Norway

We sailed into a drizzly Bergen, up the fjord about 27 miles from the sea, early on the morning of July 15. It's a class day (we're in full session, but docked here looking out at the beautiful scenery).

Janna and I were leaders for a three-night "Best of Norway" trip that took us all over the place. We left Bergen at 6:30 pm, after classes finished up for the day, on a bus to a hotel in Stalheim, with stunning views down the valley of Voss. Gargantuan (and really delicious) buffet dinner ("salmon porn" in someone's apt description). After a lovely sleep in the hotel and a delicious breakfast buffet, we boarded the bus to drive to the tip of the Nærøyfjord, where we got on a ferry that took us on a two-hour sail up the fjords (several of them) to Flüm.

Through the longest tunnel in the world (15 miles) to Lærdal, on another ferry to visit one of the only stave churches left in existence.

A Unesco World Heritage Site, the Urnes stave church was built in 1130 and added to in 1600. From there, the bus took us to the Jostedal Glacier (largest in Norway, 325 square miles), before settling us into the hotel in Loenfjord.

The next day took us to some more Unesco fjords (this never gets boring), and to one of the scariest switchback roads I've travelled outside of the Andes.

I kissed a reindeer and ate some good food, but we're grateful that the meals are included with the excursion because, as you will see, food here is bizarrely expensive (this Big Mac dinner deal costs...$23!!).

On to Lillehammer (site of 1994 Winter Olympics), a wonderful meal with Fernando and Carrie, and a fun walk home.

Our final day in Oslo we simply tried to take in some sites: the Viking Museum, the Maritime Museum, the stunning opera house, and a $38 pizza and beer.

It's confirmed: Norway is absolutely the most gorgeous country on earth (clean, impressive infrastructure, no billboards, civic thoughtfulness), although its people might need some work.

Ireland

The dizzying speed of this program left us only one day between Scotland and Ireland, a day full of classes, homework, meetings, pre-port presentations, a talk by a Scottish shamanistic practitioner (who is accompanying one of the classes on field labs to Tara and New Grange), and preparation for Ireland.

Just as Kirk was arriving from New York, I headed in to Dublin to meet up with some colleagues from Trinity College, have lunch with them and get caught up on professional issues (she has published twice in the international journal I edit). Lunch was in a repurposed Bank of Ireland building (echoes of Edinburgh: why are old banks now restaurants?). We enjoyed after lunch coffee in the Staff Club of the University, then saw the Book of Kells and the gorgeous library.

I spent the afternoon at the dazzling and select collection of masterpieces at the National Gallery of Ireland, then met up with Kirk and Janna for a few Guinnesses before having dinner in a lovely (if noisy) wine bar in town before returning, drenched and tired, to the ship.

The weather cooperated for the next few days as we trooped around beautiful Dublin.

We enjoyed Brian Friel's classic play, "The Aristocrats," at the famous Abbey Theatre.

Saturday took us to the medieval city of Kilkenny and its important castle before we returned to Dublin for a night out in Temple Bar (a lively, hip neighborhood in center city).

Kirk sped off to Galway and the foggy Cliffs of Mohr, but the last day we puttered around Dublin together. Classes resume again for three days before we arrive in Bergen, Norway.

Scotland 2

We cashed in some Marriott Points (didn't even know I had them) for one 5-star hotel in Edinburgh and one 4-star hotel in Glasgow. The trip up to Edinburgh was relatively easy, although it involved a 25-minute walk to the Greenock train station, a 1-hour ride to Glasgow, a 20-minute walk to another train station, another 1-hour ride to Edinburgh, and a walk down a hill to the hotel. Worth it! Edinburgh is the jewel in the crown of Scotland (many of you have been there), gorgeous from every angle. The golden and brown stone buildings radiate former power and elegance, and the people couldn't be more friendly. Janna thought it was excessive for me to have my (cool) sneakers polished at the hotel, but the results are in and I'm thrilled.

We walked and walked, up to the castle, down to Holyrood Palace, through backstreets and along the main thoroughfares.

The highlight, though, had to be dinner at Atelier (put it on your list). Gorgeous modern food, friendly setting, casual and efficient service. Short descriptions: Beetroot with goat cheese cake, chutney puree, orange gel and balsamic caviar; Sea bass fillet, crispy prawns, smoked paprika puree, pak choi, basil mash and a light bisque:

Lunch was at the Dome, a converted Bank of Scotland building. Take a peek:

Then, we trained back over to Glasgow, where we took in the new Zaha Hadid Riverside Transportation Museum, the Tall Ship, and the Govan (medieval) stones.

Dinner at a typical Scottish restaurant (recommended by a friend), and more wandering this morning before we came back to the ship. Tonight, BBQ, several meetings, and we sail off toward Dublin. Totally weird event: we are leaving the MV Explorer and docked next door (next slip?) is a large container ship painted turquoise. I casually said to Janna, "Hey, there's your ship -- they painted it for you!" Here's the random kicker: when we looked closer, we saw what it was actually named. Rod Serling, anyone?

Scotland 1

Four straight days of class on the ship (above, the view from my office). Students came back from Spain tired but elated. We are attempting to keep them focused and up on their classwork. That's not an easy task with all of the distractions, but this is a terrific group that seems to be taking the academics seriously. We have noted a steady improvement in the students' attitudes toward the academic part of the voyage since UVa got involved (first UVa voyage, summer 2007); from that perspective it's rather sad that UVa has pulled the plug on its academic sponsorship.

We have an Interport Lecturer from Glasgow on board (Christine Reid, winner of the European Librarian of the Year Award in 2000) who gave a terrific talk on Scottish history and the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence (September 18).

On the first day we did a ship trip from the Greenock port to the Luss Highland Games, a once-a-year event that pits athletes in events like running or cycling, but also caber tossing (when the woman told me what it was in her sweet Scottish accent, I thought she said "caper tossing," which, of course, impressed me not one whit), rock throwing, boulder lifting, and bagpipe competitions.

The entire event takes place on the large estate of Sir Malcolm Rory, on the edge of Loch Loman.

Tomorrow, Glasgow and Edinburgh.Stay tuned.