Thursday, September 25, 2025

Scandinavian driving trip (2) - Netherlands to Sweden


Itinerary (1)

Mons Klint cliffs
We took almost 5 days to drive from the Netherlands to Sweden, entering Norway on the sixth day, where we spent the rest of our holiday. We stopped on the way in Germany, Denmark and Sweden, exploring some places longer and some just while driving through. The highlight for me over this long drive were the hidden gems, the Mons Klint cliffs near Copenhagen.


Day 1: Drive from Amsterdam to Asendorf, near Hamburg (Germany) (4.5h) with stops in Groningen, Bremen and Luneburg Heath

The first two days of our trip were mostly driving days. On the first day, we left early from Amsterdam and drove through the Netherlands and Germany. And we stopped on the way every few hours to explore some interesting places plus to enjoy the simple joy of a European road trip.

Groningen waterfront
Our first stop of the day was Groningen, a town I had heard of as two of my colleagues lived there but had never got a chance to visit. We took a break there, parking by the canal and spending some time walking around. It was a cute little place, generally known as a student town but not that crowded at that time, as it was the summer holidays and all the students were away. The canal front was pretty, with rows of huge boats parked there. We walked along the canal, and reached a nearby park where we had a chai break (this would be a routine over the trip). It was a calm peaceful place with lots of greenery around, and ducks swimming peacefully in the ponds. It was fun to sit there in the sun while loads of people around were enjoying their summer picnics.

Bremen
Our next stop was the German town of Bremen. We walked around the city centre, the Marktplatz, with the city hall, church and shops, all built in the typical German architecture. We walked into a few shops too. Then we walked towards the old town, called Schnoor. It had cobbled streets and pretty buildings all around, including the St. Peter’s Cathedral (Bremer Dom). It felt so cosy walking there. And then we walked around the Weser river for a bit before setting off again on our journey. Overall, Bremen seemed like a nice, cute town for a brief stop.

Schnoor, Bremen
Our Tesla stop that day wasn't as scenic though. It was next to a huge mall where we bought some stuff for the journey. The rest of the drive was through miles and miles of fields. Then we drove through Luneburg Heath, a scenic nature area, known for its purple blooms in autumn. The villages in the Heath looked charming, full of wooden houses and loads of places to stay. Throughout the nature reserve, there were green woods, and wildflowers, it was so refreshing to drive through it. There were also some purple heather fields in the area, though they were not fully in bloom yet.

We drove through a gorgeous sunset and reached our hotel, Hotel Zur Heidschnucke, near the village of Asendorf. It was an old hotel with spa amenities, surrounded by the green woodlands of Luneburg Heath. We wanted to go for walks around, but as we reached quite late, we couldn't. But we could already still feel the beauty around, that it would be a place worth spending some time at.


Day 2: Drive from Asendorf to Copenhagen (Denmark) (6.5h) with stops in Hamburg and Mons Klint

In the morning, we explored the hotel trails and green paths, and they were just such a pleasure to walk around. Then we were on our way. Today was another driving day, with two stops on the way. The drive was mostly through wheat fields and wild yellow flowers all along the way.

Hamburg
We first stopped at a sarson ka khet on the way and took some photos. Our next stop was Hamburg, one of the larger German towns. We first visited the tower of St. Nikolai, which is the only remnant remaining of the church after the war. Then we walked around the city centre, with its port, bridges, waterways and red buildings. The city centre was quite lively to walk through too.

St Nikolai tower
Hamburg waterways













To get from Germany to Denmark, we had to take a 45 minutes ferry from Puttgarden to Rodbyhavn, which takes you from Germany to one of the Danish islands. And then we drove from island to island, through green grasslands, water ways and very idyllic surroundings. Our next stop was Mons Klint, white seaside cliffs on the island of Mon. The drive till there was picturesque. We crossed over many small islands, linked with small and large bridges over the sea. There were hills everywhere, some filled with wild flowers and poppies, some had golden yellow wheat fields. We drove by scenic golf courses and small charming villages. With boats lining the marinas, and simple churches marking the villages. And the sea was everywhere. We drove up and down as this area was hilly, which added to the beauty of the landscape. I loved this drive.

