Switzerland and Germany

Hello! Hope everyone is well. I have just returned from a long weekend in Switzerland and Germany! I visited my friend Meaghan in Switzerland and my cousin Phil in Germany.

Friday, I couldn't wait to get to the airport. I only had classes until 11:30AM and my flight did not leave until 5PM. The metro was packed with people going to the airport. This was because Danish children have a week off from school this week (called "Week 42") and many choose this week to travel. My host family is not going anywhere. My host mother just started a job a couple weeks ago, so she cannot take off work. My host father's mother ("far mor"- literally means father's mother) is coming to stay for the rest of the week today. It will be neat to meet more of my host family's extended family. My host sisters had a friend spend the night, which I'm sure they had a lot of fun.

Instead of writing everything I did in Switzerland and Germany I will write some of the highlights. For some reason, it takes an eternity for me to post pictures on here so here is a link to my photo album if you would like to check out the gorgeousness that is Switzerland and Germany.


Highlights:
Getting to the airport and going to the ATM where my debit card would, yet again, not allow me to get money out. I then exchanged $40 worth Danish kroner for Swiss Francs and got 25 francs. Definitely got ripped off... Oh well. For the record: I was able to get money out the next day.

Taking the bus from the airport to Basel train station. When the signs on the bus said, "Banholf SBB" I hoped it wasn't going to take me to a different train station. I asked a woman if the bus was going to Basel train station. She looks at me and goes, "Ya- SBB" Duh! Doesn't everyone know that SBB means Basel train station? haha

Going to the main walking street in Basel, which for the record, looks like a mini- Stroget, the main pedestrian walking street in Copenhagen. Basel, for the few hours I was there, reminded me of Copenhagen.

Eating crepes and getting to meet Meaghan's other friends and fellow CABI ppl Alicia and Leah

Going to Lucern, Switzerland! Got to see and walk on the beautiful Chapel Bridge, Lion Monument, climbing a castle, seeing alpacas, eating truffles, kind of seeing the Alps through the clouds, the train rides from Delemont to Luzern, and eating great pizza in Laufen!

Day 2: Getting to see the lab where Meaghan has been working for eight months.

Going for a ride in a car to see a 1,000 year old tree! (I seriously had not been in a car for two months). Danes, especially my host family, are not real big on driving. And especially considering that they are taxed 150% over the car's retail value and the VERY high prices of gas, think double what we pay a gallon)

Eating cheese fondue and watching How I Met Your Mother.

Finally seeing Phil! And I got to be in a motorized vehicle yet again!

Hanging out at HBR, the dorm Phil is a house parent in and getting to hang out with high school boys and watching them play a game where they jump on top of each other (Tuktuk? Jump jump?) haha some name like that

Going on a hike to find a castle and then realizing we were not on the right path. Oh and feeling sick! I felt so bad that I wasn't feeling too great in the one day I could see my cousin. Phil if you're reading this sorry I was not feeling the best! I still had an awesome time!

Climbing a tower and almost being able to see the Alps!

Eating scnitzel and speitzel. So good! Felt like I was in Lancaster, PA. The part of Germany I was in reminded me so much of Pennsylvania- it was crazy. I now know why so many people with German ancestry chose to move to PA. I also felt like I looked like the inhabitants of Germany/ Switzerland. I feel like in Denmark I stand out since I am not a blonde with blue eyes, though I promise, not all Danes are blonde. I believe I do have some German ancestry so I guess it makes sense that I look German.

I am now back in Copenhagen. I was not feeling real well yesterday. My ears were really clogged and being on the plane didn't help much. Today, I feel much better. I think it was a combination of having a cold/ traveling/ not being able to sleep. Today, I skipped my Danish class. Oh well. My professor wasn't even going to be there- she is in Israel for the week, so hopefully I didn't miss much. I have my Literary London class at 3PM my time. I am really excited about this class. My professors seem really excited and enthusiastic about what we are learning and it just makes me excited to learn about British literature and culture. It also doesn't hurt that we get to go to London for a weekend in November. We are reading Shakespeare's MacBeth. I tried to read it in the airport, but after not reading Shakespeare since high school, it is hard to get back into that style of writing.

Until next time!

~Jenna