Dublin – 2007 'first impressions', October 26-29th
Allowing that the harbour area of any city will likely be less attractive than the city proper (although Copenhagen and Stockholm are both beautiful from the water up), Dublin is very much a mixed bag. If one were to use 'number of high-rise construction cranes' as a proxy for economic robustness, the city is booming. Trinity College, a ten-minute walk from our berth, has its beautiful grounds looking grand. The streets are dirtier than London but better than St Petersburg. A lot of mostly passive 'panhandling' is going on. (An immigrant mother with her infant child, an Irishman with two black eyes, a couple of errant teeth and a sailor's tongue, and a couple of bedraggled teens and a dog, were among those in evidence on the 'High Street'. I have yet to figure out the best manner in which to deal with this 'have-have not' conundrum in cases where I am just passing through – Spring Garden Road, Halifax versus 'downtown' Wolfville. For the record, in this specific instance, I gave the mother a little money, the young people and dog some food, and the other chap a nod; he was the least impressed, and the most expressive. I had a brochure outlining upcoming lectures at the university which I chose not to offer.)The people have what might be described as character faces; many look as though everyday life is a struggle. The prices are similar to London: expensive – a cup of coffee and a 'little something' 5-7 euros. Tesco, a British grocery chain (think Atlantic Superstore), is here, selling Tim Horton donuts ( 1.49 euros for a chocolate glazed: about $2.10 Canadian) as one of its items! The price of a litre of unleaded regular is 1.38 euros, $1.96 Canadian.
As part of our in-port activities an excursion was organized to Causey farm, an hour plus by bus from Dublin. Now I wouldn't have thought of such an activity myself, but we all had a great time. Activities included learning a Ceili dance, watching a sheepdog demonstration, milking a cow, taking part in an Irish drum class, learning the basic idea of the Irish national game hurling, a tractor and wagon trip to a peat bog and a forest, and making (and later eating) brown bread. The people at the farm were also getting ready for Halloween, so we were treated to their haunted house experience, and we brought two pumpkins back to the ship which were made into jack-o-lanterns for the 31 st.
I did a lot of walking (as per usual) about the city. On Sunday several of us went to Christ Church Cathedral. On a tour of Trinity College library I viewed the Book of Kells, a lavishly decorated copy, in Latin, of the four gospels, probably produced early in the 9 th century by the monks of Iona.
Miscellaneous: One exciting aspect of coming to each port is the opportunity to use the internet to communicate with family and friends and catch up on some of the Canadian news stories. No two ports are the same with regard to internet access. In Dublin, for instance, we could pick up a wireless network signal from the ship at certain times of the day. By filling out a form at the city library I was issued a library card which allowed free internet access as one of the services. Franchises like McDonalds and Subway have their own wireless networks for customers who have brought their laptops along (a number of local coffee shops have wireless as well). And there are the 'Internet/International Calls' type places which provide the computer access for an hourly fee.
Dublin – La Coruna, October 29 – November 3.
This journey was relatively uneventful. The winds were generally favourable and we made good time. At some points we were truly in the Atlantic, with water depths in the 4,000 metre range!
Halloween was celebrated on the 31st, including costumes and trick or treating. I have now managed to get all the face paints removed – it took a while! (The students are not to have food items stored in their cabins which would attract bugs and mould as starters. Once in a while there are cabin inspections to check on their 'state of affairs'. An inspection the evening we left Dublin yielded vast quantities of contraband, including lots of Halloween treat type goodies. These items were confiscated then 'returned' as treats a couple of evenings later!)
Monday, November 5, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Brest & Dublin, Oct 22-26th
Brest, October 22-23rd
The weather has held – sunny days (cool in the wind), clear cold nights.
Final exams will be held on our voyage to Dublin in my two first-term courses:
Busi 2713, Introduction to Business and Econ 1013, Microeconomics. Our second term commences upon our departure from Dublin for La Coruna, Spain next Monday. The two new courses will be Macroeconomics and Environmental Economics. I am having a special 'last class' today for review. Some of the students have been quite industrious, others slack. It will 'all come out in the wash' and 'wash day' is tomorrow (the 24th) and the next! It has been ever thus.
Shortly after 9:00 PM on the 23rd we departed Brest for Dublin. Our eighth port (and seventh language) was less interesting than some. Still, there were attractive sights and the people were pleasant and generally helpful. I've had enough crépes for a while!
Brest to Dublin, October 23-26
This morning (October 24th) we were, for a time, making 12 knots with a combination of engine and sail. The wind has now fallen off somewhat but we're still making good time. Little shore birds (no land in sight), dolphins at the bow, and the occasional whale sighting have punctuated an otherwise uneventful day. 'My' students wrote their business exam this morning, which will be mailed to Don Bureaux (the correspondence instructor for this course) when we arrive in Ireland. My economics students write tomorrow and I will have their exams corrected within the day.
It is now 'tomorrow'. The exam went well. We are to dock in Dublin within the hour (10:00AM).
Miscellaneous comments: I sometimes yearn for more adult company. The students are emerging adults of course, but their preoccupations and silliness wear on me in such confined space. The other teachers are good company by in large, though some of them have largely adolescent agendas too. The in-port adventures are welcome of course; foreign language constraints understandably limit the conversational opportunities. There is plenty of good reading material on board. The difficulty here is that the majority of days at sea have us experiencing sailing conditions which court sea sickness, and reading makes stomach matters worse.
