The Homestretch

The other day, a startling thought hit me: I’d be home in a month.  I realized that there’s still so much here in Copenhagen that I have to see and do, and frankly, its overwhelming.  Luckily, the weather has been nicer, and so, since I’ve come back from spring break, I’ve been able to do a bit of exploring.

Last Sunday, I went on a school trip to the Copenhagen Zoo with some of my friends, which was fantastic!! My friends and I enjoyed walking around the zoo and looking at all the animals, which included the typical elephants, giraffes, and tigers, but also included Malayan Tapirs (a random favorite of mine), Red Pandas, and Tasmanian Devils (which look nothing like the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes, but are actually cute).

We also got to see the lions being fed, which was kind of gross (they were basically given a huge slab of raw meat…yuck!) but, at the same time, kind of cool, because I’ve never seen a lion do anything except lay on a rock and sleep! I love animals, and always enjoy a trip to the zoo. It was nice to see some different animals, as well as to spend some time with my friend from school!

At the entrance of Tivoli!

Yesterday, a couple of my friends from class and I went to Tivoli Gardens, which is the second oldest amusement park in the world and one of the inspirations for Disneyland! I’ve been wanting to go here for a while, and was so excited to finally be going.  And I was not disappointed! As soon as we entered the park, I felt like I had been transported somewhere else…it was hard to believe that I was standing smack dab in the middle of Copenhagen!

Tivoli has tons of rides which you have to buy tickets for, but my one friend wasn’t too keen on doing rides, so we skipped out on that and decided to just walk around instead, taking in the beautiful scenery, enjoying the nice weather, and, of course, taking tons of pictures!! It was so much fun to wander around the park and explore the different areas, such as the Asian-themed area (complete with cherry blossoms and a Japanese pagoda!), and to see all the little exhibits and attractions, like a giant pirate ship and small Danish village.  It was so much fun, and I can’t wait to go back with Alex!

The Japanese garden in Tivoli

On Friday, Alex and I went to the Danish Resistance Museum, which is a small museum all about Denmark’s role in World War II. During the war, Denmark was invaded by Germany so that Germany could push through to Norway. After a small fight, Denmark surrendered and accepted their occupation, so long as they were able to be autonomous and self-governing.  While this role changed quite often during the war, Denmark still had quite a bit of power over itself, unlike other invaded countries at the time.  Furthermore, Denmark was able to get most of their Jewish population to Sweden…less than a 1,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps, and less than 100 died, which, compared to other countries, is low.

Statue of Liberty!

Afterwards, we decided to be super Danish and indie and to go see this movie called Volcano at the Copenhagen Film Festival…but, at the last minute, we decided we didn’t want to waste money on some movie we probably wouldn’t enjoy, and went and saw The Avengers in 3D instead, which was pretty much the exact opposite of an indie Danish movie, but was really really good!!

On Saturday, Alex and I went on a school trip to Legoland, which is regarded as Denmark’s Disney World and a rite of passage for Danish children.  While it definitely did not compare to Disney, it was still really cool.  I liked Miniland the best, which was an exhibit consisting of various sites and cities built entirely out of Legos! They had a lot of sites in Denmark and Copenhagen, plus a few random ones like a Beverly Hills movie set, Schloss Neuschwanstein (a gorgeous castle in Germany), the canals of Amsterdam, and the Statue of Liberty.

I got to see Neuschwanstein castle...in Lego form!

There was also a giant replica of Mount Rushmore made out of Legos, plus an exhibit of scenes from Star Wars.  Also, all the rides were Lego-themed, and the little figures and scenes were made out of Legos too…so cool! While many of the rides were aimed at little kids, we still managed to find a few we enjoyed. Although it rained most of the day, forcing us to splurge on ponchos to keep us dry and from getting cranky, we still had a great time!

At the top of the Spiral Church

Yesterday, Alex’s friend Stacy came to visit, so we took her around Copenhagen and showed her some of the city’s sites.  We went across to the neighborhood of Christianshavn, where we climbed the to the top of the Spiral Church, which is a gorgeous church with one of the two spiral steeples in the entire world.  Getting up there was difficult, considering the stairways were quite narrow and so many people were going up and down (tourist season has begun!), but once we got up we had an awesome view of the city!

Go FC København!

After getting a pastry to reward ourselves, we saw the Marble Church, one of Copenhagen’s biggest churches, and then headed over to show Stacy the Little Mermaid statue.  Then, we all went to the nearby stadium to watch the Copenhagen football game! While FC København may not be one of the biggest teams in the world, it was still a fun experience, made even better by the fact that Copenhagen won!

While I’ve done so much already, there’s still so much for me to see and do before I head home to the good ol’ USA! Time is flying by, and while I’m having an amazing time, I am getting excited to go home…I miss my friends, my family, my room, and American food! But it’ll be here before I know it, so I’m trying to make the most of my last few weeks here…therefore, it might be a while until I post again! I’ll try my best though!

Spring Break Adventures!

Hello everyone!! Firstly, let me apologize for my prolonged absence…I was away for two weeks on spring break (which you’ll be hearing all about in this post, hence the title!) and, once I got back, was swamped with papers, tests, and school work (I’m not kidding…3 papers due last week, 2 this week, 3 the following week…yikes!) and, obviously, school work comes first! But I thought I’d take a break to write to you all before I get too far behind (aka I am so sick of doing school work that I’m procrastinating and figured I should do something productive!)

The Outside of the Colosseum

So…lets rewind to the beginning of this month, when I began my spring break and headed on a school trip to Rome! For as long as I can remember, Rome has been the one place in this world that I had to see.  Maybe it was because Lizzie McGuire went there and had a good time, or because I took Latin in high school, or just because I love Italian food, but I have always wanted to go and knew that, while in Europe, I’d have to make a trip there.  Luckily, my school offered a 6 day trip there, which I immediately signed up for! I am so glad I did a school trip…Rome has so much to offer, and, although it was exhausting (our professor, Thyge, pronounced Tu-ah, had us up and out by 7:30 and kept us walking until 5:00, when we all passed out on our beds, woke up for dinner and gelato, then passed out again) I saw so many amazing things.

Saint Peter's Square from the top of St. Peter's Basilica

My favorite thing, by far, was the Vatican.  We spent an entire day there, and I still wish I had more time.  In the morning, we took a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, which are filled with some of the most incredible, amazing artwork I have ever seen.  The Sistine Chapel was breathtaking…its hard to believe that one man did it all!!! After touring the museum and a delicious lunch at a nearby restaurant, we headed into Saint Peter’s Square, which was massive (much bigger than it looked in Angels & Demons) and were set loose for the afternoon.

