Italy
Viva Italia!!!! Greetings friends! I apologize for my long absence off of blogspot, it’s been a whirlwind since arriving to Italy and really hasn’t stopped. So thank you for your patience and I now present my recap of my time in Naples, Rome and Capri, Italy.
We arrived in Italy last Tuesday, July 22nd. The views coming into Naples were pretty spectacular, as we were able to see the islands of Capri, Sorrento and Mount Vesuvius. Very impressive indeed. Now before I get really started on the blog, let me fill you in a little bit on our friends, the Italians.
Italians really and truly have a zest for living the good life. Even though the economy is not doing so hot right now, Italians take pleasure in simple things such as family, friends, and good food and wine (sign me up!). Most Italian families are small these days, usually only one child per family and because of the expenses of living on your own, it’s not uncommon for many Italians to live with their parents through their late 30s. While wine, espresso and cappuccino are savored here, I was introduced to a delightful liquor called limoncello, which is a lemon-infused alcohol that is just delicious. Be careful to only drink one or two or you’ll end up forgetting most of the evening. A few days before arriving in Naples, we were told to beware that a garbage strike had seized the city and talks had broken down between unionized workers and the city. Luckily, two days before we arrived, the situation was resolved! Hooray!
With no real plans in mind on the first day, my ever-reliable traveling buddy, Megan (MJ) and I decided that with the gorgeous weather, it was a day to enjoy at the beach. Following the advice of our boss, Sally, we packed a towel and our sunglasses, grabbed our friend John, and headed off the ship to find the hydrofoil to the island of Capri. As luck would have it, the hydrofoil dock was literally a 100 yard walk from the ship. We purchased our tickets and hopped on the 10:35 boat to Capri. The trip was magnificent, spectacular views all the way there. We again saw Mt. Vesuvius and Sorrento…we even had an Italian woman helping us with our Italian. It was nothing but clear blue skies, sunshine, and the Tyrrhenian Sea. When we started to make our arrival to the island, I was just awestruck. I had never seen anything like it. Capri is built into a mountain, basically, and is surrounded by palm trees, pastel-hued buildings and fruit stands every few feet. There is not a bad view on the island, anywhere. After doing some investigating, we took the furnicular (remember that from Norway?) up to the top of the island, and were met with spectacular views of the Mediterranean…..truly paradise!!
We walked around the island for a bit, soaking in the weather, the people and all of the cute stores that dotted sun-drenched streets. Stores selling limoncello to hand-made Italian sandals (the shoes were to-die-for) to Prada and every huge name in fashion all lined the streets.
We walked around for a little bit and decided it was time to get some authentic Italian pizza. It is believed that pizza was founded in Naples, as well as the invention of the margharita pizza, made with mozzarella, tomato and basil. The pizza is named after Queen Margharita, who visited Naples and loved the pizza so much, the inventor named it after her. The pizza also represents the three colors on the Italian flag.
John, MJ and I decided on a hidden pizzeria, recommended by some locals, tucked away on the edge of a cliff. Even the restaurant was incredible. The restaurant sits on a cliff and has no windows, so it was just unobstructed views of the Tyrrhenian Sea spread out before us. After savoring our pizza and a bottle of wine, it was time to hit the beach. To get to the beaches, we had to go down again, but we were told that there were man-made pathways winding down the hills that would lead to the beach. Well, you wouldn’t think it would be so hard, right? Yeah, well, wrong. Several of the paths that we took were dead ends, so we would hike back up and start all over again. Finally we saw a cute little coffee bar tucked away inside a hill and stopped for directions and a shot of espresso. Once we got directions, we were on our way. A half an hour later, we ended up at a private beach, Faraglioni, on the most western point on the island. The beaches on Capri are very rocky, but so incredible. We ordered some drinks from the beach bar and it was time to soak up the sun. The beach was located in a cove and was just incredible. There was an isolated spot to jump into the water and during our time, we saw several boats pull up about 200 yards from the beach, drop anchor and swim up to the land. MJ, John and I had a blast and all the while swimming in the Tyrrhenian, I kept thinking to myself, “who am I? and how the hell did I get to be here?” I can’t really describe how wonderful it was….all I needed was Brian and it would have been a perfect afternoon. I asked him to look up some prices to go to Capri for our honeymoon, but it’s a bit steep. We will definitely get there someday, though.
When it reached 5 PM, we realized that we needed to start heading back, as we were on the complete opposite side of the island from where the hydrofoil was. And the last one left at 7:10 PM. We were able to get a boat that took us from the beach, around the island to the north side. I took some great shots, there were yachts just hanging out in the water and these HUGE lava rocks that rise out of the sea. Once we got off the boat, we took a bus across the island, then the furnicular back down to the port. We got there in just enough time to enjoy a gorgeous ride back to Naples and were able to see the sunset sinking just behind the city.
If that wasn’t enough stimulation, I had my 2-day trip to Rome the following morning. The trip left at 9:30 AM, when we boarded our bus at the pier and headed to Rome. Rome is about a 3 hour drive from Naples, 4 hours if traffic is congested. Our tour guide, Poala, was awesome! The landscape from Naples to Rome is pretty countryside and I was able to have some delightful chats with students on the way there. When we arrived at the outskirts of Rome, we stopped at a wonderful restaurant for lunch. Now with 90 of us, it was a big group, but we were accommodated so well and treated to a three course lunch which included pasta, heaps of bread, baked chicken with peas and fingerling potatoes, and tiramisu for dessert. Everything was absolutely delicious and while I have never been a huge tiramisu fan, to get the real deal and not something frozen was just great. After our huge meal and our bellies full, we headed into the heart of Rome, which took about 20 minutes. I was so excited to see everything, as you see Rome in movies or read about it in books, but to be there, really there, for me was just humbling and exciting simultaneously.
Our first stop was Palatine Hill, which are the ruins from the palaces of ancient Roman rulers and is the centermost of the Seven Hills of Rome and one of the most ancient parts of the city. It is believed that there were people living on the hill since 1000 BC, and is the site of where Romulus and Remus (the founders of Rome) were found and cared for by the she-wolf. We did not get out of the bus to visit it more extensively, but I was able to capture some great pictures.
Rome is a very interesting city in that it celebrates its ancient roots while embracing more modern architecture. To see some of the more classical European architecture juxtaposed against the Colosseum or the Pantheon in the heart of the city is pretty wild. Our next stop was the Colosseum and let me tell you, it’s worth the hype, it’s worth the incredulity, it’s something to behold. Just the shear size of it and to recognize that it was built in 72 AD, almost 2000 years old, is awe-inspiring. When I first saw it from the bus, I was really speechless, and then to see it up close and to actually go inside it, where gladiators fought for their lives for 500 years; where they would flood the Colosseum for shows involving ship battles, and to think that Emporers and Senators and the people of ancient Rome all gathered in this one spot for entertainment just makes you feel like you are a part of history, that you walked where they walked, and that the remnants of such a highly sophisticated and world-dominant empire still exist today. Fascinating! The Colosseum itself is largely made of limestone.
After the Colosseum, we headed to our hotel, which was centrally located near Piazza Novanna. We all headed out to dinner shortly thereafter, at an adorable Italian restaurant. Tucked away on the left bank of the Tiber River, the place filled everyone’s romanticized version of Italy—the outdoor tables with red and white checkered tablecloths, gas-lit lanterns, the restaurant itself covered in ivy vines. A 5-piece band playing guitars, harmonicas, and accordians, serenading us with Italian love songs and operettas under a clear black sky. It was pretty much one of the most romantic places I have ever been….by myself (another Miss Brian Moment). Dinner was delicious…more bread, more pasta (cannelloni stuffed with meat and another stuffed with mushrooms), housemade red wine and some gelato for dessert. I would say that Italians lay supremacy in the realm of ice cream. It’s amazing….eat your heart out, Coldstone and Dairy Queen. I dare say it’s even better than Culver’s frozen custard.
After dinner, we boarded the bus again and headed to Trevi Fountain, Rome’s largest and most famous fountain, built in 1629. While on the bus, Poala informed us of the legend of Trevi Fountain. If you want to make a wish, face away from the fountain, put the coins in your right hand and throw them over your left shoulder and make a wish. If you throw one coin, it means that you will one day return to Rome. If you throw two coins, you will fall in love with an Italian. If you throw three coins you want a divorce. Clearly, the obvious choice for me was 1 coin, and I did make a wish to return to Rome one day….with my little love bug J I heard that over 3000 Euros are thrown into the fountain each day….which would be about $5,000 USD. There is great picture on Facebook of me throwing the coin—check it out. Trevi itself is a sight to behold. It’s very unassuming because you are walking along these cobblestone streets with cute little shops and gelato stands every two feet, and then all of a sudden, the street widens to a piazza, and there it is. It is absolutely gorgeous at night, as the fountain is lit up. Neptune is the formidable figure in the fountain and it’s just plain cool. There were a few hundred tourists milling about, kissing in front of the fountain, elderly couples sitting on benches near the fountain, families with kids eating gelato enjoying a Roman night. Bellisima!!!!
After our walk to Trevi, we walked to the Pantheon, which is the oldest intact structure from Ancient Rome and the best preserved building in the world for its time. The Pantheon was originally built as a temple to all of the Gods in Ancient Rome. We were unable to go inside of it, but the walk by it was lovely.
After making our way to another piazza, we had some free time to shop at the outdoor vendors selling paintings, drawing, caricatures and just souvenier junk. I found myself a gelato stand and enjoyed a delicious pistachio treat. Yum!
Exhausted, we boarded the bus back to the hotel to get ready for our big day at the Vatican.
For me, and I know for Brian, one of the most exciting highlights of the entire voyage was going to the Vatican. I think it goes beyond the fact that it is the spiritual epicenter of the Roman Catholic Church, but that it’s place in world history has been so tragic and so celebrated. My time there was one that I am still reflecting and processing. For me, it was a soul stirring experience and you feel God’s presence with you. Mark the Vatican is my 8th country visited on this trip. Some of you asked if there is an actual border or if we needed to show our passports to enter the Vatican and the answer to that question is no. I didn’t realize we were at the Vatican until the bus stopped because the entryway for groups is very non-descript. There is a simple sign marked “Vaticani” that indicates where we are. After entering the museum, we were quickly ushered to the palatial outdoor courtyards, where our guide Monica walked us through the different rooms of the museum and Michaelangelo’s timeless, genius work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. We only had a taste of what the Vatican Museums had to offer as we were on a pretty tight schedule and the place was absolutely bursting with tourists and school groups. We made our way through the candelabara room, where we saw priceless marble statues, and some Egyptian artwork, marble sarcophoguses and beautifully painted ceilings emblazoned with the Pope’s different crests and seals (ironically, no candelabras were found). The next great hall that we visited was the Tapestry Room, which was just spectacular. These huge tapestries hung from the ceilings, the artwork, the stitchery, absolutely priceless and beautiful. As we walked through the tapestry room, I was able to get a shot of the Vatican radio station through an open window. Pretty sweet. The next hall that we went through was the Map Room, which were beautiful maps drawn and painted from ancient times.
Up next was the Sistine Chapel. I could feel my heart beating faster as we entered the chapel. Folks, it’s a religious experience in and of itself to be in there. When I looked up at the ceiling and saw it, I wept. It was so powerful and moving, and just indescribable. The work is just a feat of genius and gorgeous expression. Painted between 1508 and 1512, the ceiling depicts the book of Genesis, with the Creation of Adam being the best known scene. In it, God is giving life to Adam, with God being held up by Angels and Adam lying in the grass with his arm outstretched. It is just stunning to see in person. The nine scenes the creation, rise and fall of man. Just unbelieveable. Religious or not, Catholic or not, please check out the Sistine Chapel photos online if you can. The creation of Adam and the picture of the Libyan Sibyl were my absolute favorites. On the sides of the these paintings, above the windows of the chapel are lunettes, which depict the ancestors of Christ with their names. And if this wasn’t a feast for the senses, Michaelangelo also painted “The Last Judgment” on the far wall of the chapel, which for me, would take a few hours to be able to see the landscape of it all. In the middle of the wall is Jesus standing with Mary, one of his hands pointing towards the sky, indicating those who had been saved, and one of his hands pointing down, indicating those who were going to hell. Just the artistry and the humanity brought to these images was enough to take your breath away.
The crowds in the chapel started to get a little congested, and Monica ushered us out and onto St. Peter’s Basillica we went. St. Peter’s, while not the largest basilica in the world, is probably the most famous. Some highlights from St. Peter’s (aside from just being there), were Pietra, the marble statue by Michaelangelo of Mary holding a dying Jesus, the Statue of David, and the Statue of St. Peter. St. Peter’s feet have virtually been rubbed off by the thousands even millions of visitors who have walked through the doors and rubbed or kissed his feet. I opted to rub St. Peter’s feet, said a couple of prayers, and toured the rest of the basilica. Again, time quickly slipped away, but not before I went outside the basilica and was able to overlook the square, which is just so impressive. The square was designed by Bernini, one of the most famous Italian architects and artists of his time. I also stood under the balcony where the Pope stands when he is first selected by the College of Cardinals and where he gives Mass every Easter Sunday. Pretty neat. The Pope was in Australia at the time of our visit, but we did get to see the Swiss Guards, the Pope’s personal body guards, who are 100 strong, all Swiss and basically some of the best trained killers in the world. They were decked out in their splendidly hued regalia dating back to the 1500s, when Michaelangelo designed the original uniforms.
