My First Solo Trip: Part Four of the Swiss Adventure- Discovering Basel

I began the day slightly gutted as I should have woken up earlier. I had wanted to make it up another mountain before my journey to Basel Euro airport. Thing was my flight departed at around 5pm and the journey to Basel alone was 2 hours. No point risking it... I decided to go with my original plan of having a wander around Basel before I left to catch my flight home. I have to admit I didn't quite feel ready to be leaving Switzerland (but am I ever really ready to leave?) Seriously though, I hadn't seen half of what I had hoped to... though thinking about it I had squeezed in a lot over the past couple of days and my purse was looking increasingly sad haha. 

I checked out of Lion Lodge and had a final walk through Luzern, taking pictures along the way to commemorate my last day in this inspirational city. 

After my 2 hour train journey I arrived in Basel. It was bitter sweet as I still had a new city to explore but I only had a few hours to do it in and I am one to take my time. I find it usually takes around 2-3 days to begin to feel at home in a city- and get a jist of how things work. I didn't have 2-3 days so I decided to hop on a tram and hope for the best. If I remember correctly it was the #1 Tram that lead from the Banhof into the city centre. We passed lots of elegant old buildings with new spring flowers hanging from balconies everywhere. There was this elogance to the city that I hadn't felt in Luzern... slightly more modern and trendy whilst it retained it's old architecture and feel.

I soon felt lost as I hadn't a clue where I was actually heading and by the time I thought I had arrived in the 'city centre' I was just amongst tall cement buildings. I was slightly disappointed as there was no real obvious town centre. I had clearly got on the wrong tram or entered a district less upbeat and more city slicker. 

After a while of wandering I became more relaxed and began to take in my surroundings.

It wasn't long before I came across the Kunstmuseum Basel Hauptbau (there is three branches in Basel) where I then spent the rest of the afternoon. Entry was free thanks to my trusty Swiss Pass (click to read about whether I think it's worth the purchase!) though I was gutted as it was 'no photography allowed' however I met one nice security guard that allowed me to sneak a piccy!

Basel was a nice city, but it didn't hit my high expectations that Luzern had built up. If I had possibly spent more time there I feel I would have been able to explore deeper and gain a better insight into the overall vibe. I mean I didnt even get to visit the river Rhein!!

Interesting contrast of old vs. new

I hope to visit again at some point although it most definitely won't be the only stop on my journey through Switzerland.

Peace&Love,
Willow

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The Sweet Life On Deck

Two weeks aboard a fully rigged Norwegian tall ship...

Christian Radich of Oslo

 After sleeping for the first time in a hammock (yes it was uncomfortable), I woke up feeling excited for the day ahead. We were still docked up in the Thames but it didn't seem to matter, as this was now my home... and I couldn't wait to really get to know everyone. I had spent the previous day playing cards and eating a very tasty portion of lasagna. It had been a great welcome meal. Today was our orientation day, as we would be setting sail for approximately 4pm. Everyone aboard, including the crew had been placed into watch groups around the clock... two 4 hour shifts a day. This would ensure that the ship was safe and secure consistently, as well as not sailing into danger. Your watch would become your new family as you would be spending the majority of your time aboard together, whether it be working, relaxing or sleeping... yes, you slept in your watch groups to avoid waking the others! I was assigned watch 12-4. Some (well many) referred to it as the Dog Shift, as you found yourself having to sleep at odd times and also to stay awake during the morning shift was exceedingly tricky. Once the watches were sorted, and we had met our team it was time for safety training. Funnily enough, it was not all about life jackets, though of course they were in the mix. We learnt about the very basics of the vessel, what to do in emergency circumstances and then yes... rig training! Splitting off into our watch groups we grabbed a harness and for the first time (well second for me) climbed the rig. It must have been a peculiar sight, seeing so many bodies upon the rigging of the ship, but no one was hurt and we got to climb as high as our hearts desired. Myself, along with a few others climbed to the top (yesssss) of the 40m high sails. How thrilling!

