Over the last several days, I've come to love Copenhagen and am increasingly glad that we decided to spend a full week here at the end of the trip. The weather has just been spectacular, which has made it all the easier to get out and appreciate the city's spectacular waterfront. I've walked all along the canals and harborfront, taken a canal cruise boat and admired the magnificent architecture from the waterways, and even been out in a kayak with my good friend and generous host Thomas Emil Jensen to get a more intimate experience of the Copenhagen waterways. It really is an amazing place. An interview with a local featured in my guidebook emphasized that to appreciate Copenhagen, one needs to spend as much time along the waterfront as possible, and I'd have to say that I agree.
One of our favorite ways to spend time in Copenhagen thus far is to get out and watch the World Cup matches at an outdoor venue right on the harbor, sponsored by the national sports television network. The venue, situated at a place called Ofelia Beach, is located adjacent to the national theater and directly across the water from the practically brand new Opera House, which is at least as beautiful (if not more), as its counterpart in Oslo. We've spent the last two nights out at Ofelia Beach, watching the evening (European time) matches between Brazil and Chile and then Spain and Portugal last night. The crowds have been fantastic and energetic and it's provided some of the best people watching opportunities of our trip thus far. It was especially packed last night for a highly anticipated match between Spain and Portugal, which was something of an Iberian grudge match.
Which brings me to the second half of the title for this particular post. Last night was the second time we have watched Spain play during this World Cup and both times I have been left with the distinct impression that this is a team almost entirely comprised of conniving pretty boys who would curl up in the fetal position if they were ever presented with a truly physical challenge. In the first game that we watched in Oslo Spain was playing Chile in a group play match. One player, Ramos, twice drew my attention for his flagrant histrionics and overall dishonesty. The first instance involved a play where he actually kicked the goalkeeper in the mouth and then acted as if he had been viciously fouled. In the second instance he took a dive, once again acting as if someone had ripped his achilles tendon from the bone when no one had been within a foot of him.
Last night's match featured more of the same from Ramos and the majority of his compatriots. The last straw, for me, came in the closing minutes of the match. Portugal was down 1-0 and appeared to be knocking at the door. Seemingly out of nowhere, the referee sent a Portuguese defender off with a red card, leaving them down a man for the final three minutes. The replay shown on television showed that the play was a total dive and there was no contact made between the two players whatsoever.
In these last two games the Spanish team has demonstrated the worst of what I have come to know about the game of soccer over the years - namely that the best teams in the world succeed not on talent alone but by their ability and willingness to be blatantly dishonest on the field of play. This is not to say that there isn't regular dishonesty in sports. There is near universal agreement that doping and the throwing of games is wrong. In the sport of golf, it is a cultural norm to call penalties on one's self and players who fail to do so are generally shunned. There is always an interesting debate to be had about whether one has the obligation to notify a referee if one has benefited from a bad call and knows it. I've personally debated that with friends, coaches and teammates for most of my sporting life.
But it seems to me that a distinction needs to be made between benefiting from bad calls that are inadvertent and those that are drawn by premeditated deceit on the part of the player. Basketball has a long history of players who were considered "floppers," by essentially acting as if they had drawn contact when there was none. There's no doubt that it works from time to time, but again, there is a prevailing cultural norm that goes against such behavior and rarely to players consistently and substantially benefit from flopping. The same is not true in soccer. It seems that those teams that are the best actors, and who do so consistently, are those who are the most consistently successful on the world stage. This should be an embarrassment to the game and its organizers. Lip service is paid to the efforts of soccer's international governing body to clamp down on flopping, but it seems obvious that it's been completely ineffectual.
Teams like Spain are the reason why I can't take soccer seriously as a sport and why I will continue to pay attention only once every four years. They give credence to those who assert that it shouldn't even be considered a sport. And that's all I have to say about that.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Update: Scandinavian Trends
Here are few updates on trends I've observed over the last week or so:
- Smoking: A surprising number of Scandinavians smoke. I find it especially surprising given the advanced state of socialized medicine in all these countries and the generally progressive and aggressive proactive social policy programs that seem to be the norm. I was in a bar over the weekend to watch a World Cup match and I think it was the first time that I saw people smoking inside a bar in I don't know how long.
- American football: It took me a while to pick up on this one, but I've seen people in all three countries we've visited attempting to toss a football around. For the most part they've failed miserably, but you have to give them credit for trying, especially since most Americans can't throw a decent spiral themselves.
Reprise of the Party Trucks
There's one important detail I purposefully left out of the above blog post dealing with our arrival back in Copenhagen. Our local travel itinerary for getting back to Thomas' place involved catching a bus from Copenhagen Central Station back to Christianshavn (which is about a 10 minute ride max). As we stood waiting at the bus stop we heard the faint sound of screaming in the distance that drew nearer and nearer. People all around us starting looking back and forth, waiting to see where the noise was coming from. Sure enough, a flatbed truck drove by with a group of screaming teenagers riding in the back. Our old nemesis, the graduation truck had returned!
Over the course of the last several days, we've probably seen about a dozen or so of the party trucks. It's mainly the same deal, except that there's no music blasting. It's an interesting distinction, given the fact that Copenhagen is regarded as a party destination throughout Scandinavia on account of its lax alcohol laws (open containers are legal and alcohol can be bought in just about any standard grocery or convenience store as opposed to state monopoly stores in Sweden).
Another important characteristic of the graduate partiers that I failed to mention before is that they all where these hats that are basically the faux ship captain's hats, as per Gilligan's Island or the Captain & Tenille, not to date myself too much. The band of the hats in Sweden were navy blue and the ones here in Denmark are red with narrower brims.
In any event, it seems that we won't be able to escape the graduation season afterall. Thankfully, I seem to have gotten over most of my crotchetiness and am rolling with it.
Over the course of the last several days, we've probably seen about a dozen or so of the party trucks. It's mainly the same deal, except that there's no music blasting. It's an interesting distinction, given the fact that Copenhagen is regarded as a party destination throughout Scandinavia on account of its lax alcohol laws (open containers are legal and alcohol can be bought in just about any standard grocery or convenience store as opposed to state monopoly stores in Sweden).
Another important characteristic of the graduate partiers that I failed to mention before is that they all where these hats that are basically the faux ship captain's hats, as per Gilligan's Island or the Captain & Tenille, not to date myself too much. The band of the hats in Sweden were navy blue and the ones here in Denmark are red with narrower brims.
In any event, it seems that we won't be able to escape the graduation season afterall. Thankfully, I seem to have gotten over most of my crotchetiness and am rolling with it.
Back to the Beginning
The train ride from Gothenberg back to Copenhagen last Friday afternoon proved to be something of a cathartic experience. It meant that our Scandinavian adventure had officially come full circle and we were arriving back where we had started. For a portion of the trip, we weren't exactly sure about how we felt about spending a week in Copenhagen before returning home. We spent three days or so in town at the beginning of the trip, and while we really enjoyed spending time with my friend Thomas and his girlfriend Johanne, we didn't immediately take to Copenhagen the way that we did to Stockholm. For most of the time that we were in Norway we discussed various options for possibly catching a cheap flight down to Berlin or elsewhere on the continent. However, by the time we finished in Gothenberg, it was pretty clear to both of us that we were ready to be off the road. We went so far as to consider heading back to the States early to get a head start on the packing and moving process that awaits me back in Boston.
I'm happy to report that as we rode on the train down from Gothenberg we realized that this last week in Copenhagen would be an absolute blessing. The weather was gorgeous for the ride down and as the train wound into the city limits we began to see the green oxidized spires that make up the Copenhagen skyline. I have to say that I experienced something of a sense of relief at seeing them. It meant that we were off the road and we had a week in a beautiful city that we hadn't really explored and still had time left to share with Thomas and my friends Faith and Sandy who were flying in from London to spend the weekend with us. Moreover, we knew that it would be a week spent in one place, a beautiful place, in Thomas' wonderful apartment in the Christianshavn neighborhood, which is idyllic even on days with less than perfect weather. This was going to be the relaxing, vacation-esque part of the trip that we hadn't experienced since we had arrived and so desperately needed.
By the time we made it to Thomas' place and dropped all our luggage in the room we are staying in, there was both a literal and a figurative weight that was lifted from our shoulders and we exchanged knowing smiles celebrating that fact. This is not to say that the last three weeks of travel haven't been amazing and that we haven't enjoyed it. I think anyone that's traveled and been on the road for two weeks or more will agree that there's a certain exhaustion that sets in from schlepping stuff on trains, buses, boats, from one city to the next. We saw and experienced some amazing things, some of which I've been able to catalog here and others that are yet to come in both words and pictures. This is going to be an amazing week and we're so glad to be here.
