Spring break: The part that follows part 2

I just finished writing my final essay for my Sustainability in Austria class. I am finding it very difficult to switch my brain over the positive psychology so I think I will stay on the Austria track and try to get some more written about the trip.  Here are a few more academic visits we took:

-A lecture at the Energy Institute: Here we learned about the history of sustainable energy in Vorarlberg.  They started 25 years ago which was ahead of most other countries.  We learned about ecological and biological housing.  Ecologically, Vorarlberg uses building methods that intervene as little as possible in nature.  Biologically, they focus on how the built environment affects humans and the way humans live. Architects and carpenters in this area work closely together, which is not always the case elsewhere.  We were told that Vorarlberg plants to reduce energy by 70-80% by 2050, down to only using renewable energy.  The goal is to not use any fossil fuel energy.  We then learned specifics about passive houses, which are houses that use a maximum of 15 kilowatt hours per square meter per year. Passive houses are achieved through paying great attention to material source, planning and location, interior structure and energy sources of the house.  Vorarlberg gives subsidies for low energy houses.  One of the notes I took was "The US needs more inventive to encourage sustainable building. It is much more a European thing."  Maybe that is what the future will hold!

- Kunsthaus Bregenz: an art museum by a famous Swiss architect named Peter Zumpthor.  The photo shows the facade at night. It is a frosted glass facade surrounding inner glass walls.  This design supplies a lot of light for the interior exhibits.  We got to look around inside but not very much because they were setting up new exhibits and didn't want us to get in the way.  Zumpthor used this design to separate art from the surroundings and give artists special, designated places to exhibit their work.  The glass walls allow the building to rarely use electricity to provide supplementary lighting.  

-A few community houses, two of which were made entirely of wood.  Wood is used a lot here because it is local and it holds up well against the elements.  It is a very good material in terms of low-transportation cost, energy-saving qualities and good durability.  One of the community houses even used sheep wool as insulation.  Apparently it is readily available here and it absorbs moistures and toxins that are present in the air.  This project was the first one to use sheep wool insulation, but since then the company began offering sheep wool as an option.  Very cool.  These buildings also incorporated ecologically sound materials (such as avoiding foams and glues with chemicals), energy efficient heating (ground water preheats the air from outside before it goes into the rooms) and solar installations on the roof to help heat water.  

Those were our main academic visits.  We also got to experience some cultural activities such as a cable car trip up a mountain, swimming in a local stadbad (swimming pool), eating at a local cheese restaurant and spending some time in Liechtenstein and Switzerland.  The swimming pool we went to, by the way, had to coolest indoor slide I have ever seen.  You walk up these stairs to the top of the slide, which has a large window looking out onto grassy fields and snow-capped mountains.  The slide itself is pitch black until you start sliding down it, then orange, yellow and red lights make different designs and patterns on the inside of the slide.  There was even a little waterfall you slide under before swooshing out into a shallow pool of water.  It was awesome.  The one note I wrote in my little diary about it was "Coolest slide ever!"  

I think I will just post a few more photos to wrap up my Austria trip for you : ) Enjoy!

There is actually a pool in the middle of the house...so cool. 

Liechtenstein! 

Dis jumping photo : )

Zurich

finally someone to play hacky-sack with!!

Spring break: Part 2 of...a lot

I keep telling myself I will write an epic post and catch you up on everything we did in Austria.  Unfortunately, I am getting very behind in blogging and I just haven't written the epic post yet.  So this one will have to do.  It's a good start at least. And I will be back with more as soon as I can!!

Wednesday, April 20^th

Well, I am now sitting in the Barcelona airport waiting for my flight back to CPH.  I really thought I would write more posts during the trip but…you probably know how traveling is, not a whole lot of down time and sad to say, blogging was not always the first thing on my mind.  I didn’t have internet in Austria except for the night before we left and then I was only on long enough to know I had a place to stay and a place to meet my cousin Hannah in Barcelona.  Other than that I have been somewhat without internet and completely without my phone service.  Anyway, Friday evening we wrapped up our Austria trip and I flew to Spain.  I guess the easiest thing to do for now would be give you the highlights of Austria before I delve in to the amazingness of Barcelona.  