Baldachin by Bernini in St. Peter's

A couple of us decided to climb to the top of the Saint Peter’s Basilica, which was an interesting experience, considering its 400 steps, half of them consisting of steep stair cases with slanting walls or spiral staircases two feet wide, but was totally worth it…the view from the top was spectacular! After taking a break and catching our breath, we headed back down and into Saint Peter’s, which was the biggest and most beautiful church I have ever seen, filled with incredible sculptures and details. Words can not even begin to describe it!

Of course, while in Rome, we did all the traditional touristy things, like the Trevi Fountain, the Forum (where the Senate was), the Spanish Steps, the Mouth of Truth (aka the carved face in the wall which Audrey Hepburn stuck her hand into in Roman Holiday), the Pantheon, Circus Maximus (where they had chariot races) and, of course, the Colosseum.

Inside the Colosseum

The Colosseum was so cool…its amazing how much of it still stands today, and how big the structure is! It was neat just to walk around and see the ruins, and to just imagine what it must have looked like back in ancient Rome.  We also did some non-touristy things, like a day trip to Ostia, which was the sea port of ancient Rome. Today, its an archaeological site, and is pretty well preserved, consisting of the ruins of shops, homes, temple, and even public baths and toilets.  It was fun to walk around outside in the fresh air and to explore the area!

Making a wish at the Trevi Fountain...hopefully, my wish will come true, and I'll get to come back some day!!

Overall, I had a fantastic time in Rome. I made some new friends, was blessed with nice weather (in the 70s every day!) and ate some of the delicious food in the entire world (pizza and pasta every day, plus gelato for dessert!) One of my favorite places was called Della Palma, which was a gelato place that served over 100 flavors!! They had normal ones, and then some unique ones, like rice…my personal favorites were Nutella and Mint Stracciatella!

I was sad to leave Rome (mainly because of the delicious food and nice weather) but was so excited, because the next day I was off to England to see my family! It was so nice to see my mom, Jeffrey, and my mom’s cousin Martin waiting for me at the airport! Being in England was almost like being home, because not only did I get to see my family (my dad flew over a few days later) but I got to see some of my extended family, who I don’t get to see very often, got to stay in a house, and everyone spoke English! It sounds funny, but it was so nice to walk off the plane and be able to read signs and billboards and to be able to understand exactly what everyone was saying around me!

James Bond exhibit at Beaulieu

While it was so nice to see family, we also got to do some sightseeing.  We went to Highclere Castle one day, which is where they film Downton Abbey, and Beaulieu, an old estate with a car museum.  But my favorite thing, probably one of the highlights of my trip abroad, was going to Leavesden Studios.

“What’s that?” you ask? Well, it’s where they filmed all eight Harry Potter movies and anyone who has ever met me knows that I am entirely and completely obsessed with Harry Potter.  Therefore, getting to see the studios where they were filmed was incredible.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts..."

While its still a working studio, two of the soundstages have been turned into an exhibit, filled with props, sets, and costumes from the movies, from things as small as the Golden Snitch, Hermione’s Time-Turner, and various magazines and books to things as big as the Potion’s Classroom set, Number 4 Privet Drive, and the Knight Bus.  But the best part was the grand finale which was a scale model of Hogwarts Castle, which was still huge, and incredibly detailed.

Buckingham Palace...sadly, we couldn't attain an audience with the Queen, and Will and Kate were too busy!

The next day, my family, along with my mom’s cousing Debbie and Lynn, took the train up to London for the day, where we met up with Lynn’s son Scott.  We went to the Victoria & Albert Museum, then headed off to Harrod’s (where my mom, Jeffrey, and I enjoyed some delicious and expensive ice cream) Buckingham Palace, and Covent Garden.  We finished off the day with a yummy dinner at Planet Hollywood, where I was finally able to have the food I’ve been missing since I left home…a cheeseburger with french fries and a soda!! Afterwards, we headed back to the train station, which included passing the countdown to the London Olympics and enjoying a lovely walk across the Thames at night. I realized how much I like the city of London, and how, even though I’ve been there quite a few times, I’m nowhere close to having seen it all!

Goodnight London!

The rest of our trip went by relatively fast, and consisted of a lot of relaxing and shopping (which is fine with me!), plus packing up our suitcases.  Before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye, and to head back to Copenhagen. It was so hard leaving my family again, but I know that these next few weeks will fly by and I’d be seeing them before I knew it!

Tillykke Med Fødselsdagen/Bon Anniversaire/Happy Birthday

As you can see from the title, last Thursday I celebrated my birthday! As excited as I was to be celebrating my birthday abroad, I’ll admit I was also kind of sad…all my friends and family (except for Alex!) were thousands of miles away in America, and I was here in Denmark.

But thanks to the awesomeness of my family and friends, both old and new, my birthday was absolutely fantastic! At midnight, Alex surprised me with tickets to see the Hunger Games opening weekend (we’re both huge fans!), as well as a few balloons to hang on the door and the wall. The next morning, I woke up and headed to my first class of the day, which is the class I travelled to Prague for. As I stood up to give my short presentation, the whole class started singing Happy Birthday to me! At 11:30, or 6:30am US time, my family called to wish me a happy birthday, all joining in on a very groggy, but much enjoyed, rendition of Happy Birthday! Afterwards, I headed over to the DIS Front Desk to pick up a package, which was full of birthday goodies from my family, and then headed over to meet Alex at the Glass Market, where we enjoyed some yummy fish’n’chips and Cokes (soda is expensive here, so its a rare treat!) Of course, no birthday is complete without a little cake, so afterwards we headed over to Agnes Cupcakes, where we enjoyed two delicious cupcakes, raspberry for me and Red Velvet for Alex. After lunch, I headed to my next two classes, where my friend Karen gave me a much appreciated tasty treat! Later that night, I met up with Alex and my roommate Nikita for my first drink (a daiquiri) as a 21 year old!

First drink as a 21 year old!

My day truly had a happy ending when I came home that night to Skype my family. I hopped on, expecting only to see my mom, dad, and maybe Jeffrey, but was surprised to find myself not only looking at them, but my grandparents and my best friend Christine, all standing around a Bertucci roll with a candle in it! Although I was unhappy about the torture of having to look at a roll from my beloved Bertuccis, I was so happy to see my grandparents and Christine, and was completely surprised! My mom then pulled out a Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream Cake (again, more torture!) and they all sang Happy Birthday to me again! We then chatted until I was practically falling asleep, then said goodbye!

But the celebration didn’t really end there, because that weekend, Alex and I decided to go away, this time to Belgium! We left Copenhagen Friday night and arrived in Brussels around 8pm. We headed over to our hotel, which was super nice…we had a king size bed!! After freshening up, we headed out for dinner, following the hotel’s recommendations for a local Italian restaurant. Despite a few difficulties regarding the language barrier, we ended up enjoying a delicious meal, along with crème brûlée and chocolate mousse for dessert! We then headed back to our room, where we watched a little Jimmy Fallon (so nice to watch some American TV!) then headed to bed.