The hike down
It was raining when we reached Mons Klint, but we got out anyway. And thankfully, after some time, the rain stopped. There was a reception centre at the entrance, with a small museum. There were a few trails there, and we decided to walk down the wooden stairs to reach the sea. It was raining a bit as we walked down, but then we came across a magical scene. And the sky also magically cleared at that moment. There were white cliffs of chalk against the deep blue of the sea, the dark gray clouds in the sky, and the white waves on the sea. It was such a mix of colours and landscapes, and as the rain had just stopped, the view felt surreal and refreshing. We were there for a while, taking a few pics and having a chai break, just enjoying being at such a breathtaking spot.

Mons Klint cliffs
Then we drove into Copenhagen, which felt boring given what we had just seen. We were staying at an airbnb, slightly outside of town in a residential area. We reached the Airbnb late and settled into it. It was quite comfortable and well located. There was an EV charging station nearby, as well as a park with a small pond and a few walking trails, though it rarely had any people there. 



Day 3: Explored Copenhagen

Copenhagen City Hall
On our first day in Copenhagen, it was raining. So we left our Airbnb much later in the day and mostly walked around all afternoon exploring the town. We used an app and followed its suggested route to check out all the main tourist spots. Overall, the city felt quite grand and also simple somehow. We enjoyed walking through the city, though the intermittent rain made the experience slightly challenging. Thankfully, the rain did stop at times, giving us space to move around a bit.

Olsen's world clock
We started at the main train station and walked around the Tivoli gardens. Then we walked to the City Hall (called the Radhus) which was quite grand from the inside. It had some captivating paintings, especially on the ceilings and the walls. (In fact, a year later when I visited the City Hall again for a friend’s wedding, I found the place to be a great setting for the wedding). As it started raining again, we spent a lot longer than planned at the city hall and had our chai break there. We also saw Jens Olsen’s World Clock in the city hall, which apparently can tell the time anywhere in the world at any time. Though by the time it was created, digital watches had taken over, so it wasn't as useful as earlier planned. 

Copenhagen from the top
Christiansborg Palace









Our next stop was the Christiansborg Palace which also functions as the Danish Parliament. We went up the palace tower (it’s free) and enjoyed the view of the city all around. It looked fascinating, with its new buildings and the port on the one side, and all the statues and stone buildings from old times on the other.

Nyhavn
From there we walked to Nyhavn, which was the prettiest part of town. It has lovely multi-coloured buildings lining the harbour. And all of them are now restaurants, with tourists milling around whenever you go. The rain added quite a contrast to the coloured buildings at that time.

Kongens Square
Our next stop was the grand square, Kongens Nytorv. It was a charming spot, with the green square full of bright and colourful summer flowers. We took a break there with chai. We next walked on the main market street, Stroget, which had got crowded by then as it had stopped raining. The area was lined with shops, and we checked a few of the things being sold there. And suddenly we also heard Hindi being spoken as there were so many tourists around.

Little Mermaid
Our next stop was the independent nation of Christiania. It was as expected, a very different kind of a place. With a lot of graffiti and people wandering around looking lost. It was a bit of a shock for sure. We then drove around the sea to see the Little Mermaid. It looked smaller than what we expected. We spent some time walking around the parkland nearby. There was a cruise ship parked there plus some gorgeous churches and fountains.

And then we drove through the city. There were some really nice areas, with big wide roads. simple but colourful huge houses, many water bodies and so many churches. The drive through Oster Sogade was beautiful, all along the lake. Overall the city felt slower than Amsterdam even. Lots of people were cycling in the centre. People drove within speed limits even on the highway. And didn't honk at red lights. It did feel like a great city to live in, simple and quiet. I visited the place again in winter, and it didn't feel so great then. Though the next day when the weather got sunnier, it felt better as everyone was out and swimming in the cold waters.


