As you can tell by my lack of postings, I have been keeping myself busy the past month! Spring is officially here, and Copenhagen is now the land of BBQs, lazy days in the park, and sunbathing to ditch the pale scandiavian winter skin.
Following my trip to London, my last big destination of the semester was Rome April 13-17. Unbelievable city. I won't go into much detail, but I have to admit this was one of the greatest cities I have ever seen. Every time I turned a corner there was another ancient ruin or historic sight to witness. The vatican, the coliseum, the ancient forums, pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain...Rome is a city overflowing with rich treasures and I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to experience it. My pictures I've posted go into more detail, so have a look :)
Since then, I've been enjoying my time in Copenhagen and taking in all the city has to offer. Springtime in this city is delightful —the Danes are itching for the sun after the dreary, gray, depressing winter weather in Copenhagen. People no longer run inside to escape the rain--the days are long, the outdoor cafes overflow with people sipping iced lattes, sunbathers sprawl in the parks, and the city is a constant buzz. We have been doing a lot of grilling, biking around the city, and we have even made it to the beach a few times! I too have caught the spring fever.
Last weekend my friend Hannah made the trek over from the Netherlands for a visit--it was wonderful showing her my city. We made a bike trip to Helsingor, Denmark with some friends from Copenhagen. We followed the scenic route by the sea side, wound our way through some forests, and stumbled across some Danish countryside before arriving 3 ½ hours later in Helsingor to explore the Krongbor “Hamlet” Castle. Although the exterior of the castle was quite impressive, the inside was a bit disappointing; especially for the entry fee we paid. Overall, though, the trip was wonderful and we really enjoyed seeing Denmark by bike
We also spent some time exploring the free town Christiania. Christiania is an old military barracks that was established by squatters in the early 70’s and now serves as a symbol of the tolerant liberalism of Denmark. Tucked away in the outskirts of Copenhagen, Christiania’s 1,000 inhabitants live freely in a refuge of peace and alternative lifestyles. There is no buying or selling of land and when someone leaves the community, the members get to decide who will move in their place. While Christiania remains under enormous pressure to become “normalized”, they serve a strong role in entertaining tourists in Copenhagen. In the springtime the place is swarming with people taking in this mysterious free world that most are so unaccustomed to. It is a tangle of ramshackled homes bursting with character, outrageous graffiti, hippies, hidden gardens, appealing architecture, cafes, music and much more. There is, of course, always a party in Christiania and you will find people drinking and stumbling the streets no matter what time of day.
While the community does pay taxes to the government, they still face tremendous pressure to give up their free town and assimilate into the rest of Copenhagen. They have fended off pressure in the past, so only time will tell if Christianian’s will keep their Freetown. In the mean time, it’s a nice afternoon escape from the city life.
This afternoon I did a bit of exploring in the city of Roskilde, Denmark, the hometown of my Danish mentor from my university, Cathrine. She introduced Clair, Megan and I to her city, home, and family and played tour guide for the day. Roskilde is home to The Viking Ship Museum in Denmark, and although we opted to skip the 75 DKK entry fee and spend our day in the sun instead, we were able to get a look at the Viking ships outside the museum and spend some time in the gift shop looking at all the Viking trinkets for sale. We also visited Cathrine’s old highschool and spent time discovering quaint villages with the most adorable homes I have ever seen. They were pulled directly out of a story book:) We stopped at the Roskilde Cathedral where all the Denmark Royalty are buried and took a long hike from the harbor, along the sea and fjord, and through the forest.
We ate a wonderful Danish dinner with her family at her home, and after dinner we took a tour of Roskilde by car! Haven’t been in one of those in quite some time We stopped at some beautiful deserted beaches and saw some real Danish countryside before heading back for some dessert. It was a wonderful day.
As my time abroad winds to a close, I have been doing a lot of thinking as to what this whole experience has meant to me. In all honesty, sometimes it feels like it didn’t even happen. The novelty of studying abroad sort of fades after the first few weeks and then the whole idea of living and studying in a new place becomes not so new anymore…which is how it becomes home :) Before coming abroad I hadn’t much of a clue as to what to expect, but I never would have imagined Copenhagen would become so special to me. I look back on the past semester, and I really have made a home in this city. This study abroad has been such a fleeting, truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is gone before I had time to prepare myself for the end. I am beyond excited to be with my family and friends again, but I still have to prepare myself mentally for the culture shock of going back to the US!
I will forever cherish the memories I've created, the friends I've made and the times I’ve shared with them. Each person has influenced me in some way or another and I’ve grown in so many ways because of my experiences here.
BUT, I’m not done yet! I still have a week and a half left to enjoy here--time to soak it all in :)
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
I love London!
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind! A few weeks ago, the realization hit me that this is actually "study" abroad, and I decided it was time to start doing some serious studying before my first set of final exams! In between studying, however, I managed to salvage a little time to go to London for a long weekend! Just a little study break...:) (I passed my exam with flying colors, by the way!)
London--I hate playing favorites, but London was definitely right up at the top of my favorites I've visited so far. Although 3 days was hardly enough time to take in the full allure of London, it was just long enough to promise myself I will be returning there someday. I loved it. The history, the sights, the people, the atmosphere...I couldn't get enough.
After an hour and half flight delay (I hate cheap airlines), I arrived in London just after the metro closed for the night and was no where near my hostel. After spending an hour figuring out a new route to my hostel, walking to a bus stop, and riding to my hostel…I arrived there for check in after 2 am. Yikes! Oz was up and waiting for me when I arrived (and worried-oops should have called) but we got a few hours of sleep before the busy sightseeing the next day.
We started at the Tower of London, one of the most famous and historical landmarks of London. The free beefeater tour guides were entertaining and gave an accurate and interesting retelling of the history of the castle. We learned all about the prisoners of the past, conspiracy of the two boys that were killed there, the beheadings, and so much more. After the tour, we made our way to see the crown jewels which were also housed in the Tower of London--beautiful! We picniced outside the grounds of the Tower overlooking the river and the famous Tower Bridge:) (i took a million pictures of the bridge!—I was obsessed haha.)
The rainy British Weather wasn't cooperating so we headed to some museums for the rest of the afternoon—all free!!! We ate a late dinner in the hostel and then decided to venture out again to see London at night--Piccadilly circus!
Piccadilly Circus equates with New York's Time square, blitzed with neon lights and buzzing with nightlife. It's essentially just a famous road junction and open space in London's downtown, and has a lot of shopping, clubs, and entertainment nearby. The area serves as a recognizable meeting place and tourist attraction. We had an overpriced mug of pub beer, strolled the streets taking in the London nightlife, resisted the 3 pound (6 dollar!) delicious hot dog stands, and rode the top of the double decker bus back to our hostel. We learned that Londoners like to go out for there beer early, and many pubs close before midnight with only the clubbing scene offered for those who want to stay out later! We weren't quite up for that much of London nightlife on this vacation, so we opted to save the clubbing for a later date. :)
Sunday morning we headed to Camden Market—an affordable, colorful, open air market in London. It is really large and divided into different sections depending on what you are shopping for. They had some good bargains and some eccentric stands and shops. We spent a few hours there strolling, looking for some good steals, and tromping through the snow!! It cleared up after a few hours, but it made for a really cold walk through the market.
Next, we were off to the British Museum, with a stop at Platform 9 3/4 on the way! We had to stop and get a picture on our way to Hogwarts—we weren’t the only Harry Potter nerds with the same idea!
The British National Museum was gigantic and it was quite easy to feel overwhelmed by all the history surrounding us, so we just focused on a few sections of interest. I've noticed my attention span at museums, which not too long ago was that of a 4 year old, has drastically increased since I've been to Europe. I'm becoming so cultured :) I now see ancient Greece or Roman exhibit in a museum and am able to place it in reality and find a larger meaning or value in it after traveling to these places!
We needed some fresh air after all that history, and the beautiful St. James Park was the next destination. The park is bordered by Buckingham Palace and Parliament so we were able to get a good view of the royal palace from the park! The park was swarming with all sorts of ducks and birds, the sun was reflecting off the water and the flower gardens were in full bloom. It was wonderful. A perfect end to a busy day of sightseeing in London.
Monday was our last day there and we headed out early to watch the changing of the guards! It was quite procession and the crowds of tourists were outrageous and buzzing with the excitement of the royalty around them! We did some more sightseeing, but our major event for the day was Wicked!! The 15 pound tickets we were hoping to land were all sold out, but we ended up with quite the deal in the end—two 6th row tickets for 25 pounds each that were originally 60 pounds each! I’m going to flash my student ID card until I’m at least 30 if I continue to get deals like that…we saved $70 each! The show was captivating—quite the unforgettable experience seeing Wicked in London. We were so close to the stage—we could see every expression and feel every emotion in the play, it was spectacular. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the vacation.
It was hard heading to the airport that night and saying good bye, but I got a wonderful taste of London and am eager for more. I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend and can’t wait to return some day :) Check out my pictures!
London--I hate playing favorites, but London was definitely right up at the top of my favorites I've visited so far. Although 3 days was hardly enough time to take in the full allure of London, it was just long enough to promise myself I will be returning there someday. I loved it. The history, the sights, the people, the atmosphere...I couldn't get enough.
After an hour and half flight delay (I hate cheap airlines), I arrived in London just after the metro closed for the night and was no where near my hostel. After spending an hour figuring out a new route to my hostel, walking to a bus stop, and riding to my hostel…I arrived there for check in after 2 am. Yikes! Oz was up and waiting for me when I arrived (and worried-oops should have called) but we got a few hours of sleep before the busy sightseeing the next day.
We started at the Tower of London, one of the most famous and historical landmarks of London. The free beefeater tour guides were entertaining and gave an accurate and interesting retelling of the history of the castle. We learned all about the prisoners of the past, conspiracy of the two boys that were killed there, the beheadings, and so much more. After the tour, we made our way to see the crown jewels which were also housed in the Tower of London--beautiful! We picniced outside the grounds of the Tower overlooking the river and the famous Tower Bridge:) (i took a million pictures of the bridge!—I was obsessed haha.)
The rainy British Weather wasn't cooperating so we headed to some museums for the rest of the afternoon—all free!!! We ate a late dinner in the hostel and then decided to venture out again to see London at night--Piccadilly circus!
