This trip was not originally supposed to be Aalborg. The first plan was to go to Sofia, but that ended up being cancelled for reasons I do not need to go into here. After that, Aalborg became the replacement idea, and Shilka wanted to come along too, so it turned into a five-day trip in North Jutland instead.
I had seven days of vacation, and for me that works well for a five-day trip. I do not like using every single vacation day on the trip itself. I prefer having at least one day before leaving, so I can get ready without rushing, and one day after coming home, so I can land again before going back to normal life. Some people can come home late and go straight back to work the next morning, but I do not like doing it that way. Then the trip almost ends by becoming stress instead of a break.
Shilka handled most of the practical side, like the train tickets and making sure the hotel was booked. The hotel itself was paid when we got there, since we had our own rooms. That worked fine for me. I do not need to control every booking detail as long as I know where I need to be, what I need to pay, and how the trip is roughly put together.
The final hotel price for me ended up being 3,518.20 kr. for the stay, including breakfast. I had originally counted it around 3,300 to 3,500 kr., so it was close to what I expected. I had 9,066 kr. set aside for the trip, so after the hotel I had 5,547.80 kr. left. Spread over five days, that was about 1,109.56 kr. per day for food, drinks, transport, small purchases, and whatever else came up.
We did not make a strict plan for every day. We had ideas, not a locked schedule. That is how I prefer to travel. I like knowing what options are around me, but I do not like deciding every hour before I even know how I feel that day, what the weather is like, or how tired I am.
Every morning we could talk about what made sense. Sometimes that meant doing something together. Sometimes that meant splitting up and doing our own things. I think that is a good way to travel. A trip is supposed to be about relaxing, seeing things, and enjoying the time away from normal life. It should not turn into this forced thing where two people have to follow each other around all day just because they travelled together.
If one person wants to do one thing and the other wants to do something else, it makes more sense to split up and meet again later instead of one person being bored or annoyed. We did something similar in Zagreb, just not as much as on this trip. In Aalborg, it worked well because a lot of what I wanted to do involved animals, photography, walking around, and taking my time. That is not always something other people want to spend a full day doing, and that is fine.
So this post is mostly written from my own side of the trip. Shilka was there, and we travelled together, but a lot of the actual day-to-day experiences were my own. That makes it easier to write honestly, because I am only speaking from what I saw, what I did, and how I experienced the trip.
Getting to Copenhagen Central Station Way Too Early
The train to Aalborg left Copenhagen Central Station at 13:44, but I got there around 10:00. So when I say I was early, I mean really early. Shilka was not expected to be there until around 12:40, so I had a lot of time to kill.
The reason I went that early was simple: I was hungry, and I did not really have anything at home. I could either go downtown with all my bags and buy something, then take the bus afterward, or I could just take the bus straight away and eat at Copenhagen Central Station. I chose the easier option.
I ended up sitting at Joe & The Juice at Copenhagen Central Station. I ordered a Pick Me Up juice, a Spicy Tuna sandwich, and a muffin. It cost 180 kr., which is a lot for a sandwich, a juice, and a muffin. That is station prices for you. It was not bad, but it was definitely one of those meals where you feel the price more than the food.
The Pick Me Up juice was made with apple, strawberries, banana, ice, and olive oil. The Spicy Tuna sandwich had Joe’s Classic Bread, tomato, jalapeños, Tabasco, vegan pesto, and tuna mousse. I picked it because I wanted something with a bit more bite than a plain sandwich, and it worked fine as travel food.
I needed food, I had my bags with me, and I had plenty of time before the train, so it made sense in the moment. But 180 kr. is still 180 kr. It is the kind of price where you know you are paying for convenience and location as much as the food itself.
At that point I was also thinking about the budget for the trip. I had money set aside, but the hotel would take a big part of it once we arrived. Since the train from Copenhagen to Aalborg was already paid, the main costs on the first day were getting to Copenhagen, food at the station, and whatever we ended up eating later in Aalborg.
I usually try to keep money separated when I travel. It is partly about safety and partly about control. I learned years ago that I am better off keeping things simple and not giving myself too much room to make stupid financial choices. I have stuck with debit cards and controlled accounts for years because that works better for me. It is not fancy, but it keeps me aware of what I am actually spending.
On the Train Toward Aalborg
When Shilka arrived, we went into 7-Eleven and picked up some food and drinks for the train. After that, we waited until it was time to board.
