12 hours in Aarhus

A little spontaneity is a great thing. With a few days of freedom left before school started back up we decided to buy a train ticket and head to Aarhus for the day.

Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark and is located on the east coast of Jutland. You're asking, "What's Jutland?". I like to say it's the part of Denmark that "jutes" out of Germany. It's a quick and easy 3 hour train ride from Copenhagen, complete with lovely Danish scenery. And if you're not into quaint scenes of Danish countryside there is also free WiFi on the train. 

Train Views

If I had done some research before our trip I would have found out that Aarhus is #13 on New York Times "52 Places to Go in 2016".  

The playground at Dokk1

One of the sights listed in the New York Times article is Dokk1. It's a new library and cultural center located in the old industrial harbor. Though calling it a library does not do it justice. Dokk1 has an expansive balcony that includes multiple playgrounds, each based off a different continent. Inside there is a cafe, vintage arcade games, playrooms, games and oh yeah, books. Head down the escalator and outside to watch the cars get parked. Seriously, the parking garage has car elevators that whisk the cars away, we weren't the only ones standing around to watch. 

THE Gong

But by far my favorite part was The Gong. The Gong, is well a gong, hanging in one corner of the library. Besides the fact that its quite beautiful hanging in front of the windows over looking the harbor, the gong rings when a baby is born in Aarhus. Apparently, new born parents have the opportunity to activate the gong from the hospital. Needless to say if I ever have children I will be giving birth in Aarhus.

The quiet streets of The Old Town

From the futuristic library we headed to Den Gamle By or The Old Town. Den Gamle By is an open air museum and it feels a bit like you are on a field trip in the 5th grade, learning how people lived in centuries past. The highlight of the museum is the newest addition, a recreation of a building from the 1970's. It includes a family apartment, gynecologist office and a collective. The 1970's portion of the museum is a big upgrade from the rest of the museum. The exhibits are hands on and interactive with working phones, videos and a mirror where you can try on clothes from the 70s. 

What I'd look like in 1974. Damn Good.

We ended our day in Aarhus at our friends collective. A collective is just a group of people living together, but actually living together. They have meetings, clean, cook dinner and eat together almost every night. This communal way of living is far different than anything I've experienced in America, where every inch of fridge space is divided up. Our friends collective has been around the 1970's and you could tell it was old and lived in, in all the best ways. It was the perfect way to end a chilly day in Aarhus, champagne soup (it's a thing!) in a warm, old, friendly Danish house. 

The run down on Aarhus: 

Get there: Around 3 hours from Copenhagen, easy and cheap by bus or train 

Eat there: Il Mercatino, Mejlgade 18. Great for lunch, delicious paninis to go. 

See there: Dokk1, Free

                  Den Gamle By, prices vary by season

City Inspiration: Cocktails in Saigon

I lived in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) for about two years. In those two years I matured from street side beer drinker to sch-mancy cocktail drinker. Below I give you my run down of the best cocktail bars in Ho Chi Minh City....and one brewery.

Living it up at Eon Heli Bar 

Racha Room 

I fall asleep at night dreaming of the cocktails at Racha Room. The Racha Room is a Thai, street food inspired restaurant in central District 1. I HIGHLY recommend the Concubine, a sweet vodka and lycee concoction and the Sin Gin Sling, gin based (surprise!) with a  nice basil aftertaste . What makes their cocktails even better is that the Racha Room has happy hour Monday to Saturday from 5pm to 8pm.  

The Racha Room 12-14 Mac Thi Buoi, D1, HCMC

O.M.G.

Normally I would never advocate drinking at a bar named after a valley girl expression, but the view will soon have you forgetting about the name. O.M.G. is on the 9th floor of the Tan Hai Long Hotel, overlooking the always busy Benh Thanh round about. It's a great alternative to Skybar or EON Heli Bar (Bitexco) you still get a killer view and drink without the ear popping elevator ride. Or is that just me? I recommend the passion fruit mojito with less sugar (ít đường)

O.M.G.-Tan Hai Long Hotel, Nguyen An Ninh, D1 HCMC

Broma: Not a Bar

When O.M.G. gets too loud head to Broma for another rooftop with a more chill/laid-back vibe.  Broma has a solid cocktail menu and a serves an even better sangria. If your lucky enough to become besties with the staff you can host your own 90's dance party. If your going to add to the noise pollution 90's music is the way to go. 

 The view from Broma- 41 Nguyen Hue, D1, HCMC

The Deck

The Deck is the most expensive on the list especially if you factor in the Uber ride to get to District 2. It's definitely worth the ride as you'll be sitting right on the Saigon River, plan it accordingly and you can be sitting on the river at sunset, swoon. My experience with their menu is limited but not much experience is needed to conclude they were perfect. 

The Deck- 38 Nguyen U Di, D2, HCMC

Pasteur Street Brewing Company

I don't discriminate when it comes to alcoholic beverages, but beer is usually low on my list, except this beer. Pasteur is a craft brewery that literally makes the best beer I've ever had. I always recommend the flight as the beers on tap. My personal favorite is the passion fruit wheat ale and the jasmine IPA. The location on Pasteur can be difficult to find as it's hidden down a sketchy alley, but that's part of the charm. 

Pasteur Street Brewing Company- 144 Pasteur, D1, HCMC

New Year, New Blog

Somewhere in Cambodia written on a bathroom stall I found inspiration

"Teach people what you have seen on your journey and maybe one day they will travel too"

Inspired by jet lag and the aforementioned bathroom stall I decided to (re)start a travel blog. All good decisions are made after midnight while sleep deprived, right?

You should know I'm not a photographer, foodie or writer. I am a traveler, a backpacker, an adventurer and a wanderer. My goal here is to share my stories, experiences and tips to inspire others to travel and maybe make the journey a little bit easier.