Copenhagen, Denmark (Pop. 480,000)

When one thinks of Denmark, often ice cream, cookies and Danish pastries coming into mind, as do Hans Christian Anderson fairytales and perhaps Carlsberg beer. More recently, Princess Mary’s marriage to Prince Federeik can induce women all over Australia into dream-like states where she wishes she were the one who had met him at Slipp Inn during the Sydney Olympic games and became a real life princess.

The Danish are famed for their architects and the city’s main buildings are a showcase to the understandings of form and aesthetics. Without the Danes, the Sydney opera house would perhaps not be as famous as it is today. The city’s buildings are a mix of new and old (more old than new) but they work well against one another and make Copenhagen a beautiful city. It's the little things that make Copenhagen so special. Situated on the Eastern part of Zealand, the waterfront of Copenhagen contains the most famous statue in the city. Far and wide, people come to Copenhagen to see this small statue that lies on the rocks of the harbour.

Elsewhere around the city, palaces and royal residences of the world’s oldest surviving monarchy. Jewels and other valuable items are well preserved and organised in museums located all over the city, but perhaps the most highly recommended of those is the Amelienborg Palace located in the King’s Garden.

It is quite easy to find one’s bearings in Copenhagen and being quite flat, walking around is fairly easy. If however, you would prefer to bike, hire places concentrate around the central train station and there are some bike stations around the city that have public bikes that require a 20kr coin as a deposit, returned to you when you re-lock a bike at any one of the stations dotted around the city.

At night, the city’s Tivoli Gardens light up and the part amusement park, part open museum is a great way to spend an evening. Tickets sold can either be bough as an entry only ticket or an unlimited ride ticket. Entry for individual rides however, can also be purchased once inside if you did decide you wanted to go on a ride or two once you are inside. Once inside, restaurants and entertainment is in abundance.

Finally, the best view of Copenhagen can be seen from atop the city hall’s clock tower.

Useful Hint:

Get to the city bike racks early if you are planning to get one of the free bikes available in the city, as they do go fast and are limited in numbers.

Getting here:

• Copenhagen is well connected to Europe by air, served mainly by Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). Some budget airlines do fly to limited cities such as London and other parts of Scandinavia (easyJet and Norwegian come to mind). Copenhagen airport is well connected by a train running into the central railway station.
• DSB is the national train operator and connects Copenhagen to other parts of Denmark, Germany and Sweden.

Belfast, Northern Ireland (Pop. 290,000)

Unlike it’s Irish cousin Dublin, Belfast was plagued with damage and decline during the 1970s due to sectarian violence by the IRA and Loyalist paramilitary groups. However, in the past couple of years, the city has found its feet and grown substantially. Whilst it may not a pretty as other parts of Ireland, Belfast certainly has its own beautiful character and charm.

Any visitor to Belfast needs to visit Shankill Road, where today murals and paintings along building walls commemorate those that died during the violence that took place here. It would be ideal to catch a bus up Shankill road and walk back towards Belfast city centre, admiring and paying respects to the many men (and women) that died.

Another significant site that visitors to Belfast should visit is Stormont Estate. It is here, that the Northern Irish Assembly sits and visitors are often able to head into one of the chambers to have a sneak peak (the foyer is open to visitors, however, ask one of the guards nicely and they usually guide you into one of the two chambers).

Back in the city centre, Belfast’s city hall has gardens open to the general public and is often quite crowded in the early afternoon during a warm summers day where people are out and about to catch some sun. It is also here that a London eye-esque observation wheel sits for those who would like to see Belfast from the top.

Again, like most European cities, the main shopping district is a haven for fashionistas. Major European and British stores can all be found along the high streets and the main enclosed shopping centre offers a free viewing platform that gives shoppers a 360° view of the city.

Useful hint:

The city’s bus system is well developed and efficient, with buses going to all major areas of the city. A day pass costs less than £4 for the day and gives you unlimited rides on all of the city’s buses, including the bus that stops right outside the terminal building of Belfast City airport.

