A
THROUGH
EUROPE
Written and Illustrated by Candice Allen
2
SPRING
During January 28th to May 17th, a friend and I went and studied abroad in Florence Italy for an entire semester.
While we were there we had around 8 days of a break, also known as our spring break, to travel and do as we wanted in Europe, so naturally we decided to travel to Copenhagen, Denmark and Berlin, Germany.
This friend, whose name
This small excerpt of our
is Heather but will be
time together was to me,
referred to as Hedder in
the most exciting and
this short summary as this
beautiful experience that
is what I am accustomed
we had while we were in
to calling her, and I just
Europe, and is thus why I
so happened to both
have chosen to share it.
be art majors and from the same university, Point Loma Nazarene University.
OUR FIRST STOP On our week long adventure during spring break was to the lovely Berlin, Germany, and I have to say; I truly appreciate the organization and cleanliness of the Germans, however their airport signs need some help. It is a little difficult to navigate an airport when all you have to go off of are a list of vague pictures, but this could just be the several classes of graphic design I had taken coming out in me.
Needless to say after wandering around and figuring out what each picture stood for, we found our way to an information desk and acquired a map and directions to our hostel. It was a little questionable at some points if we would find our hostel, but after obtaining the help of a few Germans and a few English-speaking tourists we found our way! Since it was late at night when we got to our hostel we agreed that our real first day in Berlin would start the next day though (because we figured after learning how to read the maps and figure out their public transportation system, we earned a break and had enough “adventure� for one day).
We did our tourist duty and visited what was called “Check Point Charlie� which was a portion of the Berlin Wall available for passersby to observe, touch, and take photos with.
After our quick photo session with the walls went and walked through a memorial cemetery that was recommended by Italian host mother, who had just so happened used to live in Germany for seven years before. She had recommended this to us because of the beautiful garden/scenery it has for people to walk through.
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THE NEXT DAY
AFTER THOSE TWO STOPS We returned to our hostel as rain started to come down. It turned out this was a good decision because once Hedder and I arrived in our room it began to hail (which Hedder and I thought was very exciting and stared at it from our window). Once the hail stopped though, we proceeded to go to what we thought was a garden/park next to our hostel‌ but turned out to be another very well kept cemetery.
Believe it or not it is hard to tell the difference between gardens and cemeteries in Berlin because of the miniature personalized well-kept gardens each grave had. After that walk and a quick bite to eat, our first official day in Berlin came to a pleasant end.
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10
DAY TWO WE WOKE UP We then went to the
Day two! We woke up
By taking the metro,
Brandenburg Gate,
nice and early and
Hedder and I went
continuing to try and
rode the metro, which
to a large shopping
be good tourists,
is amazingly clean
area and spent our
and went to an actual
and very easy to use
morning sitting in a
garden that was next to
thankfully. Unlike the
cafe and browsing
the gate and spent our
Paris metro it did not
in and out of several
afternoon there.
smell like pee, which I
stores and small
appreciated greatly.
shops.
WHEN WE FINISHED Lounging and strolling around the garden, we started to walk back to the metro only to find that our entrance to get back onto the metro was closed because of a South Korean protest that was happening (it was a very strange protest in my opinion because the German police had practically quarantined the protesters to a small corner on a street and fenced them in, allowing them to still wave their flags but refusing to let them move from that corner).
Needless to say I was a little irritated by them because now Hedder and I had to walk all the way to the next metro stop which was several blocks away. However we did find interesting souvenir shops on the way so it wasn’t a complete loss and/ or waste of time. This then concluded our second day exploring Berlin!
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We woke up and departed
time as Hedder and I.
opinion seemed to be
to the airport to start our
However, as I was so
more like a high-class
second half of our spring
overwhelmed by all of
shopping mall instead
break in Copenhagen!
the Danish-ness the
of an actual airport,
Now our plan for arriving
airport had to offer,
but I digress. After a
at Copenhagen airport was
she had to locate and
moment for all of us
to find and meet Blayne, a
find us first through all
to greet each other
childhood friend of mine
of the Viking helmets
and freak out that we
from my hometown that
and wonderful
were all together in
that just so happened to
smelling foods wafting
Denmark, because
also be studying abroad
around the airport.