The train ride itself was mostly just travel time. I took a selfie on the train, and it pretty much shows the mood: sitting there, slightly tired, already in travel mode, but finally on the way. Travel days are not always exciting. A lot of it is just waiting, sitting, checking the time, and making sure you are going in the right direction.
The trip from Copenhagen to Aalborg involved changing train in Aarhus. I normally do not like changing trains. It is not because it is difficult, but because it adds another thing that can go wrong. You have to get off, find the right track, keep an eye on the time, and hope there have not been any changes.
This time it was much easier than expected because of the DSB app. I normally do not use apps like that unless I have a reason to, but I could see the point of it here. It showed what trains were leaving, what time they were leaving, and what track they were leaving from. It could even show if a train was leaving from another track than expected.
That meant we already knew which track to go to before we even got off the first train. Instead of stepping out in Aarhus and having to start looking around for screens and platform numbers, we already had the information. Then it was just a matter of walking to the right track.
That made the train change almost painless. I still do not love changing trains, but when the information is clear and you know where to go, it removes most of the annoying part.
Arriving in Aalborg
After the train ride, we arrived in Aalborg. The hotel was only about 500 meters from the station, which was a big plus. When I have bags with me, I do not want a hotel that is far away or annoying to reach. A short walk from the station is exactly what I want after sitting on trains for hours.
The station area was simple enough to deal with, and because the hotel was close by, there was no need to figure out buses or taxis. We could just walk straight there. That is the kind of hotel location I like on a trip. It does not have to be fancy, but it has to be practical.
The Hotel Room
We stayed at a B&B Hotel. It was simple, cheap compared to many other options, close to the station, and it had breakfast. That is enough for me. I do not need a hotel to be fancy. I need it to be practical, clean enough, and placed somewhere that makes sense.
The room was basic, but it had what I needed: a bed, a desk, a TV, space for my bags, and a bathroom. There was also a bottle of water in the room. I do not need hotel luxury when most of the trip is spent outside anyway. For me, the hotel is mostly a place to sleep, charge batteries, check photos, and reset before the next day.
The bathroom was also simple, but fine. It had a sink, mirror, toilet, and shower. Nothing special, but it looked clean and worked for what I needed. On a trip like this, that is enough. I am not staying at the hotel to sit in the room all day. I just need a place where I can sleep, shower, charge my camera batteries, and get ready for the next day.
We had our own rooms, which I also prefer. Even when travelling with someone, I like having my own space. After a long day, I want to be able to close the door, unpack, relax, charge my stuff, check my photos, and just be alone for a bit. That makes the trip easier for me.
After checking in, we unpacked and then went out to find something to eat. At that point, the day had mostly been travel, waiting, train stations, and bags, so food was the only real plan left.
First Dinner in Aalborg — Restaurant Sany
We ended up at a Chinese restaurant called Restaurant Sany. There were not many people there when we arrived, but the place looked fine, so we tried the buffet.
The evening buffet had a lot of the usual things you expect from this kind of place: soup, sushi, salad bar, Mongolian barbecue, warm dishes, fruit, coffee, tea, and softice. The menu listed the evening buffet at 208 kr. Monday to Thursday and 228 kr. Friday to Sunday. There were also 24 warm dishes listed, including things like hot wings, spring rolls, fried rice, fried noodles, chicken, beef, prawns, and different sauces.
I ordered the buffet and a large cola. When I say large cola, I mean large. It was 75 cl. The buffet and cola together ended up around 270 kr. That is not cheap, but the food was better than I expected.
The salmon was not dry, the fried chicken was not dry, and the sushi was fine. That already puts it above a lot of buffet places, because dry chicken and dry fish are usually some of the first signs that a buffet is going downhill.
I tried a mix of things from the buffet instead of only taking one kind of food. There was rice, noodles, fried chicken, spring rolls, sushi, meat, vegetables, prawns, and different sauces. It was not some luxury restaurant meal, but for a buffet it was solid.
I would say it was one of the better Chinese restaurants I have been to. That does not mean the bar is extremely high, because I honestly cannot remember many Chinese buffet places that I would call great, but this one was better than most I have tried.
It was a good enough first meal in Aalborg. After that, we went back to the hotel and relaxed. The first day was never meant to be a big sightseeing day. It was about getting there, checking in, eating, and getting ready for the next day.