Here is Austria in a nutshell: 

We did a mixture of academic and cultural visits. Some of our academic visits included a lot of culture too because we were specifically looking at Sustainability IN Austrian Architecture.  All semester we have been looking at projects in the state of Vorarlberg, which is the western-most state in Austria.  It is supposedly the fore runner in sustainable architecture.  It is really neat studying a society and then actually visiting the state and seeing why it is known for its sustainable initiatives.  Our academic visits were the following:

-An architecture firm called Dietrich-Untertrifaller:  We were shown many of their project plans and how they are sustainable through the use of local materials and working with the climate (solar energy, wind energy, ect). 

- An indoor and outdoor theatre called Bregenzer Festspiele (also an important cultural visit):  This theatre is known throughout Europe (maybe even throughout the world) because they put on such unique, spectacular shows.  There are a few indoor stages but the main attraction is the outdoor, floating stage.  It is right on the lake so there is an amazing view.  They have one opera that runs for 2 years at a time.  It performs every night during the one-month long festival in the middle of the summer.  The set is very elaborate (that is why they only change it once every two years) and they just cover it up for the winter and then fix it up again when summer hits.  They have many special effects and a superb sound system so it is a really unique and amazing experience.  Too bad we were not there when one was performing.  I would have loved to see it.  Maybe one day I will take a trip back to Bregenz just to see that.  Here is a photo of the current stage- it is amazing!

We were able to take a guided tour of the Festspiele building and we learned about how the architect added on to the old building in a very unique way that makes the most out of the beautiful scenery, the available light, the indoor stage space and the public area outside the main entrance.  They created a very nice square that people enjoy even if they are not there for a performance.  During the festival it houses a restaurant/bar and some shopping.  This is really the cultural heart of the town. Like I said earlier, Bregenz is about the size of Galesburg but it has a more thriving cultural life than an even larger town like Peoria. People come from all over Europe and all over the world just to experience this stage.  The town has a good economy with lots of newer hotels and restaurants to supply all the tourism.  So Galesburg, I guess this means you better work on building a floating stage out on Lake Storey, right?? 

- Firestation in Wolfurt (small town outside of Bregenz):  From the outside, this building was a little plain. It was made all of concrete and was just a rectangle with one tall tower. 

Despite its plain looks, it was actually a very interesting building.  The architect and the head of the building committee from the community gave us a tour of the station.  It had to be made of concrete because it was located directly beneath electrical wires.  It was very difficult for them to get permission to build underneath the wires in the first place because damage to the wires would be extremely expensive as those wires exported energy to Switzerland and other countries.  Therefore they were only allowed to build so high and it had to be completely fireproof.  A low, concrete building was necessary.  This building was also highly sustainable.  The walls were very thick concrete with insulation and the windows were multiple-paned to keep warmth in.  The firemen in this town are all volunteer so they are not there 24/7.  There are a few rooms where they can relax, talk and eat food after a rescue, so those are heated and there are some conference rooms and offices that are heated, but the big garage for the firetrucks is not heated.  It was vital that they keep the temperature stable but save energy also.  They installed devices that rid the space of exhaust without also losing heat.  If the people working in the firestation do not put effort into closing doors quickly, using natural lights and conserving water, then the energy-saving initiatives might not work.  However, so far the building has been very successful and it is good for the community to see sustainability in a building that is so important to them.   

- A wood company called Berchtold Holzbau:  Just across the road from the Firestation was this company that supplies the wood for houses and builds staircases.  We had a guide (the son of the owner) explaining how the wood is cut and we got to tour the area also.  It smelled so good in there. I could not stop taking deep breaths…you know, that freshly cut wood smell?  Mmm…it was all local wood too and was being cut right there.  

That's it for now. Stay tuned!

Urban Living Room

Hard to see but it's my I HEART Knox button on my DIS backpack : )

Spring break: Rachel Style

Dear lovely readers,  I am back safe and sound in my home in Copenhagen. I have been to Switzerland, Austria, Lichtenstein and Barcelona. I have much to write about my travels.  Here is the first installment of Spring Break: Rachel-style.  I wrote this post while I was in the hotel in Bregenz, Austria.  Enjoy!

