Mini cruise to Oslo, Norway

Hello everyone, I'll be gone this weekend on a mini cruise to Oslo! The company gave exchange students a special deal so many of us are taking advantage of it. : ) I will post pictures of the adventure by the end of Sunday. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

This picture was taken on a ferry I rode from the Northern tip of Germany to Copenhagen. Look at those clouds!

Chun Bo

Eating out in Copenhagen is very expensive so as exchange students we rarely do it, if at all. However the Chinese and Japanese restaurant across the street, Chun Bo, is always packed with people. It's an all-you-can-eat place and I've been staring at it from my apartment window for the last two months. My friends and I finally went and it's a great deal for what you get. I ate enough sushi to last me until I get back to the U.S!



Action shot by Sofie



Yum!

Fall

The leaves have changed in my favorite park, Orstedsparken. It is just a five minute walk from my house and I love to go through it on my way to the Public library.

Saturday Afternoon Rugby

Today I went to Christianhavn to support some of my friends that play for the Copenhagen Business School Rugby team! It was so much fun to watch and some of the guys were nice enough to explain all the rules of the game to me. For those of you who don't know it is kind of a mix between soccer and football.

This is called a lineup I guess. They pull the men up from their shorts like a wedgie!

Matthias (on right) and a teammate waiting to play, somehow not affected by the freezing cold!

I took this to show you the amount of alcohol that is consumed at Danish Rugby games! It was hilarious, the players and coaches would drink beer on the sidelines like it was water, I couldn't believe it. Right after this a coach came on the field carrying another 24 pack. The Danes sure do like their beer.

At the end of the tournament the men took part in a Danish tradition that of course involved more booze. The coaches chose players that stood out during the games and had them drink from these large horns. The coach in the middle here was the biggest character of all! He learned English in the UK so he had an English accent. At one point he had an old-fashioned pipe in one hand, a beer in the other, and was yelling profanities to his team from the sideline. I was laughing so hard! This would never happen in the U.S. Overall I'm so happy I experienced such a fun Danish sporting event!

First stop, Amsterdam!

Erin and I took the overnight train first to Amsterdam, a gorgeous city due to its many canals. We visited the Anne Frank Museum where she lived with her family in the attic during WWII. I also saw art at the Van Gogh museum and took a boat tour.

I'm in the "m" with the scarf, haha.

Lunch at Gartine, a cute cafe popular with the locals. Everything was served on adorable porcelain and the owners wait on you themselves. Not only was this cafe reasonable, everything is fresh. The vegetables are picked from their garden and the bread comes from a local bakery. This sandwich had a large portobello mushroom with bacon and greens, yummy!

The lights of the Red Light District. This area is crazy! Women are on display like a meat market, it is fascinating that such a place is legal but also kind of disturbing.

The floating flower market! I've never seen so many flower bulbs before

I took way too many pictures of the canals but you can't help it.

A popular snack in Amsterdam, fresh french fries with fatty toppings, this one had mayonnaise and hot sauce. We had this twice and I thought I was going to clog my arteries but it was delicious!

Prague, Czech Republic

Our second stop was Prague! This city is one of the most beautiful I have visited and it is a cute city to explore. They are known for their porcelain and decorate it in the traditional "onion" pattern. The locals told us the tram is the way to travel here, so we got day passes and saw most of the city by tram. It is a great way to get out of the cold and still be productive!

The Old Town Square from the top of the Astronomical clock tower.

The astronomical clock. Rumor has it that the King at the time gauged the eyes out of this clock's creator to prevent him from making something as beautiful for another kingdom. Every hour little figurines of church figures move about and a man at the top of the tower plays the trumpet.

The Old Jewish Cemetary. Prague has a large Jewish quarter with about four different synagogues. During WWII the Jewish community here was placed int the ghetto of Terezin. They have on exhibit the art of Jewish children from their time in the ghetto, some of which was very moving.

A view of the castle from Charles Bridge.

