Take me to the place I love ~ Lachend Wakker Worden

(post in English for convenience of Danish Goodwill Ambassadors)

Thursday the time had come for another meeting with the Danish Youth Goodwill Ambassador (YGWA) network. The topic this time: urban development.

"Aalborg is no longer an industrial city, but a knowledge and experience city, with
the ongoing regeneration of the central harbourfront being a very tangible symbol
of this process. Whereas previously the transport of goods set the agenda, today
focus is concentrated on creating attractive urban spaces and locations in which
the opportunities for experiences, development and spending time in the area are
paramount.Aalborg Harbourfront has become an extension of the city centre, as yet another
layer is added to supplement the existing dense medieval city. The projects at the
waterfront have created important new connections and new lines of movement in
the city".

I think it is safe to say that for the Aarhus ambassadors one of the attractive parts about this event was the fact that it was taking place in Aalborg. While many people claimed there is nothing much to be seen in this city, it still felt like a place we should have visited once during our stay in the country. After all, it is still the fourth biggest Danish city (after Copenhagen, our Aarhus and Odense). The YGWA meeting seemed to be a very convenient 'excuse' to make the travel: when better to go than when you have to be there anyway and your train ticket is being paid for?

I have to admit that my expectations were not the highest, but still everything turned out to be surprisingly nice. While all of us were expecting a talk, a presentation and some sandwiches in a room, we were actually guided around the waterside by an Aalborg architect. We learned about the transformation from industry into an attractive harbor, having fascinating buildings (the Jørn Utzon center - a building designed by and devoted to the architect of the Sydney Opera House), nicely designed pathways, restaurants, basketball fields and even children's playgrounds.

After ninety minutes of walk and talk, we concluded the tour with a meal in the Nordkraft building (a place of sports and culture). Not just a lovely sandwich, but a real Italian restaurant. A nice glass of wine, delicious tapas, and I can say that I really enjoyed my risotto. Even a Danish Ambassador is still merely a student, and while we are expected to promote the country, there is no denying that it is a very expensive one. The delicious free food certainly made us all very happy.

Afterwards the other four Aarhus ambassadors took the train back home. I stayed the night in Aalborg: a Romanian girl Catalina had offered me a place to sleep and a city tour the next day. I had met her on the previous YGWA events in Copenhagen and Aarhus.

Compared to what I'm used to in Belgium or to the student residences in Aarhus, her place was nothing less than amazing. People of certain age would describe it as the ideal place for a relaxing holiday, an international student would presumably see the opportunities for the most crazy parties in this beautiful old farm house, complete with a pond! Maybe the Aalborg ambassadors are picked for it, or maybe I was just lucky - either way Catalina turned out to be a very nice and interesting person.

So nice in fact that most of my friday was spent sleeping rather than playing the tourist - but only after a morning walk through the city that I won't soon forget. To our defense, the Danish weather gods decided to make it a rainy day anyway. The train drive back was typically Danish in so many ways: the sun breaking through the clouds, the green and hilly landscape. The wind mills seemed to be present in the landscape, as if planted there solely to complete the Danish image.

Michael, Agnieszka, Mihail and Vitaly from Aarhus, Catalina and everyone else from Aalborg, the YGWA organisation: thank you for organising for me and accompanying me on the discovery of a little more of Denmark. Tak for turen!