Day 2

To begin the day, we were treated to the best continental breakfast I have ever had: eggs, bacon, sausage, fried tomatoes, breads, but also smoked salmon, meats, spreads. Once fully charged, we went to Duborg Skolen, a Danish emersion school in Flensburg, Germany. The students have class in Danish and speak either Danish or German at home but use a hybrid when communicating with friends. The majority aspire to attend university in Denmark where education is free and the government gives students a stipend. However, they feel most comfortable in Flensburg, where their duel identity is accepted. One student sees the value of the German mentality, a stricter, more disciplined way of life in combination with the relaxed Danish mentality. “Sometimes you need both things, that’s why I choose both things.”

Exploring Flensborg:

We made it to Hamburg by evening in time for a tour of the St. Pauli district in relation to WWII. Once we were set free, a group of us went to a lively Greek restaurant for dinner. On our way out, the owner’s sister told us we couldn’t be in Hamburg without seeing the Reeperbahn, the red light district of the city. I won’t go into details, but I’ve never been anything quite like it.