Number 28 Antarctica 2007/8

Riders on the storm

When I was at school I was fascinated by the novels of C.S.Forester. In the book “the happy return” his hero Horatio Hornblower, captain of his majesty’ frigate ”Lydia” crosses the Atlantic Ocean and rounds Cape Horn on a secret mission without touching land.

The bow figure: Europa riding the bull Zeus

Last week, after a non-stop trip of 81 days the barque “Europa” arrived in her home-base, the port of Scheveningen. A port which the ship hardly ever sees. The boat was surprised by the outbreak of the Corona Virus in Argentina. It happened to a lot of other ships and their crews that there was the danger that it would not be possible to come back. In March, there were no more flights to bring the crew back to Europe. So the captain, Eric Kesteloo, decided to sail her back home. Since he was afraid that the boat would either not be welcome or even grounded for quarantine in one of the possible stopover ports on the way the crew of 19 bought provisions for 3 months and on March 27th they started for their way back non-stop from Ushuaia, Tierra de fuego, Argentina, to Scheveningen in the Netherlands, 10860 nautical miles. Since they were sailing they did not have to stop to bunker fuel on the way. In a radio interview, when the captain was asked what he missed most during these 81 days, he answered “a good storm”.

Eric Kesteloo briefing the plans for the next day

“Europa” was built as the lightship “Senator Brockes” in Germany in 1911. Unimaginable today, but begin of the 20th century there was such a lot of ice floating down the Elbe river in winter that the boat was built with a hulk of steel double as thick as normal. So lying in the mouth of the Elbe river for many decades it guarded as lightship “Elbe 3” the entrance to the port of Hamburg. After the second world war and the start of satellite communication lightships came out of use. For many years the ship was stored as a reserve in ports in Germany.

Europa at sail Amsterdam in 2015 sailing down the North Sea Canal

In 1986 the ship was brought to the Netherlands. A lightship was not meant for sailing. So she was completely renovated, equipped with full masts and re-rigged as a three mast barque. Cabins, a galley and common areas were built in. The ship can house 48 trainees and 16 crew. The EUROPA is an official Sail Training Vessel. As one of the (paying) trainees you join the activities on deck and you participate in sailing the ship under the instructions from the crew.

Europa leading a line of windjammers at the sail out, Amsterdam 2015

https://www.barkeuropa.com/

The original design of the ship as a lightship with a strong hull predestined Europa to sail in icy waters. The ship has a lot in common with Shackleton’s barque “Endurance”, which was built in 1912. So for many years Europa’s prime destination is Antarctica. Each year she sails from the Netherlands to Argentina in autumn. From Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego she sails to Antarctica for 3 or 4 trips of three weeks in every antarctic summer. Then they sail the roaring forties from Cape Horn to the Cape of Good Hope, a trip scheduled to take 52 days with stops in well known population centers on the way such as South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha. From South Africa they come back to Europe in early summer to take part in sail events and tall ship races.

Europa in Antartica

Some time in 2006 I sat on the ICE in Germany and read an article about “Europa” in the on-board magazine of Deutsche Bahn. The idea to go to Antarctica in a sailing boat fascinated me. By chance it turned out that there was an information meeting on the trips in Amsterdam the week after I came back. I talked to one of the captains and some crew members. I had to go and booked a trip for December 2007.

Europa in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego

So begin December 2007 I flew to Buenos Aires and on to Ushuaia a couple of days later. There I joined the “Europa” as a trainee. The captain was Eric Kesteloo. For several month I kept myself busy reading expedition journals and novels about the discovery of Antarctica. I have already written a lot about these fascinating stories and that trip so I do not repeat myself and only provide some links.

Europa, The Hague

In the years since, climate change also has hit Antarctica heavily and will do so even more in the near future. The shelf ice already is widely reduced. A recent article in National Geographic showed that all except of two of the emperor penguin colonies are threatened in their survival. These animals are untouched by civilization. Even the arctic cruises don’t get so far. But human activities have reached a degree that even the remotest are endangered.

Europa moored in the middle of a construction site in the port of Scheveningen in the 2020 of Corona

After her tour of 81 days Europa ended up in Scheveningen’s third harbor, a construction area, and is moored in the middle of a construction site. You can see the traces of rust and blistered paint after the long time in rough sea. I wonder what the crew feels after they only heard the wind and the waves for many months and now they are surrounded by the sound of sledge hammers and compressors.

Europa in the port of Ushuaia, ready for a trip to Antarctica

In comparison with the cruise ships plowing to Antarctica, tall Europa is tiny

Captain Eric Kesteloo observes the position of the sails after first setting in Beagle Channel off Ushuaia

Sailing in the Drake Passage south of Cape Horn is usually not so quiet

Taking 4 hour watches at the wheel in the Drake passage ... just to stay busy

The control center

Charting the route .... some of the maps are from 1947

Even careful navigation cannot always avoid hitting ice

Bringing the boats to water for a land excursion

In quiet waters this is not a problem 

Landing in Yankee harbor

\Europa at the face of the glaciers in Yankee harbor

Some pictures of the end of the world are here: https://eisstahl.blogspot.com/2008/02/ or

https://eisstahl.blogspot.com/2009/04/annals-of-justice-4-el-presidio-ushuaia.html

For those who want to read more, learn of some of the incredible stories about the discovery of Antarctica or see more pictures https://antarcticamia.blogspot.com

And of course there is the book. You can see a selection of pages when visiting the link https://www.blurb.com/b/652781-shades-of-whiteness

Gentoo Penguins observing the strange intruders

Gentoo penguins breed on nests of little pebbles. Their favorite pasttime is stealing each others pebbles

