Dear Neighbors travel: “At least we created unforgettable memories”

For some reason, since I arrived in Denmark, it appears that I planned most of my travels during Mercury retrograde – which any astrology nerd will confirm, is very much not recommended. So be prepared, this travel brings its share of surprises.

In November, the dear neighbors went on their first official travel – not just a one-day expedition. Being in Denmark, we decided to visit our new neighbors, the Swedes, before visiting for the first time the Danish capital.

Step 1 – Malmö and Lund, “Houston we have a problem”

A few hours away from Aarhus, the plan was to spend 3 amazing days exploring Malmö and its surroundings. For two days, we got to visit a lot of great places in the city. Taking the time to explore the different architectures of the city, going from the older constructions of Gamla Vasterold – Old town – to the very modern Västra Hamnenand and its famous Turning Torso, we also visited among others the Saint Peter’s Cathedral, the Malmö castle and Moderna – the modern art museum.

On the third day, we decided to go to the lovely city of Lund. Much smaller than Malmö, this city twinned with Nevers, France (where most of my family is from), is famous for its university and cathedral. There, I ended up falling in love with the beauty of the university library and the lovely little houses.

Being a group of six persons traveling, we decided to rent an Airbnb apartment. That’s where the adventure begins!

First surprise, the apartment was much further than we expected. So, after 30 minutes walking in the rain, we were relieved to finally reach the cute little house that we booked. But the nightmare was just starting. Day 1: One of us decided to take a bath. And after that, it took us (me) about 15 minutes of panic to figure out how to get rid of the bathtub drain stopper... only to realize the pipe construction was so precarious that the bathroom was floated every time any of us was taking a shower. Day 2: After a long day of walking around the city, we came back home to find a house completely in the dark. The electricity board had tripped during the day, forcing me once again to use my amazing handywoman’s skills! (Thanks Dad for teaching me electricity 101!) Day 3: I was officially defeated. The owner called us at 13:00, while we were enjoying our day in Lund, to announce that the electricity board broke for good, leaving us no choice but to find a new accommodation for the last night. Fortunately, we found another house big enough to welcome all of us last minute and the owner of the first place paid the taxi ride to go from one place to the other!

Step 2 – Copenhagen, running away from the curse

After 3 exhausting days, we were more than happy to leave the Swedish curse behind and settle in our very modern hostel (far from any plumbing or electric problems) in the city center.

We only stayed in the city for a day and a half, but we really enjoyed it as much as possible, walking all around the city to see among others the famous Nyhavn, the little mermaid statue and the amazing Freetown of Christiana.

We also enjoyed this stay to have a drink with our friends from Roskilde in the student house in Copenhagen!

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In short, visiting Malmö, Lund and Copenhagen is definitely a great trip idea that I’ll recommend to anyone, but avoid doing it during Mercury retrograde and try not to stay in an old house. And never, under any pretext, do both at the same time!