I finally figured out why DIS put me so far away from my classes. In my original letter to the housing coordinator, I told them that I loved the outdoors, hiking, nature, etc. Wednesdays are reserved for field study trips, and I didn't have any to go to this week. So I took this free time as an opportunity to explore my home town of Jaegerspris instead of the city. I told Allan that I wanted to explore, so he got a map for me and created a 10 km scenic bike route around town.
After biking for only just a few minutes, I came upon Jaegerspris Castle, which was lived in by Frederick the 7th. FYI: All Danish kings are named either Christian or Frederick, so that makes things easier when remember monuments...all I have to get straight now is where they fell in line. The castle grounds were filled with hiking and biking trails, and the hardest part of biking there was definitely the huge cobblestone driveway I had to go through. Vast countryside surrounds the west of the castle, and as I biked towards a hill with a tomb or monument of some sort, I felt a brisk, salty breeze and realized I was getting closer to the fjord that I was looking for.
More bike paths led me directly to the fjord, but definitely not a sandy beach of any sort. The bike path continued through summer cottage neighborhoods and roads, and then eventually cut through the countryside alongside horse stables, extremely old homes, and modern windmills. I finally reached the Jaegerspris windmill (old-style; pic is from a few days before the bike ride) and headed back. Though soaking wet (as it started to rain in the middle of my trip), I felt lucky that I have the chance to get in the outdoors and away from the city, as this is definitely an off-the-beaten-path town that few students would venture to see.