So I want to take a moment out to tell you about climbing the rigging on board. The ship was fully rigged, which meant it had three sets of 4/5 sails, stretching as high as 40m up. When all the sails are down (after a lot of hard work from the crew) it is a very beautiful sight. The process in which it takes to get there however is one not to be taken lightly! So crew members do have to physically climb to the mast that the sail hangs from (how else would they get up there?!) and either tie up or let down the sail. Baring in mind the height these sails as they need to actually catch the winds, as well as the size of them- in order to actually power the ship across the seas, you can begin to create a picture of what one is up against. There is no time for fear of heights, just climb! I do have one very fond memory of climbing up the rig later on in the trip with Martin, one of the students. He had explained to me how confident he had grown over the 7 months they had been on board with climbing and of course other aspects of life. I couldn't resist but to praise his bravery and humbleness in which he simply returned with a laugh, 'Thank You'. None of these guys had any idea how I admired their work, their bravery and their lifestyles in general. They lived such a simple yet fulfilling lifestyle. I adored it!


Diary Entry from Rig Training
Rig training- which I climbed over 30 meters high!! How exciting ay! Although I have to admit as fun as it was going up and down, it certainly was not fun balancing on that thin piece of rope we have to share with everyone else up there (once out on the mast). Oh my, honestly it is very very scary!! Any time someone wishes to change their footing...bam, you have to be ready for the weight shift etc!! Oh anddd your harness is practically useless considering you don't actually hook it while you're climbing haha. Only once you move up/down a platform or onto a mast thingy.

We then got to chill out as we left London for Torbay, ready for the race to start... the food was soon to be ready- salmon, salad and potatoes...YUM- we all dug in and then chilled out downstairs. Side note, may I add the food here is amazing. I have not been hungry once and it is literally of such a high standard! Night snacks, breakfast, lunch and dinner- alla them! I don't think anyone can complain at all!

Looking around, and seeing nothing but ocean for the first time was a strange feeling. By this point we had crossed the start line of the race and we were well on our way. It wasn't long of course till something went a little wrong... a fishing net had got caught in a propeller and caused the whole boat to come to a stand still. This cost us valuable wind time and was in actual fact the reason we came in 2nd place! However, once sorted but the very efficient crew members, once again we we well on our way- hot on the competitions tail!

As mentioned before, I was part of the 12-4 watch and watches were a very big part of the whole experience. You spent 8 hours of each day on watch, ensuring the ship was secure and sailing in the correct direction haha!
Here is a diary entry of my first night watch...

Writing the morning of the 18th. My goodness, it is now pretty much 5AM and my first watch ever was pretty much close to torture. I was very cold despite having 4 fairly warm layers on... but only when I realised it was my turn to go on LOOK OUT did I become slightly worried. Those two words will haunt me for this entire journey. My mindset is things can only get better as we are moving into warmer waters... and weather I pray. I was the lucky one though, as I left my hour position (2-3AM) it began to rain heavily and the wind was blowing so hard that it felt as though I was being shot in the face 1000 times. Note to self... next time bring a warm f****** raincoat and waterproof trousers. You can never over pack, as a wise Norwegian told me on board!!!! I felt so sorry for the poor bastard that followed me on the final lookout watch. He must have got it bad. Aside from being cold, I was alone in pitch darkness at one of the highest above deck areas of the ship...alone...surrounded by what was now becoming the English channel. Fek. I was so scared. I was scared of the dark as it was and next thing I turn around and think I see a man standing there... meanwhile it was the ventilation system pipe thing- not a human. I had even started shouting out to see if it would respond. Obviously not. My gosh...if I had (caught a shock and) jumped back I could have tripped over a rope and fell into the sea. You best know I clung to the centre ropes for dear life...ensuring a body part was always in contact with the ropes while looking out for tiny lights in the distance- that could apparently mean danger or something- it was a very hard job I must admit. I was so glad when the next guy came on time!!
Afterwards we (those who didn't have a job to do) sat and drank water, tea and coffee and chatted... politics of course. A poor lady began to feel sea sick and I felt so bad for her. I am currently in my hammock praying I don't get it too, even though I am currently feeling a bit woozy. Humph.
I need to sleep though as I am up at 11:15am, for my next watch. Yippee. Ciao x