That is how I like the first day of a trip to work. Travel already takes energy. You have to deal with bags, stations, food, tickets, check-in, and all the small practical things. I would rather keep that day simple than try to force a full plan into it and end up tired before the trip has really started.
So that was the real beginning of the Aalborg trip: a cancelled Sofia plan, a replacement trip to North Jutland, an early start at Copenhagen Central Station, an overpriced Joe & The Juice meal, a smooth train change in Aarhus, a short walk from Aalborg Station to the hotel, a basic but practical hotel room, and a Chinese buffet before calling it a day.
Day 2 — Aalborg Zoo, Mølleparken, Kridtgraven, and Too Many Stairs
The second day started with breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast was simple, but it had what I needed: eggs, yogurt, cake, juice, coffee, and cacao. It was not some huge luxury breakfast, but it was fine for a hotel where the main point was just to get something in the stomach before going out for the day.
Over breakfast, we talked about what made sense for the day. The basic plan became that I would go to Aalborg Zoo, while Shilka would do his own thing. That worked fine. A lot of what I wanted to do that day was photography, animals, walking, and taking my time, so going alone made the most sense.
Aalborg Zoo opened at 10:00, and from the station area it was around 1.9 km to walk there. I think it was about a 30-minute walk. The weather started cold, around 6°C in the morning, but the forecast said it would go up to around 16°C by early afternoon. That is the kind of weather where you start with one feeling and end up with another once you have walked around for a few hours with camera gear on your back.
My camera bag was not exactly light. I had my Nikon D7500, the Nikon 200–500mm, the 70–200mm, the 18–55mm kit lens, GPS, batteries, charger, two power banks, and other smaller things. On top of that I had my tripod, which is an older iron tripod I bought used for around 400 kr. It still works, but the head is a little loose where it attaches to the tripod. The locks themselves work, but I would like to replace or upgrade the head at some point if I can.
I usually carry the tripod hanging from the arm strap on the camera bag, with the hand strap locked around it, so it hangs down along my leg without getting too much in the way. It is not light, but it is the kind of setup I need to get used to if I want to do more trips like this during the summer. I would guess the full bag was somewhere around 6–8 kg depending on what I had packed at the time.
I walked with Shilka part of the way down toward where he needed to go, and then I continued toward the zoo from there. On the way, I came to a bridge area where it first looked like it was only a cycle path, but it turned out there was also a pedestrian crossing. From the start of the bridge it looked more like a bike-only path than a mixed path, so I had to look twice before continuing.
I was in good time, so I considered checking out the park area nearby before going into the zoo. I like having enough time that I do not have to rush. Rushing with camera gear is annoying, especially when the whole point is to take photos and look around properly.
Aalborg Zoo was one of the main things I wanted to see on this trip. I had not been there since around 2008 or earlier, from what I remember, and in my memory it felt bigger than it did this time. That might just be because I have been to Copenhagen Zoo a lot more, or because memory changes places over time. When you return to somewhere after many years, it often feels smaller than the version you have kept in your head.
For me, zoos are one of the places where I can spend a lot of time without needing much else. I like animals, I like photography, and I like walking around looking for moments that are worth capturing. I do not need someone telling me where to go every five minutes. I can just walk, stop, look, wait, take a photo, move on, and repeat that for hours.
I also like having GPS on the camera because it is useful later when going through the photos. It is nice to know where the pictures were taken instead of trying to remember everything afterward. On a trip with several locations, many photos, and a lot of walking, that kind of information helps.
Photography-wise, I was mostly trying to balance shutter speed, handheld shooting, and light. With animals, I care a lot about shutter speed because they move when they want. Even if an animal looks still, it can turn its head, blink, twitch, or move at the exact moment you press the shutter. I do not use the histogram much because I rarely agree with what it tells me. I prefer judging the light myself and adjusting from what I see.
At some points I used the tripod and tried not to touch the camera while shooting. Even then, I could see movement through the viewfinder when the shutter fired. That is the kind of thing that makes you notice how sensitive camera shake can be, even when you think the setup is stable. Sometimes it feels like everything should be sharp, but then when you look closer later, something still feels just a little off.