Stay tuned to hear about what comes up during our chilled-out week in Copenhagen!
I'm happy to report that as we rode on the train down from Gothenberg we realized that this last week in Copenhagen would be an absolute blessing. The weather was gorgeous for the ride down and as the train wound into the city limits we began to see the green oxidized spires that make up the Copenhagen skyline. I have to say that I experienced something of a sense of relief at seeing them. It meant that we were off the road and we had a week in a beautiful city that we hadn't really explored and still had time left to share with Thomas and my friends Faith and Sandy who were flying in from London to spend the weekend with us. Moreover, we knew that it would be a week spent in one place, a beautiful place, in Thomas' wonderful apartment in the Christianshavn neighborhood, which is idyllic even on days with less than perfect weather. This was going to be the relaxing, vacation-esque part of the trip that we hadn't experienced since we had arrived and so desperately needed.
By the time we made it to Thomas' place and dropped all our luggage in the room we are staying in, there was both a literal and a figurative weight that was lifted from our shoulders and we exchanged knowing smiles celebrating that fact. This is not to say that the last three weeks of travel haven't been amazing and that we haven't enjoyed it. I think anyone that's traveled and been on the road for two weeks or more will agree that there's a certain exhaustion that sets in from schlepping stuff on trains, buses, boats, from one city to the next. We saw and experienced some amazing things, some of which I've been able to catalog here and others that are yet to come in both words and pictures. This is going to be an amazing week and we're so glad to be here.
Stay tuned to hear about what comes up during our chilled-out week in Copenhagen!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Second Cities
We've had a great time here in Gothenberg the last couple days. When I was doing my homework planning the trip, I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I had a feeling that this would a city that we would enjoy and that's certainly proved to be the case. Like my description of Oslo, it's not really a city that will blow you away. Gothenberg is decidedly the least geographically interesting place we've been to on this trip. The only water present is a tiny little canal that divides the city into 2-3 different sections. There aren't any individual buildings that will blow you away. There are a couple little neighborhoods that are incredibly quaint and there are several buildings that are architecturally intereresting but nothing really overwhelming.
What there is here is a sense of the good life. People seem to be happy. There are great cafes, good food in general, great style in general. There's a friendly feeling here that we just haven't really encountered anywhere else on the trip thus far. This got me thinking about "second cities," those cities that are either statistically the 2nd biggest in a particular country, or those that occupy something of an underdog status, culturally speaking. I've always loved "second cities" and have always found a certain comfort and easiness about them that you don't necessarily find in the glamor destinations. Chicago, the city that perhaps coined the term 2nd city, comes to mind. It's always been one of my favorite cities to visit, precisely because there's a kind of accessibility to it that you don't find in New York or LA. The city makes it easy to get around and the people generally make it easy for you to enjoy sharing their home with them. Melbourne is another second city that is really easy to fall in love with. It doesn't get nearly the attention that Sydney does. It doesn't have a spectacular harbor or architechtural marvels like the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge, or the beaches for that matter. What it does have is a great art and music scene, incredible food, a cosmopolitan feel and for my money it also happens to be one of the best sports towns in the world.
Gothenberg is another delightful second city. The guidebook tells me that it's the second largest city in Sweden and that it's produced a number of notable Swedish musicians, artists and design labels. After spending a few days here, that hardly surprises me. This place may not make the cover of many guidebooks or the travel section of the NY Times, but it's definitely a place where one could easily spend a week or so during the summer just getting caught up in the quality of life.
What there is here is a sense of the good life. People seem to be happy. There are great cafes, good food in general, great style in general. There's a friendly feeling here that we just haven't really encountered anywhere else on the trip thus far. This got me thinking about "second cities," those cities that are either statistically the 2nd biggest in a particular country, or those that occupy something of an underdog status, culturally speaking. I've always loved "second cities" and have always found a certain comfort and easiness about them that you don't necessarily find in the glamor destinations. Chicago, the city that perhaps coined the term 2nd city, comes to mind. It's always been one of my favorite cities to visit, precisely because there's a kind of accessibility to it that you don't find in New York or LA. The city makes it easy to get around and the people generally make it easy for you to enjoy sharing their home with them. Melbourne is another second city that is really easy to fall in love with. It doesn't get nearly the attention that Sydney does. It doesn't have a spectacular harbor or architechtural marvels like the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge, or the beaches for that matter. What it does have is a great art and music scene, incredible food, a cosmopolitan feel and for my money it also happens to be one of the best sports towns in the world.
Gothenberg is another delightful second city. The guidebook tells me that it's the second largest city in Sweden and that it's produced a number of notable Swedish musicians, artists and design labels. After spending a few days here, that hardly surprises me. This place may not make the cover of many guidebooks or the travel section of the NY Times, but it's definitely a place where one could easily spend a week or so during the summer just getting caught up in the quality of life.
Update: Missed Opportunities
Earlier on I posted a list of unique experiences, activities, events and happenings that we had narrowly missed on our trip, including the big Swedish royal wedding. Well, now there's another experience to add to the list: Midsummer Eve/Day. It's apparently a huge deal here in Sweden and for the last couple days it seems as if all of Gothenberg has been out and about getting their festivities put together to share with family and friends. The holiday technically celebrates the longest day of the year, but is observed on the Friday and Saturday after the solstice. This morning I watched a team of guys erect the Maypole in the huge public park that's just a couple blocks away from our hostel.
I have to admit that I'm disappointed that we're going to miss this holiday. It seems to be something of a combination of the 4th of July and Thanksgiving, what with the long summer day, BBQs, and time spent with family and friends, which pretty much forms up my top criteria for holidays - especially if you throw good food into the picture.
The good news is that we're headed back to Copenhagen tomorrow, which is the last stop on our trip. That means that our eurail passes will be complete and the schlepping of luggage, etc., will essentially also be over. I'm looking forward to a week or so of relatively chilled out time in a beautiful city. We'll just have to see where the adventure takes us once we get there!
I have to admit that I'm disappointed that we're going to miss this holiday. It seems to be something of a combination of the 4th of July and Thanksgiving, what with the long summer day, BBQs, and time spent with family and friends, which pretty much forms up my top criteria for holidays - especially if you throw good food into the picture.
The good news is that we're headed back to Copenhagen tomorrow, which is the last stop on our trip. That means that our eurail passes will be complete and the schlepping of luggage, etc., will essentially also be over. I'm looking forward to a week or so of relatively chilled out time in a beautiful city. We'll just have to see where the adventure takes us once we get there!
Trend Update: Neckwear
After spending the last couple days perusing various fashion outlets around Gothenberg, I am here to inform you about the latest trend in Swedish men's accessories...pre-tied bow ties.
I swear that I've seen pre-tied bow ties in practically every store I've been in for the last 2-3 days. I definitely give them credit for the designs, which are definitely cool, hip, chic, innovative, apply the adjective of your choice. I just have to admit that I don't get the pre-tied thing. For such a fashion conscious society, you'd think that there would be a premium placed on actually a genuine bow tie that is self-tied. However, there is something of a kitsch factor involved in the pre-tied version that certainly seems to fit in with the fashion aesthetic here.
On further inspection, I might just be grousing about the whole thing out of my own bias for the fair dinkum bow ties, to borrow an Australian idiom. Knowing how to tie one is a skill that I think ever man should have and that's just my own thing. I should probably refrain from imposing my own preferences on a culture that clearly knows way more about fashion than I do.
I swear that I've seen pre-tied bow ties in practically every store I've been in for the last 2-3 days. I definitely give them credit for the designs, which are definitely cool, hip, chic, innovative, apply the adjective of your choice. I just have to admit that I don't get the pre-tied thing. For such a fashion conscious society, you'd think that there would be a premium placed on actually a genuine bow tie that is self-tied. However, there is something of a kitsch factor involved in the pre-tied version that certainly seems to fit in with the fashion aesthetic here.
