The weeks following my travel break have been an absolute blur. Term papers, classes, social engagements, and an entirely new city to explore. A "new city?" you ask? Yes, I am convinced that the Copenhagen I lived in prior to my three-week travel break is an entirely different place than it is now. The cause of such change? WEATHER! I had abandoned any hope of loving the rainy, ice palace that is Copenhagen between January and April. However, my feelings are fickle. The end of May and April have made me not only appreciate the beautiful city, but be able to do so without donning 2 coats, a sweater, scarf, and mittens.

The sunny, 65 degree weather the past 2 weeks has been a small slice of heaven. The city has transformed. The streets are constantly crowded during the lunch hour, as Danes eat at side-walk cafes and sip beer while sitting besides the fountains in the many squares. The city is truly alive, and much more enjoyable to be in. Of course, it's wonderful just as soon as I'm about to leave. Go figure.

I've been able to do some fabulous things outside. Below is a picture of me next to the Little Mermaid statue, one of the most famous landmarks in Copenhagen.
The park surrounding the statue is gorgeous. The waterfront looks out into the harbor and is covered with many varieties of flowers, plants, and trees. The gardens are exploding throughout the city. The abundance of plants everywhere makes for an extremely fragrant and colorful cityscape.

This past Friday was the Denmark International School's end of year picnic. North of the city, in the ritzier area of suburban Copenhagen, our school descended upon a local waterfront park and had hot dogs, salads, burgers, beer and wine. It was a wonderful opportunity to relax in the sun. For once in my life, I wasn't the palest person on the beach. There was a plethora of pasty skinned Danes laying in the sun, attempting to force more melanin into their bodies. Public nudity was abound as we dodged naked sun-bathers while playing frisbee. The water wasn't too tempting, but we managed to step in for a few minutes and it was surprisingly warm. I simply wanted to get one step closer to Sweden. If the picture quality were higher, you could make out the country on the other side of the straight.



The next seven days will most certainly also be a blur. But, thankfully, it will be a beautiful, sunny blur. I'm excited to go home, but I'm lucky that my last memories of Denmark will be full of sunshine.

The final chunk of my three week European adventure was incredibly relaxing and a much needed respite from huge group tours shared with 40 other college students. I traveled to Oxford, England to visit with my friend Tim (an NU student studying at Oxford for the year). His parents were concluding a 3 week visit for the first 5 days of my time with Tim, and it was nice to meet them and spend time with people other than 21 year olds. I was thankful to have a real conversation with an adult, as opposed to the majority of time spent with my peers for the previous weeks. We usually talked about harassing the prostitutes in the Russian hotels and comparing who had the best pictures with them. Maturity only decreases in large groups.

The four of us spent time at Oxford and Bath, both beautiful charming towns. The landscape around us was green, the flowers were blooming and the fields teemed with new spring lambs. The quaintness oozed out of everything. It was really nice to not be in a large city, and to take a more relaxed pace. Walking around small neighborhoods, eating in pubs, and trying different ales (my favorites were called The Fursty Ferret and the Waggledance) made for a great deal of fun.

After Tim's parents left, we took a bus to Cheltenham to take some walks around the outskirts of the city. We stayed at the local YMCA (the only youth hostel) and wandered throughout the city and the surrounding countryside. The week was refreshing and it prepared me for the busy month that remains in Copenhagen.

Tim and I on the Cotswold Way with Cheltenham in the background.

My trip to Russia was an extremely stressful and enlightening adventure. My complete inability to understand any of the language (written or spoken) was a major hindrance. Although I was in a group of 30 American students and 2 leaders, one of whom was fluent in Russian, I still felt intimidated by the people and the culture. While I am sure that the majority of my apprehension was a result of decades of poor relations with the United States and anti-Communist propaganda, I found there were many truths . Unlike the extremely clean and efficient Denmark, Russia seemed much grittier and edgier, which made for an exciting trip. Not being able to drink the water, eat fresh fruits or vegetables, or generally understand any of the language provided many challenges. Although we were assured that Russian cities were no more dangerous than major cities in the U.S., our confidence was shaken when passing another DIS group in our hotel lobby while leaving Moscow. The dialogue was as follows:

Me: How did you like St. Petersburg?
Other student: You need to be really really careful. Three people from our group got mugged while on the train, including Carsten (the 65 year old tour leader with decades of experience).
Me in thought bubble: (Oh joy!)



The few Russian people I interacted with her friendly and helpful. However, the only ones I could interact with spoke English well. It made it difficult to tell what Russian who only spoke Russian were like.

