Thursday, September 27, 2007
Belgium
Photos:arriving in Antwerp, touring Antwerp, touring Ghent with Philippe
Belgium
9/19-21/07
Approaching Antwerp, the seas became a bit lumpy, which was compounded by the fact that again our pilot boat was late in arriving and we had to sit outside the entrance to the channel and maneuver in circles until they arrived. As a result, we were at times crosswise to the waves which created a wallowing effect on the boat. I commented that we likely wouldn’t have soup for lunch but we did (cream of mushroom) and it was fine. The lunch today was excellent - chicken roulade (wrapped around spears of white asparagus and peppers in a nice sauce), fresh green beans and browned potatoes. We have a wonderful assortment of fresh fruit again (brought aboard in Hamburg) and a more extensive selection of cheeses. We do eat well.
Just before we arrived at our berthing space in Antwerp, we spent two hours transiting a lock which took us from the channel into the Scheldt River and to this very busy commercial shipping port. We locked through with several barges and one huge (twice our size) tanker that came in behind us and barely left enough room to close the gates. When we exited the lock, which we later learned is the largest sea lock in the world, the tanker was met by two tugs which would help them maneuver to their berth and we were assisted by one. It seemed so eerily quiet and still, after rocking and rolling for nineteen hours, when we finally stopped and were secured at the dock. It’s nice to feel tucked in and joined to land, but we actually sleep better when at sea - it’s like being back in the womb. By the time we were cleared in by Customs and our quarantine flag was taken down, it was too late to go ashore (actually, we hadn’t planned to, so it was o.k.).
The next morning, we left the gate and walked a short way to the bus stop where, for one Euro, we took a but to the center of town. This is a very old city that came into existence around the Scheldt River. According to local legend, to cross this river, ship’s captains had to pay a toll to the giant, Droon Antigoon, who lived in the castle Steen; and if they didn’t pay, their hands were cut off and thrown into the Scheldt. “Ant” meaning hand and “werp” meaning “pier at the water’s edge.” Another bit of history we learned was that a huge statue was erected by the chapel at the entrance to the Steen of a man with spread out legs. This statue also used to have a very large penis and was therefore venerated by numerous women looking for a cure against infertility. The Jesuits found the statue too obscene in the 17th century. . . .and off went the decoration of the statue! (At least it was only made of clay!) The statue can still be seen today minus the large appendage.
As a cosmopolitan center, Antwerp opened the first international commodity exchange in Europe. The city thrived during the Renaissance. Rubens, who lived here, was a highly-valued artist in the 17th centuryHil paintings enriched the churches and chapels of Antwerp and his home is now open to the public. Of course, everything we see in this ancient city is hundreds years older than anything in our country. The town hall (Het Stadhuis), was built in the mid 1500's, a large Renaissance building, a mixture of Italian and Flemish designs, and the huge front portal with a triumphal stairway was built in the 19th centure and decorated with frescos depicting scenes of the history of Antwerp. The gorgeous “Marriage Room” is decorated with paintings by Van Lagye depicting portraits from marriages from different periods of history. In Market Square is the Brado fountain in honor of Silvius Bardo, a nephew of Julius Caesar, who vanquished the giant Antigoon and punished him the way he punished captains, by cutting of his right hand and throwing it into the Scheldt. The sculpture actually depicts Barbo running and holding a huge hand above his head.
De Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal (Cathedral of Our Lady), Belgium’s largest and most important Gothic church took two centuries to complete and it’s beautiful outside as well as in. Here are displayed several of Ruben’s tryp-tychs: “Descent from the Cross” and “Raising of the Cross” and “Resurrection”; as well as gorgeous stained glass windows and carved wooden benches, confessionals, pulpit and organ. As Rubens once said “Behold this city and you will know where I found my inspiration.” I think of the plumpness of the women the painted and looking around found where he could certainly have found inspiration if he were alive today. There is also the church of De Sint-Andrieskerk, built in the late gothic style in 1529 and later extended in the High Baroque style. (It still stands so, as I always say: “If it’s not baroque, don’t fix it.) In 1609, the marriage of P. P. Rubens and Isabella Brant was held here.
The Central Train Station, where we got off the bus, is a magnificent building with it’s dome 75m (I don’t know what that is in feet but some of you will figure it out) and designed in French Renaissance style in the late 1800s. It was lavishly restored in 1993 and when we were there was again undergoing some major renovation. Next to the Station, is the entrance to the Antwerp Zoo, founded in 1843 which covers over 10 hectares (how many acres is that?).
Our favorite museum in Antwerp was the Het Diamantcentrum (Diamond Centre) located in the heart of the Diamond District, which dates back to the 16th century when Antwerp was already a major center for diamond trade and cutting. Those same techniques are still in use today. There is a total annual turnover of over 19 billion euros traded in diamonds, which means that seven out of ten diamonds come from Antwerp. The diamonds themselves are from numerous mines all over the world and are cut and polished, appraised and sold here. As we walked around town, there were so many diamond shops that you could walk one city block without seeing five or six.
De Sint-Jacobskerk (St. Jacob’s Church, constructed in Brabant Gothic style) houses numerous great works of art by Rubens - one depicting him as St. George posed between his two wives, Isabella and Helena. There are many other churches here but one that we especially liked was St. Paul’s Church, built in Late-Gothic style (1530-1571) which houses paintings of the 15 mysteries of the Rosary which were painted in the 17th century by 11 different Antwerp masters, all from the school of Rubens.
Like any great city, there is a wonderful Royal Museum of Fine Arts built in the late 1800s, which holds five centuries worth of Flemish paintings; and The Antwerp Museum of Contemporary Art, with an art-deco facade, it houses donations from all over the world. And of course, we can’t forget the Antwerp brewery, which was beautifully restored from an old warehouse, and now has an in-house brewery where you can enjoy tasting the delicious self-brewed beers for which Belgium is so famous. We’ve sampled a few and so far my favorite was one called Chimay which was very good.
We stopped for lunch at the old and very charming House of Mussels restaurant to have a typical feast of mussels cooked two ways (one large pot full steamed with white wine and garlic and the other with a garlic and cream wine sauce) both excellent and served with some of the best french fries I’ve ever tasted. With another sampling of some good Belgium beer, we all agreed that this was just about as good as it gets. We found an internet café and checked for messages from family and friends and it was, as usual, good to receive news from home.
