Days 3 and 4 - Enjoying Copenhagen

The day began with a 6:30 AM wake-up call, followed by another delicious Scandinavian breakfast. We had to be on the bus by 8:00 AM sharp. We almost made it! It was 8:02 when everyone was on board. Our bus was brand new! We are the very first excursion for this particular bus.

Our guide, Hazel, told us about the history of the places we visited or drove by, including the Tivoli Gardens, the Stock Exchange, the Little Mermaid, a Russian church, and the home of the Royal family. We watched the Royal Guards performing their duties. We were warned not to get too close! One tourist was getting her picture with a guard, and he barked at her that she must stay 1 ½ feet away. It was quite exciting. Hazel had jokingly warned that if we got too close, they’d aim at our knee caps. She told us that when Bill Clinton visited recently, he had 26 security personnel around him, but when the Prince of Denmark leaves his home, he only keeps 2 security personnel.

After the bus tour, we were dropped off downtown Copenhagen. We split off in smaller groups for various activities: shopping, sight-seeing, exploring. Some hiked up the Round Tower, others enjoyed an outdoor art gallery. Some enjoyed local cafes and gorgeous outdoor plazas to relax. Our youngest members, Noah and Kendall, made purchases in the Lego store, which they had been dying to go to! The bus picked us up later to take us back to the hotel, where many took advantage of the Jacuzzi hot-tub located on the top floor, outdoors, with a view of the city. All in all, it was a great day!

Saturday

We began the day with a wonderful breakfast Buffett at the hotel, then we met for church in hotel room 433 (the Marinho's). We were all snug and cozy as we sang songs together in multiple languages and heard a message from our spiritual coordinator, Renaud. Then we walked about a mile to find lunch in sunny weather.

After lunch, we were free to spend the day as we wished. Some napped, others went for a walk. The majority of us caught the train to downtown Copenhagen for dinner. We took lots of pictures and enjoyed the scenery. We ate outside even though it was rapidly cooling down! The restaurant offered fleece blankets to the customers, so it wasn't unbearable. Tomorrow we will be woken up at 6:30 AM so we can eat breakfast and be ready for our bus tour of Copenhagen. Stay tuned for more information of our exciting study tour! :)