Enjoying the park

The next morning we were up and, after breakfast, headed out to the Magritte Museum. On our way there, we took a walk through two local gardens, then stopped by the Royal Palace for a few photos. We then headed to the Magritte Museum, an entire museum devoted to the surrealist artist René Magritte. Although I didn’t really know much about him, the museum was still really cool, and it was interesting to see some of his work.

In front of the Royal Palace

After our visit to the museum it was time for lunch…aka time for us to get some Belgian waffles! My mom had told us about a waffle place in Brussels called Dandoy which was supposedly “the best,” so we decided to check it out and were not disappointed. The downstairs was a little bakery/chocolate shop, where they made the waffles. We ate upstairs in the quaint little tea room, where we dined on waffles with ice cream and chocolate syrup, accompanied by the necessary cold glass of milk!

Such a nutritious lunch.

After lunch, we took a walk around the town square, which was the coolest part of Brussels. It was a small square in the middle of town, surrounded by buildings in a variety of architectural styles…Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque, and so on. We also sampled some of Brussels famous chocolate shops, buying a few treats for friends and family, and, of course, ourselves!

Bruges

Around 3 or 4, we headed back to the hotel to drop off our goods, and spontaneously decided to head to Bruges, a small town various people had repeatedly told us to visit. It was a short ride, only an hour, and well worth it: Bruges was beautiful!! It is truly the epitome of the old European village: each building looks as if its been there for hundreds of years, the cobblestone streets are small and winding, and small canals run throughout. We decided to just walk around for a bit, buying some more chocolate, souvenirs, and taking a glance into a nearby church, which was so pretty.

After a while, we started to get a little hungry and, since it was St. Patrick’s Day, we searched around for an Irish Pub to get some fish’n’chips and Guinness! However, all we managed to find was a place called “Pub” which served spaghetti bolognese, lasagna bolognese, and ham and cheese. Close enough. Our meal was good, but wouldn’t you know that, 15 minutes after we left, we found a true, authentic Irish pub! Ah well! We walked around a bit more, despite the rain, until finally deciding it was time to head back before it got too late and too wet!

Rain isn't fun...but umbrellas makes great props for photos!

The next day, we were up again, bright and early, and headed out to visit the Musée du Cacao et du Chocolat…better known as the Chocolate Museum! It was a small museum, but definitely worth the 4 euro. Inside, we were able to watch a demonstration where a chocolatier showed us how he makes different kinds of chocolate, such as filled candies and molds. We then learned a little about the history and production of chocolate and were, of course, treated to quite a few samples!

Cocoa Couture?

After the museum, we headed out to visit Brussels most famous resident, Manneken Pis, a small statue of a little boy peeing. There isn’t a clear story as to why he is there, but the statue has become famous nonetheless!

Manneken Pis

We then walked around a bit more, taking in the sights before our flight home. We enjoyed a delicious mid-morning snack of Belgian fries (yummy!) and, after a brief stop into an English book store, a wonderful lunch at…Pizza Hut! As much as I love sampling new foods and eating European cuisine, it was so nice to have a taste of home, even though they didn’t have breadsticks! We then headed off to the airport, and caught our flight back to Copenhagen!

Enjoying fries and the sun

Looking back, I had no reason to be sad about being abroad for my birthday, because, thanks to all the amazing people I know, as well as a fantastic trip to Belgium, my birthday was truly a special day!

The City of a Thousand Spires

Back in the fall, a friend asked me where I was planning on travelling to while abroad, and, afterward, told me I had to go to Prague, telling me how amazing it was. I had never really thought about going to Prague, seeing as it’s not one of the big travel destinations of Europe (most people tend to go to Paris, London, Rome, and Barcelona), but kept it in the back of my mind. Fast forward to December, when I received an e-mail from DIS saying that my study tour to Paris had been cancelled, and I would now have to pick another option, which was either Berlin or Prague. I’d wanted to go to Berlin, but remembered what my friend had said, and chose Prague instead. I’m so glad I did.

Prague was, honestly, one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited in my entire life. The city looks as if it hasn’t aged at all…apart from the cars and modern clothing, it wouldn’t be insane to imagine a horse and carriage riding down the street, or people in medieval clothes walking about. The entire time I was there, I felt like I was in Disney World or a fairy tale.

Our study tour started bright and early on Sunday morning, with a 5:30 meeting time at the airport!! After meeting up with our professors, checking in, and going through security, we were off to Prague! We landed around 8:30 and, after getting our bags, using the restrooms, and getting some Czech krones, we headed onto a bus towards our hotel right in the heart of Prague. Once we briefly settled in, our professors, Jakob and Brian, took us on a walking tour of the city. Although we were all groggy and walking around the city was the last thing anyone wanted to do, it was a great way to start off our study tour. They brought us around to all the main sites, such as Wenceslas Square, the Old Town Square, the Jewish Quarter, and the Charles Bridge.

Old Town Square

I loved Old Town Square, not just because it was near an outdoor market with cheap goods (Earrings for $5? Two prints for $10? What’s not to love!) but because of the large church which, on its one side, contained a large clock. called the Astronomical Clock. The clock itself was interesting enough, but on the hour, the clock would change, and all the apostles would appear in a window above it. Surrounding the clock were four figures: a skeleton (death) and three men symbolizing vanity, greed, and pleasure. As our professor told us, the skeleton rings a bell and nods his head up and down as if to remind us that death is coming for us all, while the men shake their heads no in disagreement.

The Astronomical Clock. As cool as it looks, I have no clue how to tell the time!

After watching the clock change and grabbing lunch, we headed through the Jewish Quarter. Later on during our trip, I was able to visit the Jewish Museum there, which actually consists of the Spanish synagogue (beautiful!), the Jewish cemetery, and an old synagogue, which now serves as a memorial to victims of the Holocaust. The walls are covered in the names of those who died, while upstairs is artwork done by children living in Jewish ghettoes and concentration camps. But the synagogue also serves another, more interesting purpose. According the legend, the attic of the synagogue contains the remains of the Golem. The Golem was a creature created out of clay by the Rabbi Judah Loew , whose remains reside in the aforementioned cemetery, to protect the Jews from antisemitic attacks. However, the Golem became more powerful (similar to an out of control robot) and was destroyed, but his remains lie in the attic, ready to be reawakened if the need arises. As you can imagine, this has inspired quite a few monster movies!

After our visit to the Jewish Quarter, we headed towards Prague’s Charles Bridge, a long bridge across the Vltava, filled with artists and tourists and lined with statues of various saints. The bridge also offers an amazing view of Prague, so we were sure to take a lot of pictures!

