To Be Or Not To Be

After an early start on Friday, I think we were all thankful to get to sleep in Saturday morning.  We started our day a little before noon by catching a train from Central Station, which is just a few blocks from our hostel.  In true style, we arrived on the platform just in time to catch our train to Helsingør.  I would like to say everything went smoothly, but we're not yet pros at navigating the Danish public transportation system.  Let's just say there was a moment when part of our group got left at the wrong station, but we were soon reunited!

We arrived in Helsingør shortly after 1pm and split off to find a quick lunch.  We definitely noticed a huge lack of traffic in Helsingør compared to Copenhagen, and it was a peaceful town to spend time in.  After lunch, many of us headed to Kronborg Castle, a major attraction in the town.  The castle is actually Hamlet's castle from the Shakespeare play, which has been performed at the castle before and will be there again this summer for the 400th anniversary.  I think most of us enjoyed getting to explore a real castle with a moat, dungeons, and everything in between.  One couldn't help but be transported through time while meandering through the halls.  One might even find oneself reciting the classic "To be or not to be" monologue while exploring Kronborg.  The castle was not the only sight to see.  The castle commands The Sound, which is the body of water stretching between Denmark and Sweden where the castle is located.  Essentially this is the opening to the Baltic Sea.  We definitely felt right at home in the cooler, windy weather that reminded us so much of Lake Superior and Duluth.

After concluding our adventures in Helsingør, we hopped back on a train; this ride luckily went much smoother than the previous one.  Our destination was the home of Holly and Lars, good friends of Laurie's who have helped us greatly with our trip.  They hosted us at their lovely home, and I think it's safe to say that we were all excited to meet their 7 month old golden retriever puppy, Bella.  We enjoyed good food and good company, experiencing what the Danes call hygge.  There is not a direct translation of the word, but essentially it means cozy and togetherness; it's the feeling one gets while sitting around the Christmas tree with their family or enjoying a good meal with their friends. Whether we were playing board games, sitting around the fire, catching up with old friends, or just playing in their yard, I think we all had our own experience of hygge.

We arrived back at Central Station in Copenhagen in the late evening.  As a group, the students decided to experience the night life of Copenhagen.  Using suggestions from the high school students we spent time with, our large group was able to get a feel for Copenhagen at night.  Overall, it was another busy but fantastic day in Denmark!