It is a common place to take issue with the food. Still, with allowances for the inevitable ship-board constraints, the lunch and dinner fare is unimaginative at best, unappetizing at worst. Breakfast is more or less tamper proof: dry cereal with a piece of fruit. Scrambled eggs make an appearance about once a sail. While we are in port those wishing to eat lunch or dinner on board put their names on a sigh-up list. The offerings on those occasions are generally less attractive than the at-sea ones.
The Economist pocket guide states that Ireland has 11,000 pubs (smoke free since 2004) for a population of 4 million, so I predict that a plow-man's lunch with a beverage is in my immediate future!
The weather has held – sunny days (cool in the wind), clear cold nights.
Final exams will be held on our voyage to Dublin in my two first-term courses:
Busi 2713, Introduction to Business and Econ 1013, Microeconomics. Our second term commences upon our departure from Dublin for La Coruna, Spain next Monday. The two new courses will be Macroeconomics and Environmental Economics. I am having a special 'last class' today for review. Some of the students have been quite industrious, others slack. It will 'all come out in the wash' and 'wash day' is tomorrow (the 24th) and the next! It has been ever thus.
Shortly after 9:00 PM on the 23rd we departed Brest for Dublin. Our eighth port (and seventh language) was less interesting than some. Still, there were attractive sights and the people were pleasant and generally helpful. I've had enough crépes for a while!
Brest to Dublin, October 23-26
This morning (October 24th) we were, for a time, making 12 knots with a combination of engine and sail. The wind has now fallen off somewhat but we're still making good time. Little shore birds (no land in sight), dolphins at the bow, and the occasional whale sighting have punctuated an otherwise uneventful day. 'My' students wrote their business exam this morning, which will be mailed to Don Bureaux (the correspondence instructor for this course) when we arrive in Ireland. My economics students write tomorrow and I will have their exams corrected within the day.
It is now 'tomorrow'. The exam went well. We are to dock in Dublin within the hour (10:00AM).
Miscellaneous comments: I sometimes yearn for more adult company. The students are emerging adults of course, but their preoccupations and silliness wear on me in such confined space. The other teachers are good company by in large, though some of them have largely adolescent agendas too. The in-port adventures are welcome of course; foreign language constraints understandably limit the conversational opportunities. There is plenty of good reading material on board. The difficulty here is that the majority of days at sea have us experiencing sailing conditions which court sea sickness, and reading makes stomach matters worse.
It is a common place to take issue with the food. Still, with allowances for the inevitable ship-board constraints, the lunch and dinner fare is unimaginative at best, unappetizing at worst. Breakfast is more or less tamper proof: dry cereal with a piece of fruit. Scrambled eggs make an appearance about once a sail. While we are in port those wishing to eat lunch or dinner on board put their names on a sigh-up list. The offerings on those occasions are generally less attractive than the at-sea ones.
The Economist pocket guide states that Ireland has 11,000 pubs (smoke free since 2004) for a population of 4 million, so I predict that a plow-man's lunch with a beverage is in my immediate future!
Monday, October 22, 2007
October 11-21st, London -- Brest
London, October 11-15th.
Our berth in London was at Canary Wharf, a most desirable address. It actually required the raising of a bridge and the use of a lock to come to our actual resting spot. Access to the sites of London then required a journey in to 'town' on the Jubilee line – quite convenient actually. Claudia and I purchased three-day zones one and two, tube and bus passes, a choice we have found to be valuable in the past. The ship arrived in late afternoon on Thursday. Claudia flew in on Friday morning (with aircraft difficulties – smoke in the cockpit no less, she was delayed by several hours). We had agreed to meet up at the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, and at her hotel as back up. An e-mail message from Stephen, relayed from Claudia, allowed me to go with plan 'B'.
We had a wonderful three days catching up in person, with lots of walking under pleasant skies, an excellent (serious) musical, 'Blood Brothers', and plenty of good food including lunch at the Borough Market (London Bridge) and some terrific Indian food (the first 'meal' back on board today underlined the blinding contrast!) I shall be seeing Claudia again in a little over two weeks in La Caruna, Spain. In the mean time there will be visits to Brest, France and Dublin, Ireland for the ship and me, and a trip to a long-time friend, to Jane Austin country, and cycling in northern Spain (with Carol Dewar) for Claudia.
I haven't been sending many postcards, and certainly none from London as the postal system is suffering through one of its periodic strikes. The big sporting event of the moment was England's "spanking" of France in rugby. Unleaded regular is just under a pound a litre (about $2.04 Canadian), and it is best – for peace of mind – to pretend that the pound is a dollar when it comes to buying most anything but milk, bread, chocolate and wine!
The students enjoyed their London experiences by all accounts. (My fellow teachers gave me the time off to be with Claudia, so I didn't take part in the in-port tours. We are quite familiar with the London 'sights and sounds' from past visits.)
The Cruise to Brest, France, October 15-19.
We reversed our passage down the Thames in the fading afternoon light. Along both banks, virtually all the way to the sea, is commercial and private residential development. It wasn't until the afternoon of the 17th that we were once more under sail. The first couple of days were forgettable periods of holding on tightly to our bunks, and our stomach contents, as we bucked and splashed our way past the white cliffs of Dover, then Beachy Head in the teeth of a stubborn English Channel gale. Of course classes were held these days but learning suffered! The sun reappeared on the third day out, and the seas diminished to a tolerable level. (The decks were too wet from waves braking over them to hold morning fitness at mid-ships, or to venture about without foul weather gear.)