Friday morning, Martha’s friend Philippe arrived about 9:00. After a quick tour of the ship, we set off in his car to Ghent. (Martha met Philippe last year on a white water rafting trip down the Colorado River. There were eighteen in Martha’s group and Philippe had come from Belgium to do the trip. A few weeks earlier, he made a trip to Juneau to visit the rafting group there but Martha was already on the freighter by then.) Ghent is a charming old town, about an hour’s drive from Antwerp, with cobblestone streets (some allowing only foot traffic) and a canal running the length of the town, that was originally used to transport goods produced there but now there are small boats used mainly for tourists to view the town from water. A lot like the gondolas on the canals of Venice, Italy. We toured one of the many old and beautiful churches, built in the early 1600s and were pleasantly surprised to find, in addition to the many classic artists represented (like Rubens), an exhibition of a modern artist by the name of Kim En Joong. There were huge white canvases that seemed to be floating from the vaulted ceiling and many others lining some of the walls. Father Joong is a brother of the Dominican Order, who has a large attic studio at the convent of the Annunciation in Paris and an outdoor studio provided by the Sisters of Saint-Paul de Vence in Nice, where he paints during the summer months. You may be able to see some examples of his paintings on line, but I wasn’t able to find information on the exact web site. I’m hoping his work will be an inspiration for some of my abstract paintings.
After a wonderful lunch (starting with my new favorite Belgian beer, Guesse, and finishing with a delicious Belgian waffle with ice cream) at an outdoor table looking out on one of the picturesque town squares, we spent about three hours touring the Gravensteen Castle. We walked and climbed over every narrow stairway and winding hallway, including dungeons and torture rooms, and saw weapons and armor of war, and fantastic views from the balustrades of what looked like a miniature village below. We were fortunate to have a warm, sunny day for touring and stopped for coffee at an outdoor café and enjoyed watching the activities of the old marketplace square. After a quick stop for some of Belgium’s finest chocolates to last us the rest of the voyage, we headed back. We really enjoyed Philippe’s company and especially appreciated him taking us to see another beautiful part of Belgium.
We were scheduled to leave Antwerp Saturday morning (the 21st) but it was announced that we should be back aboard by 10 PM for an 11:00 departure. We were back in plenty of time, but we didn’t actually get underway until 2:30 AM (as usual, we had to wait for the pilot to come aboard). It was incredibly calm the entire first day and I was able to paint two scarves (very detailed designs using resist) and it was nice to easily walk around the decks. The Captain’s wife, Barbara, came up to the weather-deck lounge (where I have my art studio) and brought binoculars so that I would see the white cliffs of Dover, England on one side and Calais, France on the other. The weather became increasingly warmer as we moved south past France and we had glorious sunshine in the waters off Spain, though it was very windy and the seas were a bit rough. For those of you who do silk painting (not many, I know), on one of the roughest days, I prepped two silks with “no-flow” and did a water-color style scarf of water lilies and another of fish. It was still a challenge, with the boat rolling from side to side, so decided it’s best to stay with abstracts.
Belgium
9/19-21/07
Approaching Antwerp, the seas became a bit lumpy, which was compounded by the fact that again our pilot boat was late in arriving and we had to sit outside the entrance to the channel and maneuver in circles until they arrived. As a result, we were at times crosswise to the waves which created a wallowing effect on the boat. I commented that we likely wouldn’t have soup for lunch but we did (cream of mushroom) and it was fine. The lunch today was excellent - chicken roulade (wrapped around spears of white asparagus and peppers in a nice sauce), fresh green beans and browned potatoes. We have a wonderful assortment of fresh fruit again (brought aboard in Hamburg) and a more extensive selection of cheeses. We do eat well.
Just before we arrived at our berthing space in Antwerp, we spent two hours transiting a lock which took us from the channel into the Scheldt River and to this very busy commercial shipping port. We locked through with several barges and one huge (twice our size) tanker that came in behind us and barely left enough room to close the gates. When we exited the lock, which we later learned is the largest sea lock in the world, the tanker was met by two tugs which would help them maneuver to their berth and we were assisted by one. It seemed so eerily quiet and still, after rocking and rolling for nineteen hours, when we finally stopped and were secured at the dock. It’s nice to feel tucked in and joined to land, but we actually sleep better when at sea - it’s like being back in the womb. By the time we were cleared in by Customs and our quarantine flag was taken down, it was too late to go ashore (actually, we hadn’t planned to, so it was o.k.).
The next morning, we left the gate and walked a short way to the bus stop where, for one Euro, we took a but to the center of town. This is a very old city that came into existence around the Scheldt River. According to local legend, to cross this river, ship’s captains had to pay a toll to the giant, Droon Antigoon, who lived in the castle Steen; and if they didn’t pay, their hands were cut off and thrown into the Scheldt. “Ant” meaning hand and “werp” meaning “pier at the water’s edge.” Another bit of history we learned was that a huge statue was erected by the chapel at the entrance to the Steen of a man with spread out legs. This statue also used to have a very large penis and was therefore venerated by numerous women looking for a cure against infertility. The Jesuits found the statue too obscene in the 17th century. . . .and off went the decoration of the statue! (At least it was only made of clay!) The statue can still be seen today minus the large appendage.
As a cosmopolitan center, Antwerp opened the first international commodity exchange in Europe. The city thrived during the Renaissance. Rubens, who lived here, was a highly-valued artist in the 17th centuryHil paintings enriched the churches and chapels of Antwerp and his home is now open to the public. Of course, everything we see in this ancient city is hundreds years older than anything in our country. The town hall (Het Stadhuis), was built in the mid 1500's, a large Renaissance building, a mixture of Italian and Flemish designs, and the huge front portal with a triumphal stairway was built in the 19th centure and decorated with frescos depicting scenes of the history of Antwerp. The gorgeous “Marriage Room” is decorated with paintings by Van Lagye depicting portraits from marriages from different periods of history. In Market Square is the Brado fountain in honor of Silvius Bardo, a nephew of Julius Caesar, who vanquished the giant Antigoon and punished him the way he punished captains, by cutting of his right hand and throwing it into the Scheldt. The sculpture actually depicts Barbo running and holding a huge hand above his head.
De Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal (Cathedral of Our Lady), Belgium’s largest and most important Gothic church took two centuries to complete and it’s beautiful outside as well as in. Here are displayed several of Ruben’s tryp-tychs: “Descent from the Cross” and “Raising of the Cross” and “Resurrection”; as well as gorgeous stained glass windows and carved wooden benches, confessionals, pulpit and organ. As Rubens once said “Behold this city and you will know where I found my inspiration.” I think of the plumpness of the women the painted and looking around found where he could certainly have found inspiration if he were alive today. There is also the church of De Sint-Andrieskerk, built in the late gothic style in 1529 and later extended in the High Baroque style. (It still stands so, as I always say: “If it’s not baroque, don’t fix it.) In 1609, the marriage of P. P. Rubens and Isabella Brant was held here.