I took a lot of photos in Aalborg Zoo. Some of them I liked, and some of them I was not fully happy with. That is normal with photography, especially animal photography. You can have the right camera, the right lens, and still come home with photos that feel a little off.
Even when I used a fast shutter speed, some of the photos still felt a little blurry to my eyes. I am not 100% sure if it was actual motion blur, focus being slightly off, heat shimmer, the lens, the subject moving in a weird way, or just me being very critical when looking at the files afterward. Sometimes a photo can be technically decent, but something about it still does not feel sharp enough when you look at it closely.
Animal photography is not easy. People sometimes think you just point the camera at the animal and press the button, but that is not how it works. Animals do not pose. They move when they want. They turn their head at the wrong moment. They hide behind branches, glass, fences, shadows, or other animals. If the light is bad, it gets even harder.
One of the harder things to photograph was the ducklings. They were running around and swimming fast, and small animals like that are much harder than people think. They are tiny, they move quickly, and they change direction all the time. On top of that, when the mother and father saw me, they came rushing down like they were ready to complain about me being there.
That kind of moment is funny, but it also makes it more difficult. You are trying to get a good photo, the ducklings are moving everywhere, and the parents are acting like security guards.
I also noticed some fake animals and displays that looked surprisingly real at first glance. That kind of thing can make you stop for a second and look twice. When something fake is made well enough that your brain first accepts it as real, it does its job.
There were also dinosaurs in the zoo, so apparently I was almost eaten that day. That is the kind of thing that belongs in a zoo trip post even if it is just for the joke. Real animals, fake animals, dinosaurs, and me walking around with a camera bag that felt heavier every hour.
At some point I switched over to the 70–200mm and handheld shooting. The 200–500mm is useful, but it is also heavy, and after a while you feel it. The 70–200mm is still a serious lens, but it is more manageable when you are walking around and reacting to what happens in front of you.
I also had to keep an eye on my camera batteries. For a while I thought I might have forgotten the charger. That would have been annoying, but not completely disastrous. In Zagreb I managed to make one battery last almost four days, and on this trip I had three batteries. I only use live view when recording video, and I turn the camera off as soon as I stop shooting, so the batteries can last a long time if I am careful. Still, when the first battery dropped to around 25%, and later down toward 10%, I started paying attention.
By around midday, I was getting hungry. I had been inside the zoo for around two and a half hours, and the warmth was starting to hit too. I was tired enough that I almost could have fallen asleep during the break. That is what happens when you walk around with camera gear, focus on photos, and the weather suddenly gets warmer than it was in the morning.
I ended up getting a burger menu with soda, fries, and a large slush ice. The total was 174 kr. The fries had grill seasoning on them, which was a nice touch. The slush ice was good too, but I drank it too fast and got brain freeze. That is my own fault. There is a reason you should not attack a slush ice like your body is immune to ice pain.
Zoo food is not always anything special, but when you have been walking around with a camera for hours, it does not take much before food becomes necessary. A burger at that point was good enough for me. It was also cheaper than what I remember from Copenhagen Zoo, where I think a burger alone was around 120 kr. at one point.
After the food break, I continued around the zoo for a bit longer. I bought a fridge magnet and a cup in the zoo shop before leaving. The two things cost 104 kr. together. From memory, the magnet was around 40 kr. and the cup around 64 kr., give or take because I rounded the numbers in my head.
The zoo entrance itself cost 211 kr. with a 15% discount. So for the zoo part of the day, I had 211 kr. for entry, 174 kr. for food, and 104 kr. for souvenirs. That made 489 kr. before anything I bought later. That was still under what I had expected I could use per day, so money-wise the day was fine.
Leaving the Zoo and Walking Toward the Quiet Side of Aalborg
After leaving the zoo, I decided to see if I could reach some of the places I had marked on Google Maps. I did not want to just go straight back to the hotel if there was still more to see. This is where the day turned from “I went to the zoo” into “I may have walked half of Aalborg.”
I walked from Aalborg Zoo toward Mølleparken. That gave the day a different feeling. The zoo was the main planned thing, but walking through the quieter parts of Aalborg made the day feel more like exploring instead of just visiting one attraction.
There were stairs. A lot of stairs. Maybe not actually every staircase in Aalborg, but it felt like it. I started joking that Aalborg was trying to kill me with stairs. My knees were already getting beaten up, and my arms were starting to complain from carrying the camera bag. The strap had been sitting on me for hours by then, and the weight was not exactly getting lighter.
