Ode to Hamburg

I have finally managed to tear myself from the place I am almost as attached to as home. Not that I really had a choice, my studies were over and the lease on my room expired today. I'm posting from the living of my in-laws in Belgium after an arduous train trip lasting 8 hours. Actually the trip wasn't that bad until I had to make the last change at Liege. I somehow got confused and the train station didn't have lifts or escalators going up to the platforms, so I had to schlepp my heavy luggage up stairs a piece at a time. Well, all's well that ends because I got here tired as hell (although I indulged in some cat naps on the train) and was served with cheese croquettes, one of my favourite Belgian delicacies (and here I'm using the word very liberally).

So, back to Hamburg. Tuesday I ventured out to do some last chores and to take in the city one last time. As I walked to the train station after having handed back my library books I started thinking (for the first time) what it is about Hamburg that has me so enthralled. I realised it's all the little things: it's the ease with which I was able to slip into my life in Hamburg. It is how relaxed the people are. It's the way my limits have been pushed over the last couple of months not only intellectually but also physically - who would've thought I could function so well on so little sleep? I love the fact that I could hide out and embark on a completely new life (however briefly). It's the great people I have met over the last couple of months. Hamburg was the site of all these wonderful experiences and as such it will always be very special to me. No other place (except home) has such sway over me. However, I'm realistic enough to know that this a completely unique experience that will never repeat itself and that the positive experience has a lot to do with how I view Hamburg. Despite this, I can safely see myself calling Hamburg home and living there - maybe indefinitely if the job is good enough.

I'd like to elaborate on the ease with which things happened for me in Hamburg. I couldn't help but draw parallels between my experiences in London and Hamburg. The thing that got me really down about London was how difficult it was to get things done: get a job, find accommodation even go grocery shopping. The time it took to get from one place to another because of the vast distance between places. Sure it might have had something to do with the fact that my mindset in London was a lot more negative (for whatever reasons) and I was just a lot more uptight. Maybe my experience in Hamburg was more positive because I just went there with a more positive mindset and I had learnt that I shouldn't get too worked up about things I have no control over. Maybe my experience in London laid the groundwork for my experience in Hamburg in that it was there that I learnt to bounce back from setbacks. Maybe I'm more at ease in a smaller city (Hamburg pop: 1.7 million) than a big city like London (pop: 7 million). Despite these possibilities, I would like to believe that the ease with which I went about my business in Hamburg had to do with something inherent to the city.

For example on Tuesday I had to go to different parts of the city to do different things. I had slept only three hours the night before and yet it wasn't a mission to do all I had to do in my allotted time. Of course some of it was pleasurable (shopping), but still it was just such a pleasure to be where I was and do what I was doing. Since the beginning of February (when it hit home that I was leaving Hamburg) I've experienced separation anxiety. I would sometimes walk instead of taking the bus just so could spend more time experiencing of the city. I had this urge to touch things...so I could hold onto it. This morning I had the same feeling as I was sitting in the train watching the familiar skyline becoming smaller and smaller. And that's why I think that my attachment to Hamburg is not solely a function of the intensely positive (and sometimes not so positive - but intense nevertheless) experiences I've had there.

And that's why I'm glad I had this blog. It's a record of what I've been up to (with reliable dates). It is THE ode to my experience over the last five months.

P.S. This is not the last post because coming week I'll be checking out Barcelona and I'm sure my experiences here in Belgium will also make for some interesting reading;-)

This picture illustrates the cheekiness/irreverence of Karneval. This is political commentary and as you will see further down everything (especially politics) is fair game for those who make the floats

Helau!

What everyone shouted during the Karneval procession on Monday. It sounds something like "hello" with the "o" a little drawn out.

So I'm back in Hamburg after a couple of festive days in Düsseldorf. Karneval in Düsseldorf rocks!!! As a journo I find it especially stimulating since many of the floats are commentary on current affairs (check out the pictures to see what I mean), but lets begin at the beginning.

