Belfast - City of History

The second we hit Belfast, Northern Ireland, the very dedicated Sorlandet workout club, Captained by Clio the Mighty, hit the gangway and went for an hour and a half run through the city. The feeling of freedom as we broke out of our 180-foot microcosm of a sailing ship was unbelievable. A good cardio workout on the ship is difficult to come by and we try to take advantage of the liberty of being on land. 

We soon discovered that Belfast closes at six. That’s right, just like Stornoway everyone likes to pack it in early and it was difficult to find food at dinnertime. Our solution? Sadly, McDonalds. Funnily enough, it turned out to be an interesting cultural experience. I sat down beside a girl around my age and we began chatting about Belfast. After a minute or so, her friends who were spread around the restaurant all congregated at my table and we talked about their lives in Belfast and mine on the ship. I ran into a couple of them later on in the week and it made me look quite popular in Northern Ireland!

September 18^th … Happy Birthday Mom! I hope you had a great day J

Like Stornoway, we were unlucky in terms of weather. It was quite rainy. Fortunately though, it cleared up for our lovely coastline bus tour. There is a beautiful winding road that hugs the coast of Northern Ireland. It passes by startling cliffs, long sandy beaches and a sea of turquoise blue water. On our bus tour day we visited two National Trust sites. The first was a suspension bridge to a small island that is surrounded by bluffs. The colour of the crashing waves is indescribable - the picture cannot even begin to capture it.

The second site that we visited is called Giant’s Causeway. It is an amazing rock formation site with some neat Northern Irish legends linked to its creation.

Our bus ride continued through miles of farmland and sheep until we arrived in the town of Coleraine. After high tea with the town's Mayor, we had our first Class Afloat Student Council meeting in the Mayor’s council hall.

 

Belfast city center itself is a blend of modern and Victorian style architecture. Many office and residential buildings are virtually empty with “To Let” signs hung all over the city. To this day, Belfast is not the safest city of all time. It has an ongoing bloody history over political differences between Catholics and Protestants. Kids are separated into Protestant and Catholic schools, the neighborhoods are divided by walls and some pubs do not allow Protestant or Catholic soccer jerseys for fear of stirring up unwanted political rifts. We had a very fascinating and enthusiastic university professor lecture us about Irish history. Driving through the city, there is so much evidence of the history and beliefs of the people. On every street corner there are representational flags and huge painted murals illustrating the different points of view. Every summer, riots break out in the street and flags are burned to illustrate that the conflicts are very real and still present.

All in all, Belfast was a fascinating and exciting city to visit. Next stop: Falmouth, England!

Land at Last! Stornoway, Scotland

After a long, rocky sail we finally reached solid ground – Stornoway, Scotland! The first morning at port, the Sōrlandet Workout Club woke up early and headed off for a 06:00 am run through rainy, misty Scottish streets. After a day of casual classes, we were granted our first official shore leave and we headed out into town to satisfy our intense cravings for chocolate cereal squares, raspberry cheesecake ice cream and peanut butter. Next thing on our list: Operation Contact Mom. We scrounged for Internet and found a small café. Skype, email and facebook - mission accomplished. When we got back to the ship emotions were running high: people were laughing, crying and holding each other after hearing from loved ones at home.

The streets of Stornoway are lined with small shops and modest homes with brightly coloured front doors. One particular shop sold nothing but tweed. The owner was an awesome Scottish man who lectured us about tourist sites and Canadian geography. We experienced sporadic weather of rain, sun, cold and more rain. One afternoon, we trekked up a hill to a dodgy old Scottish castle with huge grounds complete with hundreds of varieties of trees planted by aristocracy years ago. As far as we could see, these were the only trees in Stornoway!

The next day, we went for an out trip. On our bus ride, we drove through the countryside. A landscape of bare rolling hills scattered with sheep could be seen out the window for miles on end. A series of ancient, broken down stone cottages were set in the hills at random intervals. And a winding road led us to a heritage site called the Calanais Stones. These stones were very similar to Stone Henge, but much older. The Stones are quite the mystery – no one knows their exact purpose. It could be a spiritual Celtic site, a burial or an ancient astronomy observatory. We unintentionally slid down a hill through the mud and ended up at a teashop for a hot chocolate and cheese scones.

Next, we headed to a fortress called a Broch that used to belong to a Celtic clan leader. It was strategically built and positioned to protect the clan from attack. We finished up the day with an epic photo-shoot on the rocks.

On our full day of shore leave, a group of us headed out of town on foot around a beautiful sea wall. It seemed like a great idea until it started to rain. We scampered under the trees. Ten minutes later, we were slightly soaked but in good spirits and ready to carry on with our adventure. After a couple of paces we discovered a small stone hut - perfect shelter from the rain and right around the corner from where we had been huddling under the trees. Unfortunate timing!

We carried on up a mountain, and after an hour of bushwhacking, mud-sludging, walking on roads and hiking through trails, we arrived at a perfect spot at the very top. It was truly breathtaking – a panoramic view of all of Stornoway. Quite the adventure!

All in all, Scotland was fantastic! After stocking up at the local Tesco (our all-time favorite grocery store) we headed off. Can’t wait to arrive in Belfast!

Meet the Sorlandet - Photos



The S.T.S. Sōrlandet



Docked in Kristiansand, Norway



Built in 1927

     

3 sinks!!!





"Provisioning"



Seasick on the deck singing
"Bye Bye Miss American Pie" hoping this awfull feeling will soon pass!





At sea ...

Our Captain











The First Week …

On August 25^th, 2011 forty-two students and their families from the United States, Spain, Germany, Austria, and all over Canada gathered at the main dock in Kristiansand to board the S.T.S. Sōrlandet for the first time. Emotions were running high and excitement was in the air!

After a multiple-stage check-in, (including a tense moment where I dropped my passport and it nearly fell through a crack in the dock) we toured the ship, found our bunks and unpacked our things. I now understand why the sail bag was so small! Each person has half a locker, a cupboard and a small trunk for our clothes. Personal space is precious onboard and we are always required to be very neat with our things - I am learning a lot mom!

The ship itself is beautiful. She is a three-masted Norwegian tall ship built in 1927 with some really neat war history. More to follow…

Over the past few days we have experienced some intense sail training. We learned about lines, sails and the mechanics of the ship. Coiling ropes and tying knots is already second nature to some … I’m still working on it though! We have already begun climbing the rigging, furling the sails, and hoisting the yards. From the first time steering the ship on helm to the first time working in the galley - everything is new and exciting!

I would have to say that the best part about the first few days was meeting the crew. Everyone is really interesting to talk to and genuinely nice. And, although we have only been together for a short time, everybody is already like brothers, sisters and best friends. The coolest part about the crew though, is that everyone comes from different places, has different ideas and different lifestyles, but we all have this one crazy dream in common – to sail around the Atlantic Ocean on a tall ship. The atmosphere this creates on the Sōrlandet is indescribable. We are all enthusiastic, thrilled, scared, and ready for the adventure that lies ahead!

The crew ... also known as "Floaties"