Just three days after I returned home, I left for Copenhagen to spend a few days with Camilla. After a 5 hour train ride, I met Camilla in Copenhagen. I was so excited to see her! About 5 seconds after I arrived the teasing commenced. Hey foreign hahaha hey foreign hey foreign. You speak don't speak danish right. It's jakke not jak. hahaha Well I can't say I didn't deserve it. It's her payback for the last 7 months of tormenting. We headed back to her house in Hareskov and then to her family's summerhouse with her mom, Ilse. Their summerhouse is located about an hour away from Hareskov in northern Sjælland outside of the city of Havnebyen. It was a very pretty landscape with the sea and fall colors. We spent one evening watching movies and relaxing at the summerhouse. The next morning we walked about 2 kilometers to the end of the small strip of Sjælland that we were on. It was super windy. Much like windy spring day in Nevada. Then we drove into Havnebyen and had fish and chips and remoulade for lunch. That afternoon we headed back to Hareskov. The next morning, Ilse, Camilla, and I visited the Frilandsmuseet in Lyngby. It was my second visit to the museum. Luckily, I saw different buildings this visit. After freezing in lovely Danish weather, we visited a bakery and purchased kage which made everything so much better. Mmmm it was good kage. That evening we went to Tivoli. It was beautiful with all the Halloween decorations. Even though Halloween isn't really celebrated in Denmark, Tivoli was decorated just as well as Disneyland. Thursday morning, Camilla and I traveled into Copenhagen to do touristy things. Since Camilla didn't want to look like a tourist, she left the map of Copenhagen at home, so we it took us a while to figure out where to go. The first place we visited was Vor Frelsers Kirke (Our Savior's Church). As it turns out this was one church that my parents didn't drag us into on our trip two years ago. It was beautiful both inside and outside. Camilla and I walked to the around the corkscrew shaped tower to the top of the church. Awesome views of Copenhagen from the top. The inside was amazing. The church's organ was the most amazing piece of woodwork I have ever seen. I can't even imagine how long it took to make in the 1600s. We met up with Camilla's cousins from Jylland (part of Denmark where I live) and we went to Christiania. Christiania is awesome. Unfortunately I don't have very many pictures since pictures weren't allowed. Basically Christiana is its own neighborhood in Copenhagen that is almost completely separate from the Danish government. I have never seen anything like it. It's very colorful with all of the graffiti and murals painted on the buildings. It's huge! I don't think I've seen very much of it. It was beautiful in a different way, but I am very glad that I got to visit. When we got to the walking street Camilla and I parted ways with her cousins. We visited Rundtårn (Round Tower), which is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe. Lots of old things in Denmark. Oldest flag, oldest monarchy, and lots of old buildings. A funny thing I learned is the hallways of Rundtårn are so wide because one of the King Fredericks (like every king in Denmark is named Frederick) was too fat to fit through the original hallways. Afterwards, Camilla and I did a little shopping on the walking street. I also tried almonds cooked in sugar. I wish I could remember that name. They were so good. Camilla and I went back twice to buy more. That evening we had dinner with Camilla's cousins and their parents. It was such a delicious meal. Jeg elsker danske mad! (I love Danish food.) Camilla and I went into Copenhagen again the next morning. This time solely to shop on the walking street. It was a successful shopping day, and I bought a few things. However, the best part was Nutella pancakes. Yes it is exactly what it sounds like, and it is amazing. Camilla's inspiration for the Nutella tortillas we ate so much at home. Sadly I had to leave Camilla's that night. I was headed for Sweden for my ACT test the next morning. It such a nice visit. I'm super excited for her to come and visit me in Hjørring.
It took about 30 minutes to get to Malmo where I met Helena, Lisa Schuette's host sister 30 years ago. I was super excited to see here again. I hadn't seen her or her family since the 4th of July party in the States 3 years ago. We had tacos for dinner! Yum! I miss Mexican food back home. There isn't so much of it here in Denmark. I had a very hyggeligt evening with Helena's family drinking tea and talking. The next morning I got up early and took the ACT. It went ok, and I hope I get the score I need. The part of the test was that I met an American exchange student spending her year in Sweden and another American who was attending an international school in Copenhagen. After the test, Helena, her son Wilhelm, and I went to the walking street in Malmo. There was an American store, and I bought A&W rootbeer! Due to the lack of any rootbeer in Denmark, I was super excited about this. Helena also took us to TGI Friday's. I have never been to one in the States, but I was super glad to have baby back ribs for the first time in months. That evening, the Rosell family and I drove to a small town about an hour and a half north of Malmo for a family party. It was so awesome. I got to see where Lisa Schuette, a family friend, my teacher, and a former exchange student, lived while she was on her exchange. Helena drove up to the house Mrs. Schuette lived in and pointed out the room Mrs. Schuette stayed in and where my mother had visited her 30 years ago when she was an exchange student to Denmark. I met Mrs. Schuette's host brother, sisters and her mother. I was so excited to meet her mother. She remembered my mother's visit year's ago, and we had a great conversation. That is one thing that never ceases to amaze me about the Rotary program. It creates so many connections all over the world. The food was amazing as well as Mrs. Schuette's family. I had such an fun time eating dinner and talking with them. It was really special for me that I got to experience a another part of my mother's exchange as well as a part of Mrs. Schuette's. Before I departed for Denmark, Helena and her daughter, Ebba, took me to see the Turning Torso, which is the symbol for the new Malmo. It was quite an architectural feat. We also walked around the modern neighborhood that was built around the Turning Torso. Very cool. I'm pretty sure a lot of school teachers live there. I had a great time with Helena's family, and I hope that I can come for a return visit.
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