Velkommen, or welcome, to the blog of Stuart and Pierce! This summer we went to Denmark, the happiest country in the world. But as of recently, a new poll in September has placed Denmark in third behind Panama and Costa Rica (18). We spent our vacation during Denmark’s last months as happiest country. Which is not a very cheery note to start off with. But that means it can only get better, right? Right! Denmark is a country north of Germany consisting of the Jutland peninsula and the Danish archipelago, which consists of over 400 islands. It is located south of the North Sea, and is connected by bridge to Sweden (1). Before we went, however, we did some research on Danish phrases, customs, and taboos. We learned how to say Danish words such as hej (hello), farvel (farewell), and tak (thank you) (7). Danes appreciate thanks here and there. Unfortunately, Denmark is such a serious country. The Danes are exceptionally punctual. A late arrival of even five minutes warrants a phone call to the host. Religion is not really talked about often, and speaking about religion in public is considered rude, among other things. Asking “How are you?” on streets is also inappropriate, since that phrase is only reserved for close friends or family (3). Imagine asking an old lady how she was doing and her giving you an evil stare in response (definitely didn’t happen to us).
On the plane to Switzerland, I noticed Switzerland was bordered by Italy in the south, Germany in the north, France in the west, and Liechtenstein and Austria in the east. (1)
In Belgrade, and a major influence in Europe, the Cathedral of Saint Sava remains the largest Serbian Orthodox church and one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world. (13) It began as a home of relics in 1594 that was prized by Serb rebels, however was burned later that year by the Ottomans. Its modern version began its construction in 1984, and is still being built today. This beacon of Serbia's largest religion stands as an enormous tourist attraction to Serbia. It is important, however, to keep in mind to ask for permission to take pictures while inside of the church.
Cześć! (7)
I just came back from of the most unique and interesting countries in Europe! Before I packed for the big (and expensive) trip, I checked Poland's climate. We had to check Poland’s; it climate can be described by us as a temperate climate with relatively cold winters and warm summers. Poland’s weather patterns are unpredictable so it we packed all types of clothes due to the weather fluctuations. One last thing we had to check was the travel advisory. There was a warning for demonstrations which were at a high during the time that we were visiting, and that they would be concentrated near the U.S. embassy (17). The weather caused a delay in our flight due to the unexpected cold causing there to be a mandatory flight check (4). Located in central Europe, Poland is positioned in both the northern and eastern hemispheres. Poland is bordered by the countries of Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia Ukraine, and by the Baltic Sea; this relative location gives you an idea of how long it took us to get to Poland from Houston (1).
I just came back from of the most unique and interesting countries in Europe! Before I packed for the big (and expensive) trip, I checked Poland's climate. We had to check Poland’s; it climate can be described by us as a temperate climate with relatively cold winters and warm summers. Poland’s weather patterns are unpredictable so it we packed all types of clothes due to the weather fluctuations. One last thing we had to check was the travel advisory. There was a warning for demonstrations which were at a high during the time that we were visiting, and that they would be concentrated near the U.S. embassy (17). The weather caused a delay in our flight due to the unexpected cold causing there to be a mandatory flight check (4). Located in central Europe, Poland is positioned in both the northern and eastern hemispheres. Poland is bordered by the countries of Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia Ukraine, and by the Baltic Sea; this relative location gives you an idea of how long it took us to get to Poland from Houston (1).