Nijmegen, Amsterdam, and Düsseldorf

On Saturday we took a day trip to Amsterdam. Here is Keilin, Rebecca and I posing in front of the "I am Amsterdam" sign. The start to a great day!

Amsterdam in the Springtime. Bikes and Blooms. Lovely.

We went to the Van Gogh Museum, and saw the "Coulours of the Night" Exhibit. I have always liked Van Gogh's paintings, but in real life they are absolutely amazing! I still can't believe we saw THE Starry Night!

Our next stop was the Anne Frank House. Having read her diaries once when I was youger, and again about a year ago, it was incredible to be able to match my imagination's image of the house with the real building. The museum is set up in a way that takes you through the house as it is described in the diary, with quotes along the way, as well as videos with interviews and background information. It was thought-provoking to say the least.

This is the church near the Anne Frank house that she mentions in her diaries when she speaks of hearing the bells ringing.

Dutch Clogs!

Hooray! Someone has bigger feet than me! :)

Walking through Amsterdam.

This is in Nijmegen. On Sunday, Keilin and I walked all over the city and found quite a few nice parks. It seemed wrong to pass by this field of flowers without skipping through it. :)

In some botanical gardens we found. Hooray SPRING!

On Monday Rebecca took us all around downtown Nijmgen. There is a big market with tons of vendors selling everything from clothing to fish to dried fruit and fresh veggis. Keilin and I were pretty excited to see fresh produce for so cheap! :) We were able to borrow bikes from some of Rebecca's friends so that we could truly experience the Netherlands! We had so much fun!

In Old Town.

Entering Old Town. Nijmegen was bombed during the war, so it is interesting to look at the city from a distance because you can see a clear line of where the damage occurred. On one side you can see the buildings that have been constructed recently, and on the other side you can see the beautiful buildings that are still intact from long before the war.

Some of the many flowers in the market.

This is a "Tosti". They are very popular in The Netherlands. It is basically a glorified grilled cheese sandwich. This one is made with brie, walnuts, and honey. Yuuuum.

Happy to be biking!

Ok, now we are in Düsseldorf. We headed here on Tuesday and spent the entire day walking all over the city. This is just one of the many beautiful old churches we saw.

Germans are known for their bread. And there is definitely a reason for that. Bakeries can be found on every corner, and on every side street. The bread was so good, that on Wednesday morning, Keilin and I stopped in a bakery on the way to the train station, and each bought an entire loaf to bring home :) So now I get to enjoy it all week long!

There is a really nice walkway along the Rhein that Keilin and I made our way up and down a few times. In the background, you can see the "Rhein Tower", which we went to, where you take a ride to the top to get a great view of the Rhein and the city.

Düsseldorf.

We walked across the bridge over the Rhein, and on the other side, we found SHEEP! That provided us with a good 30 minutes of entertainment :)

For dinner, we ate at a Lebanese Restaurant in Old Town. I was so proud because I was able to use my German...annnnnnd.....it WORKED! He understood. Even better, I taught Keilin how to ask if she could buy another piece of pita bread, and she was successful too. If you couldn't already tell, I was pretty excited about it :)

Another trip = another blog entry! Last Friday, my friend Keilin and I headed out for a trip to the Netherlands and Germany. We flew into Düsseldorf with Ryan Air, and then caught a shuttle to the city of Nijmegen, in the Netherlands. One of my friends from North Park, Rebecca Erickson, is studying abroad this semester in Nijmegen, and so we went to visit her. On Saturday we went for a day trip to Amsterdam, and then spent Sunday and Monday exploring Nijmegen. Early Tuesday morning, Keilin and I got up early and caught a train to Düsseldorf, Germany. We spent the day being tourists in Düsseldorf, and began our journey back to Karlstad early Wednesday morning.

Other than transportation plans, we didn't have any real agenda before going. We figured it would be a trip where we just would go with the flow, and see where we would end up going and what we would end up doing. It worked fantastically. Part of that had to do with the fact that we had a great hostess, Rebecca, to give us tips about things to do in Nijmegen, as well as be our guide in Nijmegen and Amsterdam. Other than that, Keilin and I just explored. It was so great. Our feet were sore at the end of each day; a sure sign of a good day of sightseeing!