I arrived on Thursday evening to many people in costume and some puke in the tram - to give you an idea of how far-gone people were at 18:30. Thursday things officially start with women (in costumes) going up to the local authority and confiscating the keys to the city. Now the city was being run by women and the craziness could start. This means people dressing up in all kinds of costumes and hanging out mostly in the bars and getting sloshed. Your day in the pub/bar can start as early as 9 am. It's not officially a holiday, but employers are clever enough to know that if they don't give the people off they'll have a lot of absent workers. According to radio presenters people take Friday a little bit more easy since they can look forward to at least three days of partying, so they have to pace themselves a little. My Friday was spent going shopping with Alex (my gracious host) for Saturday's party at his place. Later that day I met up with Joan, the American doctor I met the last time I was in Düsseldorf. We went to the Düsseldorf Hafen (if you remember the city is situated on the Rhine river, so it could have a harbour). It is a very spiffy place with many contemporary building and trendy restaurants. We decided on Mongo's where they serve a buffet, where you choose your own ingredients for a stir-fry and marinade and they prepare in front of you. They had exotic meats like zebra and crocodile. I sipped on a South African wine whilst going back three times for a different mix of veggies, meat and marinade.

The next day Nenske (my gracious hostess) was assisting Alex with the prep for the party, while I worked on the assignment due for Monday. That evening Alex and Nenske's family and friends came together (not to celebrate Karneval), but to celebrate Alex's birthday and their housewarming. It was very "gesellig" and the food was great. I could really appreciate it because I know how Alex slaved away in the kitchen for two days preparing the food - 'n Man so na aan my hart.

The next day would be my introduction to Karneval in Düsseldorf. First we stopped off at Anja and Clemens', friends of Alex, to get our costumes (see below for the results). Then it was off to Düsseldorf Altstadt. Sunday people stand on the street and drink and eat. The vibe is great and it's not because everyone is drinking. Some people really go out of their way with their costumes and one can just stand and gawk at these individuals for hours. People are so relaxed and everyone speaks to everyone else - it's really great and festive. The cherry on top was the fact that we didn't have to queue with the masses to get to a toilet. One of Anja's friends had a key to a building on the street we were standing on and we just used the clean toilet there. What I also found interesting was the fact that all the shop windows were boarded up. We were on THE trendiest street in Düsseldorf, with all the top fashion brands, so these merchandisers took looking after their merchandise quite seriously. Some of the interesting costumes we saw were variants on the theme of Satan and a Urukai a la Lord of the Rings. The Urukai was very well done, the guy's face was covered in black paint, he had a animal skin rug on and false fangs. It was very cool! We left the drinking early since we knew we were going to come back for the procession the next day.

The next day I was given a lift on a bike for the first time in more than 20 years. Alex had hired these high tables for his party and they needed to be taken back to the shop, but Nenske had the car and would not be back before midday when the shop closed. Alex and I then loaded the tables onto Nenske's bike and pushed it to the shop, which was down the road. We then cycled back with me precariously perched just behind the saddle. It was quite an experience. When Nenske came back and I had dispatched my assignment (which I miraculously finished on time) we headed to the Altstadt for the Rosenmontag (translation: Rose Monday) procession. We didn't dress up, but drew on our faces with lipstick to get into the carnival mood. The procession surpassed all my expectations. To top it all off the people on the floats throw candy and chocolate and sometimes toys to the public. So it's constantly raining sweets and the kids stand around with huge bags, which they eventually fill. Of course we had our own bag, which was quite full by the end of the procession. The photos say more about the procession than my words can ever say. Although I want to add that I was mightily impressed with the vibrant colours, which really stood out against the grey sky.

So there you have my account of my first Karneval weekend. I hope to come again, but then I'll bring my nieces with because carnival is great for grown-ups, but it's really great for kids and one should experience something like it at least once in your life.

