Part II: Odense/Helsingor

I had chosen Odense because it is the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen. As a fan of fairy tales and a well told story above all, I love to see where stories originate - where the author comes from, where they draw inspiration, and how they are remembered.

Part II:

I boarded a train in Oslo at noon and arrived in Bergen around seven. I walked a short distance to my hotel and checked in before quickly heading out again to buy some groceries for the night.

Part I: Oslo

After spending almost a week in Copenhagen, I flew to Oslo, where in a few days time I would board the train to Bergen - the Norwegian segment of my trip.

Part I: Copenhagen

So, as I sat in my hotel room in Dover, driven inside by the rain storming across the sea, I began the search for my next destination. And that is when I found a good deal on flights to Copenhagen for November. It was decided, I was headed to Denmark.

Part III: Manchester/Haworth/Dover/Canterbury

My next destination was Manchester, a city I chose not for its vibrant university feel or football team, but for its proximity to Haworth. I was determined to visit the home of the Brontës.

Part II: Bath/Stonehenge/Stratford-upon-Avon

After five days in London, I began the next leg of my journey. I checked out of my tiny hotel in Kensington and took the Underground to Paddington Station, where I would catch a train to Bath Spa.

Part I: London

England had always been at the top of my list of places to visit. I was an English major in college, and in graduate school, I focused specifically on British Literature. In many ways, my trip was decades in the making.

Part III: Patras/Kalamata/Santorini

The next leg of my journey took me from coast to coast. I traveled from the mountains of Delphi to Patras then south to Kalamata and finally to the island of Santorini.

Part II : Delphi

In preparation for my trip to Greece, I had done research on their bus systems. It seemed confusing from the start.

Part I: Athens

I have a very vivid memory of myself when I was young. I don’t remember my exact age, but I know that I was obsessed with Greek and Roman gods for some reason.

Part III: Osaka/Kobe/Nara/Kyoto

After a week in Tokyo and several peaceful days in Hakone, I was on to Osaka. Not only is Osaka an amazing city, but it was also a central hub for me to visit three others: Nara, Kobe, and Kyoto.

Part II: Hakone/Mt. Fuji

After five days in the city, I was headed to the mountains. I took a bullet train from Tokyo’s Shingawa Station to Odowara and then a bus on to Hakone. I checked in to my room at a cozy onsen hotel.

Part I: Tokyo

I had never given much thought to visiting Japan. I had imagined traveling to many other places, including my recent journey to Korea. But, Japan hadn’t even crossed my mind. And, I suppose it should have.

Part III: Jeonju/Suwon

The third leg of my journey brought me first to Jeonju, a city known for its history and its cuisine. It is known as the “best food city in Korea,” and that was enough reason for me to add it to my itinerary.

Part II: Busan/Jeju Island

The second leg of my South Korean journey involved three modes of transportation (trains, planes, and automobiles) and was essentially my beach week.

Part I: Seoul

I don’t really know where to begin with explaining why I wanted so badly to go to the Republic of Korea.