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!