Semester at Sea Voyage: Reflections on a remarkable journey. For ten weeks I was on a ship with over 400 students and 20 faculty. We voyaged from Canada, to Iceland, to Norway, to Russia, to Poland, to Belgium, to France, to Ireland, to Spain, and then back home to the USA. I taught two religious studies courses that were geared to each of the countries we visited. It was quite an experience. To read about some of my thoughts, start with the ship and work your way down. Click on the thumbnail photos to enlarge them Our ship, the Explorer June 11, 2005  The journey begins. I've packed just about everything I can think of except my computer, which will be packed in the morning. It's hard to believe that we finally leave on this amazing adventure. It seems surreal at this point. But Sunday we will be in the Bahamas and boarding the Explorer, where for 5 days it will be just faculty and staff as we voyage up the east coast of the USA to Canada. The students get on in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Think of us while we are on  the great blue sea. The stars will be amazing in their brillance and number. I might just slip into the night, float away into the ocean, or enter into the land of the fairies while in Iceland or Ireland.  The next 10 weeks my "here and now" will be exploring eight countries and learning what I can. But I definately look forward to the day I will come back home to the simple joy of everyday life. Until later, Lilan Thingvellir, The Vikings's Sacred Place June 23 to June 26, 2005 Reykjavik, Iceland Iceland is an amazing land of fire and ice. It is an island that is literally on top of a volcano. Lava flows have frozen on the ground and the land is dark and desolate. The heat of the volcano makes geysers of hot water which go to the center of the earth (this is where the story of the Journey to the Center of the Earth began). The Icelanders (all 280,000 of them) have found a way to pipe the hot water into homes and business for heat which is clean and efficient. They also pipe this hot water into community swimming pools. Each community (even the smaller ones) have these amazing warm water pools. We went to one and it had 4 different hot tubs, each which increased in temperature. At the same time Iceland has several glaciers that melt into rushing rivers and waterfalls of the most pure water. We are near the Arctic Circle and it is light all the time. We actually saw the setting of the Midnight Sun (literally set at midnight). It is hard to sleep and Icelanders stay up until very late and will be in the clubs until 4 in the morning. I have such respect for the Icelanders. It has been a very difficult place to live. Only the hardy and fearless Vikings would have settled such a place in 927. Christianity was not practiced on such an isolated place and the Viking belief in their Nordic Gods continued until 1000. It was one of the last cultures to be converted to Christianity. There is a real feeling of sacred space here. The most sacred is Thingvellir, the meeting place of the Vikings each year to sort out the laws that ruled the very individual people. The Vikings were rough, tough, aggressive men and women. They worshipped Odin, Thor, Frey, Freya, and Loki, to name a few. These were Gods and Goddesses of Battle, Fertility, and the unpredictable. The stories of these Gods and Goddesses are written in the great Eddas, which you can get from your local library. It was these tales of the Norse people that inspired Tolkein in his magnificent Lord of the Rings -- Elves, Giants, Trolls, and the war to end all war. The Vikings came from Norway and Sweden. In addition to settling Iceland they went as far as Russia (which is named after the Viking tribe the “Rus”), France, Spain, Ireland (they founded Dublin), England, and even the east coast of America. And this was 400 years before Columbus. If they hadn’t been such clannish individualists, we might all be speaking Norse right now. But they didn’t have organized armies or plans to take over the world. They just wanted land and money for their own families. The Icelanders take great pride in their Viking history and in their respect for the old Gods. There is a great love, even spiritual respect, for nature, and the countryside abounds with stories of “hidden people,” the elves who live in the rocks. It is said that when roads are created that they must take the location of the hidden people into consideration, otherwise mysterious delays in the construction will occur. This is one reason there is such concern for the environmental degradation that is happening now on Iceland. Global corporations have discovered that the power generated by the volcano is cheap and so they want to bring their corporations there. Right now environmentalists are protesting the flooding of a huge part of the land to provide electricity for multiple corporations who will soon