who learned a lot on a walk.

   In the last post about Copenhagen, I talked about a book that I'm reading. Actually, I vaguely mentioned a book that I'm reading. Guys, it's so good. I'm dying to share it with you. And I figured there's no better place to tell you about it than right next to some more happy photos from CPH.

A few months ago, Christoph Simon (a popular Swiss novelist) came to the University of Utah with his (Scottish!) translator, Donal McLaughlin to teach workshops and give a reading. Donal recently helped Christoph translate his latest novel, Zbinden's Progress into English, and that was the book that they read from. They taught workshops on writing (in German! Suffice it to say that I need a bigger Wortschatz, literally word treasury or vocabulary) and translating. 

The workshops were great, but oh, the readings! 

This is going to have to go on the list of most lovely books ever. It's so lovely that even though it's gripping and you're dying to know what happens, you try to restrict yourself to reading a page a day, just to make the loveliness last longer. 

It's lovely, okay? 

In German, the title of the book is Spaziergänger Zbinden, which would probably be best translated as "Zbinden the Walker." Lukas Zbinden is the title character, a now old man who tells a young caretaker in a rest home about his life - his wife Emilie, their love of walking, their son, Markus. Lukas is a city walker, Emilie a country walker. When she takes off to jump over stiles, and walk off into the countryside, he worries that she will come back in eighteen bags (suffice it to say, he's a worrier). 

It's the sweetest love story, the most beautiful picture of a life together - Christoph said that he wanted to write a novel about two people who loved each other so much that they always wanted to be together. They didn't marry because they would get a tax cut, or it just seemed convenient. (He said that this is unusual in Swiss culture). Speaking of Swiss culture, if you want to read this book, read the *warning at the bottom of the post to avoid culture shock. ;)

The two walk, and walk, and Lukas is always talking about what good walking can do. You should walk when you least feel like it, because that is when you most need it, he said. You find yourself. Walking is always getting more out of a walk than you expect, but never expecting too much. 

So, now that I've waxed all read-this-book-please! on you... 

I can tell you, Lukas Zbinden is totally right. I wish I had more time to walk normally, because it is one of the  most peaceful ways to think, to see the world, to be. You notice blossoms on trees, and the way the light streams through clouds. You notice how people smile at each other. It's like magic, like seeing another world, that you've actually been standing in all along. 

Yes, that's a heart on the guard hut. 

                                 

I saw it for the first time in Copenhagen, because it was the first place that I've ever spent an entire day walking, not stopping to do anything else. You do a lot of thinking when you do that. And sometimes, not thinking, just looking. I left Copenhagen feeling so much more myself. I don't think anything really changed, but I was a much stronger, braver, happier version of myself, and I noticed the world around me too. 

My favorite museum in Copenhagen, the Thorvaldsen Museum. These are the original plaster molds for the Christus and the angel. 

This is the part where I stood in front of Hans Christian Anderson's grave. And cried.  HC Anderson is my hero

**WARNING, WARNING,  (except for not really). Especially for Americans: Just thought I'd let you know that some things in this book don't translate very well... most particularly the dish that's served in the rest home on page one. I'm not going into it, (because I don't want to, you don't want me to, nobody wants me to), but just try not to freak out when you read what they're eating. It's normal food in Switzerland, albeit... shocking here. Also cultural. ;) Prepare to experience world cuisine. 

who ate spaghetti ice cream (it's not as weird as it sounds)...

Spaghetti Eis sounds like something that you would eat on April Fool's Day, but in North Germany, it's around all summer. (And probably winter too). Many ice cream shops have machines that shoot out streams of vanilla ice cream that look like spaghetti, but taste like cold cheesecake. The ice cream is topped with raspberry sauce and shavings of white chocolate for parmesan. 

Major deliciousness. 

I was excited.

There is a lot of ice cream in Utah (there are probably at least five ice cream shops within a mile of my house), but spaghetti ice cream isn't on the menu, which is making me seriously think about experimenting with softened ice cream and a potato ricer. And reducing raspberries. And shaving white chocolate with a cheese grater. Yep, it's happening. 

who went to Copenhagen.

Eight months ago, after the other adventures I've told you about, I went on off on a little journey all alone. Now, I've got some catching up to do, and I'm getting ready for another adventure too.

After spending a little over five weeks in Kiel with my friends and dear host family, I took off on my own before heading home. I hopped up on a train to Hamburg, then up to Flensborg, and off to Copenhagen, where I spent four days alone (my mom thought I had been taken... but I wasn't. In my defense, the internet didn't work. Sorry, Mom.).

Do you remember the beach? Well, in Copenhagen, this palace was just down the street, in a lovely park.  It's not a palace anymore really- it's used for military training. Great though, right?

So, what does one do in Copenhagen? Actually, what doesn't one do in Copenhagen? But in my case, I did two things, which are really one thing. I walked, and I walked in museums. And Tivoli. (Which is even more magical than it sounded in Number the Stars. More on that later).

A friend lent me her copy of this book, which I would highly recommend. It has great walking routes and maps, if you ever happen to be in Copenhagen. It has about nine planned walks, if I remember correctly. You could take one a day, or, you could be like (way overenthusiastic) me and string them all together in a day and walk a marathon. : ) I'm a bit of an avid walker (which reminds me, I've the most lovely book to tell you about in a few posts. Stay tuned!).

 What say we to some photos? I say yes.

So, here comes The Walk, Day One. 

This is the first photo I took in Copenhagen, just after I bought my Copenhagen Card, and wandered towards the royal district. 

The best part of this picture? Bikes, always bikes. 

Flag, flag, happy flag.

In the marble dome. 

Can you see her? Let's play Where's Waldo, except let's really play "Where's the Little Mermaid?" I love the Danish flags. They're so happy. I love the kids (unseen in the picture) who were looking out at the water and eating cinnamon sugar almonds. I love the island out there in the distance. And the red buildings on the island. 

Sometimes being a tourist is more fun than trying to blend. Like when you buy a hot dog (they're good in Copenhagen. And served in baguettes with creamy mustard) swing your legs over that wooden dock and listen to the gypsy violinist play "Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen." I love Copenhagen. I love old sailboats. I love the colors on these houses. I love Danny Kaye. 

In a star-shaped fortress. (It's a thing). 

Very Kate Middleton, no? (Yes, that's me in the reflection)

That's day one. Day two is up next. : )