On further inspection, I might just be grousing about the whole thing out of my own bias for the fair dinkum bow ties, to borrow an Australian idiom. Knowing how to tie one is a skill that I think ever man should have and that's just my own thing. I should probably refrain from imposing my own preferences on a culture that clearly knows way more about fashion than I do.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
A Great Good Time in Oslo
Many moons ago now, when I was in my senior year of college at USC, I had the pleasure of taking a film class with renown critic Leonard Maltin. The class enjoyed legendary status on the 'SC campus. In the class you got to pre-screen movies before their release in theaters. After the movie was over, someone involved in the production of the film would be present to talk about it and take Q&A. Previous classes had been graced by the presence of the likes of Al Pacino and others. Our semester had no such luck in terms of star power. Why am I rambling on about a film class I took nearly 10 years ago on a blog about my travels through Scandinavia? Well, I learned one very important lesson in that class. I vividly remember Prof. Maltin talking to us about the importance of expectations in movie-watching. If you go into a movie with high expectations and it turns out to be just so-so, you often walk away thinking that it was awful. By the same token, if you go in expecting the film to be terrible and it turns out to be so-so, you walk out of it with an overly positive impression.
In the 10 years or so since I took that class, I've found that Prof. Maltin's insight into movie-going applies well beyond the cinema and over the last couple days, I found that it certainly applied to my experience with Oslo. After reading up on Oslo over the last few months, and consulting friends who have lived or traveled through Scandinavia, I had arrived at the conclusion that there wasn't much reason to be excited about Oslo. I actually made a case to my mother that we should just skip it entirely on our itinerary for the Great Scandinavian Adventure. She resisted and, in the end, we're both glad that she did.
I have to say that Oslo didn't exactly impress on first sight. I had expected Oslo to be the worst of what capital cities can offer - lots of bureaucracy, boring architecture, little flavor. Flavor it certainly had. Within a few steps of our journey from the train station to our hostel it felt like we might as well be in Dar es Salaam, instead of Oslo. It was a bit overwhelming after the homogeneity of Scandinavia, but it also fit with the standard ghettoization of ethnic communities that we had seen throughout our trip.
We made it to our hostel exhausted after a lengthy but spectacular train trip from Bergen to Oslo (which I'll get into later, this being a postmodern blog and all). We wandered around the surrounding neighborhood of Grunnerloka (I'm pretty sure I butchered the spelling there), which was decidedly hip for Oslo, but lacked depth shall we say. There were plenty of cool looking shops, bars, restaurants, but not nearly enough given Oslo's overall size. We finished our walk relatively non plussed and returned back to our room to finish off what was left of the amazing fish that we had bought from the quay-side market in Bergen, which mind you was delicious.
The next day, we woke up and got out on the town around 10 in the morning, which is early for us on this trip. We stopped briefly at a Salvation Army in our neighborhood which, according to our Lonely Planet guide, was the place where all the best donations where siphoned. That turned out to be true, but the idea of paying $20 for a shirt from Salvation Army proved to be a turnoff. Undeterred, we wandered into the heart of Oslo. I had charted out a route for us that ran along King Johans Gate (the main pedestrian/shopping thoroughfare), past the royal palace (which was also relatively unimpressive) in search of what the guidebook claimed to be the best bakery in Norway. After some searching, we found the bakery/cafe tucked away down a side street in the diplomatic section of Oslo. We had probably the best cup of coffee of our trip to Norway and some great pastries.
The weather had turned out to be just perfect, with temps in the upper 60s and barely any clouds. It was the first time that we had been able to go out with out layering up in about a week and it felt so good. After a leisurely coffee and pastry we wandered back along the plotted course for the day, which took us down to the waterfront. We checked out the Nobel Peace Museum and decided that we did not have $25 to invest in peace on that particular day. Instead, we walked over to the adjacent City Hall, where they actually award the Nobel Peace Prize and which does not charge for admission. It turned out to be one of our best decisions of the day. The main hall is cavernous and is almost completely surrounded with very impressive murals that depict Norway's history and culture.
After ogling the art, we made our way towards the opera house, which we had been told was a can't miss. Along the way we passed by a fortress along the waterfront and discovered that the state television network was sponsoring a World Cup match watching space that featured stadium seating and a giant screen. We couldn't go in just then on account of the bottle of red wine we had just bought but decided that we should come back for the evening match. We then made our way down to the opera house that did not disappoint. It was designed by a Norwegian architect and it features a slanted roof that people are free to walk on all the way to the top of the building. I'm not doing it justice here, but I promise to post photos later that will demonstrate just how unique a structure it is.
Once we were done ogling the opera house, we walked back to our hostel and picked up some pretty good Thai food from a takeaway joint down the street, which we brought back to our room with the bottle of red wine. After a stop at an internet cafe, we walked back down to the fortress for the evening match between Spain and Honduras. The game itself was pretty mediocre and the result was never really in doubt (Spain ultimately won 2-0) but we had the best time there. There had to be about 8,000 people there and in very good spirits. It made for great people watching (including the conclusive experience for my latest post on Scandinavian trends). One of the most interesting aspects of the people watching was seeing just how diverse the crowd was. It really was the first time that we had seen white Scandinavian folk hanging out with people from ethnic immigrant communities. That's not to say that it was a Benetton ad, but there were definitely social groups that included people from all backgrounds and people from different groups were comingling quite happily. It also represented one of the few times on this trip where we were able to be in a social atmosphere with locals, which as mainly been related to the cost factor (to be taken up in a later post). All in all, it made for the end of a great full day in Oslo.
The momentum carried into our last few hours in Oslo this morning. I got up to go for a run along a path that wound alongside a small stream that runs through the city. I picked up the path not far from our hostel and ran away from the city center curious to see what some of the further out communities might look like. I dodged the occasional biker on his or her morning commute while I ran up a series of steep hills. Alongside me was a series of waterfalls and dams that had been used in earlier years to power mills on the other side of the stream. It was a beautiful atmosphere and exactly what I needed for a little peaceful exercise before getting on a train in the early afternoon.
When I got back from my run, we packed up our things, stored our bags in the hostel and made our way over to the National Gallery. We had mainly decided to go to see the original version of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" but quickly found that there was more to the collection than just the one classic. A great deal of the paintings were nice, but were also derivative of the great masters that the Norwegian artists had clearly gone to Paris, Berlin and other places to study. But there were a few pieces by Munch and others that really were quite stunning and they were really quite captivating. The museum itself wasn't much to write home about (even though I'm doing that now), but it certainly did the trick.
Sitting in Gothenberg, Sweden at the end of a travel day, I have to say that it really was worth spending the time in Oslo. Which brings me back to Prof. Maltin's lesson on expectations. Objectively speaking, none of the experiences we had in Oslo could be listed in the superlative. We've seen more beautiful cities on this trip. We've eaten more delicious pastries. We've walked down far more beautiful avenues. But given our expectations going in and what we encountered and the gorgeous weather, I think we have both come away a little charmed by Oslo.
So, that's my story for today and I'm sticking to it. It's nearly midnight here and I think I'm going to walk back over to our room to call it a day. Hope this finds everyone back home well and I'll write more soon!
In the 10 years or so since I took that class, I've found that Prof. Maltin's insight into movie-going applies well beyond the cinema and over the last couple days, I found that it certainly applied to my experience with Oslo. After reading up on Oslo over the last few months, and consulting friends who have lived or traveled through Scandinavia, I had arrived at the conclusion that there wasn't much reason to be excited about Oslo. I actually made a case to my mother that we should just skip it entirely on our itinerary for the Great Scandinavian Adventure. She resisted and, in the end, we're both glad that she did.
I have to say that Oslo didn't exactly impress on first sight. I had expected Oslo to be the worst of what capital cities can offer - lots of bureaucracy, boring architecture, little flavor. Flavor it certainly had. Within a few steps of our journey from the train station to our hostel it felt like we might as well be in Dar es Salaam, instead of Oslo. It was a bit overwhelming after the homogeneity of Scandinavia, but it also fit with the standard ghettoization of ethnic communities that we had seen throughout our trip.
We made it to our hostel exhausted after a lengthy but spectacular train trip from Bergen to Oslo (which I'll get into later, this being a postmodern blog and all). We wandered around the surrounding neighborhood of Grunnerloka (I'm pretty sure I butchered the spelling there), which was decidedly hip for Oslo, but lacked depth shall we say. There were plenty of cool looking shops, bars, restaurants, but not nearly enough given Oslo's overall size. We finished our walk relatively non plussed and returned back to our room to finish off what was left of the amazing fish that we had bought from the quay-side market in Bergen, which mind you was delicious.
