Our woodsy extravaganza for Michele’s birthday! PIctured: the birthday gal and her cake (with colored candle flames!), the gang going on long walks in the beautiful autumn forest. Also pictured: me looking at some birds (predictable).
A really amazing city where the mix of old and new was obvious just from the city skyline. Featuring The Girls (Hanna and Katherine), and a lab lizard (he’s a real metalhead).
The weekend following my study tour, I was lucky enough to stay a few days in Prague with Anabel and her amazing roommates. Even though I was only there for a short time, we jam-packed our time with amazing views and experiences.
We walked around the Jewish Quarter and Old Town Square (and got to see the Astronomical Clock go off!), visited the Museum of Communism (turns out the Czechs don’t think too highly of how that political ideology worked out for them), and had the most delicious goulash and bread dumplings!
I came into Prague on the night bus from Frankfurt, and walked into town from the train station just as the rising sun was turning the mist pink and gold. I also got very lost as soon as my phone stopped working. But what a beautiful place to get lost in! The entire city was breathtaking, from the architecture to the Vltava and even the little red trams chugging down the streets.
It was so nice to experience this city and with every hour I spent, I wished I had another hour there (and with my beautiful, generous hostesses ;) )!
The second study break, I traveled with my Psychopharmacology class to Germany. Our first stop: Heidelberg.
The city center is a beautiful gem nestled between a river and forested mountainside. The buildings are made of pink stone, and overlooking the streets are the ruins of Heidelberg castle. There was an air of coziness throughout the city. As a class we got to tour the ruins and visit the Apothecary Museum situated there. It was interesting to see medicine as jars of boars’ teeth and snakeskin when, in class, we study tricyclic antidepressants and adrenergic receptors. Afterwards, we took another tram up the steep incline to the very top of the mountain. It was amazing how much more biting the wind was even just a little further up in altitude (high enough, I suppose, that there’s nothing to stop fast, sweeping winds). A few classmates and I took the winding path down the mountain, comprised of rough stone steps. By the bottom my legs were shaking, unused to being used like stilts. Our last night there I had schnitzel, a half pint of beer, and a glass of tap water more expensive than the beer!
Next, on to Frankfurt.
This city was a thorough mix of old and new. It felt like you could look anywhere, close one eye and see modern, glassy skyscrapers; close the other and you see architecture from the 1600s. The Main was beautiful and blue in the sun, and the weather was clear, chill, and sunny - the perfect mid-autumn day. We were taken on a walking tour to see some of Frankfurt’s prettier views, and learned of some of the city’s uglier history. The stolpersteine all over the city were a sobering and powerful memorial.
We were quite lucky to be in town for the 500th Reformation Day; some friends and I took the opportunity to see a Baroque choir perform for the occasion. I also did some extra celebrating by sampling the local apfelwein (the best way to describe it is “like apple cider, but not”).
On the academic side (yes I am /studying/ abroad), we visited the Goethe Institute, and got to tour a genetics lab. I loved the machine with which slides of mice brains are prepared - the world’s most precise deli slicer. We also spent a long and exciting day at the Max Planck Institute of Frankfurt, and saw the animal testing that they do, as well as talked about the ethics of such testing.
The last night in Frankfurt we visited a nightclub early enough in the evening that there was no cover charge. As the night went on and the crowd filed in and the band began playing, we realized it was a much nicer venue than we’d originally thought. At the very end of the night, a GIGANTIC surprise was another performer taking the stage - Nelly (who was in town on his European tour)! At first we gave each other looks wondering who this unannounced person was at the mic, but as soon as the intro to Hot In Herre started, we lost. our. minds. It was just the one song but the slim chances of us seeing it at all was unbelievable.
The next day would bring a Chipotle dinner, a night bus journey, and the beginning of my travels in Prague, which will all be detailed in the next post, stay tuned!
When I first began this blog, I imagined myself making weekly updates on my life overseas, writing words upon words on the endless amazement, keeping family and friends well-informed with remarks and witticisms. And I would update regularly, let’s say, once a week or so.
....... yeah.
So here’s the first of a series of things that’ve gone on in my life in the 10 weeks since you last heard from me, attempting to elaborate on and fill in the spaces between photosets (don’t worry, there will be more photosets).
Travel Break One: Oct. 6th - Oct. 15th
I woke up on the first day of break at 4am, and got on an early morning flight to England. As with most places you haven’t been in a while, I didn’t realize how much I’d missed my home-away-from-home until I got there. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed my family members until we were hugging. Mum, Russell, Aunty Lisa and I immediately drove down to Wells-Next-The-Sea, where Ben (my cousin) and Emma were getting married the next day. I was quite excited, because I hadn’t been to a wedding since I was a small child - not to mention all the family that would be there, that I hadn’t seen in ages.
