Mermaids, Mates and Mamma's Potatoes!

View from my room!

I write today from Cairo, Egypt – a country with evidence of human inhabitation dating back to the 10^th millennium BC, home to the famous Great Pyramids, Sphinx, River Nile, and The Valley of the Kings, and a country so recognisable it even has its own dance-move!!! However, even while surrounded by such rich history, and so many of the most iconic tourist attractions the world has to offer, it is in fact another aspect of Egypt which is more prevalent in my mind today – street food! It turns out my sensational dinner last night of Eggplant Baba Ghanoush, Arabic Bread, Ful Medames, Mahshi, Tahini, Molokhia, Pickled Chillies and a Fresh Salad (no doubt washed in the pristine waters of the Nile!) wasn’t in fact the best decision I have made on my travels. I’m not sure if it was the food, the water it was washed in, or the street vendors stall which very much resembled a portable public toilet block, with exposed plumbing, and a small gas stove on which my meal was cooked – but somewhere along the way the meal decided it didn’t really want to get along with my insides. However, while I lie on my bed in what I would like to rate as moderate-to-severe discomfort, and my guts feel more twisted and knotted than Tutankhamun’s bandages, it does give me an opportunity to catch up on my next blog!!! I’m sure the Egyptians have a God we can thank for that.

Strategically avoiding all clean up duties from the super successful Independence Day party, it was time to leave Germany behind, and I was on my way to Denmark. In a completely sober, well-rested state, the journey to Copenhagen would have been a lovely one. The train was comfortable and the journey fairly picturesque, and there was even the excitement of the train driving onto a ferry, which takes it across the Baltic Sea to Robdyhavn, while the passengers get to go upstairs and enjoy the gentle rocking of the boat, and the stuffy conditions inside. Understandably, I didn’t fit the ‘completely sober, well-rested’ category, and it was a journey I don’t think I really got the most out of!

Copenhagen

Arriving in Copenhagen, I set out to conquer the suburbs on my own in search of Eric – a Polish guy, living and working in Denmark, and my host for the next couple of nights. Eric lives in a big, bright yellow, old suburban home, with two housemates, and a constant supply of CouchSurfers coming through the door. He works at a local flower market, travels in his spare time, and has a mighty collection of English sayings which he uses in everyday conversation, which never ceased to crack me up (Top of the morning to you Gov’ner!). I was actually the second ‘James from Australia’ staying the night, and after a bit of a nanna-nap in the afternoon, Eric and his housemate took the two Aussie James’ out to see the sights of Copenhagen.

Visiting Mary & Fred

Copenhagen is the largest city, and capital of Denmark, with a metropolitan population just under two million. The country is made up of three main islands (and over one hundred others!), and Copenhagen lies on Zealand (the old one, not the New!), about 20km off the coast of neighbouring Sweden. As I found out quite quickly, it’s a ridiculously expensive city, with a single journey bus ticket costing around $6 AUD, and my beloved cappuccino setting me back around the same. The city (and country) have had a relatively wealthy history, as powerful all-conquering Vikings in the Middle Ages, and then as tax-collectors for the high-traffic waters surrounding the country. Of course, its central European location, position on the main trade routes between the US and Europe, and its past ownership of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands have seen Denmark go through more wars and battles than I can even begin to count, however today the Danish people live a much wealthier and much more comfortable existence than the majority of countries I have visited this trip. And I had no intention not to enjoy the lifestyle while it was available!

I spent my first two nights in Denmark with Eric, exploring the city, the Christiania district, the impressive harbor on which the city is built, and of course the famous statue of The Little Mermaid. Eliza (who somehow still hadn’t had enough of me!) flew in to join me on my third night, and with Eric we headed out to a small amusement park near the seaside, where we spent the night on rickety rollercoasters, rides, and washing it all down with the local Danish beer, before walking back to the train station surrounded by wild deer – a real Danish experience!

Heading off the next day, Eliza and I made our way to Odense, to meet Helene – a lady I met in a youth hostel in Mumbai, and who made the mistake of mentioning I should come and stay with her once I reached Denmark. Of course, I followed through. Helene’s son Christian was home while we were in town, and along with dog Viktor, we managed to all squeeze into her small flat, and were absolutely spoilt rotten for the next four days! Helene seems to have studied Portion Control at the James School of Catering, and every meal was an absolute feast! Eliza and I ate until our sides were ready to split, with great Danish meat, salads and Mamma’s Potatoes at every meal, and an ice-cream on our first day that may have actually been larger than my entire stomach!

Odense is a small city on Denmark’s central island, Funen, and is a great size to explore and adventure in on bike. We had an great couple of days exploring the town, learning about the life and works of Odense’s Hans Christian Anderson, and taking Viktor for countless walks around the block – it’s amazing how nice it is to do the mundane things in life when you’ve been away from home for so long! The city is obviously immensely proud of its famous author, to the point where even the pedestrian lights are shaped in the silhouette of H.C. Anderson!

On our last day with Helene, we were invited along to the Green Concert music festival, which while we didn’t understand a word said or sung, was a great afternoon out, and a thoroughly enjoyable people-watching experience. The festival was held on a huge sports field, with a major stage at either end, and a bungee setup with kept us entertained, as the drunk and dehydrated revelers decided it would be a good idea to mix the contents of their stomachs while hanging upside down. Unlike how I imagine music festivals in Australia to be (I’ve never been to one…), the festival was very much a family day out, with young children and grandparents all joining in on the fun, as the more typical aged attendees got absolutely cakeholed off their faces. It was a sensational day out, with Helene’s friend Torkil inviting us around for drinks at his place in the morning, and friends Tina and Jacob demonstrating a much appreciated real Danish BBQ lunch!!!

Up early the next day, it was time to say goodbye to Helene, Christian and Viktor, and Eliza and I were off in search of yet more adventure in Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus.