So I got back from my European Politics short study tour Saturday night and all I can say is WOW... We met at Frue Plads early Thursday morning, and after some minor delays (yes, some people were late) we were on the road in our charter bus by 8:30a.m. Our first stop was the Storebaelt Bridge, the third largest bridge in the world which connects Zealand with Funen-- the two largest islands of Denmark. I discovered that it is not only a bridge, but really a bridge-tunnel link as the first section is is 6,790 meters long which connects Zealand with a small, semi-manmade island called Sprogo and the second section is a 8,000 meter tunnel which connects Sprogo and Funen. After crossing the first section, we stopped at Sprogo island where we were able to go inside the bridge and witness the temperature-controlled space. We then had a presentation of the Storebaelt Bridge along with information about Oresund Bridge and the Femert Belt Bridge Project, which is to connect Denmark with Germany. My European Union professor, Jacob Buksti was the Minister of Transport, so one could say that we were treated especially well, as was evident with the delectable, catered lunch on the island of Sprogo which featured a variety of meats, cheeses, fresh salmon, breads, fruits, and salads!
Our next stop was at the Dybbol Battlefield located in the Schleswig-Holstein, one of the 16 federal states of Germany. The Battle of Dybbol was the key battle of the Second War of Schleswig in 1864. Denmark suffered a defeat against the Prussians during this battle, which our Danish (and biased, of course) tour guide assured us was due to extremely harsh weather conditions. After our tour, we made our way back north to Haderslev, checked into our hostel and had a group dinner at a "Bar BQ"-- we are still unsure if the deliberate pun was intended...
The next morning we left for Kiel, Germany and after a gourmet group lunch, met with head of department of Schleswig-Holstein government Markus Stiegler. This presentation/discussion was extremely interesting as we learned about Germany's significant role of the EU and the importance of lobbying in Brussels. This presentation was followed by a lecture from Dr. Wilhelm Knelangen at the Christian-Albrechts University on "Germany in the EU and the Development in German EU Policies." Both of these presentations directly correlated to our class discussions, and it was interesting to hear their first-hand opinions on the EU and its enlargement strategy.
We then made our way to Lubeck, Germany which was by far my favorite stop on the tour. Unlike Kiel, Lubeck is a medieval-looking town that resembles the "typical" European city. A lot of the old structures are still there because it was only bombed once during World War II. A few of us were able to take in the charm of the old city while ice skating in the town square on Friday night. The next day, we had a walking/bus tour of the city with a exuberant tour guide, properly nicknamed "Mr. Mustache."
My favorite stop was at the Niederegger Marzipan Shop-- a Lubeck nstitution founded in 1806 filled with aisles upon aisles of packaged marzipan! After a group lunch, we departed for Copenhagen, which meant taking a ride on the ferry between Germany and Denmark. So while it is nice to be back in the familiar Copenhagen, it was definitely great to get away for a few days and explore some other European towns.
Vi ses snart
Storebaelt Bridge
Our next stop was at the Dybbol Battlefield located in the Schleswig-Holstein, one of the 16 federal states of Germany. The Battle of Dybbol was the key battle of the Second War of Schleswig in 1864. Denmark suffered a defeat against the Prussians during this battle, which our Danish (and biased, of course) tour guide assured us was due to extremely harsh weather conditions. After our tour, we made our way back north to Haderslev, checked into our hostel and had a group dinner at a "Bar BQ"-- we are still unsure if the deliberate pun was intended...
Windmill of Dybbol Bank-- The Symbol of Denmark
The next morning we left for Kiel, Germany and after a gourmet group lunch, met with head of department of Schleswig-Holstein government Markus Stiegler. This presentation/discussion was extremely interesting as we learned about Germany's significant role of the EU and the importance of lobbying in Brussels. This presentation was followed by a lecture from Dr. Wilhelm Knelangen at the Christian-Albrechts University on "Germany in the EU and the Development in German EU Policies." Both of these presentations directly correlated to our class discussions, and it was interesting to hear their first-hand opinions on the EU and its enlargement strategy.
We then made our way to Lubeck, Germany which was by far my favorite stop on the tour. Unlike Kiel, Lubeck is a medieval-looking town that resembles the "typical" European city. A lot of the old structures are still there because it was only bombed once during World War II. A few of us were able to take in the charm of the old city while ice skating in the town square on Friday night. The next day, we had a walking/bus tour of the city with a exuberant tour guide, properly nicknamed "Mr. Mustache."
Me with "Mr. Mustache" as he tries to demonstrate the constricting pipes of the city
(I think thats what he was trying to get across at least...)
My favorite stop was at the Niederegger Marzipan Shop-- a Lubeck nstitution founded in 1806 filled with aisles upon aisles of packaged marzipan! After a group lunch, we departed for Copenhagen, which meant taking a ride on the ferry between Germany and Denmark. So while it is nice to be back in the familiar Copenhagen, it was definitely great to get away for a few days and explore some other European towns.
Vi ses snart
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