June was a month full of travel and fun times for me! After my month on the Faroe Islands, I went home to Denmark for a few weeks to visit family and friends, spent a few days searching for a new apartment in Aberdeen and then flew to Canada for a week in the Rockies, the first part of my big summer adventure in North America!
Destinations visited in June 2023
Faroe islands
- Vágar
Denmark
- East Jutland (Hov, Odder, Veteranbanen Bryrup-Vrads)
- Tunø
- Lolland (Rødby, Maribo)
Scotland
- Aberdeen
Canada
- Banff National Park
- Jasper National Park
Top 3 favourite new destinations
- Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Canada
- Peyto Lake, Banff National Park, Canada
- Valley of the Five Lakes, Jasper National Park, Canada
Daily life
Life in Aberdeen
On June 20th, after almost three weeks in Denmark, I flew back to my current home city, Aberdeen. It feels a little strange calling Aberdeen home when I’d hardly been there since the beginning of April – and I left again on the 24th! But, I will return in August to pick up where I left with my life there.
The four days I spent in Aberdeen this month were very busy as I was looking for an apartment. I got the first one I applied for – and it’ll be my first apartment alone which is very exciting! I also had a (very fruitful) meeting with the guy helping me with the technical part of my dissertation, met up with a couple of friends, prepared for my trip to Canada and Alaska, and tried to fit in some walks here and there. I really enjoyed being back in the city for a little while, especially because the weather was nice but without being too hot like it was in Denmark!
Travels and local adventures
A relaxing time at home in East Jutland
After my month of dissertation research on the Faroe Islands, I flew home to East Jutland in Denmark to visit my family for twelve days. It was nice to finally be home without any assignments to do. I could just relax, go for long runs, bike rides and walks, take my cat for walks in the garden and hang out with my loved ones. I decided to take a break from dissertation work as my brain was exhausted after the Faroes, so instead, I focused my time on the blog and just took it easy.
My younger brother and I spent an evening out at Brigsted, our favourite shelter spot, where there’s a big fireplace and grill. We made snobrød (braided bread) over the fire, grilled sausages and red bell pepper, and made marshmallows and bananas with melted chocolate for dessert. It has become a bit of a summer tradition for us – and I love it!
I also had my two besties over for brunch one morning as they were passing by my hometown – that was so much fun! I loved showing them around my hometown!
A day on the island of Tunø
During my time at home, I spent a day on the island of Tunø, located just an hour of sailing from my hometown. Tunø is my favourite island in Denmark! I love how tranquil and cozy it is because it’s so small and car-free, and it’s also incredibly scenic!
It was wonderful to revisit the island. I walked some of the inland country roads that I don’t think I’ve walked before, people-watched while eating fries and enjoyed a vegan ice cream while strolling along the beach with my feet in the mild ocean. It was a gorgeous day!
A ride on an old steam train through Søhøjlandet
The day before I left East Jutland, my family and I celebrated my grandmother’s birthday by going out with the whole family on the historic steam train that runs between Vrads and Bryrup in the beautiful Søhøjlandet.
It was such a fun day out, and a really fun activity for the whole family, not least for my adorable niece and nephew!
A week with the dogs on Lolland
On the 12th, I travelled to my previous home on Lolland to look after the two little dogs that I used to live with. My besties joined me the following day, and we had a wonderfully relaxing week full of dog cuddles, long countryside walks, morning runs with the dogs, delicious food and work on our projects.
We also invited ourselves to a fun summer party with our former colleagues, and I got to visit my friends’ gorgeous farm and say hello to their chickens!
Canoeing on the Maribo Lakes
In the weekend, we met up with two friends in Maribo and set out on a three-hour canoeing journey on the beautiful lake that surrounds the town. It was a GREAT time full of laughter, singing and way too many tics! I think we had 50 or more between us after a very short walk through the forest of Borgø, an island on Søndersø with the remains of an Early Medieval castle. But it didn’t affect how lovely the trip was!
Roadtrip through the Canadian Rockies
On June 24th, I started my journey towards Alaska where I’m working on an archaeological project. But Alaska had to wait a little, as my first stop on the journey was Canada. I’d previously visited Canada on no less than three long stopovers and I was so hungry for more, so I decided to extend this stopover and spend six days roadtripping through Banff and Jasper National Parks, located just north of Calgary. I invited my friend Augusta along, and it was so wonderful to finally see her again after almost four years (the last time was when she visited me in Tasiilaq, Greenland!).
We spent our days in the Canadian Rockies hiking to turquoise lakes, glaciers and forceful waterfalls, climbing four mountains (one of which was Cascade Mountain at 3006 m. high!), splurging on ice cream and delicious pizza in the town of Jasper and canoeing for seven hours on Lake Maligne (our favourite experience!). We got up early o’clock all days except one to beat the crowds and enjoy the beautiful sunrises in the mountains. The nights were spent in the car – not the most comfortable, but very very cheap! Canada is an expensive destination, so we were happy to be able to save on accommodation!
My favourite thing about our journey was that we saw soooo much wildlife! Moose, caribous (even some at one of the campsites we stayed at!), black bears, red squirrels, ground squirrels, marmots, a water snake, a coyote and many more! I’d hoped to see perhaps a moose, but I did not expect to see so many different animals – especially the black bears were a treat I didn’t expect to have!!
Canada was absolutely magnificent, and I was so incredibly happy to share it all with Augusta!
New on the blog
Most popular post
- An extended weekend in Oban: Island hopping in the southern Inner Hebrides – by far the most popular post this month was about my trip to Oban. Scotland seems to be a very popular topic amongst my readers!
The other posts
- My May 2023: A month of research, hikes and fun on the Faroe Islands – All about my big month of research and adventures on the Faroes!
- In the footsteps of Charlemagne: An evening in Aachen, Germany – The last post from last year’s Easter trip to Belgium and Germany!
- On the road to ruin: A month of dissertation research on the Faroe Islands – An in-depth description of my research project on the Faroes!
- Liechtenstein south to north: Exploring the 6th smallest country in a day – A fun place to visit and a fun post to write. Liechtenstein has it all despite its tiny size!
- Summer on Femø: Camping on an idyllic island in southern Denmark – A beautiful memory to look back on!
- Hiking to an active volcano: My story from Geldingadalur, Iceland – I finally got around to writing about my 2021 volcano hike in Iceland!
- Across Sandoy in thick fog: A short cairn hike from Skarvanes to Dalur – Searching for a short hike to do on Sandoy? Look no further!
- A complete guide to the island of Nólsoy, Faroe Islands – This post is not new, but it went through a big update with more abandoned places to visit on the island!
Most popular Instagram picture
My series of images from my research project on the Faroes in May got lots of love this month!
Coming up in July 2023
It’s finally time for one of my ultimate dream destinations… ALASKA!
To say I’ve been excited would be a major understatement. Going to Alaska is such a dream come true for me, and I honestly can’t believe I’m finally here. And it’s not “just” for a holiday, I’m actually here to work on an archaeological excavation – my first ever excavation in the Arctic!
July is also a big Swiftie month – Speak Now TV drops on July 7th (all Swifties rejoice!), and the race for tickets for the European leg of her Eras Tour begins in the middle of the month. Wish me luck, I know I’ll need it!!
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