Final Travel Thoughts

Whew! Three straight weeks of traveling is a lot. Still, it was a great experience that I wouldn't have changed at all. Just in case you haven't already read, below are posts about a lot of the places I visited and some of the things I saw and took part in. Also, all of my pictures are now posted on Webshots for your perusal. But now for my concluding thoughts.

First, it was insane the different kinds of transportation I made use of. Automobile. Charter bus. Ferry. Streetcar. Metro. Local Train. Regional Train. National Train. Night Train. Airplane. Public bus. I pretty much did it all. Shows how well Europe is connected.

Second, I have come to the conclusion that everyone -- Americans that is -- should do Europe twice. Once as a student. There are just certain experiences people get traveling on the cheap that they would never get if they had money, such as staying at hostels and meeting the people there or eating at cafeterias. It's just a different and enjoyable way to travel. With that said, I also feel that people should go back to Europe when they have more money to truly enjoy some of the more expensive luxuries Europe affords such as great food. This is definitely a blueprint I plan on following.

Along some of those same lines the people I met, especially in Florence were great. It was also interesting to note the differences in ages and what that made the trip be for each person. For example, I met two college aged students that were taking some time off from school and just enjoying Europe. But then I also met two people that were 30+ who almost seemed to be escaping from certain aspects of their life by traveling to Europe. I found this dichotomy to be quite intriguing, and really nothing more.

So it was a great trip, but I am definitely not looking forward to going back to school. DIS doesn't do any favors as I have an exam on Friday and a presentation due in a week. But still, less than 2 months of classes, and then I'm done. Time has really been flying.

The last two months aren't just classes, though. I still have plenty of excitement to look forward to. First, my parents and brother will be here in less than two weeks to spend a week in Copenhagen and celebrate Thanksgiving with me and my family. Then a week later I will be taking a weekend trip to Vienna to experience that amazing city in the winter. Then finally, once classes are done I'll be spending a couple days in London before heading home. So I definitely have things besides classes to keep me occupied.

Berlin nach Poznan

The next day we were off to Poznan, but not until noon. This meant I had a little more time to sightsee. I took full advantage of this and got up early that morning for breakfast and to head over to the Jewish Holocaust Memorial. This memorial was/is quite controversial among the Berlin populace as there were issues regarding if the Jews should have their own memorial in Berlin versus all of the victims of the Holocaust, and why this memorial needed to be in Berlin. The early morning was a nice time to go there and reflect, nonetheless.

Afterwards we were planning to visit the inside of the Reichstag which is the German parliament, but, unfortunately, the dome on top and the parliament were closed for cleaning. We still had too much time to head back to the hotel so we took a trip out to the western suburbs of the city and visited the Olympic Stadion. That was really cool. I was filled with feelings of awe at the building itself and a sense of history and pride when I saw the track and imagined Jesse Owens beating everyone else in 1936. It was a definite odd juxtaposition of feelings.

Then in my last act in Berlin I ran around the area by the hotel for a good 20 minutes trying in desperation to find a doener. I finally succeeded and enjoyed every last bite of my Turkish/Berlin delicacy. The next 6 hours were spent on a bus heading to Poznan in Poland. The highlight of the trip was the hour spent at the border having our passports and bus checked.

The Polish countryside was quite a shock in comparison to Berlin. Much more rural, and much more rundown. When we first entered the Poznan city limits comments were being made left and right regarding the dilapidated state of the city. However, as we headed further into the center of town and closer to our hotel the better things appeared. After getting settled into our hotel we headed for our first Polish dinner, which was nothing to rave about, but not horrible either. Then it was just a chill night as people tried to catch up on their lack of sleep.

2nd day in Berlin

The second day in Berlin was full of ups and downs, with the day starting off pretty bad and steadily improving. We began with a visit to the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, where we were given 2 different seminars. One was about identifying genetic diseases via humans and the other was about technology in molecular genetics. Neither were that interesting, or informative for that matter. It was pretty much a wasted morning. This was definitely the low point of the day.

