Journals from the week ending May 17, 1997
Impressions of Concordia by a New Arrival Onboard
Cheryl Poth, 5/13/97, aboard ship...It was not the stork who arrived on the S/V Concordia in Crete but me as the marine biology teacher. I am fortunate to have joined the crew aboard until Copenhagen and am looking forward to taking advantage of the opportunities that surround us in marine biology.
Concordia is an impressive vessel (and a little daunting) but with the help of the friendly (and patient) professional crew I am quickly being brought up to speed on all the safety procedures and lines. I knew I was 'home' when I was assigned a spot in the lifeboats. It wasn't just the vessel that was impressive on that first day but the rest of the crew/students. They have proved themselves as knowledgeable, seaworthy and friendly but as I climbed aboard for the first time what stuck me was the sense of community. It was quite apparent, but so was their willingness to welcome another addition to the crew. Of course, there have been some challenges: locating biology equipment, climbing the foremast for the first time and learning the lines. Not to mention the first night aboard I heard the siren indicating the start of the engines and I jumped out of bed not knowing what it was only to be told to go back to bed. Without a doubt the challenges have been overshadowed by many things: everyone's willingness to teach me about the vessel followed by the joys of teaching my first class aboard and watching my first sunrise. The daily routine of wake up calls, colors, watch duties and the rhythm of the pitch of the vessel are quickly becoming familiar. Fortunately, I still can't get used to looking out and seeing the sun shimmering on the rolling waves on the large expanse of blue and the beautiful sunsets. When witnessing this phenomenon I can't help thinking its a wonderful day to be alive and to be a part of Class Afloat.
A Day in Italy
Francois Ares, 5/16/97, aboard ship...We woke up early this morning to go on a bus tour of the city of Cagliari, some ancient Roman ruins, and Phoenician ruins. Our tour guide described all the important facts about Cagliari and Sardegna. We then had a lunch break at the ruins where we relaxed and enjoyed the sights. After our tour was over, we returned to the boat where we got split up into smaller groups. Class Afloat students were in great demand by the Italian high school students. My group came at 5:00 p.m. and we left for a walking tour of the ancient sights of Cagliari. After our tour, we went out to dinner with them for some real Italian pizza and talked about everything. After dinner, we played pool with our new friends before heading back to the boat. Italy has been one of my favorite stops all year.