Hi:I'll post some information and pictures about our "partial voyage" on the Semester at Sea 2008 summer voyage (9 June-16 July). I'm NOT the Dean (!) but we're enjoying legs from Canada to Norway, Russia, Denmark, and Belgium.
First, though, some background. After we got off the Nassau to New York alumni development voyage, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu as the special invited guest
we figured out that it was easier for Janna simply to stay on the ship as it went up to Halifax to pick up the faculty and students. So, I went to Germany to give a lecture (21-25 May), then to Charlottesville, and then to Madrid (16-24 June) while she volunteered on the ship, doing some check-in, some library work, some textbook organization, etc. Spain never sleeps. I had a meeting of the Spanish Ministry of Culture, then rounded things off with meetings with friends, some research, catching up on culture, and enjoying myself.(Below: The Plaza de Santa Ana at 12:30 a.m.!)
One highlight was dinner with a good friend at the exquisite La Broche restaurant (Google it!); amazing dinner.
I flew from Madrid to Bergen via Copenhagen, and met up with the Explorer, which is docked right in the center of town. Bergen is lovely, full of history (Hanseatic League, fishing industry, Greig, etc.) and while expensive (very, very, very expensive), it's a perfect first stop.
Today (26 June) we took a local bus to a Knitting Museum, located about 45 minutes north of Bergen. It was fascinating, because it reflected the entire history of the Industrial Revolution (farming to industry, major success and growth, competition from abroad and decline; the factory is now a cultural center/museum). Fascinating, and the trip up was gorgeous.
Here's a close-up of one of the many nineteenth-century knitting machines and, below, a blanket made from hundreds of hand-made knitted flowers.
We are in the Land of the Midnight Sun, of course, and it's weird/wonderful to have light just about all night long. This is a shot of Bergen from the ship at 11:30 last night (26 June):
One of the attractions here is the Fish Market, which now floggs its scaled- and- tentacled wares to the tourists who get off the cruise ships; still, it's a fun place, and the fresh, fresh, fresh shrimp and salmon (cured, dried, smoked) is delicious.
We joined LaVahn and MF Hoh today on a semi-FDP to the State Theater of Bergen, and got a full front-of-the-house and backstage tour, full of history and detail. Terrific.
We leave in two hours for St. Petersburg, Russia.July 1: St. Petersburg! It's been a 35-year dream to come here, and it hasn't disappointed. St. Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great in the early XVIII-C, is dazzling, to say the least. A monumental city, much more "European" than "Russian," it is packed with dazzling palaces and gorgeous cathedrals. The anchor is, of course, the Winter Palace, which defies description (Versailles, the Royal Palace in Madrid, luxury, colors).
We arrived early in the morning, up the Neva River and right into the set of "Reds." A city tour, including a lovely view of the city from the river, filled the afternoon (we were lucky: it rains 270 days a year here, and today was bright and sunny). Besides the ornate palaces (the Russian Revolution makes sense when you see all of this), it's a city of domes, onion spires on Orthodox cathedrals, that hint at the Eastern nature of this "western" city.
The Russia of bubushkas, cabbage, and potatoes is receding into the background with the new (oil) money; Russia is a major exporter of oil, and oil is now 7 times more expensive than it was a few years ago, hence the impressive influx of dollars.
We'll be here until Saturday.July 2: Last night we went to the Alexandersky Theater to see a performance of "Swan Lake." The theater itself was dazzling, and the ballet beautiful (music, movement, space, costumes).
Today we did a Forced March excursion to Catherine the Great's Summer Palace, and Peterhof, Peter the Great's Summer Palace on the Baltic. They are both amazing experiences, French-influenced, over-the-top luxury palaces that make you 1) wish you were Russian Royalty and 2) understand the Russian Revolution. Both places were stunning. Below are a few pix.
From Catherine's Palace, we drove over to Peterhof, well known for the lovely gardens and fountains.
One more onion-domed cathedral (they are stunning; more coming, so beware....).
July 4: OMG!, as my students might say. This place is mind-blowing, and it makes one understand the Russian Revolution. The wretched, gorgeous excess of it all. Everything is a palace, decked out in extraordinary luxury and beauty. This "Northern Venice" city of canals
is anchored by the Winter Palace and Hermitage, but those are only the Crown Jewels.
Yesterday we enjoyed the stunning Winter Palace, then had lunch overlooking the spires of Church of Savior on the Spilled Blood (I call it the "Bloody Church").
(See? I told you there would be more spires).
In the evening, we did a canal tour, followed by a visit to the composer Rimsky-Korsakov's home/museum, followed by a recital of arias from selected operas (the singer had just won a major student competition).
Today we went to the Yusupov Palace (how we got in is a story in itself), a fabulously wealthy aristocratic family (friend of the Romanov's, exiled in 1917).
They owned the fourth largest private art collection in the world and it's the place where Rasputin was murdered (poisoned, shot, clubbed, and finally dumped into the Neva River).
The tour included a concert by three male singers, creepy wax figures of Rasputin and his friends, and a gem of a private theater.
Altogether wonderful place.
July 9: Denmark. Bicycles (unlocked!),
monumental buildings, rain, smorbrod, lovely people (they have the highest happiness quotient in the world)....Denmark is a gem. I spent 10 days here in 1966, and it's nice to be back. We are docked in the south, about an hour from Copenhagen, in a charming port called Korsor. The inconvenience of the commute is made up by the welcoming reception yesterday as we pulled in -- the whole town seemed to come out, waving Danish flags, with a band playing Beattles songs, a red carpet, flowers, etc. Quite a sight. Janna and I took a bus up to the capital and wandered around in the intermittant rain, and saw some wonderful things:
One of Denmark's signature dishes is smorbrod, gorgeous open sandwiches that look like jewels in a showcase; yum!
We'll be going back into Copenhagen tomorrow, staying overnight at the Palace Hotel.
And an added bonus -- the World Jazz Festival is taking place this week, so we're hearing some coooooooool jazzzzzzzzzz.
Last day in Denmark. We leave Korsor late this evening (Korsor is a small town southwest of Copenhagen [pronounced "Coopen-hoon" by the locals]).
We spent two days in Copenhagen, enjoying a view of the soaring new Royal Opera House, Tivoli Gardens, several museums (the Dansk Design Museum is a highlight), the Amelienborg Palace (where the Queen lives, and a gentle ride through the canals. Here are a few pix.
July 15: Belgium. So what's not to like about a country whose main food groups are chocolate, beer, and fries with mayo?
We docked in Belgium on Monday morning. Janna and spent the first day in the beautiful medieval city of Ghent, about a 45-minute train ride to the west of Antwerp.
Today we plan to stay put and see Antwerp, the second largest city, and another stunning collection of architectural wonders.
We fly home tomorrow, waaaaaaa.
