End of the Cruise--July 11, 2010

Copenhagen

July 11, 2010

“Something’s rotten in Denmark” is a quote from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, but it could also be said of our clothes. The cruise is over, and we have arrived in the wonderful “exchange” home in Copenhagen arranged for by our friends the Gilbertsons, and our first priority is to wash our laundry. The clothes washer is in high gear, and we are in our swimming suits, not only because they are the only clean clothes we possess, but because it is so hot here. We managed to be in the Baltic capitols for 10 days of perfect weather, a rare feat, but Copenhagen is uncomfortably warm and humid today. I’m glad we don’t have to be vigorously pursuing historical locations in the heat and humidity, but by tonight I’ll be wishing for our air-conditioned stateroom aboard ship.

The people who run Princess Cruises have already emailed us asking our opinions about the trip, and I was pleased to give them high grades. The four of us talked last night about our highlights, and our list included:

1. St. Petersburg. What a beautiful city filled with treasures! Its history is rich in drama and tragedy, and the Hermitage is filled with art from around the world. Obviously, we saw only the surface, and Russia is not exactly easy for tourists to see, but it was a thrill to be there. And I was more than thrilled to view Rembrandt’s works, especially “The Prodigal”.

2. Helsinki, Tallin, Gdansk—new cities for us to see, and cities that I might not have chosen to see, but cities worth visiting. I particularly enjoyed learning more of Poland’s history, especially about the Solidarity Movement and its push towards freedom from Russia.

3. The weather. Clear skies maximized the nearly endless days of mid-summer. Beautiful 11:00 p.m. sunsets were the norm, and even though I never saw a sunrise, I’ve been told most of them took place around 3:30 a.m.

4. We saw many gorgeous views, but I think the most spectacular was the archipelago of islands in and around Stockholm. The city of Stockholm is built on 14 separate islands, but the Stockholm harbor contains anywhere from 25-125 thousand islands according to various guidebooks. Some islands are no bigger than a large rock, many contain one or more summer cabins, and some hold an entire community. All manner of watercraft sail, motor, or paddle among the islands. The view from high on the cruise ship surveying the many settlements was the best!

5. The biggest surprise—stumbling upon a mid-morning mass in an Orthodox Church in Tallin, Estonia. We first heard the small choir in the balcony before we stepped into the sanctuary, and then we saw the golden chasubles worn by the priests, heard one of the priests chanting in a rich baritone voice in response to the choir, saw the doors open from the center of the icon-covered iconostasis to reveal another altar behind the screen accessible to the priests, and watched the worshippers as they received the Holy Communion. It was uncomfortable to be part of a group of tourists intruding upon the sacred mysteries of this congregation, but I was transfixed as a curious onlooker by the beauty of what I was seeing. Estonia is largely Lutheran, and the Orthodox congregations are a sign of the unwelcome Russian presence, but I was struck by the liveliness of this worship experience and would like to learn more.

6. The limits of a cruise. Our times in each port were very limited, and such brief stays are mere introductions to a country and its people. But brief visits are better than none at all, and paying attention momentarily to a new part of the world opens up some spaces in my life to want to learn more. So I will.

7. The joys of a cruise. They are many, and I needn’t bore readers with a lengthy list, but traveling with friends in a comfortable environment while visiting new places is a real treat. Traveling by air is no longer the thrill that it once was, but the cruise line industry makes it possible to enjoy travel in new ways.

So we’re in Copenhagen for a few days of rest and then off to Stockholm to become more ambitious tourists for another week.