My blog this time feels a little more like a diary then it does a blog this time... Maybe it's because I'm not writing it at school during maths... Hmmmm. Regardless, like last time, time is flying and I'm making the most of every day.
Since my last mini blog post, I've been to the oldest amusement park in the world, biked about 30km, visited my second host fam and been in another country #europeanlife.
But first and foremost I have to tell you about Bakken, a hyggeligt amusement park that lies in the centre of Copenhagen which happens to be older than australia. First of all... What, second of all its kinda cool rights.bakken is really different to tivoli because it is in the middle of a forest and has a lot more rides. It's more of an amusement park, so think maybe Luna Park but older, and a thousand times better. Bakken was a really hyggeligt afternoon. We tried all the rides (including the haunted house which was one of the most horrific experiences of my life) and of course the oldest roller coaster in the world. I had a great evening with my third host family.
On Sunday, I saw my second host family and spent the day with them on Roskilde Fjord. We ate brunch, biked through the beautiful danish countryside to get fresh strawberries, had a mini boat tour on the fjord and ate a lot of food. It was a really hyggeligt day.
Yesterday was Monday, and I spent it in Sweden-just casually! I went with Laura, my australian friend who I met last time I was here. We spent the day strolling the streets of Malmö, shopping and enjoying the beautiful cobble stoned streets. It was a really nice day. We even managed ton eb upturned and found a castle in Malmö. All in all a successful day.
As for today, I've spent the morning watching danish disney Chanel which is actually really great, then I'm going into town to meet two of my friends from gymnasium.
So I have four days left in denmark- most of which will be spent seeing people, buying last min things, eating ice cream and just really enjoying bring back home.
See you Sunday night y'all xxx
Tuesday 21 July 2015
Saturday 18 July 2015
Busy little bee
Another quick update from the land of the Vikings.
So my time in Denmark hasn't really been dedicated to sightseeing, touristy moments… It's been more about seeing people and catching up with all my Danish ‘family’ and friends. Maybe that's why I feel at home, and why nothing about this ‘holiday’ feels like a holiday. It just feels like I've settled back into every day life. A feeling that is really hard to explain back home. I haven't even used my SLR camera!
On Sunday, I had brunch with my Third host family to welcome back my host sister from Columbia. It's so nice having her home again because the house just didn't feel right without her. It's also strange seeing her home, because it brings back so many memories from when I came home. It was a really hyggeligt morning and so great to hear about Columbia! After brunch, my councilor Esben and his wife Anita picked me up for the day. They took me to a place that is kind of like Soverign hill, just near the town of Holbæk. It shows what life was like in denmark from a time that is much older than australia. It was so interesting and the buildings were just beautiful. They had an old farm house, supermarket, garage and bakery (which was just like the QVB tea room without the big chandelier)-it was gorgeous! We ate lunch, Frikadeller of course and ended the afternoon with cake. Then we went back to their house, which is situated in the most gorgeous location overlooking a forest and a lake. The temperature was a warm and toasty 20 degrees, which called for a dip in their pool. It was a lovely afternoon, drinking champagne, eating dark chocolate and sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful view. We then ate dinner which was a three course meal of delicious food, and then sat down to watch a movie. A danish crime thriller that followed on from a movie that I saw when I was here last. It was so good.
The next morning I awoke to a table filled with home made bread…. How I have missed denmark! After a delicious breakfast, I was ready for the day ahead of shopping with my friend Cecille from school. She lives really close to Esben, so it worked out that I could meet her on the bus. We then took the train into Copenhagen where we started on the shopping street – which I know like the back of my hand. We had a nice day strolling through the streets and picking up some great bargains. We ate lunch at my favourite kebab shop in Nyhavn and bought some danish strawberries to eat at home. All in all a great day.
On Tuesday, I was also in copenhagen with Lara- who would have thought that a girl I went to primary school with would love denmark as much as I did. We had a nice morning in Copenhagen and ate some traditional danish food for lunch. It was delicious. Of course we ate ice cream after. Then I met up with Laura, my friend from exchange when I was here, and we soaked up the sun, then visited the little mermaid and princess Mary. It was really strange being at Amalingborg again, because the queens castle was being renovated! So it looked completely different. It was a really nice day.
