On Losing Oneself

So, I've been getting lost on the daily lately. It's been causing some problems, but it's also led me to some worthwhile discoveries. Honestly, it's caused more harm than good, but still, I've found some pretty cool places.

I heard that the S-tog, a regional train system, was free on the first Sunday of every month. Since my plane crossed Copenhagen city limits, I have not left it once. I took my opportunity for a free ride by deciding to get on the first train I saw and take it to the end of the line. I did this with some trepidation because the train lines were not unknown to stop running for maintenance (or something) without prior warning.

From the Noreport station, I ended up taking a train going north to Hillerup. I had never heard of the place, but it wasn't Copenhagen and that's all I was going for. On the way there the train passed by many construction sites and abandoned buildings that were covered in a less entertaining variety of graffiti. It looked like I was going towards a desolate wasteland. But wastelands probably had good deals on food, so I didn't get too worried.

As it turned out, Hillerup was a cute little suburban community whose prices weren't much better than than Copenhagen. I was a bit disappointed in the place. It had a couple malls and some casinos, but nothing too original. After wandering around for less than fifteen minutes, I decided that I was completely lost. I tried to make the best of it and started following a trail I stumbled on. It led to a lake populated by countless ducks and seagulls. Off in the distance, though, the was a big building I immediately knew was worth checking out.

I walked a long, dog poop covered, route that traced the coast of the lake. It was a cold day, extremely windy too, not that that's unusual Danish weather. I was losing initiative every second more I spent in the elements with nothing more than a jean jacket and the skinniest jeans I had seen since entering the country. When I got to the the entrance, I saw a sign and realized I was at one of the biggest tourist destinations in Denmark, Fredricksborg (Fredrick's Castle).

I couldn't believe how many people were there. I was sort of hoping to find something tourists didn't flock to like paparazzi. it was a sweet deal though, I was going to have to see this eventually anyways, and this way I got a free train ride there! There was a lot to look at there, but I didn't get a very cultured vibe. I mean, sure, it was built in the 17th century, cool. But all the statues were done of Greek gods and felt like the product of a very rich man falling into a kitschy fad. I guess that might be an indicative feature of Denmark's castle architecture. I don't know though, it didn't seem very original to me...

Originality aside, the castle was spectacular. There was an enormous garden in the back yard. The Baroque Garden had shrubbery expertly sculpted into designs shaped like crowns and flowers. I had never seen anything like it. It kind of sucked seeing it from the ground since you couldn't get a good look at what the whole thing looked like. I guess that's what the goal was, because the palace was right across a wide moat from the garden, giving the high windows the perfect view of the giant plant formation.

It was still cool from the ground, but seeing it from this angle made me sort of regret skipping out on the paid tour of the inside. I'll save it for a sunny day, which come as a scarce commodity in this place.