Day 4: Visited Kronborg castle and the Danish Riviera

Kronborg castle
The next day, we explored the Danish Riviera, the east coast of the Zealand island where the Danish have their holiday homes and spend their summers along the sea. We first drove to the Kronborg Castle and started the day from there. The castle was the highpoint of Helsingor town. It is quite striking, sitting atop an elevated plateau, overlooking the sea and Sweden beyond. It's also known as the castle where Hamlet's story is set in.

The grounds and moat around the castle are huge, with many colourful old barracks all around. The castle was owned by the Danish King and he used to spend some time there regularly. Whenever he was visiting, his whole court moved with him to Kronborg. It would then be full of activities and guests. And then he would leave, when the castle would become empty.

Sweden across the seas
We walked around the castle and sat on the stones by the sea. We could see Helsingborg in Sweden from there (which we would visit the next day). And regular ferries run from there, across to Sweden. I am generally not for visiting these castles as they all look the same to me after a point. But we did go in and I was pleasantly surprised. It was quite interesting and pretty to explore.



Inside the castle
We went up its towers, checked out the kitchens, the grand hall and ball room, the paintings and tapestries on the walls, and the underground barracks where soldiers used to live. It was all very informative to walk through. That day, they also had a Hamlet themed event being held in the castle for children. So there were various actors roleplaying different characters from the play, sitting in different rooms, giving clues to little children, which added to the fun of the day.

View from the top
From the tower, the view of the town around was lovely. It was a huge town with most houses having orange roofs. And lots of greenery. After exploring the castle, we had our chai break by the green gardens overlooking the castle.

Humlebaek village
Then we drove back till Copenhagen, all along the coast. There were wildflowers everywhere along the road and some very picturesque views. The coast was lined one by one with many big and small villages, with huge holiday homes all along the water. We stopped in two towns, Espergaerde and the beach at Humlebaek. We swam for a bit though the water was still cool. There were still loads of children doing watersports along the water, not finding it cool at all. And we had another chai break there, enjoying the serenity of the view around.

Charlottenlund
Our next stop was the Charlottenlund Fort. It was a green area and fun to walk through. We walked along the fort, the sea, the beach and the old bunkers. Just enjoying the calm views. The weather also got worse soon, so we called it a day. Overall the day was fun, seeing how the Danish spend their summers. It was calm and refreshing, though I must say, nothing extraordinary.


Day 5: Drive from Copenhagen to Gothenburg (Sweden) (3.5h) with stops in Malmo and Helsingborg

Today was another long day of driving from Denmark to Gothenburg in Sweden with some scenic stops on the way. We started out from Copenhagen, and first took the Oresund bridge crossing over to Sweden. It was a long bridge (about 16 kms) renowned as an engineering feat, with a hefty toll. Then we mostly drove along the Swedish coast, through miles and miles of wheat fields.

Ribban beach
Our first stop was the Ribersborgsstranden (also called Ribban) beach in Malmo. It was a sunny day and the water was quite warm. So the beach was full of people. The water was clean and almost green. We sat there for a while for a chai break, swimming in the water and sleeping in the sun on the grass next to the beach.

Helsingborg from the park
We continued our drive along the coast, through empty lands, with only fields till wherever the eyes could see. The road quality was fine but not as great as the Netherlands (I think I have been spoiled for life given the almost perfect highways of the Netherlands). Also I noticed, most of the drivers on the highways were following the speed limit, unlike in the Netherlands. 

Walking down to Helsingborg
Our second stop on the way was the Slottshagen Park in the town of Helsingborg, a park on elevated land with a view across town, and a castle and tower nearby. We had our lunch break there, enjoying the greenery and flowers in the garden. The park was up above on the cliff, so we admired the expanse of the small town below. We walked down the grand stairs from the park to the city centre along the waterfront. It was quite an active place, with grand buildings and an active city centre. The drive after was so boring, that we only stopped at a Tesla supercharger on the way. I think this boring part of the drive made me more tired than usual. 

