Diary of the trip to York 15-29 May
Sunday the 15th May
Today is the big day. We are going to York, not the new one but the old historical one in Britain. I turned up early in Kaastrup Airport full of excitement and a backpack full of cloth and money. Unfortunately the aeroplane was late so we were first in the air an hour later than expected. This meant that even though we were gifted an hour in time difference we first arrived at York University by bus at nine pm. We were handed over to our host family which only lived 10 minutes of walk from the university. When stepping into their house we dropped our backs in the rooms after deciding who stayed where. Then we was introduced to the residents of the house while our hostmother cooked a traditional English breakfast for us; 2 dogs, Helga and Lulu and Lulu´s 8 puppies which was only a few days old. We had a nice chat while eating with Robin and Jeanette and even though we were tired after the trip we stayed up talking to learn these two now persons to know.
Monday the 16th May
After having breakfast Robin walked us to the university while functioning as a guide telling us about the area. 15 minutes later we stood in the reception of the Derwent college one out of nine in totals waiting for the rest to arrive. The leader of our program at the university Tudor quickly showed up taking us to the nearby college Vanbrugh where we was supposed to have the most of our lectures. We had a presentation of the program for our stay followed of a tour around the entire university. At last we were introduced to the project we should start on tomorrow and we went home full of new impressions. We had dinner at our host family before going into the city center of York to start exploring the city on our own.
Tuesday the 17th May
Today was the birthday of Mike and Nadja and we had planned to go out celebrating them by eating together all of us after today’s lectures. We started out in class by forming groups for our upcoming project about cultural differences between Denmark and Britain. Here I got together with Hjalte, Jesper and Benjamin and we decided to make a questionnaire to our self-picked subject: Attitude towards immigration in Britain. The questionnaires were supposed be brought tomorrow to the international tea party at the university. After lunch we had a guest lecture about finance by an economist named Ian Money how use to teach at the university. We walked together to the city center and went for pizzas at Pizza Hut before taking the bus home to call it for a day.
Wednesday the 18th May
The day started with a bus trip to the newer part of the university Heslington East where the Law and management department of the University of York are placed. Here we had a lecture about “Big data” and how enterprises, the government and many others constantly are looking over our shoulders watching our tiniest steps. After this we had a tour by two students of this department showing us this new part of the university. We were dropped off at a lecture room where a more detailed presentation of the University of York and the subjects offering was giving. We took the bus back to Derwent College where the international tea party would take place. Here we had prepared a short presentation of Denmark and our traditions which functioned as an icebreaker to start a conversation with the other students. Here people from all over the world were gathered and we handed out our questionnaires. Mike and I went directly home where Robin’s oldest daughter Amy and her three children would join us for dinner. We took of early going to the city center looking for a pup to watch the Europa League final between Liverpool and Seville at. We got in ordered cokes and enjoy an intensive football match unfortunately with a Liverpool defeat.
Thursday the 19th May
Thursday was the first day which was lecture free and we went together with our teachers to see the Railway museum next to the station. Here we used the most of an hour before taking a “bustrain” to the city center. Here we enjoyed even more of the city of York by going shopping and just walking through the streets. Together with Joshua, Jeppe, Sofus and Hjalte I went to the York Designer outlet afterwards looking for a perfume for Sofus and some cloth for Jeppe. We had lunch at Subways and took the bus home at 4 pm. I meet with Mike at the Picadelly bus station and we followed home, where we was supposed to go eating the traditional Yorkshire dish roast beef and Yorkshire pudding to celebrate Mikes birthday. Our host family invited Mikes twin Nadja and her roommate Kristina with us and we had a nice evening full of hygge. On the way home we stopped by Morrisons to do the grocery shopping and had tea and biscuits when returning home.
Friday the 20th May
Today was booked for a visit at the York Minister and what an experience wow! We even topped it up by going to the very top of the middle tower for a fantastic view of the surrounding areas of York. Here some of the guys had a bit of fears for heights but luckily all of us returned to the ground in safe condition. After a quick lunch at McDonalds Mike and I went home taking a short nap to charge the batteries before going out eating again today. We drove for almost an hour to arrive in Beverly a small town near Hull where Robin’s parents is living. Here we went for grill night at a local pub together with Robin’s parents, his sister and her husband. After eating we went for pudding and ice-cream at Robin’s parents to explore their very comfortable house. We first arrived back home late that night heading straight for bed.
Saturday the 21th May
Mike and I slept late and just enjoyed that it was weekend, without any plans at all. After breakfast, which almost was at lunch time we went to the York Sport Village which we was handed a free trail to when arriving at the University. Here we meet Lasse, Mikkel, Joshua and Hjalte and we worked out for more than two hours, and it was really nice. We took the bus home and arrived just in time to help Robin and Jeanette with the dinner preparation even though they had done the most of it before we arrived. After a quick shower and lunch we went to our room making homework before going to the sitting room where the FA Cup final was played at BBC 1. We saw it on television and shortly into the second half Jeanette’s oldest son and his girlfriend arrived for dinner. We had chicken curry with naan bread and rice and we enjoyed it. After dinner Mike and I did the dishes while the other prepared a quiz game which had us entertained for hours. The guests order a taxi home at 11 pm and Mike and I went for bed after a quick movie.
