My school, biking... in the snow, and the little mermaid

I am sure you all were just dying to know what my school building looked like... lol. Here it is! It is called Metro and all of my classes are conveniently located within this building. It is just across from the official university building and a five minute walk from the Jurahuset- where the law library and law faculty is focused.

Somehow I decided to signup for an 8 am class because I think I like to torture myself. Here is a church that is across from my classroom building. As 8am tolls I always hear the bells ringing as I ride to class (no I am not late the "academic quarter" means that all classes start 15 minutes after the time they say they start).

This is the official building for the University of København. I haven't really been inside except to the international office around the corner.

Ahh, I ride past this everyday on my way to and from school. There are a few things I want to point out in this picture. First, the thermometer on the side of the building, I am not sure if I have ever seen it above 0. Second, look at the slogan for the oh so popular Carlsberg beer "Probably the Best Beer in Town." The Danes never like to flat out claim they are the best at anything although they are most likely thinking it... this totally follows within those footsteps.

Everyday I also ride past the Tivoli amusement park and I peer in with wide eyes if the gate is ever slightly open. It opens in April and once I get back from Turkey I plan on having my birthday party here! If you look hard you might be able to see me!

Cold nights in København call for desperate measures to stay warm. I often wear earmuffs, a hat, 2, scarves, and 5-6 layers under my jacket just to keep from freezing, sometimes I succeed...

However, sometimes it is just too late... here I am inside a bar after being outside for hours. I just could not get warm no matter how many clothes I had on, my friends were not having the same issue this night.

My bike! It has lights in the front and back to warn cars and other bikers of my presence. It might not be the prettiest but it is reliable and works well so I love it!

Another group dinner at my place, we made pasta again... Pasta is the cheapest way to go here... everything is so expensive and unless you want bread and cheese then pasta it is.

Another weekend, another adventure. I was telling my dad that all the water seems to be frozen here... he seemed skeptical so I thought I would take some pictures to show him. Look at the water! ICE!

This adventure took me all the way to the other side of the city, about 6 kilometers away... we decided to bus as it was very cold and windy. After a bit of confusion trying to figure out the system we found our way. Here she is, the little mermaid! I think she needs a jacket!

Here Linda and I are. The statute is a character from a famous Hans Christian Anderson story (the most famous author in Denmark) The Little Mermaid. The locals all think that a huge fuss is made over such a little statute but I appreciate the opportunity to see her. 

Leaving the statute heading to the train (we decided to mix up the mode of transportation) we came across this cute church...

When I got home it had started to snow and the ground once again was turning white.

Approximately 1/3 of all Københageners use bikes to commute to work... rain, snow, or sun! I was not going to let a little snow stop me from going out with my friends in the evening. Luckily, my friend Linda who is from Holland and used to biking in the snow was there to give me a few pointers. And, yes, I know I am wearing tights, but in all honesty I was not cold this night. Indoors are usually kept very warm and wearing too many clothes leads to getting too hot! And cycling gets you warm after a few minutes and your muscles are working.

It does get very slippery though! Going up onto curbs from an angle is nearly impossible... I learned this after having to jump off my bike several times when the tire just started to skid. But it is manageable and with practice it became a bit easier. Here you can see my view from behind the handle bars... purse and lock in my basket.

Luckily my bike doesn't get snowed on because I keep it in the bike chalet!

I just started taking my Danish language course which is located at a different campus. It is very far away  and I take this walking bridge to get there... here it is covered in snow. Luckily I have friends to bike home with when it gets out at night.

We take a kind of back-road path by a shopping mall and swimming area... this had frozen over as you can see.

Rosy cheeks but smiling we make good biking partners!

And it is still snowing.... Danish Brunch, Superbowl, and Exploring København

It has been a bit since my last post but only because I have been so busy exploring, learning and enjoying. Let me start with a description of a traditional danish brunch. In København it is very common to go out for a long, relaxing brunch in the late morning on the weekends. A group of girls from the law faculty and I decided to do this the first Sunday after we had started classes. Here is Linda (Holland) and I right after out plate had been delivered.

A picture of my plate... Typically a brunch will contain:

Yogurt with granola, fresh fruit, meats and cheeses, eggs, maybe a pancake or potatoes, and bacon or sausage (or both). It was so much food but oh so good. Most brunches cost around 100kr or $20. Luckily this one was only about 70kr or $14.  

Most weekends we like to explore different landmarks around the city. Or just go for a brisk stroll even though it is utterly freezing. Here is a picture of the round tower and me and Amanda (New Zealand). Also, here is something that I don't think I could imagine in many places. Many cafes offer outside seating even though it is most definitely far below freezing. They have candles and blankets but no heaters. It is not uncommon to see people sitting outside, especially if it is a sunny day, despite the cold.

I was also in København for the Superbowl. A few bars around the area hosted Superbowl viewing parties. We chose an Irish pub which had free entrance and a special on Budweiser... 100kr for 2 bud heavies and a hot dog. Budweiser apparently is not a very appreciated beer in Denmark but it was nice to having something American to celebrate. This is Tabea (Germany) and me.

Here is a pic of the crowd that showed up to watch... keep in mind that with the 9 hour time difference the game started at 12AM and went until early in the morning on Monday. Also, sadly, we could not see the famous commercials which seemed to take away a large part of the entertainment seeing as I was not rooting for either team.

Here is a picture of most of the crowd that I actually knew. Patrick (Germany), me, Tabea (Germany), Karl (Australia). Missing is Karl and Brandon (both USA).

The Law faculty held a welcome orientation and dinner for the international students. The food was a delish buffet and the setting was very hyggeligt (cozy). Here is Linda (Holland), Julia (Australia), Eva (Germany), me, and Elin (Sweden).

And here is me, Aussie Dave, and Amanda (New Zealand).

Often us girls get together and make group dinners. Not only is it fun to socialize but it is much cheaper that going out to restaurants. This night we went to Linda's and made pasta. Below is Sanna (Holland, Amanda (New Zealand), Elena (Germany), Julia (Australia), Ash (Australia), Linda (Holland), and me.

Another, sunny, day of adventures. Meeting in the main square in Copenhagen we decided to explore. Here is a picture of city hall.

It seems that everywhere in Denmark construction projects are flourishing. I think a majority of the major undertakings are for new metro lines and stops being put into place. This is the other side of the square that the City Hall is on.

The girls and I in front of city hall.

This day we decided to climb the round tower. It was utterly freezing and we thought maybe the climb would warm us up... hmm not so much. The round tower is a old landmark in København. It is most famous for not having stairs but a ramp that takes you to nearly the top. This was so that horses could climb up it! Up in the tower there were stables in which horses were kept, craziness.

On the side of the tower is a beautiful church. Climbing up the stairs I thought it could be interesting to see what was behind a little door... this is what I found!

There were little cubby like things that I imagined soldiers hiding guard in... I don't know if they did but I thought it would be a good hiding place...lining the entire ramp up to the top. At the top there was a beautiful view of the entire city of København. You could walk 360 degrees around the tower and see how beautiful the rooftops were. København has very strict zoning ordinances, one of which has to do with height. Most building cannot be taller than 4 stories (5 if you count the ground level).  This preserves the view from the tower and helps the city keep its old school and charming character.

Here are a couple views from windows going up the tower...

And after a day of exploring we were all excited to go home to our heated houses, have some tea and relax.