Belgium
What could today possibly be called other than an unexpected day at sea? Rough seas met during the night kept a few tossing and turning in their beds. The waves calmed only slightly when morning came, but the winds were slowly picking up. When it came time to call in at the pilot station, however, the bridge found out that the port of Oostende was closed. Ports can close when they deem it unsafe for ships to enter and dock or for the pilots to head out in their smaller boats to meet the big ships. Oostende, despite the pleadings of our Captain and Expedition Leader, refused to send a pilot our way which resulted in the day becoming a full day at sea for National Geographic Explorer. Those who ventured outside into the sunlit wind and spray saw the multitudes of other ships, mostly cargo ships, anchored out in the bay, left stranded as we were out in the North Sea.
Then there was a positive sign that, despite being refused entry into Oostende, the day might not be so bad after all. A full rainbow appeared off the starboard side of the ship. It is the little things that make a day a good one. It is also the outlook of those onboard who make the difference in what sort of a day we have. Guests all over shrugged their shoulders. We were all disappointed we were unable to enjoy the sights of Brugge today but we put a positive spin on it and thought that perhaps it would be nice to have a relaxing day on board. Some interesting lectures were quickly scheduled, and a few movies as well. Many sat down in the lounge for a viewing of the film “Around Cape Horn.” Captain Irving Johnson narrates a film about the later days of sail that was fun to see. The first few shots were of his first storm in the North Sea, just where we were. His rough seas and winds were much worse than ours. We were all grateful that we did not have to be out in the spray, lashing sails and working on deck. At least the sun was shining and we could imagine the glass was half full. It could be worse, much worse.
Our day continued in a rather peaceful manner. The sun shone, naps were taken, meals were eaten, movies were watched, lectures were listened to, and the unexpected day at sea turned into an unexpected opportunity for a little R&R. We ended the day with a fascinating short film about the Bayeux tapestry and the story it tells. And after that we watched the first half of the film “The Longest Day” about the D-Day invasion. Both were a great way to prepare us for our next few days of travel. A little R&R and interesting looks forward in the journey as well as an overall calming of seas as we made our way through the Strait of Dover had us all quietly excited about what was to come.