The next day, we woke up and got out on the town around 10 in the morning, which is early for us on this trip. We stopped briefly at a Salvation Army in our neighborhood which, according to our Lonely Planet guide, was the place where all the best donations where siphoned. That turned out to be true, but the idea of paying $20 for a shirt from Salvation Army proved to be a turnoff. Undeterred, we wandered into the heart of Oslo. I had charted out a route for us that ran along King Johans Gate (the main pedestrian/shopping thoroughfare), past the royal palace (which was also relatively unimpressive) in search of what the guidebook claimed to be the best bakery in Norway. After some searching, we found the bakery/cafe tucked away down a side street in the diplomatic section of Oslo. We had probably the best cup of coffee of our trip to Norway and some great pastries.
The weather had turned out to be just perfect, with temps in the upper 60s and barely any clouds. It was the first time that we had been able to go out with out layering up in about a week and it felt so good. After a leisurely coffee and pastry we wandered back along the plotted course for the day, which took us down to the waterfront. We checked out the Nobel Peace Museum and decided that we did not have $25 to invest in peace on that particular day. Instead, we walked over to the adjacent City Hall, where they actually award the Nobel Peace Prize and which does not charge for admission. It turned out to be one of our best decisions of the day. The main hall is cavernous and is almost completely surrounded with very impressive murals that depict Norway's history and culture.
After ogling the art, we made our way towards the opera house, which we had been told was a can't miss. Along the way we passed by a fortress along the waterfront and discovered that the state television network was sponsoring a World Cup match watching space that featured stadium seating and a giant screen. We couldn't go in just then on account of the bottle of red wine we had just bought but decided that we should come back for the evening match. We then made our way down to the opera house that did not disappoint. It was designed by a Norwegian architect and it features a slanted roof that people are free to walk on all the way to the top of the building. I'm not doing it justice here, but I promise to post photos later that will demonstrate just how unique a structure it is.
Once we were done ogling the opera house, we walked back to our hostel and picked up some pretty good Thai food from a takeaway joint down the street, which we brought back to our room with the bottle of red wine. After a stop at an internet cafe, we walked back down to the fortress for the evening match between Spain and Honduras. The game itself was pretty mediocre and the result was never really in doubt (Spain ultimately won 2-0) but we had the best time there. There had to be about 8,000 people there and in very good spirits. It made for great people watching (including the conclusive experience for my latest post on Scandinavian trends). One of the most interesting aspects of the people watching was seeing just how diverse the crowd was. It really was the first time that we had seen white Scandinavian folk hanging out with people from ethnic immigrant communities. That's not to say that it was a Benetton ad, but there were definitely social groups that included people from all backgrounds and people from different groups were comingling quite happily. It also represented one of the few times on this trip where we were able to be in a social atmosphere with locals, which as mainly been related to the cost factor (to be taken up in a later post). All in all, it made for the end of a great full day in Oslo.
The momentum carried into our last few hours in Oslo this morning. I got up to go for a run along a path that wound alongside a small stream that runs through the city. I picked up the path not far from our hostel and ran away from the city center curious to see what some of the further out communities might look like. I dodged the occasional biker on his or her morning commute while I ran up a series of steep hills. Alongside me was a series of waterfalls and dams that had been used in earlier years to power mills on the other side of the stream. It was a beautiful atmosphere and exactly what I needed for a little peaceful exercise before getting on a train in the early afternoon.
When I got back from my run, we packed up our things, stored our bags in the hostel and made our way over to the National Gallery. We had mainly decided to go to see the original version of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" but quickly found that there was more to the collection than just the one classic. A great deal of the paintings were nice, but were also derivative of the great masters that the Norwegian artists had clearly gone to Paris, Berlin and other places to study. But there were a few pieces by Munch and others that really were quite stunning and they were really quite captivating. The museum itself wasn't much to write home about (even though I'm doing that now), but it certainly did the trick.
Sitting in Gothenberg, Sweden at the end of a travel day, I have to say that it really was worth spending the time in Oslo. Which brings me back to Prof. Maltin's lesson on expectations. Objectively speaking, none of the experiences we had in Oslo could be listed in the superlative. We've seen more beautiful cities on this trip. We've eaten more delicious pastries. We've walked down far more beautiful avenues. But given our expectations going in and what we encountered and the gorgeous weather, I think we have both come away a little charmed by Oslo.
So, that's my story for today and I'm sticking to it. It's nearly midnight here and I think I'm going to walk back over to our room to call it a day. Hope this finds everyone back home well and I'll write more soon!
Scandinavian Trend Update!
As promised, I'm providing an update on fashion and style trends from Scandinavia. I'm afraid that all my friends back in Boston are not going to be happy with this one. Just as I picked up quickly on the number of American accents in Trondheim, it took about half an hour on the streets of Oslo to realize that just about every dude under the age of 35 and his uncle (presuming he was also under 35) was wearing a New York Yankees hat of some color or style. While we sat outside watching a World Cup match on a giant screen (more info forthcoming), I could spot no fewer than 10 Yankees hats within a 10 meter radius (I'm getting the hang of this metric system thing). Now, I haven't jumped on the Red Sox bandwagon just yet, but it was a bit much really. It just makes me wonder how fads like that start. Did it have to do with their recent World Series title? I seem to recall that Norway participates in the new-fangled international baseball tournament they started a couple years back. There were also an occasional smattering of other hats as well. There was an odd Pirates hat here, or an Indians hat there, but they were totally overwhelmed by Yankees hats - purple, red, green, paisley (if you can believe that). I might have seen a plain old navy around somewhere, but I might be imagining that.
In any event, you heard it here...The Yankees are in in Scandinavia...
In any event, you heard it here...The Yankees are in in Scandinavia...
The Royal Wedding, Pt. 2
Well, it was quite the to do over in Stockholm by the looks of it. As previously mentioned, a who's who of global royals were in attendance, including Prince Edward, Prince Albert of Monaco and the pride of Australia, Princess Mary of Denmark.
A friend living in Stockholm had told me the week before that there had been some sort of controversy over the initial wedding procession. Apparently, it is traditional in the Swedish national church (which is Lutheran) for the couple to walk down the aisle together. Princess Victoria, having spent time in the States (including Yale...boo!) desired what became known as an "American style" wedding which meant that her father the current king would walk her down the aisle. Victoria's persistence had raised something of a stink amongst the Swedish clergy and consequently in the national press. There were apparently members of the clergy who suggested that no one should marry them. Clearly that wasn't going to happen. In then end, it appeared that Victoria had learned her first lesson in marital compromise. Her father walked her halfway down the aisle where the groom was waiting. Together, they then processed up to the alter. And all over Sweden was heard a sigh of relief...
The wedding itself was pretty short. I'm pretty sure the service lasted an hour, max. The ceremony and the music was tasteful right up until the very end, when Princess Victoria's penchant for American culture reared its ugly American head once again. The final performance of the ceremony was a pseudo-pop duet featuring two Swedish pop vocalists singing in English. Meanwhile, the newlyweds awkwardly held hands and smiled for approximately 4 minutes before walking out of the church to meet the horse-drawn carriage that then transported them all over Stockholm.
My Mother enjoyed every last minute and we have photographic evidence of the wedding from the TV we watched in the hotel we weren't staying in. All in all, though, it was an enjoyable experience. It was very cool to watch the whole thing play out in an area that we had gotten to know quite well during our stay in Stockholm. Our hostel could be easily spotted on most of the outdoor panoramic shots, which we got a kick out of. It'll be a lasting memory from the trip for sure.
A friend living in Stockholm had told me the week before that there had been some sort of controversy over the initial wedding procession. Apparently, it is traditional in the Swedish national church (which is Lutheran) for the couple to walk down the aisle together. Princess Victoria, having spent time in the States (including Yale...boo!) desired what became known as an "American style" wedding which meant that her father the current king would walk her down the aisle. Victoria's persistence had raised something of a stink amongst the Swedish clergy and consequently in the national press. There were apparently members of the clergy who suggested that no one should marry them. Clearly that wasn't going to happen. In then end, it appeared that Victoria had learned her first lesson in marital compromise. Her father walked her halfway down the aisle where the groom was waiting. Together, they then processed up to the alter. And all over Sweden was heard a sigh of relief...
The wedding itself was pretty short. I'm pretty sure the service lasted an hour, max. The ceremony and the music was tasteful right up until the very end, when Princess Victoria's penchant for American culture reared its ugly American head once again. The final performance of the ceremony was a pseudo-pop duet featuring two Swedish pop vocalists singing in English. Meanwhile, the newlyweds awkwardly held hands and smiled for approximately 4 minutes before walking out of the church to meet the horse-drawn carriage that then transported them all over Stockholm.
