4.16.10 – The Queen’s Birthday

Today, I was able to wake up in a relaxed mode since I didn’t have class until the afternoon, however I had decided that I would head into town a little early and walk by the palace complex because today was Queen Margaret’s 70th birthday. I knew that it would be busy but I figured I couldn’t miss this event in Copenhagen.

Well I was overwhelmed with how popular this occasion actually is. When I got off at the station, so did over half of the train, and we all started heading in the direction of the palace. About 3 blocks away, I could begin to see just how crowded it was. I could also hear the mass of people; however once I turned the corner by the Marble church…I had never seen so many Danes. It felt that the 2 million people in the regional area of Copenhagen must have been there. Then in my attempt to get closer and closer to her mansion, I found myself caught in the hoards of people also trying to push forward.

Unknown to me, but apparently there was a schedule of events for the day, and I managed to be there at exactly the right time. Therefore, I was fortunate enough to see the Queen come out on her balcony and wave to the people of Denmark. Additionally, I then waited around until 12:40 to her ride by in a little parade in her carriage, which was escorted by numerous horse guards. Once I saw her pass, I began to make my way over to DIS (since I did have class). It was more difficult than I initially imagined because there were simply so many people in the city for this celebration.

It was definitely a goofy but really fun way to start the day. It also is going to be one of the pinnacle events fueling my growing love for Copenhagen. I was simply so excited and happy to see so many people out and about. Additionally, everyone just seemed so overjoyed. It definitely made going inside for class a little more difficult. However, since all Danes including my teachers are aware of this occasion, they relatively understood.

The rest of the day wasn’t as exciting, but relaxing. After class, I took a little longer walk to the train station, and made my way home (also walking from my train station to my house simply to enjoy the weather). Once home, I sort of crashed and simply made myself dinner and curled up and watched some TV. I also managed to talk to dad and Natalie! I haven’t talked to Natalie for a long, long time and it was much needed. Following that I simply, headed to bed to get a good night sleep for a good start to the weekend.