jeg hedder du allie, jeg kommer fra boston

Today was the first installment of something called Survival Danish. I have learned how to introduce myself, say where I am from, and what I am studying. We also took a field trip to a grocery store and I learned how to say a few simple foods. And thus, my subject line is the extent of my Danish education so far. I have also deduced that "udsalg" means "sale", "havn" means "town", and that absolutely nothing is pronounced like it is spelled. Not one thing. It makes me kind of glad that I am not taking Danish this semester because I feel like it would just be futile.

This afternoon was definitely the most fun thing we've done so far. We were put randomly into groups and sent on a scavenger hunt around the medieval part of the city. Though our legs were aching and we were simply exhausted, it was worth it to walk all the way down Strøget (the longest pedestrian shopping street in the world) and take the harbor bus from one end of the harbor to the other. Not much else to report for today (except for the fact that I am super exhausted and, unbelievably, already have a significant amount of reading to do even though classes have not started yet) so I will close out with pictures.

Gargoyles on the side of Christiansborg Palace, the Danish Parliament:

View down Nyhavn, the most beautiful canal I have ever seen:

Amalienborg Palace, where Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik live:

The Queen of Denmark has guards, just like in Britain!

Buildings date from the 1700s in Gråbrødretorv:

Bicycle after bicycle at Nørreport Station: