Geo: 10.7679, 106.697Arrived safely after 16 hours in the air. Ten hours to Tokyo and an additional six to Ho Chi Minh City. The Boeing 787-8 is a very nice plane and JAL staff were great. We took a taxi from the airport to the hotel. Even at 10:30 at night the streets were busy with taxis and motorbikes performing an interesting ballet on wheels - glad I was not driving. The Hong Vina Luxury Hotel is a small boutique type of hotel but we didn't see much last night. Breakfast is supposed to be at the rooftop restaurant. Next day we had breakfast on the rooftop deck and then a stroll around the neighbourhood. I think we are in the area where most people have their motorbikes serviced as this seems to be the activity ... read more

Geo: 55.3703, 10.4497We woke up to rain again today. We drove into Odense because our hotel is over 5K from downtown. We tried parking in a lot but our credit cards would not work (not Danish VISA) so drove around until I found some free parking. Our decision to stay in Odense was because this is the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen. We visited the museum which is very good. The number and variety of artifacts from his life are very extensive. He was certainly an interesting and well travelled person who lived until age 70 which is better than most at that time. Interestingly it was noted that he suffered with toothaches a good part of his life. He started life very poor and schooling was limited. His father was originally a shoemaker who died ... read more

Geo: 55.7106, 12.5659I can't recall when I have walked so much in a short period of time. Likely it was back when I was in my teens. We decided to go to the National Museum which is basically a day excursion. The museum is terrific with all sorts of displays. It is housed in what was once a castle which has seen several renovations. My pictures are limited because there is so much to see and many items are behind glass. We spent about 5 hours in the museum. The ground floor traces the history of Denmark from about 13,000 BC to 1050 AD. The first floor covers the Danish Middle Ages and the Renaissance as well as the Prince's Palace, the Royal Collection of Coins and Medals and the Peoples of the Earth display. The ... read more

Geo: 55.7107, 12.5662Because we are staying in an area called Osterbro, our days begin with a 30 - 45 minute walk into town. Most of the day is spent walking and seeing the sights. We did have a bit of relief today by taking the Canal Tour. The weather is cooler and just as we were returning home we had some rain but it has cleared since. The Trinitatis Church is known for its round tower. Inside is a ramp which goes several stories reaching a few stairs and then a winding staircase to get to the top. Our next stop by chance was the City Hall which is a very impressive building. We had been walking through the older streets and came across the square where there was some sort of technical display happening. We ... read more

Geo: 55.6101, 12.9799It seems the wind always blows in Malmo. It must be miserable in the winter when there is snow and rain as well. The weather was cooler today and there were a few heavy showers while we were in the museum.The city is a port city and one can see freighters very close to the city centre. Lots of beautiful buildings in the old part of the city. One notable feature is St. Peter's Church which is dark and dingy from the outside but very light and airy inside.Preparations are underway for Malmo day. Several performance stages were being erected. The city has lots of parks and waterways. Our next stop was the castle which is also the site of of the Natural History Museum. Several displays dealt with environmental change and how people ... read more