I know I am used to walking more than many people, but walking with 6–8 kg of camera gear is not the same as walking empty-handed. Add hills, stairs, warm weather, and hours of stopping for photos, and it starts to hit differently.
From Mølleparken I continued toward Noah’s Ark, which was one of the places I had marked. I did not go there because I had some massive plan for it. It was just one of those local points on the map that looked interesting enough to check out while I was already walking.
That is one of the things I like about walking through a city instead of only taking buses from one attraction to another. You see the smaller things in between. The quiet streets, parks, small details, local art, odd corners, and places that are not always the main tourist spots. I do not need every place to be famous. Sometimes it is enough that it gives me a reason to keep moving and look around.
I also went completely off on a side thought at one point because I saw something that made me think of cars. I have always liked the AE86, not the EU version, but the Japanese Trueno version. It is about as old as me and became popular because of anime. That had nothing to do with the trip, but that is how my brain works when I am walking. I can be in the middle of Aalborg, tired, carrying camera gear, and suddenly my head is thinking about old Japanese cars.
Kridtgraven and the Big Fish
After that I made my way toward Kridtgraven. That ended up being one of the more peaceful parts of the day. The water was clear in places, and there were birds around the lake. It reminded me a bit of canoe trips, just with less paddling and more walking myself into the ground.
There were some teenage girls sitting near the water, relaxing and feeding the ducks and coots. The coots were used to people enough that they came close, probably because they get fed there often. I kept some distance and watched what was going on. It was one of those small normal scenes that makes a place feel alive.
I also saw a couple sitting on a bench by the water. One was reading while the other leaned against them and looked out over the lake. It looked like the kind of quiet scene you would see in a movie. Nothing dramatic. Just two people sitting there, calm, with the lake in front of them. I did not need to know anything about them. It was just a peaceful moment in the middle of a long walking day.
Then I saw a big fish close to the edge of the lake. At first I was not sure what it was. It was dark, but when it came into clearer water, it looked like it had a blue or purple sheen, with a bit of red around the edge of the tail. It did not look thin enough to be a catfish to me. A carp seemed more likely, but I am not claiming that as a certain ID.
The funny part was that the coots were bothering it and even seemed to bite at its tail. It was a big fish, and seeing those birds go after it made the moment even stranger. I had the 200–500mm on at that point, so I tried to get a better look and some photos from the other side of the lake too.
That part of the walk was worth it. The zoo was the main attraction, but Kridtgraven gave the day a different kind of memory. It was quieter, more open, and more natural. I like animals in zoos, but I also like those random wildlife moments where something just happens in front of you and you have to react.
The Long Walk Back
By this point, I was far enough from the hotel that I had to think about whether I should continue walking or start heading back. I was around an hour from the hotel at one point, depending on the route, and if I went all the way back, I knew I would probably stay there for the rest of the day.
I thought about whether to keep going, but in the end I started heading back. It was getting later, and I had already done a lot. According to Google Maps and what I could rebuild from memory afterward, I had walked from the zoo to Mølleparken, then to Noah’s Ark, then to Kridtgraven, and then back toward the hotel. My route inside the zoo was not perfectly tracked, but I tried to recreate the rest as accurately as I could.
My fitness tracker said 12.5 km for the day, but I honestly think I walked more. I do not think it registered the zoo walk correctly. Even if the number was “only” 12.5 km, it felt like more because of the camera gear, the stairs, and the fact that the day was full of stopping, shooting, walking, climbing, and carrying everything.
At one point I felt like I had hit every staircase Aalborg had to offer. My knees were beaten up, my arms were complaining from the bag strap, and I was getting side stitch while trying to keep a rhythm with deep breathing. That sounds easy when you say it, but when you are tired and still have kilometers left, it is not that simple.
I made a 500-meter detour because there was a Rema 1000 down the road, and I needed something to drink. My hands also felt dry, so I wanted hand cream. I think the hand cream was around 5 kr., which is better than just buying another soda if your hands are starting to feel ruined. I also bought iced tea later, which became useful when I got back to the hotel and could finally use the cup I had bought at the zoo.
The walk back kept feeling longer than it should. I remember counting down the distance: 2.8 km left, then 2.5 km, then back near the zoo with about 2 km left, then near Skovdalen, then around 1.1 km, then 550 meters. At that point, seeing the hotel building felt like reaching a checkpoint in a game after a long mission.
