Scandinavialog (pics added)

[Velvet]

Scandinavialog, Stardate 072806

As I was planning my bicycle trip to Newfoundland last summer I went to a little family reunion out in the east coast. Also in attendance at the reunion was a family from Denmark, where my late grandmother is from; husband, wife, and two kids. After spending the weekend with them I was inspired, and I promised myself that if the bike trip to Newfoundland went well (and it did) that my next trip would be biking through Scandinavia.

So here I sit in Newark waiting to change planes. It seems I've been to this airport quite a few times but I still don't know where to find half-decent food. I ingested a dirty cheeseburger and now I have Wolf Blitzer narrating at me while I type in the lounge. My carry-on is one of two bright red waterproof (submersable they say, hope I don't find out) pannier bags, very expensive and newly purchased, and contained in the pannier is actual cycling stuff - quick-dry shirts and pants and socks and stuff. I actually made a point of shelling out real cash for some real gear this time; I learned my lesson in Newfoundland. Also in the pannier is my new Steamwhistle hat, courtesy of my friend Jordan. It was a bit of a crisis when I lost my last Steamwhistle hat at a concert recently, and I was pretty damn glad to get another one. Still got the same old Alphasmart 3000 though, so I can bring y'all along with me for the ride again.

I was to land in Copenhagen, Denmark at eight tomorrow morning though my flight has been delayed by at least two hours so who knows when we'll land. My plan is to reassemble my bike at the airport (it's boxed up) and ride into town, essentially bee-lining to the Carlsberg Brewery for a morning tour. That's the plan anyways, and on this trip plans are considered extremely variable.

Everybody around me is talking funny.

Edited September 10, 2006 by Guest

[Velvet]

Scandinavialog, Stardate 072906

Just as my flight was finally boarding I decided to do a quick bathroom run. As I was washing my hands I noticed on the floor one of those money belts that you wear under your clothes. I picked it up and it obviously wasn't empty. There was nobody else in the bathroom, so I opened it and found it full of US dollars, but no identification. I stood there wondering what to do, hoping that whoever lost it would come back any second. Nobody came, which was somewhat of a blessing because I felt a bit creepy just standing in the bathroom doing nothing and holding this thing in my hands, and after probably three or four minutes they called the final boarding call for my flight, so feeling quite shitty I got on the plane. I counted the money in the bathroom on the plane: $745US.

The flight itself was quite unremarkable (which is how I generally like them) except the two fifteen year old kids sitting next to me kept necking. The first movie was horrible (unless you're a fifteen year old kid I suppose) and I bailed on the second for some sleep, which was largely a failure, perhaps due in part to feeling a pending sense of doom. It's not that I'm convinced I did something wrong, but I'm certainly not sure I did something right, and it just feels like bad karma in my wallet. There certainly wasn't enough time to get to a lost & found, if there is one, and I'm not sure giving it to an employee would at all guarantee that it got to the right hands, so sat on the plane and felt shitty and doomy and imagining the horror somebody was going through.

Finally we arrived in Copenhagen, almost three hours late, and I was sleepy and hungry. I put my bike together and found a problem with the brakes, so I decided to take a cab to the nearest bike shop. They fixed the bike in ten minutes and didn't charge me a thing, so I strapped on the new panniers, attached my basket to the front and biked downtown.

My initial plan was to pitch my tent at a campground about 9kms out of town, but my recent windfall convinced me to get a cheap room. Showered and rode over to the Carlsberg Brewery, going past Tivoli on the way, one of the world's oldest amusement parks, right downtown.

The Carlsberg Brewery tour costs 40 kroner (about $8Cdn) and it's self guided. And it's more interesting than you might think. They have the world's largest collection of beer bottles, almost 14,000 and they're all full and all different, though I saw none I recognised (except Carlsberg and Tuborg of course). Did you know Carlsberg made soda pop? Right up to the early 70's I think. Anyway the tour carries on through the stables with all their big blond Danish horses, and through all the brewing processes and stuff and at the end there's a bar, where your admission ticket entitles you to two beers. I met a British couple who had a handfull of beer tickets (he was a journalist doing a story on the brewery) and drank with them until the bar closed. At 4pm. Yep, the bar at Carlsberg Brewery closes at four o'clock in the afternoon. And they don't know how to pour a draft either (I'm told that's a fairly standard problem country-wide, resulting in many more sales of bottled beer)!

