Copenhagen

After that crazy month of traveling, I got two weeks to just cool down and concentrate on school before heading off again...this time to Copenhagen!!! This was a really exciting trip for me because I'd been planning it since the beginning of the year in order to meet up with some friends from high school who were also studying abroad. It was super cool to have a little Mead reunion in Denmark out of all places! Emma was studying abroad in Florence, and Gretchen was studying in London, but we all met up, along with Emma's friend Amy, who was also studying in Florence with her. In Copenhagen, we stayed with Emma's Danish friend Victoria, whom she met in Cambodia. Connections everywhere!!! But so much fun.

This was also a short weekend trip, so we spent the first day trying to navigate our way to Victoria's apartment and then having a cup of coffee at her place first (lots of coffee that weekend...the two studying in Italy were missing their cappuccinos) before heading to the University of Copenhagen, where she studied. It was pretty centrally located and was such a beautiful school. They were having an open day for students, so there were lots of food stands and concerts and such. It was nice to just sit and chill! We got some falafel on the way back and laughed a lot and were very happy just to be in this awesome city together.

Friends!!!!!

After a rough night of starting "Inception" together but all falling asleep before the movie was even half over, we woke up to fresh made breakfast by sweet Victoria. It was so good...she was the best host ever! The next day, we walked all around town and also did a boat tour, which was a great way to see the city and all its top attractions! It truly is a lovely city. We saw Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid statue, the royal palace, the parliament building, some great churches, the opera house, some museums, and much more.

The back of Little Mermaid...great pic

I especially love the colorful buildings along the harbor and all the cool ships over there. There are also some houses on the water that apparently have waiting times of over 100 years if you want to buy one. So crazy! The city was beautiful, and the houses reminded me a bit of the Netherlands. I actually kept getting reminded of the Netherlands while I was in Denmark because I felt like there were some similarities between the two cultures, such as many similar words in the languages, how everyone bikes, some certain foods, and the fact that everything is pretty much flat. I think both cultures are wonderful. Also, fun fact about Danish royalty -- all kings are always named either Frederick or Christian; it alternates every generation.

Harbor

We also visited Christiania, this little area within the town that is supposed to be free from Danish law. So basically it's just like this commune kind of thing where there's lots of weed and alcohol and music festivals. No pictures are allowed there though because people actually live there and that is their home. I thought it was a really interesting place to visit though.

Right outside Christiania

After that, we headed home, where Victoria was awaiting us with an amazing dinner of this kind of savory pie...ahhh, it was so good. We spent the night having some beers and talking and playing games and just enjoying each other's company. It was so nice!

The final day, we headed to a tiny little Danish village (I think it had a population of less than 50 people) where Victoria's family lives. They were so gracious and welcoming and made us a traditional dinner of roast pork and potatoes and gravy that you usually eat for Christmas. It was the best meal ever...sooo delicious! The rest of the day at her house was spent playing games, going on walks around the village, and just hanging out with her family. It was such a lovely day.

View of the little village

Victoria drove me to the airport after dinner, and I said goodbye to all my friends. It was an amazing weekend, and I'm so thankful to have gotten to reunite with old friends and also to have made such great new ones in this incredible city!