We all arrived within 45 minutes of each other and, amazingly enough, in the huge and chaotic Copenhagen airport, we were successful in finding each other at the designated Starbucks just beyond immigration. Addie, one of our home exchange hosts, was kind enough to meet us at the airport to show us the ropes on managing the train system and accompanied us to her and Camilla's lovely apartment where Bill and I would be staying. Addie and Camilla had been to our home in Mexico in May where we had a great time getting to know them.

After Camilla and Addie left for their vacation destination, we went in search of Dorte's home, the other home exchange we had arranged where Pam and Miles and Rod and Priscilla would be staying . We got them settled in before finding a great little Italian restaurant where we all had a fabulous dinner before retiring for the evening, exhausted from our long flights.

Camilla and Addie's lovely apartment was perfectly located several blocks from the Central Train Station and within walking distance of all the attractions, museums, galleries, restaurants and more. The rest of the group were located about 15 minutes from us by train so, the Central Train Station became our designated meeting place. On Friday, we set out to discover Copenhagen with a three hour walking tour.

We learned much about the history of Copenhagen, originally a Viking fishing village founded in the 10th century that became the capital of Denmark in the early 15th century and about Christian IV, whose reign of 59 years is the longest of all Danish monarchs and the longest of all the Scandinavian monarchies. Christian began his personal rule of Denmark in 1596 at the age of 19 and is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious, and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects . He obtained for his kingdom a level of stability and wealth that was virtually unmatched elsewhere in Europe.

Strolling through this vibrant and colorful city, many of the structures built during Cristian's reign could be seen, in all their magnificence, standing next to stunning contemporary buildings of concrete, glass and iron, designed by top international architects. Since the turn of the 21st century, Copenhagen has seen strong urban and cultural development, facilitated by investment in its institutions and infrastructure.  

All this was a lot to absorb but, we felt that we had gotten a taste of the beauty and energy of this amazing city. Still feeling the effects of jetlag, we all retired to our respective abodes to rest up for the next day of more exploring.