April 11.

Hallo from Austria!  (the hello is not spelled wrong, I promise…that’s how they said it there. So cute)

It is the end of the second day on my trip to Vorarlberg, Austria with the “Sustainability in Austrian Architecture” course.  Yesterday we arrived in Zurich around noon and were immediately overtaken by the amazing weather.  We were just so happy to see the sun.  Denmark has been getting better recently, but man, this is awesome. We hopped on a bus and made our way to our first stop: an “Urban Living Room” in a town in outside of Zurich.  A section of the town has been covered in a red layer that is supposed to resemble carpet. It is kind of like the rubbery surface of a track…but not quite as squishy.  It was all over the ground for a few blocks, covering the ground right up to each building and then there were some structures resembling couches and chairs that were also covered by this material. There was even a car made out of the red layer.  There were some large structures in the air, suspended between buildings by thick wires.  We have no idea what they are for but my guess was that they resemble light fixtures, in an attempt to complete the “living room” feel.  It was a really interesting place to visit and explore.  We had some free time so we went to a more happening part of town and found some food.  We bought a pizza to split and took it to the middle of a park and had a little grass picnic.  It was phenomenal.  Pretty good start to the trip, if I may say so myself.

We got back on the bus after I got to play hacky-sack for a few minutes (my goal is to play hacky in every country I go to) and then we drove for an hour, crossed the border into Austria and ended up at our hotel in Bregenz, a town of about 28,000 people.  This is about the size of Galesburg, the town where I go to school, but I have to say, Bregenz is just a little more beautiful…okay, a lot more beautiful.  There is a mountain range to the east that can be seen from just about every part of town.  And then there is a very large lake to the west of the city.  It is a great location for a city, besides maybe the possible floods.  We dropped our stuff off in our hotel rooms and then headed out for a cable car trip up the mountain.  Now that was a great view.  Going up you could either look upwards as we scaled the mountain towards the top, or you could look downwards at the expansive lake and beautiful Austrian villas we were passing.  We spent some time at the top taking pictures, having a class discussion and eating ice cream. Oh, and listening to two old Austrian guys play guitar and sing…it was priceless. We took the cable car back down the mountain and went for a little stroll by the lake.  There were tons of people out since it was Sunday and it was gorgeous, so we really saw the city in prime state of recreation and relaxation. 

A little while later we met up at the hotel and walked to our restaurant.  It was this adorable Austrian place right on the lakeside.  There was delicious food and quite a few candles: very hyggeligt. 

More to come!

Early tomorrow morning I will wake up, jump out of bed (or at least roll out), finish packing my bags, eat some breakfast with Jesper, Andreas and Rebecca and then I will head to the airport and take off on my big spring break adventure.  From tomorrow until Friday I will be in Austria with my class, Sustainability in Austrian Architecture. I don't quite know what to expect from this trip.  The class is a 1-credit class so we only met once a week, which means I will be spending the next 5 days with acquaintances that I have met a few times. However, they all seem incredibly nice and I certainly hope by the end of the trip (or even the end of the first day) that I can call them friends.  From what I know so far we will be visiting public places like community houses (called culture houses) and outdoor parks, and we are visiting some business, architecture firms and such.   Even though we are analyzing sustainable architecture, we are also doing a locational study of Vorarlberg, the western most state in Austria.  We each have a specific topic that we are to write a paper about once the trip is over.  We have done/will do research on our topics and then we are supposed to interview random Austrians on the street to get first hand experience.  My topic is "Clever Family Initiatives".  I have not done very much research yet but hopefully being there will really give me a good perspective to work off of.  I am planning to compare Vorarlberg to Copenhagen, and maybe even an American city as well in terms of what family programs are available and such.  Hmm, we'll see.