After St. Peter’s, we were able to enjoy some free time on our own to explore. I was able to stop at a bookstore in Vatican City and buy some postcards, which I mailed off to Brian and his parents. I also bought some rosaries while there and if you can imagine, I ran around Vatican City looking for a priest to bless them, which two of them did (I was so nervous I was only able to get two out of their boxes so I had to get the third one done separately). Afterwards, I bought a book on the art inside the Vatican and just basked in the sun in St. Peter’s Square. It was a glorious afternoon, and one that I will never forget. The place was absolutely amazing and really spiritually moving to feel that God is close to you. Fascinating…..
We returned to Naples immediately after the Vatican. There, I met up with Marco, Zuri, Megan and Aaron and we proceeded to go to a late dinner. We stopped at a hole-in-the –wall restaurant along the coast and had an amazing feast! Bread, shrimp, prawns, octopus, pizza, you name it. We also had peach wine and complimentary limoncello and meloncello, which was refreshing and delicious. The waiter kept bringing out more liquor to try, which was hilarious. I think MJ took a photo of Zuri surrounded by bottles. It was an excellent meal that lasted well into the night with good friends.
Our last day in Naples was spent eating pizza, shopping, eating gelato and souvenier shopping. We headed back to the ship at 5 PM and waived goodbye to Naples.
In the wake of the bombings in Istabul that took place Sunday night, the ship diverted last night and we are on our way to Alexandria, Egypt! The field office was able to get trips organized there, so at this time tomorrow, I will be riding a camel to the pyramids in Giza! Can you believe it? How cool is that? While I will miss Istanbul, I am getting really excited to see one of the last man-made wonders of the world. Egypt is somewhere I never thought I would go in my life, so Africa, here we come. Our trip here is short, as we were at sea today, so we will arrive tomorrow and leave on Friday; arrive in Greece on Sunday.
Love to everyone!!!!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Belgium: Land of Waffles, Beer and Chocolate
Greetings Everyone! We have officially set sail for Naples, Italy and I could not be more excited. The trip to Belgium was absolutely fantastic, surely my second favorite port of the trip! Belgium was great; so much to see and do and I would love to come back.
Here’s some info on Belgium for all of you, because frankly, I am a nerd. Belgium is one of the smallest countries in Europe, both geographically and population-wise. They have had a checkered history of hostile takeovers and invasions throughout the centuries, but have a stabilized government and a monarchy still firmly in place. Brussels, Belgium is not only the capital of the country, but also the capital of the European Union. Antwerp, where we docked, is the second largest city, with a population of 500,000. There is some political upheaval right now in Belgium, as the country is facing some issues of identity. In the southern Waloon region of Belgium, the majority of people embrace an overwhelming number of aspects of French culture, including the language, while northern Belgium has embraced more of the lowlands (Luxemborg, Netherlands), and the official language is Dutch. In addition to their first language, Belgians also speak excellent English, so the country was very easy to navigate.
More information about Belgium, and some of my favorite things: while I am not a huge beer fan, the Belgians are! Over 10,000 different brands of beer are produced in Belgium and the country is touted as crafting the world’s best beer. After this trip, I must agree. Belgian beer is so good and so popular, the Belgian beer conglomerate, InBev, is in talks to purchase Anhieser-Busch, for an estimated $60 billion dollars. Belgians also claim to have invented the frites (which we call French fries), but since they are the originators, it’s simply “frites.” Waffles! Oh my goodness, the waffles are absolutely incredible! Hundreds of combinations, flavors, toppings and waffle stands are as prevalent in Belgium as Starbucks is in the States. YUMMMMYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And don’t even get me started on the chocolate….if you know me, you know I love, adore, savor, worship, cherish anything deliciously chocolate or smothered in chocolate. I have developed even more of an obsession with it while being here, and I don’t think that I can ever go back to regular chocolate after savoring this experience. Belgium is also the world leader in chocolate production and exportation, with Godiva being one of the best known companies. Also, mussels are to die for! There is a saying, “the best mussels are found in Brussels.” I would confirm that statement, as you will read below.
Okay, so enough of the background, I will start a little bit before we arrived in port last Monday. Last Saturday, the captain announced that we would be re-routed and taking the Kiel Canal to Antwerp, instead of going back out to the North Sea. The Kiel Canal, which is German owned and operated, was created in the late 1800s by the Germans as a way to develop a more sophisticated (and quicker) way to export and import goods and services to the country. It is now the busiest canal in the world, as ships from Asia and all over Europe and north Africa utilize it. The trip was incredible! We left Copenhagen a few hours later than originally planned and by 8 AM on Sunday morning, our ship lined up behind a host of others to go one-by-one through the VERY narrow canal. On either side of the ship, 100 feet away from you, were sea walls and homes, churches, schools, outdoor cafes and shops, people riding the streets along the canal on their bicycles, just going about daily life, like it wasn’t a big deal that a massive cruise ship with curious passengers were staring at them in fascination. I took a couple of pictures of the German pilot boat that guided us through parts of the canal and also took some pictures of German signs. So add that to the list of countries that I was in this summer. It was really something neat to see. After about 10 hours of riding through the canal, the waters opened up again and we were at sea, but not for long. We saved so much time going through the canal, that we arrived at midnight on Monday, instead of 8 AM. We docked at port Amerikana, about a 2 minute walk into downtown Antwerp, in the heart of the city. The city was lit up and Antwerpians were there to greet us at the dock. It was pretty neat to see.
Monday proved to be a fabulous day and we were ready to explore Antwerp! The weather was amazing, warm and sunny, which according to locals, does not happen very often in the summer. Megan, Aaron and I got off the ship and went out to the city, looking to convert our money to Euros (the USD is not so great; its 1.67 USD to 1 Euro), oy!!! After our Euros, we found an outdoor café and sat down to have some coffee and our first authentic Belgian waffle experience. OMG…..amazing!!! I am still having issues with blogspot in posting pictures, but I took some pictures of my waffle; just a simple rectangular waffle with powdered sugar and fresh whipped cream. Ugh, it was so incredible!!! So delicious, such sweet, sugary goodness!!! It’s to do for. I officially declare that I will never eat frozen waffles again!!! Scrumptious! It was gone in about 5 bites, but it was so delicious. We didn’t have much time for exploring, as we headed back to the port to catch the city tour of Brussels.
Brussels is about 35 miles away from Antwerp by bus and just a gorgeous, old-world European city. On our way, we saw beer factory after beer factory and some remnants of Jewish concentration camps from World War II that the Belgian government uses as a site of historical significance that each student visits while they are in k-12 education. It was interesting to drive by and see that something like that still remains today as it did almost 70 years ago. Belgium was seized in World War II by the Nazis, and liberated in the north by the Russians, and in the south by the US and Britain.
Brussels is a wonderful, bustling city full of life and energy. Often, Antwerp is considered Belgium’s fashion and culture capital, whereas Brussels is the capital of business and government. We drove past the headquarters of the EU, which is impressive, also comes with an impressive price tag: it cost over $1.6 billion to construct. We also drove by a few embassies, including the US one. Interesting to note that the US embassy was packed with police officers, barricades and security guards outside of it. None of the other embassies even had a guard outside. I took a picture of the US embassy from the bus, and a security guard accosted me and told me to put my camera down. Interesting……
We arrived in the center of Brussels, a district known as the Market Square, which was fabulous, an eclectic mix of stores, restaurants, outdoor markets, chocolatiers and souvenier stores. The Market Square is adorned with old-world gothic buildings, and cute window boxes filled with flowers. The streets are crafted in cobblestone and the side streets are adorned with outdoor beer gardens, cafes and African restaurants. There is a lot of African restaurants in the area due to a large African population migrating into the Netherlands and northern Europe area.
We wondered the streets, just exploring the energy and the life there. It wasn’t totally packed with tourists, which was a delight for us. Our first stop was to see the “Peeing Boy Statue.” Classy name, I know. I am not sure what the historical significance of this statue is, but honestly, it’s a national symbol—it’s everywhere. The peeing boy statue is pretty small (literally and figuratively) and has over 800 costumes. We were lucky enough to see him in his Musketeer regalia. Fancy.
After the Peeing Boy status, MJ (Megan) ran into one of our Life Long Learners on the trip, Ruth. Ruth is one of the sweetest people I have ever met and is feisty and energetic. Ruth was saying that she felt silly being in Belgian and had never had a beer in her life. MJ invited Ruth to have a beer with us at an outdoor beer garden and she was delighted. I have some pictures of Ruth commemorating this historic milestone in her life. She was so appreciative and thankful and just so sweet about it. It was fun to be a part of that experience for her.
We decided to stop at a beer garden that also offered up mussels. The group at this point was 8, and we decided to order a bucket of mussels and Belgian beer. Each of us ordered a different brand of beer, which was cool to try. Another interesting aspect of Belgian beer conassiuership is that each different beer has its own beer glass of different shapes and sizes. Very delightful! I brought a couple of beer glasses back for Brian and Doug. I tried a “blonde” wheat beer called Lambric, which was very tasty. Other ordered Kriek (pronounced like CREEK) cherry beer, malted beer and a raspberry beer aptly named Framboise, which was all delicious. The mussels were even better. Tasty and buttery and melt-in-your-mouth, the mussels were just succulent and delicious. Needless to say that the bucket was emptied within a matter of minutes J
We strolled through the city, exploring chocolate shops and making stops for souveniers, the day quickly turned into evening and then into night. As we were walking around the city, we came across an Ethiopian restaurant that sounded pretty tasty. As I had never had Ethiopian food, I was up to the task. But before we went there, we had our dessert before dinner and ended up at a waffle stand. My second waffle of the day was shortly thereafter consumed, this time it was a plain waffle with powdered sugar and smothered in Nutella, which is a fantastic chocolate and hazelnut spread. OMG, folks, this confirms that there is a heaven, as I have been there and back. My new religion is waffle and I get down on my knees and pray for a time when I will have another Belgian waffle. So delicious……so incredible…….
Okay, so we ended up eating at the Ethiopian restaurant, Kibob, and it was fabulous! Ethiopian food is always served with dahl bread, which has a spongey, moist consistency. Food is served family-style on the dahl bread, and additional bread is brought to the table. The bread also serves as your cutlery, so you are scooping up the food with the bread to eat. It was delicious. After all of the food is eaten off the bread, you eat the bread that the food was served on. We ordered lamb, spicy beef, a turnip and white cabbage salad, cucumber and yogurt salad, and some spiced carrots. Delicious!!! So yummy and it continued our trend of eating random ethnic food in a foreign country. MJ and I are guessing that we will at some point eat Mexican in Italy (just kidding)!
After dinner, we walked around the city, now dark and just soaked it in. We took some pictures and then headed to the train station for our jaunt back to Antwerp. Loaded up with souveniers, I chalked up Day 1 to a wonderful day and I was so surprised by this port—such a hidden gemstone.
Day 2 was the Tour of Flanders bike trip! And I was excited! Ready to get my heart pumping and my legs churning, the trip left from Antwerp at 7 AM. Each year, the Tour of Flanders championship brings world class cyclists throughout the world and is the second most popular biking tour in Europe after the Tour de France. Belgians love cycling and it is one of their favorite pastimes. We bused about an hour and a half away to the small city of (well, I can’t remember the name off the top of my head, but it started with an O). From there, we met up with the outdoor adventure company and picked up our bikes. And off we went. I was in the “slow” group and good thing that I was! It was a lot of uphill biking, but the views of the Belgian countryside were otherworldly. Absolutely beautiful and serene. We rode by old stone-and-brick houses, rolling green pastures where cows where tending to their cream-colored calves; we rode by acres and acres of wheat fields, sheafs of wheat blowing in the wind. Red poppy flowers popped out of the grass and was twisted around old fence posts. It was wonderful to have such a calm, peaceful feeling and to see a part of the country that I otherwise would not have been able to see. It was phenomenal. Horses were out in pastures and it was rolling hills for miles. One of the best parts of the cycling experience was going downhill, whizzing through towns on cobblestone streets. It was such a rush and so much fun!
After some heart palipitations, our 25-mile cycling trip was complete by noon. After showering, the bus took us into down for a delicious three course meal, including filet mignon and homemade vanilla ice cream. Delicious! I conked out on the bus ride back to Antwerp. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized I was in desperate need of some sleep, and while I was to meet up with Marco, Laarni, David and crew in Amsterdam, I decided to go in with MJ the following morning.
Sleep was just what the doctor ordered! On Wednesday, MJ and I walked to the Antwerp train station and headed for Amsterdam. While it was cold and rainy in Antwerp, I was keeping my fingers crossed for good weather in Amsterdam. One of my favorite moments of the morning was grabbing a muffin and coffee in the train station, listening to some Lionel Richie. Amazing. We arrived in Amsterdam at 11 AM, and were immediately on the hunt for some lunch. On the train with us to Amsterdam was our friend Jill, who is one of the TAs, and her friend John, who flew over from London to spend some time with Jill while in port in Antwerp.
Amsterdam is such a lovely city. Tons of bridges, canals and bikes everywhere. Much like Copenhagen, the Dutch are also very into biking and is the main mode of transportation in the city. The weather was fantastic and gorgeous!
