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26 June 2012

I have done more since arriving in January than I ever thought would be possible. I've been to 19 different cities in 9 different countries with 9 different languages and 4 different currencies.  I've been canoeing in Sweden, skiing in Norway and even climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower to watch the sunset.  I’ve been on 17 different planes, 8 ferries, 16 international trains and biked over 30 kilometers everyday around town (once the snow melted).  I’ve drank enough wine and eaten enough pastries to last me a lifetime.  Studying abroad has been an unbelievable experience!  These memories are going to stick with me forever and I am so glad I got to share them with you all!

Copenhagen, Denmark 

Vi ses, København

My room, completely empty
Locking up for the last time

My last view of Denmark from the ferry.  

Many people have left Denmark this month by saying "hej hej" (bye) or "farvel" (farewell) but instead of saying goodbye I would like to end with "vi ses København" or "see you later."  I am sitting in the hotel lobby typing my last European blog post and can't help shedding a tear.  The past six months have been better than I could have ever imagined but it's now time to begin adjusting to life back in the States.  

A few things I will miss 

1.  "Hygge" time- Life here seems to move at a much slower pace.  I was just talking to someone about the "drive-thru window" and they were absolutely horrified at the idea of not going into a cafe or restaurant, lighting a candle and enjoying the company of others!  No rush, just pure relaxation! 
2.  My Danish family- Words can not even begin to describe how thankful I am to have been a part of this wonderful Danish family during my stay in Copenhagen.  I had more than 30 new friends instantly- mom, dad, brother, sister, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandma....  
3.  My bike- Getting around town while enjoying the fresh air was the best part of living in Copenhagen.  Now if we could only get rid of the triple digit summer temperatures in Folsom, I would start riding around town a bit more! 
4.  Public transportation- An hour and fifteen minute commute on a bus and train is a pain, an hour and fifteen minute commute via car sounds like a nice way to make me drive a car off a bridge.
5.  Being a two minute walk from the bank, the grocery store, the train station- such a convenience! 

A few things I am looking forward to in the States

1.  Abigail- BEST dog ever, right mom!?  Miss her more than anyone!

2.  Understanding the conversations taking place around me- I have become so accustomed to being surrounded by languages that I do not understand.  Must learn how to eavesdrop again…

3.  Stores open during the week past 5pm and even open on the weekend!  That is unheard of here in Copenhagen.  

4.  Dishwasher- Danes are all about living with only what one needs, no excess.  I can deal with a small apartment, a tiny refrigerator, a little bathroom BUT I need myself a dishwasher. 

5.  Grocery stores- I miss everything about them!  Cleanliness, organization, fresh fruits & veggies, lots of options....  A visit to Whole Foods is one of the first things on my to do list!  

My Last...

HOLIDAY WITH MY DANISH FAMILY 

Sankt Hans- A midsummer night's celebration 

24 June 2012 

I met up with Bodil at 3:30 so we could take the scenic route to her mother’s house for dinner.  Today we were celebrating Sankt Hans Aften, a festival of the summer solstice meant to protect against evil spirits believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southwards again.  Bodil said it would be a small group, although I still can’t get used to saying that twenty-one family members is a “small” group.  At the house, the men turned on the barbeque while the ladies sipped on wine.  This family (like all other Danes) drinks wine like water and I laughed every time my Danish grandma looked over and asked why my class was empty.  One tradition of Sankt Hans Aften is lighting beach bonfires all along the coastline so Bodil and I walked down the beach to see the excitement.  My favorite fire had been set up in the Dragør harbor and was surrounded by kayaks and boats.  It was a bittersweet moment to be sitting in the harbor with Bodil since this was the EXACT same spot I had visited with her the first time we met back in January—both our first and last memories in the Dragør harbor!  Back at the house, the group was busy singing Danish songs around the campfire with Jan Peter strumming the guitar.  They sang a few farewell songs for me including “I’m leaving on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again…..”  Sad but very appropriate!  I have worked so hard this semester on discovering what the Danish word “hygge” is all about.  Although “hygge” does not have a direct translation it is often described as coziness.  Sitting by the fire pit seemed like perfect “hygge” time: great friends, good conversation, warm fire, hot tea and not a worry in the world.  Unfortunately, the relaxing evening came to an end when Bodil, Hans and I hopped on our bike for the two-hour ride back to the City.  It was a tiring ride but it was nice to see Copenhagen all lit up as were made out way back home.  And as I peddled up to my house, the sun began to rise….my last sunrise in Copenhagen!    