Then, Friday evening instead of flying home to CPH I will fly to Barcelona to meet my cousin Hannah and a few friends who are studying in Barcelona. Then it will be 4 days of sight seeing, beach-going, tapas-eating and so on and so forth. I am so pumped! I see many great photo opportunities in my future : ) 

Yesterday after I handed in my final assignment for my European Urban Design Theories class, I did a mountain of laundry and began packing. It didn't quite feel like spring break. Today completely made up for yesterday's lack of spring break-ness. I had the most hyggligt day with Jesper, Rebecca and Andreas.  Rebecca, Jesper and I managed to talk Andreas into going swimming so this morning, after breakfast, we all packed our swim suits and went to the beautiful svomehal (swim pool) in Bagsvaerd. It is a pretty new pool and it is just great. There are all kinds of toys and obstacle things to play with, there is a rock wall in the deep end so you can climb and then jump off into the water, there is a slide and also plenty of room to just frolic around in.  Although my shoulder muscles have enjoyed the months-long break from swimming...the rest of me has actually really missed it.  It was great to be back in the water.
After we had our fill of sliding and frolicking, we went to the grocery store and the movie store.

We picked out the movie Despicable Me (Gruesomme Mig in dansk) because I absolutely adore that movie and thought the kids would like it, and Andreas found a Danish film he had heard about.  We also rented The Social Network, which is the movie about the making of facebook. It seems like a fascinating story.  

Back home, after a yummy lunch of smorrebrod, Andreas and I watched the Danish film.  It was a sad movie about bullying in schools and the awful things that can result from it. After it was over Andreas asked me if I thought it was good.  I hesitated and eventually said that yes it was good but I am just so used to happy endings...and Danish films simply do not have happy endings, at least not in the way Americans are used to.   It was a very meaningful movie, but it was just a little depressing. I guess I just got spoiled by "...and they all lived happily ever after."  

Anyway, it was a really wonderful day outside so we all ended up playing a rousing game of futbol. I simply love that I have little siblings to run around with.  They have even taught me a few things about the game, although I definitely need to practice more seeing as I tried to do a fancy footwork trick and ended up face first in the dirt. Oops.  With some luck I can get the ball away from Andreas and Jesper sometimes, but I have to say they are quite good and mostly I just try to make myself not look like a huge fool.  

Since Karina is gone this weekend, we all decided it would be the perfect night to have Jesper teach me how to make Danish pancakes.  I have to say this is probably the most useful knowledge I have gained since I've been here...and that is saying something because I have learned a ton of very useful things.  I will most definitely use this recipe when I get back to Iowa...many, many times I hope.  I had a blast sipping on a special Easter Beer (the name is literally  Kylle Kylle..which means Chick Chick) while Jesper showed me how much of what to put in where and how to actually cook the thin, delicious pancakes.  I even learned how to flip them in the skillet.  With a spatula? you ask.  Oh no...in the air. That's right, I can flip a pancake in the air...AND catch it again (most of the time).  I do believe I will need to show off this particular skill when I get back : )

Mmmm, it was a most hyggeligt dinner followed by more hygge as Rebecca, Andreas and I snuggled in Andreas' bed and watched Despicable Me.  It was really the most wonderful way to start my spring break.  And now it is late and I should probably sleep because 6 am will come very quickly and I will need to be ready to hop right out of bed!  I hope I can write a few quick updates while I am on my trip...if not, don't worry, you will get all the (hopefully) exciting stories once I get back! 

Happy spring!

P.S. Have you been watching the decorah eagles?  I honestly didn't think it would be that interesting...but then yesterday I just sat and stared at the video for at least 20 minutes. Not only was I not bored,  but I could hardly tear myself away. Tiger (the Larsens' cat) was also pretty interested when he heard the bird noises.  Unfortunately I don't think he quite understood the concept of the video, even after he had sniffed all over my computer.  Poor guy. 

Goodnight! 

Dear North Face Backpack...

Dear North Face backpack,

You and I started our relationship when I first went off to college, nearly 3 years ago.  You have served me well since then. I like your colors and the way you look against my brown North Face jacket.  You make me feel like I am going hiking, even when I am just walking to class.

