Denmark and Northern Germany Winter Trip: My Lazy Bullet Point (but Photo Rich!) Travel Log

Welcome! I had every intention of changing my bullet point travel log into a nicely written travel log, but I'm working on bigger things that will bring so much more benefit to the Storied Recipe community than this little travel post.

However, if you have any questions about the trip, feel free to email me at becky @ thestoriedrecipe.com!!!

December 13th - 14th: One Very Long Day from Baltimore -> Schwerin, Germany

• My brother arrived to take us to the airport as I was still pulling plants down to be watered 🙂
• I never sleep on flights, but I have a rule for myself that I rest with my eyes closed - no onflight entertainment for me. Just helps me keep my nervous system calm.
• Arrived tired, predictably, but so excited to see Jack! I also always keep a little travel toothbrush/paste and a little face cleaner in my backpack so I can wash my face, brush my teeth, and trick myself - at least for a moment - into thinking that I just woke up. 
• Drove for a couple of hours - very gray, very rainy, very dark - until we arrived in Schwerin for our very first taste of a Christmas Market… which was more magical than expected. I’ll let the images speak for themselves.
• My sister-in-law asked us to look for a life-sized Weihnachtspyramide and we were thrilled we found one!
• The shocker was the massive castle that we never expected to see. We paid a few euros to walk into the courtyard and drink some steaming punch together.
• Finally, we collapsed into bed (or, in the case of John and me, a pull-out sofa) in our AirBnb. 

Sunday, 12/15: Old Town Lubeck -> Flensburg

• Slept in and at breakfast we bought at an Arab grocery store the night before. Especially all appreciated showers. 
• Drove a few hours to Lübeck’s Old Town Aldstat is on an island completely surrounded by water. Unesco’s largest world heritage site in Germany, as well as (arguably) the marzipan capital of the world. 
• Felt overwhelmed by immediately diving into another Christmas market (they open at 11am in Germany!) and the church I really wanted to see was closed. (Marienkirche St. Mary’s Church is the third largest church in Germany and was also impacted by the air raids in 1942… One of the more interesting remnants of the air raids are the church bells, which crashed to the ground during the bombing and which have remained where they landed ever since. I was rather moved standing and looking into the small chapel area, taking in the destroyed bells and the broken bricks from where they smashed into the ground.)
• Decided instead to walk around the perimeter of the island instead (the harbor). We found a ship that invited us to come on and tour - so we did! Talked to the sailor and learned so much - including one tidbit that would help us understand the rest of the trip. He and his wife had recently sailed on their own from that harbor in Lubeck to the capital of Scotland (what’s that called?), and it took…. Only 3 days. More on this later.
• Of course we had to buy some marzipan. There is something SO special about European candy shops. Really couldn’t capture it in the photos.
• Also walked through the many Christmas markets and ate some delicious potato fritters. 
• Went to a beautiful church which was hosting a Christmas concert. We paid for tickets and went in and were sorely, sorely disappointed. It was modern, depressing, and the playing was totally flat. Honestly, it was the exact opposite of a Christmas spirit. But! Nicholas got in a rejeuvenating nap on the church pew, we shared a good laugh, and we ate a delicious, casual dinner at a cozy Doner Kabob shop.

Monday, 12/16: The Lego House in Billund, Denmark

• Grabbed groceries in Germany, according to plan, because they are so cheap! Lots of fruits and vegetables, bread, cheese, salami, and spreads. 
• Headed off for the big surprise! - The Lego House in Billund, Denmark. 
• It was amazing! Hugely interactive and inspiring. Just relaxed, fun, creative time. 

Still 12/16: Christmas Market in Viborg

• Afterwards, we drove to Viborg, one of the older capitals of Denmark and went to the Christmas market. This one was John’s favorite!
• Christmas markets in Denmark were, in general, smaller but more designed and styled than German markets.
• Duck sandwiches and the *most amazing* donut/chocolate/gingerbread/marshmallow dessert!
• The sheer number of lights, not just in the markets themselves, but all around the towns, was so far beyond anything I’d seen in the US - and so incredibly tasteful!!!