We continued under sail on the 18th, now 120 nautical miles or so from Brest. The winds were light, the sun shone. These are the last few days of our term one courses. Exams will be held next week on our voyage to Dublin, then second term courses will commence and run through to my last port of call in the Canary Islands. Out here on the 'high seas' it is difficult to imagine that my Acadia teaching colleagues are manning picket lines on campus (or were doing so when we left London on the 15th.) Classes continue as normal on the Concordia!
Some miscellaneous thoughts
: Sailors, as you may well know, are a superstitious lot. For example, one is not to whistle on board! Well, anyone knowing me recognizes that while it may not be the most melodic of renderings, I do whistle a lot. Various members of the professional crew, politely but in all seriousness, have asked on various occasions, that I save my melodies for shore time! It seems that the youngest person aboard is exempt from this restriction. No one is prepared to advance the privilege to the oldest.
Among other superstitions drawn to my attention: no cut flowers are to be brought aboard and a ship cannot begin a voyage on a Friday!
We eat our meals in two shifts (the mess cannot accommodate us all at once), announced by the ringing of a bell. Sometimes it is "lower bunk first", for example, or "girls first", "watches 1-3", etc. Instructors can eat when they want; however, I generally abide by the 'calls' as noted.
A lot of clubs have been formed, just as one might expect in a land-school setting. One that held its inaugural meeting recently is the "Smoothies Club", that is, blended fruit drinks. We have a Spanish club, a climbers club (those who are especially given to going to the top of the rigging), and a baking club to name a few. A fundraising initiative taking the form of 'tuck shop' sales of candy bars is thriving.
With the departure a week or so ago of my roommate (personal reasons, not his cabin mate's behaviour I have been reassured), I am enjoying private accommodation. This is likely to remain the case for the rest of my stay. Richard and I got on well, and we had many interesting conversations, but it is great to have the extra space and relative privacy. Incidentally, Richard's teaching responsibilities have been assumed by Simon and Cal, the grade 12 and Gap year directors respectively. (They had had reduced teaching loads because of their other duties; these changes make their schedules more demanding of course.)
Those knowing me recognize my interest in birds. I find it fascinating that as we near land (although not necessarily in sight of it) the sea birds come to check us out. Occasionally a land-based bird will alight on our decks, presumably having been blown off course. These visitors generally stay awhile before resuming their journeys. We dispose of our food waste while at sea. However, this doesn't appear to be part of the attraction for our feathered friends. Smart birds!
We spied a whale off port mid-ships a while ago. It didn't grace us with its presence for long however. A herd of porpoises has been frolicking at the bow for an hour or so. And four finches have decided to travel with us for a spell. They are 'gossiping' near one of the life rafts. It is a wild life afternoon it seems!
Arrival in Brest, October 19th.
We were on time for a mid-day arrival and took a pilot aboard for the last 15 miles or so. Brest will be the home port for European Tall Ships '08 and that is the reason for it been chose as this year's French port of call. (I understand our berthing and piloting fees have been assumed by the '08 organizing committee; in exchange the Concordia will play host to receptions and meeting on October 23rd with our departure for Dublin being delayed until early evening.) We are tied up in the industrial area of the port, a rather 'dodgy' location after dark.
Brest, October 19-21st
The weather has been warm and sunny the first few days of our stay. The night skies have been star-filled and it has been nippy (and dark) for our morning runs.
A disappointment discovered shortly after arrival was that the faculty strike at Acadia has led to the university withdrawing e-mail services and I am, for the moment, without means of checking my messages. I have contacted Claudia through a friend's account and will likely set up an alternative hot mail account. The local McDonald's has wireless so I was able to phone Barna via Skype (and talk with Maya too) and bring her up to date. I'm wondering if I am supposed to be on strike. I'm not, and have no intention of participating in 'industrial action'. Perhaps my pay is being suspended. I will not be pleased if such is the case.
A number of the students (and a couple of teachers) are tomorrow (Monday) making a trip to Mont St Michel. It is a four-hour combined train-bus trip (each way) which I have declined. We had visited the site back in 1994 during our year at Exeter (and were in the area again last year) and have no strong desire for a repeat visit.
Today we had (another) aquarium visit and a nautical museum is a possibility for tomorrow (for those not going to Mont St Michel.) Earlier today we walked to the Brest Sunday morning market. I had my little cup of 'silty' coffee with a ham and cheese crepe and took in all the sights. Yesterday a group of us went on a sea-coast hike – it was stunning scenery – and then had crepes for lunch!
Our berth in London was at Canary Wharf, a most desirable address. It actually required the raising of a bridge and the use of a lock to come to our actual resting spot. Access to the sites of London then required a journey in to 'town' on the Jubilee line – quite convenient actually. Claudia and I purchased three-day zones one and two, tube and bus passes, a choice we have found to be valuable in the past. The ship arrived in late afternoon on Thursday. Claudia flew in on Friday morning (with aircraft difficulties – smoke in the cockpit no less, she was delayed by several hours). We had agreed to meet up at the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, and at her hotel as back up. An e-mail message from Stephen, relayed from Claudia, allowed me to go with plan 'B'.
