I had my school trip to Prague for five days at the start of March. It was a fourteen hour bus trip (which the other students seemed to think was an eternity, but as a West Aussie I was ok with it) down through Germany and into the Czech Republic. We stopped near Theresienstadt for breakfast on our way. We arrived early in the morning and got rid off our luggage at the hotel before seeing the city. The town square has a magnificent clock which we saw ring as it struck the hour. We also saw the famous Charles Bridge, which is 516 metres long and 10 metres wide. Construction started on it in the 1350’s. We also visited Karlstejn which is a castle founded by Charles IV in the 14th century.

We went on a tour of a beer factory which brews the famous Czech beer Staropramen. We saw where and how the beer is brewed and saw the differences in production over the last 50 years. We also taste-tested the two types of beer that they make.

The week after the school trip was Easter break, where we get a week off of school. For the Sunday to Wednesday I went to Copenhagen to stay with another exchange student from Melbourne. We went shopping on the famous Strøget (a car free area in the centre of the city which is a few kilometers long and has some of the most famous Danish shops). The day in which we were shopping it was snowing for many hours, and for the first time I saw snow actually build up and cover the streets (usually it melts too quickly). We also visited a planetarium where we learnt about the Danish Astronomer Tycho Brache.
The Thursday of Easter break my Host-family took me to Flensburg, a city in Germany about 7 kilometres from the Danish border. There we went shopping and on the way back into Denmark we stopped at my host-Dad’s Mosters (mother’s sister) house and had the world’s best homemade pizza. I also baffled at the German language when I saw a sign with 12 letters and only two vowels!!!
The Friday of break my friend Lisa came and stayed in Odense. Lisa is living about 40 minutes away in Denmark and is from Auckland in New Zealand. On the Friday we visited the Odense Zoo, Which has animals from all around the world. From Australia it has what the Danes believe are Kangaroos, but are actually Wallabies, as well as Cockatiels. The newest addition to the zoo is a young male lion. Unfortunately they had to put down the last male Lion because he had eaten some of the new cubs.
On the Saturday we visited the Hans Christian Andersen Hus where I learnt the Hans Christian Andersen quote “Enjoy life, there is plenty of time to be dead”. We also went to St. Canute’s Cathedral (Skt. Knuds katedral). St. Canute is recognized as the patron saint of Denmark, and ruled as king from 1080-1086 before he was slain by rebels inside another church nearby in Odense. His remains, as well as his brothers, are inside open coffins, in class boxes in the crypt of the church. Only recently (in March) his remains were sent to Copenhagen for DNA testing to confirm whether he and Benedict were really brothers. The church was also the site of H.C Andersen’s Confirmation.
On Easter Sunday my host-Family, Lisa and I travelled to the Head of Funen (the island I live on) to have lunch with Farmor and Farfar (my host Grandparents).We had a very Danish lunch of open sandwiches on Rye bread.
On April 2nd was the H.C. Andersen’s Birthday celebrations. At the theatre was a ceremony were prizes of recognition were given to three people working with something to do with H.C. Andersen. These are usually given to translators or researchers. Invited are all the people in Odense that are well known for various reasons. But somehow I scored an invitation too J
This year Prince Joaquim awarded one of the Prizes and so I was sitting within 10 metres of him! Very exciting…. There was also a girl from a Danish crime/police show called who sung with her band and an old actor who appears in a Danish kids movie called the Olsen Bandits.
The last news is that I have to perform a section from Romeo and Juliet for my Drama class examinations. In costume, as Romeo... those pictures should come in the next report.
Hope that keeps you up to date!

Jennie

To travel is to live – HC Andersen.