July 11
This morning was one of the most relaxing mornings of the past four weeks. I pulled myself out of bed early, knowing I would regret missing breakfast if I slept in. It was a beautiful day out and I had barely seen any of Korsor. I left the ship around 9 and walked around the town for a good two hours. Although there aren't any real touristy attractions, it was so much nicer to simply observe the comings and goings of the locals. When I left the ship, I walked for about five minutes until I crossed a bridge that brought me to the main part of Korsor, which had some small shops and restuarants. I walked along a street called Nygade where I stopped at a tourist office for a map. Then took a left onto a small street called Algade, which led to the main church in Korsor. Then, I took another left onto Brogade, which finally brought me to the street that ran along the harbour, Havnegade. Near the pier, I found a bench and spent a good half an hour taking in the land
scape around me. Everything was so quiet...I had written in my notebook, "I feel so wonderful here..on my own...I'm beside the water, watching the locals take their boats out and their dogs for walks-it is a quaint town, one that graciously accepts its visitors, one that appreciates the sea, one that lives on its own and understands the beauty of simplicity...one that doesn't take for granted the stem of a single flower. And the clouds-never has the sky felt closer to humans than it does here...I had the same feeling in Sweden...oh, if only I could paint........"
After some reflecting, I walked back towards the ship but continued on past it, to explore the other part of Korsor. The main road I walked on was called Revvej, which let me pass by many charming homes, as well as the library, and also a very cute bakery, from where I indulged in a brownie. Korsor vaguely reminded me of downeast Maine, near where my mother lives. If there was one word to describe the town, it would be simple. Not that it didn't have stores and a bar or two, not that the people were backwards in any sense...Korsor to me seemed like an oasis, completely separate from the rest of the world, surrounded by only good energy, void of darkness altogether. If the world gives in to chaos, Korsor would somehow be safe, I'm sure.
****
I've been to three Scandinavian countries thus far and I thought I would share some of my lasting impressions, even though they are pretty generalized:
1. Clean
There has been a complete lack of trash in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. The streets were spotless! No one even thinks to litter....it seems to be a common duty to keep one's city clean...although we want this in the States, we are all guilty of littering. We don't take those extra steps to find a trash can..in short, we are lazy. And ultimately, even if you yourself are determined to see America as clean as Scandinavia, your neighbor may not give the idea a second thought. Here it doesn't seem to be a problem at all. It will be interesting to compare Naples which has a rather large rubbish issue.
2. Safe
I never once felt in harm's danger. Even though I had one or two locks on my bags and stayed alert throughout my visits, I rarely had to give a creepy man the evil eye or constantly check my bag and wallet. The people were also so welcoming, which let us relax and be at ease. I only knew of one person who used her security belt in scandinavian countries, and that was only because she was used to it. In Korsor, kids of ages seven or eight would ride their bikes alone and go explore. Anywhere in Scandinavia seemed to be the perfect place to raise a child (maternity leave is also VERY generous, and fathers can even take off quite a bit of time..childcare is free as well). People truly look out for each other here. After all, the Danes in particular are said to be the happiest people in their world.
3.Bikes!
Bikes were everywhere, especially in Copenhagen, where there are separate lanes for bikers, and even separate lights. I saw more bikes than cars my entire time in Cph. People ride with baksets and it seems to be the transporation of choice for most Danes. In Bergen, there weren't as many bikers but Malmo has a considerable lot. Tourists can also be included in the practice-there are bikes to rent but also city bikes one can pick up from the street...a 20DKK is needed for a deposit but once the bike is returned, so is your money. It's a wonderful system that seems to have been adopted in many European cities. If only America could jump on the bandwagon.........
4. English
Traveling is incredibly convenient mainly because everyone speaks almost perfect English. Even though we tried to speak either Norwegian, Danish, or Sweden, it was simply a matter of respect and out of politeness.
5. Expensive
Probably the only downfall of Scandinavia on the whole was how expensive it was. Meals were always around $15, and these were the doable places. I didn't buy any souvenirs in Denmark or Sweden, and only a poster from the Bergen Art Museum. Scandinavia is expensive regardless but coming as an American tourist was even more difficult...thank you Mr. Bush for our lovely exchange rates. It won't get easier either because the majority of countries we hit next are on the Euro, so....eh.
Regardless of the expenses, Scandinavia was wonderful. The word civilized keeps coming to mind. The people were generous, sweet, and helpful. People are happy and life is good here. I can't imagine how different Scandinavia will seem when I move to India in the fall...........
