MY ORIGINAL PLAN was a solo trip to Denmark and Hamburg, Denmark because my paternal great grandfather emigrated from there to Nebraska in 1885. Hamburg because I believe that was the emigration port for my maternal grandfather, and because I wanted to visit the Elbphilharmonie. The plan evolved, as plans do, to include visits to Barcelona, Norway and Belgium, and my brother, John, who was able to join me for a week, occasioned by his early retirement in the summer. Seventeen days was, I believe, my longest trip and it was the first time I had traveled with my brother since family vacations in the 1960s.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but they fail to convey the context, and some of these images benefit from anecdotes that want something more than social media posts. Also, enough people have asked about my itinerary and this album format accommodates links to the various attractions and accommodations that I enjoyed. If you have any questions about the trip, feel free to email me by clicking here.
David Hansen
September, 2025
When I asked Annette Forster, my closest Danish friend, about suggestions for my trip, she and Mike invited me to their house for July 4th where I spent a wonderful afternoon with her mom, Sonja, family and friends who were planning their own Scandinavian trips.
Day One - Barcelona
An overnight Delta flight from Atlanta to Barcelona provided convenient departure and arrival times.
My Atlanta friends, Jen and Nic, Ethan, Owen and Claire Deuson, recently relocated to Barcelona were consummate hosts and tour guides and helped me fight jet lag with a busy arrival day.
Hotel REC Barcelona was located near their home in El Born, conveniently located for sightseeing, clean, comfortable accommodations, and an attentive staff. One peculiar aspect of the room was that if you had your curtains open, there was a clear view from the shower to the busy street below. (I was discreet.)
The Picasso Museum was a short walk from the hotel, featuring a collection that demonstrates Picasso’s evolution from a skilled academic painter, influenced by his father, through time in Paris, to a revolutionary artist who worked in many media.
Following a lovely dinner on the terrace prepared by Nic, we began our Gaudi tour at Casa Batlló, dramatically lighted for night visits.