This week I sadly, sadly bid farewell to lovely Hamburg and the people I got to know here. I partied until 6 this morning with one of the Americans, who's leaving today. I've got all kinds of farewell trips planned for the week as well as yet another assignment to complete.

Keep well

Yours truly in her fabulous costume entitled "Ab-Gag" - a not too subtle reference to Ab Fab, but altered because it was a (fabulous) gag

Don't we all just look fabulous with our sunglasses on in cold, cloudy Düsseldorf. Anja is a Cheetah and Clemens is a tracker. They were Alex's co-hosts on Karneval Sunday

An aerial view of people standing in the street and drinking on Karneval Sunday

Alex, the vampire, Ab-Gag and our respective drinks

Some of the great customes on display during Karneval. Meet King Tritan and his lovely sea nymph

German ingenuity where you need it the most during Karneval procession on Monday. Note the two beer kegs secured to the pole

Fake Africans taking part in the procession. All of them were painted black

Procession cows and their udders

The Pope and an Imam. A reference to the Pope's recent visit to Turkey

This was the coolest float in the procession. It's a shame I didn't get it from the back as well, but in short it's the earth (blissfully) farting (a non-subtle reference to emission gases) out a monster, which is the global climate catastrophe we face

Amsterdam

So Saturday morning, while the rest of Amsterdam was still sleeping I arrived at the main station. It was a misty, cold day and I thanked my lucky stars that Oxana had given me her museum card since the weather lent itself to staying indoors.

After I'd dropped my luggage at the youth hostel I was staying at I went in search of breakfast. I found this lovely little place, where I had the most delicious chocolate croissant, amongst other things. Then I made my way to the Van Gogh Museum after which I checked out the Rijksmuseum. As museums go they are quite OK, however, I was very picky. Especially in the Rijksmuseum I skipped all the stuff by Rembrandt and his contemporaries and went straight for Vermeer. In Delft I heard quite a lot about him and I wanted to check out his paintings. They weren't that impressive. After all this culture I decided to have a sleepy.

The afternoon I checked out an exhibition on Instanbul and met up with Audrey (American I'm studying with) in the evening. Audrey studied in A'dam last year and had kept contact with the students there. We went to a party for foreign students and then moved the party to Audrey's friend's room, Schuyler (pronounced Sky-ler). By this time the trams had stopped running, so I never made it back to the youth hostel. It wasn't a problem and maybe even a blessing since Schuyler had an extra bed which came with these great blinds that block out daylight completely. I had a glorious sleep until midday:)))

The next day Audrey and I undertook a bike tour of A'dam. Audrey had worked as a tour guide while she was studying there, so not only could she show me the sights, she could also tell me about their history and significance. It also helps that she really loves the place. After cycling around and through the city centre, we made our way to the river Ij, where we took a ferry to the North islands, which aren't really that impressive - all new (read: ugly) apartment blocks, but it was great to sit on the river bank and stare out across the city centre. Then we went to her favourite cafe for some coffee and food. As it was getting dark I returned to the youth hostel for a much needed shower and a nap. I woke up to find this Australian on the bed below mine. We talked a little before going to bed. We shared our room with four Spanish girls, who looked no older than 14, but I guess they had to be at least 18 to be able to go on holiday in Amsterdam without parental supervision.

As I bode A'dam farewell the next day I was quite satisfied that I need not return to the place again. I'd seen quite a lot of it and could comfortably use it's public transport. It helps that one can read all the signs and that one, if pushed, could communicate with the people in something that resembles their mother tongue. I've never really big A'dam fan, sure it's a great city, but no greater than Hamburg. For instance it sucks that even over the weekends the trams stop running at 1am when nothing else closes then.

