Euro Trip!

Traveling to Europe has been a big part of my stay in England, so I thought I ought to do the places I visited justice as well.

Copenhagen
7) Gammel Strand
I only really walked past this waterfront row of houses, but somehow the images it conjured of old-time Copenhagen have stuck with me.
6) Strøget
I don't usually like shopping districts, but I never really did get tired of walking up and down the mile of pedestrianized road right outside my B&B. The buildings along Strøget are now the standard I hold other Northern European cities to.
5) Rosenborg Slott
Usually when you visit a "fairy tale" castle in Europe, it's a Nineteenth Century fake, but this one's the real deal. Plus, you can walk right up to the Danish crown jewels, and even photograph you if the mood strikes you. Just try that in London...
4) Malmö¶
I probably could have visited the city dump here and been excited about it because it was in Sweden. That said, Malmö is actually a really nice city (with an inexplicable "Walking With Dinosaurs"-themed mural), even early on a cold Sunday morning. Brr...
3) Nationalmuseet
One of the best museums I've ever seen anywhere. Had the Bronze Age and Viking exhibits not been under renovation, I might very well call it the very best I've seen.
2) Roskilde
Had I arrived in town an hour or so earlier and been able to go inside the cathedral, I have no doubt that Roskilde would be an easy choice for #1. As it was, the Viking Ship Museum and the view across a genuine Scandinavian fjord made it well worth the train ride from Copenhagen.
1) Nyhavn
I can't imagine that there is a more Scandinavian sight than the colorful shops and ships of Copenhagen's old harbor, and that is one of the highest compliments I can bestow on a place.

Madrid
7) Museo de Arte Reina Sofia
This museum probably deserved to be higher up the list (Picasso! Dali! Miro!), but I was fairly well worn out by museums by the time I reached it. Still, wow.
6) Parks
The parks in Madrid were wonderful. Maybe I just thought that because I enjoyed walking under palm trees and past parrots after a particularly cold English winter. Still, I never got tired of just strolling around them.
5) Tapas
Every country should eat like they do in Spain (or maybe not, as I'm not sure even the hardiest of us could handle quite that much meat all the time). The fact that you can walk into a bar or cafe anywhere in Madrid at any time of day, pay very little, and get a really good snack and a drink is just wonderful, especially as you get to repeat the process several times in a day.
4) Museo del Prado
Pre-Nineteenth Century art usually bores me to tears, but the Prado managed to keep even me interested. I have a new appreciation for Goya and Velazquez, but the real star of the show is "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by Bosch. I've never spent so much time looking at one painting before, and doubt I will again.
3) Viejo Madrid
The Old Town is great for a wander, a drink, or a tapas crawl depending on your mood. The odd thing is, when you get there you feel like you're suddenly out in the Castilian countryside somewhere.
2) Palacio Real
I have a hard time believing people actually lived here. I'd have gotten lost. When even the Royal Pharmacy is as big as a house and better decorated than most luxury hotels, you know you've reached heightight of opulence.
1) Segovia
I didn't know cities like Segovia actually still existed. It's the closest I've ever felt to traveling back in time, at least if you can ignore the hoards of tourists (stay the night if you ever go; they all disappear before dinner). I hate the word "magical" to describe places, but if ever I were to apply it, it would be to Segovia. Plus, the Roman aqueduct is one of the more amazing things I've ever seen.

Berlin & Hamburg
7) Unter den Linden, Berlin
Chilling in parts (the Nazis liked to use the old buildings along the boulevard as backdrops for their propaganda), but unarguably beautiful. All cities deserve as glorious a civic icon as the Brandenburg Gate.
6) St. Michaelis, Hamburg
Hamburg's skyline is still defined by church spires, and this is far and away the best. If you ever visit Hamburg, go.
5) Hafen, Hamburg
Lots and lots of boats. Huge boats, too. Good times.
4) Binnenalster, Hamburg
I love Hamburg, and easily the best view of it is from the little lake smack in the middle of it.
3) Schleswig
Vikings AND bog mummies in the museums there. What's not to love?
2) Museumsinsel, Berlin
Why go to see the ruins of Greece, Rome, or Babylon, when all the best buildings are actually sitting in the Pergamonmuseum in Berlin? Outside of the Smithsonian, I've never seen as impressive a collection of museums as this.
1) Lübeck
Seeing cities like Lübeck is always a little bittersweet. It makes you reflect on how much of Germany used to look this gorgeous before the war (the same feeling you get in parts of England). Still, even that wasn't enough to dampen my spirits there. A great city with really cool churches.