On Wednesday,, I caught up with anna, the exchange student who stayed with my family when I was in Denmark. We went to the danish coast, and the most beautiful place called Møns Klint. We walked through the forest, down all the stairs admiring the beautiful view. All up there are 994 steps! After our climb, we drove through the beautiful, luscious green country side to a famous dairy farm that has møns is, which is made on the premises and tastes delicious. Of course anna and I had to have four- chocolate, caramel macaron. Baileys and Møns speciality. Delicious! It was a great day.
On Thursday I saw my friend from gymnasium, Christine, and we went to Helsingør which is at the top of Zealand (I think)… Anyway it defiantly borders Sweden because you can literally see Sweden and its within swimming distance which for an australian is absoloutely crazy!! Whilst we were in Helsingør we went to Hamlets Castle which had changed a little bit since I had been there, we had a really fun day being tourist because Christine has never been there! We then ate dinner at a hyggeligt restaurant. It was a really great day.
Yesterday, which was Friday, I went down to my third host families summer house for some hygge and of course ice cream. We had a nice time playing lots of games.
Today I'm off to the amusement park Bakken which I'm so excited about!
As for the rest of the week, I have no idea. But this time in a week I'll be on a plane home- crazy how time is flying by!!
So my time in Denmark hasn't really been dedicated to sightseeing, touristy moments… It's been more about seeing people and catching up with all my Danish ‘family’ and friends. Maybe that's why I feel at home, and why nothing about this ‘holiday’ feels like a holiday. It just feels like I've settled back into every day life. A feeling that is really hard to explain back home. I haven't even used my SLR camera!
On Sunday, I had brunch with my Third host family to welcome back my host sister from Columbia. It's so nice having her home again because the house just didn't feel right without her. It's also strange seeing her home, because it brings back so many memories from when I came home. It was a really hyggeligt morning and so great to hear about Columbia! After brunch, my councilor Esben and his wife Anita picked me up for the day. They took me to a place that is kind of like Soverign hill, just near the town of Holbæk. It shows what life was like in denmark from a time that is much older than australia. It was so interesting and the buildings were just beautiful. They had an old farm house, supermarket, garage and bakery (which was just like the QVB tea room without the big chandelier)-it was gorgeous! We ate lunch, Frikadeller of course and ended the afternoon with cake. Then we went back to their house, which is situated in the most gorgeous location overlooking a forest and a lake. The temperature was a warm and toasty 20 degrees, which called for a dip in their pool. It was a lovely afternoon, drinking champagne, eating dark chocolate and sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful view. We then ate dinner which was a three course meal of delicious food, and then sat down to watch a movie. A danish crime thriller that followed on from a movie that I saw when I was here last. It was so good.
The next morning I awoke to a table filled with home made bread…. How I have missed denmark! After a delicious breakfast, I was ready for the day ahead of shopping with my friend Cecille from school. She lives really close to Esben, so it worked out that I could meet her on the bus. We then took the train into Copenhagen where we started on the shopping street – which I know like the back of my hand. We had a nice day strolling through the streets and picking up some great bargains. We ate lunch at my favourite kebab shop in Nyhavn and bought some danish strawberries to eat at home. All in all a great day.
On Tuesday, I was also in copenhagen with Lara- who would have thought that a girl I went to primary school with would love denmark as much as I did. We had a nice morning in Copenhagen and ate some traditional danish food for lunch. It was delicious. Of course we ate ice cream after. Then I met up with Laura, my friend from exchange when I was here, and we soaked up the sun, then visited the little mermaid and princess Mary. It was really strange being at Amalingborg again, because the queens castle was being renovated! So it looked completely different. It was a really nice day.
