the Rathaus, had lovely drinks in the evening light and stumbled upon the most wonderful place for dinner. We sat outdoors, had delicious food and just enjoyed the cool atmosphere of the area...