It also made me joke that all of Aalborg felt like one big forest. I know that is not literally true, but the route I took had enough green areas, hills, paths, and quiet sections that it felt very different from just walking around a flat city center. I prefer walks like that over pure city walking. Cities get boring fast if it is only shops, roads, and traffic. Green areas and water make a walk feel more worth it.
Back at the Hotel and Evening Food
When I finally got back to the hotel, I was done. I washed the zoo cup with the hand and hair soap from the bathroom because that was what I had available, and then used it for iced tea. It felt like a small reward after dragging myself around Aalborg for most of the day.
Later we went down to Fumo Pizzeria for food. By then, both of us had walked a lot that day, and food was needed. The pizza was actually good, and there was a good amount of pepper on it. After a day like that, I do not need anything overly complicated. I just need food that tastes good and lets me stop moving for a while.
Looking back at the day, it was a lot more than just “I went to Aalborg Zoo.” I started with breakfast, walked to the zoo, spent hours photographing animals, fought with sharpness and movement, nearly got taken out by ducklings and their angry parents, got almost eaten by fake dinosaurs, had a burger and slush ice, bought souvenirs, then walked through Mølleparken, Noah’s Ark, and Kridtgraven before dragging myself back to the hotel.
I saw the quieter side of Aalborg, fed birds around the lake, a big fish that looked like it was probably a carp, a calm bench scene that looked like something from a movie, and enough stairs to make me think the city was personally trying to destroy my knees.
Money-wise, the main spending I tracked that day was 211 kr. for the zoo entrance with discount, 174 kr. for the burger menu and slush ice, and 104 kr. for the souvenir cup and fridge magnet. That made 489 kr. for those three things, which was still under the daily amount I had available. So even though I was physically wrecked by the end of the day, the budget side was still fine.
The new power bank also proved useful. I had Google Maps open to find my way, ChatGPT open while writing and checking things, Spotify running through Bluetooth headphones, and my phone still gained battery while plugged in. My older power bank can barely keep the phone alive under that kind of use now, but the newer one had no problem. I think I only used around a quarter of its 20,000 mAh capacity that day.
By the end of the day, I was tired in the body more than the mind. My knees were beaten up, my arms were sore from the camera bag, and I had walked enough stairs to last me for a while. But that is also the kind of tired that means I actually did something with the day. I did not travel to Aalborg just to sit in the hotel. I wanted to get something out of the trip, and day two definitely did that.
Day 3 — Randers Regnskov
The next day was Randers Regnskov. That place is very different from a normal zoo. It has a more tropical and enclosed feeling, with plants, humidity, water, birds, reptiles, fish, and different animals placed in an environment that feels more alive than a standard enclosure.
For photography, though, Randers Regnskov can be difficult. You are dealing with indoor light, glass, reflections, shadows, water, branches, leaves, movement, and people walking around. That means you often have to fight the conditions a bit if you want a good photo.
Some places have beautiful atmosphere, but that does not always mean they are easy to photograph. A camera does not see things the same way your eyes do. Your eyes adjust constantly. The camera needs enough light, enough shutter speed, the right focus, and a clean angle. In a place like Randers Regnskov, you often have to work around obstacles.
I still enjoyed it. I like places where there is something to look at in every direction. Even if I do not get the perfect photo, I still like walking through that kind of environment. It feels more alive than just walking through a normal building.
One thing that did make it harder was the noise. At one point there was a kindergarten or group of children there, and children can make a lot of noise. That is just how kids are. But what made it worse was that one of the teachers was talking really loudly, probably trying to talk over the children. That does not help much when you are already in a place where sound bounces around.
After a couple of hours, I had a headache. I do not think it was only the children. It was more the combination of children making noise, adults talking loudly, the indoor environment, and trying to focus on photography at the same time.
It was also a bit funny in a counterproductive way when one adult was telling the children to be quiet while another adult was speaking loudly themselves. That does not exactly teach the lesson very well.
Still, I got some photos I liked. One of the shots I worked with was behind a waterfall, between rocks, trying to get an angle where you could see the water hitting the surface and also see the bird in the frame. That was not easy, but I liked the result. Sometimes it is not about getting the technically perfect image. Sometimes it is about finding the best angle you can from the position you have.
