Turku - 31st July

Didn't wake up until 7:45, so a nice leisurely start to the day with breakfast and slowly getting ready for a day of exploring the town.

We didn't have too much of a plan, going for a meander and see what we can see approach, so on leaving the hotel headed straight up the nearest hill to have a look at the park.

Apart from a couple of statues and an art gallery that was closed, there wasn't much, so back down the hill to the river and a nice walk downstream.

After seeing many bridges over the river Aura we stopped to watch a fori (ferry) crossing the river with a fair number of people and bicycles.

Further down the river we came to a maritime museum (forum marinum) which has a huge flotilla of ships that you can explore. We didn't, instead opting to look at them from the comfort of the bank before heading inland towards the castle.

Stopped for lunch at a burger stall which was really nice, although expensive as everything seems to be here, before actually going into the castle.

The castle isn't your typical British one, and nothing like Disney, but still worth a visit. It had been abandoned before they decided it should be preserved, but then it was hit by a Russian incendiary device in the second world war and burnt down anyway. They've now restored it and it's impressive, especially when you see the before and after pictures. We literally spent several hours in there exploring everything, so definitely worth our €14 admission fee (students are cheaper at €7).

Slow wander back to the hotel alongside the train line - they don't seem to worry about fences, but we didn't see any trains either. The hotel has WiFi so we could decide where to eat while we waited for the rain to pass.

Aimed for a pizza joint but it was fully booked (so must have been good) and ended up in a Georgian restaurant which was much better.

Back at the hotel ready for another travel day tomorrow, heading further north. Sunset here is 22:08, dusk  23:11, so it feels like it doesn't really get dark.

Stockholm to Turku - 30th July

Should have got up early to be gone in time for our ferry, but completely forgot that it's Sunday today and my 5am alarm doesn't normally go off at the weekend, but luckily Sam woke us at 5:15.

Very quick shower and coffee with added cold water then a mad dash for the metro and a quick journey across Stockholm to the ferry terminal. Luckily it was very easy to get to.

Checked in and sat waiting to board by 6:30, watching the robot sweeper zoom around intimidating people. It totally needed some googly eyes.

On the boat we had a room booked, which meat we not only had somewhere to drop and leave our bags, but also 4 pull down beds so we could have a nap if we wanted to.

Obviously as soon as we set sail, Alex and I tried to catch up on sleep while Di and Sam took advantage of the on board entertainment with a moomin show and moomin bingo, which they seemed to enjoy.

The boat dodged in and out of the islands so was a really interesting journey. Some of the channels that the ferries go through are unbelievably narrow. We made one stop at Mariehamn on the island of Åland before continuing to Turku. The whole journey took 11hrs plus an hour time difference, so quite long. We had the buffet lunch which was €30 each and we definitely had our money's worth.

Because of the hours time difference, the clocks all showed Swedish and Finnish time.

On arrival it was a short walk to the train station and a 5 minute journey to the town centre. Only a couple of blocks away is our hotel, which was built in 1902, and is absolutely full of authentic furniture.

Odense to Stockholm - 29th July

Up and packed for another travel day, this one taking us into and across Sweden.

We had the walk back to the train station, this time to pick up the replacement bus to the next station where we could get back on the tracks.

The bus was comfy, we lucked out by getting there early, but it soon filled up with people not able to sit together. The journey included the very large bridge across the border between Denmark and Sweden.

Unfortunately the photo opportunities for the bridge were slim but you can just see it in the distance. The last time we went past it was last year on the cruise when we went under it. Just need to do the journey on a train and we'd have done all the ways.

45 minutes later and we were in Slagelse. There was a train leaving almost instantly which everyone jumped on, but a second train was leaving literally 3 minutes after, which was so quiet. This wound it's way onto Copenhagen central where we picked up another local train that popped over the bridge to Malmö.

In Malmö there was an express train waiting, which we had seats reserved for that zoomed up the country to Stockholm.

We're only here for an overnighter, having been here a few times now, but it's still a beautiful city. Hotel checked in and a quick wander around with a lovely meal before and early night ready for another travel day tomorrow.

Engholm B&B Odense

We stayed at the Engholm B&B in Odense, taking up apartments 4 & 8.

