Liz's European Adventures: Mom's Visit - Copenhagen, Berlin, Aarhus

My mom's visit was exciting for many reasons. It was my first visitor from the US (Granny has to come again, since I did not know anyone or have a place to live!), which was exciting enough in itself. It was amazing to finally be able to show someone what this world is like that I live in, because it is sooo different. It was also her first trip to Europe, and I was excited to play a role in the adventure with her. It was just nice to have a familiar face, and to be able to introduce them to the people and places I talk about all the time.

We stated the trip in Copenhagen, Denmark, where we spent about 2 days. We definitely did a lot of touristy stuff, which is great, because I don't know much about Copenhagen yet. It is 3 hours away by train from where I live in Aarhus, and is on the 2nd largest island, called Zealand (I live on Jutland, which is the biggest land mass, but not technically an island because Southern Zealand borders Germany by Flensburg and Hamburg). I would have to say one of my favorite things we did in Copenhagen was the Absolut Ice Bar. It is literally a bar made entirely of ice. You have to put on snow boots and big parkas with hoods and gloves to go in. The drinks are served in ice glasses...literally. It was so crazy. You can only stand to stay there for about an hour, maximum, but it was great to say we have done that.

Then on to Berlin. I will say this. Germany does not have the best impression in my mind. Admittedly, I stereotype Germany. When I think of the country, I think of a dark past, and that has stuck in my mind. Berlin definitely lived up to this bill. While it was probably one of the coolest cities I have ever visited in terms of history (next to Paris - although much more of a focus on recent history), I found it fairly 'dark' and bland as well. I loved seeing all of the damage and drama from WWII, and loved learning about it as well.

I had two favorites in Berlin. The first was the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. I was enthralled and fascinated. I can not believe what mankind has done to each other in the past, and to actually see the scene of the crime was life-changing. I couldn't take my eyes off of things, and kept reading as much as I could. I just have to say, if you have the chance in your life to visit a concentration camp, I definitely would. Putting all those stories and history lessons to life is more impactful than I could have ever imagined.

And on a lighter note, I treated my mom to a place called "Unsicht-Bar" or Dinner in the Dark in Berlin. The concept is all of the wait staff, etc, are visually impaired or blind. The experience is about seeing what life is like from their perspective. While waiting for your server, you order your dinner, although the descriptions are so vague, you are not sure what you will be eating (for example, for poultry, all it said was Donald - ie. duck). You were led into the PITCH BLACK DARK...not an ounce of light creeping from under a door anywhere. Your server seated you, told you where your glasses and stuff were. You had 3 or 4 courses, along with your drinks. You literally had to put every other sense into overdrive...I touched my food and finally gave up on cutting my beef and ate it with my hands. I smelled things before I put them in my mouth. I listened all around. It hurt to have my eyes open in the pitch black, for them not to recognize anything, so I finally ate with my eyes shut. We heard 3 different glasses shatter throughout the course of the evening. It was a fantastic experience I would recommend to anyone, but I am so thankful for my sight. When I was ready to go, we told our waitress and she said, 'oh, you are ready to go back to the light?' in a sad tone-of-voice. I thought to myself....hell yeah, I am ready to go back to the light!!!

After Berlin, we went to Aarhus, which I was probably most excited about, to show mom my school, work, friends...just my life here. I had arranged some fun things so she could get a good taste of everything:

-Breakfast with my coworkers (ps - European breakfast consists of bread and butter, maybe a slice of cheese or some jam, and coffee)

-Lunch and a tour of Den Gamle By (The Old City) with my coworker and great friend Susanne

-Afternoon beer with Rachel

-Lunch with my buddy Nanna

-A tour of the art museum Aros (so modern!) and dinner and drinks with Susanne

-A traditional Danish dinner in a Danish home, with my friend's Victor and Anne

-A soccer game, and drinking beer after the game (which they always do!)

I was so happy she came - and I just hope that I showed her a great time. I think she had the time of her life, and I am glad, because I am experiencing the same.

I am ready and experienced for my next visitor!!!

In Aarhus, by the river. many cafes and stores down there

My buddy from the beginning, Nanna

After my soccer game, the girls were looking at the American pictures my mom brought - think cheerleading, prom, etc. They don't have these things really in Denmark, and their only basis of reference are the American movies

Two good friends - Chanett and Line

Mom enjoying the traditional beer after a football match

Chanett using her American coozie my mom brought. The Danes had a hard time understanding what a coozie was

The team trying American snacks

She loves to eat water bottles

Chanett and I before the game

Aarhus theater

By the harbor

At the ArOs art musuem - this place is pretty cool and unlike many others! Mom took this picture for her special boys, Sam and Owen

This giant boy is so life-like up close

View of the city from the art museum

At one of my favorite cafes

Rachel and me

My old neighborhood in the "island streets"

My old building

Traditional Danish meal of "frikadelle, kartoflr med brun sovs." Or fried meat (pork) balls, potatoes and gravy (brown sauce)

Dinner with mom and Anne at Victor's

The Old City - Susanne took us here for lunch one day

Mom and me in the Old City

Susanne and me

Looking rough after a long day :)

Editing a friend's 13 page paper in English on the train from Copenhagen to Aarhus

On the train

A church in Berlin bombed during WWII

Cracked ceiling of the church

Eating Currywurst at a famous stand in Berlin

Holocaust Memorial

Yes, a Star Trooper in Berlin

Reichstag

US Embassy - flag at half-staff for Memorial Day

This random house has big bullet holes in the concrete from the war

Where Von Stauffenberg (along with many others) were executed (think of the movie Valkyrie)

The courtyard where everyone stood, watching the executions

Where the Berlin Wall once stood - this monument can be found all along the streets of Berlin

What remains of the Berlin Wall

Potsdamer Platz - a busy area for the U-bahn and S-bahn

Reminds me a bit of Denmark

The crematorium remains at Sachsenhausen

The shallow graves that were unearthed

A shooting and hanging area

A monument to represent every nationality represented at the concentration camp

Site of the former gallows

Where the prison cells used to stand

A prison block

A wash room; there were 100s of people in here at a time, and in the morning, prisoners were often found dead as a result of being drowned in the water holds to the right

Bunks where the prisoners would sleep, often 2 to a single bed

Representative of lodging that used to stand there

Punished prisoners would have to test leather for shoes by marching along this path with many pounds on their backs

The many barbed-wire and electrical fences put in place to deter escape

The main gate entrance to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

This was lodging used for the soldiers

This fence represents where the actual fence to the concentration camp once stood

Reichstag

Main Berlin train station

Tv tower

Berlin is famous for their bears

Reenactment of Checkpoint Charlie

I found this at the Checkpoint Charlie museum and thought it was so profound: Mankind has reached a critical point at which it will be destroyed by atomic self-destruction, ecological self-poisoning, uncontrolled poplulation explosion and dehumanization if its scientific and technological progress is not supplemented by thorough-going changes in the social, moral, and cultural life. WOW