Today I noticed that you are sick. You have a hole and I can tell it will just get bigger if I keep using you. Pretty soon you will start dropping my books and my pens all other the place...and I just can't have that. I'm sorry I wore you out by lugging you around full of heavy books, sweaty workout clothes, yummy lunch food, and my computer, amongst other ridiculous odds and ends.  Thanks for sticking with me in the car, on the plane, on the train and on my bike as we weaved giddily through the Copenhagen streets.

Unfortunately, I think it might be time for your friend, the DIS backpack, to replace you.  I am terribly sorry that you will not get to see the mountains in Austria, the beaches in Barcelona or Copenhagen in the actual spring time.  I promise I will not have quite as much fun with DIS backpack as I would have with you.

Thanks for carrying all my stuff for the last 3 years, backpack, and for stealing my heart somewhere along the way. We've had some good times. I will miss you greatly.

Love, Rachel

My most European experience yet...I think.

I have had a few "I know I am in Europe" moments so far but I think I had one of the most, in my mind, iconic "European" moments today.  Let me back up a bit and put this into perspective.  I awoke this morning especially tired, so I hit the snooze button, which would have meant I'd get up at 6:11 instead of 6:01.  No big deal.  But then I actually woke to a call from Jesper at 7:20, asking me if I could see where Karina was because she wasn't answering her phone.  I didn't really have to be at school early for anything, but I still had that Oh Crap! feeling you get when you oversleep.  Thank goodness Jesper called because I probably would still be asleep if he hadn't! (ok, maybe not but I think I was tired enough it would've at least been 8 before I woke up).  Anyway, in that hour and a half between when I was supposed to get up and when I really did get up, I had the strangest dream.  I was "home" but it wasn't really Iowa, and it wasn't really Knox.  All I knew was that it wasn't here.  I was meeting some new people and telling them about myself. I was explaining that I spent the last semester studying in Denmark and in the midst of this explanation I started crying.  It was like I had not realized I was no longer in Denmark and I was bawling like a baby because I missed it so very much. And then there was something about a wolf and me running through a rocky parking lot without shoes....but that part was just plain weird and probably didn't mean anything.  Waking up after this dream, however, did put me in a strange "Time needs to slow down, I am not ready to leave" mood.  I do realize I have over a month left here and I do plan to savour each and every second of it (yes, even when I am sitting in my room writing my many papers...at least I am in Denmark writing papers :P )  But even though I have time left, it is getting painful to even start thinking of having to say good-bye to everything.  It was hard to say good-bye to my Iowa life, but I knew it would be there when I got back.  This life will never again be here.  I won't get to live in Europe with a wonderful family, go to school and experience the city as an almost-local.  Blargh, I just can't handle it.
 So I started my day in this odd mindset and then I went to the city for class. First I had Danish, in which we were reviewing for our final test which is on Thursday.  One of the phrases we are currently practicing is Jeg vil savne... which means I will miss...      Great. Now I have to actually think about the things I will miss when I go back to the states.  My answers included mine familie (my family), min cat (my cat), mine venner (my friends), og (and) weinerbrod (danish pastries).  And those are only a few of the things.  Then at the end of class my teacher asked us to get in groups of 4 and discuss our study abroad experience.  My mind flooded with a whiny voice saying things like "But it's not over!" "I still have so much to see." "My experience has just begun...how can I sum it up?"  While I do still have lots of adventures ahead of me, I do have to look back and realize all that I have done in the past 2 1/2 months.  I have already seen lots of things, gone a lot of places, and experienced a lot of Denmark.  And for that I am thankful.

But really...don't make me think about the end yet.  I just want to live in the moment.

After Danish I printed off my group's final paper for my Architecture class and eventually went to class for our final test.  It was 2 hours, 3 questions, 2 hand written pages each.  It was exhausting. I spewed words onto those pages as quickly as I could and the two hours were over before I knew it and I had a very sore hand with a funny dent in my middle finger from holding the pencil and scribbling away for so long.  As I turned my paper in and left the classroom, I was faced again with something ending.  Yes I am relieved to have that paper and test out of the way, but it will be weird having my Monday afternoons be free and not having to read about Nordic architecture each week. 