Oh god, they again

Bredding Gentoo penguins

The first chicks come out end of deember

Skuas are predators who steal eggs and chicks

Europa in the bay of Deception island, the caldera of an active volcano with the ruins of a whaling station

Layers of ash and ice on deception island

The alnost circular bay of Deception island

Anchored among ice floats which kiss the hull at night

The deserted Argentinian antarctic station Almirante Brown in Paradise harbour.... appreciate the naming of the place

Paradise harbour

The whaling vessel Gouvernoren was wrecked on Grahams Island in 1915. It is still there

Caqtain Eric contemplating the loss of one of our anchors

Up into the mast

Setting sails

Better not look down ... even in quiet whether there is swell

 Europe in full sail is not a frequent sight in the narrow fjords and treacherous winds of the Antarctic peninsula

Cape Horn ... quite unspectacular in nice weather

New Year's party in Antartica ... at +5 C

Number 24: Italy

Cicero's Rome

The colosseum was built in 70-80 AD

While there's life, there's hope (Marcus Tullius Cicero)

In the weekend edition of May 23rd the volkskrant had an article about the exaggerated sensibility of developed, privileged countries towards disasters hitting them (“wij zijn chaos ontwend”). In no time our world has had such a long period of stability and prosperity. If we hear of poverty and disasters, it is usually not from our world, it is elsewhere, far away. Now it is a catastrophe to be shut down, to be not able to plan for our next vacation. There are still countries in the world where a curfew is the daily rule, where death and fighting in the streets is a daily practice and where a line at the entrance of a supermarket is leading to empty shelves.

A room without books is like a body without a soul (Marcus Tullius Cicero)

Church dignitary sifting through a second hand book store

In ancient times Rome was the forefront of civilization. I just finished reading the Cicero Trilogy by Robert Harris. In a series of three novels he tells the story of Cicero, the lawyer, philosopher, speaker and statesman, who in his life from 106 – 43 BC was the witness of the last half of a century of the roman republic. Never in his life was the society, the city and the Mediterranean world at peace. Intrigues, corruption and murder were the rule of the day and not the exception. Politicians of all colors lived a dangerous live. Political enemies were simply eliminated by extermination. To go out without a bodyguard was suicidal even for a popular man. The mood of the crowd could change without notice and even bodyguards would not help for a lynching mob of plebs. Speculation led to lack of bread and famine for the ordinary people, while corruption led to the extortion of enormous sums for the benefit of the few getting unimaginably rich.

The sinews of war are infinite money (Marcus Tullius Cicero)

Cicero became famous by his prosecution of Gaius Verres, the corrupt governor of Sicily, whom he got convicted against all odds and Verres mighty friends. But his life was full of changes and dangers. He won the election to be Consul for a year, the highest function the Roman Republic had to offer. At the time he started the famous and successful campaign against Catalina. But soon the odds turned against him and he was exiled. He was able to return under the protection of Ceasar, against whom argued since he foresaw his dictatorial intentions. Soon he had to flee again. His villa on the palatine was burned to the ground, his other properties seized. Again he was able to return and welcomed by the cheering crowds. After Ceasars murder he was the most popular man in Rome. In the Phillipic speeches he argued against Marc Anthony and in support of the young Octavian, adopted son of Ceasar.

The safety of the people shall be the highest law (Marcus Tullius Cicero)

Street artists and spectators without social distancing

At the end of his life, although at first Cicero was protected by Octavian, the future emperor Augustus, a compromise to get together the triumvirate with Marc Anthony and Lepidus was reached by sacrificing some of each ones most popular friends. Cicero was killed, his head and hands chopped off and exhibited on the forum in Rome for deterrence and instruction.

The life given us, by nature is short; but the memory of a well-spent life is eternal

(Marcus Tullius Cicero)

Accordeon players trying to get attention from the guests of a restaurant

With the knowledge of its history, there are few other places in the world which are as exciting for a visitor like Italy and in particular Rome. Many of the buildings of Cicero’s time are gone. Each emperor had own monuments built to increase his fame and tore down the achievements of previous rulers to gain space. I have looked for own pictures which could illustrate the history around Cicero. I could not find a lot but it would be an exciting project to search for his memories in a town where history has been covered by history. Instead here is a combination of pictures of more modern roman ruins, which are all closed for visitors now. Also these later roman times are illustrated in timeless literature, think of “memoirs de Hadrian” by Marguerite Yourcenar or “Claudius the god” by Robert Graves. In 1986 and 2012 when these pictures where taken, these historic streets, which are now so empty, were full of people – tourists, craved for by some, hated by others.

To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history? (Marcus Tullius Cicero)

Tourists rest from the heat

Today, of course, Rome is full of tourists year round. But there is so much to see that there is always a place of escape. And in the eternal city you can spend a lifetime wihtout be able to see everything.

The masses inside the colloseum

Another holy man at the base of the Scalinata die Trinita dei Monti

 A nun chats with a swiss guard at the entrance to the vatican

View from the Palatine over the smog of the city

In Cicero's time the rich and influential had their villas on the Palatine hill. Here his villa was burned down. Later emperors built their palaces here 

The forum not only was a market place, but also a stage for speeches, also by Cicero 

Jumping into the fountains is tempting but not allowed

Scalinata de Trinita dei Monti

The Pantheon, built in 118 AD as a temple and later converted into a church

The porta pinciana was part of the Aurelian wall built in 271 AD

The circus of Mexentius built in 306 AD along the via appia south of the city

The enormous baths of Caracalla, built in 271 AD

One of the many fountains



Castel St Angelo was built as the mausoleum for the emperor Hadrian in 130 AD



The interior of the Pantheon full of tourists



The mass quarters of the plebs were repugnant in Cicero's time and the basis for big profit for rich owners like Cicero's enemy Crassus. Today these old flats are unaffordable