However, I did have one incredible experience with a Russian student which I will surely never forget. When we visited St. Petersburg during the second half of our trip, we had the option of taking part in a "St. Petersburg Behind the Facade" tour. This 3 hour adventure proved to be my favorite part of the entire week, partially due to the company, but also because it felt as though I was seeing Russia for what it really was. Our group was divided several times, and I ended up with 6 other students and our leader for the afternoon, Barbara, a University student studying and living in St. Petersburg. To set the scene, a few physical details regarding Barbara. She was about 20 years old, 5'7", brown hair, light skin, tight pants in the typical European style, dark coat and of course, the best accessory, cigarettes. I'm quite aware that most Europeans smoke, but Barbara proved to be the only chain-smoking tour guide I've encountered thus far. Not only did she constantly have a cigarette in her mouth or hand, but was extremely exuberant and excitable. I guess the best way to describe her is to say this, she's the kind of person you imagine will turn into an eccentric old woman some day that owns dozens of cats and dyes her hair neon pink at age 75. Her energy level was incredible as she regaled us with Russian college stories and a brief history of the area. I was enthralled with her.

There were many highlights of the afternoon, most of which will make Mom and Dad cringe a bit. First of all, while visiting tenement housing, we rode in an elevator using exposed cinderblocks as counterweights. I'm surprised that the four of us didn't plunge to our deaths. Secondly, the roving packs of feral dogs and cats that occupied the back streets most certainly carried every variety of disease you could think of. I missed seeing wild animals.

Finally, the most dangerous activity, and therefore the most fun, climbing on the roof of an old apartment building by crawling through an attic crawl space (ie, Tetanus Risk Factor of 10). While in the attic/crawl space, we saw remnants of where homeless people had camped. Barbara assured us that climbing to the top of roofs was a very popular college student activity. The challenge is finding broken or unlocked doors. However, what college student activity would be complete without cheap alcohol? Luckily, Barbara had planned ahead and brought cognac (or rubbing alcohol with brown coloration) and plastic cups for us to sip upon as we viewed the city from our roofscape. This memory is my favorite of the trip. Seven college students from different cultures, sharing their experiences over bad cognac. I was glad to know that the college students and cheap alcohol is a universal thing.

While I learned a great deal of history about Tsarist Russia, Communism, and the fall of the USSR, I'm sure I will forget it all (most of its already gone). I can learn history again and again throughout my lifetime. But, when will I ever be on top of a rusted roof in St. Petersburg sipping cognac again?



**Barbara is the one facing the camera**

This past week, I rode a bus for over 50 hours, and traveled to amazing places that don't often come to mind when thinking of European vacations. The drive from Copenhagen to Budapest, Hungary takes approximately 23 hours, if you include border stops in Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Also count a breakfast in the Czech Republic and lunch in Bratislava, Slovakia. My passport now includes some incredibly interesting stamps, despite spending a short time in those few places. The amount of snow and cold decreased as we headed further south, and with 35 other DIS students, two leaders, a half dozen movies to watch and loads of excitement, we soon found ourselves in beautiful Budapest.

I must admit, I knew nothing about Budapest or Hungary prior to going there. The reason I signed up for this tour was my lack of knowledge. I wanted to see the most obscure places possible, places I'd probably never go on my own. It was a wise decision.

Firstly, Budapest could easily become my favorite European city. Florence still has the number one ranking, but perhaps if I spent more time in Budapest, I could be swayed. Not only was the city extremely beautiful, but very very interesting. The combination of many cultures comes together along the Danube River in a very picturesque setting. The history of Hungarian Jews, of the former Soviet Block, and the ancient Turkish influences make for a varied and diverse city. Walking along the Danube several times was a distinct pleasure.

Highlights of the trip included 1) The nice weather. Escaping blustery, wet Copenhagen could make even Baghdad look appealing right now. 2) The Turkish Baths: Several friends from my trip and I went to the Gellert Baths. Budapest has several hot springs within the city limits and using the public baths is cheap, safe and fun! I was treated to access to hot mineral baths, cold pools, saunas, and a massage by a very scary Hungarian woman. She attacked my body with little mercy. After the cramped bus ride, the massage table was a little slice of heaven. 3) Sightseeing. We saw the second largest Synagogue in the world (the one in NYC is the largest), which was beautiful. In addition, we toured several castles, on the top of vistas overlooking the river and the city. Simply wandering around the streets (which I spent most of my free time doing) offered many visual delights.