I woke up this morning around 8AM after having 3 hours sleep, yet I feel refreshed! Maybe it was the shower last night or maybe I'm just feeling more confident, now being a member of the team on board... whatever it is, I feel good! I have another shift watch at 12-4PM where I will likely have to climb the mast and open up the sails...very nervous as it is so cold and windy once you're up there. Plus, as I said your footing on that tiny rope is not great. Once I had gone out after getting ready for the day, I was happy to see a bright and welcoming morning. It was now around 8:45AM and the sky was a beautiful blue! The waves were a dark green/blue colour, teal maybe? And boy, were they crashing against one another! This is what it is all about! Beautiful! The sun was also beaming to add the the lovely scenery. A good morning...now for brunch :D and then on to my next watch.

These two diary entries were from the first days on board and as you can see it wasn't always plain sailing. The trip, I soon realised was about pushing my own limits and overcoming my fears. Nature is (most of the time) on our side and the sooner we try to work with it- rather than against it- the better! Nature was what was taking us from London to Portugal... and I trusted it with my life! My fear of the dark soon vanished (as I had no choice haha) and becoming closer with the people on board really heightened my overall experience. I fell in love with sailing that morning, and I definitely knew it wasn't going to be the last trip I made by boat.
The food continued on to be flavoursome, inventive and satisfying throughout the whole trip, although I had definitely had my fair share of cured hams and cold meats. One of the highlights with regards the food was the 3PM snack times. From freshly baked Danish Pastries and Cinnamon Rolls to juicy Melon and Pineapple- we were all in for a treat. 
The chefs did not spare us of their love and passion in the kitchen, that was for sure! Even when it was one of the trainee's 60th birthday, two very large fresh cream sponge cakes were ready and waiting for us to sing and send our blessings. Every single dish was made with great ingredients and an even better heart, but why was I surprised?! I had been told by Greenwich council that Christian Radich was had the best food!

Our days were spent eating and climbing, yes but also relaxing and enjoying the time we had together as a crew. There were over 10 nationalities on board, with everyone interested in everyone's lives. It was fantastic. There was of course some characters in the mix but it was all part of the fun.

Those that stood out to me and made the journey extra special are now poeple I deem to be life long friends. From midnight chats with Olave, to bum bum lips with Benjamin and Ken or reenactment stories with Kenny (oh my goshhhhhhhh!) and punny ad-libs made by Chris- followed by sarcastic comments about Chris' ad-libs by his girlfriend, Becca... we all had such different personalities that mixed perfectly together and made a tasty bowl of Radich soup! So shout out to Bermuda for being amazing... he is still sailing around the world as he signed up for the entire race! From London to Portugal, across the ocean to Bermuda, up to Canada and the back over to France, he is spending over half a year sailing like crazy! Of course I haven't mentioned everyone that made my journey special as there is just too many names to write but of course I must mention my loves Guiliana and Laeticia. 


Here are two diary entries about these lovely souls;

Giulliana

I remember first meeting Giulliana on the bow and she just had this radiant smile and glowing skin. I was like oh great, she is gorgeous and I bet she is a super nice person too. Of course I was correct hahaa. On a serious note, she is literally one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. Her heart is so gentle and kind... and her looks are jaw dropping. We have really began to bond and are basically in a girl group with Lettie. We are also kitties (don't ask haha). I love that she is calm and mature yet she has this playful streak that amplifies her youth? I admire her a lot and I really do hope we stay friends for a very very long time.