After lunch, we realized that time was escaping from us as the last train back to Antwerp left at 9 PM that night. So we headed to the Van Gogh museum, which was absolutely incredible. Impressionist art at its finest! Most of Van Gogh’s famous works were there, most notably missing was the residence hall room favorite, “Starry Night.” Not sure where that one is currently, but will look up soon. I have five days until we get to Naples. The work was just amazing; the museum opened in 1970s and average 1 million visitors a year. Pretty incredible; I am so thankful for the opportunity to go because while you see his prints everywhere, to see the real paintings and the stories behind them were really cool. For instance, one of his most famous works, “Almond Blossoms,” was a painting that he made for his brother Theo, to commemorate the pending birth of Theo’s son, which he and his wife named Vincent. The almond blossoms signify the coming of spring and new life. The other incredible thing about Van Gogh is that he didn’t start painting until he was 26; and committed suicide at the age of 37.
After leaving Van Gogh, we headed for the Rijke Museum, where we saw a lot of works by Rembrandt and Johnas Vermeer (famously known for “Girl With the Pearl Earring”). After the museum tour, MJ and I toured the flower market area, and headed to the Heineken Factory for a brewery tour. Unfortunately, the brewery is closed for renovations until Sepetmber L MJ and I took a time out for a caffeine/coffee break at an outdoor café and just did some people watching for a bit. Then it was time to head to the world-infamous Red Light District. Now I am sure that going to the Red Light District in the cloak of night is different than visiting at 7:30 at night, but I don’t see what the hoopla is all about it. It was dirty and yes, the first couple of times I looked into a window and saw a prostitute in a neon-colored bikini, I was a bit disturbed, but it was still light out and not so taboo; there also weren’t a lot of clients on the lookout for some hot sex. It was rows and rows of theaters (where for 2 Euro you can see a live sex show), porn shops, DVD shops and coffeeshops. MJ and I also learned that there is a huge difference between coffeeshops and cafes. Coffeeshops are where you go to smoke down and cafes are classy coffee-drinking establishments.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Amsterdam, but I will be honest in saying I could take it or leave it to visit again. MJ and I got on the late train and headed back to Antwerp. Shortly thereafter, we met up with Zuri, who was meeting two of his friends from his time living in Antwerp and we all went out for a beer.
Yesterday was my day to devote entirely to chocolate shopping for loved ones. I had to test out several chocolatiers so I could make a well-informed decision about my selections. We visited a few chocolatiers, with my favorite being Burie, where I made several purchases including loose chocolates for myself, which I plan on eating throughout the rest of the voyage, and some chocolate bars for family and friends. We also visited another chocolate shop, where I picked up more bars, which look fantastic. It’s true that you have never had Belgian chocolate until you have had Belgian chocolate….oh, god, Belgium is just a food paradise. Belgian chocolate is made from over 60% cocoa butter, and made with real butter, as opposed to margarine. It was just melt in your mouth smooth, and just had this amazing texture that is creamy and rich…and of course, delicious! Chocolates in hand, I made one last stop for some cheery beer, and then it was time to get back on the ship.
We departed Antwerp last night around 9 PM and are on our way to Naples. Please keep your grandma and my mom in your prayers…mom is recovering from a hysterectomy that she had on Monday and is doing well; she came home yesterday and I had the opportunity to talk to her last night on the phone. It’s hard to be so far away from home when loved ones need love and care, and I really miss everyone! Thanks for all of the mail, the cards, letters, even just the facebook comments and the blog comments. I really appreciate knowing there are so many people out there keeping tabs on me J
Also, we are still scheduled to go to Istanbul at this time. I’ll update you if anything changes. Thanks!!
Here’s some info on Belgium for all of you, because frankly, I am a nerd. Belgium is one of the smallest countries in Europe, both geographically and population-wise. They have had a checkered history of hostile takeovers and invasions throughout the centuries, but have a stabilized government and a monarchy still firmly in place. Brussels, Belgium is not only the capital of the country, but also the capital of the European Union. Antwerp, where we docked, is the second largest city, with a population of 500,000. There is some political upheaval right now in Belgium, as the country is facing some issues of identity. In the southern Waloon region of Belgium, the majority of people embrace an overwhelming number of aspects of French culture, including the language, while northern Belgium has embraced more of the lowlands (Luxemborg, Netherlands), and the official language is Dutch. In addition to their first language, Belgians also speak excellent English, so the country was very easy to navigate.
More information about Belgium, and some of my favorite things: while I am not a huge beer fan, the Belgians are! Over 10,000 different brands of beer are produced in Belgium and the country is touted as crafting the world’s best beer. After this trip, I must agree. Belgian beer is so good and so popular, the Belgian beer conglomerate, InBev, is in talks to purchase Anhieser-Busch, for an estimated $60 billion dollars. Belgians also claim to have invented the frites (which we call French fries), but since they are the originators, it’s simply “frites.” Waffles! Oh my goodness, the waffles are absolutely incredible! Hundreds of combinations, flavors, toppings and waffle stands are as prevalent in Belgium as Starbucks is in the States. YUMMMMYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And don’t even get me started on the chocolate….if you know me, you know I love, adore, savor, worship, cherish anything deliciously chocolate or smothered in chocolate. I have developed even more of an obsession with it while being here, and I don’t think that I can ever go back to regular chocolate after savoring this experience. Belgium is also the world leader in chocolate production and exportation, with Godiva being one of the best known companies. Also, mussels are to die for! There is a saying, “the best mussels are found in Brussels.” I would confirm that statement, as you will read below.
Okay, so enough of the background, I will start a little bit before we arrived in port last Monday. Last Saturday, the captain announced that we would be re-routed and taking the Kiel Canal to Antwerp, instead of going back out to the North Sea. The Kiel Canal, which is German owned and operated, was created in the late 1800s by the Germans as a way to develop a more sophisticated (and quicker) way to export and import goods and services to the country. It is now the busiest canal in the world, as ships from Asia and all over Europe and north Africa utilize it. The trip was incredible! We left Copenhagen a few hours later than originally planned and by 8 AM on Sunday morning, our ship lined up behind a host of others to go one-by-one through the VERY narrow canal. On either side of the ship, 100 feet away from you, were sea walls and homes, churches, schools, outdoor cafes and shops, people riding the streets along the canal on their bicycles, just going about daily life, like it wasn’t a big deal that a massive cruise ship with curious passengers were staring at them in fascination. I took a couple of pictures of the German pilot boat that guided us through parts of the canal and also took some pictures of German signs. So add that to the list of countries that I was in this summer. It was really something neat to see. After about 10 hours of riding through the canal, the waters opened up again and we were at sea, but not for long. We saved so much time going through the canal, that we arrived at midnight on Monday, instead of 8 AM. We docked at port Amerikana, about a 2 minute walk into downtown Antwerp, in the heart of the city. The city was lit up and Antwerpians were there to greet us at the dock. It was pretty neat to see.
Monday proved to be a fabulous day and we were ready to explore Antwerp! The weather was amazing, warm and sunny, which according to locals, does not happen very often in the summer. Megan, Aaron and I got off the ship and went out to the city, looking to convert our money to Euros (the USD is not so great; its 1.67 USD to 1 Euro), oy!!! After our Euros, we found an outdoor café and sat down to have some coffee and our first authentic Belgian waffle experience. OMG…..amazing!!! I am still having issues with blogspot in posting pictures, but I took some pictures of my waffle; just a simple rectangular waffle with powdered sugar and fresh whipped cream. Ugh, it was so incredible!!! So delicious, such sweet, sugary goodness!!! It’s to do for. I officially declare that I will never eat frozen waffles again!!! Scrumptious! It was gone in about 5 bites, but it was so delicious. We didn’t have much time for exploring, as we headed back to the port to catch the city tour of Brussels.
Brussels is about 35 miles away from Antwerp by bus and just a gorgeous, old-world European city. On our way, we saw beer factory after beer factory and some remnants of Jewish concentration camps from World War II that the Belgian government uses as a site of historical significance that each student visits while they are in k-12 education. It was interesting to drive by and see that something like that still remains today as it did almost 70 years ago. Belgium was seized in World War II by the Nazis, and liberated in the north by the Russians, and in the south by the US and Britain.
Brussels is a wonderful, bustling city full of life and energy. Often, Antwerp is considered Belgium’s fashion and culture capital, whereas Brussels is the capital of business and government. We drove past the headquarters of the EU, which is impressive, also comes with an impressive price tag: it cost over $1.6 billion to construct. We also drove by a few embassies, including the US one. Interesting to note that the US embassy was packed with police officers, barricades and security guards outside of it. None of the other embassies even had a guard outside. I took a picture of the US embassy from the bus, and a security guard accosted me and told me to put my camera down. Interesting……
We arrived in the center of Brussels, a district known as the Market Square, which was fabulous, an eclectic mix of stores, restaurants, outdoor markets, chocolatiers and souvenier stores. The Market Square is adorned with old-world gothic buildings, and cute window boxes filled with flowers. The streets are crafted in cobblestone and the side streets are adorned with outdoor beer gardens, cafes and African restaurants. There is a lot of African restaurants in the area due to a large African population migrating into the Netherlands and northern Europe area.
We wondered the streets, just exploring the energy and the life there. It wasn’t totally packed with tourists, which was a delight for us. Our first stop was to see the “Peeing Boy Statue.” Classy name, I know. I am not sure what the historical significance of this statue is, but honestly, it’s a national symbol—it’s everywhere. The peeing boy statue is pretty small (literally and figuratively) and has over 800 costumes. We were lucky enough to see him in his Musketeer regalia. Fancy.
After the Peeing Boy status, MJ (Megan) ran into one of our Life Long Learners on the trip, Ruth. Ruth is one of the sweetest people I have ever met and is feisty and energetic. Ruth was saying that she felt silly being in Belgian and had never had a beer in her life. MJ invited Ruth to have a beer with us at an outdoor beer garden and she was delighted. I have some pictures of Ruth commemorating this historic milestone in her life. She was so appreciative and thankful and just so sweet about it. It was fun to be a part of that experience for her.
We decided to stop at a beer garden that also offered up mussels. The group at this point was 8, and we decided to order a bucket of mussels and Belgian beer. Each of us ordered a different brand of beer, which was cool to try. Another interesting aspect of Belgian beer conassiuership is that each different beer has its own beer glass of different shapes and sizes. Very delightful! I brought a couple of beer glasses back for Brian and Doug. I tried a “blonde” wheat beer called Lambric, which was very tasty. Other ordered Kriek (pronounced like CREEK) cherry beer, malted beer and a raspberry beer aptly named Framboise, which was all delicious. The mussels were even better. Tasty and buttery and melt-in-your-mouth, the mussels were just succulent and delicious. Needless to say that the bucket was emptied within a matter of minutes J
We strolled through the city, exploring chocolate shops and making stops for souveniers, the day quickly turned into evening and then into night. As we were walking around the city, we came across an Ethiopian restaurant that sounded pretty tasty. As I had never had Ethiopian food, I was up to the task. But before we went there, we had our dessert before dinner and ended up at a waffle stand. My second waffle of the day was shortly thereafter consumed, this time it was a plain waffle with powdered sugar and smothered in Nutella, which is a fantastic chocolate and hazelnut spread. OMG, folks, this confirms that there is a heaven, as I have been there and back. My new religion is waffle and I get down on my knees and pray for a time when I will have another Belgian waffle. So delicious……so incredible…….
Okay, so we ended up eating at the Ethiopian restaurant, Kibob, and it was fabulous! Ethiopian food is always served with dahl bread, which has a spongey, moist consistency. Food is served family-style on the dahl bread, and additional bread is brought to the table. The bread also serves as your cutlery, so you are scooping up the food with the bread to eat. It was delicious. After all of the food is eaten off the bread, you eat the bread that the food was served on. We ordered lamb, spicy beef, a turnip and white cabbage salad, cucumber and yogurt salad, and some spiced carrots. Delicious!!! So yummy and it continued our trend of eating random ethnic food in a foreign country. MJ and I are guessing that we will at some point eat Mexican in Italy (just kidding)!
After dinner, we walked around the city, now dark and just soaked it in. We took some pictures and then headed to the train station for our jaunt back to Antwerp. Loaded up with souveniers, I chalked up Day 1 to a wonderful day and I was so surprised by this port—such a hidden gemstone.
Day 2 was the Tour of Flanders bike trip! And I was excited! Ready to get my heart pumping and my legs churning, the trip left from Antwerp at 7 AM. Each year, the Tour of Flanders championship brings world class cyclists throughout the world and is the second most popular biking tour in Europe after the Tour de France. Belgians love cycling and it is one of their favorite pastimes. We bused about an hour and a half away to the small city of (well, I can’t remember the name off the top of my head, but it started with an O). From there, we met up with the outdoor adventure company and picked up our bikes. And off we went. I was in the “slow” group and good thing that I was! It was a lot of uphill biking, but the views of the Belgian countryside were otherworldly. Absolutely beautiful and serene. We rode by old stone-and-brick houses, rolling green pastures where cows where tending to their cream-colored calves; we rode by acres and acres of wheat fields, sheafs of wheat blowing in the wind. Red poppy flowers popped out of the grass and was twisted around old fence posts. It was wonderful to have such a calm, peaceful feeling and to see a part of the country that I otherwise would not have been able to see. It was phenomenal. Horses were out in pastures and it was rolling hills for miles. One of the best parts of the cycling experience was going downhill, whizzing through towns on cobblestone streets. It was such a rush and so much fun!
After some heart palipitations, our 25-mile cycling trip was complete by noon. After showering, the bus took us into down for a delicious three course meal, including filet mignon and homemade vanilla ice cream. Delicious! I conked out on the bus ride back to Antwerp. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized I was in desperate need of some sleep, and while I was to meet up with Marco, Laarni, David and crew in Amsterdam, I decided to go in with MJ the following morning.
