Friday, October 18, 2013

Efterårsferie - del et

Heej :)

I'm writing this post right now in the Helsinki airport after a week of fun new adventures. (edit: I ended up posting this the morning after I got back from Helsinki, but it was written there) This week is fall break, and even though it's not over yet, it's been great so far! My best friend ever Annabeth (hi Annabeth), who I mentioned last time is an American exchange student in Finland, arrived last Thursday to Denmark. We had four days in Denmark of going to school, sightseeing in Copenhagen, shopping in my town, walking through the woods, and, of course, taking tons of pictures. Then, on Monday, we flew to Helsinki! I've had a couple days here of sightseeing (though there aren't many things to see in Helsinki - not nearly as many as in Copenhagen!) and meeting Annabeth's friends and having an amazing time. Helsinki is a wonderful city!

But now I've said goodbye to Annabeth, and soon I'll fly back to Denmark (my first flight alone!) for even more fun! Later today I think that I'm hanging out with a big group of exchange students in Denmark, which is always a good time. Then tomorrow, I'm taking a day trip, I think to either Sweden or Germany, with my host family! I know that a lot of exchange students are on big trips with their families this week to places like Paris, Prague, Amsterdam, and Sweden, but I'm glad to get a short trip. I love how in Europe it's so easy to travel to other countries! I don't really know if I'm doing anything exciting this weekend; I might just take a couple rest days. We'll find out!

I don't have much else to write about right now, so I'll put in a few pictures! Enjoy :)


Suomenlinna is an old fortress on an island in Helsinki. I really recommend seeing it, it's beautiful!





Hobbit houses!



The interior of a beautiful old cathedral in Helsinki, called the Uspenskin Katedraali. There's Russian writing because the cathedral was built while Finland belonged to Russia.


A different Helsinki church, called Helsingin Tuomiokirkko. This one was built while Finland was Swedish, and so is Swedish in design.

From the top of Vor Frelsers Kirke in Copenhagen


If you're ever a tourist in Copenhagen, prepare to deal with about a million stairs.

Beautiful Nyhavn :)


The changing of the guard at Amalienborg (Copenhagen)


Inside "The Marble Church" of Copenhagen, officially called Frederiks Kirke


Climbing up the Rundetårn, an old observatory in Copenhagen


So, I've been to Tivoli twice before, but it's a totally different world around Halloween time!




The Frederiksborg Slot, in Hillerød, which is fairly near to me



And the pictures go back to Finland... having a super hyggeligt time with Annabeth and my new friend Bori :) We got into a leaf fight

Eating at the most adorable café I've ever seen and enjoying the hygge 

Our wonderful view from the café

The best evening I've had in a long time :)

Okay, so that was more than "a few" pictures. They were also completely out of order, so sorry about that. I hope you guys liked them though! I'll write again soon!

Love,

Rachel


4 comments:

  1. Beautiful pictures! Such history in each one. I love the "hobbit houses." and the palaces, and the cobblestones, and the beaverheaded guards. . . all very cool. I hope you are loving it.

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  2. Want to Live in Denmark.....!
    The pics says that u had enjoyed the moment

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  3. Actually the Helsinki Cathedral was built when Finland was already a Grand Duchy of Russia. Helsinki had only been a small(ish) town before that and Turku was the capital. Also the architect was a German who had already worked for example in St Petersburg and the plans for the church and other buildings were approved by the Tsar himself. Helsinki doubled for St Petersburg/Leningrad in the movies during the Cold War because the architecture is similar. So it really has nothing to do with Sweden but with the fact that the Uspenski Cathedral is Orthodox and the Helsinki Cathedral is a Lutheran church.

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