Piccadilly Circus equates with New York's Time square, blitzed with neon lights and buzzing with nightlife. It's essentially just a famous road junction and open space in London's downtown, and has a lot of shopping, clubs, and entertainment nearby. The area serves as a recognizable meeting place and tourist attraction. We had an overpriced mug of pub beer, strolled the streets taking in the London nightlife, resisted the 3 pound (6 dollar!) delicious hot dog stands, and rode the top of the double decker bus back to our hostel. We learned that Londoners like to go out for there beer early, and many pubs close before midnight with only the clubbing scene offered for those who want to stay out later! We weren't quite up for that much of London nightlife on this vacation, so we opted to save the clubbing for a later date. :)
Sunday morning we headed to Camden Market—an affordable, colorful, open air market in London. It is really large and divided into different sections depending on what you are shopping for. They had some good bargains and some eccentric stands and shops. We spent a few hours there strolling, looking for some good steals, and tromping through the snow!! It cleared up after a few hours, but it made for a really cold walk through the market.
Next, we were off to the British Museum, with a stop at Platform 9 3/4 on the way! We had to stop and get a picture on our way to Hogwarts—we weren’t the only Harry Potter nerds with the same idea!
The British National Museum was gigantic and it was quite easy to feel overwhelmed by all the history surrounding us, so we just focused on a few sections of interest. I've noticed my attention span at museums, which not too long ago was that of a 4 year old, has drastically increased since I've been to Europe. I'm becoming so cultured :) I now see ancient Greece or Roman exhibit in a museum and am able to place it in reality and find a larger meaning or value in it after traveling to these places!
We needed some fresh air after all that history, and the beautiful St. James Park was the next destination. The park is bordered by Buckingham Palace and Parliament so we were able to get a good view of the royal palace from the park! The park was swarming with all sorts of ducks and birds, the sun was reflecting off the water and the flower gardens were in full bloom. It was wonderful. A perfect end to a busy day of sightseeing in London.
Monday was our last day there and we headed out early to watch the changing of the guards! It was quite procession and the crowds of tourists were outrageous and buzzing with the excitement of the royalty around them! We did some more sightseeing, but our major event for the day was Wicked!! The 15 pound tickets we were hoping to land were all sold out, but we ended up with quite the deal in the end—two 6th row tickets for 25 pounds each that were originally 60 pounds each! I’m going to flash my student ID card until I’m at least 30 if I continue to get deals like that…we saved $70 each! The show was captivating—quite the unforgettable experience seeing Wicked in London. We were so close to the stage—we could see every expression and feel every emotion in the play, it was spectacular. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the vacation.
It was hard heading to the airport that night and saying good bye, but I got a wonderful taste of London and am eager for more. I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend and can’t wait to return some day :) Check out my pictures!
Friday, April 4, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Greek Islands of Poros and Hydra
As the Acropolis pretty much encompasses what Athens is, we wasted no time hopping on a ferry to a nearby island. Little beknownst to us, we got a lot more than we bargained for when booking our short 1 hour 15 minute ride to Poros. After sleeping through our alarm clock, frantically tearing through the apartment gathering our belongings and rinsing the dirty dishes in the sink, and hailing down some taxis, we just made it to the port in time to step on our ferry. Phew--hectic morning, but we were on board and ready for sailing. As the attendents started handing out complimentary puke bags shortly into our trip, however, our stomaches started to feel a little nervous (the birthday boy was looking the worst!) The rest of the trip was a nightmare. The rainy, windy weather outside tossed the ferry everywhere, and stomachs were turning as the boat leapt throught the air. The boat quickly began ringing withe the sounds of people using their previously distributed puke bags and for the first time I actually saw what green sea sick faces looked like! People were dropping like flies and the smell in the boat made it that much more nauseating. The waves were unrelentless, it honestly felt like a nightmare! All I could do from getting sick was put my headphones on full blast to drown out the sounds, close my eyes, and just pretend it was a carnival ride haha. I actually held myself together (barely!), and when we finally arrived in Poros we needed a nap after that adventure! After the nap, we grabbed a really delicious Greek dinner and then walked around in the rain with our makeshift plastic tablecloth raincoats the restaurant gave us free of charge :) The rain cleared up just in time to let the sun peek through to paint the sky with some nice colors for sunset...beautiful. We grabbed some supplies to cook dinner back in our apartments and spent the night relaxing in.We had two little apartments for our stay with 3 people in each, both equipped with kitchen and a bathroom! They were wonderful, and right across from this Greek family selling "local cheap wine" that they poured straight out of barrels in their basement when we bought it.
The island was adorable overall--it really was tiny, but with so much character, beautiful beaches, and amazing landscapes. We rented 4 wheelers for a day (SO FUN! and pretty cheap too!) and were able to cruise around the entire island, capturing some views from some pretty steep heights we wouldn't have traversed to by foot. We were able to stumble across tome quiet deserted beaches, do some mild rock climbing, and see all that Poros had to offer--all thanks to our trusty 4 wheelers! We spent some time soaking in the sun on the beautiful beach, but the water was pretty icey so we didn't dare more than a quick jump off the rocks. We had a wonderful and relaxing time together, and it was off to the next island Hydra! Heather and Jesse had to part ways with us before venturing onward which was sad, but getting some of the gang back together again brought some good times...everything is just that much better with your best friends :)
The island of Hydra, you must know, has no motor vehicles besides the occasional garbage trcuk. The terrain is incredibly rocky and there are few roads other than ones for the garbage trucks. Donkeys, instead, serve as the main form of transportation and they actually line the port when you step off the ferries! I wasn't prepared to see that many donkeys, it was quite humorous. After bartering our way to a 20 euro a night hostel (they wanted so much at these places!), we decided why not start our trip off the right way--with a little donkey ride. We quickly learned the power of language barriers and savvy greek business men, as it came to our attention that our "50 minute 10 euro" donkey ride was actually a 15 minute ride. Wow-what a little trick of the tongue can do! Of course this guy knows what he's doing, he rips tourists off all day long...its just our fault for not clarifying in the beginning! Oh well, we had a good laugh about us being stupid tourists and opted to traverse the island on foot for the remainder of our stay.
We began a hike that we assumed was a medium long loop around the island (why we assumed, I'm not sure), only to reach a gate saying "keep out" 2.5 hours into our uphill hike. We captured some great views on the way, however, it hardly seemed worth it when we reached this gate!! We reluctantly turned around and prepared for the descent (much easier than the hike up). Later did we discover that our looped hike we were anticipating was actually just a neverending (basically) path to all the monasteries on the island...at least we got our religion in on the hike! Another minor loop hole in the day, but at least this one was free :)
We were able to watch the sunset, grab some dinner at a quaint Greek family diner, and enjoy a bottle of wine by the port with our shoes off and our feet hanging over the edge. It was beautiful weather and there was lively music drifting from the nearby diners and bars--it was a really simple, perfect night. We slept well after our long day hiking outside.
Saturday we just walked around a bit, relaxed in the sun on the beach (the beaches in Hydra are just big rocks and cement made flat for sunbathing.) They don't have sand beaches which is different, but the "rock beaches" were actually kind of cute with umbrellas and cafes and such. We grabbed an afternoon ferry back to Athens after an incredible stay on two islands. The Greeks were allround friendly, genuine, hopsitable people who really take time to slow down and enjoy life. I am completely satisfied with my stay there and always felt very taken care of! (minus the donkey escapade)
Overall, I had such a relaxing and refreshing time, a perfect way to cap off my vacation. Each destination had something completley different to offer and it was the perfect mix of relaxation and sight seeing. Hard to believe all I have seen and experienced the last two weeks, pretty sweet.
Now its back to reality. Final exam coming up!
The island was adorable overall--it really was tiny, but with so much character, beautiful beaches, and amazing landscapes. We rented 4 wheelers for a day (SO FUN! and pretty cheap too!) and were able to cruise around the entire island, capturing some views from some pretty steep heights we wouldn't have traversed to by foot. We were able to stumble across tome quiet deserted beaches, do some mild rock climbing, and see all that Poros had to offer--all thanks to our trusty 4 wheelers! We spent some time soaking in the sun on the beautiful beach, but the water was pretty icey so we didn't dare more than a quick jump off the rocks. We had a wonderful and relaxing time together, and it was off to the next island Hydra! Heather and Jesse had to part ways with us before venturing onward which was sad, but getting some of the gang back together again brought some good times...everything is just that much better with your best friends :)
The island of Hydra, you must know, has no motor vehicles besides the occasional garbage trcuk. The terrain is incredibly rocky and there are few roads other than ones for the garbage trucks. Donkeys, instead, serve as the main form of transportation and they actually line the port when you step off the ferries! I wasn't prepared to see that many donkeys, it was quite humorous. After bartering our way to a 20 euro a night hostel (they wanted so much at these places!), we decided why not start our trip off the right way--with a little donkey ride. We quickly learned the power of language barriers and savvy greek business men, as it came to our attention that our "50 minute 10 euro" donkey ride was actually a 15 minute ride. Wow-what a little trick of the tongue can do! Of course this guy knows what he's doing, he rips tourists off all day long...its just our fault for not clarifying in the beginning! Oh well, we had a good laugh about us being stupid tourists and opted to traverse the island on foot for the remainder of our stay.
We began a hike that we assumed was a medium long loop around the island (why we assumed, I'm not sure), only to reach a gate saying "keep out" 2.5 hours into our uphill hike. We captured some great views on the way, however, it hardly seemed worth it when we reached this gate!! We reluctantly turned around and prepared for the descent (much easier than the hike up). Later did we discover that our looped hike we were anticipating was actually just a neverending (basically) path to all the monasteries on the island...at least we got our religion in on the hike! Another minor loop hole in the day, but at least this one was free :)
We were able to watch the sunset, grab some dinner at a quaint Greek family diner, and enjoy a bottle of wine by the port with our shoes off and our feet hanging over the edge. It was beautiful weather and there was lively music drifting from the nearby diners and bars--it was a really simple, perfect night. We slept well after our long day hiking outside.
Saturday we just walked around a bit, relaxed in the sun on the beach (the beaches in Hydra are just big rocks and cement made flat for sunbathing.) They don't have sand beaches which is different, but the "rock beaches" were actually kind of cute with umbrellas and cafes and such. We grabbed an afternoon ferry back to Athens after an incredible stay on two islands. The Greeks were allround friendly, genuine, hopsitable people who really take time to slow down and enjoy life. I am completely satisfied with my stay there and always felt very taken care of! (minus the donkey escapade)
Overall, I had such a relaxing and refreshing time, a perfect way to cap off my vacation. Each destination had something completley different to offer and it was the perfect mix of relaxation and sight seeing. Hard to believe all I have seen and experienced the last two weeks, pretty sweet.
Now its back to reality. Final exam coming up!
Athens, Greece
The Acropolis is UNBELIEVABLE. I arrived in Athens late on the 19th with just enough time to catch a glimpse of the acropolis lit up at night from the corner by my hostel and crawl into bed. Even at night it looked amazing.