Posing on the Charles Bridge

After crossing the bridge, we visited a few sculptures and passed a few museums, then headed up a tram to the top of a hill, Petrin, where we warmed up with some delicious hot chocolate (it was seriously a chocolate bar in liquid form…soooo good!!) then explored the park a little. We also climbed to the first floor of what we call Prague’s Eiffel Tower, because it looks like a miniature version of the Eiffel Tower. While it was a rough walk up, one that left us all breathless, we were rewarded with a breathtaking view of all of Prague. In addition to receiving a free souvenir coin, the walk up the tiny winding staircase was worth it.

The next two days of our trip consisted of presentations from notable Czech people, such as Jaroslav Hutka, a folk singer who played a key role in the Velvet Revolution, Filip Remunda, a filmmaker and the Czech version of Michael Moore, and David Vaughan, who runs Prague Radio.

St Vitus. Way to big to fit into one picture, but I did my best!

But while it was a study tour, we didn’t study the whole time! We also managed to fit in a little shopping, a really fancy dinner followed by a symphony performance (DIS gets brownie points for that one!), and visits back to our favorite sites. We also got to have a little fun with a visit to Prague Castle, which is the biggest castle in Europe. Having said that, we didn’t actually get to see the whole castle, but what I did get to see, namely St Vitus Cathedral, was worth it! The cathedral was massive, but truly spectacular. I could have spent an entire day in the cathedral, looking into each side chapel and studying every detail! At Prague Castle, we also visited the Basilica of St George, filled with beautiful frescoes, then started our descent down a long staircase to the bottom of the hill to meet back up with our class. Of course, the top of the hill offered, once again, a spectacular view of Prague, and so a mini photo shoot was necessary!

Picture time!

After taking a ton of pictures, we met up with our class and headed to Lidice. Lidice is the site of a former village which was completely destroyed by the Nazis during WWII in retaliation for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, a high-ranking Nazi official and one of the main architects of the Holocaust. The men were all shot and killed, while the women and children, except for 7 children who “looked German” and were sent to live with Germany families, were deported to concentration camps, where many died. Today, it is a park; the foundations of some of the buildings still remain, but memorials and a small museum tell the story of Lidice to visitors. Although it was a sad experience, it was at the same time memorable, and really made the horrors of WWII much more personal and real.

The next morning, we again woke up early and headed out on a bus to Cesky Krumlov, a small town on the Czech border. But of course, my bad luck (remember my 8 hour delay at Heathrow?!) struck again…our bus broke down an hour into the ride in Cesky Sibir! Having been asleep, I opened my eyes to a snowstorm outside and discovered it would be 45 minutes until our next bus came. Therefore, we would be getting off for coffee at either the Sitting Bull Cafe or the Cesky Sibir Hotel. Luckily, it was the hotel! I would later find out that Cesky Sibir translates to Czech Siberia…how fitting!

After our short detour and boarding on a much nicer bus, we were off to Cesky Krumlov, a small town which I can only describe as looking like Pinocchio’s Village! Our hotel, which was absolutely incredible, was situated in the town square, which consisted of a variety of cute little shops and restaurants! Although it was freezing (but not snowing…apparently it only snows in Cesky Sibir!), we took a guided walk around the town, which included a visit to the town’s Baroque castle! Even more exciting, the moat outside was filled in and home to a trio of bears! (I sadly didn’t get to see them, even after I came back the next day in the hopes they were out!) Although the castle was closed in the winter due to preservation, we were able to go inside and to see a few of the rooms, including the ball room and the theater, which is one of the best preserved Baroque theaters in Europe and was absolutely incredible.

After our visit to the castle, we were given a little bit of free time to walk around (which, for us, meant another photo shoot!) before meeting up for our last group dinner. Our class had truly bonded during the week, not only with each other, but also with our professors, Jakob and Brian. The two of them constantly told us how great of a class we were, and how respectful and kind we were to each other, and so our last dinner together was a sad affair. However, after once again telling us how great we were, Jakob and Brian invited us all to a local brewery with them for drinks…and everyone, of course came! Although I wasn’t a big fan of the beer (I ended up giving mine away after a few sips…too bitter for me!) I still had a great time, laughing and talking with my classmates and listening to our professors stories.

Most of the girls. Jakob and Brian are the two guys standing awkwardly in the back! (And no, Jakob, the one on the left, does not have mutton chops...it's just the lighting!)

The next day we were given a little more free time to walk around and shop (a chance for me to use up the rest of my Czech krone!) before it was time to head back to the bus for our 3 hour ride to Prague airport. Although I was sad to leave the Czech Republic and my new friends, it was nice to head back to Copenhagen and to see my other friends, as well as to hear all about their amazing study tours! Besides, all the memories I made on this trip will last me a lifetime! Like I said, I’m so glad I listened to my friend!

Amsterdam: A DAM great city!!

This post brought to you by the letter D!

Hello friends! I do apologize for my two week absence, but I’ve been super busy (and still am super busy!). I have returned from an amazing weekend in Amsterdam, but figured I’d give you all a quick update on what happened before that.  Besides, its helping me procrastinate!

As you all may know, I went to England the weekend before last, where I stayed with my my cousin Sarah and her husband Nick, as well as their lovely dog Lucy. I had an amazing weekend with them, and it was so nice to be somewhere where I not only had family, but where everyone spoke English! On Friday, we drove up to nearby Portsmouth, where we did a little bit of shopping, and went to the top of the Spinnaker Tower, which was really cool! Saturday, I was able to go to Marks and Spencers and Sainsburys to stock up on some goodies (I am now fully stocked on cookies and chocolate!) and, that night, went to a pub to meet up with some of the family, which was lovely. I was sad to leave on Sunday, and apparently London wasn’t ready for me to leave either…my plane broke (on the ground) and I ended up having to wait 8 hours for another flight!! But, after reading all of Bossypants and learning all there is to know about Heathrow’s Terminal 3, I got home okay and can’t wait to head back in April!

Everyone at the pub!

But the fun didn’t stop there! Last Wednesday, Alex and I paid a visit to Copenhagen’s most famous resident.  No, not the Queen, but the Little Mermaid! After weeks of planning our visit and watching Disney’s The Little Mermaid and purchasing the original story at the bookstore (for $6, mind you) we ventured out to see her.

"I wanna be where the people are...."

Nearly every person I’ve met has told me how small the statue is, and so I went with the mindset that the statue would be about the size of a Coke bottle. Therefore, I was actually surprised by how much bigger the statue was than I originally expected. She was about the size of an actual person, and placed out on a large rock near the shore, looking out to the sea. Overall, definitely worth the walk and the wait!

