church spires and naked statues

After finishing two papers this weekend, the only thing keeping me from my two week travel break bliss is one midterm on Thursday afternoon.  Regardless, here is a recap of last week/weekend:

On Wednesday, now deemed to be "Wine and Cheese Wednesdays," my friend Lauren and I headed to Vor Frelsers Kirke (Our Savior's Church) to climb to the top of the spire, which is only accessible via a spiral staircase that runs around the exterior (a total of 400 steps!). The view is the second highest in Denmark at a steep 90 meters (about 295 feet). 

Our Savior's Church spire

a very wind-blown Lauren and I at the top

Like many tall spires in Denmark, there is story behind the architect, in this case Lauritz de Thurah. Legend has it that Thurah was so obsessed with his work that when it was alleged that his encircling staircase wound up the wrong way of the spire he committed suicide by leaping from the top of the tower. The church also has a three-story pipe organ supported by two giant elephants at the base. 

After our invigorating ascent to the top of the spire, we rewarded ourselves by going to the market and trying two new cupcake flavors from Agnes Cupcakes: mint chocolate and raspberry. Both were delicious, but apple remains my favorite. We also had some bread, dip, and cheese tasting at two of the counters, which offered us a wonderful wine cheese, which is where "Wine and Cheese Wednesdays" originated.  

the awesome dip guy at the market

On Thursday night, I went with my Buddy Network to see a dance show called Transparency at the Old Carlsberg Factory. The show was about corruption in Russia, and the dancing was very modern, but also very good. The stage was perfect and the visual effects were really cool as well. The dancers were from all over the world, including the US!

On Friday, I went on a two day mini-cruise to Oslo, Norway. Our ship was called the Pearl of Scandinavia and was decked out with a pool, two hot tubs, several bars and restaurants, a casino, and a night club. However, the boat was small as far as cruise ships usually go, so you could really feel the waves rocking the boat.

After traveling all night on the boat, we woke up refreshed and ready to explore Oslo on Saturday morning.  It was gorgeous to see the ship pulling into the fjord and at first it didn't seem like the ship would fit in the narrow passageway.

saying good morning to Oslo

Once off the boat, we explored the streets of Oslo, stopping for the occasional photo-op with a lion statue. We walked to the Royal Palace and Town Hall, which is situated right next to the harbor. The harbor offered a beautiful view of the castle and the waterways of Norway.

harbor area of Oslo

Then we took the bus to Vigelandsparken, one of Norway's most visited attractions.  The unique sculpture park is the life work of sculptor Gustav Vigeland with more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite, and cast iron. All of the sculptures were of naked people, which made them difficult to interpret at times. I'll just add a few here for your viewing pleasure.



We also climbed to the top of the Opera House, which is the first one in the world where visitors can walk on the roof.

Oslo opera house

Then it was back to the boat to dance the night away at the Columbus night club. I had a fantastic time on the mini-cruise and would recommend it to anyone considering studying abroad in Copenhagen. 

the roomz