Welcome to these week’s instalment of the Nomad Files, featuring Monica Gray of Globe Trottica. I met Monica on Twitter and after perusing her site fell instantly in love. With her content that is… (I’m happily married).
I was instantly drawn to her writings on Scandinavia and felt that old pang of wanderlust sweeping over me once more. Without me mentioning this, Monica aptly decided to write about her time in Denmark, but I’ll leave her to tell you all about it.
Hi Monica, welcome to the Nomad Files. When did you discover that you were a travel fiend and what was the influencing factor?
I actually realized I loved traveling when I was eight years old. After my first trip to Ireland and then a volunteer trip to Nicaragua a few years later, I realized that I wanted to live a life of travel. I love learning about other cultures, meeting other people, and I get such a fulfilment out of traveling that I don’t get anywhere else. This feeling has been growing stronger ever since then, so I guess that the influencing factor was that moment when I realized that traveling made me happier than anything else could.
Wow that’s young! Great that you could appreciate travel like that at such a young age. Do you have a particular song/video/poem/quote that particularly inspires you to travel?
“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
This beautiful quote captures the essence of traveling with just a few words.
Got time for a quick pin? Just hover.
Can you let us in on a secret? What is one discovery you have made through your travels that was truly ‘the road less travelled’?
One adventure I had that I consider off the beaten path was a 70 mile bike ride (120 km for the non-Americans) to and from Møns Klint, Denmark. Møns Klint consists of a group of beautiful white chalk cliffs in southern Denmark that many people miss out on seeing when they visit.
The water is turquoise and emerald green and looks like it was taken straight from the Bahamas. In order to get there, you can take a train to Vordingborggade station from Copenhagen and then a bus to the cliffs. For those wanting a challenge, you can do what I did and bike 35 miles from Vordingborggade station to the cliffs. I highly recommend this route, as you see a lot of scenic Denmark countryside that you would otherwise miss out on.
What did you do there and why should I visit?
There are gorgeous hiking trails behind the cliffs that take you through dense forest and twisting trees. The cliffs are located on a beach, which is easily walkable and beautiful. The change of perspective from being on top of the cliffs to being under them is quite an experience. If you’re a nature and adventure lover, this is the perfect place for you. The cliffs are nothing like I’ve ever seen before.
What took you to Møns Klint and how did you find out about it?
I biked there from Vordingborggade. The ride is along a two lane road through farms, across bridges, and along hills. It’s an incredible bike ride and is a bit strenuous but very doable. I actually found out about it from my friend who was told about it from a man sitting next to her on an airplane. He had done the ride and recommended it to her. We had been planning to visit the cliffs for a while, but decided to make it a weekend trip and bike there and spend the night.
Tell me about the food. Was it different to anything you’d experienced before?
The food in Denmark is delicious. The hotdogs are incredible (there are more pigs than people!) and they have something called a smørrebrød, which are open faced sandwiches with a variety of different toppings.
What was the culture like? Did you have much interaction with the locals?
I didn’t interact a lot with the locals at Møns Klint (since there were not a lot of people!), but I did interact a lot with the locals in Copenhagen. The Danes are incredibly friendly and very happy. They have a huge biking culture and love their beer!
Beyond the things to visit, do you have any tips on how one might best experience Møns Klint?
To experience more of Møns Klint, there is a museum nearby called the Geocenter that explains the history of how Denmark was created. It dates back millions of years and is great to experience in combination with hiking the cliffs.
Changing lanes a little now, think of your favourite big city. Can you share with us one hidden secret or discovery in this city that people would likely skip past unless they knew about it?
One of my favorite cities is Berlin, Germany. Many visitors know about the East Side Gallery, which I highly recommend- However, a lot of people miss a place called Yaams, which is directly next to the East Side Gallery. It’s a small little community with great food, a bar, and a make-shift beach. It’s a perfect place to relax after walking along the Berlin Wall.
Can you recommend any of your favourite travel blogs to other readers?
A few of my favorite blogs are Adventurous Kate, The Hungry Partier, and The Broke Backpacker.
Last question, where do you live on the internet and social media for people to come visit?
Blog: http://globe-trottica.com,
Twitter (@GlobeTrottica11),
Instagram (@GlobeTrottica11),
Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/monvar117), and
Facebook (http://facebook.com/trotticaglobe).
Please be sure to stop by Monica’s blog at the links above and say hi. Thanks again Monica for sharing a little part of the world that you’ve found.
Further reading: Walking Tours of a White Copenhagen in Pictures
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