That night, after returning to our apartment, Alex and I decided we needed to get out and go somewhere. We thus began frantically searching all the travel websites, looking for a cheap place to go for the weekend. After trying for Oslo, Norway (which would involve us traveling on some sketchy ferry)and almost settling on going to Basel, Switzerland ($77 flight) we found a cheap flight to Amsterdam! We couldn’t believe it, and seriously thought God (or StudentUniverse) was playing some trick on us. But once the credit card info went through and we got a confirmation e-mail, reality hit us: we were going to Amsterdam! We frantically began looking for a place to stay (Best Western in the Museum district for $112 a night? Sounds good!) and things to do!

Our lovely Best Western Hotel!

We left on Friday afternoon after class, and arrived in Amsterdam around 5:00. With the help of a nice lady at the airport, we took a bus to our Best Western Hotel, where we checked in, freshened up, then headed out to explore! After wandering around our neighborhood, we stumbled upon a cozy, modern-looking bar called Simple…which sold fish and chips and hamburgers! For 10 euro! After our delicious meal, we decided to be spontaneous and wander around the city, heading towards Amsterdam’s infamous Red Light District. Of course, our spontaneity meant we ended up getting semi-lost, and unable to find it (we thought it’d be kind of weird to ask people where it was). But fate was on our side, because we ended up finding the most delicious waffle place in the entire world!

After devouring our waffles (strawberries and cream for me, and a chocolate waffle for Alex), we headed out again in our search for the Red Light District, and, after seeing a few “Headshops” and dodgy bars, knew we were close. Eventually, we found it, and it was crazy! Prostitution is legal here, and prostitutes just stand in the windows, looking out, talking, winking, and even texting, trying to lure people inside. Once they have a “customer,” negotiations are made and the curtains are pulled shut! ! Insane, and so very different from America! We found our way back to our hotel, and passed out in our beds, exhausted.

Van Gogh Museum

The next day, we woke up bright and early to head to the nearby Van Gogh Museum, which was absolutely fantastic! There, we were able to see some of Van Gogh’s most famous works, such as “Sunflowers” and “The Bedroom,”  as well as the artwork of his contemporaries and teachers. Afterwards, we headed out to explore the city again, enjoying the quaint streets and canals while searching for a place to eat lunch. We happened to find a small Italian restaurant where we split a margherita pizza, which was not as good as our beloved Bertucci’s, but yummy nonetheless!

Doorway to the "Secret Annex"

We then went to visit Anne Frank’s House, which was my favorite part of the trip. I’ve always been an admirer of Anne Frank, because of her ability to remain hopeful and to hold on to her spirit and dreams despite her situation, and getting to see the attic where she lived with 7 other people for 2 years was an incredible experience. The house, which was set up by her father, Otto Frank, was very well done: it began with videos and photos describing what was going on at the time as well as a little about the Frank family. After climbing a steep staircase and going through a hidden door behind a bookcase, we found ourselves in the annex. According to Otto Frank’s wishes, the rooms were left unfurnished and exactly the way they were, which led to a surreal experience. The curtains were still blacked out and, in Anne’s room, pictures of famous celebrities adorned the walls, hung there by Anne herself. Afterwards, there was a room describing what happened to the Frank family (sadly, everyone in the annex died except for Otto Frank), as well as pages from Anne’s real diary on display. While it was truly a sad experience, I highly recommend a visit there for anyone who travels to Amsterdam.

Houseboat (I'm sure the view is spectacular!)

Afterwards, we decided to take a canal boat tour of Amsterdam, which provided usa great way to see more of the city’s sights, as well as to head into various districts we would not have ventured to on our own and to see even more of the city’s sights, such as some of the houseboats docked in the canals! Afterwards, we went back to our room to freshen up (translation: lay in our beds) and then headed out for dinner, this time at a nearby stir-fry restaurant called “Wok to Walk,” which was surprisingly good. We then decided to wander around the city yet again, letting our feet decide where we would end up. Of course, both of us were subconsciously heading in the direction of our beloved waffle shop, which we visited a second time. The waffles were just as delicious (this time, a waffle with vanilla ice cream for me and a waffle with syrup for Alex), but it was a bittersweet experience, because we both knew we would probably never get waffles there again.

I wish I could eat this for breakfast every day.

The next morning, we woke up bright and early yet again to enjoy our last day in Amsterdam. We first headed over to the Rijksmuseum, or, as the narration on the canal boat put it, “Amsterdam’s National Treasure” (say it in a female British accent for full effect). But before heading inside, we took a few minutes to enjoy the giant “I AMsterdam” sign in the back, which presented us with many photo ops (see one at the top). After I almost broke my arm trying to climb one of the letters (my legs were too short) we decided it was time to head inside and enjoy the museum, which did not disappoint. We saw some giant dollhouses, beautiful china dishes, a huge model ship, some of Rembrandt’s artwork including his most famous painting The Nightwatch, and, finally, some drawings found from an Arctic exploration in which the explorers were constantly attacked by polar bears (the description of the work would go something like this: “they decided to head out and explore, but were attacked by polar bears).

The Nightwatch, or as much of the painting as I could fit into the frame

Once we’d had our fill of Dutch artwork and history and polar bear attacks, we purchased some stroop waffle (caramel sandwiched between two thin waffles…so good!) and walked to nearby Vondelpark. After sitting down on a bench to people watch and enjoy our tasty snack, we started getting a few odd stares from joggers and walkers (not sure what’s wrong with what we were doing…but on the plus side we saw a dog pick a beer can off of the ground and put it into a trash can!) so we decided to instead wander around the park and enjoy the scenery. Once we’d done a lap around the park and finished our stroop waffle, we again wandered towards the Red Light District, only this time to find the Oude Kerk, or Old Church (and no, we didn’t get waffles again). We stopped at a small cafe for lunch and looked through the flower market, then searched for the church. After wandering for what seemed like an hour, we finally saw it, then realized it was almost time to head back to our hotel to pick up our bags and head to the airport!

We walked back through Amsterdam, taking in all the sights and enjoying our last few hours in Amsterdam. Although we were sad to leave, it was nice to be back in Copenhagen and to get ourselves ready for our future adventures! I’m sorry to say, but looks like you won’t be hearing from me for awhile yet again…I’m headed off to Prague for next week on a school sponsored study tour (aka my school pays for me to go to Prague for 6 days and to eat at nice restaurants and stay in nice hotels!) Have a great weekend, and happy March!

Searching for Hamburgers…in Hamburg!

First and foremost…Happy Valentine’s Day!!! Hope you’ve all had a wonderful day and received some kind of special treat! Alex and I walked to Agnes Cupcakes and treated ourselves to Red Velvet cupcakes!! Soo good!!

Yummy!

But now, on to this past weekend, which was absolutely exhausting but at the same time so much fun!! I went on a study tour with my core class, European Humanities, to Flensborg and Hamburg, Germany! Our class was lucky…most other classes took trips to western Denmark, which apparently is quite boring! The trip started on Thursday morning at 7:30 (yikes!). We boarded a bus and drove to Dybbøl Banke, a battlefield where in 1864 Denmark suffered a severe defeat to Germany and, as a result, lost a ton of land. This was my least favorite part of the tour, only because it was cold, windy, snowing, and I nearly broke my nose tripping over one of the many dirt mounds on the ground!