Today's my last day in Hamburg before I leave for Düsseldorf and Karneval. Karneval is not celebrated in northern Germany - they're too protestant for that. In the south the Catholic church is more prominent and therefore they go big on Karneval. The cities, that have reputations as great Karneval venues are Cologne and Mainz. Apparently everybody dresses up for Karneval and there's a massive parade. It is held the Sunday and Monday before Ash Wednesday (in a week's time) which ushers in the fasting period before Easter. It's just an excuse to have a massive party before being pious and holy.

I'll post again on the flip side of that.
Keep well

P.S. Guess where I did that thing one has to do when in Amsterdam. The winner will get extra chocolate when I get back;-) Christelle you may not play because you know.

Moi on my steel steed

Audrey and I on the ferry to the North Islands. Note the softness around our eyes;-)

The sun sets over Amsterdam and our bike tour

First stop Delft

I'm back in Hamburg and very happy to be here. Not that Holland wasn't interesting or anything, but being away from Hamburg, just clarified for me how attached I'd become to the city. My time here is also running out very fast and I'm suffering from a mild case of separation anxiety, which I suspect will become more accute the closer it gets to the time when I finally have to leave (sob!).

Well, my adventures in the Netherlands will be related in two installments, which will coincide with the two cities I'd visited there. Thus I start with my time in Delft, but before I get to that let me tell you about the people we (Audrey, Oxana and I) met on our way to Delft. First there was Jeff, the American lawyer, who's experiencing something of a existential crisis since at 50+ he doesn't know what he wants to do career-wise. So, now he's "hiding" out in Utrecht, doing a one-year Masters, which would enable him to teach law in the States. We met him on the stretch from Duisburg to Utrecht. Outside Utrecht the train stopped and we were stuck since there were problems on the tracks outside Utrecht. After a long wait we decided to get off and have Oxana's husband come and fetch (read: rescue) us. Whilst waiting on the train we met Thomas (Dutch) and Chris (American), two snowboarders back from a snowboarding holiday. Audrey also had a snowboard on board since she was going to Austria after Amsterdam. Thomas' bag was more than 2 metres long and very heavy, of course we made jokes about him schlepping a body around instead of snowboarding gear:) The train finally made its way to Utrecht, but we had to wait behind since Vadim (O's hubby) was on his way.

At the train station Aud's and I were so deep in conversation that we hadn't noticed this pixie-like guy (sharp features; pointy hat/beany) staring intently at me. Audrey finally noticed him and asked him what he was doing. He awoke from his trance and said that he was intently listening to what we were saying, trying to figure out where we were from. Of course, as soon as he heard I was from South Africa, I had to say the obligatory Afrikaans sentence(s) so he could see how much he could understand. His name was Falcon (the n is silent - what Dutchman has a French name?) and he came from a "mystical" (our impression from the way he described it and his appearance) village on the other side of a thick forest. However, before we got too involved in the conversation with Falcon, Vadim and Rikke (the Dane) came to rescue us and whisk us off to Delft, where we celebrated Oxana's birthday promptly at 0:00 before going to bed.

The next day we woke up to some serious snow. So after a hearty breakfast we ventured out to explore Delft. Rikke and I were totally enchanted by the place and the snow. We checked out all the touristy spots, which Oxana had pride in pointing out to us. It's amazing how Oxana and Vadim have adopted/adapted to life in Delft, they are very proud of the city although they are not natives. We checked out Vermeer's (Girl with the Pearl Earring) grave and the church where the Dutch monarchs are buried with much pomp and ceremony. The afternoon we rested a little because we were going out to Amsterdam to celebrate Oxana's b'day in a club there. We visited Club Escape on Rembrandtplein (for those who are looking for a good club next time you're in A'dam). The music was absolutely great and we just danced the night away. In between I knocked back some Tequila and checked out the talent, which believe me there wasn't a shortage of. The only drawback was that they were just all too young, despite the variety of tastes that were catered for;-) Tired but satisfied, we returned to Delft, where Vadim only got about 3 hours of sleep before he had to leave for work - poor sod.

