Canoe, Camp, Cook, Fish and Travel: February 2014

2013 is history and 2014 is here.

I get frustrated when people, on the 1st of January, ask "How was your New Year?", it is a stupid question and I usually reply in the following fashion, "How the hxxx would I know, today is the first day of it.". The conversation usually goes downhill from here because they will reply, "What I mean how was yesterday evening?" and I answer "It was fine and it was last year."

Sorry, had to get that off my chest.
And I wish all of you a blessed New Year.

Note, when I began to write this post on January 5th, 2014 BlogSpot would not post photos, so a few X@8@88)*$ were said.
The same applies to January 9th, January 12th and we shall see what happens today January 15th -It is still a problem so I will try add photos as html though that can create a whole other set of headaches)
Here is another attempt to post photos and that attempt isn't working. X*_@)&* #hs &*&^$#@!;
Today is January 24th, and here is another attempt. %$#%^&*@#
Today is January 29th, here is an additional attempt.
It is now February 1st, 2014 ---
February 3, 2014 ---
Today it is February 4, 2014 ---
February 5, 2014 --- in other words, the problem has persisted for over one month at this point.
February 8, 2014 ---
February 10, 2014 --- there is still a problem with the downloading of the photos which Google claims it is working on very feverishly.
Please accept my apologies.

February 12, 2014 and it is be working, but not using Windows Explorer, only using Google Chrome, and having grown up with Windows Explorer I am much more comfortable with it. (Old people do not take to changes very well).

Back to the 2007 trip to Denmark. We are on the Island of Funen which is correctly named Fyn.
Today we plan a short boat trip across the waters to the Island of Ærø (Aeroe) which is famous for its ship building and the great many seafarers it produced.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86r%C3%B8
http://aeroeisland.com/
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/scan/aero.htm
http://www.scantours.net/products/location.php5?id=56

On the island are two principal towns and a number of villages; Ærøskøbing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86r%C3%B8sk%C3%B8bing
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g800487-Aeroskobing_Aero_Funen_and_Islands-Vacations.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59wsaozjFOI

and the town of Marstal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marstal
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=marstal+denmark&qpvt=marstal+denmark&FORM=IGRE
http://smilingglobe.com/Visit.aspx?Visit-Smiling=Marstal&Go=Southern_Denmark&Visit=Denmark

In the maritime world Marstal is the best known of the two towns and that is our destination across the waters by a 26 foot long boat powered by a small 3 cylinder Volvo diesel engine. The weather was pleasant, sunny and probably in the mid 60's F (about 18 C) for a temperature and a nice breeze blowing. So off we go or rather sail or rather power.

Here are a few photos of the trip - of which the focus was the Maritime Museum in the town and the boats, some very old, in the harbor.

The captain of the boat, my brother Rene, keeping a good lookout.

Norma enjoying the view from the deck after arrival in Marstal

After arrival it was time for a good danish lunch which my sister in law Vivi had concocted in the small galley of the boat. We ate this lunch in the cockpit.

The cockpit table set, lunch served. It was very good.
The hatchway to the aft cabin is open.
Note the old sailing vessel in the background.

Close up of the famous Danish "open face sandwiches".
That is actually a misnomer. If it is without a piece of bread on top
it cannot by definition be a sandwich. Civilized people eat these
with a knife and a fork, not by picking them up in their hands.

Then it was time to go ashore to visit the Maritime Museum.
http://www.marstal-maritime-museum.dk/ When you open the link it is in Danish, so just hit the "translate button" to go to whatever language you are comfortable with. The museum has a lot of interesting stuff, including a full scale wheelhouse (bridge) of a small freighter with the controls and the motion of the sea while sailing at night, including the sound of the engine and a typical crew member cabin on a ship of that type.

A playground for the young and one assumes that includes the young at heart.

After the museum it was time to have a beer and then walk about town with its wonderful old homes which at one time or another were the homes of ship captains and mates and engineers and ...

Norma in front of a house; note the interesting position of the "drawers" under the windows.

Another old home with crooked walls.

Here we are in front of that house and the harbor is in the background.

The figures in the window give this house away. It belongs to a fisherman and his wife.

Since Marstal is a seafaring town it must also be remembered it is a fishing town; being a fishing town it is no wonder the gulls look so well fed.

It is time to head back to our "home port". This time "little brother" lets the former ship captain steer the "ship". Along the way we met another ferry and we saw a great deal of sailboats, mostly flying the German flag since Germany is only a few miles away and Denmark is a wonderful cruising destination.

He looks very relaxed while showing me how this is to be done.

"No sweat, this is the smallest thing I have steered in many years".

A ferry, vehicles, trucks and passengers.

"I see a bridge ahead and very shallow water outside the channel".

Another great day comes to an end, after tying up, tidying up, and headed to the house for dinner and a glass of wine.

More to follow in the next installment.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

A short diversion

Monday, February 10, 2014

ROOTS - not the movie - 11

Saturday, February 1, 2014

A rather long kayak trip

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