Against the Grain

Day 12 Stavanger, Norway The water was still and so was my mind as we pulled into port. Lots of lighthouses and perfect white houses several stories tall, their roofs steep, anticipating winter. Houses perched one higher up the rocky hill than the next. Everyone with a view. Seagulls gliding inches above the water – their bodies reflecting like old wobbly glass. Bright green rolling hills and dark evergreen trees. The boat turned, water swirling Read more…

Day 11 Aalborg, Denmark A University and tall buildings and curvy, modern roofs. Lots of metal and fancified buildings everywhere past the industrial ship parking lots. The gigantic ship turned on a dime and I probably couldn’t even turn my kayak around in that spot. We landed soft as a cloud and I put my hand to my face. It was so soft and clear, the air so far removed from my harsh and beloved Read more…

Day 10 Copenhagen, Denmark Over breakfast, we argued about how many locks are on the Mississippi. And how many are on the Tennessee River. And how doable it is to float a raft to the Gulf of Mexico. And the internet was sporadic, so we couldn’t just look it up. So we relied on the old fashioned insistence that we were the only one who was right. The morning guide was full of remarkable facts Read more…

Day 9 Berlin, Germany My husband says I’m the Adult on this trip, and Aunt Terrye is the Alternate Adult. But then she was worried about fulfilling her duties after she broke her arm. I encouraged her to still use her words, and so far she’s doing fine. Plus I haven’t required her services lately. Mom and Aunt Janet seem totally on board with leaving us to do the adulting, and are quite bouncy in Read more…

Day 8 Gdansk, Poland We learned about amber. That it burns like a candle. That it’s used as incense in Catholic churches. That it floats. That you shouldn’t burn your jewelry just to prove it’s real. We learned about witches. If you throw her in the river and she floats, she’s a witch and should be burned at the stake. If she drowns, then she’s not a witch. Accused women would try to drown since Read more…

Day 7 All Aboard – Day at Sea The water lick-lick-licking at the sides of the boat, water slipping around, other ships on the horizon. We found a lounge with wide comfy couches, reindeer hides draped across the backs with fur so warm and snuggly it made me feel sad that they were dead but also so, so cozy. Longing for winter. The waiter appeared out of thin air, as they do around here, gently Read more…

Day 6 Tallinn, Estonia The ropes holding the boat to the dock were bigger around than my arms. If I were a rat, it would be my gangway. My thoroughfare. My free ticket. Our guide excitedly explained that Estonia holds forests and swamps the ability to walk in them for up to two hours without seeing another person. And how strange that is! Every two hours? – too crowded for me. We walked uphill to Read more…

Day 5 St. Petersburg Russia Children on every corner of every block. Globs of them. All dressed in sweet little white and navy blue school uniforms, bouquets of flowers in hand for their teachers. The first day of the school year. Nervous and excited and smiley and filling the air with anticipation. There are 30-60 days of sunshine per year here, and we got two of them. In a row, even. The city, chock with Read more…

Day 4 St. Petersburg, Russia What the hell is that? I asked aloud, seventy-three seconds after I woke up. A massive something on the horizon. Looking like a giant rocket. Five times the height of anything else anywhere near the thing. Silver and shiny and new and menacing and intimidating and definitely Making A Statement. Russia. Apartment buildings cluttered the shore. Teeming with humans, I was sure. But it was completely silent. And the cruise Read more…

Day 3 Helsinki Finland It was part of Sweden for a while and part of Russia for a while and now it’s Finland, except they call themselves Soumi. I’d be pissed if someone just made up a name for me and ran around making everyone else use it. Like if you introduce yourself as Richard but then some asshat insists on calling you Dick. And makes all his friends call you Ricky. Unless it was Read more…