Laetitia

I first met Lettie on the press thingy at Woolwich before the voyage. She was so so funny and naturally beutiful! Being on the ship together has made me feel as though I have come on board with a true friend, and we are experiencing every step together. She says stuff sometimes that I was thinking and I' there like tha fuqqq. Girl I agree 1hunna. Hahahaha. She is so genuine and I feel we too are really bonding. She is also one of the 3 kitties and one of the girl band members :P. Fun times hahaa.  Lettie is such a kind person who's sarcasm gets me every time and I really can't wait till we go out in London together.

My good friend Bum Bum ;)

In the evenings after dinner, all the young people plus Pierre (a handsome Swiss 50 year old living in Sao Paolo) would snuggle up with our snacks and watch movies in the homemade cinema club. American Pie was usually the theme though on occasion we would switch it up...

My best hammock Buddy <3

My nights were mostly spent on watch, and this although to begin with seemed like a curse, turned out to really be a blessing. There is nothing like looking up at the nights sky and seeing the entire galaxy... and the milky way staring right back at you! You then look down into the water and all of a sudden hundreds (yes hundreds) of dolphins are splashing in and out of the dark blue water, playing in the waves. One night for about 45 minutes we were joined at approximately 3AM by what looked like 150 playful dolphins, all going crazy! The plankton in the sea water made sailing through the waves a magical experience in itself, as it lit up the water with thousands and thousands of little florescent lights dancing in the waves. Along with our visitors, who also done their part in lighting up the ocean as they cut through the waves, it meant that I was somehow caught up in my own magical fairy tale at sea. I could have dropped down right then and there, and I would have been able to say I was at my happiest.
I don't have any pictures of this fantasy like experience, but sometimes, somethings are best kept to ourselves... with words filled with passion and emotion, being the ultimate way to share an experience.

Diary entry about the Norwegian trainee sailors [23/4/2017]:
Yesterday during the day, once again the watch was a lot of fun. Our watch was not at all busy and we pretty much lay in the sun the whole time. I did go up to a really high mast though, once again with Martin who I wished I had taken a picture of up there. He was clinging onto that yard with every muscle in his thighs and stomach I swear. He was like it for around 20 minutes too while he taught me how to tie a certain knot around the sail, so high up in the sky. I remember looking at him and thinking you're so extraordinary. All of these guys here are. They don't even realise it. Some still struggle to talk to girls, some are typical immature boys- but in the best way of course, but all are pushing themselves above and beyond while making this trip special for us! The funniest thing is I am sure they are all looked at and stereotyped in different ways yet no one would ever think that they do the things they do and have seen the things they have seen. The are all so modest about it as well! I have SO much respect for each and every individual on this ship. Each person is really really special. Thank you Martin for giving me that moment of reflection 35 meters above.

Arthur and I high in the sky!

After around a week and a half of sailing, sleeping in the hammock had actually become very comfy however my sleeping pattern itself had worsened as me, along with the others did not want to miss out on the last couple days of fun. We would soon be docking up in Sines, Portugal and be getting ready to celebrate, with our experiences on board slowly becoming memories of what once was our time at sea.

Sebastian's hair cut

Lil ol Me

Ken Doll

Colgate Model Giullianna

Credits to this beauty: Lettie Inett! I hope youdon't mind I used ya pics haha <3

Giullianna's bella piece

Peace&Love,
Willow

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Rendez-Vous Tall Ship Regatta 2017 - Somewhat of a Summary...

The Tall Ships Race from Greenwich to Sines was an experience I've been finding hard to put into words. Not only because the whole experience itself was beyond sublime, but the lessons it taught me where like none I have ever come across. All in all it helped me to view life through a more relaxed and loving perspective. It is so easy to get caught up in the bustle and hustle of fabulous London... but is it really what life is about. Certainly not!

Some trainees I became very well acquainted with...