Sleep was just what the doctor ordered! On Wednesday, MJ and I walked to the Antwerp train station and headed for Amsterdam. While it was cold and rainy in Antwerp, I was keeping my fingers crossed for good weather in Amsterdam. One of my favorite moments of the morning was grabbing a muffin and coffee in the train station, listening to some Lionel Richie. Amazing. We arrived in Amsterdam at 11 AM, and were immediately on the hunt for some lunch. On the train with us to Amsterdam was our friend Jill, who is one of the TAs, and her friend John, who flew over from London to spend some time with Jill while in port in Antwerp.
Amsterdam is such a lovely city. Tons of bridges, canals and bikes everywhere. Much like Copenhagen, the Dutch are also very into biking and is the main mode of transportation in the city. The weather was fantastic and gorgeous!
After lunch, we realized that time was escaping from us as the last train back to Antwerp left at 9 PM that night. So we headed to the Van Gogh museum, which was absolutely incredible. Impressionist art at its finest! Most of Van Gogh’s famous works were there, most notably missing was the residence hall room favorite, “Starry Night.” Not sure where that one is currently, but will look up soon. I have five days until we get to Naples. The work was just amazing; the museum opened in 1970s and average 1 million visitors a year. Pretty incredible; I am so thankful for the opportunity to go because while you see his prints everywhere, to see the real paintings and the stories behind them were really cool. For instance, one of his most famous works, “Almond Blossoms,” was a painting that he made for his brother Theo, to commemorate the pending birth of Theo’s son, which he and his wife named Vincent. The almond blossoms signify the coming of spring and new life. The other incredible thing about Van Gogh is that he didn’t start painting until he was 26; and committed suicide at the age of 37.
After leaving Van Gogh, we headed for the Rijke Museum, where we saw a lot of works by Rembrandt and Johnas Vermeer (famously known for “Girl With the Pearl Earring”). After the museum tour, MJ and I toured the flower market area, and headed to the Heineken Factory for a brewery tour. Unfortunately, the brewery is closed for renovations until Sepetmber L MJ and I took a time out for a caffeine/coffee break at an outdoor café and just did some people watching for a bit. Then it was time to head to the world-infamous Red Light District. Now I am sure that going to the Red Light District in the cloak of night is different than visiting at 7:30 at night, but I don’t see what the hoopla is all about it. It was dirty and yes, the first couple of times I looked into a window and saw a prostitute in a neon-colored bikini, I was a bit disturbed, but it was still light out and not so taboo; there also weren’t a lot of clients on the lookout for some hot sex. It was rows and rows of theaters (where for 2 Euro you can see a live sex show), porn shops, DVD shops and coffeeshops. MJ and I also learned that there is a huge difference between coffeeshops and cafes. Coffeeshops are where you go to smoke down and cafes are classy coffee-drinking establishments.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Amsterdam, but I will be honest in saying I could take it or leave it to visit again. MJ and I got on the late train and headed back to Antwerp. Shortly thereafter, we met up with Zuri, who was meeting two of his friends from his time living in Antwerp and we all went out for a beer.
Yesterday was my day to devote entirely to chocolate shopping for loved ones. I had to test out several chocolatiers so I could make a well-informed decision about my selections. We visited a few chocolatiers, with my favorite being Burie, where I made several purchases including loose chocolates for myself, which I plan on eating throughout the rest of the voyage, and some chocolate bars for family and friends. We also visited another chocolate shop, where I picked up more bars, which look fantastic. It’s true that you have never had Belgian chocolate until you have had Belgian chocolate….oh, god, Belgium is just a food paradise. Belgian chocolate is made from over 60% cocoa butter, and made with real butter, as opposed to margarine. It was just melt in your mouth smooth, and just had this amazing texture that is creamy and rich…and of course, delicious! Chocolates in hand, I made one last stop for some cheery beer, and then it was time to get back on the ship.
We departed Antwerp last night around 9 PM and are on our way to Naples. Please keep your grandma and my mom in your prayers…mom is recovering from a hysterectomy that she had on Monday and is doing well; she came home yesterday and I had the opportunity to talk to her last night on the phone. It’s hard to be so far away from home when loved ones need love and care, and I really miss everyone! Thanks for all of the mail, the cards, letters, even just the facebook comments and the blog comments. I really appreciate knowing there are so many people out there keeping tabs on me J
Also, we are still scheduled to go to Istanbul at this time. I’ll update you if anything changes. Thanks!!
Friday, July 11, 2008
I Heart DK (Denmark)
Greetings from Korsor, Denmark!
I am sitting on the MV Explorer, and it’s about 2 PM here. We depart Denmark in 9 PM this evening and will be on our way to Antwerp, Belgium, expecting to arrive at 8 AM on Monday. It’s crazy to think that Antwerp will be our fourth port on the trip; which means only four to go! But the final four are the ones that I am looking the most forward to—I’m so excited.
I thoroughly enjoyed Denmark. While it was probably the country I was the least excited about visiting, I would rank it #2 behind Russia at this point in the journey. Korsor, where we are currently docked, is about an hour and a half away from Copenhagen. Students were pretty disappointed to learn this at first, but due to the cost associated with docking in Copenhagen versus Korsor, Korsor won out in the end. But it is an absolutely charming city that I thoroughly enjoyed visiting. Let me break down the week for you.
We arrived in Korsor on Tuesday morning at 8 AM. And we were met by the locals with a great deal of hype. Apparently, we were a pretty regular item in the Korsor paper, as the town prepared for our arrival. Apparently a ship with 600 American college students invading a sleepy harbor town of 12,000 is huge news. We were met with a band, and literally, a red carpet out at the gangway. The students were pretty excited to see this. After a quick disembarkation process, Megan, Zuri and I met up to travel into town. Megan and Zuri have become two of my favorite traveling companions, as they are really up for seeing anything and aren’t really super structured in terms of staying on a schedule. The walk into downtown Korsor, we wandered into some shops and strolled around. Korsor reminds me a little bit of my hometown of Marine City, in that it is very quaint, quiet and cozy. On some parts of the street, it was so quiet you could easily hear a pin drop. The main mode of transportation in Korsor is bicycle, and they are everywhere. The weather was phenomenal, so strolling along in the sunshine and a cloudless sky was quite lovely. At one store that we stopped in, we learned that there was a free outdoor concert at the old medieval castle in town that happens every Tuesday night during the summer. Armed with this information, we had our plans for a Tuesday night on the town J
After perusing some stores, we came across a delightful local bakery….OMG, THE DANISH KNOW THEIR PASTRIES! Some of have posed the intriguing philosophical question is, “do Danish people call danish pastry danish?” The answer to that question, my friends, is no, the Danes call danish pastry, “weinerbrod,” and let me tell you, I love weiner(brod)!!!! So scrumptious and yummy.
After a light lunch, we headed back to the ship for a day of relaxation (ie, a nap). After napping, we ventured out again to pick up a picnic dinner that we could take to the outdoor concert. We stopped at the local grocery store, Fotex, and picked up a few picnic staples including olives, wine, bread, cheese, crackers and of course, more weinerbrod. The concert was delightful, it is in a natural open-aired pavilion, where everyone camped out with their checkered blankets on the slopes of the large hill, and watched the concert in the shallow valley below. The concert material was surprisingly Americanized, including Tina Turner, CCR, Blues Brothers, James Taylor and Bette Midler. Overall, it was a delightful way to spend a summer evening in Korsor. We returned to the ship to make our plans for Copenhagen the next day. I was really sad that a lot of our students did not experience the charm and communal feel of Korsor, as many of them literally got off the ship and headed directly to the train station to go into Copenhagen. Everyone is amazingly friendly!
Wednesday morning, Justin, Zuri, Megan and I headed to the Korsor train station, where we picked up the train to go into Copenhagen. Trains from Korsor to C-town run every half an hour and for a round trip ticket, it cost roughly $40. Expenses in Denmark are a lot like Norway—everything was WICKED expensive!
When we emerged from the train station, I was immediately struck by the old-world European feel of Copenhagen. It was so charming, lots of brightly colored buildings, and many squares break up the large-city feel. Much like Korsor, the vast majority of Danes ride their bikes, and it is the main mode of transportation in Copenhagen. Fabulous! We immediately headed to our Bed and Breakfast to set our luggage down and head out to explore. The B & B was fabulous! The B & B is in the heart of downtown, located on the third floor of an old apartment building. It was amazing and the views from our room were incredible! After freshening up, we grabbed some coffee at a coffee shop right around the corner from the B & B as we had some time to kill before meeting up with Aaron, Marco and Courtney, who had gone into Copenhagen on Tuesday.
Off we went to explore the city. Armed with only a city map, we just set out to walk and see what the city had to offer. I really enjoyed the fact that we had no plan in place, we just went where instincts told us to go. We walked along the gorgeous canals (from what I am told are a lot like those found in Amsterdam) and stopped for lunch at a lovely Mediterranean restaurant called Riz Raz, located in the Latin Quarter. A cheap lunch in Copenhagen costs anywhere from $15-$20 USD. After enjoying some delicious veggie lasagna, falafel, tomato couscous and spinach on an outdoor patio, we went exploring some more….the people watching was incredible! Let me give you my insights into Danish people:
Denmark is a very family-oriented country, in which the men get two months of paid paternity leave. Most of the school-aged children I saw where being escorted to school by their fathers.
Danish women and men are STUNNING! Honestly, it’s just the land of gorgeous people. Everyone is very fit, blonde, blue-eyed and uber stylish and sophisticated. And so very nice! Danish also speak fluent English, a lot like in Norway, so that was also very helpful.
Denmark is also a very gay-friendly country and passed laws back in 1989 legalizing gay marriage and all of the rights that come with being married.
Danish pregnant women are STUNNING! I don’t know what’s in the water over here, but even 8-9 months pregnant, the women are just gorgeous and effortlessly put together. So cute!
Saying “hi hi hi” means “goodbye.” That was confusing for about 10 seconds.
Enough of my gawking, let’s continue on. Wednesday afternoon was just roaming the city squares, window shopping and taking in some coffee at the lovely outdoor cafes. The Copenhagen Jazz Festival, one of the biggest draws for the city, is also going on right now, so it was great to be able to hear live jazz music at the outdoor cafes. We went to the Danish Design Studio, which was pretty cool. It was a museum of sorts in which showed up and coming designs for food packaging and furniture. There was also a very neat exhibit in the basement of the building, which was a series of statements made about the human condition and that the innate instincts of humanity cannot be packaged or bottled or sold. It comes from the human heart and spirit. I will post some pictures on facebook so you can see what I am talking about a little bit better. It was pretty neat.
We met up with Marco, Aaron and Courtney later that evening at one of Copenhagen’s classiest gay bars, “The Jailhouse.” Needless to say, it was hours of fun for me as I sat in smoke-saturated rooms while paying $10 for a drink. However, I decided to make my own fun and took some pictures of me “behind bars” and wearing a Danish policeman’s hat, so I was quite entertaining. Thank goodness MJ was there. Later, we went out for dinner and the gays wanted to go to a lesbian bar, Chacha, and that’s when I called it a night.
Thursday was a fun-filled and fabulous day!!! We woke up and hit up the city on another gorgeous day. We had heard there was an amazing pastry shop around the corner from our B and B by the name of St. Peter’s Bageleri, and we were not disappointed. The pastries were to die for!!! Yum!!!! We met up with Marco and Courtney and headed out. Part of Copenhagen is divided by canals, so we transversed some canals and ended up visiting the micro nation of Christiania. Christiania is a hippie commune in the middle of Copenhagen that takes up about a full city block. Established in I-don’t-know-when, Christiania, is not affiliated with Denmark, and the people there do not consider themselves Danish, but “children of the Earth.” They have their own national flag, schools, and local government. They do not use the Danish kroner, but they barter for their own goods within the government, but do accept Kroner from tourists. The micro nation’s main source of income is tourism. They also smoke weed opening in public and they were huge. That is what I will take away from my very brief time in Christiania—the land of weed and un-neutered dogs. Fun.
The day definitely picked up from there. We walked a little further across the bridge and spotted a delightful bakery/café. Let me tell you Panera doesn’t have anything on Danish café/bakeries. OMG—delicious. You can spot the really good pastry shops a mile away because all of them have a distinctive sign hanging in front of the shop—an upside down pretzel with a crown on the top. That is the universal symbol for delicious Danish goodness as far as I am concerned. It was so good, our friend Justin bought an entire baguette, just to snack on. Out of control.
At this point, the group split up and Megan and I decided to go check out the Copenhagen Opera House, which is world famous for both its design and the performers that it attracts to Denmark. Lou Reed performed there as part of the Jazz Festival Wednesday night.
The Opera House is only accessible by boat, so we took some pictures from across the harbor. After the Opera House, we ventured to the Royal Palace to see the changing of the guard. I was pretty excited to see this in part because when I was in London a few years ago, all of my pictures of London were lost, including those of the changing of the guard, which was a major bummer. We got to the palace and had a few minutes before the guard change, which was pretty neat. I snapped some video of it, which is pretty neat. Unfortunately, the royals were not home, but it was cool nonetheless. After the palace, we skipped over to see the Danish Parliament Building and the Supreme Court, which was pretty cool. From there, we went to the Danish National Library, dubbed as the Black Diamond, because, well, it looks like a Black Diamond. We walked into some more little shops and headed back downtown to meet up for dinner and write out some postcards. After dinner, Megan and I took the train back to Korsor and spend the night relaxing, and sharing stories with other students and staff members who had also returned.