build their factories. The government says that the corporations will provide jobs for Icelanders. But Icelanders don’t want to work in factories (they are traditionally fishermen and farmers) so they are bringing in foreign labor. This will have an unknown effect on Iceland, which due to its isolation, has a very stable and homogenous gene pool. But I saw no indication of prejudice. Although Lutheranism is the State Church in Iceland, people rarely go to church. They seem to prefer their connection with the natural world. June 29 to July 2, 2005 Bergen, Norway Norway is a very rich country. We could hardly afford to get a cup of coffee ($4) or beer ($9). Much like Iceland, the dollar doesn’t go very far here. It is humbling to be in a country and feel poor. As Americans who travel we are used to being able to get what we want. Fortunately we can eat (very well) on the ship. But to come here and have to stay in hotels and eat out daily would break the bank in only a few days. But Norway hasn’t been rich for very long. In the 1960’s it was very poor. And then they found oil in their sea. They used the money from the oil to provide for people’s welfare and education. Norway is spectacular in its beauty. Steep inlets bring the ocean into the land. These fjords are topped with snow caps that melt into rushing waterfalls that literally drop into the ocean. Hundreds of waterfalls pour into the sea. I have never seen such an abundance of fresh water. But it is hard to spend much time in the countryside when the city of Bergen beckons. It is probably one of the best cities in the world, cosmopolitan, beautiful, and not so big as to be overwhelming. A market in the center of town sells flowers, fish, and fresh strawberries. ( A quart of strawberries was $9!!!) In the far north of Norway are the native people called the Sami. They have been treated much like the Native Americans in the USA and were kept from practicing their nature religion and music. They sing as a way to connect to nature. They have a special form called the joik, which brings abstract concepts into reality. I am bringing back some of their music. Standing Stone in Norway Norway from the sea setting of the midnight sun Norwegian fjords The Hermitage, the great Russian museum July 6 to July 10, 2005, St. Petersburg, Russia We leave St. Petersburg tonight. We have been docked in the St. Petersburg port next to a battleship, complete with guns and helicopter. But the feeling of an aggressive Russia does not exist here. The people look and act much like we do. There are the rich who shop in glitzy shop protected by numerous security guards to keep the pickpockets out. The women wear skin tight pants and skimpy blouses and somehow manage the old cobblestone walkways in stiletto high heels. I’m sure the old grandmothers (babushkas) shake their heads in shame. At the other end of the spectrum are the pickpockets, who see the tourists as fair game, and the police (militia) who we avoid so we do not get “fined” for jaywalking. Most people fall in the middle of those two extremes. They are hard working and look as if they worry a lot. Russia is a country of exertion and sacrifice. They have fought hard to protect what they have. Russia lost 20 million people in World War II and have lost millions to starvation during the regime of Lenin and Stalin. The everyday Russians are still trying to get some of the money that like cream, has stayed at the top of the social structure. I am in awe of St. Petersburg. It is a city built in the 18th century at the edge of the sea. It is crisscrossed with rivers and canals, covered by bridges that connect it all together. It was built in 1703 by Peter the Great, a man to be admired. He carved this city out of swampland and made it the jewel of Russia. The city was expanded and the art collections gathered by Catherine the Great, a woman to be admired. It is said she drank a pound of coffee a day. And she built mansions for two of her lovers. I have never seen such grand houses, palaces, statues, and churches. When I see the wealth that was flaunted by the rich aristocracy in the 18th and 19th centuries it becomes easy to see why there was a Revolution, which started in St. Petersburg. The palaces have been made into Museums, and St. Petersburg has some of the most amazing museums on the planet. The Hermitage (the old Winter Palace) must be the largest museum I have ever seen, outpacing the Louve in Paris. We are walking from sun up to sundown, simply because the city is too beautiful to stop and grab a cab. The food is delicious and they serve shots of Vodka in frozen glasses with the meals. You take it all down in one huge gulp. After the incredibly high prices in Iceland and Norway we are finally eating out and doing a bit of shopping. The Russian Orthodox churches here are amazing. During the Communist rule most of the churches were closed and used for storage, swimming pools, and even an ice rink. Now with renewed religious freedom the churches are being restored. The really fancy ones like St. Isaac or Church of the Spilled Blood, are memorials and not used for worship. But the churches where people do worship are filled with unbelievably beautiful icons of Jesus, Mary, and various Saints. People seem to have a deep faith and the men and women, with their head covered in scarves, light candles to the icons as they send their prayers to heaven. Church of the Spilt Blood, St. Petersburg sunset on canal in St. Petersburg view from our dock in St. Petersburg Black Madonna in Poland July 13th Today we arrived in Poland, a beautiful city on the Baltic Sea called Gdansk.  