And that brings me to the "I really am in Europe" moment.  After the test I left DIS to go on a little bike ride because it was amazingly gorgeous outside and I had some time to kill before badminton.  I found a little pasta and pizza shop that my friend DeLayna recommended and I bought some pesto pasta to eat before badminton. This little restaurant was on a pretty quiet street between DIS and the main road that has my usual train station on it.  It was after 7 in the evening and the sun was still shining.  I was wearing boots, skinny jeans, my rain jacket and a scarf, and carrying my backpack with my badminton racket sticking out of it.  I was riding slowly because I wanted to really take in the experience (and also keep my legs from dying).  As I am riding down this nearly deserted street that is lined with the iconic colorful, tall, narrow Danish buildings, I hear Danish cheers and hollers coming from somewhere above.  I look up just in time to see a Dane stick his head out of the window to smoke his cigarette.  I don't know what it was about that moment.  I was just pleasantly coasting, by myself, on my bike, riding down an empty street, and I got a small glimpse into a lively Danish get-together.  Perhaps they were watching a sports event on TV...or playing a game of poker...or playing charades...who knows, but it did seem like they were having a great time and I got to briefly share a small smile with the random person at the window.  I guess I can't explain it as well as I thought I'd be able to, but it is very iconic in my mind:  wearing a chic outfit, riding a bike, watching some Danes be hygge on a Monday night.  It just screams Denmark to me and I love it.  

There are so many things that made it a perfect moment and made it something that could not happen in Iowa or Illinois...or probably anywhere besides here.  It was the architecture of the facades, the foreign shouts and cheer, the open window and the Dane smoking his beloved cigarette.  These are things I would've have never thought of as being especially European, but it turns out they were the things that held that authentic"I am really in Europe" feel.  

To top this all off, tonight was the last time I got to go to badminton.  They will meet for the next two weeks (while I am on break) and after that they will begin summer training.  I have only seen each of those girls around 5-7 times, but it was still really hard to leave, knowing I won't see them again.  I held back my tears for the train ride (Danes tend to not really show very much emotion so I would've felt super awkward looking like a sad little American), but I can't promise that my eyes didn't well up as I rode my bike home.  I guess that is life: ups and downs, going and coming from one home to another, and eventually having to say good-bye.  

But really...I still have a month and a half left! When I look at it like that I guess it seems silly to get worked up about it already.   For now, I better just stay focused on all of these papers I have to write so they will be done by the time the weather is absolutely ideal for sightseeing.  

As always, thanks for reading...and share a smile with the next person you see...you never know, you might just start a chain reaction  : )

Speak now or forever hold your peace

I have discovered that in order to continue adding new pictures, I will have to delete some of the old ones.  Any objection to that? I do hope that you have more exciting things to do than go back and read my old blog posts...and if you do not then I will just have to do my best to post new things that are even more exciting than the old ones : )

On another note, I had the most delicious Danish pancakes this evening.  The taste is still in my mouth and I don't want it to go away.  They are a much, much, much thinner version of American pancakes, more like crepes actually.  They are made with a few different ingredients...no baking soda, for example. And they are just. plain. delicious.  I will DEFINITELY be making them back in Iowa, once Jesper teaches me how that is.  He made all of them tonight, so I think he is quite the pancake master.  Filling options this evening for the pancakes were maple syrup, sugar, strawberry ice cream and vanilla ice cream.  I tried them all (I think I had 7 or so pancakes total) and they were all fabulous.  I have to say I think the ice cream inside was the best, although sugar comes in a close second. Mmmmmm.

On one more note, I have figured out where I will be spending this summer.  I got accepted into the University of Iowa Undergraduate Research program, so I will live at U of I in Iowa City and do Neuroscience research.  It will be quite a change from lifeguarding like I have done the past 6? summers...and I am certain I will miss those lovely days in the sun and my swim lesson kids and my water aerobics ladies : (  But I am very excited about this opportunity too.  I guess I will finally learn if I love research as much as I think I do...and if I can actually be a city girl : P

Ok, I suppose I should get back to work.  Tomorrow starts another big week of projects and tests so wish me luck! : )

A bug? No no, I didn't ride a bug.