In Madrid I parted ways with Clair and Megan and joined up with Oz, Heather and Jesse from Madison and Bobby and Bennett (his friend from Hastings and Brussels) in Athens. We had a good crew, and it felt so good to be back with old friends! I was excited for the adventures ahead.
Thursday morning the 20th we got up early and headed to the Acropolis. It really was unreal being in the presence of these ancient parts of history...these buildings were built in the 5th century BC! There is so much to see on the grounds of the Acropolis, we toured for about 3 hours! The weather was gorgeous which only added to the awe of what I was actually experiencing...seeing the Parthenon, the erecthin, the various ancient theatres, and taking in the breathtaking views of the sprawling city of Athens lying below us. So cool. After our self-guided tour we grabbed lunch at an outdoor cafe at the foot of the acropolis and headed over to the travel agencies to book some ferry tickets for the islands!! A few roadblocks later, we stumbled upon a few great people to help us book and plan our ferry rides! We decided on the "tiny, cute, beautiful" island of Poros as our first destination (said in a really high, cute voice by our wonderful lady we found at the tour office), followed by the bigger, more touristy island of Hydra. We couldn't make it to the famous Santorini due to different flight departure dates and time constraints, but we were optimistic for our travels!!
Thursday night we celebrated Oz's 21st with a dinner cooked in our apartment we had for the night, a few bottles of wine, and a night out at a local Athens bar with our hostel! Really great night overall--a definite 21st success! We finally wandered home at about 3:30 in the morning and had a ferry to catch at 9 the next morning! Excited to see the islands!!!
In Madrid I parted ways with Clair and Megan and joined up with Oz, Heather and Jesse from Madison and Bobby and Bennett (his friend from Hastings and Brussels) in Athens. We had a good crew, and it felt so good to be back with old friends! I was excited for the adventures ahead.
Thursday morning the 20th we got up early and headed to the Acropolis. It really was unreal being in the presence of these ancient parts of history...these buildings were built in the 5th century BC! There is so much to see on the grounds of the Acropolis, we toured for about 3 hours! The weather was gorgeous which only added to the awe of what I was actually experiencing...seeing the Parthenon, the erecthin, the various ancient theatres, and taking in the breathtaking views of the sprawling city of Athens lying below us. So cool. After our self-guided tour we grabbed lunch at an outdoor cafe at the foot of the acropolis and headed over to the travel agencies to book some ferry tickets for the islands!! A few roadblocks later, we stumbled upon a few great people to help us book and plan our ferry rides! We decided on the "tiny, cute, beautiful" island of Poros as our first destination (said in a really high, cute voice by our wonderful lady we found at the tour office), followed by the bigger, more touristy island of Hydra. We couldn't make it to the famous Santorini due to different flight departure dates and time constraints, but we were optimistic for our travels!!
Thursday night we celebrated Oz's 21st with a dinner cooked in our apartment we had for the night, a few bottles of wine, and a night out at a local Athens bar with our hostel! Really great night overall--a definite 21st success! We finally wandered home at about 3:30 in the morning and had a ferry to catch at 9 the next morning! Excited to see the islands!!!
Madrid, Spain..the city that doesn't sleep
My first impression of Madrid: huge city, lots of action, busy streets, and much more cosmopolitan than Lisbon. Madrid is known for its bustling nightlife, heavy cultural and artistic offerings, and for housing the Governemnt, Spanish parliament, and Spanish royal family. It's hard to be still in a busy city like Madrid!
And we didn't waste anytime after arriving at our hostel early evening. We walked our way over to Plaza Mayor, one of the main, large plazas in Madrid with beautiful buildings and welcoming diners and cafes.. It seems to be the center of festivities and was really crowded with people just hanging out and relaxing the following day when we visited. On our way to the plaza, we stopped to watch a Spanish band entertaining in the streets, and tossed them a few coins before heading on our way. They were pretty good! We walked around a bit more, but it was already getting late and really cold, so we grabbed some dinner and drinks from the supermarket and headed back to our hostel. I was feeling awful (I had some sort of flu/cold I couldnt seem to shake) so I opted to crawl in bed early while the rest of the gang went out for a bit. Disappointed, but I had to get better sometime!
Tuesday March 18, we woke up and headed out with our sights set on some museums. Much to our dismay, the famed Reina Sofia was closed for the day, but we stopped by the next day instead. The museum was temporarily housing Picasso's work moved from the Louvre in Paris and the exhibit was amazing! Definitely worth the visit times a million. The museum also had other really fantastic Spanish artists.
After seeing the long line forming for the Prado Museum (in part due to Reina Sofia being closed that day) we decided to take some time and wander through the Royal Botanical Gardens right next door. Beautiful landscaping, but the flowers definitely weren't close to full bloom, so they weren't too spectacular yet.
After the gardens, we strolled over to the famous Retiro Park. I cannot explain how gigantic this park is...its like a small city! We got lost wandering around and saw some amazingly gorgeous sights! Spent over an hour and a half in the park, and left only because we were starving!
Had a really traditional "menu del dia" large, late-afternoon, Spanish lunch. Bascially its a lunch of the day and you can choose a drink, starter (ours was a salad, rice dish, or cheesy vegetables dish), main course (we had fish, omelette, and some other kind of meat), and a dessert (ice cream, chocolate crepe, fruit, coffee, or cake!) The meal also comes with bread to start. It was so much food and so delicious! I see why the spanish can wait until 10 at night to eat dinner....
We stopped by a few more sights in the afternoon...saw a bizarre, yet interesting exhibit in casa de americanas (i think that was the name?), Palacio Real (Royal Palace), the beautiful Almudena cathedral next to the royal palace, and just gave ourselves a general walking tour of the city. The architecture of the city is pleasing and it was enjoyable to just walk around and take in the sights...plus it was a beautiful day :)
Tuesday night we had big plans for tapas and drinks, but they were squashed when we found out El Tigre (the recommended place) was closed. By this time it was getting late so tapas were no longer in order. I was then looking to head to Kapital, one of Madrid's most famous discotecas (night clubs), but this was closed too!! I wasn't having much luck with my plans! I guess it was a Tuesday, but Madrid is supposed to be the city that doesn't sleep. I ended up taking these roadblocksa as signs that my night was meant to end early and after hanging out at our hostel's bar for awhile I went to bed again without going out...at least I saved myself some money!
Wednesday we visited the Reina Sofia like I mentioned, grabbed some lunch, and it was time to head to the airport already! Although I think I would have enjoyed my stay more if I had a little more time and I wasn't sick the first night, I could tell the city had a lot to offer and definitely a worthwhile place to visit. I would love to come back and get a better taste of the nightlife and enjoy a few more museums, as I didn't find enough time to pack everything in. Didn't quite become home like Lisbon did, though :)
OFF TO GREECE!!!!!
And we didn't waste anytime after arriving at our hostel early evening. We walked our way over to Plaza Mayor, one of the main, large plazas in Madrid with beautiful buildings and welcoming diners and cafes.. It seems to be the center of festivities and was really crowded with people just hanging out and relaxing the following day when we visited. On our way to the plaza, we stopped to watch a Spanish band entertaining in the streets, and tossed them a few coins before heading on our way. They were pretty good! We walked around a bit more, but it was already getting late and really cold, so we grabbed some dinner and drinks from the supermarket and headed back to our hostel. I was feeling awful (I had some sort of flu/cold I couldnt seem to shake) so I opted to crawl in bed early while the rest of the gang went out for a bit. Disappointed, but I had to get better sometime!
Tuesday March 18, we woke up and headed out with our sights set on some museums. Much to our dismay, the famed Reina Sofia was closed for the day, but we stopped by the next day instead. The museum was temporarily housing Picasso's work moved from the Louvre in Paris and the exhibit was amazing! Definitely worth the visit times a million. The museum also had other really fantastic Spanish artists.
After seeing the long line forming for the Prado Museum (in part due to Reina Sofia being closed that day) we decided to take some time and wander through the Royal Botanical Gardens right next door. Beautiful landscaping, but the flowers definitely weren't close to full bloom, so they weren't too spectacular yet.
After the gardens, we strolled over to the famous Retiro Park. I cannot explain how gigantic this park is...its like a small city! We got lost wandering around and saw some amazingly gorgeous sights! Spent over an hour and a half in the park, and left only because we were starving!
Had a really traditional "menu del dia" large, late-afternoon, Spanish lunch. Bascially its a lunch of the day and you can choose a drink, starter (ours was a salad, rice dish, or cheesy vegetables dish), main course (we had fish, omelette, and some other kind of meat), and a dessert (ice cream, chocolate crepe, fruit, coffee, or cake!) The meal also comes with bread to start. It was so much food and so delicious! I see why the spanish can wait until 10 at night to eat dinner....
We stopped by a few more sights in the afternoon...saw a bizarre, yet interesting exhibit in casa de americanas (i think that was the name?), Palacio Real (Royal Palace), the beautiful Almudena cathedral next to the royal palace, and just gave ourselves a general walking tour of the city. The architecture of the city is pleasing and it was enjoyable to just walk around and take in the sights...plus it was a beautiful day :)
Tuesday night we had big plans for tapas and drinks, but they were squashed when we found out El Tigre (the recommended place) was closed. By this time it was getting late so tapas were no longer in order. I was then looking to head to Kapital, one of Madrid's most famous discotecas (night clubs), but this was closed too!! I wasn't having much luck with my plans! I guess it was a Tuesday, but Madrid is supposed to be the city that doesn't sleep. I ended up taking these roadblocksa as signs that my night was meant to end early and after hanging out at our hostel's bar for awhile I went to bed again without going out...at least I saved myself some money!
Wednesday we visited the Reina Sofia like I mentioned, grabbed some lunch, and it was time to head to the airport already! Although I think I would have enjoyed my stay more if I had a little more time and I wasn't sick the first night, I could tell the city had a lot to offer and definitely a worthwhile place to visit. I would love to come back and get a better taste of the nightlife and enjoy a few more museums, as I didn't find enough time to pack everything in. Didn't quite become home like Lisbon did, though :)
OFF TO GREECE!!!!!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Lisbon, Portugal
Spring Break Greetings! I´m rounded out my 4 day trip to Lisbon, Portugal and am now on to my first morning in Madrid! This really is quite the spring break trip I´m havinhg...Lisbon, Madrid, Greek Islands.
After a full night of traveling Wednesday (transferred in the London airport, stayed there overnight...sleeping in an airport is basically impossible), Clair, Megan and I arrived to Lisbon Thursday March 13 around 9:30 am, greeted by sunshine, blue skies, palm trees, and temps in the high 60s...amazing. We weren´t in Copenhagen anymore!!