In the afternoon Oxana and I ventured out to do some more sightseeing, but we ended up shopping!!! I got myself such great items, which just reinforced the great impression I had of Delft - great historic sights and great shops! That evening Oxana and Vadim had to pack since they were leaving for Russia the next day. They hadn't seen their family since May last year, so they were really excited to get back. I just lounged around and slept while they packed until the early morning hours.

The next morning at the unearthly hour of 6:30 we got up to catch our trains to respectively Düsseldorf and Amsterdam. I put on my airplane eyeflaps and took a nap on the train to A'dam. I felt very proud of myself since it was just a sign of what an experienced traveller I'd become - I wasn't paranoid about missing my stop:)

So, tomorrow's post will have the details of what I did whilst in the Dam.
Enjoy the pics below.

Oxana and I with our shopping bags on a square in Delft. We thought it important that there be a picture which accurately depicts all we did in Delft

Delft the next day, no sign of the snow from the previous day

How picturesque

Rikke and Oxana in the snow

A familiar object in Holland, but in a slightly unfamiliar setting. I thought this snow-covered bike was a great introduction to Delft.

Off to Amsterdam

As promised my impressions of the German countryside, the second time around. Sunday I accompanied Peter to visit his sister, who lives near Stade in the next federal state, Lower Saxony (who would've known I knew the name in English as well).

I have to admit to being slightly nervous because here was another new group of people I had to meet and my only means of communication was German. There is always the fear that one's German has an off day, but I needn't have worried since one covers mostly the basics (where in SA are you from, where did you learn to speak German so well?) when meeting new people. First impression of the family, I couldn't believe the sister and her husband's physical resemblance to Bernd and Steffi - the people I stayed with 10 years ago. But the resemblance stopped at the purely physical b/c of course they were completely different people in completely different situations. Tessa, you've met Doris, I believe. She sends regards

They're youngest daughter had been an exchange student in Johannesburg, so she was very happy to talk about that. She's qualifying for some or other thing right now, but once she's finished she hopes to go and work in SA for a year. Good luck to that. Their son has a cool name: Hauke, not a typical German name, but cool nevertheless. Lunch was delicious, as was expected and afterwards we went for a walk in the forest. It was not too cold a day and the sun kept on creeping through. What struck me about this countryside scene was the size of the cultivated land. There were big stretches of them, whereas in the rural area I'd lived in before there were many, but significantly smaller patches of cultivated land. The houses (of the red-brick variety) were also a lot more charming than the one's I'd encountered further north. I'd even had the privilege of seeing a wild boar in his natural habitat. Who would've thought there is still wild life in Germany;-) Of course Peter's brother-in-law was a hunter (just like Bernd) and he had a hunting hound, which had a cool name too - Ike (although I'm sure that's not the way they would spell it like that). Peter also showed me the farm where he'd grown up, where his parents and younger brother still lives. Of course the farm had to be taken over by his brother b/c Peter wasn't interested in farming at all.

Now, sadly this will be my last post for a while. Tomorrow I'm leaving for a five day sojourn in Holland. Tomorrow I'll undertake a seven hour train ride to Delft for Oxana's birthday celebration. Her birthday is actually the next day when we will drive up to Amsterdam to celebrate further. I'll then spend another day in Delft before heading to A/dam for the weekend. A/dam is the party place of choice for the people I'm studying with. They spent a semester there last year and only have fond memories.

So, I'll speak to you on the flip side of that. I'm particularly looking forward to exploring A/dam on a bike. Let's hope the weather is not to shitty.

Ciao

The man himself, just in case some of you don't know what he looks like

Of Wentworth Miller and other things

So in true student fashion I pulled a whole-nighter last night. Only got to bed at 4:30 am after I'd been working on an essay, which I wasn't really into and embarassingly enough the essay will be read by all the people in my class as we are obliged to read each other's essays so that we can have a meaningful discussion on Wednesday morning. Pulling the whole-nighter wasn't so much trouble, since these days I don't sleep much. I have to be really tired to sleep through a night (which I'll thankfully be tonight) otherwise I wake up at unholy hours and try (in vain) to fall asleep again. All I pray for that this is will also pass (it's been going on for quite a while now) since I really prefer my former sleeping pattern (8-10 straight hours a night).