I was just reading over my last post since I wrote it pretty late last night (and in between a few pre-bedtime naps).  Anyway, in the last paragraph I wrote "...and I took a bug to the airport."  I just wanted to point out that I did not in fact, take a bug to the airport...I took a bus. Although I do think taking a bug would have been a lot cooler (I am picturing a me-sized one-person lady bug car flying along the streets of Edinburgh).  I could have just gone in and changed that little type, but I thought it was too funny to change so I might as well leave it. Hopefully it makes a few people smile or giggle :)

While I am on here writing I might as well keep trying to catch up because in just a week I will be headed out on my next big adventure to Austria and Spain and I don't want to still be writing about my March adventures then. When I got back to Copenhagen on Sunday I tossed my stuff in my room and headed out on a little excursion with Karina and Jesper.  Rebecca was at her Uncle's flower shop up north so we went up to pick her up, do a little shopping and see the ocean.  It appears I have run out of room for photos on the blog : ( so I will have to figure something out so I can keep showing you the beautiful sights.
We walked around the town, stopping at cute shops (where I found a pair of Toms shoes for 100 kroner!!) and then we walked up around the docks where lots of adorable boats were kept.  From there, we could see Sweden across the water...which is just so darn cool.  It was a beautiful sunny, warm day and once we left that area, we drove down the coast so that I could see all the beautiful villas.  With my love of architecture and sunny days...that combination made the afternoon ride just incredibly lovely.

Monday was my big presentation in my Danish Architecture class on the 8-tallet (a.k.a. Eternal 8-house in english).  Have I said anything about it in past posts? I probably have...but that is because a lot of my time has been learning about, examining and analyzing this building.  The combination of residences and commercial spaces in an aluminum and glass and wood encased structure. I think it's beautiful.  And as thing turned out, we ended up giving our presentation on site, sitting on the grass in one of the outdoor courtyards at the 8-tallet.  We didn't use our powerpoint or notes...but I still think we rocked it :)
Monday night I went to badminton as usual (my partner and I even won the first match we played!).
Tuesday was psych class and developmental neuropsychology followed by riding my bike home from the city (which is still difficult, but getting easier each time I do it).  I am really going to miss Copenhagen's convenient bike lanes when I try to ride in Iowa City this summer.  I just love how bikes are taken seriously here...although I have to admit it can get a little frightening when I find myself suddenly surrounded by 20 other riders who are all trying to get to work at the same time.  Out of necessity I have become quite proficient at hand signaling and passing on the left.

Anyway, Wednesday morning we went on an awesome field trip for my Positive Psych class.  I think I will actually write quite a bit about the trip because it was so relevant and interesting that you all might be as fascinated as I was.  Unfortunately, it is again late at night and my tired brain won't be able to do the experience justice. So...for now I will sleep and then, as always, I'll be back with more later : )
Hej hej!

A wee trip to the land of Cadbury candy and kilts

I left Copenhagen on last Wednesday's warm and sunny morning.  I do have some posts from the trip but I will try to do another overview because it was such a great trip and totally deserves more than one recognition in the infamous blog.  My cousin Hannah (whose blog link is on the right side of your screen!) is studying at University of Dundee in Dundee, Scotland.  To get to her, I flew to London, transfered flights, flew to Glasgow, took a bus to the train station, took a train to Dundee.  Approximately 12 hours after I left my Copenhagen house I saw my beautiful red-haired cousin (I say this because I can tell it is definitely Hannah from far away by the hair :)
After our heartwarming reunion in the Dundee train station, we walked arm in arm through her campus towards her flat.  She made me a wonderful dinner and then we got ready for a night of dancing.

lækkert! (delicious in dansk)

The official "Rachel is in Scotland!" photo

A night at the Union (campus student center) with Hannah's friends! 

Thursday Hannah let me sleep in while she went to class and then we walked around downtown Dundee in the beautiful weather, did a little shopping and got Cadbury egg McFlurries! (Only in the UK, I suppose!) They tasted just like a Cadbury creme egg broken up into ice cream...which equals very delicious!  We basked in the sun and savoured them.

What a pretty day in Scotland!

McFlurry model pose :)

Mmmm!