The sleepless night wasn´t going to get us down, and after checking into our hostel we wasted no time before heading out to explore some of the city. We grabbed lunch at an outdoor cafe and were beside ourselves that we were actually sitting outside eating lunch in Lisbon, Portugal. WE decided to trek to St. George´s Castle, situated on the highest hill of the historic part of the city, which offered the best views of Lisbon. I will get my photos up when I get back to Copenhagen (around the 25th), but it was a really amazing way to start the trip. The sights were gorgeous and the castle was entertaining to explore. We also got a taste of Lisbon´s nieghborhoods on the hike towards the castle, strolling our way through winding cobbled streets, taking in the sights of the cozy villages. Laundry was blowing in the breeze, people dined on rooftops, and charming houses in every color lined the streets. This part of the city, called Alfama, is the oldest and most historical part of the city, fun to wander through and really feel the history of Lisbon. Every house seems to tell a story. This is also where they have many Fado bars, places to hear the melancholy sounds of Fado guitar, a popular form musical entertainment in Portugal which we unfortunately ran out of time before getting to enjoy some.
Thursday night--soccer game! We decided to do as the locals do and embrace all that is important in Europe and brave it out at a Portuguese soccer match. I felt like quite the local. The game was exciting complete with clouds of green smoke billowing in the air, Portuguese flags waving in all directions, and crazy cheering fans. We tried to clap and cheer along but couldn´t quite catch on to the Portuguese songs :)
Friday we hoppeed on a tram and saw some of the sights of Belem, an important district from Portugalºs Golden Age. The tower of Belem was our first stop, an importatnt historical sight built in the age of discoveries for defense of the city, which has served a multitude of roles since then and now serves as a must see attraction when visiting the city. We saw some other sights in Belem, including the monastery of Jeronimo which was breathtaking and the monument of the discoveries, a monument built in 1960 for the 500th-year celebration of Henry the Navigator's birth who founded the Portuguese tradition of maritime discoverers. We rounded out the trip at the famous pastry shop "Pasteis de Belem" where we sampled some delicious treats. Belem also offered some beautiful parks, gardens and views along the river. It was really peaceful just sitting along the river, closing my eyes and feeling the warm breeze blowing.
Friday night our hostel offered free tasting of the popular Portuguese liquor, ginginha, a sweet cherry liquor. Some guys who work at the hostel then brought w bunch of us staying in the hostel out to Bairro Alto for some Portuguese nightlife. The streets were packed with young people--realy fun night and we got to meet a bunch of new friends from our hostel!
Saturday was amazing...my favorite day here. Our destination was Sintra, a district right outside Lisbon housing hte fabulous Pena Palace (19th century) and the Castelo dos Mouros (reconstructed 19th century). Both places offered a breath-taking view of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park--stunning. The day was a peaceful getaway from the city as we wandered our way through forests listening to birds chirping and feeling the sun beaming through tree tops. This was also the sunniest, warmest day of our trip...I even got a little sunburned! (exciting when you haven´t seen the sun in months!) The pictures I got were beautiful, I´ll make sure to put them up soon. Saturday night we grabbed some dinner at a local Portugues restaurant recommended by our hostel owner called San Antonio´s. My dinner was delicious, but when the bill came we were a little confused. Apparently, the restaurant owner brought us out some baskets of bread and some cheese for appetizers which we were unaware of that we had to pay for! He just brought them out to our table and then we footed the bill for them haha..I don´t know if this is common here but it was quite different!
Sunday we were all a little tired, and we opted for a relaxing day on the beach. Although sunday was our least sunny day in Lisbon, it was relaxing hearing the waves crash on the beach and watching the surfers ride the tide in. I napped on the beach for a little bit, watched the sun sink lower in the sky, but had to leave before sun set because it was getting reallly chilly! Monday morning we had our last walk around the city before heading to the airport. I bought a neat painting, had a good experience trying to barter (I´m horrible at it haha!), but ended up getting the painting for 7 euro so that wasn´t too shabby. Overall, AMAZING trip to Lisbon...couldnt be happier with the way it turned out. Now on to explore Madrid!!!!
-Cheers :)
After a full night of traveling Wednesday (transferred in the London airport, stayed there overnight...sleeping in an airport is basically impossible), Clair, Megan and I arrived to Lisbon Thursday March 13 around 9:30 am, greeted by sunshine, blue skies, palm trees, and temps in the high 60s...amazing. We weren´t in Copenhagen anymore!!
The sleepless night wasn´t going to get us down, and after checking into our hostel we wasted no time before heading out to explore some of the city. We grabbed lunch at an outdoor cafe and were beside ourselves that we were actually sitting outside eating lunch in Lisbon, Portugal. WE decided to trek to St. George´s Castle, situated on the highest hill of the historic part of the city, which offered the best views of Lisbon. I will get my photos up when I get back to Copenhagen (around the 25th), but it was a really amazing way to start the trip. The sights were gorgeous and the castle was entertaining to explore. We also got a taste of Lisbon´s nieghborhoods on the hike towards the castle, strolling our way through winding cobbled streets, taking in the sights of the cozy villages. Laundry was blowing in the breeze, people dined on rooftops, and charming houses in every color lined the streets. This part of the city, called Alfama, is the oldest and most historical part of the city, fun to wander through and really feel the history of Lisbon. Every house seems to tell a story. This is also where they have many Fado bars, places to hear the melancholy sounds of Fado guitar, a popular form musical entertainment in Portugal which we unfortunately ran out of time before getting to enjoy some.
Thursday night--soccer game! We decided to do as the locals do and embrace all that is important in Europe and brave it out at a Portuguese soccer match. I felt like quite the local. The game was exciting complete with clouds of green smoke billowing in the air, Portuguese flags waving in all directions, and crazy cheering fans. We tried to clap and cheer along but couldn´t quite catch on to the Portuguese songs :)
Friday we hoppeed on a tram and saw some of the sights of Belem, an important district from Portugalºs Golden Age. The tower of Belem was our first stop, an importatnt historical sight built in the age of discoveries for defense of the city, which has served a multitude of roles since then and now serves as a must see attraction when visiting the city. We saw some other sights in Belem, including the monastery of Jeronimo which was breathtaking and the monument of the discoveries, a monument built in 1960 for the 500th-year celebration of Henry the Navigator's birth who founded the Portuguese tradition of maritime discoverers. We rounded out the trip at the famous pastry shop "Pasteis de Belem" where we sampled some delicious treats. Belem also offered some beautiful parks, gardens and views along the river. It was really peaceful just sitting along the river, closing my eyes and feeling the warm breeze blowing.
Friday night our hostel offered free tasting of the popular Portuguese liquor, ginginha, a sweet cherry liquor. Some guys who work at the hostel then brought w bunch of us staying in the hostel out to Bairro Alto for some Portuguese nightlife. The streets were packed with young people--realy fun night and we got to meet a bunch of new friends from our hostel!
Saturday was amazing...my favorite day here. Our destination was Sintra, a district right outside Lisbon housing hte fabulous Pena Palace (19th century) and the Castelo dos Mouros (reconstructed 19th century). Both places offered a breath-taking view of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park--stunning. The day was a peaceful getaway from the city as we wandered our way through forests listening to birds chirping and feeling the sun beaming through tree tops. This was also the sunniest, warmest day of our trip...I even got a little sunburned! (exciting when you haven´t seen the sun in months!) The pictures I got were beautiful, I´ll make sure to put them up soon. Saturday night we grabbed some dinner at a local Portugues restaurant recommended by our hostel owner called San Antonio´s. My dinner was delicious, but when the bill came we were a little confused. Apparently, the restaurant owner brought us out some baskets of bread and some cheese for appetizers which we were unaware of that we had to pay for! He just brought them out to our table and then we footed the bill for them haha..I don´t know if this is common here but it was quite different!
Sunday we were all a little tired, and we opted for a relaxing day on the beach. Although sunday was our least sunny day in Lisbon, it was relaxing hearing the waves crash on the beach and watching the surfers ride the tide in. I napped on the beach for a little bit, watched the sun sink lower in the sky, but had to leave before sun set because it was getting reallly chilly! Monday morning we had our last walk around the city before heading to the airport. I bought a neat painting, had a good experience trying to barter (I´m horrible at it haha!), but ended up getting the painting for 7 euro so that wasn´t too shabby. Overall, AMAZING trip to Lisbon...couldnt be happier with the way it turned out. Now on to explore Madrid!!!!
-Cheers :)
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Just a 2-and-a-half hour train ride from Brussels, I had to check it out while I was in the neighborhood. Unbelievable city. Stepping into Amsterdam is stepping into a different world. The city itself is beautiful (see some of my pictures in my album!)--I'll try and describe how this city is laid out. A combination of factors give the city a sort of fairy tale feel to it. The city is built around canals and every time you turn a corner there is a new line of beautiful canals to greet you. Lining the water are storybook-looing houses/buildings all stacked up close to eachother in a rainbow of pastels. Very cute :) There are cobbled streets, weeping willows, and tons of inviting parks, benches and sights to see! The canals are also littered with houseboats (I loved them) and Oz and I took a took a canal boat tour so I was lucky to get some good shots of the houseboats from the water. Overall, very attractive city with neverending sights to see. The transportation system there seemed a little messy to me, though! They had trams and cars and bikers and pedestrians and boats in the canals and every form of transportation basically sharing the same space--it made crossing the street a little difficult at some points!
Aside from the striking sights, Amsterdam is notorious for two things: soft drugs are legal and its red light district. The red light district is also just a fun place for going out, housing most of the bars and nightlife of the city. Although their liberal policies probably seem very taboo to many, the dutch philosophy is along these lines: allow alternative ways of living or build more prisons. They believe in curbing the sale of street drugs and educating youth about drugs rather than striclty saying don't do them. They have few problems with drug abuse or crimes in general, which may or may not stem from their lenient views and laws. So that being said, it was a really interesting learning experience being in a place so different from the US!!!
Aside from taking in the awe of the red light district, we did a lot of strolling the streets and admiring the canals and views. We toured the Anne Frank House which was a really sobering experience. The tour was really interesting and did a really stunning job of helping you understand what really happened during the Holocaust. The tour walked you through details of the 8 people in hiding in the Anne Frank House--how they lived, what they looked like, how they were found, etc. Worth the money.
Like I mentioned earlier, we also took a relaxing canal tour right before leaving, allowing us to see the city from a whole new vantage point :) It was quite a nice way to end the trip--it wound us through the canals, took us out to the harbor and showed us some of the sights we had missed along the way. We hit a few tourist souvenier shops on the way out (I got a keychain--a dutch shoe with amsterdam written on it haha--and some postcards) and borded the train Saturday late afternoon. Fascinating city, fun people and an overall successful trip!!