I began the race on the Christian Radich, a Norwegian Tall Ship from Oslo, on the 30th April 2017. I had signed up for this race almost a year ago now... so the fact that I was finally sat on the very ship that would take me safely to Portugal seemed insane. 

I was surrounded by the very people that may possibly become my life long friends and of course I couldn't remember anyone's names haha. There was a large mix of ages, from 18 up to I'd say 65 (there was definitely some old fogies) and we were all in the same boat. Most of us had never sailed before although there was in fact a handful that had fallen in love with life on the ocean, and had made tall ship regattas a regular thing. Aside from us trainees, there was of course the crew who made up around 1/3 of all members on board. 

Among the crew were maritime students of ages 18-24 that were training to become real life sailors ( I found this so amazing, though when I expressed my intrigue the response I received was usually along the lines of, 'We're only sailors!') and of course the fully qualified crew mates. 

12-4 watch crew, back left to right: Iver, Olave, Benjamin, Robin, Martin front left to right: Paul, Allan

It seemed like a lot of people to fit into this 73m (including Bowsprit) vessel however this was not the first regatta they had embarked upon, and it was definitely not going to be the last.
We set sail on the afternoon of the 17th April, along the Thames River and out onto the English Channel. We used the engine to motor boat it to the race start line which was located in the sunny seaside resort of Torbay. On the 19th April in Torbay the race began. 9 Tall Ships from all over the world utilised the forces of nature and sailed soley by wind from Torbay across the English channel, to Sines, Portugal.

Upon my Norwegian Tall Ship I was delighted to be surrounded by kind, intelligent, charismatic people from all corners of the world, some sponsored and some paying for the magical experience that awaited us. The journey itself pushed us to limits that I can say, I have never encountered- that including coffee drinking limits (the coffee was gross but was one of the only things that would keep you awake during night watches!) Alongside the great company came great views of blue choppy oceans, just meters below. The thought that you could potentially topple in at any given moment (whilst above deck) was a looming fear for many, I'm sure, however knowing that you are surrounded by professionals, that take their role very seriously was of course a bonus.

Our arrival in Sines came on the 27th April around the evening time, although unfortunately there was nowhere for us to immediately dock up, so we spent the entity of the night anchored a few meters away from the dock. The next morning the whole crew (trainees and shipmates alike) were above deck ready and waiting for the well anticipated arrival of the Christian Radich in Portugal! I had spent the last week and a half aboard a tall ship with strangers and we were now strutting our stuff (yaaas)... off the boat as friends for life. It was an amazing feeling. The race part of the journey was fun, yes, but what I learnt from the maritime students was priceless... and the two wonderful ladies, Guiliana and Laetitia, that I befriended have left a mark on my heart forever. The next few days were spent celebrating our arrival... although our time was limited as flights back to London Stansted were booked for 30th April. We had a huge festival to look forward to as well as lots of bar crawling...with sailors- and believe me, you have no idea how much sailors drink! Hahaha!

I haven't spoken much about the journey itself... so please, delve deeper and have a read of The Sweet Life on Deck and of course about the festivities in Portugal (and the drinking ha!) at SINES.

Peace&Love,
Willow

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THE SKYDIVE

I must begin by thanking the wonderful people that helped me raise £411 for the Willow Foundation- family, friends and co-workers. I appreciate it, the Willow Foundation appreciates it and I'm sure somewhere in the UK so does a person or a family going through a hell of a lot and you've helped make their special day possible.

Giving back for me, was a way of saying thank you to the foundation that once was able to organise and part fund a weekend trip to Center Parcs with my aunts, sister and terminally ill mother. The trip is most definitely up with some of my happiest lifetime memories, especially due to the fact that my sister and I were so young when my mother passed and don't remember much of her, we therefore have special moments like the trip to reflect upon.

The Skydive experience was a cauldron of emotions, whirling round my brain, and yes my stomach!