After an amazing time in Budapest, we boarded the buses again for a 3 hour trek to Vienna. This year is the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth. Spending a great portion of his life in Vienna, the city was full of Mozart memorabilia. An exhibit on Mozart that I toured included several original scores, including Don Giovanni. You couldn't walk two feet in Vienna without seeing a picture of the genius. Luckily, our itinerary included seeing the performance of Don Giovanni at the State Opera house, arguably the best Opera venue in the world. Seeing the live performance while imagining Mozart conducting the pit orchestra was a truly amazing experience. Below is a picture of me at the Opera House.
In addition to seeing the Hopsburg Apartments, several large churches in Vienna, and renaissance era castles, another key element played into my enjoyment of the city: Food, particularly schnitzel, chocolate and beer! Not to sound like a cliche college student, but Austrian beer is delicious. It was so fun to drink out of classic Steins, as we did in a pub one night. Schnitzel is also delicious, whether in chicken, beef, or veal form. And well, chocolate needs no explanation.

As I write this entry, I'm growing weary. But, I must press on. This Monday, I leave for Russia, and then the following week I travel to Oxford to visit a friend. The extended spring break continues.

This post is long overdue, but finally, thanks to a break in the action, I can begin to update the past few weeks. My boyfriend, Dave, came out to visit me during Northwestern's spring break. Both wanting to explore Europe a bit, we planned to spend a few days in Berlin, a 45 min flight from Copenhagen.

Dave arrived to Copenhagen on a Friday afternoon, and within 16 hours, we were on a plane to Berlin. Despite chilly weather and getting lost from the train station, we managed to find our hotel. In a very hip section of West Berlin, the Mark Hotel Berlin was a cheap, yet very stylish and spacious hotel space. I believe that our room at ceilings that were at least 12 ft high. Trying to stay in a place like that in Copenhagen would put you back lots of greenbacks, but not in the surprisingly cheaper Berlin.

Highlights of the weekend included a trip to the Pergamon Museum to see the German archaeological finds of the late 19th Century. Artifacts from the Middle East, Northern Africa, and other parts of Europe were on display in a beautiful open air museum. The photo below shows a huge gymnasium sized room that contains the remnants of an entire building. I'm getting very excited to go to Turkey to see the things the Germans left behind!















In addition to seeing foreign cultural attractions, we also investigated Cold War Berlin by seeing the Checkpoint Charlie museum as well as wandering around the Brandenburg Gate (the old entrance to the West). The Checkpoint Charlie museum was extremely interesting, and contained many "escape" stories across The Wall. The most interesting to me were the two families who built their own hot air balloon and flew across in the middle of the night. Nothing spells out desperation like that. The Gate was absolutely stunning. See the picture below.



















There were plenty of Soviet relics, including the hat my comrade Dave wears below. Every souvenir area had piles and piles of old Soviet uniforms, pins, gas mask, and all types of random memorabilia. In addition, every tourist shop offered pieces of The Wall for sale. Although Berlin is extremely hip and modern now, the remnants of 16 years ago still remain. The city was filled with scaffolding and construction, as they prepare to host the final game of the World Cup this summer. Overall, the modern city was beautiful, and seemed to leave behind the poor image of the past. I would gladly return to Berlin, although at a sunnier, warmer time of year. The delicious beers and sausages would be reason enough to return.

I was fortunate enough to visit Paris this past weekend. I can honestly say that I had an amazing time, filled with lots of walking, sight seeing, and of course, chocolate croissants and Nutella filled crepes. As a first timer to the City of Lights, I was assisted by a dear friend from both Missoula and Northwestern, Zach Pfau.

After leaving Copenhagen on a Friday evening (following a week composed of 4 exams and 2 papers due), I was ready for some relaxation and a change of pace. Zach was kind enough to pick me up at the airport and we sped away to Montmartre to check into my youth hotel.

Early Saturday morning, I awoke to begin navigating my way toward Tour Eiffel on the Paris Metro. Being used to the anxiety stricken Scandinavian way of time management, I arrived 45 minutes early. This, however, did not prove to be a poor move, as I was able to meander through the surrounding neighborhood and enjoy a delicious chocolate croissant. I then met Zach for a fun filled day! After visiting the top of the Tower (which, was abbreviated due to the cold winds), and gaining perspective on the city, Zach and I made our way to his neighborhood, and dined on a delicious Falafel sandwich while catching up on the past year of our lives. Then, off to the Louvre!

