On Wednesday, it was time for a trip to Novgorod, the medieval capital of Russia. A three hour bus ride took us out of pretty Saint Petersburg and into real Russia. I woke up literally in a different world. Out the window were not the posh, urban streets of a European city but instead the wooden, dilapidated shacks from the third world. I tried to take some pictures of these surprises, but the real sight can't nearly be caught on film. Upon arriving in Novgorod, we started a tour of the medieval kremlin, which is Russian for fortress, of the city. [View Full Entry]

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Every trip has a distinctive beginnning, and what better way to start Russia than with a bureaucratic entry form that, if lost, could cause an indefinite barrier to exiting Russia. This is a very similar system to the United States, one of many similarities to ensue. Upon my arrival in Saint Petersburg, I was immediately rejected by customs because I hadn't filled out the second half of the entry form marked "exit". My fault. It took less time overall to enter Russia than the United States...and I'm an American citizen. Go figure. On our way from the airport to the hotel [View Full Entry]

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After having a tour of Paris and visiting Versailles, we weren't quite satisfied with the day yet. So obviously the only thing we could do next was take a three hour dinner barge cruise up and down the Seine in the heart of Paris and eat the best food known to man with unlimited wine. So we did. The cruise was a dream come true. It was the epitome of what we think of when we think of France: luxurious, elegant, tasty, formal, joyous, and deeply awesome. I recommend said voyage to all! Oh and every hour, the Eiffel Tower sparkles. [View Full Entry]

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After a delicious breakfast in Reims, off to Paris we went. On the bus, we watched the movie Marie Antoinette...a film about Versailles, filmed at Versailles, and here's the kicker...in English. Score. Upon arrival in Paris, our Swedish guide started us off with a quick bus tour around the city. If you ever wanna see serious cross-language action witness your Danish bus drivers speaking Danish to the guide, the Swedish guide speaking back in Swedish, the guide talking French to our Danish Leader who is fluent in French, and then giving a tour to the rest of the bus completely in [View Full Entry]

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After our leisurely stroll through Verdun, off to Reims we went, in the heart of Champagne country, amidst what seemed like the downpour of the century. Reims played a very important role in French history, as it was the place where the kings of France were crowned. The most famous and cherished of these events was the coronation of Charles VII in the company of Joan of Arc. Thus, the Cathedral of Reims (damaged by the Germans during the First World War but restored since) played the same role in France as Westminister Abbey did in England. It was there that [View Full Entry]

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After having arrived in Verdun, France...we immediately had a four course lunch at Le Picotin. Wonderful food: Bienvenue a la France. Next, we toured the Battlefields of Verdun; the American equivalent being Gettysburg. The Battle of Verdun was the longest battle in recorded history lasting 11 months! Due to the military strategy of the day, the French and the German operated with trench warfare in WWI and thus the goal was instead of to advance and conquer, was to maintain and bleed the other army dry. Whoever decided enough had died would surrender. The Germans thought that the French [View Full Entry]

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So, what perfect way to start off a trip to beautiful France than...wait for it...LUXEMBOURG! Saturday evening, after donning our bussen to France, we watched Amelie, a very crazy French movie, on our way to the southern coast of Zealand. We then boarded a huge ferry, bussen and all and chugged across the Baltic to Germany. It was rough waters that night and we could feel the ferry swaying back and forth! Upon docking in Germany we fell asleep as we drove all night long. The ever lovely Ditte Marie (our fearless leader) woke us up at 9 am the next [View Full Entry]

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This week has been especially eventful in København. Wednesday I had an exclusive tour of the royal palace Amalienborg with my Copenhagen: History and Current Issues class. Because President Obama was coming, I saw the Royal Tabledresser preparing the luncheon for Obama and the Queen. I toured the citadel with them also. Thursday, my Irish friends and I went to the concerts at Rådhusplasen for the Olympic Decision Event! Friday, they had more concerts with the top Danish pop stars including Medina! The pictures are from that concert. It was awesome to be packed into the square waiting fo [View Full Entry]

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This past weekend I found myself being whisked off to Sweden! Bright and early Saturday morning I was at Frue Plads ready to enjoy the Swedish wilderness. We started by driving to Helsingør, Danmark and taking the wicked fast ferry over to Helsingborg, Sweden. From there we bussed to a small river. There we decided that despite the drizzle, cool winds, and lack of sun that it would be a great idea to canoe upriver for three hours. It actually turned out to be better because it stopped drizzling five minutes in....but....if you want to turn your arms into jelly: canoe [View Full Entry]

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Samsø, a place to be studied in the modern world of renewable energy. The island has a negative carbon footprint which means they produce a surplus of clean energy which they sell back to the Danish mainland at a profit. They employ an elaborate system of wind turbines that are nearly all community owned or even privately owned (as opposed to corporate energy owned), heating stations which provide the heat for the island's homes in a carbon neutral way, and fields of solar energy panels. We started off our trip by taking a regional train to the western coast of Zealand [View Full Entry]

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