#omg2013

Our only night in Malmo and we were lucky enough to be there during festival season. Yay! :)  Malmo Festival was our second festival within 3 days- our first being in Gothenburg(which we had literally drove through unknowingly). As with any festival, the vibe was electric! As we walked towards center stage, the sweet smell of sugared almonds wafted through the air. I noted a blonde haired woman was on stage singing and captivating the audience, many of whom I noticed were singing and clapping along. The food stalls offered lots of mouthwatering cuisines: Chinese, Thai, Lebanese, Turkish, German, American, Japanese and Hungarian. Ironically though, there was not a Swedish menu to be found! Hahahaha. It was clear from the sheer size of the crowd that lots of people were out enjoying the last few days of summer... And when I think about it, I couldn't think of a better way to farewell summer.

Our first full day in Sweden was spent exploring the charming islands of Southern Gothenburg... and boy were we lucky with the weather! Despite a forecast of rain, we were blessed with a warm day that was perfect for  biking, hiking and chillaxing.After 15 minutes on the ferry we had arrived at our first island: Braano. Lacking a map, we chose to navigate the island by alternating who made the decision on which direction we would walk at every new intersection. Our random choices of 'right' and 'left' found us at a dock that very much reminded me of the set of Dawson's Creek. Greg & I took this opportunity to sit on a bench, enjoy a packed lunch and enjoy the serenity of the moment. I recall thinking just how grateful I was to be there...sitting on a dock and enjoying the beauty of nature with the love of my life. Simple pleasures really. I also wondered where I would be in 10 years... what would life be like then and how blessed I am to have such a nice memory to hold onto, look back on and enjoy.

Braano Island was peppered with homes, many of which had front yards and backyards that would crossover with the scrubby bush and paths that we found ourselves on. 

Before making our way to our next stop, Greg took the opportunity to pick some blackberries that were growing in abundance on this little island(that was home to 600 Swedish citizens)... and I am so glad he did. The blackberries were super sweet, plump and juicy! I would even go far as to say, the BEST blackberry I have had. Ever. Our 2 hour walking adventure on Braano Island left us keen to get off our feet and trade them in for two wheels. Luckily, the first thing we spotted on Vrango Island was a cafe that was leasing bikes to would-be-users like ourselves.

My bike was gigantic and I could not reach the floor (even if I tip-toed)... Imagine this: You are riding leisurely and are approaching an intersection. You have no choice but to stop. You panic because stopping requires one leg that you can lean on to keep the bike upright. The seat and pedals of this bike have not been custom fitted for you but rather for someone who is at least half a meter taller than you. You look for a step on the path that you can use as a ledge to balance on. You can't locate one. You realise that your only choice is to slow down and then hop off, hoping the weight of the bike won't bring you down with it. You do all this whilst holding your breath because all your concentration is on avoiding hurting yourself or anyone around you. Luckily I avoided any collision and injury. Despite some hairy moments on my mammoth two-wheeler, I loved the freedom that the bike afforded us. Once again we found ourselves near the water and enjoying the sounds of the waves lapping at the shore.

August 15 marked our first full day in Copenhagen! Back in 2004 as I watched Crown Prince Frederick kiss his new bride Princess Mary on the balcony of Amalienborg Palace, this modern fairytale romance cemented the Danish Royals as my favourite Royal family. So it was only natural that our day in Copenhagen would be spent marveling at the Royal Danish Palaces. As we entered Christiansborg Palace we were asked to slip on plastic blue coveralls for our feet. My initial thoughts were 'This should be interesting...'.

The first room to receive us was The Throne Room. The parquet floor is laid in a special pattern forming a line from the thrones to the door. This was because in earlier times, guests were not allowed to turn their backs to the monarch and thus had to walk backwards as they left- so really, having the lined pattern was actually quite practical.

This brightly coloured tapestry is one of eleven that were gifted to the Queen for her 50th birthday(or was it her 60th?). Either way, the tapestries took 10 years to complete. For me, what was remarkable about these tapestries was the use of the vibrant-almost neon coloured yarn as opposed to the usually somber and gloomy colours I am used to seeing. These wall-to-wall tapestries in The Great Hall made for a very beautiful, modern and informative display of Danish history.

Another stand out room was the library which I am sure was the inspiration for the same library in Beauty and the Beast.

Can you see the similarities? [photo credit: thedisneyprincess.tumblr.com ]

As we walked to Amalienborg Palace we passed a lock that was lined with restaurants, yachts and other hungry tourists like ourselves. Lunch could wait though! It was time to see Amalienborg Palace..

Here is a street view of two of the four palaces that make up the Queen's residence.

And here is a model version of the square...