This morning was one of the most relaxing mornings of the past four weeks. I pulled myself out of bed early, knowing I would regret missing breakfast if I slept in. It was a beautiful day out and I had barely seen any of Korsor. I left the ship around 9 and walked around the town for a good two hours. Although there aren't any real touristy attractions, it was so much nicer to simply observe the comings and goings of the locals. When I left the ship, I walked for about five minutes until I crossed a bridge that brought me to the main part of Korsor, which had some small shops and restuarants. I walked along a street called Nygade where I stopped at a tourist office for a map. Then took a left onto a small street called Algade, which led to the main church in Korsor. Then, I took another left onto Brogade, which finally brought me to the street that ran along the harbour, Havnegade. Near the pier, I found a bench and spent a good half an hour taking in the land
scape around me. Everything was so quiet...I had written in my notebook, "I feel so wonderful here..on my own...I'm beside the water, watching the locals take their boats out and their dogs for walks-it is a quaint town, one that graciously accepts its visitors, one that appreciates the sea, one that lives on its own and understands the beauty of simplicity...one that doesn't take for granted the stem of a single flower. And the clouds-never has the sky felt closer to humans than it does here...I had the same feeling in Sweden...oh, if only I could paint........"After some reflecting, I walked back towards the ship but continued on past it, to explore the other part of Korsor. The main road I walked on was called Revvej, which let me pass by many charming homes, as well as the library, and also a very cute bakery, from where I indulged in a brownie. Korsor vaguely reminded me of downeast Maine, near where my mother lives. If there was one word to describe the town, it would be simple. Not that it didn't have stores and a bar or two, not that the people were backwards in any sense...Korsor to me seemed like an oasis, completely separate from the rest of the world, surrounded by only good energy, void of darkness altogether. If the world gives in to chaos, Korsor would somehow be safe, I'm sure.
****
I've been to three Scandinavian countries thus far and I thought I would share some of my lasting impressions, even though they are pretty generalized:
1. Clean
There has been a complete lack of trash in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. The streets were spotless! No one even thinks to litter....it seems to be a common duty to keep one's city clean...although we want this in the States, we are all guilty of littering. We don't take those extra steps to find a trash can..in short, we are lazy. And ultimately, even if you yourself are determined to see America as clean as Scandinavia, your neighbor may not give the idea a second thought. Here it doesn't seem to be a problem at all. It will be interesting to compare Naples which has a rather large rubbish issue.
2. Safe
I never once felt in harm's danger. Even though I had one or two locks on my bags and stayed alert throughout my visits, I rarely had to give a creepy man the evil eye or constantly check my bag and wallet. The people were also so welcoming, which let us relax and be at ease. I only knew of one person who used her security belt in scandinavian countries, and that was only because she was used to it. In Korsor, kids of ages seven or eight would ride their bikes alone and go explore. Anywhere in Scandinavia seemed to be the perfect place to raise a child (maternity leave is also VERY generous, and fathers can even take off quite a bit of time..childcare is free as well). People truly look out for each other here. After all, the Danes in particular are said to be the happiest people in their world.
3.Bikes!
Bikes were everywhere, especially in Copenhagen, where there are separate lanes for bikers, and even separate lights. I saw more bikes than cars my entire time in Cph. People ride with baksets and it seems to be the transporation of choice for most Danes. In Bergen, there weren't as many bikers but Malmo has a considerable lot. Tourists can also be included in the practice-there are bikes to rent but also city bikes one can pick up from the street...a 20DKK is needed for a deposit but once the bike is returned, so is your money. It's a wonderful system that seems to have been adopted in many European cities. If only America could jump on the bandwagon.........
4. English
Traveling is incredibly convenient mainly because everyone speaks almost perfect English. Even though we tried to speak either Norwegian, Danish, or Sweden, it was simply a matter of respect and out of politeness.
5. Expensive
Probably the only downfall of Scandinavia on the whole was how expensive it was. Meals were always around $15, and these were the doable places. I didn't buy any souvenirs in Denmark or Sweden, and only a poster from the Bergen Art Museum. Scandinavia is expensive regardless but coming as an American tourist was even more difficult...thank you Mr. Bush for our lovely exchange rates. It won't get easier either because the majority of countries we hit next are on the Euro, so....eh.
Regardless of the expenses, Scandinavia was wonderful. The word civilized keeps coming to mind. The people were generous, sweet, and helpful. People are happy and life is good here. I can't imagine how different Scandinavia will seem when I move to India in the fall...........
No comments:
Post a Comment