Aside from the striking sights, Amsterdam is notorious for two things: soft drugs are legal and its red light district. The red light district is also just a fun place for going out, housing most of the bars and nightlife of the city. Although their liberal policies probably seem very taboo to many, the dutch philosophy is along these lines: allow alternative ways of living or build more prisons. They believe in curbing the sale of street drugs and educating youth about drugs rather than striclty saying don't do them. They have few problems with drug abuse or crimes in general, which may or may not stem from their lenient views and laws. So that being said, it was a really interesting learning experience being in a place so different from the US!!!
Aside from taking in the awe of the red light district, we did a lot of strolling the streets and admiring the canals and views. We toured the Anne Frank House which was a really sobering experience. The tour was really interesting and did a really stunning job of helping you understand what really happened during the Holocaust. The tour walked you through details of the 8 people in hiding in the Anne Frank House--how they lived, what they looked like, how they were found, etc. Worth the money.
Like I mentioned earlier, we also took a relaxing canal tour right before leaving, allowing us to see the city from a whole new vantage point :) It was quite a nice way to end the trip--it wound us through the canals, took us out to the harbor and showed us some of the sights we had missed along the way. We hit a few tourist souvenier shops on the way out (I got a keychain--a dutch shoe with amsterdam written on it haha--and some postcards) and borded the train Saturday late afternoon. Fascinating city, fun people and an overall successful trip!!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Brussels, Belgium
Home to the best beer, chocolate, waffles, and french fries "frites" around--needless to say it was a weekend of indulgence!! I boarded a 6:45 pm plane Thursday evening to Brussels and the 1 hour 20 minute flight arrived seamlessly. I was greeted at the airport by Oz at the other end :) (The other end of the longest airport ever haha---I thought I would never find my way out!)
The train/metro ride back to his apartment was a bit of a transition from what I am accustomed to in Copenhagen. It was much more crowded (most likely due to the fact that the Copenhageners are obsessed with their bikes and don't use public transportation quite as heavily as people in Belgium), and the people seemed more hurried. Although Brussels and Copenhagen are similar in size, the atmosphere of the two cities are very different. Brussels is tall buildings, dirtier streets and metro stations, more impersonal and a whole eclectic mix of people--definitely much more city feel than "cozy" Copenhagen. The fact that Brussels is an international city, housing the EU and people employed there from all parts of Europe (and commuting each day) probably translates into a more impersonal big city feel (or the fact that I only spent a few days there could be a factor as well!) I have to say, I really did enjoy my time in Brussels-- it was nice breathing some city life for the weekend! (OK-Brussels isn't really that big city, it just seemed so compared to what I am used to in Copenhagen--I'm sure once I go to London or an actual big city I will retract my words about Brussels haha)
It was getting late by the time we got back to Oz's apartment, so we grabbed some dinner to go on our way home, got ready quick and headed out to experience a little of the Brussels nightlife. I was anxious to sample this famous Belgian beer everyone had been raving about! We went to two different bars, Celtica was the first one--had a dance floor on the top and then a funny guy playing sing-a-long (Tom Petty-ish) songs with a guitar downstairs, which was really entertaining. We then went to "Delirium"--although really smokey, GREAT bar overall. They have over 2000 beers on tap, and serving beer here is an art--each beer is served in its own distinct glass (drinking beer out of stemware-classy!), they pour the beer in one quick pour and it overflows, then they lop the head of the beer off with a knife and slide it across the bar. I was impressed with the beers-delicious! The night was pretty laidback overall, and I really enjoyed myself--we didn't do anything too crazy because we were catching a train to Amsterdam in the morning!
Friday (and part of Saturday):
Amsterdam--great!!! (see other blog)
Sunday:
I forced Oz to be my running buddy Sunday morning--It was my excuse to eat more waffles and chocolate and beer haha :)
Our first stop after the run--The Atomium. The Atomium is a 103 meter (335 feet) tall monument originally built for Expo '58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, and was intended to stay standing for only 6 months. It gained quick popularity and became a modern symbol of architecture and Brussels and still remains standing (obviously!!) It is in the shape of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times (cool huh?) and you can go all the way to the top and get a stunning view of the city. Check out my pictures--they explain a little better what I'm talking about! :)
Following the adventure at the atomium, we popped open our umbrellas (its always raining in Brussels), and took a walk through a big park to explore some more sights. We came across the Royal Palace, a King Leopold memorial, and a beautiful chinese pavillion bought/built by King Leopold. We walked through Grand Place (main square in Brussels-really beautiful), and the saw the famous Manneken pis (dutch for little man pee)--a small statue (61 cm) of a little boy who is continually peeing into the fountain that once supplied drinking water to the city. There are a few legends behind the statue and he is often dressed in funny costumes including elvis, saint nicholas, mozart, and tons of others! Not much to see, but there was a constant crowd around the little guy claiming their space to snap a photo with the legendary pee-er.
After a day of sightseeing, Oz took me across the street from Mannekin to a bar called Poechenellekelder--funky decorations, fun environment, and an authentic atmosphere to it. I tried two beers-"La Divine" and "Triple Karmeliet"--both very tasty. I also tasted Oz's "Rochefort 10" and "chimay Bleu" (I think??). Although the service was ridiculously slow, it was one of my favorite times of the weekend--just relaxing, talking, slowing down for a bit and sipping a delicious drink. It was refreshing to just get a break from all the running around and just be with eachother and catch up--really perfect end to a great day!
Monday:
REALLLLLY rainy and windy. Horrible, terrible weather! I got a very brief showing of the European Union buildings (just snapped a few pictures haha), before jumping back on the metro to visit the Justice Palace. The Justice Palace is Brussels' enormous, beautiful court house. The inside is really impressive, with great architecture and incredibly high, intricate ceilings. The outside is being renovated so I couldnt get a good view, but overall it was an interesting building to get a glimpse of.
The weather was awful for sightseeing, so we opted to take a quick tour of the Brussel's mall, exciting! We walked around for a bit, grabbed a few groceries for dinner, and headed back to his place to relax, watch a movie and hang out for a bit before I had to catch my plane home! It was sad leaving him again, but we will be in Greece in a week for spring break so I don't have too much to cry about!!
I left Brussels feeling spoiled (chocolate, waffles, beer, fries!!!!) and satisfied from an amazing weekend. Off to spring break (Lisbon, Portugal--Madrid, Spain--Greek Islands)...update you when I get home. CHEERS!!!!!
The train/metro ride back to his apartment was a bit of a transition from what I am accustomed to in Copenhagen. It was much more crowded (most likely due to the fact that the Copenhageners are obsessed with their bikes and don't use public transportation quite as heavily as people in Belgium), and the people seemed more hurried. Although Brussels and Copenhagen are similar in size, the atmosphere of the two cities are very different. Brussels is tall buildings, dirtier streets and metro stations, more impersonal and a whole eclectic mix of people--definitely much more city feel than "cozy" Copenhagen. The fact that Brussels is an international city, housing the EU and people employed there from all parts of Europe (and commuting each day) probably translates into a more impersonal big city feel (or the fact that I only spent a few days there could be a factor as well!) I have to say, I really did enjoy my time in Brussels-- it was nice breathing some city life for the weekend! (OK-Brussels isn't really that big city, it just seemed so compared to what I am used to in Copenhagen--I'm sure once I go to London or an actual big city I will retract my words about Brussels haha)
It was getting late by the time we got back to Oz's apartment, so we grabbed some dinner to go on our way home, got ready quick and headed out to experience a little of the Brussels nightlife. I was anxious to sample this famous Belgian beer everyone had been raving about! We went to two different bars, Celtica was the first one--had a dance floor on the top and then a funny guy playing sing-a-long (Tom Petty-ish) songs with a guitar downstairs, which was really entertaining. We then went to "Delirium"--although really smokey, GREAT bar overall. They have over 2000 beers on tap, and serving beer here is an art--each beer is served in its own distinct glass (drinking beer out of stemware-classy!), they pour the beer in one quick pour and it overflows, then they lop the head of the beer off with a knife and slide it across the bar. I was impressed with the beers-delicious! The night was pretty laidback overall, and I really enjoyed myself--we didn't do anything too crazy because we were catching a train to Amsterdam in the morning!
Friday (and part of Saturday):
Amsterdam--great!!! (see other blog)
Sunday:
I forced Oz to be my running buddy Sunday morning--It was my excuse to eat more waffles and chocolate and beer haha :)
Our first stop after the run--The Atomium. The Atomium is a 103 meter (335 feet) tall monument originally built for Expo '58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, and was intended to stay standing for only 6 months. It gained quick popularity and became a modern symbol of architecture and Brussels and still remains standing (obviously!!) It is in the shape of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times (cool huh?) and you can go all the way to the top and get a stunning view of the city. Check out my pictures--they explain a little better what I'm talking about! :)
Following the adventure at the atomium, we popped open our umbrellas (its always raining in Brussels), and took a walk through a big park to explore some more sights. We came across the Royal Palace, a King Leopold memorial, and a beautiful chinese pavillion bought/built by King Leopold. We walked through Grand Place (main square in Brussels-really beautiful), and the saw the famous Manneken pis (dutch for little man pee)--a small statue (61 cm) of a little boy who is continually peeing into the fountain that once supplied drinking water to the city. There are a few legends behind the statue and he is often dressed in funny costumes including elvis, saint nicholas, mozart, and tons of others! Not much to see, but there was a constant crowd around the little guy claiming their space to snap a photo with the legendary pee-er.
After a day of sightseeing, Oz took me across the street from Mannekin to a bar called Poechenellekelder--funky decorations, fun environment, and an authentic atmosphere to it. I tried two beers-"La Divine" and "Triple Karmeliet"--both very tasty. I also tasted Oz's "Rochefort 10" and "chimay Bleu" (I think??). Although the service was ridiculously slow, it was one of my favorite times of the weekend--just relaxing, talking, slowing down for a bit and sipping a delicious drink. It was refreshing to just get a break from all the running around and just be with eachother and catch up--really perfect end to a great day!
Monday:
REALLLLLY rainy and windy. Horrible, terrible weather! I got a very brief showing of the European Union buildings (just snapped a few pictures haha), before jumping back on the metro to visit the Justice Palace. The Justice Palace is Brussels' enormous, beautiful court house. The inside is really impressive, with great architecture and incredibly high, intricate ceilings. The outside is being renovated so I couldnt get a good view, but overall it was an interesting building to get a glimpse of.
The weather was awful for sightseeing, so we opted to take a quick tour of the Brussel's mall, exciting! We walked around for a bit, grabbed a few groceries for dinner, and headed back to his place to relax, watch a movie and hang out for a bit before I had to catch my plane home! It was sad leaving him again, but we will be in Greece in a week for spring break so I don't have too much to cry about!!
