Tag: Amsterdam

Des Lille Havrue

Tent set up, I was back on the bike, and off in search of a bar to watch the European championships, England were already a goal down against Slovakia, and at risk of going out, so it seemed like some unmissable drama might unfold! Having only caught the last half hour, I was pleased when the game was forced into extra time by Jude Bellingham’s sensational last gasp equaliser, quickly ordering myself a Philly Cheesesteak, to accompany an enjoyable locally-brewed Yakima IPA, whilst watching extra time.

After a restless night, largely spent regretting my decision to bring a lightweight 2-season sleeping bag, I finally made my way out and about for the day – I was allowing myself one day of sight-seeing before getting underway, so planned on having a quick cycle around the centre of Copenhagen before jumping on the train over the Oresund Bridge to Malmo, in Sweden.

Hitting the cycle paths once more, I made for the coast, and Copenhagen’s most iconic sight, Des Lille Havrue, Edvard Eriksen’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ sculpture – whose diminutive size didn’t stop the tourist hoards visiting en masse, although it has been pointed out to me that singing crabs might make it more appealing…

Continuing inland along the side of the harbour, I noted that the word for harbour was havn, aligning closely with the name of the city, København, and also prompting the belated realisation that an Icelandic town in which I’d stayed, Höfn, was also derived from their local word for harbour.

Passing the sorry looking remains of the Borsen building, and noticing the clear path to reconstruction that was underway, I was relieved to see that not all countries treat their culturally significant buildings with total disrespect. I’d like to think that funding to restore Glasgow’s Mackintosh Art School building might be sourced eventually…

Hopping onto the train, I was quickly (and smoothly) whisked across Oresund on ‘The Bridge’ and in ‘The Tunnel’(?). I didn’t really expect to see much difference between two Scandinavian cities so close together, but I was wrong. Copenhagen had felt like a significant capital city and major tourist hub, whilst the Malmo Dock-side felt like a low-key backwater – the end of a land-mass, which I guess it was.

After enjoying a leisurely stroll around the bustling town centre, and a ‘pizza donut’, I made my way back to the train, ruing having left my phone adapter on my bike at Copenhagen station: my power bank was fully depleted and my phone was at 2%, when I returned to Danish soil once more.

The final order of business for the day was to scale the external spiral staircase of the Church of Our Saviour, but the ticket for that was on my phone, so after an extended visit to McDonald’s for some sustenance, and more importantly a power boost, I rushed over to the church, well after my allotted slot, and just in time for closing, but thankfully I was permitted access, and, making short work of the 400 steps of the tower – both inside and out – I was blessed by some stunning views.

Are you ready for another adventure?

Am I ready for another adventure is perhaps the more pertinent question…

Before I’d left work on Friday I was asked where I was going on holiday, and for once I was at a loss. I was just about to start two weeks of annual leave, and I currently had nothing planned. What I did know was that – having looked at the forecast – staying at home would likely begin with good intentions to cram in all number of hillwalking and cycling trips, and end with me watching Wimbledon while looking forlornly out of the window at the rain.

But, having successfully completed challenging and logistically stressful tours in Iceland and Jordan in 2023 and backed those trips up by visiting Egypt earlier this year, my mental stamina was feeling somewhat depleted, and I was keen to not have to worry about flying home with my bike on this occasion.

So, the hunt was on to find a flight to somewhere that would be within range – after two weeks of cycling – of a ferry back to the UK, and preferably in a country I’d never been to before. Copenhagen was looking like a strong contender, and, when I mentioned my plan to the sales assistant in Halfords – while picking up some bike supplies – and he said that he loved Copenhagen, that he’d been before, and was going back in a couple of months, that was good enough for me.

Then, when he told me that Malmo in Sweden was only half an hour away by train, and I could add a second new country into the equation, that was the deal sealed completely!