Dybbøl...I'm sure it's much nicer in the spring!

Next on our tour was Frøslev/Fårhus concentration camp. You may be asking yourself…why does it have two names? Well, Frøslev was a German prison camp during WWII, used to hold captured members of the Danish resistance and, from 1943, the entire Danish police force.  However, there was very little violence and death at this camp, because the prisoners and Danish government played a key role in the running of the camp.  The Danish government paid for the prisoners’ food and medicine, and the prisoners helped with a lot of the building. When the war was over, the camp changed hands and became Fårhus, used to house members of the German minority who had fought with the German forces and anyone who may have aided the German cause. Although Fårhus was worse than Frøslev, neither was a death camp.

My new summer home!

After leaving the camp, we headed over the German border (there were flags and everything…so exciting!) and headed to Glücksburg Castle, where we took a tour with a sweet little old lady who constantly apologized for her “bad English” (for the record, her English was perfect!) It was a small castle, but pretty nonetheless!! After that, it was off to the small town of Flensborg, which is a picturesque little town with a harbor. DIS treated us to a steak dinner at the Porterhouse Restaurant, which was absolutely delicious!!!! But dessert…not so much. What looked like ice cream over warm berries turned out to be ice cream over vodka soaked berries…which tasted disgusting!! Needless to say, many of us just ate the ice cream off the top.

Flensborg. Sadly, we never found out exactly why the shoes were hanging up there. Our best guesses were some local tradition or one really mean bully.

Our next day began with a tasty breakfast at the hotel (fresh yogurt, eggs and bacon, and pastries!) then we walked up Duborg Skolen, a school in Flensborg for Danish students. Classes are taught in Danish, and the Danish government pays 70% of the fees (Germany covers the other 30%) The focus of our class has been on memory and identity, so our purpose in going to the school was to see how living in Germany but going to a Danish school has affected the students’ identity and nationality. The students were all very welcoming and more than happy to talk about their experiences. One of the students told us about how she speaks German at home and Danish in school, but identifies with both nationalities. Our experience at the school was very eye opening and taught our class a lot about what truly defines your identity and nationality, and how it is so much more than just the language you speak or where you live.

Years ago, I would have been standing in two countries at the same time!

After our visit at the school and a quick lunch, we were off to Hamburg! We arrived a little later than expected, due to traffic on the Autobahn (not really as fast as I thought it would be!) Our teachers took us on a quick walk around the city, during which we saw St. Pauli’s stadium (where the local “football” team plays) and the old Dano-German border, then set us loose for the night. It was our friend Amanda’s 21st birthday, so a group of us went to dinner to celebrate. We all really wanted to get hamburgers, because we were in Hamburg, and though we saw a restaurant with a sign outside that said “Hamburgers!” But when we arrived back at the restaurant, sat down, and looked at the menu, we discovered it was actually a Greek/Italian restaurant…with no hamburgers. Our dinner was still delicious, and the waitstaff at the restaurant was super nice and friendly. A couple of us felt adventurous, and tried Aisenwasser, beer mixed with 7up, and rostbratwurst with boiled potatoes…both were so good!

All the girls!

After dinner, we talked with the two ladies working at the register (they loved us!) and they told us about a place nearby where “all the young people hang out.” As it turns out, this place was in the red light district! But we decided to make the most of our situation, linked arms, kept an eye on our bags, and ventured into the second largest red light district in Europe (Amsterdam is first!) While we would never have gone into any of those places, it was still a fun experience, and helped make Amanda’s 21st birthday one of a kind!

Jakob and Brian, sharing a tender moment and love of learning.

Once we figured out Hamburg’s public transportation system, we eventually found our way back and all passed out in our beds, exhausted from a long day. But we were up bright and early the next day to go on another walk around the city with our teachers. Also, now would be a good time to note…pretty much our entire class is obsessed with our teachers, Jakob (pronounced Ya-cub), a native Dane, and Brian, an American who has been living in Denmark for over ten years! The two are obviously best buddies who love working with each other, and truly define the term “bromance!”

St. Nikolai

They took us on a walk around the city, stopping at a memorial to remember the fallen soldiers of WWI, those who died in the bombings during WWII, as well as St. Nikolai, an old church that was almost completely destroyed during WWII, when Hamburg was repeatedly bombed by the Allies. The tower, which was the tallest in the world in 1878, still stands, and in the 1990s an elevator was built that goes to the top, where you can look out at all of Hamburg, as well as see a small exhibit on the church. We all were able to go to the top, where it was very cold and windy, but were rewarded with a gorgeous view of all of Hamburg.

Our walking tour of Hamburg ended with yet another yummy meal from DIS! After that, we were given an hour and a half of free time, which a couple of us used to do a bit of shopping!

The restaurant where we ate lunch (don't worry, we ate inside!)

We walked around the shopping district, stopping in a couple of stores to pick up some goodies and souvenirs. As we were walking, we began to hear chanting and yelling…turns out it was a protest! A large group of Germans were walking down the street with signs, protesting the anti-piracy laws. Everything appeared very calm and peaceful, but the police were still out and about in riot gear! Luckily, it was just about time for us to head back to the bus, for a long ride back to Copenhagen! Although I was exhausted by the time I got home (I don’t think I’ve ever slept so soundly!) I had an amazing weekend, where I not only go to explore a new city and travel to a new country, but also got to know some of my classmates a little bit better! I can’t wait for our next class adventure, which is a 5 day trip to Prague!   But we’ll talk about that later! Until next time, I hope everyone has a fantastic day and a lovely Valentine’s Day!

This post has been brought to you by McDonalds! (Just kidding...the exhibit at St. Nikolai's was though)

Vikings and Kings

Hello, and happy February! Sorry I haven’t posted in a while…I’ve been so busy this past week, but thankfully things have slowed down…until Thursday, when I’m off to Southern Jutland and Hamburg, Germany for the weekend! But more about that later on…

Statens Museum of Art

Last Wednesday, Alex and I took advantage of having the day off (we have every Wednesday for class field trips and exploring the city) and went to the Statens Museum of Art for a few hours.  I’m not really into art, but the museum was still very well done and filled with beautiful paintings and interesting sculptures, my personal favorite being one of a young girl holding kittens.!

Isn't this just so cute?

We were only able to spend a few hours inside the museum, because that night I had dinner with my visiting family! After a short Metro ride and walk to their flat, I was greeted at the door by Lise and Jesper, my visiting family, as well as two of their young daughters. I had brought over some gifts for the girls, and although I spoke no Danish and the girls spoke no English, I could see they really enjoyed their toys and hair clips! Jesper cooked a delicious meal for us, during which we sat and talked about television shows, what to see in Denmark, food, America, and our families.  It was a wonderful evening, and I can’t wait to see them again!