Today was a relatively low-key day. I walked into Korsor to enjoy the beautiful weather and mail my postcards and now I am back on the ship, updating the blog and uploading some photos.
We sail tonight for Antwerp, so catch the latest post sometime next week. Also, I am sure that you have heard about the shooting outside of the American embassy in Turkey. Not sure how that is going to effect our stop in Istanbul. We go on the instructions and advise of the State Department, so we could be re-routed from that port…..perhaps to Spain or Morocco, but I will keep you posted as we hear of those developments.
Love you all! Take care and I hope wherever you are, you are enjoying the sunshine! Also, please keep my grandma in your thoughts and prayers. I found out on Wednesday that she broke her pelvis and is currently at home and resting. Please keep her in your thoughts! Hope to hear from you soon!
Love you! And as the Danish say, "hi hi hi!!!"
I am sitting on the MV Explorer, and it’s about 2 PM here. We depart Denmark in 9 PM this evening and will be on our way to Antwerp, Belgium, expecting to arrive at 8 AM on Monday. It’s crazy to think that Antwerp will be our fourth port on the trip; which means only four to go! But the final four are the ones that I am looking the most forward to—I’m so excited.
I thoroughly enjoyed Denmark. While it was probably the country I was the least excited about visiting, I would rank it #2 behind Russia at this point in the journey. Korsor, where we are currently docked, is about an hour and a half away from Copenhagen. Students were pretty disappointed to learn this at first, but due to the cost associated with docking in Copenhagen versus Korsor, Korsor won out in the end. But it is an absolutely charming city that I thoroughly enjoyed visiting. Let me break down the week for you.
We arrived in Korsor on Tuesday morning at 8 AM. And we were met by the locals with a great deal of hype. Apparently, we were a pretty regular item in the Korsor paper, as the town prepared for our arrival. Apparently a ship with 600 American college students invading a sleepy harbor town of 12,000 is huge news. We were met with a band, and literally, a red carpet out at the gangway. The students were pretty excited to see this. After a quick disembarkation process, Megan, Zuri and I met up to travel into town. Megan and Zuri have become two of my favorite traveling companions, as they are really up for seeing anything and aren’t really super structured in terms of staying on a schedule. The walk into downtown Korsor, we wandered into some shops and strolled around. Korsor reminds me a little bit of my hometown of Marine City, in that it is very quaint, quiet and cozy. On some parts of the street, it was so quiet you could easily hear a pin drop. The main mode of transportation in Korsor is bicycle, and they are everywhere. The weather was phenomenal, so strolling along in the sunshine and a cloudless sky was quite lovely. At one store that we stopped in, we learned that there was a free outdoor concert at the old medieval castle in town that happens every Tuesday night during the summer. Armed with this information, we had our plans for a Tuesday night on the town J
After perusing some stores, we came across a delightful local bakery….OMG, THE DANISH KNOW THEIR PASTRIES! Some of have posed the intriguing philosophical question is, “do Danish people call danish pastry danish?” The answer to that question, my friends, is no, the Danes call danish pastry, “weinerbrod,” and let me tell you, I love weiner(brod)!!!! So scrumptious and yummy.
After a light lunch, we headed back to the ship for a day of relaxation (ie, a nap). After napping, we ventured out again to pick up a picnic dinner that we could take to the outdoor concert. We stopped at the local grocery store, Fotex, and picked up a few picnic staples including olives, wine, bread, cheese, crackers and of course, more weinerbrod. The concert was delightful, it is in a natural open-aired pavilion, where everyone camped out with their checkered blankets on the slopes of the large hill, and watched the concert in the shallow valley below. The concert material was surprisingly Americanized, including Tina Turner, CCR, Blues Brothers, James Taylor and Bette Midler. Overall, it was a delightful way to spend a summer evening in Korsor. We returned to the ship to make our plans for Copenhagen the next day. I was really sad that a lot of our students did not experience the charm and communal feel of Korsor, as many of them literally got off the ship and headed directly to the train station to go into Copenhagen. Everyone is amazingly friendly!
Wednesday morning, Justin, Zuri, Megan and I headed to the Korsor train station, where we picked up the train to go into Copenhagen. Trains from Korsor to C-town run every half an hour and for a round trip ticket, it cost roughly $40. Expenses in Denmark are a lot like Norway—everything was WICKED expensive!
When we emerged from the train station, I was immediately struck by the old-world European feel of Copenhagen. It was so charming, lots of brightly colored buildings, and many squares break up the large-city feel. Much like Korsor, the vast majority of Danes ride their bikes, and it is the main mode of transportation in Copenhagen. Fabulous! We immediately headed to our Bed and Breakfast to set our luggage down and head out to explore. The B & B was fabulous! The B & B is in the heart of downtown, located on the third floor of an old apartment building. It was amazing and the views from our room were incredible! After freshening up, we grabbed some coffee at a coffee shop right around the corner from the B & B as we had some time to kill before meeting up with Aaron, Marco and Courtney, who had gone into Copenhagen on Tuesday.
Off we went to explore the city. Armed with only a city map, we just set out to walk and see what the city had to offer. I really enjoyed the fact that we had no plan in place, we just went where instincts told us to go. We walked along the gorgeous canals (from what I am told are a lot like those found in Amsterdam) and stopped for lunch at a lovely Mediterranean restaurant called Riz Raz, located in the Latin Quarter. A cheap lunch in Copenhagen costs anywhere from $15-$20 USD. After enjoying some delicious veggie lasagna, falafel, tomato couscous and spinach on an outdoor patio, we went exploring some more….the people watching was incredible! Let me give you my insights into Danish people:
Denmark is a very family-oriented country, in which the men get two months of paid paternity leave. Most of the school-aged children I saw where being escorted to school by their fathers.
Danish women and men are STUNNING! Honestly, it’s just the land of gorgeous people. Everyone is very fit, blonde, blue-eyed and uber stylish and sophisticated. And so very nice! Danish also speak fluent English, a lot like in Norway, so that was also very helpful.
Denmark is also a very gay-friendly country and passed laws back in 1989 legalizing gay marriage and all of the rights that come with being married.
Danish pregnant women are STUNNING! I don’t know what’s in the water over here, but even 8-9 months pregnant, the women are just gorgeous and effortlessly put together. So cute!
Saying “hi hi hi” means “goodbye.” That was confusing for about 10 seconds.
Enough of my gawking, let’s continue on. Wednesday afternoon was just roaming the city squares, window shopping and taking in some coffee at the lovely outdoor cafes. The Copenhagen Jazz Festival, one of the biggest draws for the city, is also going on right now, so it was great to be able to hear live jazz music at the outdoor cafes. We went to the Danish Design Studio, which was pretty cool. It was a museum of sorts in which showed up and coming designs for food packaging and furniture. There was also a very neat exhibit in the basement of the building, which was a series of statements made about the human condition and that the innate instincts of humanity cannot be packaged or bottled or sold. It comes from the human heart and spirit. I will post some pictures on facebook so you can see what I am talking about a little bit better. It was pretty neat.
We met up with Marco, Aaron and Courtney later that evening at one of Copenhagen’s classiest gay bars, “The Jailhouse.” Needless to say, it was hours of fun for me as I sat in smoke-saturated rooms while paying $10 for a drink. However, I decided to make my own fun and took some pictures of me “behind bars” and wearing a Danish policeman’s hat, so I was quite entertaining. Thank goodness MJ was there. Later, we went out for dinner and the gays wanted to go to a lesbian bar, Chacha, and that’s when I called it a night.
Thursday was a fun-filled and fabulous day!!! We woke up and hit up the city on another gorgeous day. We had heard there was an amazing pastry shop around the corner from our B and B by the name of St. Peter’s Bageleri, and we were not disappointed. The pastries were to die for!!! Yum!!!! We met up with Marco and Courtney and headed out. Part of Copenhagen is divided by canals, so we transversed some canals and ended up visiting the micro nation of Christiania. Christiania is a hippie commune in the middle of Copenhagen that takes up about a full city block. Established in I-don’t-know-when, Christiania, is not affiliated with Denmark, and the people there do not consider themselves Danish, but “children of the Earth.” They have their own national flag, schools, and local government. They do not use the Danish kroner, but they barter for their own goods within the government, but do accept Kroner from tourists. The micro nation’s main source of income is tourism. They also smoke weed opening in public and they were huge. That is what I will take away from my very brief time in Christiania—the land of weed and un-neutered dogs. Fun.
The day definitely picked up from there. We walked a little further across the bridge and spotted a delightful bakery/café. Let me tell you Panera doesn’t have anything on Danish café/bakeries. OMG—delicious. You can spot the really good pastry shops a mile away because all of them have a distinctive sign hanging in front of the shop—an upside down pretzel with a crown on the top. That is the universal symbol for delicious Danish goodness as far as I am concerned. It was so good, our friend Justin bought an entire baguette, just to snack on. Out of control.
At this point, the group split up and Megan and I decided to go check out the Copenhagen Opera House, which is world famous for both its design and the performers that it attracts to Denmark. Lou Reed performed there as part of the Jazz Festival Wednesday night.
The Opera House is only accessible by boat, so we took some pictures from across the harbor. After the Opera House, we ventured to the Royal Palace to see the changing of the guard. I was pretty excited to see this in part because when I was in London a few years ago, all of my pictures of London were lost, including those of the changing of the guard, which was a major bummer. We got to the palace and had a few minutes before the guard change, which was pretty neat. I snapped some video of it, which is pretty neat. Unfortunately, the royals were not home, but it was cool nonetheless. After the palace, we skipped over to see the Danish Parliament Building and the Supreme Court, which was pretty cool. From there, we went to the Danish National Library, dubbed as the Black Diamond, because, well, it looks like a Black Diamond. We walked into some more little shops and headed back downtown to meet up for dinner and write out some postcards. After dinner, Megan and I took the train back to Korsor and spend the night relaxing, and sharing stories with other students and staff members who had also returned.
Today was a relatively low-key day. I walked into Korsor to enjoy the beautiful weather and mail my postcards and now I am back on the ship, updating the blog and uploading some photos.
We sail tonight for Antwerp, so catch the latest post sometime next week. Also, I am sure that you have heard about the shooting outside of the American embassy in Turkey. Not sure how that is going to effect our stop in Istanbul. We go on the instructions and advise of the State Department, so we could be re-routed from that port…..perhaps to Spain or Morocco, but I will keep you posted as we hear of those developments.
Love you all! Take care and I hope wherever you are, you are enjoying the sunshine! Also, please keep my grandma in your thoughts and prayers. I found out on Wednesday that she broke her pelvis and is currently at home and resting. Please keep her in your thoughts! Hope to hear from you soon!
Love you! And as the Danish say, "hi hi hi!!!"
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Farewell, St. Pete!
Hey everyone! Sorry that it has taken me a bit to blog since my last entry my first day in St. Petersburg. It was an absolute whirlwind of events, and an amazing time. I am currently on my way to Copenhagen, Denmark, and we are due to dock on Tuesday morning at 8 AM.. I hope that everyone had a great Fourth of July and were able to celebrate outside with friends and family. It was very surreal to be spending the Fourth of July in Russia, but had a great time.
Last Wednesday, July 2nd, my friends Megan, Zuri and I met up on the 5th deck to go out and explore the city. None of us had ever been to Russia before, but Zuri, who was born in the Ukraine, speaks fluent Russian, so it was great that we had him with us. We briskly walked the 30 minutes it takes to cross over the Neva River and into the heart of St. Petersburg. We met up with Megan’s friend Steve, who is studying in St. Petersburg over the summer, in front of the Hermitage. After meeting up, Steve took us to a wonderful hole-in-the-wall place, the Teapot, for traditional Russian blinys and blintzs. Blinys are a lot like crepes, only thinner, and blintzs are blinys, only stuffed with a sweet or savory filling. Let me tell you, we about polished off the entire menu. We ordered sweet and savory blinys and blintzs, ranging from butter blinys with red caviar to blintzs stuffed with a sweet (almost marscapone cheese). My first go around with caviar was interesting….I don’t think I would ever list it in my top 10 favorite foods, but it was interesting to try…the caviar eggs burst into your mouth when you bite into them and they release a very strong, fishy and salty flavor. While not a huge fan, at least I gave it a whirl and tried a local delicacy. We ordered eight different kinds and rounded out our meal with a pot of tea.
After leaving the Teapot, we ventured through Nevsky-Prospekt, which is the main thoroughfare in the city. We crisscrossed back over to the Hermitage and took a hydrofoil to Peterhof, an island off of St. Petersburg in the Gulf of Finland. Pererhof is also the summer residence of former Russian czars, dating back from Peter the Great. It takes about an hour and a half by bus to get to Peterhof , but only 20 minutes by hydrofoil. It was fantastic. The weather was sunny and gorgeous and was perfect for people watching (my observations about Russian men, women and fashion to come later in the blog).
Peterhof was absolutely fantastic. After leaving the hydrofoil, you immediately see a looming palace in the distance, aligned with stunning fountains, over 40 total, all gold leaf sculptures dotting the walkway up to the palace. It was just spectacular. It made me think that architects who design Vegas megat hotels must gain some inspiration from Peterhof, although this is the real deal. I can’t describe the beauty and majesty of the palace grounds. It was told to us that back in the day, guests of the czars would dock on the Gulf of Finland and servants of the palace would carry the guests on gold guilded beds all the way to the palace so their feet would never touch the ground. Unbelieveable! The beauty of the palace has been restored over the years and it was rumored that had the Nazis invaded and seiged the city of St. Petersburg, Stalin had plans to bomb Peterhof so the Nazis would never be able to use the grounds or the palace.
