Danglish

We concluded Hank's stay with us by touring Copenhagen. Simon, who was already in CPH, was meeting us there while the rest of us, however, got a little confused by the driving directions and took a detour to Sweden. Hank, a sweet southern boy, used his charm to get us in and out of the country free. Otherwise, it would have been $50 bridge toll both ways...OUCH! It was an awesome adventure, though, and it added another country to Hank's list!

After we finally joined Simon and Copenhagen and had a bite to eat, Hank and I really wanted to go to this hippie suburb called Christiania. I have never been to this village but have heard tons about it. Christiania, known for its extremely liberal lifestyle, is a huge attraction among tourists. Danes bring their guests here to see something that cannot be witnessed anywhere else in the world. The village is known for it "greenness" and I am not just talking about nature preservation or dollar bills. The main street is called Pusher Street, if you catch my drift. Out of mere curiosity, to see if the books and tall tales were true, Hank, Simon, Shelby and I took a little tour around. At first, I was captivated by the coziness. There are the cutest funky cottages and quaint little resteraunts. The road is nothing but dirt and there are no cars anywhere. You arrive by foot or bike. An Outer Banker could quickly compare this town to Ocracoke, but there is at least one HUGE difference. Around every street corner, in nooks and crannies, in public bathrooms or just in open air, a scent in the form of smoke lingers...and it isn't cigarettes or incense. After rounding the corner of Christiania's preschool and catching a huge whiff of mary jane, I became a little more aware that I wasn't in Kansas anymore. I began to wonder if they taught their kids to roll doobies in home ec class. Aside from this, I was astonished a great deal by how different it was to all the other suburbs inside Copenhagen. Like all these towns it is illegal to smoke weed. In contrast however, it is tolerated more in Christiania. I found out that the village is quite frequently raided by the police, as well, but people didn't seem to mind at all. NUTS! It was quite an experience for us and the books and people who had forwarned us proved to be true. I, unfortunately, didn't get many pictures, though Hank got quite a few. (Scroll down to the link below to access his blog.)

After this, we returned to Copenhagen's Center and hit up Ben and Jerrys. I ,of course, cannot leave CPH without going to H&M. After buying Shelby some hip new clothes it was time to go home. It had been big day for us all and we were excited about going to a peaceful apartment in Køge, eating a big meal and watching TV for the remainder of the evening and that we did!

Hank left the next morning. Simon, Shelby and I are now sad. We all had a great time making dinner, talking iPhones, watching TV, driving around, getting lost, smelling Hank, taking pictures, shooting film, talking about WB, having Hank night, and much more. Can't wait to see him again in October. We miss you Spank!