We had a wonderful three days catching up in person, with lots of walking under pleasant skies, an excellent (serious) musical, 'Blood Brothers', and plenty of good food including lunch at the Borough Market (London Bridge) and some terrific Indian food (the first 'meal' back on board today underlined the blinding contrast!) I shall be seeing Claudia again in a little over two weeks in La Caruna, Spain. In the mean time there will be visits to Brest, France and Dublin, Ireland for the ship and me, and a trip to a long-time friend, to Jane Austin country, and cycling in northern Spain (with Carol Dewar) for Claudia.
I haven't been sending many postcards, and certainly none from London as the postal system is suffering through one of its periodic strikes. The big sporting event of the moment was England's "spanking" of France in rugby. Unleaded regular is just under a pound a litre (about $2.04 Canadian), and it is best – for peace of mind – to pretend that the pound is a dollar when it comes to buying most anything but milk, bread, chocolate and wine!
The students enjoyed their London experiences by all accounts. (My fellow teachers gave me the time off to be with Claudia, so I didn't take part in the in-port tours. We are quite familiar with the London 'sights and sounds' from past visits.)
The Cruise to Brest, France, October 15-19.
We reversed our passage down the Thames in the fading afternoon light. Along both banks, virtually all the way to the sea, is commercial and private residential development. It wasn't until the afternoon of the 17th that we were once more under sail. The first couple of days were forgettable periods of holding on tightly to our bunks, and our stomach contents, as we bucked and splashed our way past the white cliffs of Dover, then Beachy Head in the teeth of a stubborn English Channel gale. Of course classes were held these days but learning suffered! The sun reappeared on the third day out, and the seas diminished to a tolerable level. (The decks were too wet from waves braking over them to hold morning fitness at mid-ships, or to venture about without foul weather gear.)
We continued under sail on the 18th, now 120 nautical miles or so from Brest. The winds were light, the sun shone. These are the last few days of our term one courses. Exams will be held next week on our voyage to Dublin, then second term courses will commence and run through to my last port of call in the Canary Islands. Out here on the 'high seas' it is difficult to imagine that my Acadia teaching colleagues are manning picket lines on campus (or were doing so when we left London on the 15th.) Classes continue as normal on the Concordia!
Some miscellaneous thoughts
: Sailors, as you may well know, are a superstitious lot. For example, one is not to whistle on board! Well, anyone knowing me recognizes that while it may not be the most melodic of renderings, I do whistle a lot. Various members of the professional crew, politely but in all seriousness, have asked on various occasions, that I save my melodies for shore time! It seems that the youngest person aboard is exempt from this restriction. No one is prepared to advance the privilege to the oldest.
Among other superstitions drawn to my attention: no cut flowers are to be brought aboard and a ship cannot begin a voyage on a Friday!
We eat our meals in two shifts (the mess cannot accommodate us all at once), announced by the ringing of a bell. Sometimes it is "lower bunk first", for example, or "girls first", "watches 1-3", etc. Instructors can eat when they want; however, I generally abide by the 'calls' as noted.
A lot of clubs have been formed, just as one might expect in a land-school setting. One that held its inaugural meeting recently is the "Smoothies Club", that is, blended fruit drinks. We have a Spanish club, a climbers club (those who are especially given to going to the top of the rigging), and a baking club to name a few. A fundraising initiative taking the form of 'tuck shop' sales of candy bars is thriving.
With the departure a week or so ago of my roommate (personal reasons, not his cabin mate's behaviour I have been reassured), I am enjoying private accommodation. This is likely to remain the case for the rest of my stay. Richard and I got on well, and we had many interesting conversations, but it is great to have the extra space and relative privacy. Incidentally, Richard's teaching responsibilities have been assumed by Simon and Cal, the grade 12 and Gap year directors respectively. (They had had reduced teaching loads because of their other duties; these changes make their schedules more demanding of course.)
Those knowing me recognize my interest in birds. I find it fascinating that as we near land (although not necessarily in sight of it) the sea birds come to check us out. Occasionally a land-based bird will alight on our decks, presumably having been blown off course. These visitors generally stay awhile before resuming their journeys. We dispose of our food waste while at sea. However, this doesn't appear to be part of the attraction for our feathered friends. Smart birds!
We spied a whale off port mid-ships a while ago. It didn't grace us with its presence for long however. A herd of porpoises has been frolicking at the bow for an hour or so. And four finches have decided to travel with us for a spell. They are 'gossiping' near one of the life rafts. It is a wild life afternoon it seems!
Arrival in Brest, October 19th.
We were on time for a mid-day arrival and took a pilot aboard for the last 15 miles or so. Brest will be the home port for European Tall Ships '08 and that is the reason for it been chose as this year's French port of call. (I understand our berthing and piloting fees have been assumed by the '08 organizing committee; in exchange the Concordia will play host to receptions and meeting on October 23rd with our departure for Dublin being delayed until early evening.) We are tied up in the industrial area of the port, a rather 'dodgy' location after dark.
Brest, October 19-21st
The weather has been warm and sunny the first few days of our stay. The night skies have been star-filled and it has been nippy (and dark) for our morning runs.
A disappointment discovered shortly after arrival was that the faculty strike at Acadia has led to the university withdrawing e-mail services and I am, for the moment, without means of checking my messages. I have contacted Claudia through a friend's account and will likely set up an alternative hot mail account. The local McDonald's has wireless so I was able to phone Barna via Skype (and talk with Maya too) and bring her up to date. I'm wondering if I am supposed to be on strike. I'm not, and have no intention of participating in 'industrial action'. Perhaps my pay is being suspended. I will not be pleased if such is the case.