The Central Train Station, where we got off the bus, is a magnificent building with it’s dome 75m (I don’t know what that is in feet but some of you will figure it out) and designed in French Renaissance style in the late 1800s. It was lavishly restored in 1993 and when we were there was again undergoing some major renovation. Next to the Station, is the entrance to the Antwerp Zoo, founded in 1843 which covers over 10 hectares (how many acres is that?).
Our favorite museum in Antwerp was the Het Diamantcentrum (Diamond Centre) located in the heart of the Diamond District, which dates back to the 16th century when Antwerp was already a major center for diamond trade and cutting. Those same techniques are still in use today. There is a total annual turnover of over 19 billion euros traded in diamonds, which means that seven out of ten diamonds come from Antwerp. The diamonds themselves are from numerous mines all over the world and are cut and polished, appraised and sold here. As we walked around town, there were so many diamond shops that you could walk one city block without seeing five or six.
De Sint-Jacobskerk (St. Jacob’s Church, constructed in Brabant Gothic style) houses numerous great works of art by Rubens - one depicting him as St. George posed between his two wives, Isabella and Helena. There are many other churches here but one that we especially liked was St. Paul’s Church, built in Late-Gothic style (1530-1571) which houses paintings of the 15 mysteries of the Rosary which were painted in the 17th century by 11 different Antwerp masters, all from the school of Rubens.
Like any great city, there is a wonderful Royal Museum of Fine Arts built in the late 1800s, which holds five centuries worth of Flemish paintings; and The Antwerp Museum of Contemporary Art, with an art-deco facade, it houses donations from all over the world. And of course, we can’t forget the Antwerp brewery, which was beautifully restored from an old warehouse, and now has an in-house brewery where you can enjoy tasting the delicious self-brewed beers for which Belgium is so famous. We’ve sampled a few and so far my favorite was one called Chimay which was very good.
We stopped for lunch at the old and very charming House of Mussels restaurant to have a typical feast of mussels cooked two ways (one large pot full steamed with white wine and garlic and the other with a garlic and cream wine sauce) both excellent and served with some of the best french fries I’ve ever tasted. With another sampling of some good Belgium beer, we all agreed that this was just about as good as it gets. We found an internet café and checked for messages from family and friends and it was, as usual, good to receive news from home.
Friday morning, Martha’s friend Philippe arrived about 9:00. After a quick tour of the ship, we set off in his car to Ghent. (Martha met Philippe last year on a white water rafting trip down the Colorado River. There were eighteen in Martha’s group and Philippe had come from Belgium to do the trip. A few weeks earlier, he made a trip to Juneau to visit the rafting group there but Martha was already on the freighter by then.) Ghent is a charming old town, about an hour’s drive from Antwerp, with cobblestone streets (some allowing only foot traffic) and a canal running the length of the town, that was originally used to transport goods produced there but now there are small boats used mainly for tourists to view the town from water. A lot like the gondolas on the canals of Venice, Italy. We toured one of the many old and beautiful churches, built in the early 1600s and were pleasantly surprised to find, in addition to the many classic artists represented (like Rubens), an exhibition of a modern artist by the name of Kim En Joong. There were huge white canvases that seemed to be floating from the vaulted ceiling and many others lining some of the walls. Father Joong is a brother of the Dominican Order, who has a large attic studio at the convent of the Annunciation in Paris and an outdoor studio provided by the Sisters of Saint-Paul de Vence in Nice, where he paints during the summer months. You may be able to see some examples of his paintings on line, but I wasn’t able to find information on the exact web site. I’m hoping his work will be an inspiration for some of my abstract paintings.
After a wonderful lunch (starting with my new favorite Belgian beer, Guesse, and finishing with a delicious Belgian waffle with ice cream) at an outdoor table looking out on one of the picturesque town squares, we spent about three hours touring the Gravensteen Castle. We walked and climbed over every narrow stairway and winding hallway, including dungeons and torture rooms, and saw weapons and armor of war, and fantastic views from the balustrades of what looked like a miniature village below. We were fortunate to have a warm, sunny day for touring and stopped for coffee at an outdoor café and enjoyed watching the activities of the old marketplace square. After a quick stop for some of Belgium’s finest chocolates to last us the rest of the voyage, we headed back. We really enjoyed Philippe’s company and especially appreciated him taking us to see another beautiful part of Belgium.
We were scheduled to leave Antwerp Saturday morning (the 21st) but it was announced that we should be back aboard by 10 PM for an 11:00 departure. We were back in plenty of time, but we didn’t actually get underway until 2:30 AM (as usual, we had to wait for the pilot to come aboard). It was incredibly calm the entire first day and I was able to paint two scarves (very detailed designs using resist) and it was nice to easily walk around the decks. The Captain’s wife, Barbara, came up to the weather-deck lounge (where I have my art studio) and brought binoculars so that I would see the white cliffs of Dover, England on one side and Calais, France on the other. The weather became increasingly warmer as we moved south past France and we had glorious sunshine in the waters off Spain, though it was very windy and the seas were a bit rough. For those of you who do silk painting (not many, I know), on one of the roughest days, I prepped two silks with “no-flow” and did a water-color style scarf of water lilies and another of fish. It was still a challenge, with the boat rolling from side to side, so decided it’s best to stay with abstracts.
Our visit to Germany
Photos: Sightseeing in Hamburg (Reeperbahn, churches and boats on the Elbe), shipboard party in Hamburg
Hamburg, Germany
9/15/07 to 9/
Finding our way from the ship yard to “civilization” was difficult enough while in the U.S. but is compounded now with the inability to fluently speak the language of the country we’re visiting. Our biggest help is the Super Cargo (the supervisor of cargo or person who supervises the on-loading and off-loading of cargo) at each port. He is knowledgeable of the area, speaks the local language and best of all has a company cell phone. He’s happy to call the seafarer’s club or a taxi for us and gives us directions or a map to help us find our way around.
Saturday morning we asked the Super Cargo to call the Seafarer’s Club to see if they would provide transportation into the city of Hamburg. Well, they don’t open until 3:00 in the afternoon, so we decided to take a taxi, which ended up costing about twenty Euros, but we arrived at the entrance to a very old walking tunnel that brought us out at the visitors’ bureau where we signed up for a double-decker city bus tour. It was narrated in English and German so we heard a bit of the history and highlights of Hamburg as we drove through the elegant and wealthy Eppendorf region which rims the lake; the wicked (or formerly wicked) Reeperbahn; beautiful old churches, museums, restaurants and theaters, as well as the shopping district of Monckebergstrasse. After a nice German lunch of a specialty of the region, labskaus, at Rauch’s Old Commercial Room, we visited the beautiful St. Michael’s cathedral. It’s possible to climb the 450 steps to the steeple, but the line was very long and we didn’t wait. We took a leisurely stroll through the Reeperbahn area that was once famous for it’s wild nightlife and available women of the night, but has since been cleaned up and now has theaters and restaurants, but there’s still some remnants of it’s past to be seen (see photos).
