Boatin' to Bergen

*Quick disclaimer - I'm getting into some detail about our trip to Scandinavia this summer, but I am not listing dates/times/etc of when we will be there :) Sorry - don't want to give away too much about my personal life!

The next stop on our whirlwind adventure will be Bergen, Norway. Never heard of it? Neither had I until T-Friend mentioned that she had read about it in a guidebook. I was pretty much just researching major cities (think Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, etc.) and not really thinking about what else might exist beyond the major transportation hubs. Planning a trip with someone else is great - without Tessa's input I would have never even considered heading to Bergen.

Beautiful Bergen.

But I digress.

So in our hunt for our most affordable options, it became obvious that boating it around was actually a great bang for our bucks (kroners in this case). Not only does a ferry/cruise/boat get us from point A to point B, it also provides a place to stay for a night. We really get to kill two birds with one stone by doing the overnight thing - we get where we want to go, and we get to sleep while doing it. No wasted travel day on this leg of the trip!

Kinda like a pseudo cruise. 

After our jaunt in Copenhagen we will make our way entirely across Denmark to Hirshals, where the ferry departs. We may make a pit stop on our way to Hirtshals and spend a night in some other cute little Danish town. The entire journey from Copenhagen to Hirtshals will take about 5.5 hours.  We will be doing this during the day, so it will be nice to take in the scenery of the entire country. 

Upon arrival in Hirtshals, we will board a ferry bound for Bergen. Passengers on the ferry can opt to make the journey in airplane-like seats, or rent a small cabin. We are opting for the latter option so we are refreshed and ready to explore Norway on our arrival. The boat itself is pretty basic, but it does offer a nice dinner buffet with fabulous views of the passing fjords. The last leg of the trip will take us through some pretty spectacular scenery as the sun begins to rise (it doesn't set till SUPER late...think 11pm). Overall ferry travel is a pretty awesome deal - travel, accommodations, AND view of the fjords. 

Our home in Bergen will be Marken Gjetehus (MG), another highly recommended hostel. After doing a bit of price comparison, we managed to get a private room at MG for only about $13US more per night than the 6 bed dorm room. Because Bergen isn't a huge place, the accommodation prices are a lot more reasonable than many places in Norway. We are paying about $45 per person per night. It is possible to stay in a large dorm for about $25-30, so this isn't too bad for our own space!

A typical room at MG...again, small but perfect for our needs.

Bergen itself is a quaint little town, and we should have plenty of time to explore it in our short stay there. We are using the town as the jumping off point for our fabulous "Norway in a Nutshell" tour. More on that next time...

And stay tuned for posts about:

- Hostelling

- Eurail passes

- Dining in a foreign country

- Lessons I learned on my Euro2007 trip

Taking a Look...

I've decided that since I am completely immersing myself in this Scandinavian adventure, I should share some of my planning ideas with you. And it will be nice to look back years from now and see how this trip came to be.


Before I start, let me preface this by saying that we (Tessa & myself) are doing this trip on a super tight budget, so we have been researching our butts off to find the best deals. There are probably a million ways to plan a trip, and this is simply what we've decided to do. Also, we have planned our itinerary based on the idea that we want to make this trip into one giant adventure. Sure we'll do some of the typical tourist stuff, but we will also be traveling off the beaten path to try and get a more complete sense of the countries we are visiting. We had originally planned to do a Western Europe tour (Copenhagen, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Munich, Belgium, Netherlands) but for some reason Scandinavia kept calling our names. Maybe it is the fact that we would probably NEVER get a chance to go back to Scandinavia (it's a lot more realistic to visit other European countries like France and Germany again in the future) or maybe we are just trying to avoid the summer tourist scene as much as possible, but either way, Scandinavia sounds like an amazing place. Sunlight till midnight, YES PLEASE!


So without further adieu, let's talk about Copenhagen...the first stop on this Epic Adventure.

Flying into Copenhagen was the cheapest option for me from the US, so it was a logical first stop. Finding a decently priced flight to anywhere in Europe was a lot of work, but thankfully KLM/Delta has some great deals. Also, interesting fact, it was SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper for me to fly into one city (Copenhagen) and fly out of another (Amsterdam) at the end of the trip. I was so surprised when I started doing searches with this criteria. AND it actually worked out to be cheaper for me to fly out of Richmond than from other major airports in the area. So, I won't have to leave my car for a few weeks and face a massive parking bill when I return. Double score. Finally, I used sites like kayak.com and expedia.com to make my general searches easier, but I ended up booking directly through the Delta site. The price was just as cheap (or expensive, depending on how you look at it). Oh and don't even bother calling customer service to book a flight. The best the lady could do was practically DOUBLE what I found online. Sooooo not worth the 30 minute annoying conversation I had with her.