One of the five Viking ships

On Saturday, we took a trip with DIS to Roskilde.  Our first stop there was the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum, which consists mainly of five Viking boats, which pieces of were found underwater. The ships had originally been sunk by Vikings to create a blockade in order to stop an attacking army.  In the 1950s or 1960s, the parts of these ships were discovered, brought up, and restored.  The ships were rebuilt, using only the parts found, but models were made of what they ships would have looked like and sailed to see how fast they would go. The museum also provided us with a brief history of the Vikings, and taught us that, contrary to popular beliefs, Vikings didn’t actually wear those hats with horns, but instead wore simple leather caps! Who would’ve known?

After a quick look around the gift shop, we then headed to nearby Roskilde Cathedral, where all of Denmark’s kings and queens are buried. The cathedral was different from any other cathedral I’d seen, mainly because it used brick, but it was still absolutely gorgeous.

The interior of the cathedral

We were given a guided tour around the castle, which was great, because there was so much to learn about the castle.  We were taken around to the various chapels and shown the tombs of some of Denmark’s former kings and queens.  We even saw where Queen Margrethe II, Denmark’s current queen, was to be buried…eerie! Each tomb was magificently detailed, each one reflecting not only the style of the time, but the wealth of the time.

All paint, no gold or marble...how cool is that?

One of the most interesting was Christian IV’s chapel. Christian had originally designed the chapel, but died before the interior was finished. For a long time, it was left unfinished, but in the 19th century Denmark decided to follow Christian IV’s plans and finish it.  However, there wasn’t enough money to build it to Christian’s designs, and so everything was painted to look like marble and framing.  He did a good job…it looks so convincing!

But my busy day was far from over.  After returning home, I headed out to my friend Kati’s apartment for dinner with her, our friend Karen, and Kati’s roommate Taylor.  Kati and Taylor made an amazing dinner for us…pasta with eggplant pomodoro, chicken and bruschetta! So good! We had a great night and talked about our experiences abroad, such as good restaurants, funny encounters with Danish people, and school!

On Sunday, Alex and I headed on another DIS trip, this time to Fredericksborg Castle. On our way up, we were lucky enough to have our tour guide for the castle travel with us.  Why were we lucky? Because our tour guide, a “lovely woman” as Alex put it, pointed out all the interesting sites to us on our way up, telling us what the buildings and statues we saw were and why they were important.

The Castle Courtyard

Upon arriving at the castle, it started to snow, making us thankful that the tour was indoors! We had an hour and a half tour, during which we saw the castle chapel (all the chapels and churches here are stunning!), the chambers, the Great Hall (sadly, not like the one at Hogwarts, though just about as impressive!), and the Receiving Room, where the king would receive his guests.  At the end of the tour, our wonderful tour guide offered to take us through one of the special exhibitions, which was about the current queen throughout her reign.  It consisted of some of Queen Margethe II’s dresses, as well as paintings and photos of her throughout the years, as well as news clips about what was happening in the world. One of the best parts of the exhibition was the room about the 2000s, which included a picture titled “Denmark 2009.” Unfortunately, my camera died that day, but look it up online. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.

The chapel...taken shortly before my camera died

But our day of fun didn’t end there. On our way back from the bus, we decided to stop at the nearby glass market (its a glass building filled with little bakeries, butchers, and other shops, much like a farmer’s market) and treat ourselves to a dinner of fish and chips. Although it was above our usual price range, it was well worth it…the fish and chips were battered and fried fresh, and were absolutely delectable! We even met an American family at the counter, who had just moved here!

We then returned home, where I finished up some last minute homework, Skyped with my family and two of my friends from school, and then headed off to bed, ready to begin yet another busy week in Copenhagen!

“To be or not to be – that is the question”

You may recognize that quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and may be wondering why the heck I’m quoting it.  Well today, Alex and I took a trek up to Helsingør to see Kronborg, more well known as Elsinore, the castle from Hamlet!

What's up Hamlet?

The trip was sponsored by DIS, which was nice because they not only provided us with a guided tour and admission to the castle, but transportation up there!

So quaint!

After about an hour drive up along the coast, we were dropped off in Helsingør, a quaint little town along the coast. We were given two hours to explore the town, and although it was freezing, it was so much fun! It looked like the quintessential European village, complete with cobblestone streets line with little boutiques and cafes! There was also a beautiful church located in the center of town, as well as rows of quaint little houses. After strolling along the streets, snacking on our packed lunch (we’re becoming good money savers!) and chatting, we stopped for a tea and headed back to the bus, where we then drove up to Kronborg.

Although is definitely wasn’t as big as I expected, the castle was still very impressive.  We started by walking through a main entrance, then through an archway, which brought us inside, where there were a few homes and a moat surrounding the castle.  Before entering yet another archway into the castle itself, we climbed up a small hill and were rewarded with a fantastic view of the Baltic Sea and Sweden, which was only 3 or 4 miles across the water!

What's up Sweden?

We were lucky enough to take a guided tour, which essentially provided us with a crash course in Danish history! It was so much to absorb, but luckily I was able to learn quite a bit! Our tour started out in the courtyard, where we learned that, every summer, Hamlet is performed! After meeting our tour guide and taking a few pictures, we headed down into the casements, where the soldiers used to live.  Down there we saw the statue of Holger the Dane, which, according to legend, will rise and come to life when Denmark fnds itself in serious trouble.  Despite several wars, Holger has yet to rise, meaning Denmark has yet to be in serious trouble!

Seriously, what would you do if this thing came to life?

After walking through the casements and feeling like Indiana Jones, we finally came up to the courtyard again and headed into the chapel. One day each month services are actually held in the chapel, which I thought was pretty cool! We then headed upstairs to the Royal Apartments, where the kings and queens used to live.  While it certainly wasn’t as ostentatious as other castles or palaces (I’m talking to you, Versailles and Buckingham Palace!), it was still very pretty in its own way.  The walls were all painted a simple white, but on the ceilings were beautiful, detailed paintings of various scenes. The furniture and fireplaces here were so detailed as well, and some of the rooms had tapestries covering the walls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although we were exhausted and freezing by the end of the day, our trip to Kronborg was definitely worthwhile.  I’m definitely glad I got to see it while in Denmark.  We finished up our day with some new friends at a local bodega called Props, which was definitely very hyggelig, the fundamental aspect of Danish culture which roughly translates to “cozy,” making it the perfect ending to our day.

“Adventure is out there!”