For some reason, I never had the chance to blog about the summer canoe trip with my Danish family.  Here it goes- 22 people and 11 canoes for 4 days.  We would paddle during the day and then set up camp on the shore each evening.  Seventy kilometers later we reached our final destination!  I didn’t bring my camera since everything we had was going to be put in our canoe as we traveled down the river.  Didn’t want to risk losing or damaging my camera since I don’t have much luck with electronics!  The water was calm, the weather was dry and the scenery was beyond beautiful.  I have to add that although the weather was surprisingly dry, the temperatures dropped well into the negatives in the evening.  I canoed with a long sleeve shirt, two North Face jackets, two pairs of pants, layers of socks and a scarf.  Don’t know what I was thinking when I packed my swimsuit!  My canoeing partner Lila and I were the only two younger girls on the trip so the others enjoyed picking on us little ones.  Everyone was teasing us as we zigzagged through the river since we couldn’t quite figure out how to row straight.  I kept telling them we were trying to avoid the rocks in the water but they weren’t buying it!  And I can’t even tell you how many times we ended up backwards or stuck in the bushes after being hit by another canoe that was laughed hysterically as we struggled to get back on track.  Loved seeing familiar faces as well as meeting some new friends….Casper, Søren and Linda.  So many memories made on my last Danish family vacation!    

My Last...

WORKOUT AT CROSSFIT BUTCHER'S GARAGE 

22 June 2012

I also finished making a "letter in a bottle" for next week.  My plan is to 

drop it over the edge of the Scandlines Ferry as I sail away from 

Denmark for the last time.  Hope someone finds it and responds! 

My Last...

DAY WITH GIULIA

Thursday 21 June 

We started the afternoon with a stroll through downtown to
see the typical Danish architecture one last time!  Love the colorful buildings and cobblestone streets!  While walking through town we heard our favorite Danish song (Glemmer Dig Aldrig) in one of the stores.  After google translating the title, 
we found out it means "Will Never Forget You."  What a perfect song to listen to during our last evening together!  

We found the best lunch buffet in the city center and I
probably ate enough to last me until I get back to the States....
no need to grocery shop tonight! 

We then went to Bella Sky which came highly recommended from my Danish family.  Bodil said it was a bit pricy but that the view from the top floor restaurant was worth paying for a cup of tea.  I took a picture of the menu because I almost died while reading it.  There is one bottle of wine that can be purchased for Kr. 27,500.  That would be just under $5,000 USD!  $5,000 for a bottle of wine you will probably never even remember drinking the next morning!  A glass of water, the cheapest thing on the menu, was $10 USD.  My goodness!  But I must say that the view was pretty great! 

Safe travels back to Italy Giulia and hopefully I can visit you during your next study abroad experience in Taipei.  Have fun learning yet another language! 

My Last...

DAY AT THE BEACH 

Wednesday 20 June 

Yes it was cold & cloudy, but there is something special about spending a day 

at the beach while bundled up in a scarf!