With the lack of sleep and food I was pretty drunk by the time I left, and while I was on my way to see the statue of The Little Mermaid I came across a square with a live band kicking it out. The band is fronted by a pretty famous Danish rapper, and this was his first gig with his new band, and they were really good. Turned out to be the first of four bands so I stuck around and hung out drinking beers and smoking hash with these five guys in their twenties, their friend was drumming in the third band. These guys assured me I didn't need to go to Christiania to get hash, but I wanted to see it so I told them Iød be back and I hopped on my bike.

This is where the karmic kickback played it's balancing act.

Christiania (or Freetown) is several acres of land in downtown Copenhagen that held an army barracks. It was taken over by hippie squatters in the early 70's and they are still there. They pay no rent or taxes, elect their own government, and until very recently openly sold hash and pot on their streets. Winning Denmark's last election was a party that is very against Christiania, so their strategy is constant police presence, in hopes that people will find it a drag and just move out. I'm told this will never happen.

Anywho, just as I was about to enter Freetown I totally wiped out on my bike, leaving me flat on my face on the pavement. Instantly five people were on me trying to help and see if I was okay. The bike sustained little damage (though my kilometrage indicator isnøt working now), but I got pretty good road rash on both my knees and elbows, and a few bruises. With the pain I wasn't too into checking out Chrisiania after all, but I did go through it for about fifteen minutes, and to be honest I found it a wee bit creepy and/or sketchy. I went back to the square and met my new friends again, we kept on drinking and smoking and went over to somebodys place to continue drinking and smoking hash. They were rolling enormous coners but the first three inches or so was a big filter-like device made from seafoam, while I kept busy cooking BTs, a smoking method they found quite fun. We had many many shooters of this stuff called Fisherman's Friend, and yes, that's what it tasted like. Very late we went out to a bar, stopping for a shawarma along the way, and finally another bar where I told them I had to call it a night. It was probably about 5am or so when I somehow rode my bike to where I was staying, and it was no small miracle that I found it at all. Insanely tired and dramatically undernourished, I don't recall crawling into bed, but I bet I was happy.

I do recall constantly waking up and running to the kitchen to puke in the sink though - I must have vomited twelve seperate times. Another fitfull sleep to be sure.

Pretty damn good start to the trip if you ask me.

Edited September 10, 2006 by Guest

[TheGoodRev]

My god Velvet, you really are a 'Legend'. Keep it coming.

[Velvet]

Scandinavialog, Stardate 073006

At 11:30 this morning the guy I was renting the room from walked right into my room. "Sorry, I thought you were gone." I was very hungover and coulda slept all day. I showered and packed up (discovering in the process that I somehow lost my Steamwistle hat on my first night), and when I left I rode away fast; I didn't want the guy to discover my road rash blood stains on his sheets and come down yelling at me about that and the fact that I spent the night puking in his kitchen sink. Plus who knows how loud and disorderly I was when I got in?

Feeling like absolute hell I drove out to see the little statue of the Little Mermaid, which was just as disappointing as it sounds.

I tried to find a bike repair shop (which is easy as they're everywhere) that was open (which was impossible as it's Sunday) and something that I could stomach eating. I actually entered two restaurants and left because I was quite sure I couldn't make it through the meal. I found a pizza/burger joint and ordered a cheeseburger. Are you sitting down? I ate three bites and left it - I just couldn't eat. So, around 2pm I found the road outta town and headed west.

I really wanna get a map of Denmark that includes the bike paths so in the town of Rokskilde I searched for about an hour for the info booth, which is of course closed on Sundays.