And then we reached Gothenburg. We were staying at the Waterfront Cabins which sounded a lot more picturesque than they were. They were modern studio apartments near the waterfront. But they were quite tough to get to as a lot of the roads in town were closed. Also the first views of the place weren't great, though it got better as we checked in and walked around the complex. But as it was only a night halt, we didn't bother much. We drove into town for a bit and it seemed pleasant, though most of it was under construction somehow. Also I was too tired that day to enjoy it too much. (to be continued)


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Saturday, September 13, 2025

Scandinavian driving trip (1) - Itinerary


Last summer, we went on a 2 week driving trip through Scandinavia. We started from Amsterdam, drove through Germany and stayed in Copenhagen in Denmark for a few days. Then we crossed the Øresund Bridge (an ocean bridge) from Denmark to get to Sweden, and drove along the Swedish coast to get to Norway. We stopped in the countryside and then reached the fjord country. We stayed a week there, in Bergen and Stavanger, and were blown away by the sheer majesty of the country, the breathtaking scenery at every turn. We hiked, kayaked, explored its towns and generally soaked in the natural beauty that is Norway, definitely one of my favourite countries. And then we drove back through a shorter route, taking a ferry from Norway to Denmark, then back to Amsterdam. It was probably one of my longest driving trips too, we drove more than 4500 km over the two weeks. And the beauty we saw surpassed any other drive ever.


Itinerary

Day 1 - Drove from Amsterdam to the village of Asendorf (Germany) (4.5h), with stops in Groningen, Bremen and Luneberg Heath; 1 night stay at Hotel Zur Heidschnucke in Asendorf, near Hamburg
Day 2 - Drove from Asendorf to Copenhagen (Denmark) (6.5h), with stops in Hamburg, Mons Klint and a ferry from Puttgarden to Rodbyhavn; 3 nights stay at an airbnb in Copenhagen
Day 3 - Explored Copenhagen
Day 4 - Visited Kronborg castle and drove through the Danish Riviera on our way back
Day 5 - Drove from Copenhagen to Gothenburg (Sweden) (3.5h), with stops at Malmo and Helsingborg; 1 night stay in Waterfront cabins in Gothenburg
Day 6 - Drove from Gothenburg to Leveld (Norway) (6.5h), with stops at Gothenburg and Oslo; 1 night stay in a wooden cabin in Leveld
Day 7 - Drove from Leveld to Bergen (4.5h), with kayaking and cruise at Nærøyfjord; 3 nights stay in luxury home in Bergen
Day 8 - Explored Bergen, climbed up Mt Fløyen
Day 9 - Drove around Hardanger fjords, with stops at Haga village, Steinsdalfossen waterfall and Norheimsund beach
Day 10 - Drove from Bergen to Stavanger (4.5h), with stop at Haugesund; 3 nights stay in beachfront holiday home in Mosteroy island, near Stavanger
Day 11 - Explored Stavanger and Mosterøy island
Day 12 - Hike up the Preikestolen (Pulpit rock)
Day 13 - Drove from Stavanger to Kolding (Denmark) (7h + 3h ferry); 1 night stay at Hotel Kolding
Day 14 - Drove back from Kolding to Amsterdam (9h)

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Friday, September 12, 2025

Bangalore and around: Chikkamagaluru, Belur and Halebidu temples


Belur temple
Last year, I visited Bangalore after many many years. I spent a few days in the city, exploring how it would be to live there. And then went out of town for two days, to the hillside town of Chikkamagaluru. We visited Mullayanagiri and Bhadra tiger reserve there, stopping at the Belur and Halebidu temples on the way back.


Drive to Chikkamagaluru

The drive from Bangalore to Chikkamagaluru takes about five hours, so we left early around 5:30 am to avoid the local Bangalore city traffic. The route till there was mostly a highway and fun to drive on. Even though there were no major towns on the way, and most of our drive was through rural areas, it did feel a lot more well-to-do than other places I have driven in India, as at least all the houses were pucca.

All along the drive, we were surrounded by greenery on both sides and it already felt refreshing. As it was spring, we saw loads of roadside trees laden with yellow and pink flowers, adding to the brightness of the drive. And I saw so many women wearing bright coloured sarees, with flowers in their hair, it was lovely to just watch all the colour around. In fact, I also bought some flowers to put in my hair, first time ever since 1987 when I had lived in Tamil Nadu!