A number of the students (and a couple of teachers) are tomorrow (Monday) making a trip to Mont St Michel. It is a four-hour combined train-bus trip (each way) which I have declined. We had visited the site back in 1994 during our year at Exeter (and were in the area again last year) and have no strong desire for a repeat visit.
Today we had (another) aquarium visit and a nautical museum is a possibility for tomorrow (for those not going to Mont St Michel.) Earlier today we walked to the Brest Sunday morning market. I had my little cup of 'silty' coffee with a ham and cheese crepe and took in all the sights. Yesterday a group of us went on a sea-coast hike – it was stunning scenery – and then had crepes for lunch!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Tug's log, October 4th-11th
October 4th
We are doing a ship provisioning this morning before departure. The usual sailing day teaching schedule will be followed, with classes beginning at 1:00 PM. Jan the cook has purchased a big order. I think because he is German and knows his way around this area, he can strike a good bargain. We form a human chain and pass the boxes of provisions from one to another all the way from the truck on the dock, up the gang plank, along the deck to the galley hatch, down the stairs and along the companion way to the food stores. (A little later we used the same method to get the garbage bags to a truck for disposal.)
A photographer took a picture of all of us standing along the deck, water side, from a building across the channel. We wore our Class Afloat uniforms. I assume this event was arranged by the "powers that be".
The harbour pilot and his female coworker accompanied us from our berth, down river to where the channel widens out. They left the Concordia by negotiating a crossing to a pilot boat, this being accomplished while underway. (We are experiencing light rain and a modest breeze.) Just now there was a call for free hands on deck as we put up some sail.
October 5th - 11th, Lubeck to London
October 5th. It is a sunny, cool day with relatively calm seas. Our route to London has us traveling NNW through the Kattegat, Skayerrak, then into the North Sea. It is a longer route than through the Kiel Canal, but generally less expensive as the Canal authority charges a stiff tariff and, of course, the canal does not lend itself to sailing. The weather stayed fair throughout the day, and we were under sail from late afternoon on. (Throughout the rest of the day we were under power; what wind there was, was straight into our face. As we are in a busy shipping lane at the moment there is not much opportunity for tacking.)
October 6th. Today has been a perfect early fall day. There was barely a hint of wind so we motored along, but the skies were blue, the sun was warm and everyone seemed to get a lift. The meals were better than normal too, benefiting from the fresh supplies brought aboard the last day in port.
October 7th. Sailing conditions are more favourable with some wind, but the air is raw and the seas are picking up. We are now in the North Sea, following a shipping lane along the Danish coast.
October 8th. It was still dark when we began fitness at mid ships at 7:00AM. An oil rig was visible off the starboard side. No ships were in sight. We are well away from land at the moment. Our progress since departing Lubeck suggests that we will arrive in London on Thursday as scheduled. This evening we set the ship's clocks back by an hour to conform to UK time.
October 9th. This morning the student council (3) and the teachers, in cooperation with Jan the cook, were up early (6:00 AM) preparing a special breakfast for all on board. Ordinarily breakfast consists of dry cereal and sometimes a piece of fruit. One can appreciate how monotonous this can become. Today for a treat we had pancakes and maple syrup, sausages wrapped in bacon and hash browns!
The wind picked up considerably by mid afternoon and we were tossed about until well after midnight.
October 10th. We are still under sail this morning, although the wind has dropped off considerably. At colours it was announced that we are 120 nautical miles from London so we will be getting in on time by noon tomorrow. The shipping traffic is light at the moment. Lots of oil and gas wells are to be seen. I am feeling out of touch with the rest of the world as it has been six days since we left Lubeck. My Yankees may have triumphed in their series with Cleveland, or maybe they have been eliminated. This is important information! Tomorrow I will know.
October 11th. I awoke at 6:00 AM (my usual ship wake up time) to find us in a thick fog. We had anchored late last evening at the mouth of the Thames. We will proceed up the river a certain distance and rendezvous with a pilot boat late morning for the remainder of the passage to Canary Wharf. I believe Canary Wharf is on the Jubilee tube line which should prove convenient. Claudia's flight comes in tomorrow morning early. We have agreed to meet in the restaurant in the
basement of St Martin in the Field church in Trafalgar Square. We have a B&B booked for several nights.
We are doing a ship provisioning this morning before departure. The usual sailing day teaching schedule will be followed, with classes beginning at 1:00 PM. Jan the cook has purchased a big order. I think because he is German and knows his way around this area, he can strike a good bargain. We form a human chain and pass the boxes of provisions from one to another all the way from the truck on the dock, up the gang plank, along the deck to the galley hatch, down the stairs and along the companion way to the food stores. (A little later we used the same method to get the garbage bags to a truck for disposal.)
A photographer took a picture of all of us standing along the deck, water side, from a building across the channel. We wore our Class Afloat uniforms. I assume this event was arranged by the "powers that be".
The harbour pilot and his female coworker accompanied us from our berth, down river to where the channel widens out. They left the Concordia by negotiating a crossing to a pilot boat, this being accomplished while underway. (We are experiencing light rain and a modest breeze.) Just now there was a call for free hands on deck as we put up some sail.