The accommodation consists of 8 small apartments, each with a bed, compact wet room and small kitchen area with small table and 2 chairs.

There are some apartments with a small outdoor space with tables and chairs, but neither apartment 7 or 8 had them.

They were all clean, and well appointed, but no coffee maker, only instant coffee. There is a microwave and fridge, as well as everything you need in a set of drawers.

There is laundry facilities available for a fee (€4) but it does take a while to go through a cycle - ours was about 5hrs. You can also order breakfast which is delivered to your room but we didn't manage this. They also hire bikes for the day (50dkk per day) but do this in advance on their website.

Location wise it is about a 30 minute easy walk to the centre, 15 to the nearest supermarket, pizza joint as well as bus stops.

If you want somewhere quiet and out of town as a good base to explore the area then this is the place for you.

Photos of apartment 8:

Odense - 28th July

A really nice and relaxed day today. Didn't get up too early but realised that we had no breakfast either. We could order food to be delivered and thought we had in plenty of time but alas no.

Luckily we had enough supplies with us to get us going, chocolate biscuits, nectarines and cheese and ham.

Stopped at the supermarket on the way in for more food, and then a really leisurely walk in to the town itself via the harbour. The town has lots of cycle and walking paths so is easy to get about by foot or on bikes.

Stopped as soon as we got there for a drink, then slowly walked around the town, stopping where we felt like.

Hans Christian Andersen was born here, and there's loads of statues for his stories, so wherever you walk you invariably spot one, and it's interesting how many stories you're aware of without realising it. There is a park in the middle of the city with a mock house and they have a Hans Christian Andersen parade twice a day. 

The actual house where he lived when he was little is bright yellow and the town itself has lots of little old houses. It is very quaint.

There are also some shops so we did a spot of shopping for jumpers for the boys as none of us brought one and it clouded over in the afternoon, although we were lucky with no rain.

Stopped for a restaurant meal as a treat, then back via the supermarket for snacks and wine, before heading back to play cards.

Berlin to Odense - 27th July

Breakfast eaten, bags packed and ready to go by 8am for a travel day.

It was scheduled to be a full on day, moving across Germany and then north into Denmark, but not sure we could have planned it any better.

Walked to the nearest S bahn station, quick nip to the main station in plenty of time for the ICE over to Hamburg main station, where we had passed through yesterday.

From Hamburg main station it should have been a single train all the way here, but there's some major works, so part of it has a replacement bus service. We knew about that, and Alex had it in his plan.

What we didn't expect was the train to Odense wasn't going from the main Hamburg station, but Altona station, a 20 minute subway ride!

Mad panic, rush and we got to Altona to find the train has actually been cancelled, so the tickets and reservation were no good.

Spoke to someone who said we could get another local train to Neumunster, change there for a train to Schleswig, grab a third train to Fredericia where we could pick up the replacement bus.

Of course everyone else who wanted to get to a similar place had the same information, so the trains were absolutely packed. Having run to catch the train, we sat on it for 20 minutes until someone came onto the loud speaker and made an announcement. We did not really understand what was said but given the chaos that ensued, we assumed it was not good news. Everyone crossed the platform and got on another train so we followed suit and waited for the next announcement which we roughly translated as "if you are trying to go to Frenberg, this is not the right train". So we got off the train and asked someone only to be told to get back on. The train left and we still had no idea where we're heading but then a really helpful conductor came around and asked everyone individually where they were going and then told them how to get there. Now knowing the route that we had to follow, we got off at the right station but apparently so had everyone else. There was no place to stand on the platform as it was so packed but we managed to squeeze in. Then came another announcement "the next train to Frenberg is delayed by 20 minutes"! Then another train full of people pulled in and they all tried to also get off their train but by this point, there really was no platform left. Because we were some if the last people to arrive, it meant we were right at the front of the platform when it train finally did pull on though and we got in first. After that, it was pretty plain sailing - another train, then a bus. The first one we sat on the stairs, the second we were split up but got seats and the third we sat in the doorway and stood up.

The replacement bus did give us a seat and was a nice change to all of the recent trains.

A short walk and we're at the next place to stay, a small b&b, so have 2 rooms. They're in the grounds of the house, look like they're in a converted garage but really well appointed.

