Good morning!
We've left "vacker" (beautiful) Sweden and are sailing "rakt fram"
(straight ahead) to Norway!
I'm typing this as we forge ahead into the Oslolfjorden headed toward
Oslo, Norway, and although my topic is Göteborg, Sweden, I must share
with you what I experienced last night while standing watch.
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Photos by Pekka Parvianinen of Virtual Finland
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It began with a gorgeous nightfall and a clear moon that lit
up the night sky. We were at full sail and I was doing the boat check
when the watch captain announced that the Northern Lights had been
sighted! The entire ship's crew clambered on deck to see this
magnificent phenomenon which began around 10:15 pm and lasted, off and
on, for about an hour. Like luminescent, shimmering patches of curtain,
they would appear and dance in the north sky for moments or minutes at a
time. It was the first time I've seen the Northern Lights and I now
know what all the fuss is about! Each time I've seen or experienced
something new and wonderful on this journey I think, "now that
has made sailing aboard Pride II worthwhile." But then the next
day comes around the corner with even more surprises in store for me!
For now, though, let's talk about Sweden and some of Pride II's
professional crew!
The Approach to Göteborg
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The night before we arrived in Göteborg, we had a
beautiful sunset that brought some good winds for sailing. Then began
our great sleigh ride up the Baltic Sea. The wind was blowing 20 knots
with gusts to 25 and the boat was galloping along like a racehorse!
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The guest crewmembers were trying to
stay on their feet and take pictures of each other. Work still had to
be done and Chris Landers climbed up to lash something as I managed to
take an interesting shot of him at work (see him up there in the rig?)
The boat heeled (leaned) over as she blasted along at 11 knots.
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When I was relieved of my watch duties, I went below
to my bunk only to discover that I kept rolling out of bed since the
boat was on a starboard tack (wind over the right side) and I sleep on
the starboard side! The only solution was to put my two luggage bags
under the mattress to form a wedge that would keep me in the bunk!
Needless to say, I didn't sleep much that night!
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The next day we began our approach to Sweden and the
wind slowed as we cruised through the countless number of islands that
dot the coastline.
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As we neared the harbor, we caught sight of this high speed
catamaran ferry. It uses jet drives to rocket between Denmark and
Sweden at speeds of up to 45 knots!
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In the
distance we saw the bridge and the seaman's church that announce the
entrance into the harbor. Off our starboard we saw cannons on the
hillside and to the port we saw the fort that protected the harbor from
invasion.
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We finally came to what would be our resting place
for two days and tied up alongside the dock.
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For each city we visit, there is always a schedule
that lets us know when we have an Open House where the public can come
aboard. During the Open House in Sweden, I had the pleasure of meeting
a very interesting 85 year old man who has been building boats in
bottles his entire life. When he heard that we would be visiting his
city, he came right down to see the boat and to share something with us.
He had built one of his models of Pride of Baltimore II based on
a photograph! It was a pleasure to meet this gentleman and see one of
the products of his hobby.
A New Göteborg East Indianman Tall Ship
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After securing the
boat, we took a ferry to a nearby project site where some 80 workers
(some volunteer) are building a replica of the Swedish East Indianman
tall ship Göteborg which sank in 1743 just outside the harbor
with families looking on. The ship had been on its third trading
mission to China when it sank in Göteborg harbor. We had been invited
by the project foreman who gave us a special tour through the
construction site. The boat is enormous and most of its materials are
produced on the site. We were able to visit all the workshop areas and
see the meticulous model that's used to lay out and examine all the
pieces of the ship to make sure everything is placed and functions
correctly. The boat will be roughly 180 feet long and 33 feet wide. It
should be exciting to see her launched in 2002!!
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Göteborg, the City
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Like the other
Scandinavian cities, Göteborg had its traditional elements mixed with
the modern. I walked along the canal until I reached the center of the
city and found myself looking up at a statue of King Gustaf keeping
watch over the town. A bit further on, I came across this old church
that sits in the middle of a 'pedestrian-only' shopping area! Perhaps
the most contemporary example that brought a special smile to my face as
I thought of my Theater students was this banner outside the Opera
House. Guess what's playing!
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Drakbergsskol
With such a limited
amount of time in Sweden, I was only able to visit one school, the
Drakbergsskol just outside the city. The teachers were very flexible
and friendly. I met with two groups of students and thoroughly enjoyed
them all. They were very interested in hearing about American schools
and how they differ.
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The scrapbook (again from Perry Hall Middle
School!) was a big hit and had everybody gathering around to see it.
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We gathered together for a quick picture
before I had to leave. The teachers expressed a desire to see the boat
and mentioned that they might try to take some of the students into the
city and down to the harbor to see Pride II.
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I was pleasantly surprised two hours later when the
teachers showed up with many of their students! Talk about a lesson in
flexibility!! It was wonderful to see that the students had been
interested enough to visit the boat after hearing about it. I hope that
they make contact with their peers in Maryland. I know they'll find some
good friends.
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Go to Part 2 of the September 17, 2000 Log
