(Post #19) First Half of our 3 Week Trip!

The school semester may have just wrapped up, but now the fun three weeks of traveling is just beginning! Join me for the last stretch of this blog as I visit six countries as a final hoorah before heading back to the states with a very full heart and empty bank account.

(Wednesday, May 18th) This morning was bittersweet as I finished packing up my things and I officially left my host family’s house. I said goodbye to the family as they headed off to work and school, and then I took the bus to the airport. When at the airport to board our first flight to London-Stansted, the check-in line was actually quite long and so we had to rush it a little bit. We went through security and everything again in London and then took our final flight to Copenhagen, Denmark. We arrived in the evening so we got cozy in our Steelhouse hostel, met a couple of our roommates, and headed to bed!

(Thursday, May 19th) When in Denmark, you must start the day with pastries- I do not make the rules. In the US, we have pastries called Danishes but it is funny because obviously in Denmark, they don’t have things simply called “us” and instead they all have names. The Danishes were delicious. We then took a 2.5 hour free tour around the city with such a good tour guide that we did his afternoon tour of a different part of the city as well. For lunch, we tried their famous open-faced sandwiches called something along the lines of “smorrebrod” and then we just made dinner in the hostel using groceries we bought because this city is very expensive. The hostel we were staying in was HUGE with around 1,000+ guests, and so they have lots of fun events. We went to karaoke that night and I had to sing a little Before He Cheats, Fergalicious, Wannabe, and Dancing Queen.

(Friday, May 20th) Today’s touristy event included visiting the Rosenborg Palace, walking around a food market to try food like empanadas, duck confit sandwiches, and quiche, and then also going to the National Museum. I wish we had more time at the National Museum before it closed because it was very large with many exhibits, but we had fun afterwards as well as we went up into a tower with a great view of the city. In the distance, we could see Malmo, Sweden, and this is where we planned on heading to the next day!

(Saturday, May 21st) As promised, we took the train over to Malmo today and ate more pastries. It was sadly rainy today, but we still took a canal tour and it was a great way to see the city. I was looking for a restaurant to eat Swedish Meatballs at and it was a lot harder to find than expected. One girl recommended just going to the IKEA to eat, but it was out of walking distance. My friends and I just ended up getting a charcuterie board and fish & chips at a local restaurant before going to the Malmo fortress to see the aquarium and art. We also found a windmill and looked at lots of tulips before taking the train home. That night, we met some British friends and all just hung out- British people are quite loud and rowdy but they always make things interesting.

(Sunday, May 22nd) On our last full day in Copenhagen, my travel buddies Asia and I (I forgot to introduce them! Asia is my friend from the study abroad program and her sister Ana is also joining for this 3-week trip) headed to see the classic Little Mermaid statue. We walked around the main area, ate some pizza, and then went to the famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park. We didn’t ride the rides but there was so much to see, so many flowers to look at, and just a great overall atmosphere to enjoy. We finished the night at Russell Howard’s comedy show! I had never heard of this British dude, but my friend Asia saw his name on the theatre across the street and she loves his shows, so we all decided to go and it was super fun. It was a great way to wrap up our time in Denmark.

(Monday, May 23rd) This morning involved flying to Amsterdam and arriving around 11. We met up with Ana’s friend Derin who is originally from Turkey but studying in Amsterdam, and then we went to the Albert Cuyp market which was a great place to start the visit in the city because all the traditional dessert and pastries could be found there. We ate kibbeling, grilled cheese (Dutch cheese of course), and MANY stroop waffles. We next went to a restaurant to try bitterballen which are the local meatballs, and then we just hung out in our hostel because it was rainy out and we were tired. Our hostel is not situated near the center of Amsterdam, but we bought an unlimited transportation pass for the next 5 days so it was easy to move about the city!

(Tuesday, May 24th) On our first whole day in Amsterdam, Asia and I headed to the Rijksmuseum where we walked around, and then after we wanted to go to the Van Gogh museum but we sadly found out that it is sold out for the next week. In the afternoon, Ana joined us and we ate the traditional stamppot meal along with Dutch pea soup. We next went to the floating flower market and tried many free cheese samples from stores. After, we went on a tour around the city and our tour guide suggested getting fries at a specific shop, and they were delicious!

(Wednesday, May 25th) Today we did something that I have been waiting to do for many years, and that is visit the Anne Frank museum. I read her diary when I was 13, and her story is something I will never forget. It was so surreal to be in the secret Anne after reading the stories of the people who lived up there for two years before getting caught. I would recommend this museum to absolutely everyone- but make sure to book your tickets months in advance because they sell out. After, we got the famous and delicious apple pie from Winkel 43, and then I bought some more birkenstocks (oops) from an outlet store. I also got some Heinekin bottles from their location in honor of my grandfather who loved drinking Heinekin. We also went to a cheese museum and then back to the original market to also try poffertjes pancakes and to buy more stroop waffles because I ate all of mine- oops!

(Thursday, May 26th) Today will go down as one of my absolute fav days of the trip so far. We did an organized Dutch tour that visited four Dutch cities and although it was very classic tourist, it was super fun. We started the morning in Zaanse-Schans with many windmills and farm animals and a classic small village feel, and then we went to Edam where we saw lots of Dutch cows. After, we headed to a cheese and clog presentation and got more cheese samples (I am not complaining). Next, we went to the small town of Volendam on a big lake to eat fish and enjoy the sea views. It was a good spot for lunch before concluding our tour in the small town of Marken which also just gave cute Dutch views. That night when we got back, we met Derin’s friends from all over the world and did more socializing.

(Friday, May 27th) On our last day in Amsterdam, we went to Vondelpark to have a picnic, and then we strolled around the city taking in some last views of the canals. We then did a cruise on the water that had unlimited pancakes and toppings, and it was so delicious. What made it even better is that during the tour, I got word that my brother and sister-in-law had their little baby girl! I am now an aunt and am so excited to meet her. Some days I get sad realizing I have to leave Europe so soon, but there are great things at home as well awaiting me.