One Week Under My Belt

I've officially been in Copenhagen for about one week. This city is beautiful, charming, exciting, and I really am starting to love it. Yesterday was a normal Sunday full of homework. I also went to immigration to complete the first step in obtaining a residence permit to stay in Copenhagen. The process is easy for American students.

Today was another day of 5 classes. It's rough between 8:30 and 16:10 with exactly zero breaks. They'll absolutely be challenging, which I hear is rare for a study abroad program.

After class, Bri and I found a quaint coffee shop called Kaffekunsten. We sat there doing homework (aka fantasizing about the rest of our semester) & we made the decision that before we could really acclimate to everyday Danish life, we have to do all the silly tourist things first. So, shortly after that, we met up with Anna and Vince to do just that. 

Coffee, homework, and a few Danish Kroner on the table

We all rode our bikes (!!) to Copenhagen's Church of Our Savior, famous for it's corkscrew spire with a winding staircase on the exterior. The church is pictured:

Paying only 25 Danish kroner to enter (a little more than $4), we climbed to the very top of the spire. The view of all of Copenhagen below us was incredible to say the least. We could see the Baltic Sea to the North and to the East with incredible, massive windmills on the horizon. We could see center city, the surrounding neighborhoods of Nørrebro, Vestebro, & Oestebro, Freetown Christiania, and all of the landmarks around the city and beyond. 

After climbing the spire, we ventured toward the fabled Freetown Christiania. Christiania is historically most famous for its open cannabis trade, eviction of hard drugs, and "free" mentality. The commune applies it's own rules including: no cars, no stealing, no guns, no bullet-proof vests, etc. The area is crawling with unleashed friendly dogs and you're not allowed to take pictures. I took a few photos, though, on the extreme outskirts of the commune. Generally, Christiania is a novelty to see mostly because of its parks, incredible gardens, and murals, but also because of its strange characters and "free" mindset.

Mural at the entrance to Freetown Christiania

Pond on the outskirts of Christiania

Following our adventures, I cooked dinner for Bri and myself (Honey and soy glazed salmon with steamed broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, onions, and carrots) and we're off to do homework with the rest of my house!

Tomorrow, I'm meeting with the organization I'll be volunteering with for the semester. More on that after it happens! <3