Last May and June, a friend and I took a marvelous vacation to Scandinavia. We spent a few days in Iceland, then headed to Copenhagen for a few more days, and then boarded a cruise ship to visit four Norwegian coastal ports. Sweden wasn’t originally on our itinerary, but when we discovered there was a 30-minute ferry crossing between Helsingor, Denmark, and Helsingborg, Sweden, we had to go.
I took this photo from the forecourt of the Keep of Helsingborg, an old fortress tower that sits atop a hill near the harbor. We reached it by climbing a long stone stairway; my knees were not delighted with me, but since we had been subsisting largely on a diet of Scandinavian butter, nut-studded dessert pastries, and every kind of bread we could find, we were determined to be as active as possible. So we climbed, and looked back toward the harbor where the ferry would soon return us to Denmark.
The ferry is a commuter run; evidently it’s a popular trip for buying cheaper alcohol, though I forget now whether the bargains were in Denmark or Sweden. After traipsing around Helsingor Castle (also known as Elsinore, as in, yes, that one), we paid our fare and rode across and promptly realized we had no Swedish kroner, so went in search of a cafe that would take credit cards. We were hungry, and I’m not sure it counts as a visit if you don’t eat something. Then we wandered some more, ascending to the Keep and circling the tower (it’s not very big, it doesn’t take long) before heading back down the hill.
When I look at this image I see some of the obvious things: the city hall, the street of bookstores and cafes and realty offices and other businesses, the harbor. But I also see an adventure shared with a friend. I see the Scandinavian architecture that so charmed me in all its variations. I see the chance to break away from daily routine and take in everything new.
Each Friday I’ll be featuring an image, typically one I’ve taken, and sharing a bit of its story. I hope you’ll check back next week to see what I’ve found in my files.