I left Brussels feeling spoiled (chocolate, waffles, beer, fries!!!!) and satisfied from an amazing weekend. Off to spring break (Lisbon, Portugal--Madrid, Spain--Greek Islands)...update you when I get home. CHEERS!!!!!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
NEW LINK TO PICTURES!
So I am being very techy and I have created a link to all my pictures on the side of my blog--so check them out!! I decided it takes up too much room to post them directly to my blog and also I am not able to put as many as I would like!!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Not much to do in Malmo, Sweden!
Friday,I had a big day. A group of friends and I decided to trek it all the way across the Oresund Bridge and venture into the city of Malmo, Sweden. The 35 minute train ride to the city centre was quite enjoyable, and although the city itself didn't have a whole lot to offer, we really enjoyed ourselves on our day trip :).
Malmo is kind of the "sister city" to Copenhagen in a few ways. The Oresund bridge, finished in 1999, is the first and only bridge connecting Denmark to Sweden! Before that people always had to travel by ferry! A lot of people that live in Malmo commute to Copenhagen for work as well and the number of commuters continues to rise.
Although Malmo was nice, it really was just a smaller, less beautiful, more boring version of Copenhagen. I guess it is the commercial center of southern Sweden, however, it is undergoing a sort of transtition culturally and just opened Malmo University in the last 10 years to assist in this transition. They have some museums to offer and a few historical sights, but mostly it was just shopping, restaurants (I hear they do have fabulous places to eat), and some interesting architecture.
So, we arrived at the central station in Copenhagen around 10, purchased our tickets (we got a group discount!-YAY!), and arrived in Malmo around 11. When I stepped out of the Malmo station, I felt like I hadn't really left Copenhagen...the buildings, weather, people, streets are all very similar. We tapped into our touristy nature and grabbed some maps with labels "34 Must Sees of Malmo" bolded across the top. We were pretty psyched that there were actually 34 must sees in Malmo! (In all honesty, most of the must sees really weren't much to see at all, but we still had fun:)
We started by venturing to the "new" part of the city which supposedly had impressive architecture and a beautiful park. We sort of took a back alley, so our journey there wasn't all that appealing for the eyes, but we did make it to the famous Turning Torso. The Turning Torso is the tallest building in Scandinavia and the top most floor is actually twisted around 90 degrees in comparison to the bottom floor. It was quite pleasing to look at, but was actually the only impressive building we found in this so-called new part of the city. I'm sure we just took a wrong turn or slightly missed the interesting part of the city, but we reluctantly moved on back to the older city centre to do some more historical sight seeing.
A short walk, and a few funny touristy pictures later, we arrived in the older part of the city. Some pretty landscapes and parks dotted the way along our walk, but we had to really search for some of the important "must sees", sometimes missing them all together. We ventured to the Malmohus Castle, the oldest renaissance castle in Scandinavia, but opted not to go inside due to the fee and our lack of interest in the city itself haha. We continued on, and shortly after stumbled on a store bursting with American goodies!! YAYYYYYY! The store was dedicated entirely to American food, drinks, candy, etc...it was a little piece of heaven. But after glancing at the $10 box of cake mix, even our ridiculously overpriced Copenhagen food sounded appealing! We scooted out before anyone had the chance to accidentally impulse buy any $8 box of mac n cheese.
We were all getting a little grumpy as our stomaches started to growl, so we searched out a Swedish atm for some cash and found a cute little cafe for lunch. A $10 chicken sandwich later (although not worth 10 bucks, it was really gourmet and was served with unlimited fresh bread and dipping oil, so it was allright!), we were satisfied and ready for some more exploring.
We saw some old churches, splurged at the local Espresso House (starbucks equivalent in Malmo, they were everywhere), and posed with a giant rose at the Malmo Folkets Park (amusement park), and ventured to Malmo's famous chocolate factory/museum. This museum has quite the story behind it, let me tell you. We were totally pumped for this and were picturing some Hershey sized extravagant factory with oozing chocolate fountains and massive machinery churning out chocolate. Check out my pictures for an inside look and description at this stunning landmark...it really was just a room with some old chocolate wrappers and paraphanalia as the "museum", a small room in the back served as the factory, and the shop was simply a counter selling chocolate--and all this took place in the same room. It was quite disappointing, but we had a good laugh about it, and I have to say the chocolate was magnificent!
A pound of chocolate later and our bellies full once again, we had a few more stops before hopping on the train back to our beloved copenhagen. We stopped at the city hall which was quite beautiful and admired the statue of King Karl, the king who took Skane (southernmost part of sweden) from the Danes.
The city was enjoyable , the day was really nice, and more than anything a good bonding experience among us! I think we all left Malmo with an even greater appreciation of this city we are studying in (I know i did!), and were glad to be back "home" in Copenhagen. I was so anxious to hop on my bike from the central station and pedal home along the lakes to my apartment before getting ready to head off to my campus bar's "birthday party"!
Malmo is kind of the "sister city" to Copenhagen in a few ways. The Oresund bridge, finished in 1999, is the first and only bridge connecting Denmark to Sweden! Before that people always had to travel by ferry! A lot of people that live in Malmo commute to Copenhagen for work as well and the number of commuters continues to rise.
Although Malmo was nice, it really was just a smaller, less beautiful, more boring version of Copenhagen. I guess it is the commercial center of southern Sweden, however, it is undergoing a sort of transtition culturally and just opened Malmo University in the last 10 years to assist in this transition. They have some museums to offer and a few historical sights, but mostly it was just shopping, restaurants (I hear they do have fabulous places to eat), and some interesting architecture.
So, we arrived at the central station in Copenhagen around 10, purchased our tickets (we got a group discount!-YAY!), and arrived in Malmo around 11. When I stepped out of the Malmo station, I felt like I hadn't really left Copenhagen...the buildings, weather, people, streets are all very similar. We tapped into our touristy nature and grabbed some maps with labels "34 Must Sees of Malmo" bolded across the top. We were pretty psyched that there were actually 34 must sees in Malmo! (In all honesty, most of the must sees really weren't much to see at all, but we still had fun:)
We started by venturing to the "new" part of the city which supposedly had impressive architecture and a beautiful park. We sort of took a back alley, so our journey there wasn't all that appealing for the eyes, but we did make it to the famous Turning Torso. The Turning Torso is the tallest building in Scandinavia and the top most floor is actually twisted around 90 degrees in comparison to the bottom floor. It was quite pleasing to look at, but was actually the only impressive building we found in this so-called new part of the city. I'm sure we just took a wrong turn or slightly missed the interesting part of the city, but we reluctantly moved on back to the older city centre to do some more historical sight seeing.
A short walk, and a few funny touristy pictures later, we arrived in the older part of the city. Some pretty landscapes and parks dotted the way along our walk, but we had to really search for some of the important "must sees", sometimes missing them all together. We ventured to the Malmohus Castle, the oldest renaissance castle in Scandinavia, but opted not to go inside due to the fee and our lack of interest in the city itself haha. We continued on, and shortly after stumbled on a store bursting with American goodies!! YAYYYYYY! The store was dedicated entirely to American food, drinks, candy, etc...it was a little piece of heaven. But after glancing at the $10 box of cake mix, even our ridiculously overpriced Copenhagen food sounded appealing! We scooted out before anyone had the chance to accidentally impulse buy any $8 box of mac n cheese.
We were all getting a little grumpy as our stomaches started to growl, so we searched out a Swedish atm for some cash and found a cute little cafe for lunch. A $10 chicken sandwich later (although not worth 10 bucks, it was really gourmet and was served with unlimited fresh bread and dipping oil, so it was allright!), we were satisfied and ready for some more exploring.
We saw some old churches, splurged at the local Espresso House (starbucks equivalent in Malmo, they were everywhere), and posed with a giant rose at the Malmo Folkets Park (amusement park), and ventured to Malmo's famous chocolate factory/museum. This museum has quite the story behind it, let me tell you. We were totally pumped for this and were picturing some Hershey sized extravagant factory with oozing chocolate fountains and massive machinery churning out chocolate. Check out my pictures for an inside look and description at this stunning landmark...it really was just a room with some old chocolate wrappers and paraphanalia as the "museum", a small room in the back served as the factory, and the shop was simply a counter selling chocolate--and all this took place in the same room. It was quite disappointing, but we had a good laugh about it, and I have to say the chocolate was magnificent!
A pound of chocolate later and our bellies full once again, we had a few more stops before hopping on the train back to our beloved copenhagen. We stopped at the city hall which was quite beautiful and admired the statue of King Karl, the king who took Skane (southernmost part of sweden) from the Danes.
The city was enjoyable , the day was really nice, and more than anything a good bonding experience among us! I think we all left Malmo with an even greater appreciation of this city we are studying in (I know i did!), and were glad to be back "home" in Copenhagen. I was so anxious to hop on my bike from the central station and pedal home along the lakes to my apartment before getting ready to head off to my campus bar's "birthday party"!
Friday, February 29, 2008
A Relaxing week :)
Greetings everyone! Thught it was about time for an update, as I know you all are on the edges of your seats as to what I have been up to.
This week has been really pleasant, the weather not permitting for the most part, however. The weather actually predicted 100% chance of rain last night--being a weather forecaster here can't be too hard...just predict a chance of rain, overcast, wiht strong winds and you're gauranteed a raise.
Monday started week number 4 here:
It's crazy unbelievable how fast the time is going. In copenhagen's defense and after my horrible weather rant, I have to say the weather Monday was quite lovely. Thanks to my roommates class at the crack of dawn (literally, thanks!!), I unwillingly rose to the roaring of a blowdryer at 7 am, two hours before my alarm clock was scheduled to ring. (Lucky us, we have no plugs in the bathroom because it floods everytime we shower, so when one of us is getting ready in the morning, the other one should give up trying to sleep). I must have woke up on the right side of the bed, because it ended up being a really great day :)
I had 3 hours to kill before class, so I decided to make a cup of coffee and peruse the NYtimes online, something I have been trying to keep up with. My first few weeks here I felt really cut off from the world news, as we have no tv and no english print newspapers. My laziness at checking the online versions was indeed a factor as well. So I had a cup of coffee (instant, mmmmm) brushed up on the Obama/Clinton fight, and even felt ambitious enough to write a nice long email! The sun was shining (oh my gosh!), and I still had plenty of time before class at 10, so I thought I would go run off the pounds of chocolate and cookies I have been devouring since I arrived in Denmark. (Honestly, I have no idea where these eating habits came from, by I have had these constant, insatiable urges for sweets ever since I got here!) The run was amazing, we have this chain of small lakes right near my house that are just beautiful to run around when the sun is shining and the swans are swimming around. It made me happy :).
