Greetings from Copenhagen... and Amsterdam... and Florence!
WOW WOW WOW!
It’s been a minute since I’ve updated everyone, but I’ve been busy hopping from one adventure to the next.
This week is my independent travel week, but BEFORE we get into that, I have to mention that last week I climbed a wind mill! For one of my classes, Renewable Energy Systems, we had the opportunity to climb to the top of a 50 meter wind turbine. The wind farm was built by a cooperative aka regular, everyday citizens of Copenhagen made the decision to switch to wind energy without waiting for the government to act.
Before we started our climb! The white and green jumpsuits kept our clothes safe from oil stains.
Luckily, the climb up the tower consisted of several ladders and platforms rather than just one long ladder. This way if we dropped something it wouldn’t be as bad! We could feel the turbine swaying in the wind, but Carlos, our professor, helped keep us calm and let us go at our own pace. When we reached the top, we could see for miles (even all the way to Sweden!). We talked about how the wind turbine functions and pointed out a lot of the components we learned about in class. It was so cool to see what we learned in person!
Holding on to the side of the nacelle as hard as I can with one of the rotary blades behind me!
The inside of wind turbine! In here we have a generator, gear box, and two shafts to connect everything!
So, this week I’ve left Copenhagen to explore Europe! My first stop was Amsterdam, which I think may just be my favorite city in the world. I immediately felt comfortable there. Maybe it was the canals and bikes that reminded me of my already oh-so familiar Copenhagen, or maybe it was the French fry stands and museums that stole my heart!
Dutch homes along the canal are so picturesque!
Two of my favorite pieces from the Banksy Museum. Banksy is an anonymous street artist from the UK who comments on a variety of social issues such as police force and surveillance.
I also went to the Artis Zoo! It was funny to me that they had an exhibit of raccoons- we have them everywhere at home!
Currently, I am in Florence, Italy! Syracuse University has a satellite campus here that I almost attended myself, so I love that I can see some university friends and explore the city I almost lived in. Florence is so warm, at least 20 degrees warmer than Copenhagen right now; it's so bright and beautiful!
I'm off to explore some more of this historic city with Abby, but I promise to update soon! And yes, I will eat plenty of pasta for everyone. Ciao!
- Mary
(Day 54)