On Wednesday,, I caught up with anna, the exchange student who stayed with my family when I was in Denmark. We went to the danish coast, and the most beautiful place called Møns Klint. We walked through the forest, down all the stairs admiring the beautiful view. All up there are 994 steps! After our climb, we drove through the beautiful, luscious green country side to a famous dairy farm that has møns is, which is made on the premises and tastes delicious. Of course anna and I had to have four- chocolate, caramel macaron. Baileys and Møns speciality. Delicious! It was a great day.
On Thursday I saw my friend from gymnasium, Christine, and we went to Helsingør which is at the top of Zealand (I think)… Anyway it defiantly borders Sweden because you can literally see Sweden and its within swimming distance which for an australian is absoloutely crazy!! Whilst we were in Helsingør we went to Hamlets Castle which had changed a little bit since I had been there, we had a really fun day being tourist because Christine has never been there! We then ate dinner at a hyggeligt restaurant. It was a really great day.
Yesterday, which was Friday, I went down to my third host families summer house for some hygge and of course ice cream. We had a nice time playing lots of games.
Today I'm off to the amusement park Bakken which I'm so excited about!
As for the rest of the week, I have no idea. But this time in a week I'll be on a plane home- crazy how time is flying by!!
Saturday 11 July 2015
Tivoli
I can't actually believe that it has taken me three weeks to visit my favourite place in the world - Tivoli! The amusement park in the heart of copenhagen that captured my heart. It was just as I remembererd it, as hyggeligt as ever. I went to Tivoli with three of my danish friends: Cecillie, Simon and Karoline. Cecillie and Simon spent the day with me going on all the rides and eating all the amusement park food that you could think of. Karoline met us in there later to see Fredags Rock- where the Danish artist Mads Langer was playing. It was a really fun day. And Mads Langer was perfect, he really has an amazing voice and I wish that his songs were on the radio in Australia! Simon, Cecillie and I tried most of the rides in Tivoli and had a really fun time.
Before Tivoli, I spent the morning with my first host mum Mette. We went up the round tower in Copenhagen, strolled through the shopping street and ate lunch in Tivoli. It was really hyggeligt. It was also the last time that I would see Mette because they are now in France on summer holiday.
The day before, my first host family and I went to the art museum Lousianna. It's a museum filled with modern art and this time it featured an expedition on Africa, and had various art works and media that showed how people in Africa lived. It was really interesting, and the museum is amazing. It's set up so well so that it has various interactive stations. It's also set in the most beautiful location in denmark, really close to the ocean and you can actually even see Sweden. It was a really nice afternoon/ evening and we ate dinner over looking the sea.
Today, my host sister Julia came home from Columbia and we went and picked her up from the airport. It bought back so many memories from the time that I came home from exchange. It was really good to see her again and we ate lots of danish food.
Sorry this blog post isn't my best piece of writing- my brain is fried from speaking danish 24-7.
See you in 2 weeks Sydney!
Thursday 9 July 2015
rock on roskilde
Roskilde Festival-a one way ticket that will have you diving straight back into the Danish culture. It's a place where literally anything goes. Roskilde is a place where the usual shy Danes stand at the basins offering soap and shampoo to total strangers, it's a place where it's totally normal to wake up to Harry Potter themed music at 5am in the morning, it's also totally normal to play beer bowling at all hours of the day and lay out in the sun with a warm cola in your hand for breakfast, it's a place where it's okay to have a shower in baby wipes every morning and a place where it's totally okay to smell like beer and cigarettes because the 100,000 other people smell exactly the same way. Roskilde festival is a world of its own- with food that tickles your Tuborg filled stomach fancy at 2am in the morning and music to suit all tastes with the likes of Paul Mcartney and Disclosure taking to the stage this year. Roskilde is something that everyone needs to experience in their lives…. Because there really is nothing better than the feeling you get standing at a concert on orange stage with a Tuborg in your hand- that special orange feeling.
For those regulars who have followed my love affair with the land of the Vikings, you already know that back in 2013 I went to the festival. I wasn't allowed to camp however due to rotary rules, and instead cycled back home every night to my second host families house with my exchange pal Lauren. Back in 2013, I experience the orange feeling and it was pretty spectacular. This year though was really different and I fell in love with Roskilde even more because I was able to camp with my class and experience what some would call the full festival experience.