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in Copenhagen for 4 days already.  And yet, I already love it here! (But don’t worry guys, I will be coming back!) Things are so different here, but in a good way.  For instance, everyone rides their bikes here. There are so few cars here! Also, public transportation is so clean and reliable here…if people don’t ride a bike, they use it! And no one checks your ticket there; they use an honors system, and people are expected (and do!) clip their tickets at the machine before boarding. But of course, orientation has also introduced me to the many beautiful sights of the city!

Monday started out with an opening ceremony at Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, an art museum consisting of the personal collections of Carl Jacobsen, the son of the founder of Carlsberg Beer. In fact, a share of the profits from Carlsberg beers goes to fund the Glyptotek. The ceremony consisted of four performances by the DIS strings and speeches from the director of the program, Anders Uhrskov, as well as some other people from DIS. Afterwards, we were all divided up into different groups of about 20 people.  We all met in one of the school’s classrooms, where we did a few icebreakers with one of the DIS teachers and our fellow group members.  We were then divided up into even smaller groups of about 6 or 7 people, and given an envelope.  Inside was: a map with 5 locations we had to find our way to and visit, a map of the city, 130 krone (the equivalent of about $26), a metro pass, a list of grocery items, and a voucher for a free pastry at a local bakery.

After looking at our map and seeing where we had to go, we headed first to the pastry shop! Of course, it wasn’t that easy! We first wandered around the surrounding streets, then up into an apartment, then finally to the bakery…where we realized half our group was gone! Luckily, we waited inside, and they soon caught up with us.  In the bakery, we were all treated to a Danish, called “wienerbrød” here.  It was honestly the freshest, most delicious Danish I have ever had!

Once we finished, we were off to our first stop, the Royal Library.  We found our way this time, and went inside, where an architect who teaches at DIS taught us a little about the library, which is also called “the Black Diamond.”  Built in 1999, it is an extremely modern building with large glass windows which overlook the harbor.  It’s also a source of pride for the people of Copenhagen because it was built by a Danish architect, who won a design contest, and also stands as a symbol of the Danes commitment to education (Danes have free education and healthcare!).

Church of Our Savior

Next on our tour was Christianshavn across the harbor (there are a lot of harbors and lakes here, by the way), a part of the city built by Christian the IV, to the Church of Our Savior.  The church is absolutely beautiful, as you can see, and is notable because its only one of two churches in the whole world to have a spiral spire (the other, in case you were curious, is somewhere in Italy.  Although we didn’t get to go inside because there was a funeral, I plan on going back in the nice weather, especially since you can climb to the top and get a fantastic view of the entire city!

We then ventured onto the metro and got off at Kongens Nytorv, or the King’s Square, which has a statue of Christian V (fun fact for you: all the kings are named either Christian or Frederick…it alternates) originally made of lead, but redone and now made of bronze.  The square was currently under construction because, in the winter, a large ice skating rink is place around the statue…so wish I had been able to go! Also located there is the New Harbor, most recognizable as the harbor you see in pretty much every advertisement for Copenhagen! It’s so pretty there…I can’t wait to go back!

Our final stop was Amalienborg, the royal palace and home of Queen Margrethe and her two sons, the Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, along with their families.  The royal family originally lived in another palace (which is now Parliament) but for some reason moved here years ago and have stayed here every since.  The Danes love and admire their queen, who has been ruling for 40 years and was able to do so only because of a provision to the Constitution allowing a woman to rule.

Amalienborg

That night, Alex and I went with a couple of girls from our floor grocery shopping…it was very hard! Everything, of course, is written in Danish, and it was so difficult for us to figure out what everything was.  Some girls in my group ended up accidentally buying buttermilk instead of regular milk, and it took Alex and I a good ten minutes to figure out what ham was called! (It’s skinke, by the way.) Next time, I’m bringing a dictionary!

My next day consisted of some information sessions.  The first was called “How Not to Meet Danes,” and was given by two Danish students.  They talked about the various ways to meet Danish people over here, some suggestions for what to talk about, and even gave us some ideas for where to shop.  Next was one about Danish social norms, such as what to do at a dinner or a dinner party, and what might be considered rude. That night, I also had an information session about volunteering while here in Denmark.  I’ll be spending some time every week at a local primary school for Muslim students, helping the kids with their English.  It sounds like a lot of fun, and I am really excited for it to start!

Wednesday was our last day of orientation, and consisted of some practical information, such as information about housing and student affairs, as well as applying for my residence permit.  Afterwards, my friend Julie and I walked around the neighborhood, looking in all the little shops. Our school is right near Købmagergade, a pedestrian street lined with little boutiques and cafes…so cute!

Classes began today, and so far so good! This semester I’ll be taking Religion and Politics in Europe, Kierkegaard’s Authorship (a course at the University of Copenhagen!), European Storytelling: From Homer to Harry Potter, and European Memory and Identity, my core course which includes a three-day study tour to Hamburg and western Denmark, as well as a week long study tour to Prague and Cesky-Krumlov in the Czech Republic. I’m also taking two one credit classes, Classical and Renaissance Rome, which involves a week long trip to Rome and the Vatican, and Vienna: The Capital of Classical Music, which includes a three day weekend trip to Vienna, Austria! I’ll write a little more tomorrow, but until then…hav en god dag!

Hilsen fra Danmark!

Hello from Denmark!! I’ll be blogging this semester for you all…I’ve never done this before and am not very “tech-savvy” so bear with me!

If you’re reading this, you probably know that I’m currently studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark (and if you didn’t, now you know!).  I left from Newark Airport Saturday afternoon, and, after saying a difficult goodbye to my parents, left for Brussels, Belgium, then, after a four hour layover, headed to Copenhagen! I’m not going to lie, the flight was pretty rough…my friend Alex and I had the pleasure of sitting behind two screaming babies on the flight over, which meant we got little sleep! When we got to Brussels, we were relieved to finally be off the plane, and, after going through customs, went off in search of some Belgian waffles.  Unfortunately, we didn’t find any, but we did find some other kids from our school who we sat with in a cute little cafe in the airport.  The time flew by, and soon we were boarding our flight from Brussels to Copenhagen…hooray!!

It was snowing when we landed, which made everything so pretty. We quickly got our bags and headed out, where a group of people from our school, DIS, met us and gave us directions to the bus which would take us to our rooms.  Little did we know we would have to wait an hour and a half for the bus that was going to our building!!  But finally, the bus came, and we were out of the airport and into Copenhagen!

After driving through the city, we finally got to Nørrebro, the neighborhood where I’m living.  We brought our bags inside (what I’m sure was an interesting sight for the locals, considering we all had 4 bags!) and received the keys to our rooms from Jens, our Danish SRA.  We brought our bags up to our rooms, then quickly unpacked before dinner.  Jens made some Danish food for our whole building, such as some Danish meatballs, a variety of salads, and some delicious biscuits.  After dinner, I finished unpacking, called home, hung some pictures on the wall, and went to bed!

The various neighborhoods of Copenhagen