Charles Bridge, my favorite! I never got sick of taking pictures of this bridge. It is so beautiful and you can get great shots of the castle from it. There was a band of old men playing on the bridge and they were incredible! I took video but is is hard for my computer to post the clip on this blog.

A few of Prague from the Castle

The Castle grounds. There are many things to do here but you have to choose carefully because the entrance fees can add up. There is a basilica, museums and many other buildings to look in.

The entrance to the Prague Castle

Budapest, Hungary

Our last city was of course Budapest. It was freezing cold here and the weather wasn't ideal. The Hungarian hosts at our hostel were very hospitable and eager to tell us which sites to see. We ate Gulash soup at the Soul Cafe, and it was loaded with Paprika which Hungary is known for. They have paprika in everything, I even saw it used as seasoning for salami. The currency is weak here so your dollar will go far. A full meal can be purchased for $6 and beer is usually $1.

Budapest is known for its traditional Turkish baths, so Erin and I decided to spend some time at this one. We were so confused by the process and no one spoke English so we just followed the locals to figure out what to do. The baths included a few saunas at different temperatures, some cold pools, and then pools at various hot temps. I almost fell asleep in one. Erin was laughing at me because I was curled up in the fetal position on the stairs of the hot pool and all the old ladies gave me very puzzled looks!

This is Heroes' square, it holds the Millenium Memorial which represents the leaders of the nine tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century.

Sorry for the poor quality but the weather was cold, windy and rainy on this day. Actually, it was like this for most of our visit.

This is the parliament building. We walked along the other edge of the river to get a good shot.

A castle on the same side of the river.

Some treats that I had to document, took a lot of self discipline not to purchase any!

Erin and I walked past this building and noticed it was a bazaar. We had a great time here looking at Hungarian crafts and fresh produce.

Safe Arrival

We have made it back to Copenhagen from our adventures across Europe! Pictures soon to come!

Currently in Prague

Hi everyone, I've reached a computer in Prague to say a quick hello! Erin and I got in early this morning by train from Amsterdam. We are really enjoying our time here and are impressed by the gorgeous views of the city! I will return to Copenhagen on October 18th and will be sure to add pictures!

In Love with Stockholm

Last Friday Erin and I made it to beautiful Stockholm, Sweden. It took about 6 hours by train from Copenhagen. The city is surrounded by water and it is extremely windy! Erin and I were able to see a lot in just a couple of days. We bought a 3-day transportation pass that allowed access to the buses, subway and ferries, all for approximately $28.

The lawn outside of the City Hall.

We visited the Royal Armory at the Palace. This is a must! It had armor from Swedish kings and queens of the past, as well as an entire exhibit on old carriages like this one! They are all hand painted and one even had harnesses for up to eight horses.

The ship the Vasa, at the Vasa Museum on Gamla Stan. This ship sunk in the Stockholm harbor and was under water for 333 years. It remained 95% intact when it was pulled out of the ocean. The Vasa is about four stories high in height and it has intricate wooden carvings around the sides.

Here I am in front of the Royal Palace wearing a sweater made by my mother Julie! It is made from mohair and is the most beautiful piece of clothing I have ever worn. Thanks Mom!

A view from one of the bridges near the palace.

Outside of the City Hall. We wanted to go inside but it was closed due to an event.

The view from one of the main Harbors by the City Hall. This was the first day we got there and it was beautiful! The rest of the weekend it was cloudy and rainy. Overall a lovely weekend. Will be off traveling again this weekend for fall break. ; )

Erin Arrives!!

Erin arrived on Tuesday and I've been showing her around Copenhagen ever since. We have visited all the main sites including the Mermaid and seen a heavy police presence for the arrival of the Obamas tomorrow. Supposedly Michelle already arrived last night. We have been looking for her everywhere! Erin loves the furniture stores here and the architecture. Tomorrow we leave for Stockholm! I am currently having technical difficulties so pictures will be posted when I return from the weekend away!