Any way being a bit of insomniac means I go out more regularly as well. Last week was a bumper social week despite the fact that I had to hand in about 3 essays. My social calender kicked off with Frank's birthday part on Tuesday. You might have heard about Frank before, embarassingly enough he had read the post about himself and wanted to know what "being a gas" meant. Luckily it was something positive, so my acquaintance with Frank wasn't harmed in any way. Of course I knew nobody at the party except the birthday boy. My date, Peter, dropped me at the last minute, but since I didn't really have anything else planned for the evening (maybe a couple of episodes of Prison Break), I went to the party. It was very civilised and pleasant since it's always interesting to meet new people. Of course the wine was flowing, which really helped the party spirit and the food was absolutely delicious, as was expected.

The next evening I stayed in and watched the hotter-than-hot Wentworth Miller (photo above) doing his thang in Prison Break. After 2 seasons (of back-to-back episodes without ad breaks), the man still hasn't lost for me. Yip, I am a BIG fan of he with the striking blue eye (sigh!). The next evening, after yet another attempt to work on my assignment, I met up with Dennis - our Bavarian brother here in Hamburg. We started off drinking in his massive room in a student res. It's quite interesting to see the different student resses here since they just don't resemble each other in any way. At about 1am (the hour at which the trains stop running - when I'd actually planned to go home) we (Dennis, I and a couple of his floormates) made our way to party capital here in Hamburg - the red-light district=Kiez. We ended up in some pub/bar and after a couple of songs I started feeling really ill. Headed for the nearest loo and after puking decided to park off on the toilet. I have no idea how long I was there for, but after what felt like 20 mins someone knocked on the door and asked whether I was OK. I rose from my stupor, climbed the stairs only to find the pub/bar empty. Dennis had left with my fleece and coat. I made a mental note never to go out drunk with him again and phoned him to find out what happened - by this time it had become clear that I hadn't been on the loo for 20 mins, but 2 hours. Lucky for me he was at the next bus stop waiting for a night bus. I made my way over there wearing only a T-shirt with a top underneath. Luckily I was still drunk enough not to feel the cold that much. Dennis and I ended up waiting for the day busses and trains to start running again at 5am and tired moi was welcomed by her lovely bed, which she only used until 11:00 - story of my life.

Friday I gave up trying to work on said assignment and camped out with the inimidable (matchless) mr. Miller on my bed - I wish, I camped out with my laptop (and images of mr. Miller - sigh!). Finally by Saturday I had watched all the Prison Break that was available and I could then start on the assignment. That evening I'd been invited for lasagne by my Danish friend, Rikke. Initially we thought it would be only the two of us and Dennis, but Oxana (the Russian who's name I'll use one day when I write a novel) and her charming husband, Vadim, joined us. Later more people joined for dessert, which was great - thanks Dennis. However, after 12 I felt my energy draining and I thought it wise to go home although I just know the rest of the people went out - if you don't know trains run 24 hours on the weekend.

The next day I visited the German countryside with Peter, but more about that in the next post. I have to get my arse in gear if I wanna eat something before class today.

Ciao

Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen

This is the title of a Danny Kaye song, which my Dad was singing after we'd returned from Copenhagen. It is indeed a beautiful city, but one I wouldn't go out of my way to visit again.