While I was running, I was reminded again of the unbelivable fact that I am actually living in Denmark right now. When I really stop and think about this opportunity I have, it amazes me. I was just running around Copenhagen--around the beautiful lakes with the sun shining and the danes pushing their little carriages around and all these people just speaking danish--I'm living in another country. The fact that I'm across the world from my life I've known for 21 years hits me at random times and its mind-boggling to really digest the idea of what I'm actually doing! This city is so charming, and I'm thankful I'm in a place I can call home for 4 months. The journalist in me is struggling for words right now to express the epiphany I had, but I'll just say it took my breath away.
I had class from only 10-12, so the beautiful afternoon was waiting and at my disposal. After a quick lunch, Clair, Megan and I decided to stroll Stroget--the large, famous touristy shopping street downtown--and see if we could hunt down any deals or find any new chocolate shoppes (we did both!! successful afternoon!!). I even attempted blending in with the locals with the jeans tucked into my boots fashion statement. Literally, every danish woman owns a wardrobe comprised of skinny jeans, ridiculously gorgeous boots, and fabulous coats. I just can't quite seem to keep up with these Europeans (it doesn't help that things are deliriously expensive in copenhagen--shopping is a luxury to me while i'm here), but I'm trying!
Monday night we had a pasta dinner with some friends, I can honestly say I have never consumed that much pasta in one sitting--it was impressive, I have to admit haha.
Tuesday:
Raining (Monday apparently was the sunshine for the week). I mostly just camped out in my room cleaning and doing homework among other things. It was a typical lazy, rainy afternoon. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons our campus bar, A-vej, supplies free coffee, tea and cookies and a fun place to socialize in the afternoon/evening for students (YAY! FREE COFFEE!!!!) I of course take full advantage of the bottomless, free coffee and drink myself into a caffiene oblivion.
Wednesday:
Don't remember if it rained, but I would put money on yes. I had class from 8-4 (yes, I do actually go to class once in awhile), so I didn't pay attention much to the weather. I was having a grumpy hump day and couldn't wait to get home and nap. Wednesday night, however, was a blast!!! We had pizza and cheap wine (mixed with coke..its called "calimocho". That's how the spaniards drink their cheap wine in spain, and I have to say they are on to something!) at a friends house for dinner before heading to studenterhuset (student house/bar) for international night. I have had more group dinners in the last month than in my entire college career thus far--I love it! Dinner time is an activity here, people are always getting together to cook and eat and its a big social activity rather than something we just do quick by ourselves before going out. At home, we always associate social or group dinners with going out to restaurants, but cooking group dinners really eleviates the need to go out and spend money, but still makes it feel like a celebration :)
Thursday:
Class from 1-3, A-vej for coffee and BINGO (the danes call it BANKO), then a delicious stuffed pepper dinner cooked by Megan!! In my apartment building we have absolutely no ovens which really puts a damper on my cooking, so Megan offered to cook Clair and I a lovely dinner for 3. We were all exhausted, so we called it an early night and got some much needed catch up sleep!!!
Friday:
Trip to MALMO, SWEDEN!!! (see next blog post). Friday night was the birthday party for A-vej (yes, it was a birthday party for my campus bar hehe)!! The people on my campus realllllly love their student bar, it was so fun!! It was a packed house, and I actually met a lot of Danes instead of just surrounding myself with only other international students--I know, I'm so brave! It was a festive event, complete with the release of the danish seasonal "easter beer", dice rolling for cheap beer prices, music and dancing!!
GREAT WEEK!!! SORRY FOR THE NOVEL!!!
SKAL!
This week has been really pleasant, the weather not permitting for the most part, however. The weather actually predicted 100% chance of rain last night--being a weather forecaster here can't be too hard...just predict a chance of rain, overcast, wiht strong winds and you're gauranteed a raise.
Monday started week number 4 here:
It's crazy unbelievable how fast the time is going. In copenhagen's defense and after my horrible weather rant, I have to say the weather Monday was quite lovely. Thanks to my roommates class at the crack of dawn (literally, thanks!!), I unwillingly rose to the roaring of a blowdryer at 7 am, two hours before my alarm clock was scheduled to ring. (Lucky us, we have no plugs in the bathroom because it floods everytime we shower, so when one of us is getting ready in the morning, the other one should give up trying to sleep). I must have woke up on the right side of the bed, because it ended up being a really great day :)
I had 3 hours to kill before class, so I decided to make a cup of coffee and peruse the NYtimes online, something I have been trying to keep up with. My first few weeks here I felt really cut off from the world news, as we have no tv and no english print newspapers. My laziness at checking the online versions was indeed a factor as well. So I had a cup of coffee (instant, mmmmm) brushed up on the Obama/Clinton fight, and even felt ambitious enough to write a nice long email! The sun was shining (oh my gosh!), and I still had plenty of time before class at 10, so I thought I would go run off the pounds of chocolate and cookies I have been devouring since I arrived in Denmark. (Honestly, I have no idea where these eating habits came from, by I have had these constant, insatiable urges for sweets ever since I got here!) The run was amazing, we have this chain of small lakes right near my house that are just beautiful to run around when the sun is shining and the swans are swimming around. It made me happy :).
While I was running, I was reminded again of the unbelivable fact that I am actually living in Denmark right now. When I really stop and think about this opportunity I have, it amazes me. I was just running around Copenhagen--around the beautiful lakes with the sun shining and the danes pushing their little carriages around and all these people just speaking danish--I'm living in another country. The fact that I'm across the world from my life I've known for 21 years hits me at random times and its mind-boggling to really digest the idea of what I'm actually doing! This city is so charming, and I'm thankful I'm in a place I can call home for 4 months. The journalist in me is struggling for words right now to express the epiphany I had, but I'll just say it took my breath away.
I had class from only 10-12, so the beautiful afternoon was waiting and at my disposal. After a quick lunch, Clair, Megan and I decided to stroll Stroget--the large, famous touristy shopping street downtown--and see if we could hunt down any deals or find any new chocolate shoppes (we did both!! successful afternoon!!). I even attempted blending in with the locals with the jeans tucked into my boots fashion statement. Literally, every danish woman owns a wardrobe comprised of skinny jeans, ridiculously gorgeous boots, and fabulous coats. I just can't quite seem to keep up with these Europeans (it doesn't help that things are deliriously expensive in copenhagen--shopping is a luxury to me while i'm here), but I'm trying!
Monday night we had a pasta dinner with some friends, I can honestly say I have never consumed that much pasta in one sitting--it was impressive, I have to admit haha.
Tuesday:
Raining (Monday apparently was the sunshine for the week). I mostly just camped out in my room cleaning and doing homework among other things. It was a typical lazy, rainy afternoon. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons our campus bar, A-vej, supplies free coffee, tea and cookies and a fun place to socialize in the afternoon/evening for students (YAY! FREE COFFEE!!!!) I of course take full advantage of the bottomless, free coffee and drink myself into a caffiene oblivion.
Wednesday:
Don't remember if it rained, but I would put money on yes. I had class from 8-4 (yes, I do actually go to class once in awhile), so I didn't pay attention much to the weather. I was having a grumpy hump day and couldn't wait to get home and nap. Wednesday night, however, was a blast!!! We had pizza and cheap wine (mixed with coke..its called "calimocho". That's how the spaniards drink their cheap wine in spain, and I have to say they are on to something!) at a friends house for dinner before heading to studenterhuset (student house/bar) for international night. I have had more group dinners in the last month than in my entire college career thus far--I love it! Dinner time is an activity here, people are always getting together to cook and eat and its a big social activity rather than something we just do quick by ourselves before going out. At home, we always associate social or group dinners with going out to restaurants, but cooking group dinners really eleviates the need to go out and spend money, but still makes it feel like a celebration :)
Thursday:
Class from 1-3, A-vej for coffee and BINGO (the danes call it BANKO), then a delicious stuffed pepper dinner cooked by Megan!! In my apartment building we have absolutely no ovens which really puts a damper on my cooking, so Megan offered to cook Clair and I a lovely dinner for 3. We were all exhausted, so we called it an early night and got some much needed catch up sleep!!!
Friday:
Trip to MALMO, SWEDEN!!! (see next blog post). Friday night was the birthday party for A-vej (yes, it was a birthday party for my campus bar hehe)!! The people on my campus realllllly love their student bar, it was so fun!! It was a packed house, and I actually met a lot of Danes instead of just surrounding myself with only other international students--I know, I'm so brave! It was a festive event, complete with the release of the danish seasonal "easter beer", dice rolling for cheap beer prices, music and dancing!!
GREAT WEEK!!! SORRY FOR THE NOVEL!!!
SKAL!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
A WEEKEND OF FIRSTS :)
Greetings! Two posts in a matter of days, I'm really on top of this blog now :)
So, I know its Thursday, but I thought an update of all the new things that happened last weekend would be appropriate! First of all, Oz ventured to Copenhagen for a visit and spent the weekend with me. My first visitor since I've been here! Lucky for us, the weather was really beautiful. We were able to have our first picnic in a Copenhagen park together, it was 50 and sunny on Monday! We also had our first real danish from a Danish bakery across the street from my apartment, which was delicious...but I could tell it wasn't a light breakfast! I will have to make sure I watch how many of those I am treating myself to :)
To add to the healthiness of the Danish for breakfast, I also had my first Danish hotdog haha. Although they don't differ all that much from what we have in America, they are sold in stands on every corner! I read somewhere that the Danes are called The Kings of the Hot Dog. The stands sell all different varieties, some with buns like corn dogs, some with special sauce and toppings. I have to say it was pretty tasty :)
As I am not quite a local yet and can still appreciate the touristy side of Copenhagen, Oz and I spent Saturday playing tourists around Copenhagen. I visited my first museums of my trip, The National Museum and The NY Carlsberg Glyptotek. The Glyptotek houses ancient art from the Mediterranean and Danish and French art from the 19th and 20th centuries, while The National Museum held an expansive, almost overwhelming collection featuring the cultural history of Denmark among many other exhibits. The Glyptotek was much easier to just browse through and enjoy the sculptures and artwork. We of course also ventured on a grand tour around the city hitting all the major spots of Copenhagen: the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Palace (home of the Danish Royal Family, Nyhavn (a popular harbor downtown), Stroget (the main touristy pedestrian shopping area), the town hall and much more of the downtown area.
Thus far, my dining experiences here have consisted of little more than a grab and go lunch, but this weekend I enjoyed my first real sit down restaurant with Oz since I've been to Copenhagen! The restaurant was named Riz Raz, and it was actually a Mediterannean Buffet, so it still wasn't exactly being waited on :) It was, however, delicious! The restaurant was extremely busy so the food was always fresh. Another plus: it was one of the cheapest dinner prices I have seen so far (still not a steal at 79 DKK...about 16 US dollars).