We spent a couple of hours at an internet café where Martha and I were able to check email and return messages from family and friends. We headed to the waterfront area and famous fish market and had a light seafood dinner before getting a taxi back to the ship. That sounds like an easy thing to do but things are not always what they seem. We showed our piece of paper with the name of the dock to our driver (Indian, wearing a turban) and asked if he knew how to get there. He said yes, so we got in the cab and off we went. Well, after several u-turns and dead end streets and passing lots of docks and big ships, and at one point ending back in the city of Hamburg again (he was following directions from a hand-held GPS), he admitted that he really didn’t know where it was. So he stopped and asked directions (what a guy!) and was sent in the right directions - another six kilometers - and we finally returned to the ship about 9 PM. At least he had turned off the meter when he admitted that he was lost, so we paid him approximately what we had paid in the morning for the trip into Hamburg but we got a much longer, if not more scenic, ride returning.
From the aft deck, we saw our new Captain and his wife arriving and making their way up the gang way. Later, while we were talking with the Super Cargo, the Captain came into the conference room and we were introduced. He appears to be a little younger than our previous captain and much more outgoing and friendly. The Supervisor told me that he’s much easier to be around because he has children and a large family and enjoys life. We learned that his wife will make the complete trip with him (Hamburg to Hamburg) and that she doesn’t speak English, only Polish, but they attended the party that night and she seemed very nice. Their son and their nephew had driven them to the ship, so stayed for dinner and the party and spent the night aboard, leaving the next day to return to university.
Again on Sunday, the Seafarer’s club was not opening until 3:00 PM, so we took a taxi to a nearby internet café. I took my computer this time so that I could post two articles to the blog site. It went very well except that the site came up in German and I had a bit of a difficult time deciphering the words. Did it say “upload photos” or “delete photos”? Is that “post to blog site” or “save as draft”. I ended up either guessing or asking my fellow German computer users to interpret for me. People are so nice when you act stupid (it really wasn’t an act) and smile sweetly. Well, everything finally worked and I was able to do two blog postings and respond to a couple of additional emails, so I was happy. Because it was Sunday, most of the shops in this little mall were closed but we found a nice little Greek restaurant and had a nice lunch of doner kebabs. The nice man at the internet café called us a taxi and this time our driver knew exactly where he was going and we quickly found ourselves back at our ship.
Around 6 PM we went to the aft deck for a party/dinner that was hosted by the company (Rickmers) that hires our Filipino crew. The party was in honor of the crew because in Boston there were no stevedores and the crew had to work extra hard to do all the tie-downs after the cargo was loaded. The company sent several representatives and their families and they brought lots of local foods (marinated meats: turkey, beef, pork and chicken, plus salads: coleslaw and potato salad) plus beer and wine. It was very nice but we heard a comment that the crew members would have preferred money instead of a party because they have to work the next day so could not eat and drink all night. Well, as it turned out, it didn’t seem to slow them down at all. We ate and drank and danced (Martha and I were very popular as dance partners tonight) until quite late and sang to the music with the kareoke. We really got to know a lot of the guys tonight and heard many stories of their home and families. They were particularly happy because they got the news tonight that they will all go home in November. We were sad to hear that because they won’t be with us for our entire trip. We’ll have to break in a new crew and won’t have time to get quite as comfortable with them because we’ll be leaving in December. Of well, we’ll enjoy this group of great guys while we’re together.
We also met our two new passengers - a couple from Sweden. It was very noisy at the party so it was difficult to talk but we learned that they are very happy because they feared they would be the only two passengers aboard. The next day we learned that her name is Sonheid (not sure of the spelling but she said it’s an old viking name and it’s pronounced soon ield.) and his is Helge. We got aquainted a little over breakfast and a little more at lunch. After they left the dining room, Gani told us that they’d gotten off to a bad start with him because when they arrived, Sonhild said her money was missing and told him to call security. One of the officers came to her cabin and suggested she search her other bags and when she did she found her money in a different place. Gani said he’d never been a suspect before and he didn’t like the feeling. She of course apologized profusely for the mix-up. Other than that, they seem to have settled in nicely and are adjusting to life aboard a freighter.
On the 17th, after taking on many cases of provisions for the galley and other items for use aboard, we departed Hamburg precisely at 2 PM as scheduled (good German precision) and cruised back out the Elbe River to the North Sea, passing by The Netherlands, on our way to Antwerp, Belgium.
Hamburg, Germany
9/15/07 to 9/
Finding our way from the ship yard to “civilization” was difficult enough while in the U.S. but is compounded now with the inability to fluently speak the language of the country we’re visiting. Our biggest help is the Super Cargo (the supervisor of cargo or person who supervises the on-loading and off-loading of cargo) at each port. He is knowledgeable of the area, speaks the local language and best of all has a company cell phone. He’s happy to call the seafarer’s club or a taxi for us and gives us directions or a map to help us find our way around.
Saturday morning we asked the Super Cargo to call the Seafarer’s Club to see if they would provide transportation into the city of Hamburg. Well, they don’t open until 3:00 in the afternoon, so we decided to take a taxi, which ended up costing about twenty Euros, but we arrived at the entrance to a very old walking tunnel that brought us out at the visitors’ bureau where we signed up for a double-decker city bus tour. It was narrated in English and German so we heard a bit of the history and highlights of Hamburg as we drove through the elegant and wealthy Eppendorf region which rims the lake; the wicked (or formerly wicked) Reeperbahn; beautiful old churches, museums, restaurants and theaters, as well as the shopping district of Monckebergstrasse. After a nice German lunch of a specialty of the region, labskaus, at Rauch’s Old Commercial Room, we visited the beautiful St. Michael’s cathedral. It’s possible to climb the 450 steps to the steeple, but the line was very long and we didn’t wait. We took a leisurely stroll through the Reeperbahn area that was once famous for it’s wild nightlife and available women of the night, but has since been cleaned up and now has theaters and restaurants, but there’s still some remnants of it’s past to be seen (see photos).
We spent a couple of hours at an internet café where Martha and I were able to check email and return messages from family and friends. We headed to the waterfront area and famous fish market and had a light seafood dinner before getting a taxi back to the ship. That sounds like an easy thing to do but things are not always what they seem. We showed our piece of paper with the name of the dock to our driver (Indian, wearing a turban) and asked if he knew how to get there. He said yes, so we got in the cab and off we went. Well, after several u-turns and dead end streets and passing lots of docks and big ships, and at one point ending back in the city of Hamburg again (he was following directions from a hand-held GPS), he admitted that he really didn’t know where it was. So he stopped and asked directions (what a guy!) and was sent in the right directions - another six kilometers - and we finally returned to the ship about 9 PM. At least he had turned off the meter when he admitted that he was lost, so we paid him approximately what we had paid in the morning for the trip into Hamburg but we got a much longer, if not more scenic, ride returning.