I also saw what looked like a Komodo dragon or something similar. Reptiles are always interesting to photograph because they can look prehistoric. They do not need to do much. Even when they are just lying there, they still have that old, heavy, dangerous look.
Around midday, I had another burger at Randers Regnskov. After that, I walked around behind the area before heading back to Aalborg. By this point, the trip had already become a lot of walking, but that is also how I usually end up doing things. I go somewhere to see one thing, then I walk somewhere else, then I notice another place, and suddenly the day has turned into many kilometers.
Day 4 — Frederikshavn, Skagen, and the Fish Burger Deluxe
On day four, we took the train to Frederikshavn. We went through some used-stuff stores, which is something I like doing when I am in another city. You never really know what you will find. Sometimes there is nothing interesting. Other times you find something strange, old, cheap, or unexpected.
After Frederikshavn, I went on toward Skagen. But before that, I needed food.
I found a place called Fisk & Grill in Frederikshavn. It was close to where I was, and I was hoping I could go in, order something, get it in a bag, and eat it on the train. That ended up working.
I saw they had something called a Fish Burger Deluxe. It cost 99 kr. by itself, or 119 kr. as a menu with fries and a half-liter soda. I ordered the menu.
I think I waited around 20 minutes. There were about four people before me, so I do not think that was a crazy wait. I have waited longer before, especially when food is made properly and not just thrown together.
When I got the food, it was honestly more than I expected. The burger was big, and there was a large bag of fries. There were also three small bags of salad mayonnaise. It was not one of those sad little meals where you feel like you paid too much and got barely anything. This felt like a real meal.
The burger itself was huge. It was called a burger, but I could not really eat it like a normal burger. It was too big and too loaded for that. I ended up eating it with my fingers instead of using a knife and fork, even though it was probably the kind of burger where a normal person would use both.
It was messy, but I do not really care. Sometimes food is better when it is a bit chaotic. If a burger is so big that it becomes a small project to eat it, that is not always a bad thing.
It was probably one of the biggest and best burgers I have had. Eating it on the train to Skagen also made it more memorable. It was not some fancy restaurant experience. It was just me, a train, a giant fish burger, fries, soda, and the feeling that I had made the right food choice.
Skagen — Sea, Lighthouse, Bunkers, and Bad Timing
When I arrived in Skagen, I walked along the sea. That was one of the better parts of the day. I like walking near the water. There is something about the open space, the wind, the sand, and the sound of the sea that makes it feel different from walking in a city.
I walked past the lighthouse and continued toward the bunker museum. I wanted to see it, but I arrived too late. The museum had closed only about 22 minutes before I got there.
That was annoying, but also kind of typical for a trip like this. You walk far, you think you can make it, and then you get there just after it closes. It is frustrating, but it also becomes part of the story.
At that point, I was also too tired to walk the last part to Grenen, where the two seas meet. I know that is one of the famous things people go to Skagen for, but I had already walked a lot, and my body was starting to say no.
Instead, I got a slush ice and walked around looking at some of the bunkers. That was still worth it. The bunkers have a heavy atmosphere. They are just concrete structures now, but they still carry history. They sit there in the sand like leftovers from another time.
I like places like that because they feel real. Not polished, not cleaned up into something fake, but still standing there with all the weight of what they used to be.
After that, I walked a little over 3 km along the highway back toward the train station. That part was not exactly exciting, but it was the way back. Sometimes on trips you get the beautiful walk along the sea, and sometimes you get the tired walk next to a road because you have to reach the station.
By then, I was really starting to feel the walking from the whole trip.
The Walking Finally Caught Up With Me
By day four, I was basically dead from walking. Most days I had walked somewhere around 13 to 17 km. That might not sound insane to some people, but when you are also carrying camera gear, paying attention to photos, traveling between places, and not just walking on flat familiar roads, it takes energy.
Walking on a trip is different from just walking at home. At home, you know the roads, you know how far things are, and your brain does not have to process as much. When you are in another city or another area, you are constantly looking around, checking directions, watching trains, finding food, looking for places, and taking in new surroundings.
That makes the same number of kilometers feel heavier.
But I also prefer that kind of trip. I would rather walk too much and actually see things than sit around and feel like I wasted the time. Even when I get tired, I usually keep going because I want to make the most of being there.
