Time to catch up!

COPENHAGEN MAY 28-30
Yet another excursion into a country where I don't speak a language even close to theirs.

I left late morning and arrived just after noon, and took the metro into town. The Danish kroner has a similar exchange rate to the Swedish kroner, and so I felt quite rich when I exchanged money. One American dollar is 17 cents Danish kroner, last I checked.

After I got into town I had directions to the hostel but they were doing construction so I couldn't quite see where I was. I got two girls on bikes to help me and they brought me almost right to my hostel, which was decently nice and really close to all the major parts of town. It was very very sunny and warm and just all around beautiful that day, so I did all the outdoorsy stuff. I went to the King's Garden and the castle nearby:

Then I headed through the old part of town, can you tell?

I went to the Little Mermaid (and there was a cool fountain nearby):

I walked back down by the harbor on my way into the center of town again, and they're having a Sandcastle Building Festival!

So cute! Then I saw Amalienborg Castle (sp?!), which I just admired from the outside the first day and actually saw the inside of on the second:

Ignore the random man in the foreground haha. I walked up and down H.C. Andersen Boulevard and saw the Tivoli Gardens from the outside. There was a carnival going on! I didn't go in because of the stupid admission fee.

I grabbed dinner at a touristy place but just because it was cheaper, and then headed back to the hostel to go to bed early because I was soooooo tired from walking all day.

The next day was horrible weather: rain, cold, wind, UGH. So I thought, Perfect! I did all the outdoor stuff yesterday! I went back to Amalienborg Castle and went in the museum. They had a whole exhibit on the Queen's gala dresses! I was very very excited, though I'm not going to lie, some were hideous. Basically all the ones from the 1980s (sorry Mom!).

Then I got a little lost finding the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, which has tons of Danish AND French art, so I was super excited and spent about 3 hours there. Rodin, Monet, Degas, etc. so great.

When I left the museum the weather had cleared up nicely. I walked by this woman who had obviously been cornered by this guy with a clipboard who I assumed wanted her to contribute money to something, and though I don't speak Danish I was seriously considering walking up to her and enthusiastically saying, "Oh there you are! Did you forget about our dinner date?! I don't have much time, remember, so we have to go!" and herding her off. As I was standing on the street corner considering this course of action, who comes up and tackles me but C! We were supposed to meet up earlier that day but I hadn't heard from her (apparently my phone decided not to work in Denmark. Nice.), and she miraculously managed to find me! I hung out with her and her boyfriend for about an hour and then they had to head off to a friend's party so I grabbed dinner and then went back to study at the hostel (I had my last final in a few days).

Wednesday I went shopping a bit before my flight left at 1:30, and then I was back in Geneva!

One funny thing about Copenhagen, though: everyone seriously thought I was Danish. There was one store clerk who really didn't believe I wasn't:

Clerk: (something in Danish)
Me: (deer in the headlights look) Uh..... English?
Clerk: Sorry, are you a citizen? (something about a discount)
Me: No.
Clerk: Then you're a permanent resident?
Me: No.
Clerk: Really? Are you sure?
Me: Yes!

Somehow the fact that I clearly did not speak the language didn't work against me, and they still assumed I lived there and had Danish heritage. So funny! Thanks Mom's side of the family (who come from Sweden).