Hotel Ryttergaarden Rønne

... were all these posters and decorations everywhere and the airport was packed with people from all over. Lots of chinese people wearing their "SARS" masks. It took a metro and a bus to get to Christel's Apartment but it was only about 30 minutes. After settling in we went to bed.
Saturday we both woke up at 9:30 even though we didnt set an alarm. We got dressed and made breakfast of eggs with broccoli and the danish bread. The bread is basically pumpernickel with beans in it. It ...

... to spend time with these amazing “kids” and if I could I would get them accredited to the COP and would have them give the “youth speech”. I’m fairly certain it would rival Severn Suzuki’s talk from 1992. They speak Danish, English and Spanish fluently and could give their speech in 3 different languages. They are such genuine and talented young people. Definitely the ones that make this all worth ...

... I know it partly has to do with the fact that it is so damn flat everywhere, but still… it is really impressive. This morning I watched a gorgeous girl, dressed in really nice clothes, and rolling a suitcase behind her, walk over to her bike, put the suitcase on her bike rack, hang a few other bags off little hooks, and then bike off. No fuss. With a SUITCASE. I can’t even imagine that ...

... the first question many Danes as is, "Why Denmark?" I suppose since many others choose large cities like London or Paris to study abroad in it could appear strange to choose a more modest location; however, my reply is usually, “Why not?” Testament to the couple we met, the Danish people are so friendly and welcoming and being American in Denmark, however puzzling to the locals, has allowed me to explore a laid-back and quaint piece of Europe.

... which was marked by the distinct country smell of manure. I was reminded of my summer spent in West Virginia, our childhood visits to Virginia, and concerts at Kualoa Ranch. It was really cool to think about how no matter where you are in the world the smell of the country remains the same. We saw a variety of animals including gorgeous horses, ponies, cows, and sheep.

The forest was such a vibrant green and definitely made me feel like we were mountain biking! The only ...

... crop interspersed with new green shoots. The houses were colorfully painted with fenced gardens full of flowers. We took a public bus across the island from our port of Ronne to the small village Gudhjam on the north coast. It was billed as a picturesque fishing village. This conjured up visions of fishermen mending their nets alongside quaint old wooden fishing boats. Not quite. It was definitely ...

... so now we have an extra sea day. We spent the day in the casino and just resting. We had signed up on the ship for the "Sommelier Dinner", a special dinner that has seven courses, with a taste of a different wine with each course. It was fabulous, starting with seared ahi, an entree of filet mignon, a huge wheel of stilton blue cheese that they had infused with port wine, and a nice dessert ...

... as well. A lot of people come out here just to hang out and have a few beers. Oddly enough, people flock here because they ARE ruins and have that interesting state of disrepair. Yet, one of the central buildings was covered in scaffolding...for restoration. I'm a bit confused about what there is to restore.

... is their lack of windows...and obviously the roundness. They are about three stories tall, though only the first story is functional as a church. The only windows are small openings and arrow slits. You are free to roam through all the levels of the church. The church doubled as defense for the surrounding areas. If the town came under attack, people could hide out in the upper levels of the church and defend ...

... thing I've been on. We got clean fluffy bedding and our own toilet and shower...definitely not something that happens at hostels...or did happen. In fact, our hostel was more like camping. It was located in the town of Gudhjem, a small seaside village like most villages in Bornholm. This particular city is bit less of a fishing port and more based on tourism. Our hostel was directly in front of the ocean, with tiny rooms and some ...