The Roskilde saga began on Friday the 26th of June. After I had been up to my old school to see the official graduation ceremony with my class, I was picked up by my friend Emilie’s dad bearing all my luggage for the week and dropped off at the festival site- which wasn't yet open. Part of the full Roskilde experience is camping out in line for the best camping spot. So that's what we did along with majority of my class camp (all up there was about 22 of us). And we waited, froze, got rained on, used a giant tarp as a shelter, got rained on some more and froze even more. Not much sleep was had that night…. But it was an experience. The next morning we did some more waiting, and a lot of standing up and being trampled on because everyone wants to get a good camping spot. Then at 4pm the race begins and the annual Roskilde run takes place. It is literally chaos, with people running left, right and centre. Before running in, I asked my friends if they had a plan…. Their reply was bare løbe... Which in danish means just run… So that's literally what I did. With my friend Emilie’s beside me I thought that I had it easy because we could see each other.. Boy did that plan epically fail as everyone became absorbed into a mass crowd frantically running through the camping grounds. With the L tower in sight I just ran along with everyone… And then realised that it probably wasn't the smartest idea because I couldn't see anyone from my class. So with a phone in hand I called everyone- with no response and realised that they were all in the same boat as me. But I managed to run into everyone at the same time, and so the frantic setting up of tents began. I lived in a tent with my two friends, Karoline P and Emilie. Between the three of us, we aren't really seasoned campers. We fit into the glamping category. So putting up the tent was hilarious, as we didn't really have any idea what we were doing. Denmark also put on a show deciding to rain just as we put our tents up. But after the struggle, as tempers were running high after an evening of no sleep ‘vores plads er lort venner’, we eventually settled into our camping place near the L tower, christened the ground with a game of beer bowling and waited for the rain to go away…. Consumed a gourmet burger and went to sleep- at a very ungodly hour of the morning.
And so then began the real Roskilde festival. Thankfully the sun came out the next morning at 5am when myself and Emilie had to fix our tent which decided to collapse on us during the middle of the night, told you we were ‘glampers’ But so began Sunday at the Roskilde Festival, with a sweet Harry Potter tune blasting from our 16 year old neighbours camp…. The day literally consisted of beer bowling, sitting in a camping stool, applying sunscreen, downing another Somersby, eating more burgers and chips, listening to music, hygge and then at about 10pm, full gas is given and the music gets louder and the beer consumption doubles.. Time to get our boogie on at our camp and pump up the music. I can't remember which night it was, but everyone was in bed except for the boys and we all woke up to this really weird ducky duck music and 20 total strangers with the boys in our class dancing the new morning away… That ladies and gentlemen is Roskilde festival for you. I could go on and on about the countless stories and memories that were made at our beloved campsite and L tower… But I think that this blog post would exceed the limit. All I can tell you is that the warmup days at Roskilde consisted of limited amount of sleep, three showers and lots of 2am burgers…
Then Wednesday rolled around, and the first night of the music began. To have a break from the festival world and be reminded that there is in fact a world that exists outside of the festival, all my class went to the local Chinese restaurant where we had a buffet dinner and enjoyed the luxury of a real toilet. It was a nice hyggeligt afternoon. Thennnn back to the dust and dirt of our camp to see Pharell Williams play on orange stage…. Now Pharell’s hit happy was fantastic- don't get me wrong it was awesome dancing in a mosh of people that could fill the capacity of the MCG. But as for the rest of the hour …. Well Pharell babe I think you need to get your places right…. Roskilde is not in fact Copenhagen... I was kind of disappointed by his concert.. I feel like he could have given it more gas. I was not disappointed however by the band Muse. Their concert was wicked and they gave sooo much gas and had the whole crowd enjoying themselves. I only knew two of their songs, but it didn't really matter. I was in the company of three major muse fans who danced and jumped their way through the hour and a half concert. Muse I can safely say that I am a fan. Up next on the music agenda was Florence and the Machine- a top contender for my favourite concerts at Roskilde. Her voice literally gave me goosebumps. It was a really chill concert and you've got the love was 1000 times better live. the DJs Disclosure also didn't disappoint and it as defiantly a dance party on orange. This was also up there with my favourite concerts because it was just so fun. The Norwegian DJ Kygo who is so hot right now in Australia with his song firestorm also pumped the stage at 2am in the morning… There was so many people and all of my class went to the concert but only four