The day begins bright and early as you must arrive (in the middle of nowhere) at 8am to ensure you catch the best of the British weather. Bearing in mind the centre was called the North London Skydiving Centre- it is definitely not in North London. Try maybe a litter further north in the region of Cambridgeshire! My dad, little sister and I left at around 6:30am, arriving just before 8am, and already there was a queue of three of four others. Once the centre opened I checked in and began the short training session. Once finished and kitted up, the nerve-racking waiting game began. 
Thankfully I was a part of the second group to be sent up in the air for my tandem jump, so unlike those in the ninth group, my nerves weren't given much of a chance to freak me out- too much anyway. Before I knew it I was apprehensively waving good bye to my Dad and dear little sister Alana (who was 3 years old at the time- thinking about it, I'm not sure how I would have felt watching my sister jump out of a plane at age 3...hmm). 

What's that? A hat? Crazy, funky, junkie hat? 

So once in the plane you are made to sit in two lines, in front of one another, with your instructor behind you. The plane flies up high, reaching approximately 13,000 ft in the air and then the real fun begins. (Not so) conveniently I was first. Your instructor clips you into the harness and then the two of you shuffle forward with your legs hanging out the door. Your instructor pulls you up onto his lap, moves a bit more forward and then proceeds by sticking your frail, tense and extremely nervous body out the door while he sits on the edge. This lasted for what felt like an hour but in reality was less than a minute. Oh, and yes when I say sticks you out the door I do mean the only thing stopping you from falling thousands of feet to (death?) the ground is the harness attaching the two of you together. I feel like that was the moment for me- the turning point in my relationship with humanity. How often do we put so much trust in complete strangers? Well I had only known this man for all of 10 minutes. We met on the airfield, shook hands and strolled to the plane. We sat close for the duration of the journey up, and finally whilst every inch of my body is hanging out of that airplane door he shouts, 'READY?' and that was it. We jumped. The adrenaline rushed to my head and next thing I knew I was free falling through the atmosphere...nothing could stop me, I was as free as a bird. 
Soon enough the instructor opened the parachute and we were caught within our fall. I then realised placing my trust in this 'stranger' was a very intelligent and well thought out move as he was actually my ONLY chance of survival. You see I sure as hell DID NOT KNOW how to open the damn parachute and therefore would have most definitely free fell to certain death. Thank you instructor stranger...
Some sickly skydive spirals later, along with the chance to soak up the sublime English countryside and our feet touched the ground.
Here's a quick video (that cost an arm and a leg- thank you student loan, haha!) to show you the best bit, although I must admit that my description goes into much more detail hehe.

I have to say it  is an experience that I would recommend to anyone! I would do it again in a heartbeat but it is a costly activity and I think if I keep doing Sky Dive fundraisers people will catch on to the fact that I'm no longer in it for the (money) charitable donations, hehehe. 

Peace&Love,
Willow

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COPENHAGEN - Frederiksborg Castle, Bakken Amusment Park & Australia Bar!

My final full day in Copenhagen began with a fruitful breakfast, then we headed to Frederiksborg Castle, in Hillerød, about 30km north of Copenhagen city centre. 

Frederiksborg Castle!

Frederiksborg Castle was built as the royal residence for King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway during the 17th century. It is the largest Renaissance Residence in Scandinavia as well as one of the most beautiful! After a serious fire in 1859 the castle was rebuilt in style of old paintings and plans and then once fully restored reopened to the public in 1882 as The Danish Museum of National History.
Shaylee and I tagged along to a Danish tour of the Castle, while Shaylee acted as a translator, but we soon tailed off on our own exploration. 





Alex then joined us and the fantastic four headed to the amusement park Bakken for some fun! For just 200kr you have access to all the amazing, fun rides this place has to offer. Unfortunately as I was on a budget we walked through the woodland, hung out and rode the scariest roller coaster we could find.


