Hillerod: Last Stop on the E Train

Every day during the week I commute to school from the town of Hillerod. It is at the end of the E train on the S-Tog, and we take a bus from our school to the train station. Last weekend we went on a walk into Hillerod, and I took some pictures to show what Hillerod looks like.

 

The photo above is a picture of a church near our hojskole, and the one below is of my friends walking into town with me.

This is a view of the Frederickborg castle, which I see every day on my bus ride to the train station. We're planning on going in the springtime because the garden should be in bloom then.

There's a lot of little shops in Hillerod. I didn't buy anything, because things can be expensive, but it was nice to walk around and see what's there. They also have a mall in town so I can get anything I need there. 

So now you've seen some of the highlights of Hillerod! It's a quiet little town, and the public transportation makes getting to and from Copenhagen a little bit more work (especially in the evening, when it runs less frequently) but I really like living outside the city. It provides you with a different, less cosmopolitan view of the country of Denmark.

Orientation: Taking Copenhagen by Storm

Orientation is already more than a week behind me! And I still have not put pictures up. We did many useful (and not useful) things on orientation but everyone's favorite part was by far the activity where we walked around the city and looked for about 5 famous sights. We went to the Danish parliament building, housed in what used to be a palace (I believe the name is Christianborg Palace).

Next we went to the Black Diamond, which is the new part of the royal library. It is so beautiful inside! I'm hoping to trek down there some days and sit and do some work with a view from the harbor.

One of my favorite sights was the Church of Our Savior, where my now professor (of my Copenhagen: History and Contemporary Urban Issues) talked to our group about the political significance of the church. In Europe, a lot of the churches were commissioned by royalty to convey a certain message of power, majesty, and control. The church is recognizable throughout Copenhagen for its spiral steeple.

The inside is beautiful! Very simple walls, until you get to the altar! Very dramatic colors and expressions on the statues.

The king Christian IV also did a lot of urban construction, planning, and change. Kongens Nytorv, or the King's New Square, is one of his works (I think).

Lastly, our orientation adventure stopped at the royal palace, which was not built as a palace but as a residence for the new merchant class in the city. After the royal palace burnt down, the royalty moved into this place and, well, just never left!

well, that's a taste of what sights I've seen! I know its a very quick post, but I'll write more soon. I definitely have more to share!

What is a Folkehøjskole?

So I still don't know exactly how to prononcue the word, but after living there for a few days I know a little more about what it is that students do there. The school is, for a lot of students, a chance for them to decide what they'd like to study more at university in a low pressure setting. Some of the students come right after high school, others wait a while. But the few I have talked with are using their experience to prepare them for university. At the Folkehøjskole, the students do not have homework or exams. They take a variety of classes, such as philosophy, songwriting, and Danish politics. The sense of community is as important (sometimes it seems more important) than the academic work that the students do. Students eat meals together every day, and the DIS American students join them for dinner. The first night we were there, they invited us to a party they were having in the school, complete with cider, music, and fooseball. It was really fun! Last night we went to a sort-of sing-a-long, where they all sang Danish and English songs together while one of their teachers plays the piano. We had some dessert and coffee and tea as well. The Danes talk about their hygge, which means (as I roughly understand it) coziness, and their song nights seem to really exemplify this. I think living at the Folkehøjskole will give me a unique perspective on Danish life. It's a little scary, because Danes aren't very outgoing people, but everyone is nice and I think that, in time, Grundtvigs will feel a little more like home.

Prepare for liftoff!

I'm getting ready to fly out on Saturday, two days from now. Running around the house, looking like a crazy woman, grabbing items and trashing my room--yep, that means it's time to go! I've started with a list of things to see once I get there, and I've set goals for my semester in Copenhagen, including

• exploring the city
• meeting Danish friends
• exploring an interest in urban studies and planning

It's sure to be a great time, but I'll miss all my family and friends back in the US!