Getting here:

• Belfast city airport is located close to the city and is well served by budget airlines flying to and from the UK as well as some cities in Europe. RyanAir, Aer Lingus and BMI Baby are just a couple of the airlines servicing Belfast City airport.
• Ferries run from parts of the west cost of the UK and enable those with cars to come over to the city with their cars.
• Buses and trains run to other parts of Ireland.

Dublin, Republic of Ireland [Baile Átha Cliath] (Pop. 500,000)

There’s a lot to be said about how well a country can make fun of themselves, and right up there would have to be the Irish. Rather than be offended by the clichés that have come to be associated with the Irish, they embrace it and are proud to own it. Stepping off the plane you are greeted by a wash of shamrock green whether it be in advertisements, signage, souvenirs, company logos etc. It is also, of course, Ranga land with possibly what could be one of the worlds highest percentage of redheads in the population. The luck of the Irish, Guinness beer and leprechauns are brandished proudly to visitors and tourists.

Dublin itself is the capital of southern Ireland – the part of the island that is a republic and is independent from the United Kingdom. It is a fairly rainy place, however when the sun does come out, the Irish spirit shines more brightly. During the summer months, the city is full of tourists as a result of cheap flights from what now seems to be the Irish flag carrier – RyanAir. Notorious for their cheap flights and the hundred or so add-on fees from anything to counter check in to drinking water and peanuts, no one can argue that the airline offers unbeatable value. So much so in fact that the actual Irish flag carrier, Aer Lingus, converted from a full service airline to a low cost carrier in order to compete with RyanAir. Dublin airport itself has grown significantly over the past couple of years and the influx of carriers both from the US and other parts of Europe continues to grow.

Once arriving into Dublin, its compact size (like most other European cities) allows the visitor to easily walk to the major sites. When necessary however, the city’s bus system is efficient, clean and somewhat inexpensive. Lost? Then ask a friendly Irish man and they’ll more than likely throw in a joke free.

A great starting point is at the bridges that span over the Liffey River. From there, head north towards Trinity College and the Bank of Ireland to admire the architecture of some of the city’s oldest buildings. Other recommended sites include the Guinness factory where one learns about the process and history of making Guinness with the tour ending at the panoramic bar perched high above the factory, offering the best view of Dublin while enjoying a pint or two of Guinness beer. For castle lovers (and lets face it, who wouldn't expect to see a castle in a major European city?), Dublin castle satisfies your quench for fortified walls and royal living. Sport lovers must make the trek over to Croke Park – home of Gaelic Football.

Dublin is also a city of churches and cathedrals, as the staunch catholic background continues to be instilled in the Irish community. One of the biggest in the city is St Patrick’s Cathedral, and during a sunny summer’s day, its adjoining park is a great spot for a picnic or a place to rest. Finally, the last stop for many visitors to this beautiful city is the home of Oscar Wilde, the famed literary genius who’s quotes are thought provoking and more often than not, wildly outrageous. The building is now occupied as part of the Irish American university and is located across the city’s main park, not dissimilar to New York’s central park. Coincidentally, walking out of one of the park’s exits, one could be forgiven in thinking that they’d suddenly been transported to New York.

Last but not least, the city’s shopping areas (located 5mins of one another) offers the shopaholic absolute paradise. Its stores line pedestrian-only streets filled with the usual British high street stores and a mix of those from further afield. When its time to drop, a short distance away is the Temple Bar, arguably the most famous place of worship in the city. The strip sums up the general feel of Dublin itself – traditionally British mixed with the Irish sense of humour and out look on life, teamed with influences from the Americas and continental Europe. Dublin is a sophisticated, fun-loving and cosmopolitan city.


Useful hint:
Bring comfortable walking shoes so as to not miss the sights and sounds of the city. Walking is by far the best way to get around the city and even if you do get lost a single confused look at the map magically summons up a friendly local willing to offer you directions.