October 5th - 11th, Lubeck to London
October 5th. It is a sunny, cool day with relatively calm seas. Our route to London has us traveling NNW through the Kattegat, Skayerrak, then into the North Sea. It is a longer route than through the Kiel Canal, but generally less expensive as the Canal authority charges a stiff tariff and, of course, the canal does not lend itself to sailing. The weather stayed fair throughout the day, and we were under sail from late afternoon on. (Throughout the rest of the day we were under power; what wind there was, was straight into our face. As we are in a busy shipping lane at the moment there is not much opportunity for tacking.)
October 6th. Today has been a perfect early fall day. There was barely a hint of wind so we motored along, but the skies were blue, the sun was warm and everyone seemed to get a lift. The meals were better than normal too, benefiting from the fresh supplies brought aboard the last day in port.
October 7th. Sailing conditions are more favourable with some wind, but the air is raw and the seas are picking up. We are now in the North Sea, following a shipping lane along the Danish coast.
October 8th. It was still dark when we began fitness at mid ships at 7:00AM. An oil rig was visible off the starboard side. No ships were in sight. We are well away from land at the moment. Our progress since departing Lubeck suggests that we will arrive in London on Thursday as scheduled. This evening we set the ship's clocks back by an hour to conform to UK time.
October 9th. This morning the student council (3) and the teachers, in cooperation with Jan the cook, were up early (6:00 AM) preparing a special breakfast for all on board. Ordinarily breakfast consists of dry cereal and sometimes a piece of fruit. One can appreciate how monotonous this can become. Today for a treat we had pancakes and maple syrup, sausages wrapped in bacon and hash browns!
The wind picked up considerably by mid afternoon and we were tossed about until well after midnight.
October 10th. We are still under sail this morning, although the wind has dropped off considerably. At colours it was announced that we are 120 nautical miles from London so we will be getting in on time by noon tomorrow. The shipping traffic is light at the moment. Lots of oil and gas wells are to be seen. I am feeling out of touch with the rest of the world as it has been six days since we left Lubeck. My Yankees may have triumphed in their series with Cleveland, or maybe they have been eliminated. This is important information! Tomorrow I will know.
October 11th. I awoke at 6:00 AM (my usual ship wake up time) to find us in a thick fog. We had anchored late last evening at the mouth of the Thames. We will proceed up the river a certain distance and rendezvous with a pilot boat late morning for the remainder of the passage to Canary Wharf. I believe Canary Wharf is on the Jubilee tube line which should prove convenient. Claudia's flight comes in tomorrow morning early. We have agreed to meet in the restaurant in the
basement of St Martin in the Field church in Trafalgar Square. We have a B&B booked for several nights.
More scenes from the voyage (Incl. logs from Oct. 2nd and 3rd)
Wind turbines, Copenhagen harbour
View from above...
Another view from above
Sunset for a sailor
Sunset first night at sea
Stern Barbados flag
Playful advice
Berthing area, Copenhagen
My classroom
Ladas "r" us
October 2nd
Many of us took the train to Hamburg at 10:05 AM. I mention the exact time as I was so impressed with their rail transportation system, both in its punctuality and comfort, and in its pricing strategies. Up to five could travel on one 28 euro ticket (return) within a 24 hour period. The train left exactly on the minute, and 42 minutes later we were at the main station in Hamburg. This is a city flattened in the war, so there is less of an old world feeling than there would be otherwise. And it is a busy port city, with all the "aspects" that entails. Still, it was interesting to walk about. Our little group was assisted by a German speaking friend of one of the Concordia's relief captains. He gave an informal tour of the down town sites, and we took a harbour boat cruise for the rest. I managed to get to the area (a most undesirable one I might add) where the Beatles first played back in 1960. I took a picture of the club; I wouldn?t want to be around it during its open hours! We ate lunch at an outside patio overlooking the water, and had supper back in the old region of the city (near the train station). I was back to Lubeck and in bed by 10:30. It was a quiet night on the ship with all the "Gap" students staying at a youth hostel in Hamburg.
October 3rd
This is a German holiday, reunification day, so I don't know how many shops will be open. It is a beautiful morning (yesterday was sunny and warm too) with a tour of a museum scheduled for 10:00 AM. (We are within walking distance of the museum.) I went for a run on my own this morning at 6:45. Fitness was canceled for the day because with all of the comings and goings of the in port program the students are
worn out. My run took me across a bridge into the former East Germany. It is fascinating to contemplate the political changes during the years since ?the wall? came down.
There is an organ concert later this afternoon in a cathedral a short walk from the ship. Richard (my cabin mate) and I intend to go. I don't know how many students are interested.
The professional crew work on a rotation, generally 6 months on, 3 months off. Yesterday one of the engineers left (Marek Chorepa). His Polish replacement arrives today joining Krzysztof Grzybowski. I include the names here just to show that I have finally mastered them after a month or so. The captain and his two daughters (one being Kasia Zawadowicz, an audit student in my two classes) leave the ship in London, as does Lauren, the first mate, and Amanda, the bosun.
A picture is worth... (incl. Sept 27th-Oct.3rd logs)
How the "other half" lives (aka Jill's new ride...)
Furling on the port course brace
Copenhagen parking lot
Copenhagen conveyance
Concordia
Baltic sunrise
A moment at sea
September 27-29th
This is a holiday destination, an island popular with the citizens of Copenhagen. The town itself is Ronne, about the size of Kentville (without the crazy one-way traffic pattern). Our port stay is just a couple of days which should be about right. The weather is cool, windy and threatening, and while some of the available post cards suggest nude bathing is on offer, hypothermia is a likely result today! I think I'll catch up on e-mails and look around the town instead.
