Live from Lyngby

Another busy day today.  This morning we went to register for our CPR numbers which as Danish residents for the next few months will provide us with free healthcare (although I feel as though we have been paying for it already).  I had yet to get to the grocery store and have been so hungry all the time that I stopped in and bought a small loaf of bread and some lunch meat (it's a good thing I'm not picky because I do not know which kind of lunch meat is which.  After eating my lunch I hopped on the train and took it south towards Copenhagen with some classmates where we were to going on a Brewery tour of Carlsberg Brewery.

We debarked at the Enghave station where the Carlsberg House Brewery and Brewery Tour is located.  Most of the actual brewing has been moved to the Jutland and abroad, however a small portion is still made in the original building.

Did you know...

The largest business transaction of any kind in Danish history was performed by the Carlsberg Brewery (along with Heineken) when it recently acquired New Castle Breweries located in Scotland.

The More You Know

The tour itself was more like a museum.  The tours in Toronto were more "hands-on" I suppose, as there was a tour guide and you actually saw the brewing taking place.  Here it was more of a lesson on the History of Carlsberg and Tuborg (a sister company that was bought up by Carlsberg) and the actual process of making beer.  One really cool part of the exhibition is what I believe was a collection of bottles all brewed by Carlsberg or their subsidaries at some point in their existance.  They were neatly displayed taking up an entire floor of the tour.



The highlight of the tour was getting to meet the Carlsberg Horses which are Jutland horses, native to the Danish Jutland peninsula.  



The tour concluded at a bar where you were given the oppurtunity to taste two brews made by Carlsberg.  I tried the Jacobson Saaz Blonde and the Carlsberg 47.  The Saaz Blonde was very good, and smooth, and I have come to the conclusion that I like blondes.  The 47 was like a double malt and the had a little too much flavor for me.  My friend, Christian (a German who doesn't like Beer, and although I haven't met many Germans I think this is rare) did not like his Jacobson Brown Ale so he gave it to me.  It wasn't bad and tasted more like a stout? I think?  I'm mostly just talking at this point.  Still, drinking at four in the afternoon is not the worst thing, and I feel like there is a lot of drinking to be done on this trip.

As I have learned Tuborg says in their advertising campaigns...

Ready - Steady...



...for a great time.

Fun Fact #1:   Nobody in Copenhagen locks their bike up.

Fun Fact #2:   There are a higher percentage of stolen bikes in Copenhagen then anywhere in the world.

While the Danes might not be the brightest people, or the cheapest, or be able to embrace the sun as often as just about any other part of the world, they sure are awfully nice.  It's strange to say that I have yet to meet anybody who has really been in a bad mood with as much as the could have to complain about.  I mean seriously 180% import tax on a car (and there are no domestically made vehicles) what is that about?!?!

I've been here just over two days and I can honestly say I am having the time of my life.  Everyone is so friendly.   I'm listening to people who speak broken English and then they are going off and speaking with their friends in another language.  I have met people from Iceland, Poland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Singapore, Austrailia, Turkey and I'm sure many other countries and that there will be many more to come.

There has not been a moment to rest and today we did some sightseeing in Copenhagen.  It is about a 25 minute bus ride from Lyngby.  We were given a ride into the city but learned how to use public transportation back (the 150s bus to the correct stop).

Here are just a few of the highlights of our trip (it was cloudy and we were on a bus most of the day, so I'll take more pictures when it's sunny and warm and I can do a bit more walking).

The Little Mermaid
*A little dissapointing, I know



The Queen's Home
*Her raised flag indicates she's home...



...and she is.



The Royal Guards
*We got to see a small changing of the guards as well.


 
...and changing...



The Opera House
*Designed by some famous architect and financed by a really rich man who's fortune is derived from shipping



Statues in a Church
*My namesakes, James the Greater...
 
 

...James the Lesser...

 

and Matthew.



We finished off today with a trip to the Student House, which is a bar for students in DTU.  It was the second bar night with our group which is always fun (although I have two complaints: beer is expensive, and the girls are few and far between at a technical university).  Tomorrow includes getting a CPR number (which entitles me to health coverage), grocery shopping, and a visit to Carlsberg brewery.

Please comment, and leave me messages.  I will be updating this quite frequently.

~JML