Nice

Trip: Paris > Nice > Monte Carlo > Antibes > Cannes

The dipping mercury level at Copenhagen was enough reason for me to plan my next trip down south of Europe. Hence I was standing on the massive coast of Nice in French Riviera on the first weekend of December. The beach town is small and walkable.

Morning on the beach, Nice

Naples

Trip: Copenhagen > Venice > Naples > Copenhagen

On a magical morning I was walking through narrow alleys that went up and up somewhere near the centre of the city of Naples. A fort like structure was visible now and then at the top of this city and all I wanted was to be there. Although it was foggy, I should have anticipated what I was going to witness after passing through the station of Pompei earlier that morning.

The ancient city of Pompei@Naples

Venice

Trip: Copenhagen > Venice > Naples > Copenhagen

Happy couples walking hand-in-hand or laying comfortably on long boats (gondolas) would consider this island a heaven. Venice is not for loners. Even the fascination of sauntering through congested alleys and artful bridges does not compensate for the loneliness a bachelor feels in this ancient city of romance. 

Waterbus system@Venice

Vatican City

Trip: Zugspitze > Pisa > Rome > Vatican City

Next day we went straight for the Vatican the first thing in the morning. It is half an hour tram away from the central station of Rome. We were eager to see the smallest country that sat right in the middle of a bustling city.

In front of Basilica, Vatican

Rome

Trip: Zugspitze > Pisa > Rome > Vatican City

The original idea was to cover the five points of the cross decribed in Angels & Demons. However at 3PM the three of us were only checking into a hotel room. It was walking distance from Station. We now had exactly 24 hours in Rome  By 4 we had a definite plan which was bit different from the original one. Colosseum was the closest and hence we found ourselves walking towards the grand structure in no time.

The Colosseum@Rome

Pisa

Trip: Zugspitze > Pisa > Rome > Vatican City

Its 8 AM. I am walking on a lonely street that leads to the Tower of Pisa. Something is wrong. There is a tall building few hundred metres from me that looks tilted. As I walk closer it looks as if the tilt is increasing.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Zugspitze

Trip: Zugspitze > Pisa > Rome > Vatican City

The highest point of Germany was just a stop in my journey to Rome. An early train from Munich to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and then a semi-expensive Zugspitzebahn (Cog Wheel + Ropeway: Round Trip = EUR 35; no discounts) brought me in 3 hours on top of this beautiful peak.

Zugspitzebahn@Zugspitze

Paris

Trip: Paris > Nice > Monte Carlo > Antibes > Cannes > Paris

Paris has a charm that attracts wanderers and tourists alike. While the fashion capital of Europe may prove expensive, one has little choice considering the fact that Eurotrip without Paris is inconceivable.

The Eiffel Tower@Paris

Basel

Berlin - Grindelwald - Lucerne - Basel

The last two time I was in this city I was running around. The first one was when I ventured for Trination Point only to realize that I will miss my train if I don't rush. 

Tri Nation Point, Basel 

Lucerne

Berlin - Grindelwald - Lucerne - Basel

I fell for Lucerne the moment I came out of the railway station. How many cities boast of a lake right in the middle and a station adjacent to it? Even the port was across the street with ships waiting to take you for a grand tour of Swiss Alps - the most prominent being Mount Titlis.

City Centre, Lucerne

Grindelwald

Berlin - Grindelwald - Lucerne - Basel

A Harry Potter fan would expect something magical from a town that holds the name of Grindelwald. Hence when I was asked by a fellow passenger why I am going there I simply shrugged. I had to go.

Town Centre @ Grindelwald

Berlin

• Berlin is more than the Berlin Wall. The city is big for an Indian on foot as I was so do take help of the tubes to cover the length and breadth.
• Holocaust Memorial at the centre of the city is mostly around which things happen. The good thing is that it is walking distance from the station.
• Reichstag Building and Brandenburg Gate are other major points near the station that I was able to cover by foot.

The entrance to capital of Germany was as grand as was expected - three floors of mall space was bustling with a cosmopolitan crowd - between two floors allocated to railway station.

Berlin

Jelling

They pronounce 'J' as 'Y' here in Denmark. My plan for the day was to visit the famous Runic stones, a UNESCO world heritage site at Jelling (pronounced as Yelling). One of my first excursion to Danish countryside affirmed the general opinion that indeed Denmark has a dull weather. It compliments the peacefulness that the country offers.

Runes on the rock, Jelling

Referred as the birth certificate of Denmark, these runic stones were carved by King Gorm and his son Bluetooth. I was not expecting the carvings to be comprehensible.

As the weather turned from sunny to cloudy and from still to windy within minutes, I decided to take shelter in the nearby Fakta store. Buying some bananas and a coke, I came out with little relief. The wind had slowed down. I decided to climb one of the large mounds in the area for a somewhat ariel view.

Settling at the top I finished off my bananas and coke and took  a few pictures. The stones were spread in a small area around a church which evidently has also become a graveyard.

Taking a cue from the minimal crowd present and a direct train for Copenhagen scheduled for 2.18 PM, I took leave from the revered stones and settled in the first clas compartment of DBS Tog thanks to my eurorail pass.