On Easter, I will have been in Sweden for three months. Wow. It's hard to believe. I've experienced so much, and yet it feels like just yesterday I stepped off the plane in Stockholm. Keilin and I were talking about how we have reached the point in our time here that we feel comfortable in Sweden. When we came back from the Netherlands and Germany, we felt home, in a sense. What a great feeling. I am already starting to miss Sweden and I still have two months here :) The same thing happened to me last Fall in Chicago at North Park. Since I knew I would not be back for 9 months, I had already started missing NPU in early November. Fortunately, it made me truly enjoy every moment I had left. So, as funny as it sounds, I am thankful that I already "miss" Sweden, because I know it just means that every moment will be cherished that much more. Well, I'll be here another week before my next adventure to Ireland!

Örebro

We came across a group of ducks on our way from the bus station to the city center. They provided us with a good 15 minutes of entertainment :o)

I guess they did not like me very much.

Örebro Slott (Castle). It was first built in 1347 by King Magnus Eriksson, however it has been remodled several times and the current architechture comes from the late 1800s. Quite a few historical events have taken place here, so it has its fair share of Swedish fame.

A picture of the back of the castle. It sits on the Svartån River.

St. Nicolai Kyrka. This church dates back to the 13th century, but like the castle, has been restyled many times.

Beautiful stained glass.

Old Swedish churches like this one have a really nice simplicity to them...without being dull. I like them :o)

Wadköping. This is a "cultural center" where a few surviving old buildings have been moved to create a little community. There are lots of fun shops, as well as several residences dating back to the 16th century.

This is in Cajsa Warg's Hus, the home of the well known "cookery writer" Cajsa Warg. The ceilings were not very tall!

A steep stairway in the building called Kungsstugan. The King would sleep in this house when he visited Örebro in the late 1580s because he thought the castle was too cold.

Candy shop! No big surprise...Swede's love their candy :o)

Speaking of candy, we were in a convience shop, and we spotted THIS piece of candy...it is a Kanel Bulle candy !!! Unfortunately, it does not taste much like real Kanel Bulle...but it is fun to look at!

Last Saturday, Anja, Keilin and I took a bus to Örebro, a city about an hour and a half east of Karlstad. Some of you know that when I was choosing Universitites to study at during my semester abroad, Örebro University was on my list. So, naturally, I wanted to see what I was missing :o) Haha. Seriously though, I had heard that it was a nice town, and so Anja, Keilin and I decided to check it out.

We planned the trip about a month ago with the intention of going during the Springtime. Lets just say we learned our lesson. On Friday, it snowed ALL day long, and it was still coming down on Saturday. It was not exactly the "Spring" weather we were hoping for/expecting. Fortunately, the temperature was not too cold, so a lot of the snow melted throughout the day. Plus, we have plenty of experience having fun dispite the not-so-great weather! We had a great time, and although it was a great little city, I am happy to say that I am still 100% happy with my placement at Karlstad University :o) The pictures and captions tell the rest!

On Friday, Keilin and I are off to The Netherlands to visit one of my friends from North Park, and then we are spending a night in Düsseldorf, Germany before heading back to Karlstad. Let round two of the travels begin! As always, I hope everyone is doing well back home! You are all missed!

Lauren

Våffledagen

My Swedish Waffle and Coffee... mmmm...

Every year on the 25th of March, Swede's celebrate Våffledagen or Jungfru Marie Bedådelsedag
(Annunciation Day of the Virgin Mary). The Swedish name Våffla (waffle) comes from vår fru, which is an old name for the Virgin Mary. This day is also a celebration of the coming of Spring! On this day, Swedes eat heart-shaped waffles with a dollop of whipped cream and either stawberry or raspberry jam on top. All of the international students were invited to celebrate Våffledagen together with the host students. It was a fun and delicious celebration :o)

Back In Karlstad

The group before heading to the bad taste party. We did well, huh? :)

Photo Shoot: Keilin-- San Fran, CA, USA

Anja--Magdeburg, Deutschland

Antje--Berlin, Deutschland

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Greeeeeen food!

I have been back in Karlstad for about a week and a half, and it has been great. As much as I love traveling to new places, three weeks in a row of traveling can be a little tiresome, and so it has been nice to be in one place for a while--especially Karlstad. 

The timing of my trips worked out quite well. The first term is ending at the end of next week, meaning that for the first time since I have been here, there is a decent amount of studying to be done. While I have enjoyed having more free time, I have to admit that it is nice to have some more work to do. Having said that, I know it is a bad sign when I feel like I have a heavy work load, when in reality, it is still much lighter than what it would be at home. All I know is next semester is going to be a test for me :) I have been keeping busy though. Next week I have a listening comprehension exam in addition to a written exam for Swedish, and a ten page paper along with an hour and a half oral exam for intercultural communications. So there is plenty to be done.

However, despite the increase in homework, I have found time to have some fun too. Last 

Thursday, there was an international night, where all of the international students got together with their fellow countrymen to make a main dish and a desert to share with everyone. The result was ridiculous amounts of delicious food from pretty much everywhere...Germany, Pakistan, Poland, France, Finland, Belgium, Mexico, Spain, Turkey, Austria, Canada, and Sweden to name a few...as well as 100+ people waddling home after trying to get a taste of every dish. It was fun though, and delicious to say the least.

On Friday night, some friends and I went to a "bad taste party" where we all dressed up in horrible outfits, sported extremely out-of-date sunglasses and neck ties, and plastered on obscene amounts of brightly colored makeup. We looked bad. Excellent!

As you know, St. Patrick's day was on Tuesday, and so some friends and I got together to make a "green dinner". Its funny because I have always thought about doing that, but never had. Whenever I think about green food, I think about the story my dad used to tell about how he made green pancakes for his family breakfast one St. Patrick's day :) Anyway, since none of us had actually done it before, we decided it would be a good idea! We made green omelets 

with green peppers and broccoli inside, as well as green bread, kiwis, and green milk (oh, and peas...they didn't quite go with the "theme" but they are green, delicious, and nutritious, so we added them in :) It was a fun time, and despite the appearance, everything was pretty tasty!

So thats a little "taste" of what I have been up to the past week or so. In addition, I have had some time to take more classes with kauif--I am really enjoying a kickboxing class I have started to attend with my friend Anja, spinning is great as always, strength training is good, and of course, I have continued to go to soccer, which seems to improve each time I go--I have also continued to take part in the church choir--we actually have a "concert" this Sunday!--I've made my way downtown for fika with friends, and have been trying to spend more and more time outside. At this point, the sun rises around 5:45 or 6:00am, and does not fully set until around 7:00pm, so it is quickly getting lighter later, and I am loving every moment of it. Plus, for the first time, today felt EXTREMELY "spring-y" Hallelujah! The sun was shining brightly, sounds of snow melting and birds chirping were abundant, and everyone was outside trying to soak up as much sun as possible. I even opened my windows! I can officially say I now understand why Swedes are considered to be "sun-worshippers". Its completely understandable :) Well, I hope you've all enjoyed hearing about a little piece of my life here in Karlstad! More updates to come!

Love,

Lauren

Switzerland

So, just a head's up, these pictures are a little out of order! I am still trying to figure everything out with organizing posts on blogspot, but at least I was able to put up more than 5 pictures this time! Enjoy!

In Montreux, day 1. Usually you would be able to see the Alps through these buildings...

The lovely walkway to the city center of Montreux.

Lake Geneva. So blue.

Town center in Evian, France. Everything is closed until 7, so we had some time to just wander around...

Evian.

:o)

Ferry ride to Evian, from Lausanne.

Our view from the cafe where we ate lunch in Lausanne.

Lausanne.

Best dried fruit I have ever tasted in my life. Also, Lausanne.

peace.