My last first for the weekend: I went to Sweden! Oz and I traveled all the way to Lund, Sweden (only a 40 minute train ride from Copenhagen) to enjoy a delicious Swedish feast with a family he knew. The meal was unbelievable and the family was so hospitable. I felt a little homesick for the first time in a while! It was so nice having a homecooked meal and meeting a Swedish family, and they seemed so sincere when they invited me to come back anytime!
Overall the weekend was amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better time, and I experienced so many new things in the mix! Copenhagen is becoming a cozy and comfy city for me, and I can tell it will become a whole new playground once spring rolls around!
So, I know its Thursday, but I thought an update of all the new things that happened last weekend would be appropriate! First of all, Oz ventured to Copenhagen for a visit and spent the weekend with me. My first visitor since I've been here! Lucky for us, the weather was really beautiful. We were able to have our first picnic in a Copenhagen park together, it was 50 and sunny on Monday! We also had our first real danish from a Danish bakery across the street from my apartment, which was delicious...but I could tell it wasn't a light breakfast! I will have to make sure I watch how many of those I am treating myself to :)
To add to the healthiness of the Danish for breakfast, I also had my first Danish hotdog haha. Although they don't differ all that much from what we have in America, they are sold in stands on every corner! I read somewhere that the Danes are called The Kings of the Hot Dog. The stands sell all different varieties, some with buns like corn dogs, some with special sauce and toppings. I have to say it was pretty tasty :)
As I am not quite a local yet and can still appreciate the touristy side of Copenhagen, Oz and I spent Saturday playing tourists around Copenhagen. I visited my first museums of my trip, The National Museum and The NY Carlsberg Glyptotek. The Glyptotek houses ancient art from the Mediterranean and Danish and French art from the 19th and 20th centuries, while The National Museum held an expansive, almost overwhelming collection featuring the cultural history of Denmark among many other exhibits. The Glyptotek was much easier to just browse through and enjoy the sculptures and artwork. We of course also ventured on a grand tour around the city hitting all the major spots of Copenhagen: the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Palace (home of the Danish Royal Family, Nyhavn (a popular harbor downtown), Stroget (the main touristy pedestrian shopping area), the town hall and much more of the downtown area.
Thus far, my dining experiences here have consisted of little more than a grab and go lunch, but this weekend I enjoyed my first real sit down restaurant with Oz since I've been to Copenhagen! The restaurant was named Riz Raz, and it was actually a Mediterannean Buffet, so it still wasn't exactly being waited on :) It was, however, delicious! The restaurant was extremely busy so the food was always fresh. Another plus: it was one of the cheapest dinner prices I have seen so far (still not a steal at 79 DKK...about 16 US dollars).
My last first for the weekend: I went to Sweden! Oz and I traveled all the way to Lund, Sweden (only a 40 minute train ride from Copenhagen) to enjoy a delicious Swedish feast with a family he knew. The meal was unbelievable and the family was so hospitable. I felt a little homesick for the first time in a while! It was so nice having a homecooked meal and meeting a Swedish family, and they seemed so sincere when they invited me to come back anytime!
Overall the weekend was amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better time, and I experienced so many new things in the mix! Copenhagen is becoming a cozy and comfy city for me, and I can tell it will become a whole new playground once spring rolls around!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
It's been awhile--little update!
Phew! The weeks have been flying by, sorry about my lack of postage on the sight :)
It's Wednesday night...in a few hours I will be getting ready to go to what is called the "Studenterhuset", or student house. Every Wednesday night, the student house bar hosts international night where all the international students, and really anyone else, can come and dance and hang out for relatively cheap (in comparison to the 10 dollar beers the rest of the city offers!). It's a great night, and seeing as I don't have class on until 1pm on thursday, it fits into my schedule perfectly :)
The people I have met are intriguing. Everything about studying abroad is a crazy, exhilarating experience and I know its cliche, but every day is full of surprises. The transition was a little tough the first few days, but we had an amazing weekend trip to a camp in the Danish countryside with all the international students in our program the first weekend that helped break the mold for some really cool friendships!
Out of 171 students in my program, only 8 are from the US, and the rest are from 31 other countries. I am meeting people from all over the world! I am so glad it worked out that way, because it is so much more interesting meshing with people from other cultures and countries and learning about their lives. I have to say, the Spanish are the craziest!!
I now have a bike and am learning my way around the city pretty well...I'm starting to feel like a local! (I think I will always be a tourist at heart, I just love it haha). I am currently planning my trips around Europe, with some pretty sweet destinations in mind. I will keep you updated on my adventures as they come.
Good bye for now!
As the Danish say, skal! (Cheers!)
It's Wednesday night...in a few hours I will be getting ready to go to what is called the "Studenterhuset", or student house. Every Wednesday night, the student house bar hosts international night where all the international students, and really anyone else, can come and dance and hang out for relatively cheap (in comparison to the 10 dollar beers the rest of the city offers!). It's a great night, and seeing as I don't have class on until 1pm on thursday, it fits into my schedule perfectly :)
The people I have met are intriguing. Everything about studying abroad is a crazy, exhilarating experience and I know its cliche, but every day is full of surprises. The transition was a little tough the first few days, but we had an amazing weekend trip to a camp in the Danish countryside with all the international students in our program the first weekend that helped break the mold for some really cool friendships!
Out of 171 students in my program, only 8 are from the US, and the rest are from 31 other countries. I am meeting people from all over the world! I am so glad it worked out that way, because it is so much more interesting meshing with people from other cultures and countries and learning about their lives. I have to say, the Spanish are the craziest!!
I now have a bike and am learning my way around the city pretty well...I'm starting to feel like a local! (I think I will always be a tourist at heart, I just love it haha). I am currently planning my trips around Europe, with some pretty sweet destinations in mind. I will keep you updated on my adventures as they come.
Good bye for now!
As the Danish say, skal! (Cheers!)
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Hello friends. I have survived my first 24 hours in copenhagen! So I'll give you a quick recap of my trip so far.
First off, the airline lost my luggage--fantastic way to start my trip. I have one bag, the one with all my tanktops, shorts, and t-shirts, but my bag with all my sweaters, pants and toiletries is still MIA.
I found my apartment with the help of my danish buddy assigned to us by the study abroad office. Her name is Cathrine. She is so nice and helpful and it was great to have someone waiting for me at the airport to help me find my place. My apartment is basically just a room with a small kitchen, two beds, and a bathroom. Our bathroom is so wierd. The drain for the shower is underneath the sink, so when you take a shower the whole bathroom floods until it drains so you can't go to the bathroom after showering without getting all wet. Its strange, I'll put up a picture of it soon.
My roommate's name is Clair and she is awesome. Last night we hung out in our room for a while and then walked around the building to explore and search for other students. We found a bunch of people hanging out on a different floor who had been here for two weeks already. They took us out down town last night and showed us around, so I got to experience the night life in Copenhagen right away!
I live in an area of Copenhagen called Osterbro. The city is divided up into different sections, each one having its own name and different appeal. Our area is quieter with more families and less night life or college students. The area we went last night is more trendy and vibrant, and my campus/classes are in a whole different area called Frediksberg, which is a bit more wealthy with nice homes and a quaint feel to it. It takes a while to get around by bus and train, so I plan on purchasing a bike soon! All the Copenhageners do it :)
Everything is soooooo expensive- I will be poor by the time I leave. I went to buy some mascara and hairspray today and forked out 140 kroner--about 27 US dollars!! Its unbelievable. I pay more for this small room than I pay for an entire apartment with kitchen and living room in Madison.
Its been a little tough to get used to a new place, as I was expecting it would be for the first few days. I'm anxious to meet some people in my classes and have orientation--its kind of lonely being in a new, big city not knowing anyone! I just keep telling myself its all part of the experience.
That's all for now (I know it was really long). I start class tomorrow at 8, so I have to get figuring out how to get there before I go watch the super bowl for a while tonight!
Cheers. Miss you.
Cassie
First off, the airline lost my luggage--fantastic way to start my trip. I have one bag, the one with all my tanktops, shorts, and t-shirts, but my bag with all my sweaters, pants and toiletries is still MIA.
I found my apartment with the help of my danish buddy assigned to us by the study abroad office. Her name is Cathrine. She is so nice and helpful and it was great to have someone waiting for me at the airport to help me find my place. My apartment is basically just a room with a small kitchen, two beds, and a bathroom. Our bathroom is so wierd. The drain for the shower is underneath the sink, so when you take a shower the whole bathroom floods until it drains so you can't go to the bathroom after showering without getting all wet. Its strange, I'll put up a picture of it soon.
My roommate's name is Clair and she is awesome. Last night we hung out in our room for a while and then walked around the building to explore and search for other students. We found a bunch of people hanging out on a different floor who had been here for two weeks already. They took us out down town last night and showed us around, so I got to experience the night life in Copenhagen right away!
I live in an area of Copenhagen called Osterbro. The city is divided up into different sections, each one having its own name and different appeal. Our area is quieter with more families and less night life or college students. The area we went last night is more trendy and vibrant, and my campus/classes are in a whole different area called Frediksberg, which is a bit more wealthy with nice homes and a quaint feel to it. It takes a while to get around by bus and train, so I plan on purchasing a bike soon! All the Copenhageners do it :)
Everything is soooooo expensive- I will be poor by the time I leave. I went to buy some mascara and hairspray today and forked out 140 kroner--about 27 US dollars!! Its unbelievable. I pay more for this small room than I pay for an entire apartment with kitchen and living room in Madison.
Its been a little tough to get used to a new place, as I was expecting it would be for the first few days. I'm anxious to meet some people in my classes and have orientation--its kind of lonely being in a new, big city not knowing anyone! I just keep telling myself its all part of the experience.
That's all for now (I know it was really long). I start class tomorrow at 8, so I have to get figuring out how to get there before I go watch the super bowl for a while tonight!
Cheers. Miss you.
Cassie
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
countdown: 3 days!!
So, I've decided to create a blog to keep everyone updated on my happenings in Europe! Although I anticipate many crazy adventures, I will be missing everyone while I'm gone!
I depart Friday Feb. 1 from Chicago. I honestly don't feel nervous at all yet--At this point, I think I am just so anxious to begin doing something with my semester. I'm getting stir crazy in Neenah all by myself.
I arrive in Copenhagen at 1:20 pm on Saturday Feb. 2. I will make sure to update on how my first weekend goes...wish me luck :)
Cheers.
I depart Friday Feb. 1 from Chicago. I honestly don't feel nervous at all yet--At this point, I think I am just so anxious to begin doing something with my semester. I'm getting stir crazy in Neenah all by myself.
I arrive in Copenhagen at 1:20 pm on Saturday Feb. 2. I will make sure to update on how my first weekend goes...wish me luck :)
Cheers.
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