Day 1: Copenhagen to Skanderborg

Hey, party peeps. I'm back in Copenhagen, after an AMAZING trip around Scandinavia. We did an insane amount of things during the last week and it was wonderful, but I'm also very glad to be back in my very own dorm with my very own shower. We've been given the weekend off, so I'll be working on turning my sketchbook notes into posts. Despite the early mornings and late nights, the time to sketch was very minimal, so the drawings are a little infrequent and unfinished. However, on Wednesday, I refused to take pictures and only sketched, so that should make up a little.

Right now my poor little Mac is trying to download all 529 photos off my camera. I'm amazed that I have that many despite all the places we were not allowed to take photographs.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Day started off a little hectic. I stayed up late to pack and overslept a little. After a frantic call to Dan the tour man while riding the S-Train into Nørreport, I hoisted myself onto the bus 10 minutes late. Luckily, we were allowed a little cushion time from Frue Plads (the meeting spot) to our first stop, 2 and a half hours away at Faaborg Museum, designed by Carl Petersen in 1912. There were beautiful sculptures and various paintings and drawings to look over, and some nice inspiration for our own sketchbooks.





We had lunch in a little garden out back, where we hastily ate our self-made lunch packs. I had some cheerios and a sandwich, the last of my provisions at the kollegium. Then we had a nice little walk back to the bus.



At 2, we arrived at the Trapholt Museum of Art, designed by Bente Aude and Boje Lundgaard in 1986. There, we poured over the dozens and dozens of chairs that they had stored there, taking measurements and pictures. One of the chairs was designed by none other than two of our professors on the trip with us, Bjorli and Flemming. I still can't get over the awesomeness. And they are so humble about it too. They're just like, "Yeah, it's cool. Whatever. But did you check out that chair?"







Bjorli walked around with us and explained detailing and connections in many of the chairs that we were looking at. I am loving the ability to ask every single question I have about a chair, but I know I'm going to want a little mini-Bjorli encyclopedia with me when I go home.



I fell in love with this chair while I was there, the PK25 designed by Poul Kjærholm in 1951. It's made of chromium-plated spring steel and cord. I may do this chair instead of the PK22 for the paper, but we'll have to see.

After that, it was off to our first hostel of the week, the Skanderborg Youth Hostel in Skanderborg, Denmark. We had a SCRUMPTIOUS meal of chicken and bacon in a cream sauce, with salad and bread. And desert was ice cream with various toppings.



Afterwards, we were given our first Danish beers of the trip, a very "hoppy" and slightly bitter Thor Pilsner, and were given free reign of the grounds.



My room, number 1, with three other girls. Not bad digs, got our own shower with the room. Only required some strategic movement in the morning while getting ready.





My first "Chucks Around the World" of the trip. There were tons of ducks around, as you can see at the top of the picture.



The view at exactly 8:00pm.



The hostel's pet cat about scared me to death when it came up and brushed my leg. It was very friendly, so I petted it a while and it let me take some snapshots of it.



About 9:00 we headed over to the bonfire they had started for us. After a quick how-to session, we were given roasting sticks, a sausage and some batter, and were left to roast some weenies! In the picture above is Tristan, my bus buddy and all-around buddy for the trip. We made sure that each other was accounted for as we left each destination, otherwise they were very likely to leave you behind.



My lovely pølser wrapped in bread dough is in the center of the shot, protruding from the bottom left of the picture. It was so very very tasty. I can't spell what it was called but it sounded a lot like the word "snowboard."



This was taken at 10:30pm, just before my trek back to the room. It think this is quite possibly the most beautifully colored picture I've ever taken. And it was even more amazing in person. A perfect first evening for our trip.