of us remained to see the rest. It was worth being squashed up to hundreds of people and he did not disappoint. I also better mention the sweet Marie Key- the Danish artist who I am s big fan of. You could just genuinely tell that she was having the time of her life onstage and it was a joy to watch. Nikki Minage also graced the stage in her gigantic stilettos and crazy costumes, looking down at a crowd who hadn't showered in a good few days.. At least Nikki wasn't off with the starships though because she knew exactly where she was in the world…. Something that perhaps Pharell could learn from. And then the legend Paul Mcartney who I saw only half of due to extreme exhaustion.Four days of major headliners and artists from around the world. A short snippet of the music side… But Roskilde festival as I learnt this year is so much more than just the music. At the start of the week, one of the boys in my class said that he goes to the festival just to be together in the camp….. And at the start of the week I just looked at him because I did not understand at all what he meant. Now that the festival has come to a close, I can honestly say that I totally understand just going to the festival to have a good time with your friends. The music is honestly just a bonus. I had one of the best weeks ever and have many many stories to tell that may not be best to share in this forum…..
The festival officially finished for me on Monday, when I went to work with my first host family just like I did last time I was at the festival. If you volunteer at the festival ,you get an armband so basically you get to go for the labour you volunteer instead of paying for the actual ticket. A pretty good deal. For our work, we had to take down a Kvickly stall and take up all the floorboards, wash the cash registers and pack everything together. Not too bad. My friend Cecilie was also there, and we visited our camp at the end, and there was not much that remained. We also managed to find a good tent that Cecilie can use next year and maybe me if I'm there again next year :)
So today is now Wednesday which means I have about two and a half weeks left in Denmark. At the moment I am visiting my first host family which is really great. Yesterday we went out for a sailing tour on Roskilde fjord and enjoyed the Danish summer rain. Now that the festival is over, I can plan my time a bit better and try and fit and see everyone that I need to whilst I'm here :)
Until next time
Xxx
For those regulars who have followed my love affair with the land of the Vikings, you already know that back in 2013 I went to the festival. I wasn't allowed to camp however due to rotary rules, and instead cycled back home every night to my second host families house with my exchange pal Lauren. Back in 2013, I experience the orange feeling and it was pretty spectacular. This year though was really different and I fell in love with Roskilde even more because I was able to camp with my class and experience what some would call the full festival experience.
The Roskilde saga began on Friday the 26th of June. After I had been up to my old school to see the official graduation ceremony with my class, I was picked up by my friend Emilie’s dad bearing all my luggage for the week and dropped off at the festival site- which wasn't yet open. Part of the full Roskilde experience is camping out in line for the best camping spot. So that's what we did along with majority of my class camp (all up there was about 22 of us). And we waited, froze, got rained on, used a giant tarp as a shelter, got rained on some more and froze even more. Not much sleep was had that night…. But it was an experience. The next morning we did some more waiting, and a lot of standing up and being trampled on because everyone wants to get a good camping spot. Then at 4pm the race begins and the annual Roskilde run takes place. It is literally chaos, with people running left, right and centre. Before running in, I asked my friends if they had a plan…. Their reply was bare løbe... Which in danish means just run… So that's literally what I did. With my friend Emilie’s beside me I thought that I had it easy because we could see each other.. Boy did that plan epically fail as everyone became absorbed into a mass crowd frantically running through the camping grounds. With the L tower in sight I just ran along with everyone… And then realised that it probably wasn't the smartest idea because I couldn't see anyone from my class. So with a phone in hand I called everyone- with no response and realised that they were all in the same boat as me. But I managed to run into everyone at the same time, and so the frantic setting up of tents began. I lived in a tent with my two friends, Karoline P and Emilie. Between the three of us, we aren't really seasoned campers. We fit into the glamping category. So putting up the tent was hilarious, as we didn't really have any idea what we were doing. Denmark also put on a show deciding to rain just as we put our tents up. But after the struggle, as tempers were running high after an evening of no sleep ‘vores plads er lort venner’, we eventually settled into our camping place near the L tower, christened the ground with a game of beer bowling and waited for the rain to go away…. Consumed a gourmet burger and went to sleep- at a very ungodly hour of the morning.
And so then began the real Roskilde festival. Thankfully the sun came out the next morning at 5am when myself and Emilie had to fix our tent which decided to collapse on us during the middle of the night, told you we were ‘glampers’ But so began Sunday at the Roskilde Festival, with a sweet Harry Potter tune blasting from our 16 year old neighbours camp…. The day literally consisted of beer bowling, sitting in a camping stool, applying sunscreen, downing another Somersby, eating more burgers and chips, listening to music, hygge and then at about 10pm, full gas is given and the music gets louder and the beer consumption doubles.. Time to get our boogie on at our camp and pump up the music. I can't remember which night it was, but everyone was in bed except for the boys and we all woke up to this really weird ducky duck music and 20 total strangers with the boys in our class dancing the new morning away… That ladies and gentlemen is Roskilde festival for you. I could go on and on about the countless stories and memories that were made at our beloved campsite and L tower… But I think that this blog post would exceed the limit. All I can tell you is that the warmup days at Roskilde consisted of limited amount of sleep, three showers and lots of 2am burgers…
Then Wednesday rolled around, and the first night of the music began. To have a break from the festival world and be reminded that there is in fact a world that exists outside of the festival, all my class went to the local Chinese restaurant where we had a buffet dinner and enjoyed the luxury of a real toilet. It was a nice hyggeligt afternoon. Thennnn back to the dust and dirt of our camp to see Pharell Williams play on orange stage…. Now Pharell’s hit happy was fantastic- don't get me wrong it was awesome dancing in a mosh of people that could fill the capacity of the MCG. But as for the rest of the hour …. Well Pharell babe I think you need to get your places right…. Roskilde is not in fact Copenhagen... I was kind of disappointed by his concert.. I feel like he could have given it more gas. I was not disappointed however by the band Muse. Their concert was wicked and they gave sooo much gas and had the whole crowd enjoying themselves. I only knew two of their songs, but it didn't really matter. I was in the company of three major muse fans who danced and jumped their way through the hour and a half concert. Muse I can safely say that I am a fan. Up next on the music agenda was Florence and the Machine- a top contender for my favourite concerts at Roskilde. Her voice literally gave me goosebumps. It was a really chill concert and you've got the love was 1000 times better live. the DJs Disclosure also didn't disappoint and it as defiantly a dance party on orange. This was also up there with my favourite concerts because it was just so fun. The Norwegian DJ Kygo who is so hot right now in Australia with his song firestorm also pumped the stage at 2am in the morning… There was so many people and all of my class went to the concert but only four of us remained to see the rest. It was worth being squashed up to hundreds of people and he did not disappoint. I also better mention the sweet Marie Key- the Danish artist who I am s big fan of. You could just genuinely tell that she was having the time of her life onstage and it was a joy to watch. Nikki Minage also graced the stage in her gigantic stilettos and crazy costumes, looking down at a crowd who hadn't showered in a good few days.. At least Nikki wasn't off with the starships though because she knew exactly where she was in the world…. Something that perhaps Pharell could learn from. And then the legend Paul Mcartney who I saw only half of due to extreme exhaustion.Four days of major headliners and artists from around the world. A short snippet of the music side… But Roskilde festival as I learnt this year is so much more than just the music. At the start of the week, one of the boys in my class said that he goes to the festival just to be together in the camp….. And at the start of the week I just looked at him because I did not understand at all what he meant. Now that the festival has come to a close, I can honestly say that I totally understand just going to the festival to have a good time with your friends. The music is honestly just a bonus. I had one of the best weeks ever and have many many stories to tell that may not be best to share in this forum…..
