Friday, September 09, 2005
Today's Trip Pic
Leaving Russia behind us, we steamed to Helsinki on which I have previously posted and which is a memory -- that's all, a memory.From Helsinki we steamed to Gotland island, belonging to Sweden and in the middle of the Baltic, it was the place on the cruise about which I had the least anticipation -- boy was I wrong.
This island, as it turns out, has been an active part of Baltic humanity almost since its inception. It contains, among other things, the oldest known Viking graves in the world -- see how the stones are arranged in the shape of a boat? This whole trip had a distinct Viking flavor to it, but no where was that more apparent than on Gotland.The bigest bummer was that no matter how desparately I tried, I could find no place that would even reinact the raping and pillaging aspect of the Vikings, let alone allow me to play along. And I was so looking forward to it.
They pointed out that Viking society, at least on the home front was very matriarchal becasue the men were, in fact, always out an about doing what men do when they wander. I could not help but wonder; however, how much PC archeaology was at play here though.
The island is dominated by the city of Visby. The present city traces its roots to medievil times and in fact has the most intact medieval wall in all of Europe. This alone made it worth the journey I was really able understand how a city like this operated in its prime.
The skyline of the city was dominated by these church towers. Sadly the church is ill-attended as a house of worship, but well maintained as a place of beauty. Typical for protestant churches the inside is not nearly as ornate as the exterior, but it was lovely nonetheless.
Gotland was a wonderful island. My wife and I decided that of all the places we visited, here it would be wonderful to enjoy an extended stay. Perhaps renting a cabin on the island for a month. This was an unanticipated favorite of the journey.
