Scandinavia

After my trip to Denmark and Sweden, here are a few things I learned:

1. Scandinavia is a very expensive place to visit. And very confusing since 5 Danish kroner = $.20. So...this was probably my first and last trip to Scandinavia until I am making big bucks as a lawyer.
2. Danish hotdogs are supposed to be the best in the world, but if you ask me, they just taste like regular hotdogs.
3. In place of Starbucks on every corner, you will find Seven Elevens instead.
4. I can live on bread and cheese (that is what we resorted to in order to save money!).
5. Soft Is is my new favorite kind of ice cream (aside from Ted Drewes of course)
6. Getting run over by a biker is probably more likely than getting hit by a car. Rush hour of bikes is quite an experience, especially when you are trying to walk through it!

Dayna and I had a great time in Copenhagen. We walked A LOT and got to see so many different areas of the city. My personal favorite was the Little Mermaid Statue. The author of the Little Mermaid, H.C. Andersen, is from Denmark, so we got to see his statue (below I am sitting in his lap) and the Little Mermaid.... which if you know me, is my most favorite Disney Movie!

We also saw Parliament, the University, Rosenborg Castle, Tivoli amusement park, and took several strolls down the Stroget--the famous shopping street... but I didn't buy a single thing (except some soft is!) We also visited Christiana, the "hippie" part of town, which reminded me a bit of Amsterdam.(Above is the Stroget)

In addition to Danish hotdogs, we tried smorrebrod--traditional open-face Danish sandwiches... they were okay, but I prefer German pretzels! I found several good running parks and it was fun to finally see some other runners, because there are not many in good ol' Garmisch!

(Above--Smorrebrod)

We took 2 side trips. One to Roskilde, just a 30 minute train ride, to see the Viking Museum and viking ships! I even got to sit in one. We also took the train to Malmo, Sweden, for the day. We took a canal ride while we were there to get a good view of the city, and enjoyed sitting by the sea!

Our hostel was quite an experience. We had one sleep talker and one moaner, which made sleeping difficult, not to mention only 1 window in a room with 10 beds, making it quite hot! Needless to say, after 2 plane rides, a train, and taxi ride, I was happy to be back in my bed in Garmisch!

Cinque Terre, Italy

Just got home from Cinque Terre, which means "5 villages." It is an area on the coast of Italy with 5 gorgeous little towns lining the ocean. Kiley, Amy, Sarah, and I arrived there Wednesday morning after waking up at 3AM for the 7 hour drive (that's how we have to travel when we only get 2 days off!). There is a hiking trail that leads from one village to the next, and Sarah and I were determined to hike to all 5 cities. Although the hike was definitely a little more rigorous that Rick Steves (my favorite travel guide writer) led us to believe, we did make it to all 5 towns... only after lots of hills, at least 1500 steps, too many pictures, and a few dips in the ocean to cool off in the 90+ heat. We took the ferry back to Monterrosso (the first town where we stayed), and it was definitely a bit more relaxing than the hike! We spent the evening at a nice seafood restaurant and enjoyed lots of people watching. The town was still thriving even at 11PM, which is quite a change from Garmisch, where everything is closed by 8PM.

Day 2 was a bit more relaxing.... shopping, swimming, exploring the towns, and enjoying the perfect sunshine! We even did a little paddle boating.

Below are the pictures, which still don't do it justice. Definitely a place I would like to return to if I have time, and one I would highly suggest you visit on your trip to Italy!

Hiking the Zug and Festing!

Yesterday Sabrina and I hiked the tallest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze! We began our adventure at 6:45AM and arrived at the summit about 8.5 hours later. Luckily, Europeans know how to do hiking the right way, so there were 3 huts for us to stop at along the way! The hike is not too bad until the last hour and a half or so, when you have to hike up a very steep section, in very slippery gravel. Most people use hiking poles, but we did not! That's the worst part, but then you have to go through a series of switchbacks using thick cable to hold on to until you get to what you think is the top, only to realize you have to climb a few flights of stairs. But we finally made it to the top, and even went to the Gipful.... it is a big golden cross that marks the official highest point (see below). You have to climb a ladder and climb some pretty steep rocks, but we did it! Luckily, you can take a tram down and just relax!

We had such a fun time, and decided to go to fest to celebrate! This week is Partenkirchen Fest (the town right next to us). Below is a picture of the tent I took standing on a table.

It is also a tradition to raise people up on tables and have drinking contests between them.

You can see that the herren (male) in this picture is wearing lederhosen, the traditional male bavarian outfit, and below is a picture of a few of us wearing our dirndls!

Next week I am headed to Cinque Terre, Italy, and then to Copenagen, Denmark, the week after, so more adventures to come soon!