While at Peterhof, I was making some casual (and some not so casual) observations about Russian men, women and fashion. Here’s just a few tidbits of my musings:
Mullets are not just for men; they are a equal opportunity hair style in Russia
Russian women wear high heels everywhere! Even at Peterhof, while strolling the grounds, these women were transversing cobblestone AND gravel roads in 3-4 inch heels. And the tackier the better. Some of them could barely walk, but in Russia, particularly in Moscow and St. Petersburg, it’s all about the fashion and looking hot—after all, there are 11 million more women than men who currently live in Russia.
Russian women=hot
Russian men=not
Russians smoke. A lot.
It’s okay not to wear a bra in Russia
Russian fashion is this odd mix of skater punk, 80s, Sex in the City, and well, mullets. And surprisingly, it all comes together in a very dysfunctionally chic way. Polka dots are HUGE here, as well anything tight….and can be worn with high heels.
Russian women love to have their pictures taken and they love to strike Vogue-esque looks, but they will never smile. I made a feable attempt to fit in by doing this and it was just awkward. I smile too much.
After a lovely afternoon at Peterhof, basking in the sun and touring the grounds a bit more extensively, we returned to St. Petersburg, where we agreed to meet Steve for dinner at a Georgian restaurant in Nevsky-Prospekt. After cleaning up, we opted to take the Metro back into downtown. The Metro system is amazing! Let me set the seen. For .77 cents, you can get a Metro token and then you take a very steep escalator ride for about 2-3 minutes down to the subway. The best thing about riding the Metro is not the ride itself, but the escalator ride. As you are going down, there are two escalators that are going in the opposite direction and we were told by our friend John, it’s okay to stare because they will stare back. And they sure did. Boy, to get a cross section of Ruskies in the Metro was amazing! I mean, I saw it all—gypsies, homeless, ubre rich, young hippies, Rustafarians, students, businessmen, etc. It was pretty damn cool. It’s also okay to push and be pushed as everyone is in a hurry to get to a destination.
We could not find the restaurant we were looking for, but instead enjoyed a delicious sushi bar that was recommended by the locals. Today was a highlight in defining my taste palette because not only did I try caviar in the morning, but I tried eel at the sushi bar and it was absolutely delicious. I don’t know what’s wrong with me….I go to Norway and get Indian food, and then I eat sushi in Russia…..but it was damn good!
After dinner, we met up with some other RDs, some of the Teachers at Sea, and our friend John Lyles, who actually lived in St. Petersburg for a year. John recommended a couple of local dive bars for us to try and we met the group at one of them, affectionately known at Belgrade. By this point in the trip, I was feeling pretty good about my Russian because not only was I able to order a drink, I was able to pay for it as well with Rubles. Kudos me! Well done :)
While at Belgrade, Megan and I tried a delightful unknown beer called Eidelweiss, which was delicious and tasted a lot like Bud Light with Lime. Maybe it was Bud Light with Lime, only a different label. After we finished our beer, it was time to be the full-blown foreign tourist and have a shot of Russian vodka. While I am not a huge fan of taking shots, I was actually pretty excited to try this one….it was a little more than I bargained for as I am pretty sure I have no hair left in my nose and it killed the lining of my stomach. Russian vodka is extremely pungent and strong, and as a result, is always served with a lemon or an orange slice. Some people squeeze the fruit slices into their shot before drinking it, while others use it as a chaser. I opted for the latter.
After my first Russian shot, we moved along to another dive bar, two doors down from Belgrade, where it was American 80s dance music night. My kind of bar! I took one last shot (my last shot of the trip) of vodka and was good to go for the rest of the evening
We took one last trip to another bar, which was a block away from the Church on Spilled Blood. To see the church at night was just spectacular. I promise that I am posting pictures in the very near future! Well, at this third bar, things got interesting….we were having a great time chatting it up that we lost track of time and missed making the bridge back over to the ship. Now to explain, all of the bridges in St. Petersburg go up between the hours of 1:30 and 4:30 AM to allow ships to pass through the city on the Neva River. Basically, we were stuck. So we waited it out, some people in our group decided that 4 AM is a great time to partake in some Russian Kentucky Fried Chicken (yes, I have been to it). Walking the city in a large group at 5 AM was pretty interesting, as the city was very still, not at all like the hustle and bustle I had been accustomed to seeing over the last two days. The White Nights in Russia are still going on, so even at 5 AM, the sun never really set into a sea of black sky; it was a gray dusky night with slivers of pink cutting through the sky. To quote one of my favorite rappers (not really), Ice Cube, “Today was a good day.” Today was a great day.
Is everyone still with me? Sorry that this has eclipsed a blog and could be a full-on novel, but I just want to capture the experience for everyone reading. It is fantastic.
Thursday was definitely a lot less hustle and bustle and a lot more low key. After a late breakfast, Zuri, Aaron, Marco (fresh back from his 1 day trip to Moscow), Megan and I went to visit the famous Church on Spilled Blood. It is one of the most iconic images of Russia, a resplendent church with elaborately painted Biblical scenes and it’s large pastel and gold leaf onion domes and spires….it’s really something to see. Church on Spilled Blood in St. Pete and St. Basil’s in Moscow are two of the most photographed churches in the world, and if you have ever picked up a Russian travel book or think about a Russian image, you will no doubt recollect an image of Church on Spilled Blood or St. Basil’s. After our photo shoot outside the church on another gloriously sunny day, we went inside. The ConSB is no longer a functioning church, but a museum. It was originally built at the end of the 19th century, to memorialize Czar Alexander II, who was assassinated on the spot where the church was erected. Inside was incredible. The entire inside of the museum depicts scenes from the New Testament, all hand painted on mosaic tile. Gold leaf, of course, adorns all sacramental ornaments. The most amazing thing was to look directly up into the onion domes and spires, for there on the ceilings were hand painted images of Jesus, Peter and Paul and the Virgin Mary. Absolutely incredible and astonishingly beautiful. As I didn’t want to pay $10 or 250 Rubles, my friend Marco did, so I am hoping to steal some of his shots of the inside of the church.
Megan and I ran home to get ready for our field trip, which was billed as “White Nights in Russia.” We went to the house of great Russian opera composer Raminsky-Khorsokov, which has since been turned into a museum. After touring the museum, we were taken to a performance space in the house, where two opera students at the St. Petersburg conservatory performed a medley of opera songs for us. Many I did not know, but some of the music was composed by George Gershwin, a famous musician and composer who built his fortune and reputation in America. The students were absolutely incredible and while I have never been to an opera nor had a distinct appreciation for it, they were wonderful. After the opera performance, we boarded city boats, which took us on a tour of St. Petersburg by water. We transversed all of the waterways that cut through the heart of St. Petersburg and had a lovely time. Our tour started at about 10 PM, but it was still completely light out. We sailed through canals, saw the city scapes and three weddings!
My day was complete in the fact that I got to talk to Brian on the phone and hear his voice J I am so sorry to those of you who I have not been able to talk with! But thank you for all of your cards and letters. No mail arrived to the ship in St. Pete, but I was overwhelmed by the mail I received in Bergen. Keep it coming! It’s a little slice of home and it really keeps me going!
Friday, much like Thursday, was a bit more subdued in the fact that I really wanted to take my time and soak in the Hermitage. And I was so thankful that I had that opportunity. After breakfast, Justin, Megan, Marco, David, Zuri and I set to walking to the Hermitage, which opened at 10:30 AM. We had a bit of time before it opened, so we took some pictures of the Bronzed Horseman, which is a statue in memorial of Peter the Great. We also walked through a park, where we noticed, awkwardly enough, a man sitting on a park bench….with a bear. Zuri was able to converse with the man and we were able to learn that the bear was an 11 month old cub who was training for the circus. Not something that you see everyday! I was able to get some shots of the little guy, he was pretty cute.
We were lucky enough to spend three hours at the Hermitage, which was just the tip of what one could see there. I didn’t even make it through certain periods of art history while there and often thought of my friend and art-lover, Katie, thinking that I could appreciate this even more if she was here. It was excellent. I was able to see a good cross section of art, from Pieter Paul Ruebens to marble sculptures by Auguste Rodin, to Impressionist Monets and Van Goghs to Picassos and Mamets. The collection is just so impressive, and the fact that it is housed in a former palace just adds more majesty to its aura.
I was glad to go back as I spend the whole time wondering by myself, at my own pace. I was fortunate enough to spend a few minutes alone with my favorite painting of all, Rembrandt’s, “The Prodigal Son Returns.” It is large, both in canvas size and in heart. The painting just evokes so much emotion, not only as a human being, but as a parent, as a child, as a person asking for forgiveness…it was quite moving. I think that Brian would love it to as it’s scene is drawn from the Bible, in which a son of a rich man, takes his inheritance, leaves his famly and squanders it. The scene depicts the son returning home, many years later, to ask forgiveness from his father. His father, now blind, immediately knows that his son as returned. His son falls to his knees in front of his father, begging his forgiveness. The father immediately forgives his son stating, “You were lost to me, but now you are found again.” Such a moving piece. I would recommend taking a look at it, if you have a chance or visit the Hermitage website. Just stunning.
After a wonderful morning at the Hermitage, we went back to the Teapot, so Justin, Marco and David could experience the splendor. This time, we went through 18 plates of blinys and blintzs, which were just fantastic…I’m telling you for $5 USD, I love this place…the Teapot is up there with Won Ton Palace J The cottage cheese blintzs stole my heart….they had me at hello…..and were just amazingly delicious! You can’t find these in the states! After stuffing ourselves with Russian goodness, we walked through some open air markets and did a little tourist shopping.
At this time, we headed back to the ship, to get ready for the ballet! Yes, I went again, I just could not pass up the opportunity to do so! This time we went to see the Mariinsky perform a contemporary ballet called “The Glass Heart,” this time at the Mariinsky Theater and it was opening night. While the ballet was excellent and very modern in nature, my heart was stolen by Swan Lake. All of the programs were in Russian, and by the time we were able to local an English program, it was almost over and after the principal dancer was gyrating on a table with a life size doll, I was over it. It just didn’t compare to the classical essence of the ‘Lake.
My night was cut short as I had to hurry back for ship duty. Each night that we are in port, an RD is on “ship duty,” which means from 8 PM to 8 AM the next morning, you stay on the ship and assist the crew and staff with issues that arise, mostly dealing with students coming back to the ship intoxicated. I won’t go into too many details, but let’s just say, my five years of experience between grad school and professional job experience did not prepare me for the night I had. Between being urinated on and helping the ship’s doctor hook up IVs to holding a vomit tray for a student that was left at a bar by himself after drinking an entire bottle of vodka, I have a newfound appreciation for my dear friend Beth Read, who is a nurse practitioner. I won’t mention anything further for fear of sullying my Russian experience, but you get the picture.
Saturday was a sleep in day for me, as I had been downstairs in the hospital/clinic until 6 AM. I did some last-minute shopping and then it was time to report back to the ship, where we had a lovely Fourth of July (it was still the 4th in Hawaii) BBQ, which was incredible. Loved the ribs. We sailed off at 9 PM into a pink horizon, at which time, I promptly passed out in my bed.
Overall, my St. Petersburg experience was phenomenal. I don’t think that Copenhagen is going to compare, but I am keeping an open mind J The culture and history of the city was wonderful, as were the people. I found the people to be just wonderful and helpful and while it is not in their nature to smile; you can sense the pride that they have for their heritage and culture and that they really appreciate that although you cannot speak the language perfectly, at least trying will go a long way. I had a wonderful time and would love to go back. I think St. Petersburg has crept into my soul a little bit. I will cherish my time here and all of the wonderful experiences I was able to enjoy—from the ballet, to the museums, to just walking the city and people watching—it was, in a word, incredible.
I’ll talk to everyone when we arrive in Copenhagen!
Last Wednesday, July 2nd, my friends Megan, Zuri and I met up on the 5th deck to go out and explore the city. None of us had ever been to Russia before, but Zuri, who was born in the Ukraine, speaks fluent Russian, so it was great that we had him with us. We briskly walked the 30 minutes it takes to cross over the Neva River and into the heart of St. Petersburg. We met up with Megan’s friend Steve, who is studying in St. Petersburg over the summer, in front of the Hermitage. After meeting up, Steve took us to a wonderful hole-in-the-wall place, the Teapot, for traditional Russian blinys and blintzs. Blinys are a lot like crepes, only thinner, and blintzs are blinys, only stuffed with a sweet or savory filling. Let me tell you, we about polished off the entire menu. We ordered sweet and savory blinys and blintzs, ranging from butter blinys with red caviar to blintzs stuffed with a sweet (almost marscapone cheese). My first go around with caviar was interesting….I don’t think I would ever list it in my top 10 favorite foods, but it was interesting to try…the caviar eggs burst into your mouth when you bite into them and they release a very strong, fishy and salty flavor. While not a huge fan, at least I gave it a whirl and tried a local delicacy. We ordered eight different kinds and rounded out our meal with a pot of tea.