Mercifully what I heard about Denmark was true; it's flat, no hills whatsoever. Unfortunately the wind was in my face all day. I don't know how slow I was going, but it was slow. It was almost 4pm when I finally found a nice spot to smoke a joint.

Feeling like hell and with absolutely no energy, malnourished to the point of collapse and in considerable discomfort due to road rash I laboured every kilometre and found a campground about 50kms outside of Copenhagen and pitched my tent. I bought some bread and a chocolate bar and had a peanut butter sandwich. Showered and feeling slightly human, here I am. It's 9:30 and I'm turning in. I suspect I will sleep at least twelve or thirteen hours, and tomorrow I must make it all the way to Odense where I hope my relatives are expecting me.

[Gateaux]

Excellent Todd, keep em coming.

[ollie]

Thanks Todd. These are great! Keep 'em coming.

[bouche]

yes...i love reading how you torture yourself with booze

[shainhouse]

enjoy my friend... Kobenhavn is gorgeous.

[Ms.Huxtable]

Thanks for keeping us up-to-date Todd. Have fun!

[hamilton]

Feeling like absolute hell I drove out to see the little statue of the Little Mermaid, which was just as disappointing as it sounds.

It's a hell of a lot smaller than everyone expects it to be.

If you're back in Copenhagen before you return home, be sure to check out Nyhaven. It's the old sailors' part of town, with lots of interesting restaurants and tatoo parlours and whatnot. If I recall, there are also many old-style tall ships there, too.

[Groove Fetish]

so rare that I add my two cents...anyway here it is again making an appearance.....

I happen to spend almost two years living in Amsterdam going to the same school the Shainhouse is (a few years ago though ) and I meet great people form all over the world- it was a place that did in fact attract a certain unique soul. But truly the Danes were all amongst the most unique, fun loving and fine individuals I had the chance the meet. They knew how to party, laugh, drink, eat- they had a real appetite for life. I am glad to have met them.

I am sure that you’ll enjoy the people as much as the land and it’s rich history. Velvet- absolutely thanks so much for sharing, and so eloquently too!

Tk/gf

[Booche]

These logs would be better if you were a broad.

Hehehehehe.............

[Baj]

you gotta do something big with the money

huge bender your last night

[phorbesie]

hehe, wow, nice start to the trip! and here i was worried that nothing interesting might happen in the first couple of days!!

take care you

[phorbesie]

just so you know, i think it's spelled Scandinavia.

[Velvet]

Scandinavialog, Stardate 073106

It rained like crazy all night. I stayed down for about twelve hours but I was constantly awakened by the sound of rain on tent and kept awake with concern over what I would do if it was still pouring when I woke up. Luckily by the time I rolled outta bed it was a nice day. Cooked myself a little breakfast and headed off.

I thought it was windy yesterday! There was easily a 25km/h wind aimed straight at me the entire day today. It really takes a toll on a fella, especially combined with the soreness and sleepiness. Whatever, you can't do anything about the wind, so off I went towards Odense (pronounced Ownsa). One thing you can do is take lots of breaks and that's just what I did. It's nice that every fifteen kilometres or so is a pretty little town, and the bike paths generally go right through them. Cobblestone streets and cool architecture and nice churches and lotsa shops and such. I found a nice little lake somewhere between Ringsted and Korser and I laid there for about an hour, almost napping the whole time.

Denmark is divided into three main chunks, Jutland, Fyn, and Sjælland, and between Sjælland (where I woke up) and Fyn (where I'm headed) there's a huge bridge, like 25kms across or so, and you are not allowed to cycle on the bridge, you have to throw your bike on the train. I inquired about taking the train just to the other side of the bridge (about $53 with the bike) and to go all the way to Odense was only $5 more so I took it.

I called my relatives from the train station and they came and picked me up. It seems since I met them a little over a year ago the father (my second cousin) has died, so here I am at their house, my second cousin by marraige and her two kids (about 15 and 16). A tenuous connection indeed.

