Day 1: March 17, 2023
After seeing a neon-pink sunset on our way to JFK (taken as a good omen!), we boarded the plane to Denmark and spent a turbulence-free flight fighting jet lag (from ~11 pm in NYC, to ~1 pm in Copenhagen!).
Plane amenities included in-flight entertainment (and a great movie selection), a mysterious hot pocket-adjacent bread, and breakfast in the sky. Many students opted to nap the entire flight on their head-sized pillows, which was also a valid option.
Day 2: March 18, 2023
...Although, it's technically still Day 1. So we excitedly (though a bit tiredly) pointed out all the trees in the Københavns Lufthavn (Copenhagen's airport) before exchanging our Dollars for the Danish currency: Krones.
The streets of Denmark are quite picturesque, and we saw a lot of well-dressed Danes on the cobblestoned streets celebrating their national holiday, Ascension Day, a Christian holiday popularly celebrated throughout the country.
On our first train ride of the week, we learned how chaotic a group of 28 people can seem to onlookers, and also noticed the many trees and gardens dotting the Danish rooftops!
Upon leaving the "Secaucus Junction of Denmark," as Ms. Wallace puts it, we walked down more picturesque, busy streets past the Tivoli gardens (stay tuned for Day 6 ) to "Dan Hostel," a clean and modern design hotel conveniently located nearby the city centre. The rooms had great views of the Frederiksholms Kanal, and the previously mentioned lively streets of Copenhagen.
At the Peder Øxe, a * establishment that was amazingly accommodating to our large group of rowdy students and their various diet restrictions, we enjoyed two courses of salad and a main dish of fish or beef, with equally delicious vegan/vegetarian options readily available. A crowd favorite was the elderflower drink, made from the European elder's flowers and noted by students for sounding "very Danish."
On our way back from dinner, we stopped by one of the many 7/11 stores dotting the Copenhagen streets to purchase Danish snacks, quick bites, and drinks. After taking a walk through the colorful streets and stopping for a group photo, we found ourselves back at the Dan Hostel with full stomachs and very weary feet
After being in Denmark for only three hours we were pleased to see that the rumors were true... Denmark was an extremely climate-friendly and green country! With bikes on almost every (or every) street corner, and more people on the streets than cars, Copenhagen was making enormous strides towards sustainability. While passing through a canal near our above group photo spot we even saw eco boats, eco-friendly boats powered with renewable energy, and uberesquie "eco" cabs with stickers that said "Go Green and Go Home!" (if you're wondering where today's blog title came from).
That's all for now, but stay tuned for Day 3- we've got a green-filled itinerary!