I stood back and watched the man with awe. He tilted his head back and held the raw herring coated in salt and chopped onions over his mouth. That’s the technique so it slides down easier. Three bites. Maybe four. Man, after man. Woman, after woman. Others used a fork to eat it with a pickle. The guy hawking the slimy fish sold them as fast as he could clean them, and while Kathy was invited to try, I had to look away. The smell of raw fish was getting to me and I didn’t want them to see me Continue Reading

The Keep on Trippin’ Tour started its time in Copenhagen by walking 10 minutes in the wrong direction when we got off the train from the airport. Ten minutes schlepping suitcases around construction on narrow, skinny cobblestone paths at 7:00 pm when you’re hot, tired, and confused is the equivalent of a much longer time under different circumstances. Our 15 minute walk to our apartment was now 25 more minutes. I spent the rest of the evening apologizing to Kathy as I got a little ugly during Continue Reading

I’ve always subscribed to the old adage that luck results when preparation meets opportunity. Until Saturday, when we happened upon The King of Norway fishing, just fifty yards from us. I can’t recall any preparation in my life that provided for that encounter. Helena, our host, was thrilled when she saw the flag flying on a hill about a quarter mile from the road we were on. “Oh, that means The King is here,” she said excitedly as we approached a narrow bridge. “And look, there he is!” We Continue Reading

My goal at the start of this trip was simple. Post a blog on Sweden. Then a few days later, post another one on Norway. Sometimes, plans go astray. A quick flight from Stockholm to Oslo, a train ride, then another train, then a bus ride, and then a half hour car ride, and finally, we ended up in Sandefjord. And as soon as we were given our own Viking helmets, I knew Sandefjord deserved its own post. A beautiful coastal city of 60,000 about ninety minutes south of Oslo, it is the home of Continue Reading