Getting here:
• RyanAir is undoubtedly the king of budget airlines and with Dublin being it’s home base, cheap airfares from just about anywhere in Europe will get you there, often for well under £10 each way. Fares have been known cost just 1pence including all taxes and fees. As a result, other airlines also offer cheap airfares in an out of the city to parts of northeast USA and Europe.
• The airport bus runs frequently and drops you off right in the heart of the city costing just a couple of Euros.
• Ferries run from parts of the west cost of the UK and enable those with cars to come over to the city with their cars.
• Dublin is connected to other parts of Ireland and Northern Ireland by buses and trains.

Nottingham, United Kingdom (Pop. 261,000)

Located in the centre of England, this city is the home of the Sherwood Forrest and all things Robin Hood. Although there are references to the hero of the poor in the form of a statue outside Nottingham Castle and a forest exhibit dedicated to all his endeavours, this English city in the midlands offers much more than just a the story of Robin Hood and his men. About an hour away from the much larger city of Birmingham, Nottingham offers its visitors a blend of English countryside and metropolitan life.

In the city centre you’ll find the typical English high street with its chains of Carphone Warehouse, Debenhams, Top Shop/Top Man, Marks & Spencer, Boots and WH Smith. The city’s town square is brightened up in summer with the space used for fair rides and a fake beach that utilises the centre fountain – thoroughly enjoyed by kids young and old alike. For the shopaholics out there, its selection of shops is quite broad, international and, being less populated than larger cities found elsewhere in the country, less crowded and usually well stocked with items that may have been sold out earlier elsewhere in the country. A compact town centre means your feet will thank you at the end of the day, and the hike back to the hotel would also be much less painful. In saying that however, the notorious English supermarket (Morrisons, ASDA, Tesco and Sainsbury) is located in the ever-popular big box sites dotting around the outskirts of the town centre.

Venture further afield however, and you’ll find fruits to pick in the University of Nottingham grounds (think apples and blackberries), canals full of river boats during the summer and activities generally confined to small English towns usually found much further from larger town centres. During my stay here, I walked along canals with fields brimming full of waist tall grass lined with blackberry bushes, watched river boats chug along at a leisurely English summer pace and visited the site of a kayak and canoe white water centre.

It's a fantastic place to relax and wander along the shores as you watch riverboats coming in and out of the canal locks. That is, when the English weather co-operates. Temperature-wise, Nottingham is usually a couple of degrees cooler than London, but is usually wetter than southern England. Although not as wet as dreary old Manchester, you’ll spend a good 50% of your time under the brolly trying to avoid the rain.

Sport fans can enjoy the dog races (something not often found in modern day England); catch a home game of one of the two soccer teams – Nott’s County and Nottingham Forest or spend a day or two at the cricket.

Useful hint:

For those of you who are addicted to you Internet (much like myself), you’d be comforted to find that many cafes and eateries around town and smaller high streets offer free wi-fi, so order that coffee and whip out those iPhones or netbooks to log on for!

Getting here:

• National Express and Megabus services depart from most major English cities to Nottingham often and if booked early enough, fares as low as £1 can be found.
• Train services link Nottingham to the rest of the UK. Book early for the cheapest fares (cheapest tickets go on sale about 2-3 months before travel)
• Nottingham is linked to the major highways with England’s notorious A-Roads. It’s about a 3-hour drive from London, 1 hour from Birmingham and about 2 hours to Manchester.
• RyanAir, easyJet and BMI/BMI Baby currently fly to the east midlands airport (serving Derby, Lincolnshire and Nottingham), however, easyJet is about to cease their flights, so flight will become a little more limited. The next closest airport is Birmingham.

New Blogs...

So I'm going for a bit of a new style when I'm blogging during my holidays.

Rather than recap my trips, I'm going to write up each city kind of like a guide. Hope you enjoy it!

Alex