The planned cycle trip around the island was washed (and blown) out, so we took a bus to some castle ruins and wandered about there for a couple of hours.
It is blowing up a storm and we are heading back to sea in it! Lubeck, Germany is our next stop. I am wearing a patch behind an ear, along with the wrist bands, and my stomach is feeling fine.
September 30th
In honour of my birthday I had "happy birthday" sung to me at colours. I then experienced a blast of water from one of the fire hoses (also used to wash down the decks.) A bucket of water had served the purpose in previous birthday celebrations on board, so they upped the ante on this occasion! The students and the other teachers had made birthday cards, and at supper (dinner) time chocolate cup cakes
were served as a rare dessert. We put into Lubeck in the evening (a half-day early), and the staff and teachers took me out for beer and French fries!
October 1-3
The weather is overcast and raw so I will keep my umbrella handy. It has rained off and on for the past several days. (When packing for this adventure I followed, more or less, the suggested items in the instructions to the students. So I have five pairs of shorts and one pair of blue jeans. Given the temperatures experienced on the Baltic to date, a more appropriate allocation might well have been one pair
of shorts and five pairs of ?long johns?! It turns out that the Class Afloat office people based their packing list on last year's first term voyage which was in the south seas!)
We will have a walking tour of Lubeck (with a guide) tomorrow morning (Tuesday). In the early afternoon most of us are taking a train to Hamburg, about 90 minutes away. Many will be returning to the ship in the evening, although the university students are allowed to stay overnight (at a youth hostel).
Port mail delivery just came. I got a birthday card and letter and clipping from Claudia!
Saturday, October 6, 2007
September 21st - 27th
Friday, September 21st
The students had a field trip to a naval training school, lunch and then an overnight visit to host families. We?ll see them back tomorrow mid-morning.
Instead of taking the naval school trip I bought an hour and a half of internet time at a 7-11 (and a bottomless coffee cup), and caught up on some things. Then it was off to the Canadian Embassy where I was able to use their good offices for a (taped) phone interview with Don Connolly. The embassy folk also let me use their phone to call Claudia (who was in Halifax with Barna, Maya and Sophia), and to wish Maya a
happy third birthday.
In the evening several of the instructors went to a blues club in Old Town, a short walk from the ship. It was great music. The vocalist would do all the introductions in Swedish of course, then switch to BB King, or Stevie Ray Vaughan English once the music started.
Saturday, September 22nd
Several of us walked to the Vasa Museum, a building dedicated to the display of a completely recovered and restored warship from 1628. The Vasa capsized and sunk on its maiden voyage within sight of its launch position and with the horrified king and queen of Sweden watching. Fifty or so sailors were lost. The ship architect had apparently acceded to the ship owner's request and had added a second deck of cannon. This might well have worked to the good had he remembered to increase the ballast in the hold. With the first breath of air in the sails, the ship keeled over and sank. Tragic though it was, the coincidence of brackish water (low in salt) and soft tidal mud flats, together with the pristine condition of the ship, presented ideal preservative conditions (much like the Mary Rose's fate in England). It is a delight to view this battle ship 379 years later.
Sunday, September 23rd
A group of us went to the Aquarium this morning. While not as extensive as say the Boston Aquarium, it was well worth the half-hour walk in the fall sunlight. Earlier in the morning, we had been invited to tour a large Swedish navy supply ship berthed next to us. (It should be noted that while I have taken on this sailing adventure, and have demonstrated a liking of water conveyances over the years, I find modern navy ships to be little more than propelled computer centers. Whatever one might say on moral grounds about the legitimacy of war ships, the 17th century versions (for all their primitiveness) have a swashbuckling romance about them that is entirely lost in their modern counterparts.)
Our location here in Stockholm is the Halifax equivalent of Historic Properties and there is a constant stream of pedestrians making their way by. This is especially the case today, a Sunday. Three cross harbour ferries are also in the immediate vicinity, and two cruise ships and a car ferry from one of the outer islands have arrived in the past couple of hours.
Tomorrow morning we set sail for Bornholm, another Danish port, popular we have been told with the Copenhagen summer holiday makers. In any event it feels right to return to the sea. We will arrive on Thursday and depart again on Saturday for Lubeck, Germany.
Monday and Tuesday, September 24th and 25th.
Oh, those ocean swells! The wind has been in our teeth the past two days so we have been under power (versus sail) for the most part, and stomachs have been upset. The sea route from Stockholm to Bornholm requires some backtracking. A look at the map will show the necessity of going northeast, then southeast, before getting clear of Swedish coastal islands, at which point we made southwest and the "fun" really began. I wasn?t physically ill, but didn?t enjoy those two days much, sleeping (or lying down at least) between classes.
Wednesday, September 26th
During the night a band of showers passed through, the winds dropped, and the fog settled in. I was awakened in the wee hours by our ship's fog horn, a blast repeated every couple of minutes, designed to warn small craft (principally) of our whereabouts. The sun is attempting to make an appearance but to little avail. To everyone's relief the visibility has improved enough to dispense with the fog horn!
Classes are going well. We are at the halfway point of the university term as far as coverage is concerned. Remember, I teach two "one-term" courses from our departure until Dublin (October 26th), then teach another two ?one-term? courses from that point to the conclusion of my sailing journey in Las Palmas (the Canary Islands) December 15th. While at sea I have four classes in each course in every three-day
cycle, versus the Acadia land-based format of three classes a week. (There are no weekends as we conventionally know them in our schedule. Particularly at sea I often am unaware of the particular day of the week.)