Oslo

Copenhagen - Bergen - Voss - Flåm - Sognefjorden - Oslo - Stockholm

The capital city of Norway was as beautiful as I had left it two days ago. The city surprised me with a cosmopolitan crowd and busy streets. I was expecting a quieter capital of the north-most Scandinavian country.

Oslo at sunset

Booking a bed in Anker Hostel which is close and affordable in a super expensive Norway, I decided to take a walk towards the Oslo Opera. Designed to attract, what I admired most was the setting sun as visible from the top of this edifice.

Den Norske Opera@Oslo

Walking back quickly as the mercury was dropping fast, I grabbed a chicken burger from McD and went back to my hostel bed before 8.

Art on the streets of Oslo

The next morning I woke up fresh and took an early leave for a walk along the banks of Akerselva. The warm sun shining above and fresh feet helped me walk a couple of miles towards the dock area.

Pleasent noon beside Akerselva@Oslo

There again I settled in cool blazing sun and ate my last of Snickers while admiring the beautiful city. My train was due at 1 PM for Copenhagen and I had to double up to catch it.

Sognefjorden

Copenhagen - Bergen - Voss - Flåm - Sognefjorden - Oslo - Stockholm

• Ferrying from Flam to Godvangen is the quickest way to cover the famous fjords of Norway.
• There are treks available on the route but one needs to stay overnight, Aurland being the biggest.
• Countryside Norway almost shuts down after the second weekend of October so plan accordingly.

The famous fjords of Norway awaited me while I was sleeping in Flåm  The next day I checked out of the hostel at 10 and started walking towards Aurland. The 5 miles walk was pleasant with lots of breaks to admire the landscape. The ferry to Godvangen was not scheduled before 3.30 PM and hence I was at leisure.

View of Flam on way to Aurland

Flåm

Copenhagen - Bergen - Voss - Flåm - Sognefjorden - Oslo - Stockholm

This blog would have less to do with Flåm and more to do with how I reached there. When I stepped out from the overnight train from Oslo to Myrdal at 4.45 AM I was in two minds. Either I wait for more than 5 hours and take the famous Flåmbana train or I walk the 15 miles to Flåm. I chose the latter.

At 7 AM I decided that it is enough light to walk on the railway track that would lead me to Flåm. 

Thanks to a local guy whom I met a couple of miles later I learned that the road to Flåm goes the other way. 

I retraced back my steps to find a huge waterfall going down a beautiful ravine just below the railway station. How the hell did I miss that?

The winning  road down to the valley was enough to convince me that I had taken the right decision. The next few hours kept surprising me with elements of nature I had only seen in wallpapers.

The seven hours of trek included hundreds of waterfalls, two tunnels, four wooden bridges, three gorges and a flowing river all along the trek.

I reached Flåm at 2 and immediately checked into the Youth Hostel. I needed a hot water bath. The hostel was beautifully placed between the river and a sky high mountain with Flåm station a couple of minutes away.

I decided to take a stroll later in the evening although my legs were still sore with the seven hour trek. The weather and view was rewarding enough and I ended up sitting at a wooden bench eating chips and drinking a hot cup of coffee.

I even trekked up the hill for a top view of Flåm  With enough pain to bear, I walked straight back to my bed and prepared for a long sleep. I was still not clear about tomorrow's plans.

Helsingor

Trip: Copenhagen > Helsingor > Copenhagen

We reached Helsingor at 4 PM. That may well be enough to tell what we were able to do there. What we managed was visit to a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a couple of miles walk in the windiest of conditions.

Kronborg for upgradation@UNESCO World Heritage site

Munich

Salzburg - Munich

Oktoberfest was the only agenda when we reached Munich  As we arrived at the famous Theresienwiese we realized we were late. The tents were closing down. The girls in bavarian dress were looking amazingly hot - not to forget they were drunk. 

It was late night and we relaxed at the station. An early morning attack was required from us to occupy a better spot in the hanger-size tents that were erected in the Theresienwiese area which is a 15 minute walk from station.

We arrived at one of the tents at 7.30 AM. We were not alone. At least 2000 people were already there making a queue while it rained. The gates opened at 8 and beer was served at 9. By 10 we were clueless as to where we are and decided to walk around. Taking a few snacks we came to ground and decided to go.

As we came on our foot, we moved quickly. The next destination was Dachau. The notorious concentration camp was a source of awe and fear during WW2. The camp was revamped for tourists and had enough reading labels to keep up occupied for a couple of hours.

Our train was scheduled at 7.30 for Copenhagen and hence we decided to take off early. 

Sitting at Munich station was also worthwhile as those girls in bavarian dress at Okcoberfest were in abundant numbers at the station also.

Salzburg

Salzburg - Munich

Salzburg is home to the world's largest ice caves and we were going there for that exact thing. It is very close to Munich and hence we decided to cover it on our Oktoberfest trip. Taking an overnight train to Munich and then another one to Salzburg we managed to reach at 12 noon. 

View from Wurfen

Zermatt

Trip: Luxembourg > Brussels > Amsterdam > Bruges > Fredrichshafen > Zermatt

My first impression of Zermatt was that it is overcrowded and expensive. The roads were narrow and I had no clue where to go first. Wisely I decided to get settled in a Youth Hostel first and then go for exploration work.

Huts @ Matterhorn trail