Montreux. Day 2 when the sun came out!

As many of you know, I continued my travels last weekend by flying south to the beautiful country of SWITZERLAND! One of my friends from North Park, Sharon, was planning on visiting her sister Ruth, who is on staff at the YWAM base in Lausanne, for Spring Break. So, she contacted me, and everything fit together perfectly for us to meet up! I am so glad it did.

Although Ruth lives in Lausanne, Sharon and I stayed the first three nights in Montreux, a small city only about 20 minutes from Lausanne. It was beautiful. Our hostel was located right on Lake Geneva, and the view was incredible. Unfortunately, the first day was wet. It rained and snowed the entire day, so we were not even able to see the Alps. However, we kept a positive attitude, and set out to explore with our hoods up and one umbrella. Before leaving, we met a girl from England who was trying to kill some time before heading over to Geneva later in the day. She joined us, and we were so thankful for her company not only because she was a fun person to talk to, but because she could speak French :) And neither Sharon or I can. haha. So we meandered through the narrow, steep, and winding streets of Montreux looking at all of the shops, and old buildings and  architecture; just exploring. We stopped for lunch at a cafe overlooking the town and the Lake, which was so good to warm up and dry up a bit. We continued our exploring, and at the end of the day, headed back to the hostel. It was a good day.

The second day was BEAUTIFUL! The sun came out, and the clouds began to part as we watched the magnificent Alps emerge from the fog. Sharon and I walked along the lake toward the center of Montreux, the whole time not being able to comprehend the fact that we were walking along Lake Geneva looking at the ALPS! Not only did the sun come out, but the weather was warm. Everything was green, and there were flowers blooming everywhere. SPRING! (Talk about torture! It still looks like January here in Sweden with all the snow! But don't worry, I still love it here :) After walking along the lake, we took a train to Lausanne for the day to meet up with Ruth. The rest of the day was spent walking through the streets of downtown Lausanne, stopping by random vendors and looking in shops. We did a lot of walking, but had a great time. In the evening, we made our way toward the Lake, where we caught a ferry across the lake to the town of Evian, France! Yes, Evian, where the bottled water got its name! Fun!  The ride was only about 30 minutes, and we went around 5:15 when the sun was setting.  Needless to say, it was quite a sight to see. We ended up eating dinner at a little pizza place, which was really fun and delicious. After an evening of good food and talking and laughing, we headed back to our hostel in Montruex via boat, and train.

On Sunday, Ruth was able to borrow a car, and she came and picked us up at the hostel. We drove along the lake toward Lausanne, a beautiful drive. Even in the winter, the vineyards looked so idyllic, and we just tried to soak it all in as we drove. We spent the day at the YWAM base in Lausanne. It was a really relaxing day, where we just read, went for a walk in the surrounding woods, and just hung out. We were able to stay in the accommodation house that night, which was so nice. We even got Swiss chocolate bars on our pillows! It was really fun to just see where Ruth is living/working, and to meet the people at the base. Another wonderful day in Switzerland :o)

On Monday morning, I began my long journey home :o) As I was sitting on the metro headed toward the city center in Lausanne, I realized how crazy it was that I felt completely comfortable traveling to the airport in Geneva by myself. After all, I had to take a bus to the metro, a tram to the train station, and a train to the airport, all in a French-speaking part of the country. It was just a kind of weird, but cool thought when I realized that 3 years ago, or even 3 months ago, I NEVER would have thought that would be something I would feel comfortable doing alone. I am not trying to say  I would feel comfortable doing that anywhere, but it still felt like a big step. Something I have realized, is that there is always someone who will help, even when all there is to communicate is hand gestures and facial expressions. I think there are more good people in the world than we tend to think.

Well, overall, I had a great trip. It was fun to see someone from home, and to just spend a weekend in a place that is possibly one of God's most beautiful creations. :) Now I will be in Karlstad for a few weeks as the term comes to a close. I am looking forward to spending some time here again. It seems like it has been a while :)  Sorry this has been so long! I hope all is well wherever you might be!

Lauren