KLM Airlines

My mom and I headed to the airport this morning dragging along three of the biggest and heaviest suitcases.  We had two goals in mind (1) have my mom take as much of my belonging as possible and (2) NOT spend a fortune on excess & overweight baggage.  We were convinced that two of the bags were overweight and one of them was way too big but it all worked out perfectly!  We had to do a bit of rearranging in order to get under the weight limit but my mom was able to take everything I had hoped.  Then the KLM employee informed us that the computer was not making us pay for checking in an extra bag and he "didn't care."  The computers mistake saved me $100!  Great way to start my morning!  I have been watching my mom's flight on the computer; here is a screen shot I just took.  Her plane is about to land in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Then another flight to Sacramento and she is HOME!      

The afternoon was a bit rough without my bike but Bodil just stopped by my room and surprised me with the key to her extra bike.  I am beyond excited to spend my last few days in Copenhagen riding around town!      

Last Day with Mom

Today was my mom's last day in Denmark and, of course, it rained!  We took the bus to Freetown Christiania which is a self-proclaimed autonomous neighborhood within Copenhagen.  I didn't know what my mom would think of the famous hippie community but she absolutely loved it.  You aren't supposed to take pictures inside of Christiania (people in Christiania smoke things that aren't exactly legal) but we secretly snapped a few shots!  

As my mom sits on the floor packing her suitcase, I am writing a list of things to do during my final week in the city.  My closet is completely empty, my bike now belongs to a New Yorker studying in Copenhagen and tomorrow I have to "deregister" my Danish residency/ address.  Can't believe this experience is coming to an end! 

Hamburg, Germany

HAMBURG IN PICTURES 

4 trains & a ferry to Hamburg!
Long trip but definitely worth it!  

Loved seeing Tom, Julie & Emilia in Hamburg! 

More of Tom, Julie, Emilia and their mom Katja, our Folsom friends. 

My mom and I spent Friday in Hamburg with Katja as our tour guide.  Enjoyed being taken around the city by a German native instead of trying to read a map on my own.
Great lunch at an outdoor cafe by the harbor.  

Dinner party for Opa Pollman's 75 birthday!
My mom's reaction after finding out she had just eaten raw fish for the very first time.

A morning walk through the "bog" (swamp) with Opa Schultz. 

Me at the "bog"  

Our final picture in Germany- Oma & Opa Schultz
We had such a fun weekend while staying with them in Sittensen, Germany! 

Barcelona, Spain

BARCELONA IN PICTURES 

Our room at Melon District Marina 

View from our room--Barcelona & the Mediterranean Sea 

Cafe for breakfast 

Plaça Reial

My mom and I took two free walking tours in Barcelona through a company called Running Bean- one tour was of the Old City and the other was of Gaudi's famous buildings.  The tours began each morning at Plaça Reial. 

Top of a church, although I can't remember which church! 

The Beach
Barcelona was the warmest temperatures I have experienced since moving to Europe....
81 degrees Fahrenheit.
It's going to be rough moving back to California!  I was miserable in 81! 

Architecture of Antoni Gaudi

St Josep Market  

La Flauta
The BEST restaurant in Barcelona!
The meal came with "water or wine."
My mom and I chose wine and were definitely surprised when we got an ENTIRE BOTTLE of white wine not just a tiny glass!  

Fun Flight

Such a fun flight to Spain, my mom and I couldn't stop laughing! It's midnight and we have finally arrived at our hotel. Off to bed so we can be up and out early tomorrow!

Week One

DAY ONE

Got on the metro to pick up my mom from the airport and made a huge mistake.  I have a punch card that I use when I travel on public transportation and apparently I did not punch enough times for my trip to the airport. When a metro employee entered the train to check tickets, he was ready to fine me 500 DKK ($100 USD).  Luckily the girl sitting next to me had punched her card an extra time so she told the employee that the extra punch was for me.  So thankful for her because I would not have been too happy with a fine!  Finally arrived at the airport and was surprised how quickly my mom was able to get through the airport and pick up her baggage.  It was so exciting to see her walking towards me and she looked great after about 20 hours of traveling!  We took the train back to my house, dropped off her luggage and immediately went downstairs to hop on our bikes.  Bodil, my Danish mom, had gratefully given my mom a bike to use while in Copenhagen.  We rode through the cute little town of Hellerup, making a quick stop for Danish pastries at Lagerhuset, the most popular (and most expensive) bakery in town.  Our ride continued along the sea to Klamepnborg to show her my favorite beach, forest & amusement park.  Instead of riding back home, we took our bikes on the train back to my house and got ready for bed.  After missing a night’s sleep on the flight, my mom was exhausted!