Final Day — Taking It Easier in Aalborg
On the last day, I decided to take it easier. After several days of walking between 13 and 17 km, I did not need another heavy day. I walked around Aalborg and checked out some used-stuff stores.
One place I went to was a used media store in Aalborg. They did not have many games, but I did find a PC game called Of Orcs and Men for 50 kr. I had not really heard much about it before, but it looked interesting enough to pick up.
I already know the Styx games, and I do not like them, so I was not sure what to expect. But for 50 kr., it was not a huge risk. Sometimes that is the fun of used games. You find something you would not normally look for, and maybe it turns out to be interesting.
The last day was not about doing something huge. It was more about slowing down, walking around, looking at shops, and letting the trip end without forcing one more big activity.
Photography Thoughts From the Trip
I took a lot of photos on this trip, but I was not happy with all of them. That happens. I can come home with many photos and still feel like only a small part of them are actually good enough.
With animal photography, the hardest part is that you do not control the subject. You can control your settings. You can control where you stand. You can control when you press the shutter. But you cannot control the animal.
If the animal moves at the wrong time, the photo can fail. If the head turns away, the photo can fail. If the eye is not sharp, the photo can fail. If there is glass or fencing in the way, the photo can fail. If the light is bad, you have to choose between raising ISO, lowering shutter speed, or opening the aperture more, and each choice has a downside.
That is why I do not think photography is just about having expensive gear. Gear helps, but it does not remove the need for timing, experience, and understanding what is happening in front of you.
On this trip, I had moments where I felt like I should have gotten sharper photos, but the result did not fully match what I wanted. That is frustrating, but it is also part of learning. Even after years of taking photos, you still get days where the conditions fight you.
I also think being tired affects photography. When you have walked all day, your arms are tired, your focus is lower, and you might not hold the camera as steady as you think. You might also rush shots because you are mentally drained. That can affect the final result, even if the settings look fine on paper.
Still, I got photos and memories from the trip, and that matters more than every single image being perfect.
Food Became Part of the Trip
This trip also somehow became a burger trip. I had a burger at Aalborg Zoo, a burger at Randers Regnskov, and then the Fish Burger Deluxe in Frederikshavn, which was easily the most memorable one.
I did not plan it that way. It just happened. When you are walking a lot and moving between places, a burger is easy. It fills you up, it is simple, and you can usually find one almost anywhere.
The Fish Burger Deluxe was the standout. That was not just food because I was hungry. That was one of those meals that becomes part of the trip story. I went in because it was close and practical, and I left with one of the biggest and best burgers I have had.
Sometimes the best food experiences on a trip are not the ones you planned. They are the random ones you find because you are hungry and need something now.
What Made the Trip Worth It
The trip was tiring, but it was worth it. I got away from the normal routine. I saw animals. I visited Aalborg Zoo and Randers Regnskov. I went to Frederikshavn and Skagen. I walked by the sea. I saw bunkers. I found a used PC game. I ate a ridiculous fish burger on a train. I walked too much and came home tired.
That is the kind of trip I like. It does not have to be perfect. It does not have to be luxury. It does not have to be planned down to every detail. It just has to feel like I actually went somewhere and experienced something.
Some parts were peaceful. Some parts were annoying. Some parts were physically exhausting. Some parts were funny. Some parts were disappointing, like arriving too late for the bunker museum. But all of it became part of the same trip.
I think that is why I like traveling this way. You do not just get the clean postcard version of a place. You get the real version. You get the good food and the sore feet. You get the nice photos and the blurry ones. You get the quiet walk by the lake and the loud groups of children indoors. You get the plan that works and the plan that fails by 22 minutes.
And in the end, that makes the trip feel more honest.
Final Thoughts
Aalborg was a good base for the trip. From there, I could visit Aalborg Zoo, go to Randers Regnskov, take the train to Frederikshavn, and continue to Skagen. It gave the trip a mix of animals, city walking, sea, history, food, and random used-store exploring.
I came home tired, but not in a bad way. More like the kind of tired where you know you actually used the days. I did not just sit in a hotel room. I went out, walked around, took photos, ate food, and saw places I do not normally see.
Not every photo turned out how I wanted. Not every plan worked perfectly. But the trip still gave me what I wanted: a break from everyday life, some new memories, and a lot of photos to go through afterward.
That is enough for me.
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