A BBQ was on the table once we got home, and was left to the guys whilst Shaylee and I got ready for the night ahead! Two of her friends Emilie and Sofie joined us for food and some Danish drinking games.
 I, unfortunately, didn't understand what on Earth was going on, and kept loosing... i.e. having to take a drink of my drink. By the time we were ready to leave for central Copenhagen, I was practically drunk! Sigh.
Once off the train and in the city, I realised I had forgotten my purse back at the apartment- with my ID and money!! Oh gosh...
Shaylee said not to worry because I could just pay her back... and also use her ID?! Huuh? When she gave me her ID to use, I realised it was a student card, and apparently, the bouncers don't actually care that much about what you show them, as long as you show them something! 



We ended up at the Australia Bar- an Australian themed bar, no waaay- where we got a table and danced the night away! Not that I remember much of the night, but I do remember one Danish guy saying how SEXY English girls were?! Pardon???? We all just cracked up laughing!
The next morning  my head was pounding and I hardly remembered the journey home, apart from McDonald's and laying on Alex.  I was hanging, but I had a flight to catch- urghhh. After a yummy fry up I was homeward bound. 

Thank you to all these lovely people for making my time in Denmark so wonderful... and a special thank you Shaylee, my beautiful cousin, I wish we lived closer together, but hey... distance makes the heart grow fonder ay!

Peace&Love,
Willow

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COPENHAGEN - The City Centre & Christiana

It was my second day in Copenhagen with my love, Shaylee, and it was really time to explore!

Shaylee had a full day planned and as I wasn't actually visiting for very long we had so much to squeeze in!

We began with a hearty breakfast nice and early, something I commend the Danish for. I usually skip breakfast due to laziness- a habit I am trying to break- but during my trip, I never actually missed a meal! 

We set off into Copenhagen by train. Now since I'm such a public transport enthusiast- I'm only kidding I don't drive (yet) so I'm forced to take in the ever so scenic train and bus each day- I couldn't help notice the super spacious trains! Literally, there are separate carriages for buggies and bikes and they can hold approx 10/15 bikes. No one else really uses these carriages unless they have a bike or pushchair because people are respectful of each other's needs, and wouldn't want to take up space. Well, that was the vibe I got anyway.

Within 25 minutes we were in the centre of Copenhagen! Shaylee and I took a stroll through the pretty streets and went into the famous department store Illum. Copenhagen, I couldn't help but notice has a very different atmosphere to the likes of London. The pace seems much slower, more relaxed and far less busy. It is as if people are actually enjoying their day rather than rushing off somewhere. Although the prices are roughly the same...I exchanged my £ to Krona in one of the only exchange places in the city... and it was a rip off! I lost around £30 to commission!!!

Cool House! 

After doing a bit of shopping, and picking up a super cute top in Zara for 69K (basically £6.99), we headed for an all you can eat Turkish Buffet. Yum!

After having a tasty lunch, we caught the metro to Christiana. The metro in Copenhagen only has 2 lines, which I thought was crazy in comparison to the London Underground, so as you can imagine it really didn't take long. Shaylee and I met with Patrick after hopping off the metro and took a stroll along the canal down to the small village of  Christiana.

For those who are unaware, Christiana is Copenhagen's 'free town'. It is an outlandish place where societies rejects are welcomed. 

Also known as a hippie village, Christiana is a great place to visit for music and arts festivals, organic and vegan-friendly foods, and of course cheap beer! It is also popular for its Amsterdam style attitude towards smoking. For 50K I thought, 'When in Rome'... In Denmark however, Weed is illegal, so therefore the market style stalls that sell the illicit product have reinforced the law of the land: No Photography!! Fair enough, no one wants to get caught!


Our day ended with a scrumptious bowl of tagliatelle conjured up by Shaylee's (and now my) friend, Alex who is training to be a chef. I, of course, assisted as the Sous Chef, by setting the table and mixing the pan... and yes, the food was wonderful. Thank you ALEX! 

Peace&Love,
Willow

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