Finally here.

I landed in Copenhagen, Denmark on Wednesday tired but excited and nervous.  My uncle picked me up from the airport and we drove over the Oresund Bridge to Malmo, Sweden where he and some of my family live.  Driving through the city was a great first impression because I was able to look out at all the buildings as we passed by them.  I’m staying with my uncle who has an apartment very close to the city center.

My cousin took me biking through the city today and it was awesome.  She took me to some interesting modern libraries and older, more traditional buildings.  Malmo is small compared to Copenhagen, but it seems like a great city to live in.  Everything is accessible by walking, biking, or bus.  A lot of people bike in Malmo, a theme I think will continue in many of the cities I will visit.  One thing I’ve learned: don’t walk in the bike lane otherwise you will get run over.  One small detail that I think is great is that only bike lanes on the street are marked with a bike symbol on the ground.  Most of the bike lanes on the sidewalk are only distinguished with a difference in the pavement from small pavers to asphalt.  So it’s just understood by everyone where they can or cannot bike or walk.

We also visited Vastra Hamnen (Western Harbor) which is a district on the coast known for its sustainable qualities.  It is an area made up mainly of housing, some commercial, and also really great public waterfront areas.  It also has the tallest building in Malmo: Santiago Calatrava’s Turning Torso.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to go up there sometime while I’m here.  The housing in Vastra Hamnen is really expensive so living there is not for everyone, but unlike some sustainable districts in other cities, Vastra Hamnen’s developed public program like its waterfront and public baths attract people from the city to come and spend time there.  It then adds to the city culture rather than isolating itself from it.

I plan to explore the city a bit more on the coming days and make a couple trips to Copenhagen. BIG projects, here I come!

Also, a random fact I learned today:  the original Vikings from Sweden did not have horns on their helmets.

My schedule for the summer:
01Jun - 13Jun---Malmo/Copenhagen
14Jun - 16Jun---Zurich
17Jun - 18Jun---Freiburg
19Jun – 20Jun---Zurich
21Jun- 25Jun---Berlin
26Jun - 29Jun---Malmo
30Jun - 03Jul---Stockholm
04Jul - 06Jul---Malmo
07Jul - 10Jul---Amsterdam
11Jul - 30Jul---Malmo/Copenhagen
01Aug---Head Home to Chicago