Scandinavia – Paris

The fire alarm woke me up in the dead of night at a hotel in Oslo. I was thinking of whether to change into trousers or not. I should have run away immediately, but I worried about freezing cold. Hotel guests evacuated at -15°C and some were almost undressed. At last, it was a minor fire, so I went back to my room after 30 min. Slightly sleep deprived, I enjoyed strolling on the lightly snow-covered streets and a tasty meatball; then, took a train to Sweden.

BTW, the air was crisp despite the city, so I felt refreshed. *27/12/14

I had booked the Central Hotel in Stockholm before the trip, but I forgot the map. It took 30 minutes to find the hotel, though I passed by it often without noticing it. Happily, it was my kind of intimate hotel and I was highly satisfied with the breakfast as there was a wide variety of choices. Then, I went around sites including Gamla Stan. It was winter scenery with snow, and I got excited.

BTW, I’d like to live in such a peaceful city. It wasn’t easy to describe the loveliness verbally, though. *28/12/14

I stayed a night in a converted cruise ship in Gothenburg. Blue trams run everywhere. I like trams very much, so I was happy to take a lot of photos. Next, I got a ferry to cross the Öresund Strait from Helsingborg. Once in Denmark, I had a problem. I didn’t have Danish Krone and I couldn’t find any exchange and ATMs. At last, my 3rd credit card was accepted by a ticket machine and I reached Copenhagen. Danes always seem to habitually pay with e-money.

BTW, stn toilets non-gender-segregated are reasonable. *29/12/14

Copenhagen was more bustling than I thought, whereas Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm were peaceful. I stayed for three days there without travelling. That was a real kickback for me. And, I enjoyed chilling out by looking for cute novelty items. Moreover, the last day was New Year Eve, so I could see fireworks at midnight. I usually stay away from crowds, but I was on cloud nine with everyone while travelling abroad.

BTW, winter is the best for travel in Scand. *30-31/12/14

My train to Germany got directly into a ferry to cross the strait called the Femern Bælt. Of course, rails lay in a ferry and its carry railway vehicle and passengers, so they don’t need to change trains. As this route will be taken off within a few years, it was a precious experience for me. After leaving the ferry, my train entered Germany. I got off in Lübeck for sightseeing. Finally, I reached Hamburg with its cool station building.

BTW, I’m psyched to get a night train every time. *1/1/15

I took a night train at Hamburg. The trembling of the train and the clickety‐clack sounds were comfortable for me to sleep. I can sleep well anywhere. I woke up at 4am and changed trains in Karlsruhe and Mannheim. I just woke up, so frequent transfers are tough. Finally, I got to the desired destination in Paris. It didn’t feel as if it had been a long time, because the last time I went to Paris was 2013. I even stayed in Montparnasse – the same place as before.

BTW, Paris is an irreplaceable, wonderful city. *2/1/15

It sounds cliche, but I went to typical sites again. I had breakfast at La Rotonde. I had omelette for lunch at Le Rouquet. I had galette for dinner at Creperie du Manoir Breton. This restaurant attracts more locals than tourists. As you know, I love to take pictures. I also love Paris as it has a lot of instagramable spots there. I went to Passy to photo La tour Eiffel with métro running on the Le Pont de Bir-Hakeim. I also made a little side trip to visit Chartres cathedral.

BTW, I enjoyed common days in amazing Paris. *3-4/1/15