My Mother enjoyed every last minute and we have photographic evidence of the wedding from the TV we watched in the hotel we weren't staying in. All in all, though, it was an enjoyable experience. It was very cool to watch the whole thing play out in an area that we had gotten to know quite well during our stay in Stockholm. Our hostel could be easily spotted on most of the outdoor panoramic shots, which we got a kick out of. It'll be a lasting memory from the trip for sure.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Royal Watching in Bergen
After a productive morning taking care of our last bits of odds and ends in town, we've settled into the Thon Hotel next to the historic Bryggen district in Bergen to watch the Royal Swedish wedding of Princess Victoria to Daniel what's his face. I actually appreciate Daniel What's his face because if I were to describe his general look, it would be nerd-chic. He gives us single dudes hope. That's all I'm saying.
The television commentary is in Swedish, so we're doing our best to make up our own running English commentary. Here are a few gems from my Mom thus far:
The television commentary is in Swedish, so we're doing our best to make up our own running English commentary. Here are a few gems from my Mom thus far:
- "That's what I call the arctic beehive" - describing the hairstyle of a more elderly member of a European royal family which, to be fair, had some pretty serious altitude.
- "That must be a friend or cousin, because he's gay. You can mark it down. Prince Edward is never getting married and after he dies his book is going to come out."
- "They're not going to show any closeups of any of them." - After seeing a number of more mature princesses of some strip who clearly had some work done.
So, that's what we're up to. It's a beautiful sunny day in Bergen, but it's blowing a bloody gale out. If the wind would ever let up, it would probably be about 70 degrees with blue skies. Unfortunately, it looks like 2 cruise ships made their way into Bergen this morning and the streets absolutely crawling with tourists. So, we're going to chill out in the hotel lobby, watch the rest of the wedding and hope that the hotel bar opens up soon, so we can grab a beer along the way.
New Mystery...Yankee Doodle Trondheim?
When we arrived in Trondheim, one week ago today, we found the town nearly empty by the time we made it to our hotel at 8 PM. In the time it took us to do one loop walking around Central Trondheim (which believe me is not big) I clearly heard more people speaking English with an American accent than the entire time we spent in Stockholm, a considerably larger city. These folks didn't have the look of travelers or tourists, like us. They were either businessmen in suits or they had the distinctive look of military types. So, this raised the question for me...what were all these Americans doing in Trondheim?
I think it's safe to say that there isn't a lot about Trondheim that one could consider exceptional. It's a nice, small city, probably the size of Santa Monica or so if I were to guess. It's pretty, but not exceptionally so. There isn't anything distinctive about it, culturally speaking. And there didn't appear to be any significant industry there either, at least that I could see.
In some ways, it reminded me of my brief stay in Alice Springs, Australia almost 10 years ago. During my one night in town I met a whole crew of Navy guys in the pub as far away as one can possibly get from water in Australia. It turned out they were all IT specialists working at an intelligence sharing facility that the Aussies operate in the middle of the desert. So, I got to wondering if something similar might be going on in Trondheim.
The next day we wandered into a cafe that proved to be about the most affordable place in town to get something decent to eat and it turned out that the guy working behind the counter was from San Diego. He had come as a student to study at the university there and decided to stay. I mentioned to him that I had noticed a lot of Americans in town and asked why that is. He confirmed my observations, remarking that there was an expat group that met socially on a monthly basis. Then he said that people just come to Trondheim and decide they like the lifestyle and decide to stay. I guess I can understand that on some level but it didn't quite satisfy my suspicion. The mystery of Trondheim reminds in my mind. Maybe someone who knows better than I can help me resolve it one of these days.
I think it's safe to say that there isn't a lot about Trondheim that one could consider exceptional. It's a nice, small city, probably the size of Santa Monica or so if I were to guess. It's pretty, but not exceptionally so. There isn't anything distinctive about it, culturally speaking. And there didn't appear to be any significant industry there either, at least that I could see.
In some ways, it reminded me of my brief stay in Alice Springs, Australia almost 10 years ago. During my one night in town I met a whole crew of Navy guys in the pub as far away as one can possibly get from water in Australia. It turned out they were all IT specialists working at an intelligence sharing facility that the Aussies operate in the middle of the desert. So, I got to wondering if something similar might be going on in Trondheim.
The next day we wandered into a cafe that proved to be about the most affordable place in town to get something decent to eat and it turned out that the guy working behind the counter was from San Diego. He had come as a student to study at the university there and decided to stay. I mentioned to him that I had noticed a lot of Americans in town and asked why that is. He confirmed my observations, remarking that there was an expat group that met socially on a monthly basis. Then he said that people just come to Trondheim and decide they like the lifestyle and decide to stay. I guess I can understand that on some level but it didn't quite satisfy my suspicion. The mystery of Trondheim reminds in my mind. Maybe someone who knows better than I can help me resolve it one of these days.
Going Postmodernist
Okay, so at best my posts from the road thus far have been intermittent. As such, there are going to be a lot of posts that will be out of chronological order. So, let's think of this as a passe attempt at postmodernist storytelling. It may be scattered, but hopefully it will remain at least mildly entertaining. Let's see how this goes!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Too Beautiful to be Cute
We made it into Bergen on the Hurtigruten coastel ship yesterday afternoon. I took a minute or two to try to come up with a catchy title for this post, but the truth of the matter is that the journey from Trondheim to Bergen was just too beautiful to be coy about. At a cruising speed of 15 knots, or thereabouts, we passed some of the most gorgeous scenery I've ever encountered. First, the coastline started to rise in lush, green, grassy hills with more majestic snowcapped peaks behind in the distance. We made our way down a small inlet to stop at a small town with those same snowcapped peaks now towering above us, almost close enough to touch (or so we thought). After a brief, but lovely, dinner, we made it back out in time to snap some more photos on the way back out of the inlet. Just as midnight approached, we watched the bright sun start to sink behind the many tiny islands that lie just off the Norwegian coast which caused a beautiful corona effect around the small, shadowy land masses. And as we pulled into Ålesund at midnight there was a beautiful pink twilight sky that never truly faded to darkness.
We called it a night around 12:30 and snagged about 4 hours of sleep in our cabin before waking up just as we pulled out from a different port at 5:45. I had the entire aft deck to myself as we sailed through a beautiful, pristine, and entirely peaceful fjord in the early morning hours. Small waterfalls cascaded down rocky cliffs and I had it all to myself. I think it might be my favorite moment of the trip thus far. Photos, as usual, are forthcoming.
The only downside was that I was probably the only person on the boat between the ages of 18 and 60, which was just a little strange. Even more strange was that the ship had hired a wannabe Kenny G style saxophonist to get on the aft deck and play horrific solo new wave jazz each time we pulled into port and then pulled away again. I think we must have heard him play at least 8 or 10 times. For any Glee Clubbers out there reading this, an image popped into my mind of what Jim's face would look like in reacting to the music and I nearly lost it. Hilarious.
Well, I need to vacate my computer at the moment, but needless to say, much more to come...
We called it a night around 12:30 and snagged about 4 hours of sleep in our cabin before waking up just as we pulled out from a different port at 5:45. I had the entire aft deck to myself as we sailed through a beautiful, pristine, and entirely peaceful fjord in the early morning hours. Small waterfalls cascaded down rocky cliffs and I had it all to myself. I think it might be my favorite moment of the trip thus far. Photos, as usual, are forthcoming.
The only downside was that I was probably the only person on the boat between the ages of 18 and 60, which was just a little strange. Even more strange was that the ship had hired a wannabe Kenny G style saxophonist to get on the aft deck and play horrific solo new wave jazz each time we pulled into port and then pulled away again. I think we must have heard him play at least 8 or 10 times. For any Glee Clubbers out there reading this, an image popped into my mind of what Jim's face would look like in reacting to the music and I nearly lost it. Hilarious.
Well, I need to vacate my computer at the moment, but needless to say, much more to come...
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
A Little Drama Never Hurts
Our trip had gone largely to plan, aside from the sticker shock of buying just about anything basic in Norway, and as of this morning we were feeling good. We woke up after a solid night's sleep in Trondheim, where we had basically spent the last two days just taking it easy. The most we got up to in Trondheim was a walk around town to window shop at stores that were mostly closed and managed to make it to an English pub to watch the Australia-Germany World Cup match, which turned out to be a drubbing. We also learned on that occasion that a couple rounds of beers and a plate of fish and chips will run you about $90 in Norway. That'll put some learnin' on ya.