On the way, we stopped at a local dhaba to eat dosa (I think I ate dosa daily on this trip, the benne masala dosa is so yummy)! We also had sugarcane juice at a few stops on the way, always a pleasure to have in India. Interestingly, there was a stretch of the road, where everyone was selling Adivasi hair oil, produced locally. It's made by adding local herbs to coconut oil. I bought some of it, as it looked interesting. Also buying local things on the way is such an integral part of any driving experience.


The Serai, Chikkamagaluru

We were staying at the Serai resort and once we reached it, it felt as if we had landed in heaven. The Serai was a huge property with huge bungalows spread out all around. Each of the bungalows had its own private pool. The rooms were tastefully decorated and felt luxurious, though they were very simply furnished. And the bathrooms were surrounded by so much greenery, it felt like we were almost outdoors. It felt like the place had been designed with care.

The Serai
There were a few swimming pools, and access to a few sports activities at the resort. It had a nice restaurant too. The resort was surrounded by coffee farms. I walked around a bit and saw a few monkeys and some big birds on the walk. I could even hear a lot of insect and bird sounds all around. Still, there was so much calmness and serenity at the resort, as it was set in nature. I loved it.

The first day, we had Malnad lunch with fish cooked in banana leaf - it was so yum. And it was so relaxing to be in the resort (the air just made us so lazy), that we ended up cancelling all our plans for the day and just pottered around.


Mullayanagiri

View from Mullayanagiri peak
The next day, we again woke up at 5:30 am and left early for Mullayanagiri peak, to avoid the hot afternoon sun. The drive through the hills was gorgeous. We drove though many lush green valleys, and the hills looked stunning in the morning fog. We crossed coffee plantations and some villages on the way but most of the drive was through remote stretches.

View from the peak
We had been following Google Maps but when we reached the destination, it turned out the peak wasn’t there 😃. It took us a while before we could find someone to guide us to the right spot. Once we got the right directions, we had to drive all the way back to reach the place. And by that time, it had got hot. And crowded! We still walked up to the peak in the sun. The route was made up of stairs, and lined with shops. It was a short hike though. The views from the top were stunning though, of green valleys and a lake far beyond. 

Temples with colourful 
gopurams
When we got down, I ate maggi at one of the shops (joys of travelling in India😇)  and then headed back to the Serai. On our way back, I also finally visited one of the temples I had seen so many of in Bangalore - with the colourful statues of gods on the temple gopurams. I have always found them fascinating - the colours and the statues - and was finally able to see them up close.



Bhadra tiger reserve

The same afternoon, we had booked a tiger safari at a nearby reserve, called the Bhadra tiger reserve. We drove to the reserve in the afternoon. The drive felt like it was through the Karnatakan hinterland, passing by some small home stays and coffee plantations. And there were a few lakes on the way too.

Apparently the reserve has a few tigers, so we went on the Safari to spot some. But the guide already told us to not expect to see any, as they are quite tough to spot. Still, it was nice to be out in the jungle, a different jungle this time.

We were in a jeep, driving through the forests. It was mostly a dry brown forest. The green areas were full of teak trees. And we did spot some small animals like a turtle, giant squirrels, spotted deer, barking deer, a few sambar deer, monkeys, some langurs and wild buffalo, but the tiger eluded us.


Belur and Halebidu temples

Entrance to Belur temple
While driving back from Chikkamagaluru, we stopped at Belur and Halebidu to visit the ancient temples from the 12th century, built by the Hoysalas. They were such an eye-opening experience. Made of stone in the Hoysala temple architecture style, they were magnificent. And surprisingly not that well known. Spread out in a temple complex, carved intricately in stone and just an absolute pleasure to look at and explore. I could have spent so many hours there just exploring and appreciating all the handwork around the complex.

Belur temple
We first went to the Belur temple, which was in the middle of the city. It is an active temple and was full of devotees, including women in bright silk sarees, even in the heat! The temple complex had a grand entrance, and many smaller temples inside, all carved in stone. Each of the temples had tens of pillars, all carved with figures and geometric designs. Some brown, some in black stones. And the stones inside the temples felt so cool in the heat, we did not feel hot inside at all.