Tuesday 12/17: The Five Halder Trail in Viborg

• Amazing day to explore Viborg - The Five Halder Trail. Maybe the history was a little underwhelming, but it was beautiful. Our first sight of the sun since we left the US and we somehow turned a 45 minute walk into about 3 hours of climbing, jumping, exploring, taking photos, soaking up the sun, talking, and laughing. 
• Denmark is a country of 400 island, plus lakes, streams, and rivers everywhere, which means there is just water all over, all the time. The peacefulness of this little lake and the marshlands were definitely what caused us to linger that morning. 

Still Tuesday, 12/17: Viborg Cathedral + Old Town

• Afternoon went to Viborg Cathedral. Amazed by the access they gave us - right up to the altar, underneath to the (what’s the word??) chapel and graves, everywhere. Jack got a map in the cathedral and led us on a tour of the rest of the city - really interesting and cool, but also super casual and we were all in a bit of a silly mood. Joshua and Nicholas just threw berries at each other for a few hours. 
• Drove to Skagen, a tiny little town on the northernmost point of Denmark. Too tiny for a weeknight Christmas market, so we ate at the only restaurant open. More than we like to spend, but an adorable little spot, decorated in the warm and calming Scandinaavian style, with plenty of Christmas touches. 

Wednesday 12/18: Grenen, Where the North Sea Meets the Baltic

• The day started inauspiciously. Stayed in the world’s tiniest cabin (slept great anyhow) and when we woke up, all of the previous day’s sun had completely disappeared. It was so dark, windy, and rainy. We had only outdoor activities planned, and as we drove to the tip of the island with showers pouring down around us and trucks splashing buckets of rain into the windshield, I just couldn’t shake my heavy mood. 
• We got out of the car in an empty parking lot and the wind was (what’s a good word). 
• Something shifted as soon as we started to walk - the wind, the color palette, the history - it just felt like we were experiencing this beach the way it was supposed to be experienced. 
• Made it to the tip as the rain picked up again, saw sea lion. John and Jack bravely waded in until one foot was in each sea.
• Although we were cold, we couldn’t bring ourselves to hurry back. Something magical about the place that even now, in reflection, I can’t put my finger on.

Still Wednesday, 12/18 - Trodelskoven

• Next up was Trodelskoven, or the "troll forest", and I felt it must be a terrible idea after our cold and wet morning. 
• But Marcus wisely reminded us, “We never regret a hike” and his words were proven so right!
• Really was a troll forest and you easily could have convinced me that Kristoff and Sven were going to show up any moment 🙂 
• No pictures of the evening, but probably the biggest surprise of the trip. A very long drive to Odense, so we decided to stop in aarhus, one of the biggest cities. Despite some traffic, we made it to the center. I didn’t want to have my camera out in the rain anymore and I just… didnt want to wear my camera, period, so I left it behind. 
• The Christmas market was lame and mostly shopping, so we left for… McDonalds. I’m not ashamed to say it - I needed a Big Mac and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
• We got hot chocolate and walked the town which was my very, very favorite of all we visited!!! Full of canals and bridges, buildings old and new, impeccable designs, and so many white lights everywhere, it was like daylight.
• Our moods were so light and happy, there was something delightful to see everywhere we looked, and it really was a magical evening.
• You’ll have to take my word for it because I didn’t bring my camera 🙂

Thursday 12/19: Hans Christian Anderson Museum

• Again, it was a bit of a battle to wake in the rain. Something about the darkness in Denmark is… darker than the darkness here. I mean, the whole day can go by and almost never lighten up.
• However, i was excited for all the stops and we headed out to the Hans Christian Anderson Museum, which was both nothing like I expected and also way better than I expected. 
• Thought it was going to be in the model of my own views of a fairy tale - cute, you know?
• But instead, the visuals of the display were the opposite of all I expected - they were minimal, spacious, clever, shadowy. It was (surprisingly, but shouldn’t have been) very Scandinavian - and that gave me so much insight into his work that I had never been exposed to before.
• I was incredibly impressed with the way the audio “tour” integrated so seamlessly with the display. As we moved around, it picked up on where we were and added narration, yes, but also theatrical elements. 
• The information presented was thorough, but also a lot more nuanced than I normally experience in tours. It was, at times, sympathetic to HCA, but it was also funny, ironic, and a little biting at times, and full of pathos. There were also interactive exhibits featuring his most recognizable works, and those were infused with emotion as well. The entire things was just very well done!

