Enjoying the Cold in The Nordic Region

We started by flying from home to Amsterdam, where we would stay at first for just one night before starting to move around. Since it would be a quick stay, we chose a hotel in the airport and took a quick train ride to the city centre; this was the Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, a very pretty hotel, great for the short stay. This first day after landing helped us get a little bit used to the cold weather and it was a chance to walk through the streets of this beautiful city. The cold was shocking at first, and we even got a few laughs from people who lived there or in higher parts of Europe because we were wearing scarfs, gloves and very thick jackets; still we enjoyed every second of it, the food, the views and every step. The next day we got to walk by the canals and even though we didn’t actually go inside any of the museums yet, just walking by them was an incredible experience; everything was amazing, from the food to the weather. The nights at Amsterdam were magical, the way the lights reflected off the water and the boats made you feel part of a movie.

To start our trip, we took a train from Amsterdam to Hamburg, where we would stay the day and in the late afternoon would fly to Copenhagen. This started very well, we stepped off the train and found a locker to leave our bags while we visited the city and then got on a cab where we did our best to ask to be taken to the center of the city. As far as we knew, we were just leaving the central train station to the center, so we were really confused once the car started reaching the actual central train station. Right then, we tried to talk to the driver, who only spoke German and eventually found out where we had come from, remembering for when we had to pick up our bags once more. Hamburg was incredible, a beautiful city with beautiful bodies of water and amazing buildings like the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall, the Hamburg Rathaus and St. Michael’s Church. In the short time we were there we were able to try some of the food, including Fischbrötchen one of the typical dishes and it was really something else; there are some great places to eat near the St. Pali Piers where you’ll find great food, and don’t skip on the German beer. After making the most of our time in the city, we finally picked up our bags and took a train to the airport where we would continue our trip.

We stayed for 2 nights in Copenhagen, at a hotel called Cabinn City nearby Tivoli Gardens and just a couple of blocks away from City Hall Square; this hotel had bunk beds which were pretty comfortable for a few days where you planned to spend as little time as possible at the hotel. This city went beyond what I could have imagined, with beautiful architecture, history and just culture all over. From walking along Nyhavn and its great colorful buildings, and through Stroget, to visiting the famous Little Mermaid statue, which just enhances the love for Hans Christen Andersen that the city gives off. It’s a charming city with lots of places to see and wander at, great food and beautiful sights. While we were in the city, for the first time in our trips, we took a tour bus which would have a bunch of stops around the cities greatest places and you could just hop on and off throughout the day, this is pretty good if you’re a bit short on time at the city or if you’re travelling with someone that’s not up for walking so much; both of which applied to us this time. The bus stopped around Stroget, Amalienborg Palace, Gefion Fountain, Tivoli, among many other great places that you would love visiting anyway; each of these is surrounded by shops and places to eat that are worth the visit, among my favorites was to just chill at an Irish Pub by City Hall Square, looking out the windows at the incredible city. Sometime after returning home from this trip I thought of so many places that we missed and that I would love to see, so this city is definitely on the return list.