From the aft deck, we saw our new Captain and his wife arriving and making their way up the gang way. Later, while we were talking with the Super Cargo, the Captain came into the conference room and we were introduced. He appears to be a little younger than our previous captain and much more outgoing and friendly. The Supervisor told me that he’s much easier to be around because he has children and a large family and enjoys life. We learned that his wife will make the complete trip with him (Hamburg to Hamburg) and that she doesn’t speak English, only Polish, but they attended the party that night and she seemed very nice. Their son and their nephew had driven them to the ship, so stayed for dinner and the party and spent the night aboard, leaving the next day to return to university.
Again on Sunday, the Seafarer’s club was not opening until 3:00 PM, so we took a taxi to a nearby internet café. I took my computer this time so that I could post two articles to the blog site. It went very well except that the site came up in German and I had a bit of a difficult time deciphering the words. Did it say “upload photos” or “delete photos”? Is that “post to blog site” or “save as draft”. I ended up either guessing or asking my fellow German computer users to interpret for me. People are so nice when you act stupid (it really wasn’t an act) and smile sweetly. Well, everything finally worked and I was able to do two blog postings and respond to a couple of additional emails, so I was happy. Because it was Sunday, most of the shops in this little mall were closed but we found a nice little Greek restaurant and had a nice lunch of doner kebabs. The nice man at the internet café called us a taxi and this time our driver knew exactly where he was going and we quickly found ourselves back at our ship.
Around 6 PM we went to the aft deck for a party/dinner that was hosted by the company (Rickmers) that hires our Filipino crew. The party was in honor of the crew because in Boston there were no stevedores and the crew had to work extra hard to do all the tie-downs after the cargo was loaded. The company sent several representatives and their families and they brought lots of local foods (marinated meats: turkey, beef, pork and chicken, plus salads: coleslaw and potato salad) plus beer and wine. It was very nice but we heard a comment that the crew members would have preferred money instead of a party because they have to work the next day so could not eat and drink all night. Well, as it turned out, it didn’t seem to slow them down at all. We ate and drank and danced (Martha and I were very popular as dance partners tonight) until quite late and sang to the music with the kareoke. We really got to know a lot of the guys tonight and heard many stories of their home and families. They were particularly happy because they got the news tonight that they will all go home in November. We were sad to hear that because they won’t be with us for our entire trip. We’ll have to break in a new crew and won’t have time to get quite as comfortable with them because we’ll be leaving in December. Of well, we’ll enjoy this group of great guys while we’re together.
We also met our two new passengers - a couple from Sweden. It was very noisy at the party so it was difficult to talk but we learned that they are very happy because they feared they would be the only two passengers aboard. The next day we learned that her name is Sonheid (not sure of the spelling but she said it’s an old viking name and it’s pronounced soon ield.) and his is Helge. We got aquainted a little over breakfast and a little more at lunch. After they left the dining room, Gani told us that they’d gotten off to a bad start with him because when they arrived, Sonhild said her money was missing and told him to call security. One of the officers came to her cabin and suggested she search her other bags and when she did she found her money in a different place. Gani said he’d never been a suspect before and he didn’t like the feeling. She of course apologized profusely for the mix-up. Other than that, they seem to have settled in nicely and are adjusting to life aboard a freighter.
On the 17th, after taking on many cases of provisions for the galley and other items for use aboard, we departed Hamburg precisely at 2 PM as scheduled (good German precision) and cruised back out the Elbe River to the North Sea, passing by The Netherlands, on our way to Antwerp, Belgium.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Atlantic Crossing
Photos: Engine room tour, and Barbecue
Atlantic Crossing
Leaving Boston on the 7th of September, the weather was clear and calm and I was able to paint two scarves the first morning out. After that, it became obvious that I would not be able to use the resist method of drawing a design on silk with the boat rocking and rolling across the ocean. So, I enjoyed creating some abstract and impressionistic style designs and still averaged two scarves a day.
One morning, after breakfast, the Chief Engineer took us on a below-decks tour of the Engineering Spaces of the ship. We first saw the after steering room where a large hydraulic motor, powered by dual redundant pumps, turns the rudder. On the bridge, this is controlled by a small wheel, manually, or by autopilot. We also saw the three electrical power generators, one of which is sufficient to provide power for the ship. The engine control room is completely automated with computer controls and monitoring. The throttle may be activated either from the bridge or the engine control room. While underway, it is controlled on the bridge.
The single, seven cylinder Man B&W diesel engine is fueled with low grade oil which is heated and filtered before being injected into the cylinders. This engine drives a single screw, 7.8 meters in diameter, which drives the ship 20 knots at 95rpm. The output of the engine is 15,785KW at 105rpm or about 20,000 hp.
Like any engine room, there is extremely high ambient noise which we escaped from time to time such as when we walked all the way forward to the bow from the aft engine room along a passageway containing the piping for maintaining the temperature control of the holds. Also, in these after spaces are the large walk-in freezers and refrigerators for the commissary provisioning. All of this lies below the crew and passenger quarters in the aft superstructure of the ship.
The highlight of our crossing was a festive barbecue, complete with a pig roasted on a spit. Preparations began early in the day as I observed some of the crew dismantling the old barbecue grill and constructing a new one with a large oil drum cut in half and mounted on a steel frame (this was for the pig). Two other grills were set up for grilling sausages and steaks. By the time we arrived at 6 PM, there were tables set up on the aft deck, complete with checkered table cloths, and the Captain and First Officer were pouring wine. In addition to the meats, there was steamed rice, fried rice, baked potatoes, grilled tomatoes, tossed salad and fruit salad. Everything was very good - especially the roast pig. To add to the festivities, the crew had set up a TV and karioke machine and everyone was in a party mood. It was explained that the ones who would be drinking the most and staying up the latest would be those who didn’t have to work the next day. That ended up being about eight crew members (and us, of course). Martha and I assumed that we would be quite popular when the dancing started (being the only two females aboard), but it was soon apparent that they were accustomed to dancing with or without women. It wasn’t exactly our kind of music to dance to, but we did our best and had a great time. Our Captain said they often have a barbecue like this once a month (depending who the Captain is) but never in U.S. waters since there is a law against drinking aboard. It makes you wonder how we got to be this way. Is it puritanical values or litigation?