But after a couple days puttering around and catching up on the BBC and the Prairie Home Companion Movie on Norwegian television (I kid you not...there's photographic evidence to prove it), we were ready to have a lazy morning and head to the quay for the next leg of the trip that we had been looking forward to for months. After a little research, I discovered a beautiful coastal ferry that runs up and down the Norwegian coast from Bergen (our desired destination) to Kierkenes, well above the Arctic Circle. Our plan was to take the ferry overnight from Trondheim to Bergen and see what all the fuss was about with the Norwegian coast.
By memory, I recalled that the ferry was to leave Trondheim at 2:30 PM and arrive in Bergen sometime late Wednesday morning. Mom and I planned a lazy morning before heading out to the quay around 1:30 to make sure we got there with plenty of time to spare. After take a few sips on our morning coffee at around 9:30 AM, we decided to get ourselves in order before starting the day. I asked my mother to pull out the ferry information from her file so we could be sure of our departure and arrival times. She handed me the slip of paper, which I quickly scanned and uttered a few words that a recent seminary graduate probably shouldn't let slip. It turned out that the ferry was scheduled to leave Trondheim at 10:00 AM sharp. At that moment, it was 9:32 AM.
Needless to say, we both entered a frantic state and threw everything we had into our bags in whatever way it would fit and called down to the front desk to call us a cab. Luckily for us, for being the 3rd largest city in Norway, Trondheim is pretty compact and the cab ride took a grand total of 5 minutes. We made it up the gangway at 9:53 with 7 minutes to spare. Mom and I looked at each other and heaved a heavy sigh of relief and gratitude that we made it. She turned to me and summed it up best, "Sometimes, you need a little drama in your life." I think that after a couple sleepy days in Trondheim, she pretty much hit the nail on the head.
So, that's the story of how we made it to the Hurtigruten coastal steamer. Stay tuned for the next post with details on our amazing trip down the Norwegian coast...and the midnight sun! I haven't forgotten!
But after a couple days puttering around and catching up on the BBC and the Prairie Home Companion Movie on Norwegian television (I kid you not...there's photographic evidence to prove it), we were ready to have a lazy morning and head to the quay for the next leg of the trip that we had been looking forward to for months. After a little research, I discovered a beautiful coastal ferry that runs up and down the Norwegian coast from Bergen (our desired destination) to Kierkenes, well above the Arctic Circle. Our plan was to take the ferry overnight from Trondheim to Bergen and see what all the fuss was about with the Norwegian coast.
By memory, I recalled that the ferry was to leave Trondheim at 2:30 PM and arrive in Bergen sometime late Wednesday morning. Mom and I planned a lazy morning before heading out to the quay around 1:30 to make sure we got there with plenty of time to spare. After take a few sips on our morning coffee at around 9:30 AM, we decided to get ourselves in order before starting the day. I asked my mother to pull out the ferry information from her file so we could be sure of our departure and arrival times. She handed me the slip of paper, which I quickly scanned and uttered a few words that a recent seminary graduate probably shouldn't let slip. It turned out that the ferry was scheduled to leave Trondheim at 10:00 AM sharp. At that moment, it was 9:32 AM.
Needless to say, we both entered a frantic state and threw everything we had into our bags in whatever way it would fit and called down to the front desk to call us a cab. Luckily for us, for being the 3rd largest city in Norway, Trondheim is pretty compact and the cab ride took a grand total of 5 minutes. We made it up the gangway at 9:53 with 7 minutes to spare. Mom and I looked at each other and heaved a heavy sigh of relief and gratitude that we made it. She turned to me and summed it up best, "Sometimes, you need a little drama in your life." I think that after a couple sleepy days in Trondheim, she pretty much hit the nail on the head.
So, that's the story of how we made it to the Hurtigruten coastal steamer. Stay tuned for the next post with details on our amazing trip down the Norwegian coast...and the midnight sun! I haven't forgotten!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Riding the Rails from Stockholm to Trondheim
We had an early start to the day on Saturday, waking up at 6 AM to pack up and make it to Stockholm Central station for our train to Northern Sweden. We made it to the station with no real issue and enjoyed a coffee while waiting for our train. Sitting next to us was a group of three travelers, including an American in his late 30s who apparently at one point bragged to the others that if they should ever lose their passport he knows a guy. Always reassuring...
We boarded our sleek, Swedish high speed train bound for Ostersund in Northern Sweden around 8:30. Seated across from us were two women in their 70s who appeared to be something of the Swedish female version of Stadler and Waldorf from the Muppet Show. They chatted and giggled and carried on about Lord knows what for the majority of the 6 hour trip. They had event bought their own copies of the day's newspaper and worked on the crossword puzzle side by side, which was almost unbearably cute.
My Mom and I plugged into my iPod and relaxed as the spectacular Swedish countryside whizzed by at an average speed of 100 or so mph. Through the intermittent rain we gazed out the window at beautiful, rich green pastures and stunning inland lakes and rivers with hardly a standing structure in view along the coastline. More often than not, the most obvious buildings on the lake were just that - on the lake. There were tiny hits built on stilts in the middle of the lake, presumably for fishing and maybe even drying of fish that were caught out on the lake.
Our afternoon stop was in Ostersund, a small, seemingly industrial town in north central Sweden. Our main goal for the brief two hour stop was to find a suitable place to grab a light lunch. After wandering around the central pedestrian shopping district, my Mom waved me over to a small kebab shop that had the Greece-S. Korea World Cup match on. The shop was run by a youngish guy, probably about my age who spoke broken, but still pretty good English. When we had nearly finished our meal, he struck up a conversation with us about where we were from. Aside from his confusion about whether California was a city or a state, he was fairly well informed about American life. He asked us what we thought of Obama and how the U.S. took care of those who were poor and unemployed. He began to extol the virtues of the Scandinavian social welfare state and how comfortable it made life. He then explained to us that he preferred George Bush to Obama on account of his policy towards Iraq. It turns out that this man is from Turkey but of Kurdish ethnicity and very much approved of Bush's policies which he took to be the most positive for the Kurds of any American president in recent memory. My Mom pointed out the strange combination of our new friend's approval of a strong welfare state and preference for GWB. So far, our brief interaction in Ostersund has proven to be one of the lasting memories from the trip.
After lunch we boarded a Norwegian train that would take us to Trondheim. Stadler and Waldorf were once again sitting across from us as the train pulled out of the station. I struggled to keep up with my point and shoot photography out the window as we passed by more pristine lakes and climbed higher and higher into the mountains that form the border between Norway and Sweden. There were still remnants of snow on the peaks of the mountains we saw in the distance and melted runoff formed waterfalls cascading down the jagged cliffs that lined both sides of the railroad tracks. Eventually, we made our way down the mountains into a lush, green river valley and the river that ran alongside the tracks opened into open waters. The sun finally decided to show itself as the train made its way into Trondheim at 8:15 PM, giving us a taste of the late night sunshine that awaited us at the northernmost destination on our Great Scandinavian Adventure.
We boarded our sleek, Swedish high speed train bound for Ostersund in Northern Sweden around 8:30. Seated across from us were two women in their 70s who appeared to be something of the Swedish female version of Stadler and Waldorf from the Muppet Show. They chatted and giggled and carried on about Lord knows what for the majority of the 6 hour trip. They had event bought their own copies of the day's newspaper and worked on the crossword puzzle side by side, which was almost unbearably cute.
My Mom and I plugged into my iPod and relaxed as the spectacular Swedish countryside whizzed by at an average speed of 100 or so mph. Through the intermittent rain we gazed out the window at beautiful, rich green pastures and stunning inland lakes and rivers with hardly a standing structure in view along the coastline. More often than not, the most obvious buildings on the lake were just that - on the lake. There were tiny hits built on stilts in the middle of the lake, presumably for fishing and maybe even drying of fish that were caught out on the lake.