Hansa Park - 26th July

Up stupidly early so we could be on the S bahn by 7am to get to the main station and the first of 3 trains that would take us up to the coast to a small town called Sierksdorf, which is spitting distance of our only theme park - Hansa Park.

The first train was an intercity express (ICE) to Beuchen where we had a 50 minute wait for the next train. We managed to walk from the station, right around the town and back again with plenty of time to spare, so sat in a quiet waiting shelter away from everyone.

We were just enjoying our peace and quiet when some strange woman came in and sat next to me, forcing me to move up, and didn't say anything either! She then proceeded to munch sticky sweets and throw the wrappers on the floor. As you can imagine we moved pretty quick.

Our second train arrived and as the doors were just closing, the crazy lady jumped on, straight into the toilet and locked the door. 20 mins later and people are banging on the door as they want to use the facilities and the woman isn't responding to their shouts. Next station and one of the guards gets on, opens the door and she's just sat there. Much screaming later and the police are having a quiet word at the final station where they're waiting for her.

Our third train isn't quite so dramatic, arriving at Sierksdorf and a 15 min walk and we're in the park. We'd visited here in 2019 as part of the coaster club, but one ride had broken down, so that was our first port of call. Second was another coaster, some lunch, then the tallest drop tower in Europe - 120m on height and it leans you out at the top and just sits there for you to enjoy the view before plummeting back to earth. The view is spectacular, the people teeny and I think my stomach is still up there somewhere.

Hansa is a lovely park. It has a real family feel with some magical rides for the little ones, a few small coasters for the bigger ones and a few jaw-dropping rides for the adrenaline junkies. The gardens are beautiful and the whole park has a really nice vibe. We would recommend it if you are in this part of Germany.

The journey home was munch quieter (we literally sat in the silent carriage) and sightly different - local train straight to Hamburg and then another ICE back to Berlin.

Tonight is our last night here, the journey continues tomorrow.

Berlin 25th July

 Up at a reasonable time again and had to wait for the boys to get up before we got to have breakfast, so went for a walk around the sketchy park opposite the apartment. Although there were groups of people hanging around we didn't feel unsafe and it turned out to be quite a nice walk and a great way of getting an appetite up. They have a central track that runs through the middle of it and there were lots of people out for a jog.

Continental breakfast done we walked across to a local market (markthalle neun), which turned out to be a food one, and being full of breakfast it wasn't that expensive but it did look like it would be a good place to visit for fresh cheap food if you are in the area.

From there a short s bahn ride to go and see the Reichstag. If you book in advance, you can go inside and go up onto the roof. They have a big glass dome where you can look down onto the parliament. We unfortunately did not book so just got to see the outside but it is a nice area to sit on the side of the river. There were lots of tour groups coming thorough so we just eavesdropped on them.

After this we wandered to the Brandenburg Gate which was very busy so hard to get a good photo. There is another park around this area with a monument to the roma and sinti persecuted during the war. We also went to one for the Jewish which consisted of lots of tall blocks that turned into a labyrinth that you can get lost in. Both exhibitions were very striking and had lots of stories that really made you think. There are another couple that we did not go to but it is definitely worth visiting one or two to get a sense of the scale.

Then after a spot of lunch onto Checkpoint Charlie, which is really just a small shed but again, there were exhibition boards with stories to really help you understand what it was like to live through this time. There is also a small part of the wall in this area.

Another short walk to the Topography of Terror, which was the site of the former Gestapo headquarters but now has a museum about the horrors that took place, along with a large section of the Berlin wall. Just down the road is one of the lookout towers but at the moment it is covered up because there are building works in the area.

A supermarket run and back to the apartment via the S bahn for some food and a well deserved rest.

Apartment 9, Görlitzer Park

 In Berlin, we stayed in apartment 9, Gorlitzer park, which we booked on Airbnb.

This is a six bed apartment with two singles and a super large double, double cleverly built over the top. It has a small kitchen with fridge, a table for six, large sofa and a large bathroom with shower.

The apartment is clean and provides plenty of space for a holiday apartment. The area is what some would describe as "edgy" but we felt safe and the apartment itself is towards the back of an apartment block so it is off the main Street. The apartment has good WiFi and Stella left recommendations of places to visit and his restaurants nearby.

