Last Saturday, Christopher and I took a day trip to Helsingborg’s sister city in Denmark, Helsingør. We boarded the ferry and 20 minutes and two Danish sausages later, we were in Denmark! I remember thinking how cool it was that I could drive through three states in a couple of hours when I lived on the East Coast for two summers during college. I can hardly wrap my mind around being in another country in 20 minutes. On top of that, I didn’t need to show my passport to anyone. The concept that I could travel freely and not prove who I am and that I’m allowed to be in this particular country confounded me.

 

 

 

Helsingør is a very cute little town with old buildings and cobblestone streets. Christopher told me Helsingør was also full of cheese shops and it did not disappoint! You don’t need to know me well to know that I love cheese. As a cheese connoisseur, these shops were like walking into a dream. There were wheels of cheese as big as tables! There were also several different kinds of flavored gouda, including pesto gouda. It was a horrific green color but I bet it tasted pretty amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also checked out Kronborg Castle. Besides my love for old buildings and medieval towns, I really love going to palaces, castles and fortresses. Last summer, I toured the Royal Palace in Stockholm and Akershus Fortress in Oslo, as well as did some site-seeing on the grounds of the Royal Palace in Oslo. Of course, I couldn’t wait to add another castle to the list!

Since I can’t read Danish, here is a brief history of Kronborg Castle courtesy of Wikipedia. The castle was built by King Eric VII and dates back to the 1420s. For all you history buffs out there, that is before Columbus ‘discovered’ the Americas. The castle, along with Kärnan fortress on the Swedish side of Øresund sound, controlled the entrance of the Baltic Sea. Over the last several hundred years, it was remodeled, burnt down and rebuilt by various kings and then became army barracks. After the army left the castle, it was renovated and opened to the public so people like me can wander around and be excited about really old stuff!