it just so happened
in Europe at the same
This airport in my
that Denmark is mine
THE NEXT MORNING
and Blayne’s favorite
Dane greeted us,
been challenging to
country, we found
which shocked me
navigate upon first
a money exchange
because usually airport
arrival. (side note:
counter in the airport
employees are never
kroner are adorable
and quickly changed
so energetic, got
coins as they are
our euro into the
maps and directions
covered in linear
country’s national
to our hostel and then
designs, crowns, and
currency , kroner.
easily found our way,
hearts everywhere)
We then found our
which again surprised
way to an information
me because all other
desk where an
European cities that
extremely friendly
we’ve been to have
AS SOON AS WE ARRIVED The hostel and got into our room we all began to plot our course of action for the next day and then rested. On our first official day of Denmark we got up and found our way to the metro (which was surprisingly even easier to use then the German metro! You know what‌ to make everything simpler lets just say that everything amazed us all‌ because it did).
We then went and visited a small section of Copenhagen known as Christiania. This small section of Copenhagen is actually known for its graphite art and hippie like lifestyle.
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We all then went to a large shopping area that had one of the oldest walking streets in Europe, and then found our way to the statue of the original Little Mermaid, whose story was originally written by the Danish author Hans Christian Anderson. Getting to the statue was a whole adventure of its own. We first asked a Dane how to walk there only to have him tell us that it is a hard walk for tourists and recommended a canal tour. Little did this man know though that we were not your ordinary tourists and are very stubborn and frugal people. We were determined to walk there no matter what in order to save money.
So we began our confusing journey and struggled to find our way with the map. At one point I recommended that we just follow the river upstream instead of trying to figure out the streets because it would lead us directly to the statue. Hedder and Blayne agreed and because of our stroll on the river we made a grand discovery.
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AFTER WANDERING
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Trampolines that were in the ground for the public to randomly enjoy. Needless to say we all got together and agreed to take a break and jump on the trampolines for a
THAT’S RIGHT
little while.
AFTER THAT Though we continued on our way but did take another pit stop in a plaza where we found soldiers marching around the square dressed in their formal attire, which included giant tall fuzzy hats! It was another fabulous discovery because earlier we caught a glimpse of a marching band going through the streets with the same fuzzy hats of wonder.
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UPON ARRIVAL At the Little Mermaid statue we were very pleased with our decision not to take the canal tour and reveled in our stubbornness with pride and sore feet. We were so proud that we didn’t even mind the long walk back and even stumbled upon a military cemetery along the way.
Somehow Hedder and I always find the cemeteries. After getting help from a few Dane’s that spoke English, we found our way back to the metro and rested our feet so that we may continue our adventure the next day.
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TOGETHER WE DECIDED On day two to have a shopping day, and thus we returned to the shopping center after a quick visit and exploration of the mall that just so happened to be across from our hostel.
If you’re wondering, yes we did find and go into a Lego store. This is practically impossible not to do as Lego’s are very literally everywhere in Copenhagen, Denmark. Also an important lesson we learned on this day was that danishes, the little delicious cream filled pastries, are not in fact called danishes here and are just considered an anverage pastry. If you go, and ask for a danish they will give you a very confused and concerned look, as they did to me, and think that you are asking for a person to eat instead of a pastry. Aftewards, on our walk back to our hostel we stumbled upon a world running marathon and preparations for the European national singing event, Eurovision! We were sad to pack our things make our way back to the airport. Blayne returned to Spain and Hedder and I returned to Florence Italy, concluding our spring break.
Study abroad was
different people and
to share such an
a very exciting and
has also allowed me
amazing journey with
dream fulfilling time, as
to experience many
my travel companions
I have always desired
different ways of travel
Blayne and Heather.
going to Europe
besides the standard
Our favorite time all
and visit Denmark
car and/or walking. I
together was actually
and Germany. It has
was very fortunate to
our walk to the little
shown me all kinds of
have the opportunity
mermaid statue
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THE
EXPERIENCE
because of all of
a Danish person on
the interesting and
what pastry I wanted to
humorous things we
eat, and how I did not
found along the way.
in fact want a Danish
The most entertaining
person for my lunch.
moment I had in our travels is when I had my misunderstanding with
views on anything except for perhaps making travel less frightening and intimidating then it used to be. I also do not think that this trip has particularly affected my design aesthetics, but it was refreshing to see and experience all the different parts of Europe for myself and better understand their aesthetics.
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JO
THIS
Although not particularly changing my point of
URNEY