Things greatly improved afterwards when we were on our own. I and a couple friends visited the New Synagogue on Oranienburger Tor, which was right by where I had classes with IES. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to take any pictures of the synagogue or of the views from the dome. We then headed over to Museum Island where we visited the Pergamon and Altes Museums. The Pergamon was amazing. Nothing more needs to be said. It was a collection of actual and replica pieces of art and architecture from the Greeks, the Babylonians, the Syrians, and various Islamic cultures. It was stunning. The Altes Musuem was a quick visit mostly for the chance to see Nefrititi, whose bust is on display.

My friends then wanted to see the Berliner Dom; however they were having services so we waited out on the steps for half an hour and just chatted. It was actually quite relaxing. Post services we checked out the interior of the church (which I saw last time I was in Berlin), where I met a friend – a cute, little mouse hanging out in the prayer chapel.

The true highlight of the night was when we came out of the cathedral. That night Berlin was having a festival – “The Festival of Lights” – which had nothing to do with Hannukkah – if you were curious. What it did involve was lighting up various landmarks throughout Berlin, which included the Berliner Dom and Brandenburg Gate. You can see how beautiful these two buildings looked below:


The evening also involved a fireworks and laser light show at Alexanderplatz. It was all pretty cool and a fun evening. And I was able to have a Berliner Weisses Rot, which took care of that urge.

My former home

Talk about a crazy sense of déjà vu. Today we toured around Berlin and it caused such an eerie feeling and memories of two summers ago to flood back (along these lines I did not take that many picutes seeing as I have already once before. If you are very interested in Berlin pictures I suggest you look at my older Webshots album from two summers ago.). Looking back at that time there are definite parallels that I am currently experiencing with DIS, but there also also – and perhaps more profoundly – definite distinct differences. It overall just makes for interesting thoughts – none of which have much coherence or logical flow.

To further add to my feelings of déjà vu we also toured the Jewish Museum, with this being my third visit. It was still incredibly interesting, and it was even more fascinating to hear the museum explained by a different tour guide with a new perspective. Still, not much has changed since I was last there.

Afterwards I explored an interesting special exhibit about the work by Charlotte Salomon entitled “Life? Or Theater?". The background is that this 21 year old German Jew was fleeing from the Nazis and staying with her grandparents in the south of France. She also had experienced a tumultuous childhood, and her main method of coping was painting. In the end, she painted over 1,300 different watercolor panels, and added text and music to accompany them, which all together has turned into this play. It was quiet interesting and provided a different perspective on things.

We then walked around various parts of the city without much aim, just trying to experience Berlin. I then had a unique experience as we visited KaDeWe – Kaufhas des Westens (Department store of the West) – with a focus on their 6^th floor gourmet items. It was ridiculous the amount and vaired kinds of food they had for sale. You could also go and eat there if that suited you as well.

We were on our own for dinner tonight and a group of us decided to try a restaurant in the bottom of a mall called “Bavarium,” which is a German restaurant focusing on dishes from Bavaria. It was good. Lots of meat and potatoes. It definitely brought back memories of my family vacation to southern Germany. We met a group of middle age+ American businessmen that were also eating at the restaurant. Impressively, they knew exactly where Carleton is – and how good of a school it is.

The rest of the evening was spent with friends, walking, talking, and hanging out. On a surprising note bars/restaurants/clubs are not open that late here, at least in comparison to Copenhagen. Tomorrow is our last day in Berlin and I still have two things I need to accomplish: one, eating a doener; two, having a Berliner Weisse Rot. Hopefully both of those happen tomorrow.

A Concentration Camp and Berlin

Today was the beginning of the long study tour, and it was quite the start. First, I was operating on 1 hour of sleep, as I stayed up the entire night watching the Indians beat the Red Sox (minus the 1-hour nap I took during the uneventful 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th innings). It was awesome seeing them put seven runs on the board in the top of the 11^th. Pretty much 2 minutes after the game ended Michael and I were in the car heading to Frue Plads, where he dropped me off to catch the bus. Unfortunately, bus seats aren’t that conducive to good sleeping so I wasn’t able to catch up on my sleep. We then spent 2 hours on a ferry to go from Denmark to Germany, which was followed by another 3 hours in the bus.

Our first stop was at Sachsenhausen, outside of Berlin, which was a Nazi concentration camp, and then a Soviet camp. This was the second concentration camp I’ve visited, as I went to Dachau during my family vacation to Germany two summers ago. **Unfortunately my immediate thoughts were lost, so this will now include my thoughts 3 weeks later.** In comparison to Dachau, Sachsenhausen seemed to have a greater effect on me personally. I'm not exactly sure why, but it just seemed to be a more emotionally draining experience. That might have to do with my state of mind, the weather conditions, or perhaps just the people I experienced it with. Whatever it was, it really brought out feelings that coincide with my personal connection associated with my own Jewish heritage, cultural upbringing, and familial ties.

We then drove for another hour or so into Berlin. Initially, when I found out my tour was going to Berlin I was less than thrilled, mostly because I spent two months there two summers ago, and would have much rather seen another European city. However, with that said, once we were there I was so excited to be back in Berlin. It is unbelievable what a factor familiarity plays in a person’s outlook on a place. It was great to know where we were, to be able to point out places of interest to other people on the bus, and to be able to navigate the city’s public transportation.

The highlight of the evening by far was dinner. We ate a restaurant called Unsichtsbar, which has a rough literal translation of the unable to have sight bar. This was a dark restaurant. That means that the eating area is pitch black and all the waiters/waitresses are blind. It was an unbelievable experience. Not being able to use your eyes while eating adds such a different dynamic to a meal. You end up focusing more on the smell and taste of the food, as well as its texture. Then, the darkness also makes you focus more on other people’s words and not on their physicalness. The food was good too, as an added bonus.

This restaurant was also awesome because it was in a neighborhood that my friends and I loved to hang out in (when I was in Berlin previously). This allowed me to show my DIS friends our favorite hangout and I was also able to get a beer that I had been craving since arriving in Denmark, but that can apparently only be bought in Berlin. It’s nice to be on vacation. I think that is the theme for the next 3 weeks. two summers ago), but it was still quite the emotionally draining experience. We were provided with audio guides and set off on our own to explore the exhibits and buildings. I spent most of the time with another girl (who is also Jewish, and spent some of her summer on a birthright trip to Poland (seeing all the Polish concentration camps) and Israel) discussing the impact of the Holocaust on our outlook on life being of Jewish descent. For whatever reason this camp seemed to be a little more emotional draining than Dachau, but I’m not quite sure why.

The Study Tour Recap

So I've just returned from my week long trip to Berlin and Poznan. And of course I want to share how those adventures progressed. I'm going to do this slightly differently than how I gave a recap on my previous trips. Each day will be its own post, and will be posted after this one. I think this will let people scan around quicker if they so choose. Also, just for your frame of reference, most of these posts were written the night of the day they are referring to. Enjoy!

Pre-game thoughts...and a lot more

T-minus 20 minutes until game 1 of the ALCS. I'm sucking it up and planning on staying up tonight to watch the game. Granted, this is the farthest the Indians have made it in 10 years so I feel like sacrificing some sleep is worth it. The whole situation gives me a feeling of deja vu from this spring when the Cavs were in the NBA playoffs. They were viewed as the underdog a large way through the playoffs, but still managed to make it to the finals. Hopefully, the Indians can emulate that run.

Besides that point I have a lot of other thoughts to share. Part of the reason for this "outburst" is the fact that I'm half way done with my time in Denmark. Hard to imagine, but I only have 5-6 more weeks in Denmark itself. This is because starting Sunday for the next 3 weeks I'll be traveling around Europe on a mini, well I guess much more than a mini, vacation. I'll definitely be sharing my thoughts on my travels during and after the trip (all dependent on when I can get internet access), but I'll at least let you know where I'll be going. The first stop is back to my stomping grounds two summers ago as we spend a couple days in Berlin, Germany. After that I'll be heading further east to spend a couple days in Poznan, Poland. I'll be going to both of these cities with other DIS students from the Medical Practice & Policy program as part of our long study tour. Following a night back in Copenhagen I'll be back on the road with other DIS students heading to the Czech country side and Prague. Post Prague will involve a train ride to Budapest and a day spent there. Next will be a flight to Milan, immediately followed by a train to Genoa, where I'll be spending a couple days. I'll then move eastward to Florence and then to Siena for the next couple days. Finally, it will be wrapped up with a train to Milan and a flight back to Copenhagen. It's a crazy schedule and I couldn't be more excited!

