Tours are fun.  You can learn a lot on a tour. Tours come in many shapes and sizes. There are bus tours, canal tours, walking tours, and guided tours. Some tours are welcome, some are not. After 17 days of touring Sweden, I was one day away from heading home. I was homesick and ready. We had one day in Copenhagen and you guessed it, we were on yet another tour. This tour was a hot bus for two hours and then a canal boat tour with 80 that doesn’t want to cool you off until it’s time to get off. You and 75 of your new best friends are in the same boat. Some having more mandatory fun than others.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love exploring new places, getting off the beaten path and seeing the real Jamaica is my favorite pastime. I love “natural” wonders like waterfalls and mountaintops. You can keep statues and guard changings and castles. Once you’ve seen ten castles, you’ve seen them all. Virtually the same, water on the exterior and six foot deep walls with people high fireplaces.

Three teens on the corner of the a busy tourist and shopping area. We were trying to get back to our hotel, but the gps on my phone wanted to take the day off. The tall buildings seemed to be hindering the signal and my brain was on overload from the lack of sleep the night before. We tried to hail a cab, but they were all full as they went by. Trying to keep my sense of humor, her but not doing a good job of it.

The boat tour drops us off in the middle of a busy tour bus and canal boats area. We start walking with the flow to where we think we live. But we don’t.

Astrid to to the rescue. She approaches three teenage girls standing at the corner. Their arms were laden with shopping bags. It’s Saturday in Copenhagen, the locals are off and shopping for the weekend along with tourists on the dreaded tours. don’t know where they are. They all spoke English (most Swedes do…except when you’re in the middle of no where on a detour and can’t find the road, but that’s another blog).

I gratefully offered the girl that called the cab for us a tip. She smiled and graciously declined. I almost felt bad for offering. I was so happy to kind of know where I was going, I almost offered to give her Astrid’s new painting she’d just bought.

Patience, it’s never been my virtue. It’s a distant relative/cousin, twice removed. At least.