There are coffee shops and cafes within a very short walk and these are very reasonable cost-wide as you are slightly outside if the city (coffee and pastry was about 3 euros and a Kebab or curry about 10).

There is a cafe right outside the apartment that will deliver breakfast if you don't want to go out early in the morning. The apartment is also right opposite Gorlitzer park and close to the river and Berlin wall although it is a short walk (10 minutes) to the u-bahn and further to the s-bahn (about 20 minutes). There is a small supermarket about 1 block away if your are planning on making your own breakfast.

Once at the station, it is easy enough to get to central Berlin and this costs about 3 euros

Pros - good area with ready links. Spacious (for 4, could be squashed for 6). Quiet and clean

Cons - a little way out from central Berlin. Coffee machine is tassimo (note! - you need very specific pods for this machine)

Berlin 24th July

 Up around 8am, and quickly dressed to go forage for breakfast supplies while the boys slept.

Just up the next street was a small bakery where we had to sample the coffee. Unfortunately, there was a minimum spend of €5 for card payments, so had to take the hit and grab a pastry too.

Rewe (the supermarket) was just on the next street, so soon back for a lush continental breakfast and to come up with a plan for the day.

Decided to walk to the S bahn station as we get free travel with our inter-rail pass, and a short journey brought us to Alexanderplatz and from there onwards towards a few of the tourist hotspots, taking in the Rathaus where you can go inside and see the halls. Well worth a detour.

Outside, the TV tower dominates the skyline and houses exhibitions (it is bodyworks at the moment). They have a viewing platform and restaurant at the top of the tower so we may head back tomorrow.

At the bottom of the tower are some very uninspiring fountains but if you are there at the hour, they do a little display where the fountains become very much inspired, soaking unexpected people on the seating around.

It started to look a bit overcast so we walked down to the DDR museum on the river front. It was about 10 euros per person but well worth it. There was lots to see and do and it gave a real flavour of what life was like under Soviet rule.

The cathedral is right opposite the museum but was also 10 euros to go in. There was a family ticket also for 10 euros but this inexplicably includes one adult and three children so didn't really work for us. This includes the crypts and the tower so is probably a good deal if you are a couple with six children but we instead spent time in the museum quarter. There is some impressive architecture here and some nice places to sit and watch the world go by. If you are in Berlin for longer than we are, there are some really impressive museums so this area would definitely be worth a visit 

Our feet were hot and tired by this point so we headed towards the nearest S bahn, stopping to grab supplies for the evening (wine is so cheap!).

London to Berlin 23rd July

Up at 5 to be able to have coffee and leave Sam's by 6am. Quick walk to Westferry and soon realised that the DLR doesn't really wake up until 7am on Sundays.

Fast walk to Canary Wharf and jumped on the Jubilee line, which even at that time it the day was standing room only.

Few changes and we safety arrived at St Pancras, and soon to be sat on the first train of the day, Eurostar to Brussels Midi.

We had about 10 mins to change onto our next train, and as we were waiting for the doors to open, Alex appeared! He was due to catch up with us at Koln, but got bored waiting so hopped onto a train for 2 hrs just to come and surprise us.

The train to Koln was packed, standing room only. Apparently we can pay €8 to reserve a seat, and you only really need to do it on the ICE trains that cross borders.

Another train change in Koln onto the last train of the day, to Berlin. Unfortunately, we tried to reserve seats, but it was a little too late, as the train was pulling in.

Expecting to have to stand up for the duration, we hung around in the doorways with the bags, while the boys went scouting for seats. 2 mins later and we're all sat together around a table. 😀

5 hours later, much munching of snacks and a visit to the buffet car for currywurst, and we arrived in Berlin. The train got up to 250kmh, and interestingly there was someone with a pink Brompton bike who decided to have a sleep, while one of an American trio was doing a Freddie lookalike competition.

A quick 30 minute walk got us to the apartment, which is compact but lush. 2 single beds with a double built over, sofa, small kitchen and large bathroom, everything you need for a base.

Not sure what the plan is for tomorrow, but we have 3 days before the next train.

and we're off

Bags are all packed, taxi taken and waiting for the first train to take us to London.

We're staying with Sam for a couple of days, cinema later today to watch Oppenheimer and Barbie... At least one of those are going to be good.