The wedding took place at the beautiful, quirky, Voewood house, as well as the green gardens in the back. I found the ceremony quite moving (and we did have a little fun watching Ben squirm under the attention at the altar). The rest of the day was wonderful, from congratulating the new bride and groom, to a delicious South African dinner, and endless cheese, chocolate, and glasses of prosecco (and three jagerbombs from generous cousin Tom).
The next day I got to go on a brief jaunt around Wells, which was nice because I have fond memories of it from three summers ago. I don’t know if I’ll ever get tired of walking along the Quay. After a lunch of homemade pizza, we said our goodbyes and drove to Market Deeping. It was strange thinking that the next time I see my newest once-removed cousin, tiny 8-week-old Duke, he’ll probably be able to talk in complete sentences (when I saw him he was just sorting out what his hands were). During our two days with Lisa and Russell, Mum and I got to have two proper English dinners: steak and ale pie, and fish and chips. It’s just not the same anywhere else.
October 10th, Mum and I flew to Stockholm. The bus into the city from the airport drove us through idyllic farm plots bordered by tall, green and orange forests, with deer grazing in the undergrowth. It was so cold and windy, one of the first things we did was buy a hat from Mum, and a scarf for me (thanks H&M). Over the next two days, Mum and I strolled through Gamla Stan, visited the amazingly-preserved Vasa ship from the early 1600s, took the city ferry as the sun was setting, and also had some /amazing/ swedish meatballs.
The 12th had us on another train, this time to Gothenburg. More beautiful Swedish scenery - this time trees teetered over the sheer rock that tumbled into the bluest lakes I’ve ever seen. When we arrived at our room, on an anchored “boat-el,” it was incredibly windy (thanks again, H&M). Gothenburg is a beautiful city, with canals running through the city center, and tiny parks scattered throughout. I did a speed run of the art museum an hour before it closed, and we both indulged in goose-breast-style cream desserts. Mum also got her prawn sandwich fix at the Fish Church (I’m not even the biggest shrimp fan, and it was really delicious). On the 13th, we arrived back in Hedehusene.
It felt strange showing my Mum around Copenhagen, mostly because it felt really strange to have a foreign city be so familiar to me. That night Martin and Tina spoiled us with a birthday dinner (technically my Mum’s birthday dinner, but I was being spoiled too) of pork with crackling, pickled red cabbage, potatoes and gravy, and for dessert, apple cake.
The 15th, Mum and I went to Nyhavn, Den Lille Havfrue, Rosenborg, and Tivoli. I was so grateful to have spent such unique quality time with my Mum, and being able to spend time with family (blood and host).
Žižkov TV Tower, minus some big brass babies, apparently. The view was very pretty, but too misty for good photos. So heres some pictures of the Observatory Orbs.
I had a day off last Wednesday, so I took a trip down to Statens Museum for Kunst (Denmark’s National Gallery). It had a huge and diverse selection of art. You could have a full museum visit just viewing their Danish Golden Age exhibit, or their collection of modern art and installations. Luckily, I had enough time to do both and more.
Careful to monitor your time there, though, or like me you’ll miss out on getting an onsdagssnegl before the bakeries close!
I’ll make a couple of bigger posts soon, but look at this tiny gallery I stumbled upon near campus! The outside was very orange, the inside was very full of art.
It's been a month, what's the news? So today marked a month since my plane touched down in Copenhagen. It simultaneously feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago. After a few weeks of exploring (getting lost in) the city, I feel like I'm in a transitory period: not quite a tourist anymore, but far from a local. I can give you directions to my favorite bakery, and I know which tracks my trains leave from at each station, but I will pronounce the street names poorly and I will be running to catch those trains at the last second. I might say that I'm falling into a routine, but I could never even imply that a day here is anything but exciting and new. The other morning I was walking to the train station from class, along a cobblestone street that no longer hurts my ankles after more than thirty minutes. Above the surrounding tiled roofs I could see elegant, rising tower spires and I was struck with the feeling that I was really here, in a totally different city, far away from anywhere I've called home. I let out a long breath, which I could see cloud the air in front of me (I know, it's already that cold), and I felt so at peace and thankful that I'm in the place, physical and mental, that I am right now. (I'm not in Kansas anymore)
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