Copenhagen, Denmark (September 25, 2006)

Since my friend Anders had to work on Monday, I decided to take a day trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, which is about an hour by train from Lund. Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, has about 1.5 million inhabitants, but the inner part of the city still feels rather quaint and only took a few hours to walk. As you can see from the pictures, it is filled with gorgeous architecture, lively squares, and a colorful harbor area (Nyhavn). The Nyhavn, Strobel, and Kongens Nytorv areas bustled with shopping, cafes, and street musicians even mid-day. Even in my hurry to see the city, I had to stop to enjoy the excitment of these crowded open areas! I would have loved to have sat at a street cafe all afternoon, just watching the activity, but I didn't have any Danish krona (money). Instead I settled for an afternoon rest in the Kongens Have (King's Gardens) near the beautiful Rosenborg Slot castle, where locals come to picnic or relax on the lush green grass.

With this little adventure, I successfully survived my first day of hanging out in a city by myself! I consider it a test of strength to not know a city, not speak the language, not have any money in the correct currency, not have anyone to rely on or share it with, and still have a good time! Even being a fairly independent person, who does not mind being alone, I did feel at times that I would have liked to have had someone to enjoy it with. But there are a lot more days like that to come, so this is the perfect time embrace being alone in a strange place and meeting new people!

For the complete photo journal of Copenhagen, visit http://www.AndreasOdyssey.shutterfly.com.