Now on to my other random thoughts.

First, there was quite a stir amongst DIS students two or so weeks ago as former President Bill Clinton was in Copenhagen. Apparently he was giving a speech somewhere in the city, with tickets running close to 1000 DKK or about $200. However, he was also signing copies of his new book at bookstore right by the DIS center, which a fair number of people managed to get in line for. In fact, one of my friends from Carleton went to see him and they ended up in conversation about how great Carleton is (Clinton gave the commencement speech in 2000). I would never dream to meet a former or current US President in the states, but then when I go to study abroad in Denmark I find a President. What are the odds?

Indians update: 1-0 Tribe, heading into the bottom of the 1st.

On another political note, I have begun to notice my own increased interest in the current political climate back in the states, especially in regards to the potential presidential candidates. My only explanation for this is that the primary elections to be held in March will be my first foray into voting in a presidential election and I want to be informed when making a decision Just an interesting observation on my part.

Do you know that if it wasn't for polio you might have health insurance provided by the government? Let me explain. In Health Care in Scandinavia we just read a text discussing different kinds of welfare states. When he was explaining the social democrat model, which includes almost all of Scandinavia (Side tangent: interestingly enough, my professor highlighted that one of the main keys to the Danish welfare system is homogeneity -- of culture, race, ethnicity, and goals. Without it he doesn't imagine it could succeed. This is perhaps an indication that a welfare state could not work in the US.), he states that this was the path the United States was on under FDR's New Deal programs. I wonder what would have happened if his 4th term wasn't cut short by polio, maybe health insurance?

Indians update: 1-1, heading into the top of the 2nd.

I'm having quite the unique experience in my Impact of Epidemic Disease course. The main text that the course is based on, Plagues and Peoples (1998) by William H. McNeil, is consistently contradicted by my professor. It's just so odd to do the reading before class only to have the professor completely rip it to shreds in class the next day. An interesting dynamic to say the least.

After being in Denmark for 7 weeks now, I think I have finally found a couple things that I miss. Granted there have been a ton of things that I have had moments of longing for, but none of those longings have been consistent over my entire time here. The two exceptions relate directly with Carleton. The first is fall colors. I want nothing more than to be able to see a line of sugar maples completely golden, glimmering in the sun. I miss how beautiful Carleton is in the fall. The second thing I am missing is the stars in the Minnesotan sky. Typically, when walking back from the libe or from somewhere on campus I entertain myself by looking up in the sky at the stars shining down on me. I just cannot replicate these things in Denmark.

Finally, I had an interesting night tonight. Once a year almost all of the cultural locations in Copenhagen are open for a one time fee. It's called Copenhagen's Night of Culture. There are literally over 100 different locations that have various programs for the public to enjoy. My host family offered to take me, and I gladly accepted. We started off the evening with dinner at a cafe much like the community restaurant I described a few weeks ago. We then headed to our first cultural event which was taking a look at Black Diamond, which is the University of Copenhagen's newest branch of the Royal Library. It is an absolutely gorgeous building and it was cool to finally see. We then walked around the ground of the Parliament a little bit, which included a quick stop at the Danish Armament Museum. Then for the true experience of the night we drove over to the zoo! It was completely open, and completely dark. It was definitely a different way to experience the zoo, and while interesting, I'm not sure I'd recommend it. Animals sleeping is only so exciting. Regardless, it was still a great evening and a unique way to see Copenhagen, and especially appropriate as I'll be leaving this town (my 3rd/4th home) for the next 3 weeks.

Alright, C.C. doesn't have his stuff tonight -- again. He's throwing too hard and letting the playoffs get to him. It's so frustrating because I, and all the other Indians fans, know how good of a pitcher he can be if he just stays under control. Top of the 4th, Cleveland 1, Boston 5.