The Oresund Bridge gained fame from the Scandi Noir series, The Bridge. One of my favourite TV shows featuring the quirky Saga Noren. After our trip to Gothenburg we decided to head over to Copenhagen and I was very excited to take the bus which would involve driving over the bridge.
The Oresund Bridge is a combined railway and motor bridge and spans 8 kilometres between Malmo and Copenhagen. It goes through the manmade island of Peberholm, which is home to hundreds of species of animals and plants.
It takes around five hours to travel by bus from Gothenburg to Copenhagen compared to 4 1/2 hours by train. However I think you get to see more from the bus.
Do you prefer bus or train travel when travelling overland?
I thought it would be a fun idea to write an A to Z of places I’ve in the past, as travelling in the present is not an option at the moment. Also it will certainly keep me occupied during this isolation period. So here goes … A is for Alcatraz, Amundon Island, An Bang […]
I thought it would be a fun idea to write an A to Z of places I’ve in the past, as travelling in the present is not an option at the moment. Also it will certainly keep me occupied during this isolation period. So here goes …
A is for Alcatraz, Amundon Island, An Bang Beach and Athens
During our trip to USA a few years back we did the tour of Alcatraz. We were actually very lucky to go as I didn’t realise how popular this place is and I managed to book the last spot on the last day of our stay in San Francisco.
Alcatraz was an operating prison from 1934 to 1963 and was “home” to the infamous Al Capone. Before 1934 it was a US Military prison from the late 1850’s. No-one ever managed to escape from “The Rock” although many attempts were made.
It certainly looked a bleak place and no attempt has really been made to restore it, for historical purposes. There is an exhibition room there and at the time we visited was showing prisoners’ stories about why they were sentenced.
My trip to this nature island was very recent, just last year. We went to Gothenburg for three days to visit my cousin and his family. It took a while to reach the island, first a tram and then a bus, around an hour’s journey. Then at my slow pace of walking another hour of walking around the island! This island is great for snorkelling and camping, during the summer months of course!
At the start of our walk
Ominous looking clouds
My mum looking very glamorous in her Russian hat
This is where I walked the plank
🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳
An Bang Beach, Vietnam
This has to be one of my favourite beaches. Just a short drive from Hoi An town or just borrow one of the many bikes the resorts offer and cycle. When we went there were a few casual cafes along the beach, although I think it must be more built up now. If you bought a drink you could get a sun bed, not a bad deal at all! The only thing was the closeness of the beds, they were so close you had to crawl from the end of the bed. Very easy to eavesdrop on your neighbour’s conversations. The service was five star, with the staff from the cafe serving you on the beach. There was also free wifi – on the beach! Some people go to Hoi An without ever realising that there is a fantastic beach there.
🏖 🏖 🏖 🏖 🏖 🏖
Athens
Athens was one of our ports of call on a Mediterranean cruise we took a few years ago. We did the obligatory tour of the Acropolis and then wandered around Athens on our own. I first went to Athens when I was 18 when it was allowed to walk and climb over the ruins of the Acropolis. I suppose due to the wear and tear of this ancient site they have had to stop this and it is now tightly controlled by security guards, shouting and whistling at sightseers not to step out of line!
Old Temple of Athena, honouring Athena and Poseidon
Odeon of Herodes, Atticus
Propylaea, Acropolis The ancient principal entryway to the Acropolis
On our visit to England this time we decided to visit Gothenburg followed by Copenhagen. I have a cousin who lives in Gothenburg so it was a good excuse to visit. We took my mum and dad with us who are in their late eighties but still very active.
Gothenburg is the second largest city in Sweden and situated on the west coast of the country. It’s a beautiful city to visit and has many Dutch like canals and leafy avenues lined with shops, restaurants and bars. Perfect for a weekend getaway or mid-week break. Tip: Sweden is largely a cashless country as we found out very quickly! Which means that the krona my dad had changed up went mostly unspent.
We flew with Ryanair from Stanstead to Gothenburg. Now everyone knows Ryanair is a budget airline with everything do-it-yourself- apart from fly the plane. So I knew I had to check in on-line before otherwise you get charged more for doing it at the airport. There was no printer to print out boarding passes so I thought no problem, I’ll get them at the little booths at the airport. They don’t have them anymore! I had downloaded them onto my IPad, but this was where the problems started. The IPad was too big for the scanner! Well to cut a long story short and with plenty of hold ups behind us, we were almost the last on the plane. The young girl in front of me suddenly collapsed with a huge knapsack on her back against me, so I dropped everything and tried to get the backpack off her, she must have been carrying every text book she owned. So while she was being taken care of we hurried onto the plane, the last to take our seats, phew!