The festival officially finished for me on Monday, when I went to work with my first host family just like I did last time I was at the festival. If you volunteer at the festival ,you get an armband so basically you get to go for the labour you volunteer instead of paying for the actual ticket. A pretty good deal. For our work, we had to take down a Kvickly stall and take up all the floorboards, wash the cash registers and pack everything together. Not too bad. My friend Cecilie was also there, and we visited our camp at the end, and there was not much that remained. We also managed to find a good tent that Cecilie can use next year and maybe me if I'm there again next year :)
So today is now Wednesday which means I have about two and a half weeks left in Denmark. At the moment I am visiting my first host family which is really great. Yesterday we went out for a sailing tour on Roskilde fjord and enjoyed the Danish summer rain. Now that the festival is over, I can plan my time a bit better and try and fit and see everyone that I need to whilst I'm here :)
Until next time
Xxx
Thursday 25 June 2015
Fest Fest
well just like exchange, time is passing at an unbelievably fast pace... Maybe it's the danish air? But whatever it is I know that the next four weeks are going to fly by and I have to make the most of every day...and that's exactly what I have been doing!
So since I last wrote, I have eaten heaps of ice cream, biked too many kilometres and seen nearly everyone I know in Denmark-including Anna, the exchange student who lived with my parents whilst I was in Denmark. It was so nice to see her again and also kind of strange because it feels like yesterday that she was in Australia.
On Tuesday I went to Copenhagen... And it felt amazing to be back strolling the cobble stone shopping street and exploring the side streets that hold hidden gems of the city. Of course I had to visit Nyhavn, the coloured lined house street that is my favourite place in the whole world. A danish hot dog and ice cream were also consumed because when in Copenhagen you must do as the Danes do. Tuesday was also Sankt Hans aften, which is a traditional celebration in Denmark to get the witches or spirits away. It's traditional to light a fire with a witch at the top... And all hedges must be trimmed before. Roskilde holds a community fire in the park, and we went down to see that... They had singers, and it was a beautiful afternoon with a gorgeous sunset. However the fire didn't light... :( as an australian though it was kind of strange to see people walking through a park with fire sticks..... Bush fire hazard anyone?
Yesterday I went to my gymnasium- Katderalskole, to see some of my danish friends graduate. It's sooooo different from what'd have in Australia. In Denmark, students have exams all alone... Some are speaking ones and others are writing. On your last exam, your family comes to your classroom and waits for you to finish.... They have a red rose, champagne and a special type of cak. Once you finish your last exam, you have to wait for your result... 12 is the best. Then you get your hat, and go and hygge wit your family drinking champagne and eating a cake at school. It is a really cool tradition. Another is a studentergilde, which is a little party that you hold with your family and friends. I went to two yesterday and they were so nice. I also spoke at my rotary club in danish and told them about what I've been up to since I've come home. Then I went to dance bar with my class where we danced the night away and I, so danish if I do say so myself, biked home.
Which brings us to today and the long awaited vogntur..... Then roskilde festival starts TOMORROW.... I'm sleeping in the que... It's gonna be an experience !
So since I last wrote, I have eaten heaps of ice cream, biked too many kilometres and seen nearly everyone I know in Denmark-including Anna, the exchange student who lived with my parents whilst I was in Denmark. It was so nice to see her again and also kind of strange because it feels like yesterday that she was in Australia.
On Tuesday I went to Copenhagen... And it felt amazing to be back strolling the cobble stone shopping street and exploring the side streets that hold hidden gems of the city. Of course I had to visit Nyhavn, the coloured lined house street that is my favourite place in the whole world. A danish hot dog and ice cream were also consumed because when in Copenhagen you must do as the Danes do. Tuesday was also Sankt Hans aften, which is a traditional celebration in Denmark to get the witches or spirits away. It's traditional to light a fire with a witch at the top... And all hedges must be trimmed before. Roskilde holds a community fire in the park, and we went down to see that... They had singers, and it was a beautiful afternoon with a gorgeous sunset. However the fire didn't light... :( as an australian though it was kind of strange to see people walking through a park with fire sticks..... Bush fire hazard anyone?
