Trip Itinerary

With a little less than a week left, I've pretty much got my plans for Copenhagen sussed out. I'm doing all the stereotypical touristy things and staying at a touristy budget hotel, which is located near to the central train station. Other than a planned excursion to Ballerup, my time in Denmark pretty much follows the guidebook. For Sweden, I figure I'll take the train up to Helsingor, Denmark to see Kronberg Castle then take the ferry over to Helsingborg, Sweden. I'll walk around a bit, taking in the sites, then hop on the train down to Malmo to tour a bit more before heading back to Denmark. A complete circle. Because of it's close proximity to Copenhagen, Malmo is pretty much where everyone goes for their Swedish day trip.

Madrid. What can I say? Incertidumbre. To be honest, it's leaving me a bit anxious considering I am up against the clock with so little time in front of me. I have 22 hours total there, some of them necessary for sleep. Arrival into Barajas Airport is at 7:30pm, leaving the next day for JFK at 5:00pm. I figure I'll walk around Puerta del Sol, eat dinner, and do a bit of shopping. Spain is the only country where I have a to-do list of foods that simply must need to be consumed; savoured if you will. A stop at the Chocolateria San Gines for chocolate con churros is a must. It would be a flat out sin should I leave without sampling some Jamón Ibérico ham. All sound so damn tasty.

The real race against time will be the day I leave for home. Can I see both the Prado and Palacio Real in a matter of hours? Probably not. Considering the state of the lines that might be forming since the Prado is opening a new wing, I might just hot foot it to the Palace instead. Although I know I'll regret it if I don't get to experience both.

Imagine, all this worry and fuss coming from someone who declared herself to be, "not a Spain person."

I'm nervous about locating and ordering food in all three countries. I'm not a foodie, and I'm terribly afraid I'll accidentally order something bizarre. You know those Scandinavians! To help in making sure I order something halfway edible, I bought the Berlitz European Menu Reader from Amazon for only 39 cents. It's an excellently detailed food translator and could be my saving grace on this trip. That said, I never treat myself to a nice restaurant on vacation, so I'm looking forward to testing out Det lille Apotek and Ida Davidson. Both serve classic Danish cuisine. Otherwise, I'm perfectly okay to go with the flow on seeing and experiencing the sites.

I confess to suffering from a bit of travel research fatigue, and with each day that passes, the reality becomes crystal clear that by next week, I will be in countries as foreign to me as outer space.