Square with fountains and other lovely things

Safe to say we are the coolest Iowa cousins in Dundee?  I think so!

More of the pretty square.  

We did a little grocery shopping after our afternoon on the town; we had to buy ingredients so we could make dishes for the potluck that evening!  I made pasta with veggies and parmesan cheese and Hannah made a delectable fruit salad.  Hannah and her two friends have a "heart-warming family potluck" once a week and this week they were kind enough to include me and a bunch of their other friends so we had a bountiful table of food and lots of great company.  The event of the evening, before the pot luck, was a Zumba class taught by yours truly!  8 or so of us gathered in the living room of Hannah's flat and spent an hour dancing away some calories.  Waka waka by Shakira was a big hit, as it always is.  We worked up a sweat and were good and hungry for the delicious food awaiting us.

After dinner and cleaning up a bit, we went out for a pint.  Han does this a lot with her friends and I can now see why.  It is very hyggeligt.  We just sat for an hour or so, sipping our beer, chatting, observing our surroundings and relaxing.  Can't get much better than that.

Tennents...very Scottish and quite good. 

Friday was the day of our big adventure to St. Andrews.  After Hannah's morning class we caught a bus and rode the short 20 minute ride over to the old town of St. Andrews, where one of my wonderful Knox friends, Bess Cooley, is studying.  It was so nice to have a "local" to meet up with in places like this because she knew where to take us and what was cool to see in the area, especially since we only had a few hours there.  We explored the Cathedral ruins...which are ruins because the townspeople took the cathedral stones to build the city....not because of wear and tear, which I thought was fascinating.  

Here are the photo highlights from our day; hopefully they show what a great time we had!

On the bus ride 

Cathedral

There is the castle Bess Cooley can see from her dorm...what a great view!

Love these classy looking buildings.

Beautiful cupcake store!

Bess Cooley and myself!

I take my hacky-sack everywhere I go. I just so happened to have a chance to play in one of the parks. 

Ha! Oh Scotland :P

Friday night was another awesome night of dancing (they are very good at that in Scotland!) and then as quickly as it started, it was already my last day :( 

From that cute cupcake shop in St. Andrews!  This was eaten at 2:15 am...and it was delicious. 

My flight to London left Edinburgh at 5:00 pm so Hannah and I hopped on a train at Dundee around 9:30 and then we spent the day together in Edinburgh.  We did a lot of walking around, looking in funny little stores, watching street performers and enjoying our time together as much as possible.  Thank goodness we get to see each other in 2 weeks in Barcelona because otherwise that good-bye outside the bus (which already included at least 4 hugs) would've been a lot more emotional.  I can't deny shedding a few tears, but I was just so happy I got to spend time with Han in Dundee.  It was a super experience.  

Going to Edinburgh!

A close.  Close sounds so much classier than alley.  Scotland has many closes.

I think this looks like a brain. How awesome is that?

Kilts!!

The cafe where J.K Rowling started writing Harry Potter.  We were standing in the midst of history.  

The Castle!

Edinburgh from a high vantage point by the castle.

We are twinsies!

After our sad goodbye, Hannah spent a few more hours in Edinburgh and I took a bug to the airport, where I flew to London.  My flight was full of drunk Scots...most of whom were wearing kilts.  I can't imagine a more entertaining (although somewhat obnoxious) way to say farwell to Scotland.  I spent the night in a swanky hotel right next to the airport, then woke up early (4:30 am!) to travel back home.  

I have to say, I slept most of the flights during this trip because I was so very tired after all of our dancing and walking around cities, but I love flying so much.  My favorite part is taking off and getting to see what looks like a miniature model of the city you were just in.  It's great to get a bird's eye view of places you have been-- it's a great way to compare the overall look and feel of distinctly different cities such as Milan and Edinburgh.  Both beautiful, but in completely different ways.  

I think I have to wrap up my blogging party for tonight.  I need to get some sleep because I have a massive room clean planned for tomorrow morning.  I am hoping it is sunny and that I can fling open my windows and feel the spring air...I'll cross my fingers as I sleep!

As always, thanks for following my adventures :)

Love to all!