After leaving the Teapot, we ventured through Nevsky-Prospekt, which is the main thoroughfare in the city. We crisscrossed back over to the Hermitage and took a hydrofoil to Peterhof, an island off of St. Petersburg in the Gulf of Finland. Pererhof is also the summer residence of former Russian czars, dating back from Peter the Great. It takes about an hour and a half by bus to get to Peterhof , but only 20 minutes by hydrofoil. It was fantastic. The weather was sunny and gorgeous and was perfect for people watching (my observations about Russian men, women and fashion to come later in the blog).
Peterhof was absolutely fantastic. After leaving the hydrofoil, you immediately see a looming palace in the distance, aligned with stunning fountains, over 40 total, all gold leaf sculptures dotting the walkway up to the palace. It was just spectacular. It made me think that architects who design Vegas megat hotels must gain some inspiration from Peterhof, although this is the real deal. I can’t describe the beauty and majesty of the palace grounds. It was told to us that back in the day, guests of the czars would dock on the Gulf of Finland and servants of the palace would carry the guests on gold guilded beds all the way to the palace so their feet would never touch the ground. Unbelieveable! The beauty of the palace has been restored over the years and it was rumored that had the Nazis invaded and seiged the city of St. Petersburg, Stalin had plans to bomb Peterhof so the Nazis would never be able to use the grounds or the palace.
While at Peterhof, I was making some casual (and some not so casual) observations about Russian men, women and fashion. Here’s just a few tidbits of my musings:
Mullets are not just for men; they are a equal opportunity hair style in Russia
Russian women wear high heels everywhere! Even at Peterhof, while strolling the grounds, these women were transversing cobblestone AND gravel roads in 3-4 inch heels. And the tackier the better. Some of them could barely walk, but in Russia, particularly in Moscow and St. Petersburg, it’s all about the fashion and looking hot—after all, there are 11 million more women than men who currently live in Russia.
Russian women=hot
Russian men=not
Russians smoke. A lot.
It’s okay not to wear a bra in Russia
Russian fashion is this odd mix of skater punk, 80s, Sex in the City, and well, mullets. And surprisingly, it all comes together in a very dysfunctionally chic way. Polka dots are HUGE here, as well anything tight….and can be worn with high heels.
Russian women love to have their pictures taken and they love to strike Vogue-esque looks, but they will never smile. I made a feable attempt to fit in by doing this and it was just awkward. I smile too much.
After a lovely afternoon at Peterhof, basking in the sun and touring the grounds a bit more extensively, we returned to St. Petersburg, where we agreed to meet Steve for dinner at a Georgian restaurant in Nevsky-Prospekt. After cleaning up, we opted to take the Metro back into downtown. The Metro system is amazing! Let me set the seen. For .77 cents, you can get a Metro token and then you take a very steep escalator ride for about 2-3 minutes down to the subway. The best thing about riding the Metro is not the ride itself, but the escalator ride. As you are going down, there are two escalators that are going in the opposite direction and we were told by our friend John, it’s okay to stare because they will stare back. And they sure did. Boy, to get a cross section of Ruskies in the Metro was amazing! I mean, I saw it all—gypsies, homeless, ubre rich, young hippies, Rustafarians, students, businessmen, etc. It was pretty damn cool. It’s also okay to push and be pushed as everyone is in a hurry to get to a destination.
We could not find the restaurant we were looking for, but instead enjoyed a delicious sushi bar that was recommended by the locals. Today was a highlight in defining my taste palette because not only did I try caviar in the morning, but I tried eel at the sushi bar and it was absolutely delicious. I don’t know what’s wrong with me….I go to Norway and get Indian food, and then I eat sushi in Russia…..but it was damn good!
After dinner, we met up with some other RDs, some of the Teachers at Sea, and our friend John Lyles, who actually lived in St. Petersburg for a year. John recommended a couple of local dive bars for us to try and we met the group at one of them, affectionately known at Belgrade. By this point in the trip, I was feeling pretty good about my Russian because not only was I able to order a drink, I was able to pay for it as well with Rubles. Kudos me! Well done :)
While at Belgrade, Megan and I tried a delightful unknown beer called Eidelweiss, which was delicious and tasted a lot like Bud Light with Lime. Maybe it was Bud Light with Lime, only a different label. After we finished our beer, it was time to be the full-blown foreign tourist and have a shot of Russian vodka. While I am not a huge fan of taking shots, I was actually pretty excited to try this one….it was a little more than I bargained for as I am pretty sure I have no hair left in my nose and it killed the lining of my stomach. Russian vodka is extremely pungent and strong, and as a result, is always served with a lemon or an orange slice. Some people squeeze the fruit slices into their shot before drinking it, while others use it as a chaser. I opted for the latter.
After my first Russian shot, we moved along to another dive bar, two doors down from Belgrade, where it was American 80s dance music night. My kind of bar! I took one last shot (my last shot of the trip) of vodka and was good to go for the rest of the evening
We took one last trip to another bar, which was a block away from the Church on Spilled Blood. To see the church at night was just spectacular. I promise that I am posting pictures in the very near future! Well, at this third bar, things got interesting….we were having a great time chatting it up that we lost track of time and missed making the bridge back over to the ship. Now to explain, all of the bridges in St. Petersburg go up between the hours of 1:30 and 4:30 AM to allow ships to pass through the city on the Neva River. Basically, we were stuck. So we waited it out, some people in our group decided that 4 AM is a great time to partake in some Russian Kentucky Fried Chicken (yes, I have been to it). Walking the city in a large group at 5 AM was pretty interesting, as the city was very still, not at all like the hustle and bustle I had been accustomed to seeing over the last two days. The White Nights in Russia are still going on, so even at 5 AM, the sun never really set into a sea of black sky; it was a gray dusky night with slivers of pink cutting through the sky. To quote one of my favorite rappers (not really), Ice Cube, “Today was a good day.” Today was a great day.
Is everyone still with me? Sorry that this has eclipsed a blog and could be a full-on novel, but I just want to capture the experience for everyone reading. It is fantastic.
Thursday was definitely a lot less hustle and bustle and a lot more low key. After a late breakfast, Zuri, Aaron, Marco (fresh back from his 1 day trip to Moscow), Megan and I went to visit the famous Church on Spilled Blood. It is one of the most iconic images of Russia, a resplendent church with elaborately painted Biblical scenes and it’s large pastel and gold leaf onion domes and spires….it’s really something to see. Church on Spilled Blood in St. Pete and St. Basil’s in Moscow are two of the most photographed churches in the world, and if you have ever picked up a Russian travel book or think about a Russian image, you will no doubt recollect an image of Church on Spilled Blood or St. Basil’s. After our photo shoot outside the church on another gloriously sunny day, we went inside. The ConSB is no longer a functioning church, but a museum. It was originally built at the end of the 19th century, to memorialize Czar Alexander II, who was assassinated on the spot where the church was erected. Inside was incredible. The entire inside of the museum depicts scenes from the New Testament, all hand painted on mosaic tile. Gold leaf, of course, adorns all sacramental ornaments. The most amazing thing was to look directly up into the onion domes and spires, for there on the ceilings were hand painted images of Jesus, Peter and Paul and the Virgin Mary. Absolutely incredible and astonishingly beautiful. As I didn’t want to pay $10 or 250 Rubles, my friend Marco did, so I am hoping to steal some of his shots of the inside of the church.
Megan and I ran home to get ready for our field trip, which was billed as “White Nights in Russia.” We went to the house of great Russian opera composer Raminsky-Khorsokov, which has since been turned into a museum. After touring the museum, we were taken to a performance space in the house, where two opera students at the St. Petersburg conservatory performed a medley of opera songs for us. Many I did not know, but some of the music was composed by George Gershwin, a famous musician and composer who built his fortune and reputation in America. The students were absolutely incredible and while I have never been to an opera nor had a distinct appreciation for it, they were wonderful. After the opera performance, we boarded city boats, which took us on a tour of St. Petersburg by water. We transversed all of the waterways that cut through the heart of St. Petersburg and had a lovely time. Our tour started at about 10 PM, but it was still completely light out. We sailed through canals, saw the city scapes and three weddings!
My day was complete in the fact that I got to talk to Brian on the phone and hear his voice J I am so sorry to those of you who I have not been able to talk with! But thank you for all of your cards and letters. No mail arrived to the ship in St. Pete, but I was overwhelmed by the mail I received in Bergen. Keep it coming! It’s a little slice of home and it really keeps me going!
Friday, much like Thursday, was a bit more subdued in the fact that I really wanted to take my time and soak in the Hermitage. And I was so thankful that I had that opportunity. After breakfast, Justin, Megan, Marco, David, Zuri and I set to walking to the Hermitage, which opened at 10:30 AM. We had a bit of time before it opened, so we took some pictures of the Bronzed Horseman, which is a statue in memorial of Peter the Great. We also walked through a park, where we noticed, awkwardly enough, a man sitting on a park bench….with a bear. Zuri was able to converse with the man and we were able to learn that the bear was an 11 month old cub who was training for the circus. Not something that you see everyday! I was able to get some shots of the little guy, he was pretty cute.
We were lucky enough to spend three hours at the Hermitage, which was just the tip of what one could see there. I didn’t even make it through certain periods of art history while there and often thought of my friend and art-lover, Katie, thinking that I could appreciate this even more if she was here. It was excellent. I was able to see a good cross section of art, from Pieter Paul Ruebens to marble sculptures by Auguste Rodin, to Impressionist Monets and Van Goghs to Picassos and Mamets. The collection is just so impressive, and the fact that it is housed in a former palace just adds more majesty to its aura.
I was glad to go back as I spend the whole time wondering by myself, at my own pace. I was fortunate enough to spend a few minutes alone with my favorite painting of all, Rembrandt’s, “The Prodigal Son Returns.” It is large, both in canvas size and in heart. The painting just evokes so much emotion, not only as a human being, but as a parent, as a child, as a person asking for forgiveness…it was quite moving. I think that Brian would love it to as it’s scene is drawn from the Bible, in which a son of a rich man, takes his inheritance, leaves his famly and squanders it. The scene depicts the son returning home, many years later, to ask forgiveness from his father. His father, now blind, immediately knows that his son as returned. His son falls to his knees in front of his father, begging his forgiveness. The father immediately forgives his son stating, “You were lost to me, but now you are found again.” Such a moving piece. I would recommend taking a look at it, if you have a chance or visit the Hermitage website. Just stunning.
After a wonderful morning at the Hermitage, we went back to the Teapot, so Justin, Marco and David could experience the splendor. This time, we went through 18 plates of blinys and blintzs, which were just fantastic…I’m telling you for $5 USD, I love this place…the Teapot is up there with Won Ton Palace J The cottage cheese blintzs stole my heart….they had me at hello…..and were just amazingly delicious! You can’t find these in the states! After stuffing ourselves with Russian goodness, we walked through some open air markets and did a little tourist shopping.
At this time, we headed back to the ship, to get ready for the ballet! Yes, I went again, I just could not pass up the opportunity to do so! This time we went to see the Mariinsky perform a contemporary ballet called “The Glass Heart,” this time at the Mariinsky Theater and it was opening night. While the ballet was excellent and very modern in nature, my heart was stolen by Swan Lake. All of the programs were in Russian, and by the time we were able to local an English program, it was almost over and after the principal dancer was gyrating on a table with a life size doll, I was over it. It just didn’t compare to the classical essence of the ‘Lake.
My night was cut short as I had to hurry back for ship duty. Each night that we are in port, an RD is on “ship duty,” which means from 8 PM to 8 AM the next morning, you stay on the ship and assist the crew and staff with issues that arise, mostly dealing with students coming back to the ship intoxicated. I won’t go into too many details, but let’s just say, my five years of experience between grad school and professional job experience did not prepare me for the night I had. Between being urinated on and helping the ship’s doctor hook up IVs to holding a vomit tray for a student that was left at a bar by himself after drinking an entire bottle of vodka, I have a newfound appreciation for my dear friend Beth Read, who is a nurse practitioner. I won’t mention anything further for fear of sullying my Russian experience, but you get the picture.
Saturday was a sleep in day for me, as I had been downstairs in the hospital/clinic until 6 AM. I did some last-minute shopping and then it was time to report back to the ship, where we had a lovely Fourth of July (it was still the 4th in Hawaii) BBQ, which was incredible. Loved the ribs. We sailed off at 9 PM into a pink horizon, at which time, I promptly passed out in my bed.
Overall, my St. Petersburg experience was phenomenal. I don’t think that Copenhagen is going to compare, but I am keeping an open mind J The culture and history of the city was wonderful, as were the people. I found the people to be just wonderful and helpful and while it is not in their nature to smile; you can sense the pride that they have for their heritage and culture and that they really appreciate that although you cannot speak the language perfectly, at least trying will go a long way. I had a wonderful time and would love to go back. I think St. Petersburg has crept into my soul a little bit. I will cherish my time here and all of the wonderful experiences I was able to enjoy—from the ballet, to the museums, to just walking the city and people watching—it was, in a word, incredible.
I’ll talk to everyone when we arrive in Copenhagen!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Paka, Russia! Denmark on Tuesday!
Goodbye Russia, hello Copenhagen....
The MV Explorer left St. Petersburg
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
St. Petersburg, Day 1
Sorry I signed off early on my last post; I was exhausted last night after I got home from the ballet, so I did not get to outline the highlights of the day and there were so many!
After getting through customs, which took 2 hours off the ship because the Russians had to input our visa information 1 by 1 in an ancient computer, I was off to see the city and the Hermitage Museum. My first few impressions of Russia and St. Pete were incredible; the harbor that we are currently docked in on the Neva River is very small, and therefore you can see incredible sights from the bow of the ship. There are these very old churches with the golden and colorful domes, golden-domed rotundas, statues and sculptures dot the landscape. And we finally had a wonderful day of weather! It was about 75 and very sunny out; which is something that everyone was looking forward to.
