Last week I flew
off to Copenhagen, Denmark to visit my friend Ebba! Ebba had been an exchange
student at my high school junior year, and we had both played on the softball
team. Since she has returned home to Sweden we have kept in touch, and she was
very kind in inviting me to come for a visit! This was my first solo travelling
experience in Europe (aside from getting to Ireland) so I was a little nervous,
but it went pretty smoothly. I arrived in Copenhagen and then took a train from
the airport for about 30 minutes to the city of Lund, where Ebba met me. Lund
is a great town, the perfect size, and with adorable buildings and cobblestone
streets. Everyone was also very friendly and most spoke English J In the evening, some of Ebba’s friends came
over and we watched a movie. It was really interesting to hang out with Swedish
people my age to get their perspective on different things. Even though I was
only there for a few days, it seemed like the Swedes were a little more similar
to Americans than the Irish I’ve met here in Galway. Again though, I can’t
really judge a whole country based on a few days’ worth of observations, so it’s
just an opinion!
The next day
Ebba showed me more of Lund, including the University that she attends. I even
sat in on her statistics class, which was still pretty cool since I had no idea
what the professor was saying. I also learned that math is terrible in any
language! Afterwards we visited the cathedral, which was very impressive. In
addition to the crypt (where Finn the Giant can still be seen holding up one of
the pillars), the cathedral contains a large clock/calendar. Every day at noon
and 3pm it performs a little show, kind of like a cuckoo clock. The amount of
detail on the clock was really neat, especially since I had never seen anything
like it! That afternoon we headed over to the handball arena for a playoff
game! Lund’s women’s team was playing a team from Stockholm in the first game
of a series. This was my first time watching a game of handball (an extremely
popular sport in Sweden), and I was definitely hooked! The girls were very
aggressive, I can only imagine how crazy a men’s game gets! Unfortunately Lund
lost, but it was still a great atmosphere and I totally understand the appeal
of the sport now. That evening we went out to a nation, which is similar to a
fraternity or sorority back home. During the day, nations serve students food
at much cheaper prices, and at night they transform into a bar/nightclub. I was
able to meet more of Ebba’s friends (all of whom were super sweet!), and we had
a great time!
On Sunday we
boarded the train I had taken to Lund from the airport and rode it back into
central Copenhagen for a day of sightseeing. Our first stop was the Little
Mermaid statue! HC Andersen, author of the Little Mermaid (and many other great
stories) was from a suburb of the city, so there are many tributes like this to
him all over the place. After getting pictures with the statue we walked
through a wonderful little park and over to the Danish Resistance Museum.
Dedicated to the brave men and women who worked tirelessly to disrupt the
Germans as much as possible during World War II, the museum was very touching
and informative. The Danes had one of the best underground systems during the
war, so it was really interesting to see some of the artifacts of the time and
learn more about the individuals responsible for defending their country even
after it had fallen. Following the museum, we walked down to Amalienborg Palace,
where the royal family of Denmark resides. Along with a few hundred other
people, we watched the changing of the guards! It was really cool to see,
especially since we had missed it in London. The entire process took about a
half hour. Of course the procedure was extremely deliberate, and the guards
wore blue uniforms with the big, poofy, black hats (just like at Buckingham
Palace). Following our time at the palace, we walked through an adorable
waterfront area called Nyhavn. The buildings were very colorful and all of the
cafes lining the street made for a great scene. I’m sure it is quite lovely
there in the summer time! Next we continued walking through the main shopping
district of Copenhagen. There were plenty of American stores (Nike, Foot
Locker) and restaurants (McDonald’s, Burger King, 7/11). We ate lunch at a cute
little place (where of course I got a cheeseburger, too afraid to try anything traditional),
and then found some genuine danishes for dessert (so good!). Our last stop of
the day was Tivoli Gardens and Amusement Park. Although it rained off and on,
it was still really fun going on rides and walking around the gorgeous grounds
of the park. It was the perfect way to cap off a great day in the Danish
capital! J
On my last full
day in Sweden Ebba treated me to a scenic road trip of southern Sweden! Our
first stop was Smygehuk, the southern-most point in the country. Next, we
travelled to Ale’s Stones in Kaseberga. Located on a ridge, Ale’s Stones are
very similar in looks to Stonehenge. Because the weather was so nice, we
decided to have our “fika” (snack/coffee break) on the cliff overlooking the
water. Afterwards we continued on to a lovely beach that Ebba said is very
popular during the summer. I could definitely see why, as it was really nice
with white sand. Next, we drove to Glimmingehus, which is the best-preserved stronghold
in all of Scandinavia. After getting some pictures there, we made our way to
Stenshuvuds National Park for lunch. A forested area that ran all the way down
to the beach, it was certainly a great spot for a picnic! The final stop on our
road trip was Kungagraven, the burial site of a Bronze Age king. This giant
mound of rocks was pretty odd, and included a door in the middle (that you
couldn’t go in of course). We then headed back to Lund, ending a wonderful day
of cruising around the country!
All in all I had
an incredible time visiting Ebba in her home country! It was really interesting
to experience a completely different culture (which in many ways wasn’t all
that different actually). I was able to see and do many things that I
definitely wouldn’t have been able to if it weren’t for Ebba, so a huge thank
you to her and her mom for hosting me! J Sweden and Denmark were both fantastic, and I
wouldn’t hesitate to return! Thanks for reading!
Click here for
pictures from Sweden
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