DAY 121, SATURDAY, MAY 11TH
My parents in Copenhagen!!!! I left the house early to meet my parents at our airbnb for the next few days!! So great to see them! After getting settled we did a walk around some of the main areas - nyhavn, rosenborg, round tower before grabbing lunch at the glass market! After lunch we walked through Stroget and picked up some gifts for my host fam.
My parents were tired from the flight so we headed home for a nap and to relax for a little. A little later we took the bus to my host family's house to have dinner all together! It was a wonderful dinner with everyone and I'm so happy my parents got to meet my host family! We had lots of good danish food! After dinner I finished packing up all of my stuff and officially moved out of my host family's house before heading back to the Airbnb.
DAY 122, SUNDAY, MAY 12TH
Today we woke up and grabbed a pastry for breakfast before we met my host parents for a bike ride! Me and my parents rented bikes and then we went on a bike ride around the harbor that is in a really new area if the city. It was really fun and had some great views!! After the bike ride we all went to Reffen (an outdoor, cool food hall) for lunch.
To end off the day with my host family, my host mom used her season passes to get us in to Tivoli (the second oldest amusement park in the world; and an inspiration for Disney) so we could take a walk around.
Then we went back to the apartment for a nap before a seafood dinner.
DAY 123, MONDAY, MAY 13TH
Today my parents and I went to Roskilde, which is a neighborhood/area a little outside of Copenhagen. We took the train there and once we got there we walked through cute town area. First we saw one of the main attractions in the area- the cathedral where all the Danish royals are buried. In addition to numerous tombs for royals the cathedral has the model/plans for the current queen's tomb.
After the cathedral we went to viking ship museum. The museum has pieces of 5 recovered viking ships we well as fully-size replicas which they have sailed. It was pretty cool to see real viking ships- Tony was particularly proud of wearing his Minnesota Vikings t-shirt at the viking ship museum.
After getting back to Copenhagen we did some remaining souvenir shopping and got a drink before getting dinner at Union Kitchen. It's a super popular brunch place but has an amazing dinner too with all different kinds of balls- meat balls, falafel, salmon balls, etc! So yummy!
DAY 124, TUESDAY, MAY 14TH
We started the day off by heading to Christiansborg palace, the former residence of the royal family. We walked through the royal apartments and the throne room, saw really cool modern tapestries, went through ruins, saw and saw the old kitchen. Christiansborg is built on the same ground where older palaces and castles were dating back centuries.
After Christiansborg, we walked through Christiania (free-town, and independent town) and then had lunch nearby. Since we were right in the area, we climbed out the church of our savior to get some great views.
While my mom relaxed, my dad and I went on a walk around the area we were staying in- Christianshavn.
Tonight was our last night in Copenhagen and so there was no better way to spend it than a final dinner with my host family. We had a great pizza dinner out where my host mom gifted me with rye bread flour so I can try making it at home.
DAY 125, WEDNESDAY, MAY 15TH
Today we are leaving Copenahgen, wowza😱😱 We will have a layover on the way back to the U.S. but I’m officially having to start saying goodbye. We left really early to store my extra luggage at the airport and then get on a flight to Oslo, Norway! We got to Oslo pretty early so we grabbed a quick breakfast, stored our luggage, and then did a quick walk around the city. We walked down the main streets and stopped at a few landmarks along the way (church, stores, etc) and eventually went down to city hall. This city hall is quite different from most other city halls I’ve seen in large European cities, not as ostentatious. Also cool that the Nobel peace prizes are awarded here! Then we walked down by the harbor and enjoyed that view for a while! Lots of people and boats were out because the weather was so fantastic!
Then we headed up to a sea fortress nearby and went in to the resistance museum that was inside it. The museum was about the Norwegian experience and resistance during WWII as Norway was a sought after country due to its location and ocean access. After the museum we grabbed a late lunch at a cafe and ate outside. Then it was time to head back, grab our bags, and check in to the Airbnb. We relaxed for a while before grabbing a snack, taking a small walk around the neighborhood our apartment is in, and planning for tomorrow.
DAY 125, THURSDAY, MAY 16TH
Today was a museum day in Oslo for us. We took a ferry through the Oslo fjord to an area where many of the museums are located. We first went to the Viking ship museum which was super cool. It has the best preserved Viking ships as they were used for burials and kept pretty well underground. The ships were amazing and so intact considering they were used and buried in the 800s/900s.
After the Viking ship museum we went to the Nordic folksmuseet, which is an open-air museum filled with a bunch of old Norwegian buildings and houses which they transplanted here to show you architecture and lifestyle. There were some pretty neat building but I enjoyed the stave church (super old and unique!) and the exhibit on the Saami people (who live in northern Norway/Sweden/Russia/etc., and are best known for herding reindeer).
We grabbed a sandwich while in that museum. After a few hours in the museums, we took a bus to a park/gardens filled with sculptures. There were some pretty neat sculptures and it was beautiful to walk through.
