The Glass Market

Yesterday, Rachel and I went to something called the Glass Market. It was my first time going, and it was wonderful! It is an indoor market with little restaurants, wonderful bakeries, fresh fruit, fresh flowers, and (one of the best parts) free samples! The place was packed with people, and I overheard some Swedish families talking. It was nice to actually understand some of what was being said around me. We wandered for a little while looking at everything and struggling with the decision of where we were actually going to buy lunch. We decided on a sandwich place and I got one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten: turkey, tomatoes, spinach, pesto, avocado, all on fresh bread. 

We could not pass up the opportunity to get dessert at one of the fantastic-looking bakeries. We had heard of Agnes Cupcakes before and had been planning on checking it out at some point. This was our chance! Rachel got a carrot cake cupcake and I got dark chocolate. They were incredible. And so pretty!

If you're ever in Copenhagen, visit the Glass Market! So much good food.

"Together in these white snows"

This week, I had my first day at the Danish children's after-school program. It was an eye-opening experience. I had fun, but the language barrier proved to be a challenge at times. I was with the youngest group of kids for the day. They were between the ages of six and ten, and although a few asked my name in English, that was the extent of what I could understand. We played some games and I was asked by many of the little girls to draw pictures for them. Pictures of Barbie. Now is a good time to tell you that I can't draw. At least not on command like that. I enjoy drawing in art class when I have an immense amount of time to draw and redraw, but I felt bad handing over these embarrassing excuses of drawings to the girls. Oh well, they didn't seem to mind. Most of them anyway...

On my walk home, I stopped by Hans Christian Andersen's grave again, and this time I had my camera along with me. Someone had left a note that I thought was definitely something special. 

Sankt Peders Bageri

After class today Rachel and I were on a mission to find Sankt Peders Bageri (Saint Peter's Bakery, which I'm sure you could figure out). I had been there once before, and I needed to bring her there. It has some of the most delicious baked goods I have ever eaten. After one wrong turn, we found the adorable little bakery. We entered and were hit with the heavenly smell of freshly baked bread and pastries. The woman behind the counter was very friendly. She smiled sweetly and was genuinely thankful when we told her we had trouble deciding what to get because everything looked amazing. Everything. Utterly overwhelmed, we stared at the trays and trays of pastries for a few minutes. We finally made our decisions, paid, and settled in to enjoy our tasty treats. If you're ever in Copenhagen, go to Sankt Peders Bageri. Seriously. Book your ticket, land at Kastrup Airport, and get yourself to Sankt Peders Stræde (the street where you'll find this wonderful, wonderful place). You won't regret it. You might want to hit the gym afterward, but trust me, it is definitely worth it.

A Quick List

It's been a few days so I should probably make a new post, but to be completely honest I have not done anything of great consequence. I suppose there are a few quick things I can mention in the form of a list. I do love list-making. I usually have at least three different lists going at once: things to do, groceries to get, places to see. The list goes on. Yes, the list of lists. I have a problem. Anyway...

1. On Thursday, I happened to come across Hans Christian Andersen's grave. It was actually pretty interesting to see. I was on my way to the after-school program that I will be going to every Thursday, and I needed to walk through what I thought was a park in order to get from the bus stop to my site. This park turned out to be a cemetery. A very nice one, too. I saw a sign for "H. C. Andersen," and because I was early for my meeting anyway, I decided to check it out. On my way back, I saw a sign for Søren Kierkegaard and although I tried to find his headstone, I could not. I'll have to try a little harder next time.

2. Last night, Tim and I went to visit Denise. She is living in a host family and it was really nice to actually get to spend time with her, as well as meet some of her family and, of course, her dogs! Her family has two Samoyeds. Their names are Nova and Vigga and they are mother and daughter. I got some very necessary dog therapy, and spent most of the evening sitting on the floor cuddling with the two of them. Needless to say, I was immensely happy and content. 

3. This morning I went on a brief tour of Rosenborg Castle, which was the home of Christian IV. The Crown Jewels are exhibited there, and they are amazing. Once again, it was too cold for my camera. I have now been informed though that a different kind of battery may help my camera brave the freezing temperatures of good ol' Copenhagen. I really hope this is true so I can start posting some pictures again soon.