The second day underway, it was announced that we would advance our clock one hour that night. The next night the same, and the following night another hour, (so by the time we reach Hamburg we won’t have to worry about the typical jet lag symptoms). As a result, we began to sleep later and skip breakfast. Not a problem, since we are eating more than enough at other meals, and we’re always able to go to the dining room for fresh fruit and coffee and tea. It’s nice to be lazy and sleep in and spend the morning reading or going for a walk. We’ve paced it off and determined that five times around the main deck, or twenty times around the pilot deck, is a mile. There are also movies to watch and games to play. It’s amazing how the time goes by and before you know it, it’s time to shower and change for dinner. Ahhh, life at sea.
Seeing land, after seven days at sea, was pretty exciting. First we began seeing some birds and then some sail boats and small fishing boats and finally in the distance we could make out a little strip of land. We left the Atlantic and entered the English channel and made out way to the North Sea. Around four in the afternoon of the 14th, we were at the mouth of the Elbe River and the local pilot boat came along side to deliver our pilot who would remain aboard until we docked in Hamburg. He was actually scheduled to arrive earlier but there was a mis-communication and we were left in a holding pattern, doing donuts out there, until he arrived After dinner, Doug, Martha and I went to the bridge to get a better view of where we were and observe the Captain and officers working with the local pilot to maneuver our way up the Elbe. Later that night, after a rousing game of Scrabble, I stayed up a little later and watched from our stateroom window as we slowly cruised up the river, passing many other ships and lots of bright lights from the land on either side of us. It was so perfectly calm, after being at sea, that it was like gliding over a sheet of ice - and so amazingly quiet.
Because of the time spent waiting for the pilot this afternoon, we arrived Hamburg at 2:00 AM instead of midnight, as scheduled, so I slept right through our arrival.
We’ll be in Hamburg three or four days, so hope to take in all the sights, have some good German food and drink, and enjoy a little of the nightlife. We’ll pick up two more passengers, a Swedish couple, and we’re looking forward to meeting them. We’re also getting a new Captain (who we learned is bringing his wife to cruise with him for a few months). So, our little shipboard family is expanding. Stay tuned and we’ll introduce all the new players.
Norfolk to Baltimore to Camden to Boston
Baltimore, to Camden, to Boston
Thursday, 30 August 2007 - Baltimore, Maryland
We left Norfolk and had perfect weather for our trip up the Atlantic Coast to Baltimore. The days at sea are great but we’re also looking forward to our next port and a little time ashore.
Our fellow passenger, Jack, has been staying in his cabin around the clock. Each mealtime, we ask Gani if Jack has been to the dining room or if he’s asked for food in his cabin. Gani says that he just sleeps all day. He calls him at breakfast, lunch and dinner times but he either says he’s o.k. or he doesn’t answer his phone. If he doesn’t answer, Gani goes to Jack’s cabin and checks on him. We thought at first he just had the flu but now believe it’s something more serious. He told us that he has diabetes but doesn’t take insulin for it. He also told us that, as a result of the diabetes, he has already lost some sight in his right eye and also has some problems with loss of feeling in his feet. We’re all quite worried about him.
We arrived in Baltimore early in the morning and, after breakfast, called a taxi to take us to the Inner Harbor where we spent three delightful hours at the National Aquarium. We first toured the underwater viewing area to see “wings in the water” which included various types of rays and lots of sharks. The next level had to do with Maryland sea life and from there we moved up to creatures from sea cliffs, the kelp forest, Pacific coral reefs and the Amazon River Forest. The top floor houses an upland Tropical Rain Forest and the hidden life there. The other wing of the aquarium houses an exhibit titled Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes, which has a variety of very unusual and seldom seen aquatic species. There were exotic snakes and frogs, rainbow lorikeets, freshwater crocodiles, and frilled lizards. Such fun!
After a tapas lunch at a Spanish restaurant on the harbor, and a little shopping, we headed back to the ship.
We had arranged for Sondra & Dan Bannister (from McLean, VA) to be put on the visitors’ list at the gate and after a three-hour drive in rush-hour traffic, they arrived at the ship about 6:00. We showed them around our little “home”, including a tour of the Bridge, which they really enjoyed, before leaving for dinner at nearby “Jimmy’s Famous Crabs”. What a seafood feast we had - oysters on the half shell, crab cakes, fish, and a few hard-shell crabs; mixed in with a lot of laughter and stories. I would highly recommend “Jimmy’s” (and our waiter, Paul) if you’re in this area sometime.
The next day, Friday, there was no sign of Jack - either at breakfast, lunch or dinner - but Gani said he checked on him and he still says he’s o.k.
We had anticipated leaving for Camden sometime in the afternoon and thought we might be able to wave to Charlie and Ricki Ryan as we passed their cottage on the Delaware-Maryland Canal. Unfortunately, we didn’t get underway until around midnight so we passed their place around 3 AM. Needless to say, I was sleeping and I suppose they were as well.
Saturday, we awoke just as we were coming into Camden, New Jersey. We’re just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, so took a taxi into the city to have lunch at Macy’s. Martha’s parents, Alice and Tom, met us there and we ate in the store’s tea room. This Macy’s store was originally Wanamaker’s and is quite a landmark building, which houses a huge pipe organ in it’s seven-story atrium. In 1909, John Wanamaker bought the organ for his store and it took thirteen freight cars to transport it from St. Louis and installation took two years. It was first played on June 22, 1911, at the exact moment when England’s King George V was crowned at Westminster Abbey. Despite its immense size, the tone was inadequate to fill the huge space so Wanamaker opened a private pipe-organ factory in the Store’s attic, employing 40 full-time employees to enlarge the organ. The largest pipe is made of Oregon sugar-pine three inches thick and more than 32 feet long; and the smallest pipe is only a quarter-inch in length. More than 8,000 pipes were added to the organ between 1911 and 1917; and over the next 12 years an additional 10,000 pipes were installed, bringing the total number today to 28,482. There is a massive console with six ivory keyboards and 729 color-coded stops. There are 168 piston buttons under the keyboards and 42 foot controls. It’s really amazing to see, and the many of the world’s most famous musicians have performed concerts here. You can still hear it being played each day at noon.
Martha went home with her parents for a two-day visit, and Doug and I did a little walking tour of the historic section of Philadelphia. There’s a lot to see in this old city that was the first capital of the United States: Declaration House (where Thomas Jefferson wrote The Declaration of Independence), The Liberty Bell (icon of American freedom), Independence Hall (known as America’s birthplace), Congress Hall (former U. S. Capitol and site of two Presidential inaugurations), Betsy Ross House (where the first Stars and Stripes was sewn) and Franklin Court (home of Ben Franklin). In spite of our cab driver getting lost, we made it back to the ship in time for dinner.
