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I Am A Polar Bear

Travel, adventure & wellness with plenty of snow

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Tag: Backpacking Denmark (2012)

Backpacking Denmark: 48 Hours in Aalborg | iamapolarbear.com

Backpacking Denmark: 48 hours in Aalborg

September 24, 2020

And so to the conclusion! Having left Odense in the last post, I was now on my way to Aalborg, one of, if not the, northernmost cities in Denmark. I’ll spare you the woes of engineering works and rail replacement buses and unexpected extra changes. I won’t spare you spending the last hour watching Mission … More Backpacking Denmark: 48 hours in Aalborg

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Backpacking Denmark: 24 Hours in Odense | iamapolarbear.com

Backpacking Denmark: 24 hours in Odense

September 21, 2020

When I left this story, I was just getting on a train bound for Odense, my second Danish backpacking destination. It runs anywhere between 1 hour 11 minutes and 1 hour, depending on whether it’s the express or a stopping service. Eight years on, I have no idea which one I jumped on. What I … More Backpacking Denmark: 24 hours in Odense

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Backpacking Denmark: 48 hours in Copenhagen | iamapolarbear.com

Backpacking Denmark: 48 hours in Copenhagen

September 10, 2020

I’ve tried writing about my mini backpacking trip to Copenhagen, Odense & Aalborg before and somehow it just won’t come out right. So I’m going to have another go. Consider this part one of a trilogy covering my 6 day epic adventure. Welcome to Copenhagen. It was 2012 and Her Majesty was having an extra … More Backpacking Denmark: 48 hours in Copenhagen

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Who am I?
I'm Julie, a travel, adventure and wellness blogger. I love Iceland, I love jumping into hot water and I do love a bit of snow.

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I didn’t have the library on my to-do list for Birmingham but it turns out it has a great terrace for views over the square below, the research/academic library is pretty spectacular and while the normal-person fiction library downstairs is nothing very interesting to look at, it has comfortable seats in the dry and the warm and has wifi. #birmingham #libraries While my purpose in Birmingham was Rock Choir Live and my second purpose was the famous Frankfurt Christmas Market, I also had plenty of time to get to know Birmingham a bit. A particular highlight was the work of local boy Edward Burnes-Jones and William Morris in the spectacular windows of the cathedral, the Birmingham Bifröst which helped me find my way home in the evenings and a glimpse of one of the “more than Venice” canals that you don’t see in the area between New Street Station and the cathedral. #birmingham In yet another “you should be doing more with your weekend”, I spent the weekend in Birmingham two weeks ago. The main purpose was to see Rock Choir Live’s big Christmas party (featuring special guests Emili Sandé, Sam Ryder & Russell Watson, plus the legend Pat Sharp’s DJ set to get things started). The journey home from Spa was slowed down by engineering work, requiring a rail replacement bus to Pepinster where I had to wait for half an hour, a local train to Liège, long distance train ultimately to Ostende but to Brussels Midi for me, Eurostar to London and finally a South Western Railways train overdue some important maintenance back to Southampton. When in Belgium, eat waffles! Just in case there was any doubt about mineral waters in Spa… Thermes de Spa is lovely inside - although it’s much smaller, I think I prefer it to Therme Bucureşti - but the outside leaves a bit to be desired. The back is lovely, what with that huge glass wall overlooking the town. It’s just a shame about the barbed wire that keeps walkers out of the water. I know I’ve been to other pools with views and they haven’t had to resort to barbed wire. On the other hand, the front has something of a red brick 60s comprehensive about it rather than the welcoming facade of somewhere that’s about to transport you to a world of relaxation. Honestly, the difference between the outside and inside is astounding. Do go (when the funicular is running) but maybe don’t linger for selfies outside. #thermesdespa #belgium The spa at Spa is perched on top of a hill, accessed by foot via a funicular railway from the town centre, a 2-minute ride up 84m of ascent. Except when I was there, the funicular was broken and I started my lovely relaxing spa day with a very non-relaxing 1.3km hike up those 84m through the woods, which were unlit and very uneven under foot, although I only really realised that on the way back down. Because back in the summer I thought I wasn’t doing enough with my weekends, I thought I’d do a little train adventure to Spa in Belgium to try out the spa that named (or at least shares its name) with all spas. However, I built in so much time for late trains that it took about fourteen hours to get to Spa from Southampton Airport via delightfully Gothic St Pancras, genuinely chocolate-scented Brussels-Midi, a double-decker packed in with Cub Scouts to Verviers before finally arriving at Spa at 8.30pm. It was an adventure but as I realised by Sunday evening, it was the wrong proportion of travel to time in destination.

About Julie

I’m a blogger, adventurer, lover of hot water, amateur paddler and polar bear who wilts in hot weather.

Time (by day, I’m a researcher) and funds keep me within Europe and I make regular trips up to the north, especially to Iceland. I like the occasional adventure across Europe by train and I’m starting to make use of my weekends for 48-hour adventures.

This isn’t my only creative outlet – I’ve written two travelogues with a third and fourth being (not to much) written simultaneously right now.

Blog at WordPress.com.
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