Halebidu temple
Our next stop was the Halebidu temple which is located a bit outside of town, next to a lake, surrounded by trees and gardens. They were not functioning temples, so there weren't as many crowds there. The Halebidu temple is dedicated to Shiva, while the Belur is for Vishnu. The carvings were again mind-blowing, every inch of stones was intricately carved into gods, dancers, animals and mythological scenes. The shivling, the main deity in this temple had a divine quality to it somehow. It is a huge stone in black, decorated like most temple deities. I took one look at it and felt something. The temple also had a huge Nandi statue carved in stone.

Intricate carvings
Intricate carvings











 

Nandi temple
It was extremely hot when we visited these temples, but I'm glad I did. They will remain with me for a long time, such an exquisite symbol of ancient Indian art and architectural beauty. Also, both these temples were so clean, it felt heartening to see that.

On the drive back we stopped at Hoysala Village Resort near Hassan and ate Malnad food again. It was tasty, though heavy and the spice was a lot milder. The drive back was fine though as expected, we found traffic in Bangalore and then it took us a while to get home.


Bangalore

Inside Cubbon park
Before and after the visit to Chikkamagaluru, I spent a few days in Bangalore, mostly meeting friends but also exploring it a bit (for the first time actually, as I don't think people think much about exploring Bangalore when they visit, and I hadn't done much earlier either). One day we went to the central area around MG Road and visited the local parks. It was such a lovely area to drive through, with its grand old colonial buildings like the Vidhan Sabha, which charms one as you drive past them.

Colours of Cubbon park
Then we went to Cubbon park and walked in the park looking for blooming spring flowers. It's a huge park but also has roads inside it. Many of the trees were full of pink and yellow and purple flowers, some of them on the ground and the rest on the trees. And as usual, we had some sugarcane juice after to deal with the heat. Then we went to Lalbagh which had a nice variety of flowers and plants too, though it was already dry (even in February!).

And after all the walks in the sun, we stopped at a local dosa point to have the benne masala dosa which was a totally new experience for me and I loved it.

Apparently there are dozens of famous silk saree shops in Bangalore, all of which have a great collection. Though I only went to one, RMKV silks. It was already so much fun for me (and exhausting), that we never managed to check out the others. They had such an elaborate collection, with many different varieties of sarees from the South Indian states. I ended up buying multiple sarees from there, leaving behind so many more. Being able to buy sarees with such a vast variety to choose from is something I miss in the North as the saree is not as common there. This saree shopping was definitely a highlight of the Bangalore visit for me.

Flowers of Lalbagh
Overall I found old Bangalore to be a slow moving cute little town, with two storey houses, a lot of old educational and professional institutions, with lots of space and so many parks and greenery all around. Everywhere in the old town, there were trees lining the road, laden with yellow, pink and purple flowers, with the reds just about starting to bloom. The many lakes have mostly disappeared now though there were a few still surviving. Bangalore has very few high rises in the old parts though a lot more in the new areas.

Most of the roads are narrow, which is the reason for the traffic jams now. But still people drive slowly without aggression. The government is trying to improve that, so you can now find flyovers at random places, which aren't helping the traffic much yet.

Another local temple
People seem to be relaxed and unhurried. The city still feels conservative but open too. So many women wear sarees on a daily basis and I loved seeing that. Religion is also very visible here. I saw so many temples, with their colourful statues of gods. I even went into one of them - they all look so bright, yet so simple and inviting.

In the new areas, there is a chill vibe, a founders vibe too given this is a startup city. There are tons of restaurants springing up everywhere. All the breweries are fun places to hangout too. And you can see tech being used everywhere (maybe the local startups test it all locally first!). And last but not the least, the new Bangalore airport is pretty. Created with a green and natural tinge to it - my last impression of the city was also a good one .

Overall, I was impressed. Everyone who lives there likes the city, its chill vibe and some remaining old world charm. The traffic of course is a pain but I guess the rest makes up for it. And I loved the saree shopping, and the visit to Belur and Halebidu temples. So overall, an enjoyable stay in the Garden City.