Anyshnitzel...Copenhagen. I arrive about 6 hours before Tessa, so I will be jetlagged and wandering around by myself. But I'll be in freaking Denmark so I'll get over it. The hostel said I can check in a few hours early, but it is still 3 hours after I arrive on the plane. Based on my past European travel experiences (also done on an insanely tight budget...and yet still epic), it will probably take me a while to get from the airport to the train station to the city, so hopefully I won't have too much time to kill before I check into the hostel and Tessa arrives.

2007 - Arriving in Chartres, France...notice my authentic backpackers pack in the background (I told you I was hardcore). And notice the decently nice room...NOT a hostel...more like a Motel 6. Yeah, their standards are slightly higher than ours.

In Copenhagen we will be staying in the Copenhagen Downtown Hostel. We will have our own room but will be sharing a bathroom with other people on the hall. That may sound weird to some people, but I promise you it is NO big deal at all. Most people are in hostels because they are traveling around to see new places, not because they expect a relaxing, luxurious vacation. Those people stay in hotels. Hostels are actually nice places (if you do a bit of research and find the good ones), although EVERY hostel will get good and bad reviews alike. In my 2007 trip, I didn't stay in a place I didn't like, even though I had read a few negative reviews about each of them. Seriously, you just have to go in with the right expectations and you'll be fine. Remember - a hostel is a place to sleep after a long day of exploring!!

Here is an image of what our room should look like. Small but clean, cozy, and perfect for sleeping. 

This room is about $50 a person per night...so on the more expensive end of the hostel spectrum. We decided to go for a double room (versus staying in a dorm with other random people) since it is the first leg of our trip. I want to be able to take a quick power nap in the room before Tessa arrives and I don't really have that luxury in a dorm. Resting up will be super important to get over any jetlag so we can go full speed ahead for the rest of our stay in Copenhagen!

Other exciting plans for Copenhagen include a VIKING FESTIVAL, a trip to the Carlsberg Brewery, and a night visit to Tivoli (an amusement park/place of awesome and culture). We've got several nights in the city so we'll have plenty of time to squeeze in other events of awesomeness. 

We'll eat some traditional Danish food

Go on a canal tour or just walk around the wharf

And see the REAL Little Mermaid. 

In somewhat related news, I'm thinking about investing in a FlipCam so I can take some short videos while on our trip. I think it will be nice to recap everything here with some video action added in :)

Next up, Bergen, Norway - stop #2! 

Drink This!!

I've always been a fan of Vitamin Water, but one of their new flavors is ridiculously good.

The flavor is called "Connect" and it is a blend of black cherry and lime. It has a dab of caffeine and other nutrients. I don't really drink Vitamin Water for the vitamins necessarily...this is more about the flavor. In fact, I think I could whip up a pretty yummy margarita using this stuff. Seriously, it is THAT good.

Officially Official Officially

I am going on an Epic European Frolic with my bff Tessa!! The ticket has been booked and the planning has commenced. I've been pinching pennies to make this journey happen and I'm kind of shocked that it is actually going to take place! We'll be staying in hostels and traveling by train so I'm sure I'll have lots to share when I get back. July can't come soon enough...

We will be starting this epic journey of awesomeness in Copenhagen, Denmark and then making our way to Berlin, Prague, Vienna, & Amsterdam. I'm also very excited because I'll get to see my cousins and aunt & uncle in the Netherlands! My cousin lives in Amsterdam and is Dutch, so we will have an inside look at the city. I visited this part of my fam (my dad's sister married my fabulous uncle...who is Dutch...HI AUNT WENDY!!) on my last trip to Europe so I'm looking forward to seeing them again.

I've been to both Berlin and Amsterdam before, but wasn't able to stay long in either place so there is still plenty for me to see. It will also be nice to have a travel companion. It is SO CHALLENGING trying to get a table in a restaurant in a foreign country when you are just one sad, lonely girl. Do I seat myself? Will they bring me a check? What does the menu say? Can I read a book at the table? Gaaahhhh just give me a beer. So yes, it will be MUCH nicer to have a travel buddy - especially someone as awesome as T-Friend.

A few scenes from my '07 trip...

Eating (or at least trying to eat) raw herring in Amsterdam. Blah!!

OKTOBERFEST!!

Probably one of my favorite cities ever. Brugge, Belgium.

My cute little room in Interlocken, Switzerland.

Seriously, I love you Switzerland. Spiez here.

The London EYE. Another bff, Kris, pictured here doing the "eye" with me, will also be joining us for part of the fun. She went to London and never left. 

Any tips or hints about the places we plan to visit?

Check It

Lookie here!!! I got tagged by HotChildInTheCity to join the "Pretty Mafia". I am SO NOT preppy by any means...well maybe a little...I did go to U of R. But I definitely dig the whole mafia thing. So, without further adieu, I give you my fantabulous answers to these very random questions.