As customs held us up so long, our city orientation started two hours late and was led by our tour guide Svetlana (who sports a fashionable red mullet) and our driver Igor, who is addicted to Marlboro Reds. Our first stop was over the Neva River to the Hermitage Museum. The Hermitage is the third largest museum in the world, containing over 3 million pieces of art--and housed in the Winter Palace of Catherine the Great. Many famous paintings hang in the Hermitage; there are two pieces by DiVinci and one of Rembrandt's most famous works of his career, "The Prodigal Son." Catherine was quite the voracious art collector, so a lot of the works shown at the Hermitage are from her private collection. The palace is absolutely jaw-dropping...it takes up an entire city block and the gorgeous sea-foam green exterior with the gold leaf guilding is so impressive. We quickly made our way in and I think that it was tourist day at the Hermitage because the place was packed!! The Hermitage has always been a source of pride for Russia, but sadly Stalin sold off many of the paintings to support the country during times after World War II...he felt that priceless works of art should not come at the cost of his people starving to death.
So the Hermitage is just amazing on the inside! Candles, chandeliers, parquet floors are everywhere....it's just spectacular. I will try to post some photos on here, but if not, I will put them up on facebook for sure. The pictures will never do it justice, as it is just breathtaking. Marble sculptures align the main thoroughfare throughout the museum. During our tour, we saw the masterpiece works, which I had mentioned above. When I appraoched the first DiVinci painting, "Madonna and Flower," it was very moving....to come face-to-face with a priceless work of art by a man of DiVinci's magnitude and genius was humbling and beautiful. Although flash photography was not allowed, I was able to snap a few photos of the works. We were hastily moved from room to room and there were so many people there, it almost felt suffocating, you had to move single file through the rooms as times becausee of the mass of bodies. After the Hermitage, we boarded the bus again and took in some sights which include the tower of Peter and Paul, a 4000 statue on the river, a gift to Russia from Egypt, and the Church on the Spilled Blood, which was just a dominating, massively complex and mystifiying structure. We only had seven minutes for a photo op, so I was able to snap a few photos....it's one of the oldest churches in St. Pete and is just magnificent. I am hoping to go back and get some more info on it.
We headed back to the ship, where I ate a quick dinner and had to get ready for the ballet. Now for those of you who know me, I have a very fond affection for the arts, and particularly ballet. I just think it's one of the most amazing, awe-inspiring gift that is crafted through music and the human body.....I heart it. We went and saw "Swan Lake," performed by the Mariinsky Ballet Company. The Mariinsky, formerly known as the Kirov ballet, is consistently one of the best--if not the best--ballet company in the entire world. We arrived at the theater and first, could not find our seats right away because everything is in Russian...so after a few questions with one of the ushers, we were able to find our seats....and from the moment the curtains opened, I was awestruck. To see Swan Lake performed by the Mariinsky in Russia is one of the coolest, most fabulous events that I have ever experienced. The dancers, the music, the costumes--it was such a feast for the senses. It was a pretty emotional event for me; the choreography and the agility and the art and pagentry of the dancers; I have never seen anything like it. It was mindblowing and absolutely breathtaking. I was entranced and enraptured. It is just a feeling and emotion that is indescribable and even today I am still incredulous that I had the opportunity to experience that while here.
More to come about today, but I wanted to bring everyone up to speed on Day 1.
After getting through customs, which took 2 hours off the ship because the Russians had to input our visa information 1 by 1 in an ancient computer, I was off to see the city and the Hermitage Museum. My first few impressions of Russia and St. Pete were incredible; the harbor that we are currently docked in on the Neva River is very small, and therefore you can see incredible sights from the bow of the ship. There are these very old churches with the golden and colorful domes, golden-domed rotundas, statues and sculptures dot the landscape. And we finally had a wonderful day of weather! It was about 75 and very sunny out; which is something that everyone was looking forward to.
As customs held us up so long, our city orientation started two hours late and was led by our tour guide Svetlana (who sports a fashionable red mullet) and our driver Igor, who is addicted to Marlboro Reds. Our first stop was over the Neva River to the Hermitage Museum. The Hermitage is the third largest museum in the world, containing over 3 million pieces of art--and housed in the Winter Palace of Catherine the Great. Many famous paintings hang in the Hermitage; there are two pieces by DiVinci and one of Rembrandt's most famous works of his career, "The Prodigal Son." Catherine was quite the voracious art collector, so a lot of the works shown at the Hermitage are from her private collection. The palace is absolutely jaw-dropping...it takes up an entire city block and the gorgeous sea-foam green exterior with the gold leaf guilding is so impressive. We quickly made our way in and I think that it was tourist day at the Hermitage because the place was packed!! The Hermitage has always been a source of pride for Russia, but sadly Stalin sold off many of the paintings to support the country during times after World War II...he felt that priceless works of art should not come at the cost of his people starving to death.
So the Hermitage is just amazing on the inside! Candles, chandeliers, parquet floors are everywhere....it's just spectacular. I will try to post some photos on here, but if not, I will put them up on facebook for sure. The pictures will never do it justice, as it is just breathtaking. Marble sculptures align the main thoroughfare throughout the museum. During our tour, we saw the masterpiece works, which I had mentioned above. When I appraoched the first DiVinci painting, "Madonna and Flower," it was very moving....to come face-to-face with a priceless work of art by a man of DiVinci's magnitude and genius was humbling and beautiful. Although flash photography was not allowed, I was able to snap a few photos of the works. We were hastily moved from room to room and there were so many people there, it almost felt suffocating, you had to move single file through the rooms as times becausee of the mass of bodies. After the Hermitage, we boarded the bus again and took in some sights which include the tower of Peter and Paul, a 4000 statue on the river, a gift to Russia from Egypt, and the Church on the Spilled Blood, which was just a dominating, massively complex and mystifiying structure. We only had seven minutes for a photo op, so I was able to snap a few photos....it's one of the oldest churches in St. Pete and is just magnificent. I am hoping to go back and get some more info on it.
We headed back to the ship, where I ate a quick dinner and had to get ready for the ballet. Now for those of you who know me, I have a very fond affection for the arts, and particularly ballet. I just think it's one of the most amazing, awe-inspiring gift that is crafted through music and the human body.....I heart it. We went and saw "Swan Lake," performed by the Mariinsky Ballet Company. The Mariinsky, formerly known as the Kirov ballet, is consistently one of the best--if not the best--ballet company in the entire world. We arrived at the theater and first, could not find our seats right away because everything is in Russian...so after a few questions with one of the ushers, we were able to find our seats....and from the moment the curtains opened, I was awestruck. To see Swan Lake performed by the Mariinsky in Russia is one of the coolest, most fabulous events that I have ever experienced. The dancers, the music, the costumes--it was such a feast for the senses. It was a pretty emotional event for me; the choreography and the agility and the art and pagentry of the dancers; I have never seen anything like it. It was mindblowing and absolutely breathtaking. I was entranced and enraptured. It is just a feeling and emotion that is indescribable and even today I am still incredulous that I had the opportunity to experience that while here.
More to come about today, but I wanted to bring everyone up to speed on Day 1.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Privyet! Ya ni gavaritia pa-ruskie!
I am in St. Petersburg! Whoo hoo! And let me tell you....I am in love with Russia! So much to see and so much to do....I don't think that I am going to be sleeping much the next few days!
Last night, we had a very long pre-port meeting. Now pre-port meetings are very critical for everyone on the ship to attend as at those meetings, a great deal of logistical information is given out about the city and country that we are about to visit. Last night, for a lot of people on the ship, was a bit scary. Bergen, Norway does not prepare the psyche for entering a land completely foreign to you--customs, language and even the alphabet. Russians use the Cyrillic alphabet, which is pretty easy to pick up and many of the letters in Cyrillic are of Greek origin so for anyone who was part of a fraternity of sorority, a lot of the symbols are easy to pick up. While in Bergen everyone spoke English and Bergen was a sleepy fishing town, St. Petersburg is the exact opposite--and I don't think that our students were prepared for that.
The first thing that was discussed was pick pocketing. It is huge over here and if you do not speak fluent Russian in public, you quickly become an easy target. There are also gypsies that use their children to pick pocket as well.
The second thing that we discussed was that there is a great deal of racism occuring in Russia, particularly in St. Petersburg, where there is a growing skin head movement. We were told that anyone that looked a bit foreign or had a different skin tone could be a target for the police and for skinheads. Many of our students of color were very concerned about this and rightly so. Many Russians believe that people with darker complexions could be Chechens, from Chechnya. As you may know, Russia is still embroiled in a bitter fight with the Chechens, which has been raging since the displacement of Chechens after World War II.
Anyway, enough about the "concerning stuff;" here is the fun stuff. I am slowly learning very basic Russian, which is a pretty amazing language. The faculty and staff held Russian lessons yesterday and my friend John, who is a professor on the ship, was leading one of the classes. John is the youngest professor on the ship at the age of 30 and lived in St. Petersburg for a year. He pals around with the Resident Directors and the Global Studies TAs, as he is better able to connect with us than his faculty colleagues. John taught a great class....let me share some tidbits that I learned:
Ya ni panimayoo (I don't understand)
Dah! (yes)
Neyet (no)
Mi ya zavoot Kristyn (My name is Kristyn)
Dobre Dien! (good afternoon!)
Dobre utra (good morning)
Dobra Vachar (good evening)
Stolka stoit? (how much?)
Yi tambia aroshkenkaya popechka! (you have a nice ass!)
Okay, fabulous! Enough of the English vocabulary. St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and it did not exist three hundred years ago. Built on swamp land in the Baltic Sea, St. Petersburg was erected on the backs of serfs by none other than Peter the Great. Now known as the "Venice of the North," St. Petersburg is home to an extremely intricate canal system, which is amazing feat of architecture and engineering. St. Petersburg has been a city ransacked and destroyed through revolutions and invasions, including an invasion by the Nazis during World War II. Home to over 4 million people, St. Peterburg is considered the cultural capital of Russia, while Moscow is the hub of government and ever-changing cosmopolitan.
We arrived in St. Petersburg at 800 hours this morning and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. A sunny, cloudless sky was perfect; this has been the best day of weather since we embarked in Halifax. We arrived at 800 hours and it was amazing! I was very excited to get off the ship and on my way to the city.
Last night, we had a very long pre-port meeting. Now pre-port meetings are very critical for everyone on the ship to attend as at those meetings, a great deal of logistical information is given out about the city and country that we are about to visit. Last night, for a lot of people on the ship, was a bit scary. Bergen, Norway does not prepare the psyche for entering a land completely foreign to you--customs, language and even the alphabet. Russians use the Cyrillic alphabet, which is pretty easy to pick up and many of the letters in Cyrillic are of Greek origin so for anyone who was part of a fraternity of sorority, a lot of the symbols are easy to pick up. While in Bergen everyone spoke English and Bergen was a sleepy fishing town, St. Petersburg is the exact opposite--and I don't think that our students were prepared for that.
The first thing that was discussed was pick pocketing. It is huge over here and if you do not speak fluent Russian in public, you quickly become an easy target. There are also gypsies that use their children to pick pocket as well.
The second thing that we discussed was that there is a great deal of racism occuring in Russia, particularly in St. Petersburg, where there is a growing skin head movement. We were told that anyone that looked a bit foreign or had a different skin tone could be a target for the police and for skinheads. Many of our students of color were very concerned about this and rightly so. Many Russians believe that people with darker complexions could be Chechens, from Chechnya. As you may know, Russia is still embroiled in a bitter fight with the Chechens, which has been raging since the displacement of Chechens after World War II.
Anyway, enough about the "concerning stuff;" here is the fun stuff. I am slowly learning very basic Russian, which is a pretty amazing language. The faculty and staff held Russian lessons yesterday and my friend John, who is a professor on the ship, was leading one of the classes. John is the youngest professor on the ship at the age of 30 and lived in St. Petersburg for a year. He pals around with the Resident Directors and the Global Studies TAs, as he is better able to connect with us than his faculty colleagues. John taught a great class....let me share some tidbits that I learned:
Ya ni panimayoo (I don't understand)
Dah! (yes)
Neyet (no)
Mi ya zavoot Kristyn (My name is Kristyn)
Dobre Dien! (good afternoon!)
Dobre utra (good morning)
Dobra Vachar (good evening)
Stolka stoit? (how much?)
Yi tambia aroshkenkaya popechka! (you have a nice ass!)
Okay, fabulous! Enough of the English vocabulary. St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and it did not exist three hundred years ago. Built on swamp land in the Baltic Sea, St. Petersburg was erected on the backs of serfs by none other than Peter the Great. Now known as the "Venice of the North," St. Petersburg is home to an extremely intricate canal system, which is amazing feat of architecture and engineering. St. Petersburg has been a city ransacked and destroyed through revolutions and invasions, including an invasion by the Nazis during World War II. Home to over 4 million people, St. Peterburg is considered the cultural capital of Russia, while Moscow is the hub of government and ever-changing cosmopolitan.
We arrived in St. Petersburg at 800 hours this morning and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. A sunny, cloudless sky was perfect; this has been the best day of weather since we embarked in Halifax. We arrived at 800 hours and it was amazing! I was very excited to get off the ship and on my way to the city.
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