Yesterday I went to my gymnasium- Katderalskole, to see some of my danish friends graduate. It's sooooo different from what'd have in Australia. In Denmark, students have exams all alone... Some are speaking ones and others are writing. On your last exam, your family comes to your classroom and waits for you to finish.... They have a red rose, champagne and a special type of cak. Once you finish your last exam, you have to wait for your result... 12 is the best. Then you get your hat, and go and hygge wit your family drinking champagne and eating a cake at school. It is a really cool tradition. Another is a studentergilde, which is a little party that you hold with your family and friends. I went to two yesterday and they were so nice. I also spoke at my rotary club in danish and told them about what I've been up to since I've come home. Then I went to dance bar with my class where we danced the night away and I, so danish if I do say so myself, biked home.
Which brings us to today and the long awaited vogntur..... Then roskilde festival starts TOMORROW.... I'm sleeping in the que... It's gonna be an experience !
Sunday 21 June 2015
The long awaited return
We'll I've talked about it, dreamt about it, saved for it and eagerly awaited it for a year and a half... And now it's finally here- my eagerly awaited, long anticipated return to Denmark. And let me tell you, it feels bloody good to be back 'home'...
So I arrived in Copenhagen at 6:25am on Saturday morning. 22 hours on a plane... Sitting, catching up on movies, trying to figure out how the Turkish woman sitting next to me was going to get her Australian lime tree all the way home, running frantically through Singapores massive never ending airport, feared missing plane, arrived out of breath, catching up on lost breath whilst waiting one hour for plane, teaching old guy how to use wifi, waiting, sitting, stretching, boarding, not sleeping, making friends with the two stem cell scientists from Singapore, eating, sleeping, anticipating, watching the map, cringing 8 hours...7.......6.......5.......4......3....2...1
Note to self: be aware of the time in Singapore upon landing to save frantic running...
Finally landing... And so my adventure began and with a quick stretch of the legs, I was ready for more waiting, more sitting and bag collecting. But this time instead of running frantically, I could walk at ease... Being back in a country where I could understand the language, read the signs and enjoy the Carlsberg sponsored sign 'welcome to the worlds happiest nation'- I was finally 'hjem'
And so I walked through the airport doors and was greeted with a sea of Danish flags from my third host parents and a little surprise.... Three of my danish friends were there too! It was soo nice to see them and a little surreal because maybe it was a little bit of jet lagged brain but it felt like a dream! Driving to roskilde also fels like this.. Driving on the wrong side of the road didn't even seem that strange! I was surrounded by so much familiarity that it feels like I have never left.
Arriving so early in the morning meant that I had a full day in denmark. I resisted the temptation to sleep and instead hit the shops (surprise) and went to Rosilde Havn with Paige, th australian exchange student who is currently being hosted by my third host family. We got some Paradis, aka the worlds best ice cream and soaked up the sun wearing teeshirt on an 18 degree day (i think it's actually warmer in Australia right now). Then we came home and celebrated my host sisters boyfriends birthday complete with games, cards and Tuborg.
Yesterday was another sunny day spent at an old town kind of like Soverign Hill in a town called Lejre. People pay to live like the Vikings for a week and wear all th clothes from a time that is wayyyyyy older than Australia. It was interesting to see the houses and what life in denmark looked like in the old days. The history loving buff is baccccccccccccck. Then Paige and I walked through roskilde, bought some fresh strawberries and sat by the harbour listening to music and sharing exchange stories. It was hyggeligt. Frikadeller and of course potatoes was a good way to end my second day in Denmark. Yesterday was also the longest day of the year in demmark so the run set at about 11.....
And so begins day number three. Depending on the weather a Copenhagen trip may be on the cards... We'll see!
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