Sunday the 22th May
Today we had guest yet again. Jeanette’s mother came to see the puppies and we had a short talk with her before going to the city center. Here we had planned to meet our classmates and go all the way around the center of York on the foreign walls which very hormonal have been kept as a distinctive mark of the city. It was quite a trip but the view was incredible, with the busy city at the one hand and the country side at the other. After the walls we went shopping looking for shoes and cloth for the most of us. Not everybody was as successful in this attempt but we all had fun. After shopping Mike and I took the bus home and started to pack our stuff so we can be ready to move to Franklin House where we will be staying until Friday. We had salmon for dinner which was a perfect way to end a perfect visit at our host family.
Monday the 23th May
After a week in York it was now time to move from our host family to Franklin House at the university. Mike and I woke up early so we could pack the last back down in our briefcases. We were driven to the central car park were we had our belongings locked in a room so we could start a new week with lectures at the University of York. We started out with a very interesting lecture about football and finance and how it has developed from tiny wages, transfers and sponsorships to billions of pounds being spend yearly only in the Premier League. After this we started working on our final presentations which are going to be held at Wednesday. We got tools and tips on how to make a good presentation and after school I started on our own together with Hjalte. At 4 pm todays lectures ended and we moved in at the Franklin House, here we cooked our own dinner in a very special way by simply hot boiling pasta and add tomato sauce and meat balls. It turned our quite okay actually but it took ages.
Tuesday the 24th May
Today we went for a trip to the old sea port town Whitby. We made the one and a half hour trip by bus and had a guided tour by Tudor through Yorkshire. We went to see both the left and right side of the sea entrance to the town. We had lunch at a famous restaurant for fish dishes and we tried out their fish and chips. We went up the 199 famous steps to get to the Whitby Abbey which once was plundered by the Danish Vikings. Afterwards we went through the streets looking for some shops, but only found places selling sweets. We took the bus home and stopped by a famous train track where Harry Potter was filmed. Here a steam train would pass by at 4 pm. We took line on a bridge over the train tracks and experienced a dark cloud of smoke coming towards and surrounding us. When arriving at Franklin House Hjalte and I went straight in to my room preparing on our presentation for tomorrow.
Wednesday the 25th May
Today was the big presentation day and the atmosphere was tense. We went for breakfast followed by a short walk to the classroom which should be the room of today’s hardships. Here my group was third to present our results from the questionnaire and it went very well. After lunch we evaluated our stay at the University of York both from an educational, cultural and personal perspective. After school I went for a workout together with some of the other guys at the York Sports Village. We took the bus both ways because it rained. Hjalte and I prepared a short quiz on the internet for the reception tomorrow and the day was well ended with “hygge” with my classmates
Thursday the 26th May
After breakfast we walked together to the York Castle Museum where we should see some historical objects from the later British history. At the museum we used a couple of hours and afterwards I went into the city center to have a last look on York. We had lunch at McDonalds and finished the last of shopping before walking the way back home to Franklin House. Here I prepared the last for today’s entertainment together with Hjalte and just chilled in my room. At 5:30 pm we took off to Wentworth College where the reception was planned to be held. Here we helped Tudor with making the last details ready for the host families which should arrive at 6 pm. There was a buffet and plenty to drink and people enjoyed it. After finishing eating it was time for speeches and entertainment and it all ended in a goodbye to the host families and the university staff which we had meet over the last two weeks.
Friday the 27th May
Friday was moving day yet again. This time we took the one and a half hour trip to Manchester by bus from the University Center Park. We arrived at Stay In hostel in inner Manchester and dropped our back in a room going for food in this brand new undiscovered city. We ended up exploring the Arndale´s centers food-court at the very top and walked home to get handed our rooms. After a quick check-in we this time went shopping in the giant center. For dinner we went to a Thai Restaurant as a group, and ended the day walking around in the streets of Manchester to explore the city.
Saturday the 28th May
Saturday was the first full day in Manchester and it was certainty used for full. We started at the National Football Museum which was quite a sight and there was even free entrance. Here we spend almost two hours walking around through the British but also the world´s football history. Then we was giving an hour and a half to get some lunch and a quick bit of shopping before we walked to the southern part of Manchester to the Science and Industry Museum. Here we saw a historical timeline of the British industrial revolution from the 1800 hundreds to today. At 4 pm we were sat free once again and went shopping in the Arndale Center. We meet the others in front of the National Football Museum where we should walk to China Town where we had decided to go for a Chinese buffet. We found restaurant with space for 17 people and dig´ed in. Never have I eaten so much so quick cause we should be back home at the hostel ready for the Champions League Final which began at 19:45 local time. Hjalte and I arrived and turned on the television to only have missed the first 10 seconds of the game. It was quite a match going all the way to penalties where Real Madrid with Ronald scoring the final one won the famous tournament for the 11th time. Even though the game ended a whole hour before it would have done in Denmark we went straight to bed afterwards after a day full of experiences.
Sunday the 29th May
Today was the start of the way back, we woke up early to make our rooms and pack our stuffs. After breakfast we putted our luggage in a storage room and went out in the city for one last time. Here some shopped, some look at the architecture and some just chilled and relaxed. At 3 pm we took taxies to the airport where we had calculated with being there in good time. This meant that after security and check-in we had more than an hour before boarding the plane and the time was spend in each other’s company. At 18:35 local time the plane took off and I slept all the way home. We arrived in Kastrup Airport at 21:30 Danish time, found our luggage and had some midnight food at Burger King before my dad picked up me and some of the other and drove us all the way home. 2 weeks had passed in a speed none of us could understand and it was straight back to school and exams after a day off Monday.