Planning / What happened so far
One of my friends is doing an Erasmus year in Gothenburg. And I’d wanted to explore Scandinavia for some time now anyway. My ‘northernmost’ journeys so far have taken me to Ireland and the North Frisian Islands. So I killed two birds with one stone and planned a visit to Gothenburg with a stopover in Copenhagen. I also wanted to see a bit of the country en route and decided on a train journey - which I cut short with a flight to Hamburg, as I’d already had some pretty bad luck on the Munich - Hamburg rail route.
My cornerstones were:
- travel by train
- make intermediate stops
- go to the sea
- spend time with my friend
Trainline or Omio make it easy to search for train connections for Europe; the Deutsche Bahn website is also good for this. I briefly considered Flixbus as another option, but then decided against it. I simply booked the connections to Denmark via the DB Navigator. Because I was so early and the Super Spar price was so favourable, I was even able to treat myself to a 1st class ticket.
I booked my accommodation in advance this time - including the room in Hamburg, which I was able to cancel in good time after I had decided to travel on to Denmark straight away. What I was particularly looking forward to: the hotel in Gothenburg was a disused converted passenger ship.
I wouldn’t be me if everything had gone smoothly … And so, while packing, I sprained my toe - which started to swell up and hurt like hell during the flight to Hamburg. But more on that later.
I only started planning the journey’s content, i. e. what I actually wanted to see and do in Copenhagen and Gothenburg, shortly before I left. I collected ideas, links, pages, photos etc. on a mood board. In the end, my list contained activities that would easily have been enough for three weeks. These included the World Cultures Museum in Gothenburg, a visit to the archipelago islands, a sauna session in Gothenburg harbour, swimming in Amager Strandpark and so on. Of these, I had only booked a guided evening cruise on the Copenhagen canal in advance. How I liked it? Look out for the detailed report later, then you’ll find out more.
I was glad to have opted for a backpack again instead of a suitcase. And since I’ve had my Fairview 40 from Osprey , I don’t want to do without it. It leaves both hands free, I don’t have to drag it up the stairs behind me, I can walk over rough terrain and even take it on the plane as hand luggage. Thus, I can get out of the airport super quickly and without having to worry about losing my luggage.
The Fairview doesn’t have the usual backpack opening at the top, but its lid can be opened with a zip so that I can always see what’s where, which is simply practical if you don’t unpack the backpack when travelling but live ‘out of the suitcase’.
In addition to my large backpack, I often take a shoulder bag with me for everything I need to access quickly or frequently when travelling – e. g. the bag with liquids, my camera, my iPad.
For a few years now, I’ve been trying to travel with the most minimalist luggage possible. Packing two weeks in the Fairview plus shoulder bag is now pretty easy for me, and there’s often even room for souvenirs. I now almost exclusively take practical clothes with me, but this time I needed a dress because I wanted to go to the Gothenburg Opera House with my friend. However, as we were going to see a contemporary dance piece there, I didn’t have to squeeze fancy shoes into my rucksack, but would be able to wear my Chucks.
I only recently bought a drybag: the Dry Bag 3L - Ultralight Dry Sack from Osprey , because I was determined to go swimming in the sea. Did that work out? You can read about it in the detailed travel report, if you like.
I mentioned above that I’d be taking my camera with me. Since I was able to afford a system camera after my 40th birthday, I’ve taken it with me on every trip. And the camera and one lens are usually the only photographic equipment I have with me. That’s also part of minimalist travelling for me. I also haven’t yet found a minimalist solution for taking more photographic equipment (wide angle lens, lens ball) with me. And so I go without, and usually I don’t regret it.
I also don’t like taking a photo bag or backpack with me. I usually take a small, often foldable daypack, like most recently in Malta, the Daypack for city trips Foldable 16L from Matador . I protect the camera in my daypack with as narrow a bag as possible and otherwise always carry it on a strap across my body. All the other things I need on excursions and short hikes also fit in the rucksack. And after use, it quickly disappears back into the large pack.
I was ready to head north, except for my foot, which was no longer fully functional. You’ll find the detailed travel report here later when you come back.
