Hello from a hot bus and rocky boat! As we cross the Baltic Sea on our way to Germany, all of us are sad to leave Denmark while also excited to visit Berlin. We can’t wait to explore a new city and hopefully get some work done on the rest of the bus ride!

-Cooper

This Monday, after waking up to a dusting of snow all over Copenhagen, we all headed about half an hour north to Rungsted Gymnasium, the school where we would be seeing the danish kids we met last March. Once we arrived, we set off on a “reflection walk” on a path near their school, every few Americans paired with a few Danes. We got to know them and talk about discussion prompts set by their teacher to help us prepare for our debate. After returning, we ate lunch and spent the afternoon debating different issues in teams, with a final round of Americans v.s. Danes. Finally, we ended the day by enjoying a dinner of traditional Danish food cooked by the students before getting on the train home. It was great to meet new friends, visit with friends from March, and get a taste of teenage Danish life.

-Chiara

-Sydney

While exploring a thrift market we came across a park we had talked about previously with curator Amelia Fredericksen that morning. With her we discussed public art in Copenhagen and she answer our questions about various projects she had helped with through the the city and surrounding areas. The park was called Superkilen by the artist Superflex. It was designed by asking the surrounding residents what they wanted there and how they wanted to include there cultures. Going through it was very cool because it was unlike any parks I had been to back home, everything was both intentionally designed as an art pricey and as a park for ever there. It was very cool and we had fun checking it out.

-Amelia

The Danish Architecture Center encourages visitors to learn through visual and physical context with the works on display, providing a learning opportunity at every step as they display the latest of brutalist and contemporary architecture that is distinguished by its hospitality and cutting edge technology. I had a great time learning and engaging with the modern and historical architecture of Denmark.

-Vlad

We began our art and design day by meeting a local art curator, Amalie Frederiksen, who specializes in public interventionist art. Inspired by her work, we split up to explore different art opportunities around the city. After accidentally getting on the wrong bus, my group conquered the 2A (peek the view from the bus station below) and rode it to the Copenhagen Contemporary Museum. There, we experienced 3 different exhibits, my favorite of which was a trippy immersive exhibit from James Turrell, that explored light as matter and it’s effect on space and orientation. We then finished the night with a trip to Tivoli Gardens, a magical Christmas market/theme park, where I may or may not have gone in the same ride three times. Although we mourned our last day dedicated to exploring the city we made the most of it and look forward to reuniting with the Danish high school students tomorrow!

-Lucía

My third day in Copenhagen was definitely the coldest. I thought I would be ready for this trip ,especially because I’m a SF native, but nothing prepared me for how cold it is. Despite this cold I still have managed to consistently get outside and see sights around the city. Today, I visited parliament and the Tivoli Gardens. Although parliament was pretty Tivoli was genuinely amazing. It is a small amusement park packed with rides and restaurants. The entire park was full of both familiar and unique rides. Christmas is in full swing in Copenhagen. With Christmas markets and decorations around every corner. I’m honestly shocked at how lively the city is at almost every hour of the day. As much as I’m looking forward to Berlin I really wish I could stay here longer.

-Dylan

Donning our winter coats and wrapping scarves around our necks, we ventured over to a local bakery for fresh baked pastries and coffee to fuel up for the day’s work ahead: a “Seek-n-Find” exploration activity of Copenhagen’s iconic landmarks, buildings, and districts. Splitting off into groups we made our way around the city, stopping for selfies in front of the Christiansborg Palace, popping into local thrift shops, and grabbing a bite to eat at one of the Christmas markets along the waterfront. The highlight: walking through the magical Royal Library gardens in the snow!

-Kate