Praha

The final leg of the trip was to Prague in the Czech republic. This city is also built on a river and has a lot of old history. I met my friend Sophia who is there on exchange studying political science. She took me to all the cool sites and cafes.

Random art exhibition called the Magical Cavern. My facial expression basically sums up what it was like in there...

Prague from above

At a cafe with Sophia

Budapest

Second half of the week I was in eastern Europe. Budapest had to have been my favorite city thus far. It is 2 cities (Buda and Pest) built along the Danube river. The Hungarian language is a strange one, but I picked some up from my friend Gabe, who is studying math there on exchange. My friend Katie is in Copenhagen with me and I somehow convinced her to come with me on this leg of the trip.

Blue, blue Danube

Caving with Katie

Exploing Budapest with Gabe

München

I have the wholee week off from school so I am traveling around northern and eastern europe. 

First stop: Munich

Official model for Bayer München

Pinakothek art museum- this is my friend from college, Sophia

hay bales made of straw

Oktoberfest is sort of a glorified country fair. However, when you enter a beer tent, its a  completely different atmosphere. There is music and dancing and socializing, plus tons of beer.

turning legal where it doesn't matter

Franny's birthday was on thursday! She turned 21 so we ha some cake sent from her boyfriend in Chicago and then went to a fish spa where the little guppies suck the dead skin off your feet. It was quite therapeutic if I'm being honest, but we all know I love a good pedicure.

Tillykke Julia and Tim!!

Tim proposed to Julia on their trip to France! Here we are all together in Tivoli, the amusement park, for dinner after we all found out. Tillykke (in the post title) means congratulations in danish.

The lights in Tivoli

Erik bought me and Jens ice-cream  (Jens is my host brother who has moved out to the city)

I've been gone a while... .. .

A picture from last weeks commute to work in Nyhavn, Denmark

Connie Hedegaard is the EU commissioner for climate action. She gave a talk to some students in our program about Denmark and the EU's role in promoting prevention of climate change. Her most interesting point was using the EU and Denmark as role models for countries like China, the USA and India and to urge these nations to create new innovations for sustainable development through technologies of their own.

Earls of Pearls

Linda and Erik are my host parents and are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary today (aka the pearl year). I bought them flowers and pastries this morning and then they went to see the famous danish royal ballet this afternoon. We went out to dinner with their older daughter Julia and her boyfriend Tim, which was lots of fun. The restaurant we went to was called Den Gule Cotttage (The Yellow Cottage) which used to be someones home on the beach, buts as converted into a place to eat. It was super small with maybe only 3 rooms, but it was very cozy.

This probably should have been the first picture on this page, but here are my danish parents Erik and Linda

Flowers for Erik and Linda

Julia (E & L's daughter), Tim (Julia's boyfriend), Erik and Linda at Den Gule Cottage

 E & L went to Portugal and brought me back a bracelet made from cork