Jan the cook has come up with several great meals of late. Yesterday we had fresh bread, soup, and an orange for lunch, and lamb with "real" potatoes and broccoli for dinner. I am missing Stirling's pie, and deserts generally. Let's have lots in London Claudia!
We had a "Coffee House" this evening, coffee and birthday cake (not for me just yet), and a number of musical numbers and skits. I participated in two ?numbers?, one a musical offering by the teachers collectively, one a skit in which I played Boris (opposite an Olga), in the format of a blind date, on a quiz show. I won't be giving up my "day job" just yet!
Thursday, September 27th
9:00 A.M. We are entering Bornholm harbour. Classes will end at lunch time and we will have shore leave for the rest of the day and tomorrow.
The students had a field trip to a naval training school, lunch and then an overnight visit to host families. We?ll see them back tomorrow mid-morning.
Instead of taking the naval school trip I bought an hour and a half of internet time at a 7-11 (and a bottomless coffee cup), and caught up on some things. Then it was off to the Canadian Embassy where I was able to use their good offices for a (taped) phone interview with Don Connolly. The embassy folk also let me use their phone to call Claudia (who was in Halifax with Barna, Maya and Sophia), and to wish Maya a
happy third birthday.
In the evening several of the instructors went to a blues club in Old Town, a short walk from the ship. It was great music. The vocalist would do all the introductions in Swedish of course, then switch to BB King, or Stevie Ray Vaughan English once the music started.
Saturday, September 22nd
Several of us walked to the Vasa Museum, a building dedicated to the display of a completely recovered and restored warship from 1628. The Vasa capsized and sunk on its maiden voyage within sight of its launch position and with the horrified king and queen of Sweden watching. Fifty or so sailors were lost. The ship architect had apparently acceded to the ship owner's request and had added a second deck of cannon. This might well have worked to the good had he remembered to increase the ballast in the hold. With the first breath of air in the sails, the ship keeled over and sank. Tragic though it was, the coincidence of brackish water (low in salt) and soft tidal mud flats, together with the pristine condition of the ship, presented ideal preservative conditions (much like the Mary Rose's fate in England). It is a delight to view this battle ship 379 years later.
Sunday, September 23rd
A group of us went to the Aquarium this morning. While not as extensive as say the Boston Aquarium, it was well worth the half-hour walk in the fall sunlight. Earlier in the morning, we had been invited to tour a large Swedish navy supply ship berthed next to us. (It should be noted that while I have taken on this sailing adventure, and have demonstrated a liking of water conveyances over the years, I find modern navy ships to be little more than propelled computer centers. Whatever one might say on moral grounds about the legitimacy of war ships, the 17th century versions (for all their primitiveness) have a swashbuckling romance about them that is entirely lost in their modern counterparts.)
Our location here in Stockholm is the Halifax equivalent of Historic Properties and there is a constant stream of pedestrians making their way by. This is especially the case today, a Sunday. Three cross harbour ferries are also in the immediate vicinity, and two cruise ships and a car ferry from one of the outer islands have arrived in the past couple of hours.
Tomorrow morning we set sail for Bornholm, another Danish port, popular we have been told with the Copenhagen summer holiday makers. In any event it feels right to return to the sea. We will arrive on Thursday and depart again on Saturday for Lubeck, Germany.
Monday and Tuesday, September 24th and 25th.
Oh, those ocean swells! The wind has been in our teeth the past two days so we have been under power (versus sail) for the most part, and stomachs have been upset. The sea route from Stockholm to Bornholm requires some backtracking. A look at the map will show the necessity of going northeast, then southeast, before getting clear of Swedish coastal islands, at which point we made southwest and the "fun" really began. I wasn?t physically ill, but didn?t enjoy those two days much, sleeping (or lying down at least) between classes.
Wednesday, September 26th
During the night a band of showers passed through, the winds dropped, and the fog settled in. I was awakened in the wee hours by our ship's fog horn, a blast repeated every couple of minutes, designed to warn small craft (principally) of our whereabouts. The sun is attempting to make an appearance but to little avail. To everyone's relief the visibility has improved enough to dispense with the fog horn!
Classes are going well. We are at the halfway point of the university term as far as coverage is concerned. Remember, I teach two "one-term" courses from our departure until Dublin (October 26th), then teach another two ?one-term? courses from that point to the conclusion of my sailing journey in Las Palmas (the Canary Islands) December 15th. While at sea I have four classes in each course in every three-day
cycle, versus the Acadia land-based format of three classes a week. (There are no weekends as we conventionally know them in our schedule. Particularly at sea I often am unaware of the particular day of the week.)
Jan the cook has come up with several great meals of late. Yesterday we had fresh bread, soup, and an orange for lunch, and lamb with "real" potatoes and broccoli for dinner. I am missing Stirling's pie, and deserts generally. Let's have lots in London Claudia!
We had a "Coffee House" this evening, coffee and birthday cake (not for me just yet), and a number of musical numbers and skits. I participated in two ?numbers?, one a musical offering by the teachers collectively, one a skit in which I played Boris (opposite an Olga), in the format of a blind date, on a quiz show. I won't be giving up my "day job" just yet!
Thursday, September 27th
9:00 A.M. We are entering Bornholm harbour. Classes will end at lunch time and we will have shore leave for the rest of the day and tomorrow.
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