It’s April 7th and The Parents dropped me off at Positive Pets this morning. For training? Not sure. They brought tons of food, my favorite blankie and some toys. Hmm… It must be that thing they call a “vacation”. I do remember Mama talking about a Nordic vacation and the Royal Danish Ballet and some show called Giselle. Looks like they are leaving me behind. What fun would it be?
If they went to watch ballet, I think I got the better deal. And who wants to be on a plane for 10 hours, not me. I get to hang at Positive Pets, with the trainers I love and my doggy buddies. It will be oodles and maybe poodles more fun!
The Nordic Vacation
Their route is Boise-Amsterdam-Copenhagen-Ålesund. Seems like a long way to go for a “vacation” or Nordic vacation they called it. They could have just stayed home and hiked and played ball with me. Not sure I understand why The Humans can’t just let the grass grow under their feet. Heck, I’ll take a good roll in the grass over just about anything, except my kibble and ear knuckles of course!
OK, time to go have fun at Positive Pets and I sure hope The Parents will have fun too.
Home Again
Well that was a quick two weeks! The Parents are back from their Nordic vacation and are yapping about what a great time they had… without me!
Their first stop was Copenhagen, Denmark. The parents stayed at the Ottilia Hotel, named after the wife of Carlsberg’s brewer Carl Jacobsen. The hotel is part of the historic Carlsberg Brewery which has been thoughtfully repurposed and restored.
Exploring Copenhagen
And on they went, like I’m really interested, to tell me that Copenhagen is a wonderful walking city. But if you are not walking, then bikes being the preferred method of transportation. For treks beyond peddle power, the modern underground has extensive coverage, no dogs allowed, though. And there are frequent regional trains which run on time, and there are even boats to meet any need.
One day The Parents ventured to the Kastellet “The Citadel” which is one of the best-preserved fortresses in Northern Europe. Constructed in the form of a pentagon by Christian IV of Denmark in 1626.
Blah, Blah, Blah. . .
I’m really getting bored here as I should always be the center of attention around here. But, they had to tell me that they enjoyed a “wonderful” seafood dinner at the casual Kodbyens Fiskebar. Reservation a must!!
Museums ad nauseam
I am ready for a solid nap, but no, they continue stories about musty old museums. First off, founded in 1890, Designmuseum Danmark is a premier venue for industrial design and applied arts. Since 1926, the museum has been housed in Copenhagen’s historic former Royal Frederik’s Hospital. The institution highlights iconic Danish modernism, featuring designers like Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl. Really? Chair Art? Boring…
Next up on The Parents cultural adventure is the Copenhagen Contemporary museum located in the Refshaleøen cultural district. The district is a former industrial harbor and housed in the old spacious B&W Welding Hall. It is an internationally recognized art center capable of showcasing extremely large exhibits. They saw AA Murakami, Beyond the Horizon and Kengo Kuma, KKAA Earth/Tree.
Still on the cultural tour, they went to Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. It is located on the coast in Humlebak, a 45-minute train ride from Copenhagen. The museum opened in 1958 and is internationally recognized for its exceptional exhibitions, grounds and architecture.
The Royal Danish Ballet
The Parents love ballet. Weird, right? The impetus for their trip was catching a performance of the Royal Danish Ballet. Founded in 1771, the RDB performs at the historic Det Kongelige Theatre. The Parents bought tickets months in advance. They attended a production of Gisselle and they tell me principal dancers Holly Dorger and Jon Axel Fransson were exceptional.
Are there any trees?
Finally some trees in central Copenhagen. Acres and acres, 160 acres to be exact, at Fredriksberg Park. The park was established in the 1690s by King Frederik IV. It was part of his new summer retreat – Frederiksberg Palace located on high grounds atop Valby Hill.
Nordic Vacation – Norway
The next morning, The Parents were jet setting off to the airport for a two-hour flight to Ålesund. It is a port town on the west coast of Norway and at the entrance to the Geirangerfjord. Ålesund is known as Fjord Central and for the art nouveau architectural style of the town. It was rebuilt in this style in 1904 after a fire.
Fiords, of course
The Parents picked-up a Volvo EV rental for an all day exploration of Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Now that sounds like a great ears flapping out the window road trip!
It seems seeing a fjord by boat was also on the agenda, so off they went on a nautical ride to the Hjørundfjord which is 12 miles long. The fjord is surrounded by the Sunnmørsalpene mountain range, with mountain peaks reaching 5,600 ft straight up from the sea.
Atlanterhavsparken
On the outskirts of Ålesund they discovered Atlanterhavsparken, Northern Europe’s largest and most unique saltwater aquarium overlooking the open sea. All manner of aquatic life can be viewed in the 1-million-gallon indoor sea water aquarium. The sea mammals are in the 4-million-gallon open air Seal & Otter Bay. Mom, said the eyes of the Sea Otter were mesmerizing, whatever that means. Should I be jealous??
Goodby Nordic Vacation
OK, all in all I’m sure The Parents had a great time on their Nordic vacation, even without me. Shhhhhh, I had a better time hanging with my canine friends and awesome trainers at Positive Pets! Seems I might need to get a passport to keep up with my jet setting parents.