But until then, here is a photo of a few buildings in town. I see them every day, and I absolutely love the colors. 

Who ever said Danes aren't friendly?

Today, Rachel and I decided to venture down to Nyhavn and take some pictures. We figured out which bus to take to get close, but as soon as we stepped off the bus, we weren't sure in which direction to walk. We pulled out the map (if the cameras hadn't pinned us as tourists, the map sure did) and within seconds a Danish woman walked up to us and asked if we needed help. She was very nice and pointed us in the right direction. (Hence the title of this post.) Once again, my camera soon proved to not be cut out for the frigid temperatures of Denmark, but I still got some pictures. A few people asked us to take pictures of them, and one returned the favor. After wandering for a little bit, we decided we needed food. After looking at the menus outside some restaurants, we saw a sign for Danish pancakes and the final decision was quickly made. We entered the tiny little restaurant and ordered ourselves the pancakes, complete with chocolate sauce, jam, ice cream, and almonds. (Yes, I took a picture. I had to.)

After our wonderful lunch (much more of a dessert really, but totally worth it), we made our way back to the shopping street and went in a few stores. We both got new scarves. That is something I have quickly learned here in Copenhagen: you can never have too many scarves. Trust me on this. We are now back home relaxing, with our lanterns glowing in the window. 

"Here comes the sun..."

This morning I woke up with the sun (which sounds impressive, but let me remind you that the sun rises around 8:30). This was the view from my window, and I couldn't resist taking a picture. 

Today has been an overall good day. I witnessed a beautiful city sunrise, attended two classes, met with Denise for an early birthday date because her schedule is too busy tomorrow, came home, met with my Danish class at this cute little cafe/restaurant, and did some homework. Once again, it's already midnight, and I have no idea what happened to the day. Back to this Cafe Night: My Danish Language & Culture class was given an address and a time. I stepped off the bus and met two girls headed to the same place, so we found it together. Luckily, it was easy to locate and close to where I live. I met some really nice people and the professor is wonderful. We ate traditional Danish sandwiches, and our professor told us that if we wanted to eat them the Danish way, we would use our knife and fork, which we all chose to do. When in Copenhagen... Doesn't quite have the ring to it that "when in Rome" does. My favorite had meatballs, red cabbage, and other veggies. I ordered my first beer here, and it completed the meal.

It doesn't feel like I have been in Copenhagen for only a week. I've gotten used to the buses, the bustle of the city, and even the language barrier. I am in love with the city, and I can't wait to be even more comfortable in it. I look forward to exploring more as well as learning Danish so that I don't have to stare at people blankly before shaking my head and apologetically saying, "Sorry...?" People mistake me for a Dane, but as soon as I open my mouth it's a different story.

An Attempt At Being Touristy.

Christiansborg Slot: The Parliament Building

Inside Christiansborg Palace Walkway

 Today Tim and I wandered around the city, hoping to stumble upon some good sites where I could take some pictures. Unfortunately within seconds of taking my camera out, it protested against the cold and went to sleep. I wish I could do that sometimes: Nope, too cold for class, I'm staying in bed all day. So I managed to keep the camera warm between sites and take a few pictures before the batteries couldn't take it anymore. We went to Rosenborg Slot, but I am taking a tour of that next weekend (I'm so excited!) so I'll have better pictures then, and Christiansborg Slot (or Palace).  Today was definitely one of the colder days, so essentially it was just barely tolerable. It was one of those wear-two-pairs-of-pants-thick-winter-socks-countless-number-of-tops-gloves-scarf-and-headband kinds of days and I still felt like my nose was going to fall off or I was seconds away from turning into one of those cartoon blocks of ice. Luckily I am mostly thawed at this point, wrapped up in my blanket with a cup of tea. 

On a lighter note, we got asked for directions today. Twice! We must look like Danes. I am perfectly alright with that. Carrying around my camera, had it been functioning, probably would have ruined the image. Hey, there's a positive side to everything. The glass is half full, right? Have I mentioned I'm studying positive psychology here...? I think I chose the right program.