I ate a piece of bread with cream cheese on it and drank wine all nite. It was difficult because I was feeling very weird the whole time. In the four days since I've left I have eaten the following: one airplane meal, one shawarma that got puked back up, three bites of a cheeseburger, two chocolate bars, one hot cereal, two pieces of bread with peanut butter, and now a piece of bread with cream cheese. Combine that with some very broken sleep and I wasn't at my best.

Dizzy and shaky, I went to bed at midnight hoping for a good rest.

Oh, and I fixed my speedometer! Today's stats:

Time: 3:46.14

Average speed: 17.3 (betcha it woulda been double if I or the wind was going the other way)

Distance: 65.14

Top speed: 40

Total distance: 110 (this is an estimate as my device wasn't working the first day. Copenhagen - Odense is 165kms, minus about 55kms on the train)

[peipunk]

All of Todd's logs should be bound into a single volume called "Velvet Drinks The World".....I know I'd buy it.

[Velvet]

Scandinavialog, Stardate 080106

I managed to stay in bed for about twelve hours last night, but again it was a tricky sleep. Problem is how early the damn sun comes up 'round here! The sun sets around 10:30 and comes up again before 5am, and I suppose the farther north I travel the worse it's gonna get.

My youngest cousin took me around the shops near their house. I needed camp fuel (couldn't find the right kind) and a hat (found two - one was $60 and the other said New York on it - I will look again tomorrow), and we went into a remarkably well-stocked music store. Eventually her mom (Lissi) came home and we went out to Lissi's mom's summer house, about 25kms from here on the sea.

It was a beautiful location and a nice little cottage. The area has 167 cottages, always has and no more are allowed. Also, they are all tiny (maybe 15'x20' max) and if you rebuild you cannot make the cottage bigger than it was previously. Pretty awesome rulage if you ask me. Had a few Odense lagers (there is an absurd amount of local breweries in Denmark; Copenhagen alone used to have over 400 breweries) and then I was taken out to dinner.

I started with a local brown ale and a cheese plate sampler, with four local cheeses and some carmelised walnuts and celery, and for my main I had chicken breast and leg (the leg had all bone and grisle miraculaously removed) in a honey gravy, potatoes, cabbage soaked in something that made me like cabbage, and onion quiche. It was an unholy amount of yum, and a whole lot of nutrition that I sorely needed.

Lissi took me on a nice drive through the countryside. We saw several old villages and a couple of castles, and we drove through the oldest settlement in Denmark. The roads are all one-lane yet hold (sparse) two-way traffic, and at one point we came across a huge downed tree blocking the road ('twas a bit stormy out). As we were attempting to turn around we saw a tractor headed our way. He made short work clearing the tree outta the way, and I asked if he was a government worker and was told no, he worked for the castle, and the people that lived in the castle took care of all this kind of stuff in the area. Very olde-school.

Anyway back home we pored over photo albums and trinkets and I even saw my grandmothers immigration papers (she landed in Halifax on Christmas day at age 14), and I found out when she arrived the immigration guy changed her last name from Kock to Koch. Prude. I also found out I had been misinformed; my grandmother did not have a brother named Harry Kock. She had an uncle named Harry Kock.

I was thinking of leaving in the morning but they seem to have made so many plans for me I'd feel like a jerk not sticking around for another night, so I guess I will.

[Baj]

I love these...thanks

[voodoolady]

Awesome Todd!

Love reading your logs!

[CatPhish]

When I read your logs I kinda feel like a minature version of me is traveling in your shirt pocket.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

well i guess that explains the mysterious bruising and why you seem to smell of booze all the time, catphishy

[bouche]

The sun sets around 10:30 and comes up again before 5am, and I suppose the farther north I travel the worse it's gonna get.

I don't think you need to worry about hat unless you're travelling east. The sun rises from the east and sets in the west.

I also found out I had been misinformed; my grandmother did not have a brother named Harry Kock. She had an uncle named Harry Kock.

That's gold

[Ms.Huxtable]

Glad to hear you're eating again Todd. Thanks for the updates.

Catphish!! Nice to see you! I miss looking at your shirt pockets. Hope you're well.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

She had an uncle named Harry Kock

don't we all? :crazy: