4 Days in Copenhagen Denmark with Kid

Do you miss traveling? I miss traveling but I guess there will be no travel trips this year. My only wish is that we can go out as a family. My son and I are still stuck at home because kids are not allowed to go out yet and I have an autoimmune disease so even I’m itching to go out, part of me is scared. I don’t want to put my health at risk.

Even I’m an introvert, I don’t like this “new normal” because, for more than 3 months, my world revolves inside our tiny house. To keep me sane, I kept myself busy and productive. I was working last weekend and my client is from Denmark. And because of that, I suddenly missed Denmark so I’m reminiscing about our trip last year.

4 Days in Copenhagen, Denmark with Kid 

Denmark is part of Europe so if you are a Filipino like me, you need to apply for Schengen Visa. We applied for our visas at VFS Norway since we will be staying most of our summer vacation there. We took Qatar Airways from the Philippines to Norway and we stayed in Elverum for few days before we started our Scandinavian Trip.

Read: How to Apply for Schengen Visa for your Europe Trip 
Understanding your Visa: How to Read the Visa Sticker  
Philippines to Norway via Qatar Airways 

There are different ways to travel from Norway to Denmark, we can ride the plane, bus, train or ferry, we chose the latter because it is cheaper and we wanted to experience it. From Elverum, we took a bus to Oslo and we walked from the bus station to ferry port where DFDS Crown Seaways is located. We sailed from Oslo Norway to Copenhagen Denmark for less than 18 hours. We’ve been meaning to try cruise but no budget for that yet so we’re happy that we experienced cruising even for one night. 

Read: Cruise to Copenhagen Denmark from Oslo Norway 

After 18 hours in the sea, we landed in Denmark and our travel adventures begin. We bought a Copenhagen Pass at the convenience store but the 72-hours card is not available so we just purchased the train ticket so we can travel to Copenhagen Central Station where our accommodation is located.

We stayed at Urban House by Meineger which is only 200 meters away from the train station. The location is very strategic so we have no problem in exploring and commuting because it is near restaurants, tourist spots, bus stops, and train stations. Urban House offers different rooms, in our case we availed the family room which is perfect for 4 persons.

Read: Where to Stay in Copenhagen: Urban House by Meininger

Urban House by Meineger has a guest kitchen so it is a big saving in our pocket because we can eat breakfast and dinner at the hostel. For lunch and snacks, we were able to try a few restaurants, fastfoods, and kiosks. We missed the Danish hotdogs, Cocio, and waffles.

Read: Food Trip in Copenhagen Denmark 

I prepared an itinerary for our Copenhagen trip but everything changed when we reached Denmark, we tweaked it a bit. Despite the changes, we still enjoyed our trip. In fact, there are so many tourist spots that we wanted to visit but we don’t have time anymore. Anyway, let me share our four days itinerary in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Day 1 in Copenhagen

We arrived in at DFDS Terminal Seaport before 10 in the morning and we reached Urban House by 11AM, we were too early for the 3PM check-in time. We took a rest and decided to store our luggage in the locker area so we can start our tour. Due to limited time, we only visited City Hall Tower, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale House.

Day 2 in Copenhagen

We visited a lot of tourists spot on our second day, a total of 9 tourist spots so we were all tired by the time we reached our hostel. We started our tour in Roskilde where we visited the Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde Town Hall, Roskilde Cathedral, and Roskilde Palace or Royal Mansion. After that, we traveled back to Copenhagen Central Station for our Canal Tours, it is a one-hour tour where you can see different tourist attractions. Then we walked to the longest shopping street in Europe which is called Strøget. We visited the Guinness World of Records Museum, Mystic Exploratorie, and lastly the Tivoli Gardens. Tivoli is the oldest theme park in the world.

Read: Viking Ship Museum
Roskilde Cathedral
Canal Tours in Denmark
Tivoli Gardens

Day 3 in Copenhagen

It snowed on our third day so we started our tour a little bit late because we don’t want to be frozen. We had a walking tour at The Round Tower, The King’s Garden, Rosenborg Castle, Amalienborg, and The Marble Church. My companions were all tired so we ended our tour early.

Read: Rosenborg Castle 

Day 4 in Copenhagen

Our fourth day in Copenhagen and my companions don’t want to go out anymore, they are afraid that we would miss our train ride. But I persuaded them to maximize our trip so we had our last tour at Christianborg Palace, The Ruins, and The Royal Kitchen. We’re glad that we did not miss this tour because we enjoyed our visit there. If time is not limited, there are more places that we could see within Christianborg Palace.

We rushed back to our hostel, picked up our luggage, ate quick lunch at the Food Market, and off we went to the boarding gate. This time we’re going to ride a train to Stockholm, Sweden, it was our first time traveling to another country via train.

Read: Traveling from Copenhagen Denmark to Stockholm Sweden via SJ Train

Travel the World by Watching These Korean Dramas

It’s been more than three months since I’m confined inside our home. To be honest, I did not imagine that this would be my life in the year 2020. In fact, I was excited to welcome this year because we had planned travel trips, we got the plane ticket, booked accommodation, and even approved visa but life is full of uncertainties.

Summer had passed and I am still stuck at home, I miss traveling and I miss going out, kahit makapaggrocery lang ko ulit, malaking achievement na for me. I don’t know when that will happen so for now, let me see the world through these Korean Drama Series. If you miss traveling or if you are looking for some travel goals, then check my list of k-drama that will take you to different places around the world.

For the last few years, I have watched 82 Korean Drama series and among my list, there are 16 series that will inspire you to travel. As of this writing, I am watching The Package and I enjoyed this series because I feel that I already visited France. It was not on my travel bucket list but now I was thinking to visit those places especially the Mont Saint Michel.

1.The Heirs or Inheritors (USA) 

Lee Min Ho is a rich heir of Jeguk Group that was exiled to the USA where he meets Park Shin Hye who went to the USA to find her sister. They reunited in an exclusive High School that is attended by wealthy and privileged kids. This is the series where I started to like Lee Min Ho so I also watched some of his series like The Legend of the Blue Sea and Boys Over Flowers.

2. Descendants of the Sun (Greece) 

This series is a major hit in South Korea, it earned a lot of awards and it so popular so some countries have their own local adaptation like Vietnam and the Philippines. The story is about the captain and doctor who met in the emergency room. But because of their job and differences, they had a hard time to continue their relationship. DOTS is one of my favorite Korean Dramas, so I was a little bit sad when Song-Song couple separated.

3. The Legend of the Blue Sea (Spain) 

I like Lee Min Ho so it is no brainer that I immediately watch The Legend of the Blue Sea. This story is all about the mermaid who explores the ocean to look for the con-artist. Little did they know that they have a connection way back to the Joseon period.

4. Love Story in Harvard (USA) 

I have watched a few episodes of Love Story in Harvard on the television but was not able to finish it so, after more than a decade, I decided to watch this again. Half of the drama was filmed at Harvard University where law student Kim Rae Won and medical student Kim Tae Hee met.

5. Goblin or Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Canada) 

Goblin is the fifth highest-rated drama in South Korea, it won several awards and became a cultural phenomenon not only in South Korea but in other countries too like the Philippines. The story is about the 900 plus-year-old military general who was cursed to stay immortal, a grim reaper, and high school student who have a tragic past.

6. Boys Over Flowers (Macau and New Caledonia) 

A series that is based on Japanese Manga, a love story between a poor high school girl and a rich kid who met in Shinhwa High School. It has 25 episodes but if you want to feel young again then watch this.

7. K2 (Spain) 

A former mercenary soldier who was hired to be a bodyguard of the hidden daughter of a presidential candidate. The first Korean Drama series of Ji Chang Wook that I watched and since then, I’m a huge fan.

8. Doctor Stranger (Hungary) 

Lee Jong Suk and his father fleed to North Korea and were denied access to go back to South Korea. Lee Jong Sook became a top surgeon just like his father who is also a famous doctor. He vows to reunite with Jin Se Yeon.

9. Black Knight: The Man Who Guards Me (Slovenia) 

This drama is about a pure executive man and a travel agent who never traveled outside her country. The businessman accepted a dangerous fate by protecting the woman he loves. A love story that spans hundreds of years.

10. Are You Human Too (Czech Republic) 

A renowned brain scientist and artificial intelligence expert who was forced to part with her son so she created an android robot that is exactly like her son to cope with her loss over the years. She sent this android robot to protect her son’s position who was in a coma.

11. Memories of Alhambra (Spain) 

The love story of the CEO of Augmented Reality game and hostel owner. They met in Spain when the executive stays at the hostel of the woman who is also part of the mysterious and unexpected twists of the story both in real and AR world.

12. Encounter (Cuba) 

A divorced woman who has everything and an ordinary young man who was still starting his life met in Cuba. Both returned to South Korea only to find out that he will work in Donghwa hotel owned by the woman he met in Cuba.

13. Shopping King Louie or Shopaholic Louis (France) 

A romantic comedy about a young chaebol who loves shopping. He was suffering memory loss when he meets a country girl who agrees to help him until he regains his memory. I was hesitant to watch this because I’m not into shopping but I ended up liking this drama and it is one of my favorites too. If you want to laugh, then watch this kdrama.

14. Terius Behind Me or My Secret Terius (Poland) 

A detached secret service agent who helped a widowed woman. He takes care of the woman's kids and discovers the mystery behind the death of the husband.

15. Crash Landing on You (Switzerland) 

A South Korean heiress who accidentally lands in North Korea due to paragliding mishaps. She met the captain who decided to hide and help her to go back to South Korea. Despite their differences, they fell in love. I love this kdrama too and after watching this, I wanted to go to Switzerland.

16. The Package (France) 

Lee Yeon Hee works as a tour guide who leads a group of tourists on a premium package tour in France. It is a story of travelers who have different personalities, stories and in the end, they become closer and involve in each other’s lives.

As I mentioned before, this Korean Drama will take you to different places in France. It is not the typical Eiffel Tower or Disneyland Paris tour. And because of this series, I discovered more fascinating and interesting places in France so it is now added to my bucket list.

17. Chocolate (Greece)

Chocolate is all about a boy who wants to be a chef but ended up to be a neurosurgeon. A girl who became a cook because of the boy. Most of the scenes were shot in South Korea but there are some scenes in Greece because Moon Cha-young went to Greece to escape. She works in a Cafe in the small town of Monemvasia Greece. 

2020 may not be a year of travel but I am hoping that soon we will be in the mood to travel again. Let us travel the world before we run out of time. Care to share other Korean Drama that was filmed in other countries.

Click here to download the Korean Drama Checklist

Happy Father’s Day

If May is for Mother’s Day, June is for Father’s Day. It was founded in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd. Since then, every third Sunday of June, Father’s Day is being celebrated in most parts of the world. This year, it is hard to celebrate any occasion because of the Covid-19 pandemic but it is not an excuse because we can still honor our father in so many ways.

My father just passed away last January 2020 so this event reminded me that I no longer have a father. So if you still have a father, don’t forget to greet them, give them a gift or send them a card. I know it is hard to go out to buy gifts so I made some printable cards that you can download and print.  The size of the card is 3.5 x 5inches.

Sharing some famous father’s day messages.

1. Dad, a son’s first hero. A daughter’s first love.

2. Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad.

3. FATHERS - Faithful, Always there, Trustworthy, Honoring, Ever-loving, Righteous, Supportive

4. A father holds his daughter’s hand for a short while but he holds her heart forever.

5. World’s greatest farter, father.

6. A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.

7. A daughter needs a dad to be the standard against which she will judge all men.

8. Thanks for sharing your DNA. Now we both are fabulous.

9. Thanks for being my Ironman

10. I have a HERO, I call him DAD

11. It’s not a dad bod, it’s a father figure

12. You’re an unBEElievable Daddy!

13. Dad, you’re one smart cookie!

14. You’re an eggcellent daddy!

15. You’re one in a minion dad!

16. It’s oFISHcial, you’re the greatest DAD

17. Dad you are as smart as Ironman, as strong as Hulk, as clever as spiderman, as brave as batman, you are my favorite superhero.

18. To the world, you are a father but to our family, you are the world.

19. They call me dad because partner in crime makes me sound like a bad influence.

20. Happy father’s day to a dad who can build anything and deal with any problem.

21. Dad, without me today is just another day. (You’re welcome)

22. You did a grape job in raisin me.

23. Dad, you have given me the best things in life; Your time, your care, and your love. I am truly grateful to have you in my life. Happy father’s day!

24. Dads are hard to buy gifts for, so just enjoy this carefully selected card and the joy of having me as a child.

25. I love you daddy from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

26. Daddy, I have made prints of my little feet so you can remember when I was so small and sweet. I will grow as the years go past but my love for you will always last.

27. A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.

28. My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it.

29. Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, and singers of song.

30. I hope this father’s day is as fun as your life was before kids.

31. A family is blessed when a father gives of his time, teaches with his actions, and listens and loves with his whole heart.

32. The only thing better than having you for a husband is our children having you for a dad.

33. You are my best friend, the father of our children, and you are my hidden strength. Thank you for making life so beautiful.

34. A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.

35, Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow.

36. No one in this world can love a girl more than her father. - Michael Ratnadeepak

37. Daddies don't just love their children every now and then, it's a love without end.

38. The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.

39. A father is a man who expects his son to be as good a man as he meant to be. - Frank A. Clark

40. A father is someone who carries pictures where his money used to be.

41. A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.

42. A truly rich man is one whose children run in his arms evn when his hands are empty

43. Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, and singers of song. - Pam Brown

44. My father gave me my dreams. Thanks to him I could see a future.

45. Being a daddy's girl is like having permanent armor for the rest of your life. - Marinela Reka

46. Every great achiever is inspired by a great mentor.

47. A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.

48. Every girl may not be a queen to her husband, but she is always a princess to her father.

49. I would have got you a present but you didn't give me any money.

What is your favorite Father's Day message?

Hello June

Just like that, we’ve reached the half of the year 2020. Time flies so fast even I’m confined inside our home. It is Day 79 of community quarantine and first day of GCQ or General Community Quarantine. It is now more relaxed but I’m still scared to go out because we haven’t flattened the curve. The number of covid19 cases is still increasing and we don’t know how long this battle will be.

June is the month of opening of classes but it was moved to August because of the pandemic. Though I already enrolled my son last January, (early enrollment) I’m still contemplating whether to skip or not to skip this school year. If I will switch to homeschooling or stay with our present school. There are so many things to be considered but for now, we’ll wait for more information.

This year 2020 is a heartbreaking year for me but I pray that God will sustain me. I still hope that there is light after darkness, there is rainbow after the storm and there is joy after tears. So I will welcome June with open arms and hoping that this time it will be a good month.

Anyway, I’ve created 12 Instagram Graphics “Hello June” which is free to download. Click here to download it. It is available in white and pink background.