Last night, I returned from an unexpectedly awesome weekend with the DIS adventure bike trip to Samsø. Here's a little background information on this incredible island:
I think this explains the island much better than I could. If you ask Danes about the island, they only know Samsø as the potato island; many don't realize the incredible feat the island has accomplished in the last 14 years. Over the weekend, our group visited most of the places highlighted in the video. It's so incredible that one man, Soren Hermansen, was able to spearhead such a colossal movement in making the island completely sustainable and carbon-neutral.
Soren Hermansen was actually named one of the Time Magazine "Heroes of the Environment" in 2008. Here's the article for those of y'all interested in sustainability:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1841778_1841782_1841789,00.html
Bright and early Saturday morning, we began our 20 mile bike ride through the island.
Our first stop was the Samsø Energy Academy. This is where all the research accomplished during the project was accumulated. Researchers from Denmark and beyond come here to conduct research in specific energy projects in the academy. It also serves as a showroom for energy stakeholders and tourists like us to demonstrate how Samsø transformed into a 100% self-sufficient island in just 10 years.
a picture from the energy academy
Our next stop was a dairy farm! I realized that either I love cows much more than I thought I did or I'm seriously missing Rusk (my eating house back at Davidson).
Ru$k love
This is where we ate lunch! The straw burnt here provides energy to heat many of the houses in Samsø.
This picture is my precarious attempt to capture the bike ride from the bicycle itself.
Not only did we get to walk up super close to this wind turbine, but we had the opportunity to go inside and climb to the top!
from the top of the windmill.
the rest of the group down below.
Back at the hostel, we found a huge
The next morning, we went on a hike around the beachy area of Samsø.
Next, we went to Labyrinten, the world's largest permanent tree maze according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
This is Amy! She's in my core class, but because our class is pretty huge we've never had the opportunity to really talk.
After we found our way out of the maze, we went to a quaint little town that seriously belonged in a fairy tale. We all thought we had either gone about 150 years back in time or we had found ourselves in Disney World.
the first of three plates. fantastic organic food.
me, Mac (Blake's (new friend from France!) friend studying in Copenhagen!), and Amy on the ferry back home to Sjælland.
Soren Hermansen was actually named one of the Time Magazine "Heroes of the Environment" in 2008. Here's the article for those of y'all interested in sustainability:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1841778_1841782_1841789,00.html
Bright and early Saturday morning, we began our 20 mile bike ride through the island.
Our first stop was the Samsø Energy Academy. This is where all the research accomplished during the project was accumulated. Researchers from Denmark and beyond come here to conduct research in specific energy projects in the academy. It also serves as a showroom for energy stakeholders and tourists like us to demonstrate how Samsø transformed into a 100% self-sufficient island in just 10 years.
a picture from the energy academy
Our next stop was a dairy farm! I realized that either I love cows much more than I thought I did or I'm seriously missing Rusk (my eating house back at Davidson).
Ru$k love
a hairy bull! It looks like it belongs in a Dr. Seuss book.
This is where we ate lunch! The straw burnt here provides energy to heat many of the houses in Samsø.
This picture is my precarious attempt to capture the bike ride from the bicycle itself.
from the top of the windmill.
the rest of the group down below.
Back at the hostel, we found a huge
Back at the hostel, about 15 of us played on that huge colorful trampoline. It was pure lykkelig.
There were three pieces missing from the chess set (one of which happened to be a knight) so we could have a legitimate game of wizard's chess. We were unbelievably excited.
side note: Pottermore officially placed me in Hufflepuff! For some reason, when I tried bragging about my placement in the most loyal house of them all, everyone this weekend made fun of me.. whatevs. I'm proud to be in the house with the most compassionate, friendly people of all. We're also particularly good finders, if that counts for anything.
That night, we roasted dough over a fire and made some excellent bread.
The next morning, we went on a hike around the beachy area of Samsø.
Next, we went to Labyrinten, the world's largest permanent tree maze according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
After we found our way out of the maze, we went to a quaint little town that seriously belonged in a fairy tale. We all thought we had either gone about 150 years back in time or we had found ourselves in Disney World.
I think most of us decided we wanted to move there. As if this town weren't cool enough, we also went to a brewery where they serve locally produced food and beer, both of which were excellent.
the first of three plates. fantastic organic food.
me, Mac (Blake's (new friend from France!) friend studying in Copenhagen!), and Amy on the ferry back home to Sjælland.
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