1. Who is your style icon?
I really don't have a style icon that I look up to (I'm really not fashionable at all...nor do I really care to be...it just isn't in me!). I like to look put together, but I'm not crazy about labels, fashion, and all that jazz. I do think my bff Mandy has fabulous style though!! So she wins. 

Fabulous.

2. What is your favorite socialite lit book?
I'm not sure I really understand the question...socialite lit?? A Google search didn't even help me on this one. The closest thing on my bookshelf to preppy literature is David Sedaris. If you don't believe me, go out and buy the book "Me Talk Pretty One Day". 


3. Favorite party theme?
Any party thrown on the 400 block at U of R during the 2006-2007 school year. A few themes of note: XXX-Mas, Breaking of Spring, Tanzanian Independence Day, and Trick-or-Trashed (sorry family - that sounds much more vulgar than it really was). 

4. Go to Halloween costume?
Anything DIY. I refuse to buy a pre-made Halloween costume. BORING!! I particularly enjoy costumes that involve multiple people and parts. This past year my friends and I were ice cream flavors and sprinkles (and Deuce was the banana). Put it all together and you have a banana split. 
I will never have a go-to costume because it is mandatory for me to create a new costume each year. Talk about pressure...
HOWEVER. You really can't beat the "pillow case dress" style - anything is possible with a pillowcase.

Happy banana.

5. Extravagance you cannot live without?
Hmmm...tampons?? Ok that was gross, sorry. But really - those little lifesavers are not universally available and would be considered an extravagance to some...
Superficially speaking, I'll have to go with high quality make-up, Starbucks, & my Mac.


6. Living person you admire?
Geez, there are MANY people I admire. My friends, my family, my co-workers. Sorry, I can't just pick one so this answer is going to bore you. 


8. Trait you deplore in yourself?
I HATE that I am not a morning person. Seriously it drives me crazy that I don't jump out of bed every morning ready to run a marathon and take on the day. I just have a thing for my really cozy bed. Blah - who am I kidding? It's totally mental but I just can't break it!!!

This is how I like my mornings. 

10. Greatest Achievement?
Becoming a homeowner before my 25th birthday. Pretty standard, but it means a lot! And, of course, in a more figurative sense I am very proud of my relationships with my friends and family. 




Anything else you are dying to know?! Or did those questions and answers pretty much cover it?

March Cupcakery...in April

In case you thought I FAILED at my New Year's Resolution to bake one new cupcake recipe a month, you would be wrong. I did, in fact, bake a very delicious cupcake treat in March.

I present to you...Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes!!

Recipe and image from here.

I ended up making these amazing treats pretty late one Tuesday night. I forced myself to git-er-done before the month changed to April. Sadly I didn't take any after pics...but mine looked a little bit uglier than the image above. What can I say? I'm not a baker by any means. 

Overall the recipe was super easy and very yummy. I also tried to use as many organic ingredients as possible...so I think that made them "healthier." I also splurged on some fabulous buttercream icing from Whole Foods that I crushed some mint chocolate in to. 

Still contemplating April's recipe...and when I will have the time to make them. As you can see - life has gotten in the way of this little blog :)

A few really random updates - just in case you are wondering.

- There is an absurd amount of pollen everywhere. It is incredibly annoying and gross. And Mr. Chips keeps rolling around in it and turning green. I need to stop letting the cats outside. 

- I've been keeping up with running and hope to run the Carytown 10k faster than any other 10k I've done (which is 3 races...I need to beat an official time of 1:00:56). 

- Brian and I went up to NJ this past weekend for his brother's wedding. Fabulous time on so many levels. I actually got to hang out with his family more than I ever have since he was on Best Man duty. I can't even express to you how much fun I had (Singing Karaoke to Ginuwine was involved). 

- I planted a ton of plants in our front yard (and got an ugly sunburn in the process). I am really crossing my fingers that these babies don't die...

- There is a Europe trip in the mixing bowl to rendezvous with one of my best friends in the entire world. This REALLY needs to happen. 

Tessa. Me. Fun.

Epic time.

We've been to Hong Kong, Australia, & Mexico together (and even survived a ridiculous expedition through the snow/ice/mud/un-human-friendly-conditions in Tasmania) so I think it is time to add a wide variety of European countries to that list. 

Look out world!

Photorific!

Some delightful pics from last weekend's 10k!
Sorry the quality is sort of off...I took them from the event website.

FOCUSING on not feeling pain. 

Going crazy for the cameras. 

More jumping. No clue who the guy in purple is...

Last year's race!

Also, it has been decided that Tristan and I will be running the Carytown 10k in May. It is the day after Strawberry Hill races, which should make for an interesting run. If you don't know what Strawberry Hill is, imagine the Kentucky Derby full of country folk. And mix in some super well dressed people too. Add one part open bar and one part alumni tent and you have a recipe for fun. But not TOO much fun since we will be running bright and early the next morning at 8am. 

Ah, well, who are we kidding...we'll definitely have TOO much fun!