Our afternoon stop was in Ostersund, a small, seemingly industrial town in north central Sweden. Our main goal for the brief two hour stop was to find a suitable place to grab a light lunch. After wandering around the central pedestrian shopping district, my Mom waved me over to a small kebab shop that had the Greece-S. Korea World Cup match on. The shop was run by a youngish guy, probably about my age who spoke broken, but still pretty good English. When we had nearly finished our meal, he struck up a conversation with us about where we were from. Aside from his confusion about whether California was a city or a state, he was fairly well informed about American life. He asked us what we thought of Obama and how the U.S. took care of those who were poor and unemployed. He began to extol the virtues of the Scandinavian social welfare state and how comfortable it made life. He then explained to us that he preferred George Bush to Obama on account of his policy towards Iraq. It turns out that this man is from Turkey but of Kurdish ethnicity and very much approved of Bush's policies which he took to be the most positive for the Kurds of any American president in recent memory. My Mom pointed out the strange combination of our new friend's approval of a strong welfare state and preference for GWB. So far, our brief interaction in Ostersund has proven to be one of the lasting memories from the trip.
After lunch we boarded a Norwegian train that would take us to Trondheim. Stadler and Waldorf were once again sitting across from us as the train pulled out of the station. I struggled to keep up with my point and shoot photography out the window as we passed by more pristine lakes and climbed higher and higher into the mountains that form the border between Norway and Sweden. There were still remnants of snow on the peaks of the mountains we saw in the distance and melted runoff formed waterfalls cascading down the jagged cliffs that lined both sides of the railroad tracks. Eventually, we made our way down the mountains into a lush, green river valley and the river that ran alongside the tracks opened into open waters. The sun finally decided to show itself as the train made its way into Trondheim at 8:15 PM, giving us a taste of the late night sunshine that awaited us at the northernmost destination on our Great Scandinavian Adventure.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Update: Trends
After a couple more days of observation, here are a few trend updates:
1. I will revise Motherhood to be "parenthood." Have seen a fair amount of dads out on the scene the last couple days and want to be sure to give them props. But the fact still remains, it's baby time in Scandinavia.
2. There is a broader range of Chuck Taylors than I had originally thought. White still dominates the color spectrum, but have seen more blues and reds the last couple days.
3. Red pants are also out there for guys. I have to extend props to a dude I saw wearing a navy blazer, red pants and green socks.
4. This is a long running trend, but tall is in. This is particularly important for me given that on most of my last few international travel excursions I was practically a circus side show at 6'6". Not on this trip. I think I've found my genetic kinsman here and that feels good.
1. I will revise Motherhood to be "parenthood." Have seen a fair amount of dads out on the scene the last couple days and want to be sure to give them props. But the fact still remains, it's baby time in Scandinavia.
2. There is a broader range of Chuck Taylors than I had originally thought. White still dominates the color spectrum, but have seen more blues and reds the last couple days.
3. Red pants are also out there for guys. I have to extend props to a dude I saw wearing a navy blazer, red pants and green socks.
4. This is a long running trend, but tall is in. This is particularly important for me given that on most of my last few international travel excursions I was practically a circus side show at 6'6". Not on this trip. I think I've found my genetic kinsman here and that feels good.
Update: Party Trucks
After some asking around, I've been enlightened as to what those party trucks were that I mentioned the other day. Apparently, it is a graduation celebration but for high school, not college. According to my local sources, it used to be that the Swedish high school experience culminated with a national standardized test that pretty much determined one's direction post high school. These truck excursions were meant to be a celebration of passing those exams. However, while these exams no longer exist (so I'm told), the party tradition has continued.
I'll try to post photos when I can, but I chose not to take too many photos out of a fear that my camera might get doused in beer. It is not an exaggeration to say that these trucks leave a wake of either beer or cider stench depending on the students' beverage preferences. The hilarious thing is that, thanks to the giant amplifiers aboard these trucks, you can hear them coming from about a quarter mile away and people on the street literally brace themselves for when they pass by.
The hilarious thing is that these celebrations go on for approximately two weeks. When we asked a couple sitting next to us how long they go on for, they answered, "too long."
I'll try to post photos when I can, but I chose not to take too many photos out of a fear that my camera might get doused in beer. It is not an exaggeration to say that these trucks leave a wake of either beer or cider stench depending on the students' beverage preferences. The hilarious thing is that, thanks to the giant amplifiers aboard these trucks, you can hear them coming from about a quarter mile away and people on the street literally brace themselves for when they pass by.
The hilarious thing is that these celebrations go on for approximately two weeks. When we asked a couple sitting next to us how long they go on for, they answered, "too long."
Last Days in Stockholm
Our last 2 days in Stockholm have turned out to be pretty busy. Here's a quick rundown of what we've been up to:
Yesterday (Thursday):
- Meandered up through Östermalm to browse the neighborhood that's home to many of Stockholm's fashionistas.
- Spent at least an hour perusing fabric samples at one of many local department stores.
- Made our way to Cafe Saturnus, home to the most outrageously amazing pastries I may have ever seen (more to come on that).
- Wandered down to Djurgården to see some swans, sheep, rams and Swedes playing strange lawn games.
- Took the shortest ferry ride of my life from Djurgården back to Skeppsholmen, where our hostel is located.
- Walked over to Sodermalm to meet college colleague for dinner at a traditional Swedish restaurant (More on that to come as well).
- Walked back from Sodermalm, through Gamla Stan on my way back home to see the most spectacular urban sunset at about 10:30 PM.
Today:
- Visited the Modern Art/Architecture Museums in Skeppsholmen and thoroughly enjoyed the gift shop. Inside the museums was an exhibit of the items nominated for the annual national design competition which included motorcycles, ski goggles and cathetors, believe it or not. Oh, there were also poo bags. Just reporting the facts.
- Took one last walk through the Östermalm Saluhall to get a look at the gourmet treats on offer for the day.
- Walked a hell of a long way into an urban residential neighborhood on the recommendation of Lonely Planet to try a soup place out for lunch. Literally had the best bowl of soup I think I've ever had (more on that to come).
- Walked back along the pedestrian shopping strip to check out a yarn store for Mom and eventually make it back to the only internet cafe we found in Stockholm so Mom could make a conference call via Skype.
- After several days of seeing Wayne's Coffees on practically every street corner, walked around for an hour trying to find one on the recommendation of random old man that they had excellent ice cream. Wound up at the Panorama Cafe in Kulturhuset for a mediocre bite but an excellent view of Swedish modernist architecture.
- Back home to the hostel to pack up and get ready for an early morning departure.
Tomorrow we're training to Trondheim, Norway via Östersund, Sweden. It's meant to be a 6 hour trip to Östersund and then another 3.5-4 hours from there to Trondheim. So, it'll be a day spent on the rails. We're looking forward to the scenery passing through central Sweden over to the Norwegian coast. Will update some more from Norway!
Yesterday (Thursday):
- Meandered up through Östermalm to browse the neighborhood that's home to many of Stockholm's fashionistas.
- Spent at least an hour perusing fabric samples at one of many local department stores.
- Made our way to Cafe Saturnus, home to the most outrageously amazing pastries I may have ever seen (more to come on that).
- Wandered down to Djurgården to see some swans, sheep, rams and Swedes playing strange lawn games.
- Took the shortest ferry ride of my life from Djurgården back to Skeppsholmen, where our hostel is located.
- Walked over to Sodermalm to meet college colleague for dinner at a traditional Swedish restaurant (More on that to come as well).
- Walked back from Sodermalm, through Gamla Stan on my way back home to see the most spectacular urban sunset at about 10:30 PM.
Today:
- Visited the Modern Art/Architecture Museums in Skeppsholmen and thoroughly enjoyed the gift shop. Inside the museums was an exhibit of the items nominated for the annual national design competition which included motorcycles, ski goggles and cathetors, believe it or not. Oh, there were also poo bags. Just reporting the facts.
- Took one last walk through the Östermalm Saluhall to get a look at the gourmet treats on offer for the day.
- Walked a hell of a long way into an urban residential neighborhood on the recommendation of Lonely Planet to try a soup place out for lunch. Literally had the best bowl of soup I think I've ever had (more on that to come).
- Walked back along the pedestrian shopping strip to check out a yarn store for Mom and eventually make it back to the only internet cafe we found in Stockholm so Mom could make a conference call via Skype.
- After several days of seeing Wayne's Coffees on practically every street corner, walked around for an hour trying to find one on the recommendation of random old man that they had excellent ice cream. Wound up at the Panorama Cafe in Kulturhuset for a mediocre bite but an excellent view of Swedish modernist architecture.
- Back home to the hostel to pack up and get ready for an early morning departure.