After enjoying Copenhagen, we flew over to Stockholm in Sweden. This city gave a completely different feeling from the one we had just visited, and to an extent felt like you were thrown in a story book, including a bunch of streets and alleys that will remind you of Harry Potter and Diagon Alley right away. There´s a magic to this city that cannot be explained, and we were able to experience it to the fullest. We stayed 3 nights in the city, at a hotel that was just amazing, not because of its fancy rooms or five-star ratings; it was a boat. At that time, it was called the Anedin Hostel, but since it has changed its name to MS Birger Jarl (MS Baltic Star in English), the ships original name. This hotel is incredible and filled with amazing history. This cruise ship was built around 1953 as a passenger liner and used to operate between Stockholm and Helsinki; it’s a listed historic ship of Sweden and has been working as a floating hostel since 2013. It´s just beside the Fotografiska, and across the water from Gröna Lund; though it may be a further walk away from most museums and city highlights.  There are so many things to do in the city, and each is very different from the others, from visiting the Nobel Prize Museum and enjoying not only the history but the beauty of the building, to visiting the more modern Abba Museum for music fans. This city is truly filled with history and museums like the Vasa Museum, the Modern Art Museum, the Medieval Museum and so many others; as well as a wonderful feeling of mystery; you won’t be bored for a second. A couple of days we took advantage of the hop on hop off sightseeing buses which stopped at great places that you’d usually take a little longer visiting, such as the Royal Opera, The Royal Palace, SOFO shopping area, the central station and many more places, mainly depending on the type of bus you pick. There are streets filled with amazing shops and restaurants to find any type of food you’re into, and if you’re lucky you may be able to see a spectacle that needs no reservation. After a long day of walking around the city, we chose to make it an early night, which wasn’t as bad since most places closed around five or six in the afternoon since it was fall. At the hotel, we took a short nap and were awake again around eleven at night, then out of mere chance we looked out of the hotel room windows in the exact time and noticed some weird lights over the city; moments later we were outside in the hotel’s deck watching the northern lights float above. This experience has been one of the most amazing I’ve experienced and moves this city to the top of any list.

Next up, we flew to Oslo in Norway, preparing ourselves for the cold and ready to spend 4 nights before returning to Amsterdam. We had been all the way to up Sweden by then and the cold was definitely getting noticed, we were used to wearing thermal underwear and a bunch of jackets by then, but as soon as we stepped outside the airport, we could feel the cold rush through us like never before. We stayed at the Thon Hotel Munch, a really comfortable hotel with breakfast included and it was just a short walk away from the Royal Palace. Oslo has a completely different atmosphere from the other cities, much more peaceful and maybe because of the cold itself it feels much lonelier. The first time we walked out on the streets we were slightly freaked by the feeling of mist everywhere and only saw a couple other people around; this until we silently reached the palace. Oslo is an amazing mix between a classic and historic city and modern architecture and lifestyles; it makes you picture Vikings sailing around the fjords as well as make you want to live there in one of the modern buildings. This is something you can’t miss, the boat trips by the fjords where you can sail through the wonderful colors and houses that stand close to the water. For me, some of the most incredible places in the city were the Oslo Opera House, the Aker Brygge waterside, the city hall building and the Nobel Peace Center; and those are just a few of the incredible things you can do while in the city. There is a feeling of modern life in the city that entrances you, along with the buildings and galleries, you’ll fall in love with this city. A must for me, would be to walk down Aker Brygge until you find one of the waterside restaurants you like for lunch or dinner, that way you’ll enjoy the beautiful view as well as great food.

When our time in Oslo was up, we flew back to Amsterdam for the remaining days. This time, due to the business conference we stayed at the Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel. This was beautiful, with amazing spacious rooms that included some of the oldest buildings in Amsterdam, as well as more contemporary restaurants and social areas. While in this hotel, we were just a couple of blocks away from the Anne Frank House, the NEMO Science Museum, the Royal Palace and of course right in front of the gorgeous canals that characterize this city; this location made it easy to visit these incredible places on short breaks from the meetings. On the days we were able to walk around the city, we got to visit wonderful museums like the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank’s House which takes you on an incredible emotional journey, walk through the Nine Streets filled with shops and cafes and so much more. Regarding food, there are so many great things in the city, that you’ll find something you’ll like, I’d recommend finding a restaurant with view to the canal to be able to enjoy the movement of the city. Amsterdam has an air of history mixed with a feeling of casual new life, along with the feeling of entertainment. It’s magical to just be able to rent a bike and become one more in the sea of wheels that cover this city; to stop by the cheese shops to try a bit of everything or to just walk through the streets looking at the gift shop windows that capture a part of the darker personality of Amsterdam. It was a pleasure doing business in the city just to be able to walk by the canals.