Europe in the summer Alando's European encounter - Pt II

This week, we bring you the final part of the adventures of Jamaican attorney-at-law Alando Terrelonge as he treks across Europe.

I left Tallinn and arrived in Moscow on August 11, exactly one hour before the rest of my 'Team Jamaica' companions. My parents had been visiting friends in London and my friend and colleague Duane Thomas was already on vacation in Barcelona.

We synchronised our arrival perfectly. We had all heard the stereotypes about Russians, but I have always maintained that one should travel with an open mind and never give in to or be fearful of stereotypes - most of which are never true. From my travels, I have learnt that people's experiences are always different and that our attitudes and phobias are largely responsible for how we enjoy our time in a foreign country. At the end of it all, human beings are the same wherever you go; some will be friendly and open to meeting and interacting with strangers, while others will not. It's that simple.

With less than three hours to go before the men's 100m final, we boarded the Aeroexpress train from Sheremetyeo International Airport and headed to the centre of Moscow, checked into our hotel, and headed to the stadium. Had it not been for the assistance of some wonderful Russians along the way, we would've perhaps missed the race. Already, the stereotypes were being proven false. The eight-minute walk from the stadium to the train station became 40 minutes as persons stopped us every step along the way to take pictures with us and the flag. Jamaica was on display and, as cultural ambassadors of our country, we were obliged to show them how friendly and accommodating we are.

Throughout the games, I didn't imagine being offered cognac from the Russian oligarch and his family seated next to me. When I politely declined, he insisted that I have some 'Russian tea' with them. Bottle placed to my head, I drank as they did and smiled to myself at just how friendly they were.

Neither did I expect to meet Ivana at the train station who greeted me with a "What a gwaan, blood?", nor the Russian guys in the middle of Red Square who spoke to me by using the language app on their iPhones. Between Moscow and St Petersburg, I had a most amazing 10 days in the land of the czars.

And just like that, the games ended and I was off to Latvia to visit Edgar Zivert and his family, another friend from Warwick. After picking me up from the airport, we headed directly to the beach in Jurmala, a trendy beach along the Baltic Coast and home to many Russian oligarchs, who have their summer homes nearby. It was truly relaxing and exactly what I needed after the euphoric games in Moscow. Like Tallin, Riga also has a medieval old town that is a protected UNESCO world heritage site. In the centre, of 800 years of history, the iconic tower of St Peter's Church, originally built in 1209, rises high above the city. Old buildings are intertwined with art nouveau architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries, a true testament that man is forever connected with his past.

Another prominent landmark is the building of the Brotherhood of Blackheads, originally built in the 1300s. It was destroyed by the Germans in 1941 and reconstructed in the 1990s. It's a work of art and one can't help but take several pictures. My favourite spot in Riga,
however, is the Rozengrals restaurant in the centre. The premises were
used as an ancient wine vault in the 13th century, and they now serve a
medieval menu that includes venison soup, wild boar, and rabbit stew. If
one is not careful, however, one could easily be trapped in the iron
chains at the entrance, begging for freedom before the axe man gets
you.

I spent my time between Riga and Edgar's parents'
home in Jelgava, just outside Riga. From there, we visited the Rundales
and Mezotne palaces, and the old Soviet tanks in
Ventspils.

It was soon time to leave Latvia and head
to Vienna, a city I had longed to discover. This year, Deniz Yazici,
another friend from Warwick, offered to be my host and show me the
tourist attractions as well as the 'local must-dos' in the city of
musical geniuses and psychological provocateurs. Vienna and Deniz bid me
"willkommen" on August 22 and, without even dropping off my bags, she
whisked me away to have brunch at the uber trendy Naschmarkt. We dined
at Neni's where I had the recommended Jerusalem plate. It was delicious
and no different from a Turkish, Persian or Arab meal. The political
animal within spent a few minutes wondering why peace eludes the Middle
East when all they have to do is forget their religious differences that
keep them apart and allow their culinary and other similarities to
unite them. Well, perhaps it wasn't the political animal within me
speaking; it was most likely the 'foodie', who believes ambrosial
cuisine can soothe even the most savage of
beasts.

Monuments at night

After
dinner, we drove around the city and it was truly remarkable to see the
monuments lit at night. The next day, we toured the city within the
famous 'ring'. The centre of Vienna and most of its historic sites in
the first district are within the ring. Vienna is quite small and one
can easily walk around without the need to take the
metro.

We toured the Hofburg Palace, the former
residence of the Habsburg dynasty and the official residence of the
Austrian president. We walked across to the Austrian parliament with its
magnificent statue of the Greek goddess, Athena, reminding all that
those who wield political power must be wise, just, and be the heroes of
the people. We spent the following day at the Museum of Natural
History, where I was blown away by the small statuette of the Venus de
Willendorf, which dates back 25,000 years ago, and the experience of
touching meteorites and real dinosaur bones.

In the
evening, we went to the Vienna film festival at the Rathaus where we saw
the opera La Traviata and dined from a selection of
international cuisine once more. The famous Gothic church, St Stephen's,
whose origins go as far back as the 12th century, was a must-do and I
was in awe at its beauty and architectural
genius.

Before I left for London, we broke with
traditional activities and had experimental sushi at Dots. It was super,
as the Viennese now say. As we walked home, I marvelled once more at
the famous St Charles Church and told myself that I will most certainly
return to Vienna.

By the time I got to London, I was
completely tired and in need of sleep. But I had given my word that I
would have joined my friends at the Notting Hill Carnival. It has truly
been a remarkable summer. I reconnected with old friends and made new
ones. I have seen more of the world and feel better for having done so. I
have represented my country in my own way and have dispelled
stereotypes and broken down cultural barriers. It is my wish that we
would all travel and see the world and its peoples through different
eyes. For then, we would realise that we are not that different after
all.

The world truly is a global village where, thanks to technology,
language barriers need not even exist. So upload your language app,
remove the fear of flying, ignore stereotypes, plan your budget wisely,
and go see the world. Trust me, you will be happy you
did.

Contributed Photos