Sunday morning there was still no sign of Jack so Gani called his room but he didn’t answer. He checked on him and he was sleeping. By late afternoon, the Captain decided something needed to be done so he asked Doug and I to go to Jack’s room and see if he wanted to see a doctor. (The Captain is Polish and has a heavy accent and wasn’t sure Jack would understand him.) Gani reported that Jack was lying in bed nude and incoherent so Doug went in to speak with him and asked if he wanted to see a doctor. He got no response other than a few mumbled and slurred words but Jack repeated the word “doctor,” so it was decided that a doctor would be called. Since it was felt that Jack wasn’t able to walk, a 911 call was made and paramedics arrived a little after 7 pm. They put Jack on a stretcher, took him out to the side deck and lowered him in a cage by the aft crane to a waiting ambulance. We felt better knowing that he was in the hospital and would get the care he needed The paramedic said that his blood sugar level was about 20 and it should be 75 or 80. Before transporting him, they administered a sugar solution and he slowly began responding, so it’s likely it was related to his diabetes. Sure hope he’ll be o.k. and able to return to the ship before we leave for Boston.
Monday night at dinner, the Captain regaled us with true tales of pirates in the Asian countries of Indonesia and Singapore, etc. who attempt to come aboard ships and demand the Captain open the safe and give them whatever valuables are inside. Or some who try to highjack the ship. After many stories, he finally admitted that this never happens anymore since in the last few years the ships have an electronic device that allows the ship to be tracked and the shipping line knows where we are at all times. Also, there’s a button on the bridge that alerts the local Coast Guard that we have a problem. There’s also a button in the Captain’s cabin, in case he’s not on the bridge. So, that made us feel better but I’m not sure why he tells us these tales. I suppose it’s what he knows about and it’s his life. We all talk about what we know.
Tuesday afternoon, Martha and I went to Cooper Memorial Hospital in Camden to visit Jack. We were surprised to learn that he was in the ICU and the nurse, Robert, told us that he hadn’t even been able to tell them his name since he was admitted Sunday night. He also said that because of Jack’s extremely low blood sugar level (about 20) he most likely was apoxic (lack of oxygen to the brain) and could have severe brain damage, and that his condition was deteriorating. We could hardly believe that could happen. Jack was sleeping, with an oxygen mask over his face and we each called his name but he didn’t wake up. I rubbed his arm and told him we were there. We said we’d pray for him and hoped he would get better. Robert said that we were the first people who had been to see him and he was anxious to have us tell him all we knew about Jack, i.e. where he came from, what he was doing in Camden, how long he’d been ill, etc. We told him what we knew and that we were surprised that no one from the ship had given them any information. We know that Jack’s luggage was packed up and taken off the ship but it still hadn’t shown up at the hospital. The hospital had no contact information, so his wife still didn’t know that he had left the ship and was in the hospital. The Captain had said he has no contact information for him and it’s up to Rickmers and the port agent to take care of it.
I called Doug from the hospital to see if he could give us a phone number for the Rickmers office, which I gave to the Hospital Administrator, Oliver, when he came by. No one knew where his passport might be (it was with him when he left the ship) or his luggage. Doug checked with the Captain who gave him a phone number of the car service that picked up the luggage. Apparently they tried to call the hospital to see where it should be delivered but no one would talk to them, so they still have the luggage. I gave the name and number of the car company to Oliver and he promised to follow up and locate the luggage. We said goodbye to Jack and sadly left the hospital.
That night at dinner, Martha and I told the Captain that we’d visited the hospital and what we’d learned. I asked if the Captain would send an email to Rickmers office asking them to contact Jack’s wife as soon as possible, and to confirm that it had been done. Hopefully, that will happen tomorrow.
At 8:00 this evening we left the Camden dock and headed down the Delaware River to Cape May where we’ll head up the coast to Boston.
Wednesday morning at breakfast, the Captain said he’d sent my email and also received a copy of an email that the Port Agent had sent to Rickmers, requesting that they contact Jack’s family. I hoped we would some day find out how Jack is doing, but had my doubts that we ever would. We all felt that we’d done everything we could for Jack, but still sad that things turned out the way they did.
The seas are very calm for our trip to Boston, though there’s a lot of wind on deck. I’ve had a bit of a sore throat so have been taking some decongestant and drinking hot tea with lemon. I expect to feel better soon. I’m sure it’s just a little cold.
Thursday morning I received a call from Oliver, at Cooper Hospital, letting me know that they got the information they needed. He spoke with Jack’s wife, Mary Herring, and put her in touch with the nurse in ICU to talk about Jack’s condition. He thanked us for our help in tracking down his family. It made us all breathe a little easier to know that his family was notified and that we’d done all we could do.
Though we’re only in Boston for one day, I contacted Julie’s friend, and former roommate, Maureen to see if she and the boys (Jack and John, ages 2 and 5) wanted to come over for a tour of the ship and I put their names on the visitors list at the gate. Maureen called about 11:00 and said they were at the gate but the guard wouldn’t allow the boys to come on the dock. Apparently they feel it’s too dangerous to have children around all the cranes loading and off-loading. We went out to the gate to meet them and Maureen drove us into Boston where we parked at Boston Common and talked while we walked around the city a bit. She and the boys left to get sandwiches for a picnic in the park and we headed for the Seafarer’s Club to use the computer. I had called a number in the Seafarer’s directory and spoken to a very nice lady at the church (where I assumed the club was located). Unfortunately, we got there to learn that the Seafarer’s no longer existed at the church and they had no information about where they might be. Since it was now lunchtime, we went to Legal Seafood and had some of their local specialties: lobster roll, clam chowder and lobster bisque. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Museum of Fine Arts and could have spent much more time but enjoyed: a special exhibit of “Drama and Desire - Japanese Paintings from the Floating World 1690 - 1850" and many of the permanent exhibits. Some of my favorites were: Ed Rossbach’s fiber art, Chinese sculptures and ceramics, paintings by the European masters, and a fantastic collection of impressionists of the 20th century - Monet, Degas, Renoir, Gauguin, van Gogh, Picasso, Cassat and Rodin.
We stopped at a Starbuck’s specifically to connect to WiFi, which we thought was available at all Starbuck stores, but that one required a T-Mobile card. They sent us to a pizza shop that was known to have internet connection but that didn’t work either so we gave up and caught a taxi back to the ship. It’s not easy traveling and trying to stay in touch.
Tonight, September 6th, we depart for our eight-day trip across the Atlantic to Hamburg, Germany, and we’re looking forward to our European ports.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Houston to New Orleans to Norfolk
Houston to New Orleans to Norfolk
(After this week, I don’t intend to write as much detail about our days at sea but we’re still settling into our life on the ship and would like to record what’s it’s like adjusting to this new lifestyle.)