We were staying at the Scandic Rubinen for three nights, just enough to see some of glorious Gothenburg. We arrived fairly late in the evening so checked in quickly and had dinner at the hotel restaurant. The Rubinen is in a good location, right on Avenyn. There are shops, restaurants and bars lining the street. Within walking distance of many well known sites. There is also a rooftop bar with amazing views.
From the Roof Top Bar of the Scandic Rubinen
The Avenyn at night
Day One
After an amazing breakfast the next day, my cousin Michael came to meet us to show us some of the sights. The weather was quite dreary and grey but we were all well dressed up and not too worried.
First up was the famous statute of Poseidon. The statue was inaugurated in September 1931, by the famous sculptor Carl Milles. Standing there in all his glory, he was not at first popular with the locals. Apparently he was at first made to scale but had to be scaled down, due to certain anatomical features!
Rugged up and ready for the day
Poseidon
Next up was a walk towards the harbour, a fairly long walk for my mum and dad, but they were doing their best to keep up. We headed for the famous fish church – Feskekorka. The building resembles a neo-gothic church. There is a restaurant inside and many fish counters.
Feskekorka
Trying to blend in. I love these statutes of old fisherman
So many kinds of fish
The restaurant inside the “fish church”
Next we headed to the botanical gardens to have a wander around. As it was Autumn the trees were turning golden and looked glorious.
Autumn colours
Ready for action
Botanical gardens
One of the statues in the botanical gardens
Off to the shops
I’m wearing a raincoat that I bought in Perth just before we left. I have to say it’s been the most amazing purchase. Completely waterproof and lightweight, folds up into a small bag and has kept me dry from the most heavy downpours. It also has a massive hood so no need for an umbrella.
Photos from our walk around Gothenburg
German Church
German Church
Statue of a girl covered in fish scales
Historic bunker
Overlooking one of the many canals in Gothenburg
The German church, also called Christinae church, is located in central Gothenburg near the moat. The church was named after Gustav II Adolf’s daughter, Queen Kristina. It was inaugurated in 1748. Source: www.goteborg.com
A fantastic dinner to end our first day
Day Two Stora Amundon
Today we were off exploring one of the islands south of Gothenburg. It takes about an hour on public transport but is a fairly straightforward journey by tram and bus. My mum and dad had already gone ahead with Minna in the car so were waiting for us when we got there. I was very impressed that they had managed to walk so far. Michael had other plans for Anthony and I! A short walk around the island he said, not too hard. I’m not sure I agreed with him by the end. Up and over rocks and boulders, walking along planks and hugging rocks was not my idea of a quick hike. But it’s a beautiful island, probably better in summer though.
Autumn colours on Store Amundon
At the start of our walk
Trying to escape
My mum looking very glamorous in her Russian hat
Zara and I on some of the boulders we had to cross
Mini waterfalls
This is where I walked the plank
Ominous looking clouds
Haga
After the strenuous morning activities it was off to the ice hockey for the men and onto Haga for the girls. Haga is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Gothenburg, known for its cobblestone streets and picturesque houses. There are plenty of cute cafes and restaurants to eat and many quirky little shops. We had a lovely afternoon here and also stopped for lunch.
Cobblestone street of Haga
One of the restaurants in Haga
Beautifully presented smoked salmon salad
Antique shop
Clog shop
Zara on one of the sculptures in Haga
One of the many bakeries found in Gothenburg
Renovated 19th century houses
Residential street in Haga with a view of Skansen Kronen in the background.
We walked passed this memorial and statue on our walk back into Gothenburg. It’s a memorial of Raoul Wallenberg who is remembered for saving tens of thousands of Jewish people during WWll. He disappeared in January 1945. According to Russian news he died in a prison cell from a heart attack in 1947. Although today his death still remains a mystery.
The next day and our short visit had ended already, but not our travels! We were off to Copenhagen on a flix bus. The journey is around five hours and crosses over the famous Oresund Bridge. I’ll be writing about this in my next post!