Tomorrow we're training to Trondheim, Norway via Östersund, Sweden. It's meant to be a 6 hour trip to Östersund and then another 3.5-4 hours from there to Trondheim. So, it'll be a day spent on the rails. We're looking forward to the scenery passing through central Sweden over to the Norwegian coast. Will update some more from Norway!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Mystery Party Trucks
For the last two days there have been a series of mystery trucks driving through the streets of Stockholm. Their cargo? Half naked kids in their 20s and amplifiers blasting mostly Swedish pop music (with the one notable exception of Bon Jovi's 'Living on a Prayer' which leads me to believe that someone must have studied abroad in Boston). There have been at least 6 of these trucks driving around central Stockholm at any given time. The best explanation I can come up with so far is that it's graduation time in Sweden, but I really have no idea and I haven't been able to ask anyone for an explanation just yet. It's pretty hilarious, though. Some of the trucks seem to be decorated with saplings or large tree branches. Some of the kids are wearing togas and others still are just plain half naked (at least). Traffic stops to watch them as they pass by. One way or another, we'll get to the bottom of this. When I get to an internet connection that has a USB outlet, I'll upload photographic evidence.
Once again, I need my Sweden experts out there to comment with explanations.
Once again, I need my Sweden experts out there to comment with explanations.
Pseudo-Timely Arrival
Unbeknownst to us, we are in Stockholm in the midst of a number of major events. Unfortunately for us, we won't actually be around for any of them. The list of events includes:
- Stockholm Marathon: held last week.
- Stockholm Jazz Festival: Starts tomorrow and is actually taking place steps from our hostel. Features Kool & the Gang, Brand New Heavies, John Scofield, Wayne Shorter and Missy Elliot. However, all of these acts are performing on Saturday after we leave.
- The Royal Wedding of Princess Victoria, heiress to the throne, which is a week from Saturday.
Theoretically, we could have known all these things but unfortunately we didn't. In some ways, it's probably a good thing since we get the benefit of the excitement and buildup for all of them but none of the insanity of being here for them. That's prime rationalization right there.
It's also worth noting that we're leaving Denmark at the end of our trip one day before Prince performs at the largest pop festival in Europe. I really need to plan trips when I'm not graduating and writing a thesis from here on out.
- Stockholm Marathon: held last week.
- Stockholm Jazz Festival: Starts tomorrow and is actually taking place steps from our hostel. Features Kool & the Gang, Brand New Heavies, John Scofield, Wayne Shorter and Missy Elliot. However, all of these acts are performing on Saturday after we leave.
- The Royal Wedding of Princess Victoria, heiress to the throne, which is a week from Saturday.
Theoretically, we could have known all these things but unfortunately we didn't. In some ways, it's probably a good thing since we get the benefit of the excitement and buildup for all of them but none of the insanity of being here for them. That's prime rationalization right there.
It's also worth noting that we're leaving Denmark at the end of our trip one day before Prince performs at the largest pop festival in Europe. I really need to plan trips when I'm not graduating and writing a thesis from here on out.
What's Hot in Scandinavia
Scandinavia is one of the global capitals of style and design and before I left on this trip several friends requested that I check out certain design centers on the great adventure. Now that I've been in Scandinavia for almost a week, I can tell you that several stylistic themes have emerged from my observations thus far. Here is a brief list of the top 3 trends I've seen. Stay tuned for further updates.
1. Chuck Taylors: Everyone and their dog is sporting Chuck Taylors here. It doesn't matter if you're young or old, male or female, clean cut, grunge or professional. High tops and low tops are both in and the majority are plain white, with a few reds, blues and blacks thrown in for good measure.
2. Big glasses: I'm talking the 80s to the early 90s here. Big sunglasses, big wire frames for the real thing. Think Robin Williams in One Hour Photo.
3. Motherhood: Between Copenhagen and Stockholm, I swear that 1 in 10 women on the street is either visibly pregnant or pushing a stroller. Is it something in the water or classic Scandinavian social policy? Any Scandinavian politics experts out there want to weigh in on this? I know you're out there...
* Important disclaimer: I will be the first one to admit that I am not exactly a fashion or style magnate, so if any of this is patently obvious to others, I have at least declared my own weaknesses.
1. Chuck Taylors: Everyone and their dog is sporting Chuck Taylors here. It doesn't matter if you're young or old, male or female, clean cut, grunge or professional. High tops and low tops are both in and the majority are plain white, with a few reds, blues and blacks thrown in for good measure.
2. Big glasses: I'm talking the 80s to the early 90s here. Big sunglasses, big wire frames for the real thing. Think Robin Williams in One Hour Photo.
3. Motherhood: Between Copenhagen and Stockholm, I swear that 1 in 10 women on the street is either visibly pregnant or pushing a stroller. Is it something in the water or classic Scandinavian social policy? Any Scandinavian politics experts out there want to weigh in on this? I know you're out there...
* Important disclaimer: I will be the first one to admit that I am not exactly a fashion or style magnate, so if any of this is patently obvious to others, I have at least declared my own weaknesses.
Small bites
So, once again I think I haven't quite got the handle on the blogging thing. When I spent a month or so traveling around S. America three years ago, my email epistles tended to be fairly long and I invested a fair bit of time writing them out as one might read in a travel magazine. Mostly, people seemed to enjoy them, which is good because I enjoyed writing them and put a heck of a lot of thought into it. They were a bit cumbersome though, both to read and to write.
I've realized after several days on the road and never having enough time to sit down and write something substantive that it might be better just to post some quick bites here and there and write the longer, more substantive stuff when and if I do have the time. I'm going to get this thing kicked off with a few small posts right now and will hope that it can set a trend for the remainder of the trip. Hope you all enjoy!
I've realized after several days on the road and never having enough time to sit down and write something substantive that it might be better just to post some quick bites here and there and write the longer, more substantive stuff when and if I do have the time. I'm going to get this thing kicked off with a few small posts right now and will hope that it can set a trend for the remainder of the trip. Hope you all enjoy!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Eve of Departure
I wish I had something brilliant to say to kick off this blog. Three years ago, I sent out dispatches from a month-long trip I took through South America that marked my transition from the working world back to school. At least several readers of this blog may have received a series of e-mail dispatches I sent from the road that I used to catalog my experience as a traveler, with particular emphasis on the sublime, the profound and the absurd. Following that experience, friends suggested that I write a blog to catalog subsequent trips that I've taken since. Unfortunately, each of those attempts fell flat. My hope is that this time I can remain consistent and use this space to provide an account of my experience on the road in Scandinavia. I ask for the prayers, blessings, good wishes and good karma of anyone who reads this to power me through the discipline of writing over the next month. I'll need it.
This trip comes on the heels of two very special milestones in my life. First, I completed my master's degree at Harvard Divinity School on May 27th. That milestone marked the end of an incredible journey that spanned the course of three years at Harvard, during which I invested all of my physical, mental and spiritual capabilities to make the most of a truly unique set of opportunities. Second, I turned thirty years old on June 1st. My Mother and I planned this trip as a celebration of these two milestones and as an opportunity to find some perspective at this important transitional point in my life. I'm incredibly grateful for this extraordinary gift and I can't wait to see where this journey will take us.
It's getting late here in Cambridge and after a day spent running around tying up loose ends and packing I think the time for rest is rapidly approaching. This is as far as I will get in terms of introducing this great adventure on which I am about to embark. I hope that friends, family and colleagues will enjoy following our trip here. Please feel free to leave comments. In the past I've found that the feedback and encouragement I received from others propelled my determination to continue writing.
So, there you have it. Installment #1 complete. Next stop...Copenhagen!
This trip comes on the heels of two very special milestones in my life. First, I completed my master's degree at Harvard Divinity School on May 27th. That milestone marked the end of an incredible journey that spanned the course of three years at Harvard, during which I invested all of my physical, mental and spiritual capabilities to make the most of a truly unique set of opportunities. Second, I turned thirty years old on June 1st. My Mother and I planned this trip as a celebration of these two milestones and as an opportunity to find some perspective at this important transitional point in my life. I'm incredibly grateful for this extraordinary gift and I can't wait to see where this journey will take us.
It's getting late here in Cambridge and after a day spent running around tying up loose ends and packing I think the time for rest is rapidly approaching. This is as far as I will get in terms of introducing this great adventure on which I am about to embark. I hope that friends, family and colleagues will enjoy following our trip here. Please feel free to leave comments. In the past I've found that the feedback and encouragement I received from others propelled my determination to continue writing.
So, there you have it. Installment #1 complete. Next stop...Copenhagen!
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