DAY TWO

I was upset that my mom and I slept in so late Wednesday morning.  The sun was shining and I couldn’t believe we had wasted precious hours of sunshine!  We took our bikes into the city center to explore.  I tried to explain a few things about biking in Copenhagen before we got on one of the busiest roads in the city but my mom assured me that she knew how to ride a bike and didn’t need any advice.  After a few minutes on Fredriksbrogade, I think my mom was a bit overwhelmed.  She said there was way too much bike traffic and she didn’t understand the rules of the road!  Good thing her first ride into town wasn’t during rush hour!  In the city center we visited the Rosenborg castle & gardens, the Round Tower (church, art exhibit, great view of the city), my two classrooms, my favorite restaurant (Paleo), a beautiful park and the City Hall.  While in town, I pointed out that the American flag is the most popular accessory in Copenhagen and so we took countless pictures of people with American flag scarves and shirts!  We did some grocery shopping on our way home and I loved showing her how an entire store was crammed into two aisles, with ketchup next to cookies next to shampoo….everything is all just thrown up on the shelves in no logical order.          

DAY THREE

On Thursday we went back into the city center on our bikes.  Our first stop was at Nyhavn, the canal district, which is the most beautiful area of Copenhagen!  Nyhavn is filled with vibrant colored buildings, open air cafés and countless sailboats.  From Nyhavn, we made the trek to the Little Mermaid statute.  Hans Christian Andersen is a Danish author, famous for writing the Little Mermaid.  The city created a statute of the mermaid to honor HC Andersen and it has now turned into a popular City landmark.  I wasn’t completely sure how to get there but knew that you can just follow the never ending tour busses to the area!  After riding a fairly good distance, we finally arrived at the tiny little mermaid statute at the edge of the water.  I think after hearing so much about HC Andersen and the mermaid, you expect it to be some extravagant design, so it is a bit of a disappointment when you finally see what the mermaid is all about!  My mom couldn’t stop laughing and was wondering why I made her ride so far to see it!  We then walked down Stroget, the longest pedestrian street in the world, to do some shopping.  My mom and I bought 4 pairs of shoes and I can't wait to see how everything is going to fit into our suitcases for the trip home!  My favorite part of the day was dinner because my mom got to meet my Danish family.  We rode our bikes to Bodil & Hans house for a great home cooked meal, went for a walk around the neighborhood and ended the evening with tea and cake.  Glad my mom was able to see who I have been spending time with while here in Denmark!

DAY FOUR

Friday was the first rainy day my mom experienced.  I had bought us tickets to go into Malmo, Sweden for the day and we were going rain or shine.  We walked for hours through Malmo, visiting the church, Lilla Torg, Turning Torso, an old windmill, the flower garden and the Castle.  We also did a lot of shopping, although we only came home with a small Swedish souvenir tea spoon!     

DAY FIVE

We woke up to the sound of an announcement being made on the train stations loudspeaker.  I looked outside and noticed a man sleeping on the train tracks which meant that the train line by my house had to be shut down.  I was a little nervous since we had train tickets to Northern Denmark, but it ended up working out.  We took two trains up to Helsingor to visit the Kronborg Castle.  The castle offers free tours of the grounds so we took a guided tour of the Royal Apartments as well as the soldiers’ chambers in the basement.  Helsingor is a typical Danish coastal town so it was fun walking through the streets on our way back to the station….I loved the brightly colored buildings, little boutiques and cute cafés!

Now off to Spain for a few days…