last days in københavn

it is hard to believe but i am finished with all of my academic work here! i just took my very last final and am not sure what to do with myself now! i got excited and already started packing up my stuff, so that won't take much more time. i leave on sunday but have a good 48 hours left that i don't want to waste. not having a job this semester has been strange and then without classes to structure my day it has been even more odd. i am really looking forward to getting back to the states, moving in to my new home in baltimore!, and then eventually establishing a routine again. i will be interning at the maryland state arts council from june 1- august 15, which sounds like it will work out just swimmingly!

i have been doing some fun things of late. namely, sitting in various parks around town and just enjoying the glorious nordic springtime. last weekend i planned on going to see møns klint, white cliffs on an island south of copenhagen, with some friends-- but due to transportation and other difficulties, we made it about half-way there, to the medieval market town of køge, and ended up hanging out in their public park for most of the day instead. it has been a pleasure to study for my finals outside, although i'm sure it would have been more productive indoors.



another fun day outside was spent at the annual DIS picnic, where all 600 students plus their host families, danish roommates, etc. are invited to celebrate the semester. it took place last sunday in the utterly amazing charlottenlund strandpark in the affluent "whiskey belt" north of copenhagen (sort of like boston's north shore). i had a great time with my host family and friends there together-- and my little host brother johannes (who turns two this weekend!) really bonded with my friend alex!




i have also spent a lot of my last few weeks here looking at buildings. last week i had a great field study with my history of copenhagen class to some new development areas in the "brownfields" (former industrial sites) around the harbor. some of the projects are really interesting, such as cantilevering luxury condos around two old silos (see below-- the gemini residences) and hiring dutch architects to create a very upscale yuppie amsterdam-inspired district of houses on the harbor.



finally, i have been enjoying biking around my house lately. i am very grateful to my host mom for lending me her bike and to denmark for building bike lanes. i have discovered an amazing park just a few minutes away from me that is just perfect for an afternoon adventure. one of the coolest parts about the copenhagen area is that the municipalities have gone out of their way to balance developments with green space. in fact, as early as 1947 they adopted the "finger plan" to keep suburban development along the five railroad tracks extending from copenhagen-- and to ensure green lungs between each "finger" of suburbia. it really does improve your quality of life to know that no matter where you live, you aren't too far from a luscious, well-maintained park! good job, denmark...