Still Thursday, 12/19 Roskilde Cathedral and Viking Museum

• We left Odense for Roskilde and stopped for gas and groceries along the way. 
• Roskilde Cathedral was… probably the most jawdropping manmade stop in a trip. A few things
  • The way it could be filled with light and warmth in the midst of a Danish winter and intimacy even with soaring ceilings.
  • The most amazing thing of all? The cathedral is a tomb. Filled with unbelievably intricate caskets and sepulchres, tombstones everywhere in the floor. Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it. 
• Roskilde Museum
  • Wasn’t that into it, maybe just the time of the day or something personal, but - it did convince me of something I had been thinking almost as soon as I entered The influence of Viking culture on Western Europe is far greater than I was taught. Wish I understood more about it!
• Drive to Copenhagen, stayed at a hostel. I had to sleep and lay down for 45 minutes before we went out to another gorgeous, vibrant Christmas market. Ate the best burger of my life and got the embossed rolling pins that I’ve wanted since the first Christmas I was on Instagram 🙂

Friday 12/20: Kronsburg Castle

• Didn’t know I was waking up to one of the best travel days of my life!
• Kronsburg Castle was an emotional experinece for me. My brother asked ChatGPT why that would be and it pretty much hit the nail on the head. 😉 🙂
  • Beautiful. Spectacular. Imposing. Archways into archways into archways. Beautifully decorated.
  • Travel had been tiring and I really felt more stress than ever, wanting people to enjoy the things we could fit into the short days. 
  • Mostly it was the connection to Hamlet, which we had listened to in the car, or rather John and I listened to, while Joshu and Nicholas watched. (along with several other relevant audio books) It’s an emotional story that I love, love, love, and in the winter, with the wind whipping off the sea, I could put myself into every line of it. 
  • What amazed me about everything we saw in Denmark, but especially at Kronsburg Castle is the incredible access we were given. Every room, the towers, the casements, the perimeter, the beach - we had access to everything - even within the rooms. Generally, a castle would be something some of my kids couldn’t get out of fast enough. But in this case, we stayed and explored, and explored, and explored. We really spent all of our daylight hours here that day.

Still Friday 12/20: Tivoli Gardens

Finally, we returned to Copenhagen, where we went to the Christmas Market to end all christmas markets - Tivoli Gardens!!!!! It was a fun time and we ended only because we had to drive Jack to the airport. He was heading back to Germany a day ahead of us.

Saturday 12/21 - Travel Day with Beach Stop

• More rain, more grey, and more proof that it’s never a bad idea to get out in nature. 🙂

Still Saturday 12/21: Hamburg Christmas Markets

• Hamburg Christmas market - wasn’t just one, there are many and we hit at least two. We had saved a lot of our shopping for this night and that turned out to be just fine - SO many beautiful booths selling such a variety of things.
• Found something perfect for everyone we were looking for - plus a few other things!
• We stayed way later than we meant and arrived at our adorable little AirBnb with no time to do anything but sleep 🙂

Sunday 12/22 - 

• Drove a few hours and arrived in Jack’s city, where he’s attending University of Leipzig.
• Wasn’t a sightseeing day, still the most special! Met his flatmates for lunch and finally saw his flat where he lives 🙂 🙂 Only took phone photos.
• Finally, we attended the carol service his church was putting on and that he sang in. Took photos during last rehearsal before church filled - and it was packed!!!!
• A special time to meet some of the people important to him and that we’ve made connections with in earlier trips to Germany. 
• We went back to the AirBnb and everyone discovered they were hungry, so I had the first moments to myself in 10 days while John and the boys walked to the only place still open - McDonalds. 

Monday 12/23 - Leave to fly home

Typical travel day - highs and lows, but we love Keflavik Airport, who can handle everything, and thank you to my brother, Peter, who picked us up and got us to Miawand Kabob just under the wire before closing!!