My study abroad in Norway is finally drawing to a close. It turns out that my program with HECUA is only 14 weeks long, therefore ending my sophomore year about five weeks earlier than the rest of St. Olaf. This program –  the Divided States of Europe – is definitely an amazing learning experience, and if any of you readers are interested in studying in Oslo, I highly recommend it!
We just returned from our two week long tour of Eastern Europe, staying in Budapest, Hungary and two cities in Romania: Sighetu-Maramures and Cluj-Napoca. I can’t lie, it was one of the most rewarding and mind-expanding trips I have ever been on, not to mention one of the most fun as well.
This entire semester the other DSE students and I have been learning a lot about Europe after the Second World War. This includes the periods of communism and post-communism in Eastern Europe. Even after 20 years of independence, Hungary and Romania are still recovering from their past under communist rule. Because of this I find this area to be unique in its rebuilding process.Â
My favorite part of the trip was a day where my class and I took a tour of the rural countryside of Maramures (an area of Romania). It was beautiful, and much of the countryside is strangely similar to American Midwestern terrain – aside from the Carpathians in the background. We had a Romanian driver take us around on tour to different small villages and churches, learning what we could from the traditional natives. Maybe I’m just nerdy, but I find the Romanian’s grasp on their old traditions so interesting.
Many of the elderly Romanians dress very traditionally – as you can see in the picture below. We met a few Romanians who still work on traditional handicrafts and skills, such as blanket weaving and wood carving.
The only English speakers we did encounter were small children and a family who owned a guesthouse.
Post-communism is definitely apparent, in Romania especially. From an elevated position, you can see the communist blocks that surround the city of Cluj. In Hungary, there are still bullet holes riddled in buildings still standing from the 1956 revolution. There is even one remaining monument in Budapest from the communist regime, resurrected to commemorate the lost lives of Soviet soldiers during World War II. (Ironically, it happens to be located in front of the American Embassy).
However, despite the depressing history of these cities, I found that Budapest is one of my favorite cities in the world. It is definitely worth it for those who have the time and money!