The Germans invaded Poland to start WWII in 1939 right where we are docked. The Polish people fought so valiantly to stop the Germans, but with no help from England or France (both countries had treaties with Poland that they ignored), the Polish people could not stop the invasion of the Germans.Six years and millions of Jews, Poles, and many others later, the war ended. If England and France had helped Poland in 1939 it would have stopped right where we are docked. It makes me very sad to think of the desparate futile fights of the Polish. Aside from that the town is lovely. They rebuilt it from the rubble to look like it did before the war. We are at an internet cafe (very common in Europe) listening to very cool Polish jazz. We just came from a visit to the St. Mary's church where they had a huge (floor to ceiling) astrological clock from the 15th century. Mother Mary surrounded by the constantly moving sun and moon and all 12 zodiac signs. Also 2 icons of Black Madonnas. I took pictures but will download them on my next visit to the cafe. Tomorrow we board a train for a 3 hour ride to Torun. This is the birthplace of Copernicus. They have made his home a museum and have an excellent Planetarium in this unbombed medieval city. I try to visit all the sacred sites! We are having a great voyage. And it is a very lot of work for me. I think of the quiet of walks around our pond and the peace of home and cat. We are half way through. Next stop Belgium. Love to all. Lilan Christ grieving World War II July 27, 2005 Gdansk, Poland; Antwerp, Belgium; LeHavre, France Is hard not to think about the past while in Western Europe. The past is still very present, especially World War II. We in the US don’t think too much about WWII, except maybe the bombing of Pearl Harbor (and that was way out in Hawaii), or the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima (and that was way out in Japan), or the horror of the Holocaust and the concentration camps (where were they anyway?). But in Europe the bombing was everywhere and the concentration camps are just down the road. Entire cities were destroyed, millions killed. Yesterday we went to a very old church in Le Havre, France and the exterior was cracked and pocketed with marks from artillery shells. Large parts of the city, especially near the harbor where we are docked, are crowded with generic high rises that went up quickly to provide housing after the war ended. Other parts of the city have the older homes that survived the bombings, with fancy iron balconies, narrow streets and sweet cafes. We are only 50 miles from the beaches of Normandy where American, British, and Canadian soldiers died to regain France from the Germans. We are 25 miles from Bayeux, the first town liberated by the American troops. Memorials, museums, cemeteries, and other reminders are everywhere. I feel overwhelmed at times by the violence and destruction and death that occurred all around. I am in awe of the bravery and resiliency of these people who went through such despair. I find it hard to understand how they could rebuild their cities from the rubble and still be charming and gracious hosts. And most of all I wish all Americans could be here to see the reminder of war. After suffering through two horrific wars (WWI and WWII) the Europeans have no taste for war. War is not something to be started until every other possible solution has been tried. This is why they objected to President Bush’s rush to war in Iraq. This is why they dislike the policies of the current US administration. And I can not help but think of the destruction in Iraq. The cities destroyed, the families destroyed, their museums and history in rubble. It is overwhelming to think of the rebuilding that Iraq will hopefully soon need to begin. War is a terrible thing. It should never be entered into without absolute necessity. All Americans should go to the site of a war to be reminded of this truth. War is not for a year, or two. War leaves scars that last forever.  