Alex's Summer at Sea

I’m still here, it’s just been hard to find time to write – even on a 10 day voyage back to the US. My time has been split between end of term papers and finals and lots of time lying out on the pool deck enjoying the amazing weather on the seas. I still promise at least one more entry, so this won’t be the final one – trust me, I’ve still got more to say.

A bunch of people have asked me for rankings of the countries that I’ve visited, and though it’s of course tough to rank countries on limited observation, here are a few “top 8’s” for you all.

Food:
1. Belgium – Fries, chocolate, waffles, beer…QED
2. France – knocked down from #1 in a shocker. Last time I was in France I ate really well (and paid for it). This time I tried to go a bit cheaper, so it was lots of bread, cheese, and Orangina.
3. Poland – Surprise! The food is rich, but it’s cheap and really filling. I took a 9-hour walking tour of Krakow, and pretty much survived off of a big plate of potato and cheese Pierogi -- one of the best meals of the trip.
4. Norway – pretty much just for the soft serve ice cream dipped in Nesquik.
5. Spain – The Spanish omelet was delicious, but it fell a bit in the ranking as it was served with a baguette, not a New York style onion bagel lightly toasted.
6. Russia – Not as bad as one would expect, but since the pasteurizing process isn’t quite there yet, they boil all of the milk; unfortunately, they don’t cool it down, so my cereal and milk turned to corn-flake-oatmeal pretty quickly.
7. Ireland – there’s a reason you only hear about Beer from this country.
8. Iceland – though I didn’t eat any of them, their gastronomic specialties include boiled sheep’s head, cow testicle and shark fin that is filled with mercury so it has to be buried under sand for months before it can be eaten; it’s said to have the odor of a fine cheese. I ate Italian.

Girls:
1. NOR-freakin-WAY. Ajhfdakljerjklcaljkd!
2-8. Countries that aren’t Norway.

Architecture:
1. Belgium – homes characteristic of Hanseatic league cities; think Amsterdam, but spotlessly clean.
2. France – spending time in small Le Havre and enormous Paris gave a sense of the contrast of two distinct parts of France, but both were striking – Paris for its grandeur and Le Havre for its quaint flavor.
3. Russia – granted, I only spent time in the two most magnificent cities in Russia – St. Petersberg and Moscow – but the palaces, the onion domes, and the color were spectacular. I don’t think Siberia is known for its design, though.
4. Norway – similar to Belgium, as it was also a major trading port, but what makes it stand out is its use of public space – parks and fountains – including one large pond in the city center which fills with the reflection of the narrow colorful homes of Bergen.
5. Ireland – while the city itself is a bit bland right now, with all the construction occurring it’s clear that the city is transforming itself as we speak.
6. Iceland – the country is known for its nature – which it does better than any other place in the world I’ve been – but the buildings themselves are simple.
7. Poland – Blame the low ranking on the Germans, who virtually destroyed Gdansk during WWII. It’s been rebuilt, but it’s not quite the same knowing you’re only seeing a replica.
8. Spain – I didn’t make it out to Barcelona or Madrid, but I think if I had, Spain might be higher.

Finally, though there have been so many moments on the trip I’ll remember, I want to share a few highlights with you, many of which I haven’t yet told you about.
• The Icelandic superjeep trip. You all know I love to describe things, but it’s been two months and I still can’t put the trip into words.
• Our ship pulling away from Iceland. We left about 11 PM, which, at that latitude, is time for sundown. The buildings began fading away into the horizon just as the sun was dipping down, resulting in a colorful panoramic of Reykjavik, further complimented by the kite drifting with the whim of the boat induced winds.
• White water rafting in Norway. It was the first sunny day since winter. Light blue skies, navy blue water flowing between tall green pines, as we first time rafters (somehow) navigated the rapids without a single flip, before floating alongside the raft downstream to our destination.
• Hiking Mt. Floien in Norway. An incredible contrast as our hike began at the ship, traversing through the urban areas, before making our way up the biggest mountain in Bergen suddenly removing us from the hustle of the city. From the top was a 360-degree view of the city, a great photo-op, and a chance for the urban-geographer in me to observe the city from above.
• Field trip with my IR class to the St. Petersburg School of International Relations where we heard from Russian professors on, among other things, the state of Russia today. While the event can’t compare to the superjeep or the rafting in terms of excitement, it presented a number of interesting dimensions of Russia for me to consider. I’m still trying to make sense of what I think of Russia today, in terms or its politics, economics, and society, but I take some comfort in what Winston Churchill famously said: Russia is a mystery inside of a riddle wrapped in an enigma. I’m still wrestling with my thoughts on the country, but if I can figure them out, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Sorry, I’m going to have to cut it short here, because I want to make sure I post something today, but need to spend some time working on an essay. Stay tuned for more.