European Version of Parents Weekend

This past week, my parents crossed the pond and visited me in Copenhagen! They arrived on Saturday evening and were given an authentic Copenhagen welcome, cold with lots of rain and wind. We went out to dinner and I gave them a quick tour of my apartment before their jet lag completely set in.

On Sunday, my mom and I went to church at the International Church of Copenhagen followed by a stop at the always fabulous Glass Market during our walk back to their hotel (yummy samples).  We reunited with Warren at the hotel and went to Magasin for a light lunch before seeing the ballet, The Lady of Camellias at The Royal Danish Theatre. It was such an amazing performance and a highlight of the trip for all three of us!

Monday is unfortunately my long day of classes, so my mom and Warren explored on their own and went on a bus tour to see some famous Copenhagen landmarks.  Once they arrived back at their hotel, I as well as my friend Jacqueline, met up with them for a delicious dinner at Atlas Bar and strong coffee at The Living Room (one of my new favorite cafe finds).

Tuesday began with a visit to the Black Diamond, the national library and a stop by Illum, the department store, to snag a few souvenir postcards. My mom and I continued to meander in and out of shops along Stroget, the main pedestrian shopping street before my only class of the day.  After my class, we spent the rest of the uncharacteristically beautiful afternoon and Tivoli, Copenhagen's amusement park, where we ate traditional open-faced sandwiches, walked around, listened to an orchestral performance and indulged in ice cream and waffles! For dinner, my parents came to my apartment and we all cooked together, reminiscent of my days at home. We decided to go back to Tivoli after dinner to watch the charming (but less than impressive) light show.

On Wednesday, I did not have any classes so we took a train in the morning to Odense, the city where Hans Christian Andersen was born.  We toured the Hans Christian Andersen museum and saw the site of his birth as well as walked around the quaint streets before heading back to the city. Once back in Copenhagen, we stopped by Cafe Miao, a cat cafe where (theoretically) you sip on some coffee while petting adorable, docile cats.  However, this was not the case.  The cats were less than social and even a bit aggressive. Let's just say I will definitely not be returning. Luckily, we ended the night on a better note with a tasty (and huge) dinner at Cafe G!

Thursday, my parents last full day in Copenhagen, was unfortunately another long day of classes for me. While I was taking a midterm, my parents went to Amalienborg Palace (the royal residence) and watched the changing of the guards. When I was finally done with classes, my mom and I hung out at my apartment and enjoyed some time outside talking and people watching, two of my favorite things! After parting ways so I could attend a mandatory dinner and meeting with my LLC, my mom, Warren, and I cafe hopped (accidentally attended part of a danish church service) and ended up back at The Living Room for our final night together.

Friday morning I went over to their hotel bright and early for breakfast before they left for the airport to continue their European adventure in London with my stepbrother.  Tears were shed and I already miss them terribly, but I am so grateful that they were able to schedule time to visit me and will cherish the memories from this trip forever!