As I read up on the history of Denmark and the Royal Family dating back to the vikings, I was struck by the presence of family photos in almost all the rooms that were once inhabited by the Kings and Queens of Denmark. It's interesting to note that Queen Margarethe(the reigning monarch) has earned the favour, love and respect of over 75% of her kingdom. My personal theory on why the Queen is so beloved is due to the fact that she is the head of a household that puts family first. This love of family is evident in every room of the rooms we visited in Amalienborg via the family portraits, the heirlooms, numerous trinkets and personal handmade gifts that were on display.

What could have been a short 20 minute walk turned into a 75 minute venture to find the famed Little Mermaid. Luckily the rain held off.

After our interlude with The Little Mermaid we journeyed back to the city center to a Danish feast of seafood, chicken, cured meats and pickles!

The Copenhagen Royal Palace trifecta: Christiansborg, Amalienborg and Rosenborg. Unfortunately we were unable to see all three palaces because the latter of the trio was closed due to our late lunch. Nevertheless we got to peruse the royal gardens and park that surrounded Rosenberg Palace. We weren't the only ones enjoying the beauty of the park! From almost anywhere in the park you could spot a family that had staked a spot on the grass with mini Danish flags and were enjoying a picnic with their family, friends and children.

As we watched the fireworks from our rooftop terrace, I reflected on the day that we had enjoyed and the importance of family, particularly as Greg & I recounted our favourite parts of our day to each other.

When I think of Amsterdam, I think of many things... Bicycles, windmills, clogs, cheese, the constant smell of marijuana in the air, sex shops, frites[hot chips]... have I mentioned bikes?! Hahahaha... My favourite part of our 3 days in this bustling city has been our interactions with the locals. Dutch people are very friendly... How many times have you hopped onto a packed[I'm talking standing room only] bendy-bus and have been greeted by the driver? The welcome was genuine, frindly and individually extended to each person that got onto the bus. Another example of Dutch kindness was in a Delifrance. The waiter had cleared the table and upon seeing Greg's empty water bottle, then offered to refill the bottle just because. I value kindness especially when it's coming from a stranger! From the get-go, the sheer busyness of Amsterdam reminded me of NYC... but with a harder edge to it! Our day started (and usually ended) at the Grand Centraal Station of Amsterdam.

On our way to the Anne Frank Huis, situated on the edge of Dam Square is New Church- the location of where The Royal Investiture took place. I confess to being fascinated with anything royal so I was giddy to find that the New Church housed an exhibition of all the Dutch Kings and Queens since Napoleon. Included in the displays was a royal history lesson detailing all the abdications and inaugurations of the past six monarchs. I loved it. Greg enjoyed reading up on the the history of the Netherlands and learning about the rise and fall of the Dutch empire.

I sneakily took a photo of the stage on which King Wilhelm-Alexander was proclaimed as the new reigning monarch.

From the New Church we made our way to the Anne Frank Huis and were met with a 2 hour queue, that simply at that point in time, was not something we were keen to do... so we made for the canals and enjoyed a leisurely 60 minute cruise. On the cruise I learned that Amsterdam's canal belt (which is only 3 metres deep) has three main canals that were built in concentric circles. The Gentleman's Canal (where the rich and famous lived once upon a time), The Emperor's Canal (which is closed during the winter to keep the ice undamaged so that the locals can skate on it) and The Prince's Canal (where the warehouses are at and is also the longest one too).

If you have read The Persimmon Tree and it's sequel Fishing for Stars by Bryce Courtenay, you would be aware that Indonesia was colonised by the Dutch.. and it is this very reason why Indonesian cuisine is quite popular in the Netherlands. Aneka Rasa provided us with a spicy yet delicious taste of Indonesian delights.

To burn off our Indonesian feast, we explored the city by foot making our way through Chinatown and the Red Light District.

Along the canals, you will find many houseboats that became popular in the late 90s/early 2000 due to the open-space living conditions afforded by the houseboats.

I found a clog that would fit my giant feet! Hahahaha... What a big shoe to fill!

On our third day in Amsterdam, Greg had booked for us to do a 4 hour bike tour of the countryside. The tour(more specifically my bike) left my behind feeling quite sore but despite this, I really enjoyed the tour. Our 4 hours was spent ticking off many things on our Amsterdam-must-see-list: a windmill, a cheese factory, a clog factory and Vondel Park. Our guide extended our tour by taking us on an extra leg that meant we got to see the site of the 1924 Olympics.

Sometime last year, Mimi recommended that if I were to go to Amsterdam, that I should make the effort to see the Anne Frank House. The 2 hour wait to get inside the musuem was worth it. As I made my way through the musuem, reading the quotes off the walls by Anne herself, the story not only felt more real but quite personal as well. Her pleas for simple freedoms, like the freedom to laugh out loud made my heart sad.