On the other hand, the length of history in Europe puts the current politics in the US into perspective. Poland had the Teutonic knights, fresh from crusades in the Holy Land, to rule them with an iron fist for over 200 years before the Poles rose up to destroy the knights’ castle and run them out of the country. The US is such a young country. We still count time in years, not decades, and certainly not centuries. We need to not have despair over the short term, but instead create positive visions that stretch out beyond our own lifetimes. Copernicus in Torun, Poland Of course the art museums and cafes are wonderful in Europe, especially Belgium. It is such a small country to give so much pleasure to the world. I loved Antwerp and our ship was docked right in the center of town. People were so friendly and very laid back. On several occasions we asked directions to a particular place, only to be taken to our destination personally by a stranger on the street, who treated us like his personal guest. In Belgium they make over 200 kinds of beer, and each one has its own special glass from which it needs to be sampled. And the chocolates! Even the cheapest are fabulous, and the best are sold in small sweet shops that are an aesthetic and olfactory treat just to enter. And of course, the waffles. They are made on street corners and eaten hot while walking around, or you can sit down at one of the hundreds of cafes and eat them smothered in berries, chocolate, and ice-cream. The Belgiums know how to live. We were in Brussels, the capital, for their 175 year celebration of independence. The party was in every street and music on every street corner; parades ranged from military costumes to gigantic puppets. The architecture in Belgium was especially fine, especially the central squares which held the guild houses. Guilds were the medieval equivalent of professional organizations.  There were guilds for hat making, and sailors, and weavers, and carpenters, and so on. Each guild had its own symbol and the guild houses have these great symbols on the roof for all to see. I keep looking for an astrological guild, but haven’t found one yet. Perhaps I will have to start one myself. All in all I would have to say that Poland is my favorite country that we have visited so far. I think it is my deep respect for their strength during the war. And of course, Poland is the home of Copernicus, the great astrologer who in 1543 turned the world of science and religion upside down when he “put the earth in motion and made the sun stand still.”  There was a lovely, very small but tasteful museum in his home in Torun that had some of his astronomical instruments and, of course, a copy of his birthchart. It made me think of how there should be a museum to astrology.  I’m already thinking of what and who I would like to see in it.   Tonight we leave France after being here for 5 days to head to Ireland. France was not on our itinerary. We were going to London, but we diverted to France after the second string of bombings. After the first bombings on July 7th, which tragically killed over 50 people, we were still going to go to London. But when there were second bombings, and a man with a backpack was shot dead in the subway, the decision was made for the safety of the students to come to France instead. I am very saddened by the necessity to make this choice, and hope for a world that works on the premise of peaceful co-existence. I look forward to telling you about Ireland as it is a land where the seen and unseen still co-exist, at least out in the countryside, which is where I plan to go the second that the ship is cleared to disembark. Until Ireland, Lilan guild houses Belgium Seaman Guild Pope John Paul in Poland Parade for Belgium film festival poland freh seafood, especially mussels religious procession Poland Brussels street musicians Celtic monastery in Ireland, established c. 500 CE August 1, 2005, I am in an internet cafe on the west coast of Ireland, a town called Galway. It is part of the older celtic area of Ireland and I have been amazed at how much of the old Celtic language, Gaelic, is spoken here. People use it in casual conversation and all the signs are in both English and Gaelic.I understand why the Irish choose to settle in West Virginia now that I am here. So much of Ireland looks like WV, and the road can be so small that it makes the WV backroads look like superhighways! The land also looks much like Martha's Vineyard, with stone fences everywhere and gentle rolling hills. The pubs are the center of social life, with all ages, from children to the grandparents, all hanging out at the pubs. A pint of Guiness sure tastes good in Ireland. We have a rental car and have been exploring. I'll post some pictures later. Old stone Celtic crosses, and the ruins of monasteries that were sack by the Vikings over 1000 years ago. Soon I will be at the hill of Tara, an entrance into the underworld and the divine race of the Tuatha de Danann, and to New Grange, one of the oldest passage tombs in