I did eventually leave Stockholm and board a morning train due west for Stockholm. The ride took about six hours, and I spent most of that time gazing out the window at the enchanting Swedish countryside. We passed by too many lakes to begin to count. Green and blue, all the way across the Norwegian border and into Oslo. Apart from the screaming kids seated directly behind me, it was an enjoyable journey.
We arrived in Oslo and split up, Josh and Weldon taking the train to stay with Niels, a middle-aged Viking with a communications company, and Pete and I taking a walk in the city center to stay at Theresa's place. Oslo is a very beautiful city, sitiuated near the end of a long fjord, and scattered with islands. If a beer didn't cost $14, it would be a wonderful place to live. We visited a number of museums, including the Edvard Munch museum (Scream, Madonna), and the FRAM museum, an ode to the ship that came within spitting distance of the North Pole and discovered the Northwest Passage. Bad ass ship.
The Norwegians are an active people, and there's nothing more Norsk that a good ol' fashioned hike in the woods. Pete and I took the metro to the end of the line and found ourselves in a relatively unspoiled mountain forest, littered with lakes and rocky ridges.
We flew out of Oslo on a Tuesday morning, arriving in Copenhagen an hour later. The day was spent visiting the summer haunts, picking up some last-minute souvenirs, and drinking Tuborg from the 7-11. I'm really happy I had the chance to see the city one more time before leaving. It was very different from my return trip to Utrecht, where it felt everything was missing because no one was familiar. Copenhagen was buzzing as usual, as I'm sure it will be the next time I visit. We had a going-away dinner of sorts at Nicolai's, and I was happy to see a wide variety of Vikings there to see us off. We flew out of Copenhagen the next afternoon, destination: Iceland.
Iceland is a weird place. And I like it. The bus ride from the airport into Reykjavik was surreal. The blacktop road wound through this impossible terrain of jagged black rock dusted with bright green moss. The Atlantic met the coastline on one side; on the other, low mountains dominated the horizon.
We stayed at a guesthouse near the center, and walked around to see the sights with no problems, as the city is about the size of Green Bay. When we left Copenhagen, the sun was shining and I was comfortable in a tee shirt. Now in Reykjavik, I was bundled up in a fleece and wool gloves.
The second day there, we visited the infamous Blue Lagoon, a geothermal pool-turned-spa a short ride from the city. Just look at a photo of the place. It's amazing. I highly recommend flying Icelandair the next time you visit Europe. Take advantage of the cost-free layover and spend a day at the Blue Lagoon.
We left Iceland in 40 degree weather with the horizontal rain punishing the airport windows. The flight was extremely relaxing, and I was excited to fly over Greenland with great visibility. I even took a photo or two out the airplane window. Doesn't get much more touristy than that. We arrived in Minneapolis and it was a balmy 75. The wool gloves were no longer needed. Some good friends greeted me at the airport, and I felt at home. (Jet lag hit around midnight, in case you were wondering).
This summer's trip was more than I can comprehend while I try to keep my head above water in my last semester at UW. But I do have this feeling that I'll carry with me for a long time I'm sure. Hemingway wrote of a "moveable feast," and though he was speaking of Paris in the 20s, I think the term can be applied to the experience I enjoyed this summer. I can take it with me, and continue to grow and learn from it, thousands of miles away in Wisconsin.
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