The train ride there was definitely a highlight. It had snowed the two days before our departure, so the snow-covered landscape was absolutely beautiful, especially on the Danish side. The sun also shone all the way there. Also the novelty of the train going onto a ferry to cross the Baltic sea hadn't worn off even as we crossed back to Germany. The train track goes onto this massive Scandlines ferry, which houses buses and cars, amongst other things. One leaves the train and goes up to the deck where there are shops and eateries. The main articles sold in the shops are alcohol, chocolate and perfume...your standard duty-free things. The vibe on-deck is chilled (and during the crossing chilly outside) and there are "delicacies" like shrimps on bread. My parents (like myself) loved the experience:)

Copenhagen had also seen some serious snow, but by the time we got there the it was already melting and gone slushy brown on the sidewalks and roads. This didn't retrack from the beauty of the snow-covered buildings and trees. We arrived relatively late, so we rushed to our hostel, where we had our own room on the 14th floor (with a great view over the city) before making the best of the last hours of day light to see as much as we can. We walked down the shopping street, where the shops all closed promptly at 17:00. We also reached this square, which was surrounded by stately buildings and on which people ice-skated around the fountain - I don't think the ice was artificial. Then we made our way to the New Harbour, which is the happening place in summer, but there wasn't much happening although it was very pretty. By this time my parents had had enough of the cold and we had dinner at KFC, which I wasn't happy about, but we didn't know the places in Copenhagen and as many of you don't know Denmark is very expensive.

The thing about Copenhagen is the fact that there are so many really old buildings that are still in tact. Denmark wasn't bombed during the 2nd World War since they surrendered when the Germans invaded. With the snow some of the buildings looked like something from a fairy tale, which was funny since Denmark produced one of the most famous fairy tale writers Hans-Christian Andersen. That would also explain why they have a statue of the Little Mermaid (a story written by H-C Andesen) in the harbour. The Sunday morning my mom and I went in search of said statue despite the pelting rain, which didn't let up. We found her and visited the royal residence (yes, Denmark is a monarchy although the Queen is just a figurehead in every sense of the word. She and her family does nothing, but drain the national coffers. However, these are the most loved (by their subjects) royals in Europe) before making our way to Christiania (pronounced: Christijanja).

Christiania is a state within a state. In 1973 a group of hippies tore down disused military barracks in Copenhagen and established the free state of Christiania. The state is totally independent from Denmark - make their own laws and are responsible for infrastructure, etc. Marijuana is legal in Christiania, but they are against hard drugs. The place has a very anarchic feel, with lots of men standing around open fires like in the townships. The men are also a lot more forward than elsewhere. They look you up and down and one (really ugly) guy winked at my mother and I (we just laughed after we got over the disbelief ). Anybody is apparently allowed to come there and put up a house and the place is a bit filthy with a lot of dogs. There was also a distinct police presence and a large group of young men just standing around, as if they were waiting for something. One however didn't feel unsafe, but I'm sure my Mom was quite relieved when we left the place.

After that we found a bakery where we acquired some Danish pastries, which wasn't much different from the ones one got in Germany or Belgium. Needless to say I was a bit disappointed. By then it was starting to get dark again and it was really windy too, so we went back to the hostel, where I finished an assignment, which was due the next day. I got my parents hooked on Prison Break (the new series I'm obsessively watching these days) in Copenhagen.

Early the next day we left for Hamburg again, where my parents had to get everything organised since they (unexpectedly) had to leave a day earlier.

Hope you had fun reading this account of Copenhagen.
Keep well.

Moi in the rain at the entrance of Christiania

Cool grafitti in Christiania

Real proof that I was in Copenhagen: the statue of the Little Mermaid. People said I would be disappointed by her, but I wasn't. It was just that she was so far away from the other sights in the city

For Tessa: This was in the window in a big department store in the longest pedestrian only shopping street in Europe. I guess the word means sales since it was in the window of many shops and at this time of the year shops usually have sales to get rid of their winter stock

Copenhagen's city hall

The view from our room

Here I am on the ferry that took our train across the Baltic sea to Denmark. It was quite an experience having the train ride onto the ferry, embarking on the ferry and hanging around on the deck (where they sell duty-free stuff and food) for the 45 minutes it took to cross the sea