the world. Missing home. Spain is our last port before we begin our long journey across the Atlantic back to Florida coast. The ancient Celts left their mark in the Christianity of Ireland. A unique form of Christian worship combined the pagan and Christian elements, as can be seen in the Celtic Cross. It has the usual cruciform shape but with the addition of the circle, the symbol of the Sun. As we criss-crossed Ireland we found the remains of many old monasteries. They were often  built on the sea coast or along the rivers. This created great problems when the Vikings came during the 10th century in their dragon ships to rob the churches of their wealth and wreck havoc on the monks, many whom they took as slaves. With the dark sky and black ravens flying around it was easy to imagine Ireland as it was in the dark and mysterious past. Even now there is a belief in the fairies who live in the Otherworld. Many of the old stone dolmens and circles have not been touched because they are believed to be the doorway to the land of the fairies. Newgrange in Ireland, a 5000 year old passage tomb I have hardly had time to write about Ireland and Spain. I loved Ireland, land of the goddess and fairies. They still both abound in Ireland. The fairies in Ireland are not small colorful pixies with wings. They are the Tuatha de Dananu, children of the Goddess Danu. They are a race of artists, musicians, and magicians who went to live underground after losing a huge battle to a fiercer, but less wise tribe. They closed the boundaries to their Otherworld; they hid the doorways to their realm. But if you know where to look you may be able to discover an entrance under a dolmen or standing stone. Ireland was so wonderful. I definitely felt at home there. The old monasteries and Celtic crosses were everywhere, and the blending of pagan and Christian religion is visible and tangible. I stood on the hill of Tara, where kings were inaugurated with a sacred marriage to the Goddess near the Lai Fail, Stone of Destiny. I walked into the 5000 year old passage tomb of NewGrange, where spirals mark the sacred site. Notice the wonderful triple spiral markings on the outside stone. We walked into the narrow passage to the center of the tomb. At the center it splits off into 3 altar spaces, each with a wonderfully large stone basin that held the cremated remains of the dead. This passage also had spirals carved into the stone. This tomb is older than the Egyptian pyramids. The opening at the top of tomb is aligned to the light of the Winter Solstice, which illuminates the entire passage and ancient altars.   Irish stone walls in the west one of many Irish pubs church in Spain The Guggenheim in Bilbao Spain Beach scene in Spain Myth, Symbol, and Ritual Class August 20, 2005 We are almost home, back in the USA. We left Spain 10 days ago and after 10 days and 4000 nautical miles we have crossed the Atlantic. We are winding down our voyage of discovery. We made it through the death of the Captain, the terrorist attack in London, and the Bermuda Triangle still intact, and even better for it all. We are not a small world-- we are a large world. But we are interconnected by the ocean and by the sameness of our lives and our concerns. I saw myself in the Russian and in the Poles.   Teaching fifty-five students in two courses while experiencing eight countries has been one heck of a lot of work. I put a picture of one of my classes on this page so no one could accuse me of being on a (gasp!) cruise. This was a ship, not a boat, and it was a voyage, not a cruise. There is so much to say about the students. Most of them were wonderful, hard working, and serious students. They were polite and thoughtful, and generous, and supportive of each other. They could work and play with equal enthusiasm. I loved seeing them hanging out with computers doing homework, and laying in the sun by the pool. I loved the ship best when it was full of students doing their studies. I loved the voyage best when we were so far out in the ocean that there was no land or other vessels in sight for days at a time. I loved it when it was 30,000 feet deep and the bottom of the sea was only a vague idea. I will miss the ocean, I will miss the rocking of the ship, I will miss someone cooking and cleaning up for me. And I will be glad to get home.   It is time to return home. Time to become land-bound again. This morning before dawn I awoke from a dream and felt a powerful urge to go outside on the deck. The moon was full and setting into the western sea. At the same time the sun was rising on the east. I did yoga on the deck and felt embraced by all the elements.   Semester at Sea is a jewel of a program. I would encourage your friends and children to find out about it and become an international citizen and more knowledgeable about the world. Check it out at www. semesteratsea.com  Its been a blessing.