Friday, August 24: It’s great to be underway! We went to sleep last night to the gentle motion of the ship and the hum of the engine. It’s the best possible conditions for sleeping and I awoke refreshed. Martha and I had our first Yoga and stretching class this morning and I spent the rest of the morning painting. Later in the afternoon, we learned that the pool had been filled, so I went for a swim. It’s so easy to float in salt water and the water was quite warm as well. It’s a small pool but a nice way to cool off and do some water exercise. After dinner, we played Farkel (more commonly called “the dice game”) and retired early.
Saturday: I awoke to find Doug already up and overseeing our maneuvering to tie up to the Harmony Street Dock in New Orleans. I watched from our stateroom window and after breakfast went to the upper deck to watch the unloading procedures. It’s fascinating watching the workers operate the huge cranes and other machinery. It always seems as though they’re not doing much but little by little everything gets done. It’s a lot like observing highway or building construction workers. We’d let know Doug’s nephew, Todd, know that we were going to be here so he, Susan (pregnant with their third daughter) and their two girls (Helen 6 and Eva 2) came to pick us up for lunch in the French Quarter. It’s been two years since the disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the city is slowly rebuilding but they don’t anticipate that it will ever return to the way it was and, according to Todd, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The “Quarter” still looks the same but for a Saturday it was not very busy. We enjoyed a traditional lunch of such things as jambalaya, red beans & rice, and muffalata at La Maspara restaurant. The girls were very well behaved and I particularly enjoyed a very mature conversation with Helen. We stopped at WalMart to pick up a few items, including a memory stick for the computer and a “floatie” for the pool. Back at the ship, Todd and family were able to come aboard for a tour and Gani served the girls ice cream and grapes which were a big hit.
Sunday: We were scheduled to depart at midnight last night but I stayed up until two and learned this morning that we finally got underway a little after 4 am. It took us half the day to make our way down the Mississippi, back into the Gulf and head across to Florida. The weather is great, no longer as humid, and a delightful breeze - about 30 knots, including the 20 knots that we’re making. Martha and I did our first Pilates session following the dvd that she found at WalMart. She has now made up a tracking sheet for our exercise program, called “Captain’s Challenge.” Each day we put a hash mark for the “units” of exercise we’ve done. One unit equals: ten minutes of walking, stair-stepping, elliptical or pilates; and/or one session of swimming, dancing, basketball or ping-pong. We haven’t yet learned what these units earn you - that will be announced later - but we’re all motivated to accumulate as many units per day as we can. Of course there can be only winners in this program as we all hope to lose weight and become more fit. Tonight we watched two more episodes of the first season of “Boston Legal” which everyone really gets into and enjoys.
Monday: Why do I feel Monday is the day to do laundry? My mother, and probably my grandmother, always washed on Monday and ironed on Tuesday. Anyway, today I spent a couple of hours at the task and also washed and ironed the six scarves I’ve painted thus far. It still left the rest of the day to do three units (Pilates, elliptical and swimming) and finish “Amateur Marriage” by Ann Tyler (very good). I’d hoped to listen to the iPod while exercising (except in the pool of course) but for some unknown reason the headphones are not working. Will need to find an Apple store in Norfolk and see if they can be repaired.
We’ve now made our way around the Florida Keys and are passing Miami and heading up the East coast.
Tuesday: A very pleasant day at sea - the weather is warm and sunny with low humidity and a nice breeze and the seas are fairly calm. Jack hasn’t been feeling well and either doesn’t show up for meals or just has tea and some bread and soup or maybe a piece of fruit. In addition to an apparent upset stomach, he’s been coughing and sneezing so we’ve been keeping a bit of a distance. He’s been very quiet and either stays in his cabin or occasionally is seen in a lounge chair on the pilot deck. When I ask, he says he’s getting gradually better but it’s not obvious. Tonight Doug, Martha and I played several fun games of “Bananagrams” which is a modification on the game of scrabble but faster paced.
Wednesday:
The harbor pilot came aboard about 8 am and we pulled into Pier 1 of the Norfolk International Terminal about 10:00. The three of us had a cab pick us up and take us downtown for some errands and lunch. After calling the Bowes company, it was determined that our headset is defective and we shipped it back in order to get a replacement. We found an Apple store and purchased a small portable speaker system for the iPod which is great. Martha and I were able to check and send email and we stopped at a bank for some money for the trip. U.S. currency is the currency used on the ship and we need to pay cash for anything purchased aboard (like alcoholic beverages, cokes, postcards, snacks, toiletries, etc.) and tips for the steward and cook. We had a nice seafood lunch at Joe’s Crab Shack on the waterfront. After lunch we strolled along The Elizabeth River and enjoyed the various mermaid sculptures that have been uniquely decorated by various artists. (Sailors’ imaginations were best personified by the mermaid, so it’s become the city’s symbol.) Norfolk is home to the world’s largest naval base, Naval Station Norfolk, and is most remembered for its rich nautical history and lore. Water is a central element to life here - from the Chesapeake Bay and the Elizabeth and Lafayette Rivers, to the many inlets and rivulets that wind through the city. We had hoped to visit the recently built Nauticus at the National Maritime Center but we needed to be back aboard by 5:00 for an expected 6:00 departure. We did enjoy seeing the USS Wisconsin, the last and one of the largest battleships built by the U.S. Navy, that is permanently moored here as a museum. We watched the top-sail schooner “American Rover” get underway for a tour of the harbor and did a little shopping at the MacArthur Center, a new 140-store mall. The Chrysler Museum of Art, which houses the world’s greatest collection of glass artwork, is on my list of places to visit when we get back this way one day. We were back aboard the ship by 4:30 but didn’t get underway until 8:00 tonight. We were on the pilot deck as we steamed north and watched the moon rising like a huge orange ball in the early night sky. As it popped above the horizon, it looked like a big beach ball sitting on a string of lights. I don’t know why but we only seem to see the moon rising when we’re at sea.
So, we’re at sea again - this time making our way up the east coast. We thought we’d go on the inside, through the Chesapeake Bay, to Baltimore, but we’re going up the outside are will come in at the Delaware-Maryland Canal and arrive in Baltimore some time tomorrow (Thursday) morning. We’ll be in Baltimore overnight and leave Friday evening. We’re hoping our friends, Dan & Sondra, from Virginia will be able to come by and have dinner with us Thursday night. Other friends, Charlie and Ricki, have a cottage on the canal and want to come out in their whaler and do a “Green Peace” pass of our ship, if we make that passage during daylight hours.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
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