Our friend from Missoula, Lily Frandsen, is also studying in Paris at AUP. In addition to being a fun person to spend time with, she also has extensive knowledge of the museum due to her art history knowledge and part time tour guide duties there. Instead of navigating the museum on our own, she gave us the highlights along with some of her personal favorites complete with back story and commentary. Apparently if you were to spend 30 seconds looking at each individual piece of art, it would take 3 months, night and day, to see everything. Clearly, my weekend trip wasn't going to cut it. Luckily, we had Lily to guide us. Below is a picture of us in front of the famous pyramid structure that defines its courtyard.

The Venus and I also shared a moment...
Following our tour of the Louvre, Zach and I walked back toward Montmarte to see the Sacre-Caeur de Montmartre Basilique (The Church of the Sacred Heart). After climbing the hill, seeing the church and enjoying some street musicians, we met Lily and some of Zach's friends for a marvelous dinner complete with the best Onion soup and baguettes I have ever had, go figure. After 10 hours of walking, I was certainly ready for bed around midnight.

Sunday morning wouldn't be complete without a church service. After fighting with my leg cramps and chaffed legs (yes...that much walking on Saturday), I hauled myself out of bed and took the train down to Notre Dame. The sun was shining and the tourists were abundant. Arriving slightly before the 10 am mass, I wandered around the sides chapels, taking a few photos and absorbing the atmosphere. As I looked around, dodging cameras and tour groups, I was able to hear some of the mass in French as well as the beautiful youth choir sing hymns. After getting my fill of Catholicism for the morning, I enjoyed a Nutella filled crepe and watched rollerbladers do tricks with the sunshine and La Seine as my backdrop.

Unfortunately, Saturday was a bit overcast and cold, but Sunday's sunshine made up for it. I actually got a sunburn! Ok, I know what you're thinking: Caitlin, you Norwegian Fair Skinned Goddess, you'd get as sunburn sitting in front of a candle for ten minutes. Well, poo to you! I actually wore sunglasses that day, which was good, because Zach and I spent a lot of time outside again!

After my tour of Notre Dame, I met Zach at the Pompidou for some wonderful modern art, in particular, the Big Bang exhibit. After seeing some extremely provocative artwork, Zach and I enjoyed ham and cheese baguettes and chocolate eclairs. Following lunch, we walked, and walked, and I loved every calorie burning step (I felt as though I ate my way through Paris!). We made it to Bastille, walked along La Seine, passed by Victor Hugo's House, made a brief stop at the Luxemborg gardens, and then had several espressos to warm up, at two separate cafes. Following a brief interlude at my hotel, we had dinner at a delicious Thai Restaurant and then parted ways for the weekend.

I had an incredible time in Paris. I could easily spend months there simply wandering through the streets. I never once met a rude Parisian (granted, I wasn't looking for one!). The snotty stereotype was not fulfilled and I found the few people I interacted with to be extremely friendly and helpful. I will go back. I must go back.

Sunday, a beautiful sunny day, with Notre Dame in the background.

Copenhagen was the world's stage for athletics, grace, and beautiful movement this past weekend. Participants from all over the world arrived to show their finesse, hard work, and determination. But, who's country would win? Who would show that they, indeed, were champions of the world? In fierce competition, enemies and friend were made, hearts were broken, and dreams did come true.

At this point, you're probably saying, "Caitlin, as much as you'd like to be in Italy right now for the Olympics, stop fantasizing and realize that you're in Italy's neighbor to the north, Denmark." Well, poo poo to the Olympics! I was talking about the International Break Dancin' Competition held in Copenhagen this weekend, FLOOR WARS. Teams of three competed in face-offs on an open floor as the DJ spun mad tunes in the background. Did you not think that Estonia was known for its break dancing? Well, me neither until I saw 3 Estonians doing back flips and head spins to blaring hip hop. What about Norway? Iceland? The Netherlands? Did they field teams? You bet, but they sucked. The South Africans were amazing, but lost out early because they had a face-off with a Copenhagen team (and despite the absolute awful dancing of this particular Danish team "Rumble Pack", home crowd advantage sealed their berth to the final round). China and another Copenhagen team were my favorites.

All in all it was an excellent evening. I must admit that I'd never seen so much urban American culture, especially in a room full of a thousand Scandinavians. I normally don't like hip hop, rap, or anything related disc spinning and baggy clothing, but I had an amazing time. Who would have thought I'd have to go to Copenhagen to see my first break dancin'?

The weather is definitely getting warmer and I was able to walk outside with only a long sleeve t-shirt and down vest today. Hopefully this trend will continue.