Since the weather was great it was cool to see so many people out and picnicking and hanging out in the park. We headed home after that to regroup before heading out for a seafood dinner and packing up and getting ready to leave tomorrow morning.
DAY 126, FRIDAY, MAY 17TH
Today ended our time in the city as we rented a car and drove out of Oslo this morning! We are heading to our next destination, Solvorn, in the fjords of Norway!! It was about a 5 hour drive but the most spectacular drive of my life. We were treated be the most amazing views driving through the Norwegian fjords! Huge mountains, some snow capped, beautiful lakes and rivers. With ice caps on the top of mountains still melting from the winter, there were SO many amazing waterfalls! We made several stops along the way to grab some pictures of course. Lots of driving in tunnels that go through mountains.
We were getting close to stopping for lunch when a bucket list goal was achieved- WE SAW A MOOSE. A REAL LIFE WILD MOOSE. It was a younger moose so it wasn’t too big but I’ve really wanted to see a moose in the wild so it was a life moment for sure.
Eventually we made it to a ski resort town to stop for lunch. It’s 17th of May- Independence Day for Norway so they had a special menu. Lots of people out and about dressed in traditional clothes. Mom had moose and I had local lamb. After lunch we continued our drive. Getting high enough up that we saw people skiing being pulled by kites (like a take on paragliding??) on a frozen lake!
We made a second full stop to go see the Borgund Stave Church, super old, cool, and ornate. These old Norwegian churches are super cool to me because they are SO DIFFERENT from most other old Christian churches.
Then we went on a short walk to this super old road where you can see the stones they used to build it up. It was originally built ages ago to get through the mountains and the most modern version used in the 1700s.
We then finished up our drive, including a beautiful ferry crossing and ended up in Solvorn. Solvorn is the cutest town at the bottom of a mountain right next to the water- right in a fjord!
We checked into our B&B and then went to the only cafe open nearby for dinner. Then went on a quick walk around town before going to sleep! Exciting day tomorrow!
DAY 127, SATURDAY, MAY 18TH
Today is our active day in Solvern! After eating breakfast and heading out of the B&B we went to the Jostedal glacier! It is the largest glacier on continental Europe! We hiked an arm of this huge glacier. We met up with our tour guide and tour group and began a ~1.5 hour hike to the bottom of the glacier. The hike was more difficult than expected but pretty fun. We were lucky with pretty decent weather other than the clouds. We had to carry our crampons and ice picks/axes that we would need on the glacier, the whole hike. Once we made it closer to the glacier we also all put on harnesses. We then put the crampons onto our boots (they have spikes to help you have traction walking on the ice/glacier) and all hooked our harnesses onto a rope so our whole group was all attached to a rope ( a human chain). Then we started our climb! Quite an exhilarating time to be able to hike on a glacier. The beginning was challenging and steep. So fun to walk on the white ice, accented by beautiful blue pockets where there were some water spots. While hiking, would think you were coming up to a small crevice but really it would be like 10-15 ft deep. We hiked for quite a while and were able to go pretty high up on the glacier; we were treated by beautiful views of the lake at the bottom of the glacier. At the top we stopped for lunch, pictures, and then made our way back down. Going down was quicker but also a tad more unstable. Eventually we made it all the way back. Such an amazing experience!!
After the hike we went back to our B&B and changed before having dinner at a famous hotel in Solvorn. WE had a spectacular 4 course meal - definitely one of the best meals of the trip! We then headed home & to bed.
DAY 128, SUNDAY, MAY 19TH
Today was another travel day! After waking up and breakfast we checked out of the B&B and got in the car. We drove about 30 minutes to a ferry which we took- and oh was it great. The ferry ride was about 2.5 hours and took us through some of the most picturesque fjords in Norway! Quite a magical ride and amazing views.
After the ferry we drove to a hotel nearby to get a great view of the valley before making our way to Voss to stop for lunch.
Turns out Voss water is not actually from Voss (it’s from elsewhere in Norway), but still cool nonetheless. After lunch and a quick walk around we continued on our drive (another hour or so) to Bergen, Norway. Bergen is one of the more popular towns/cities as it’s right on the harbor with really picturesque views and a really cute row of buildings that are quite famous. We only had a couple hours to walk around so we took the funicular up to the top to get great views of the city, harbor, and some fjords in the distance. We then just walked around the harbor area and the fishing houses street.
We grabbed a delicious dinner before driving to the airport to drop off the car and then check into the hotel next to the airport! Norway has definitely shot to the top of my list of my favorite travel destinations, 10/10 would recommend. Many mixed emotions as we head home tomorrow!
DAY 129, MONDAY, MAY 20TH
It has come to an end. 4 months Copenhagen, travels, new friends, new experiences, and adventures. Today we will get on a flight from Bergen to Copenhagen, and then from Copenhagen to DC and thus will end my 4 months in Denmark & Europe. So thankful for all of my experiences here, couldn't have asked for a more inspirational and amazing study abroad experience.
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