There is just something magical about the ocean, and I am spoiled enough that I have actually crossed the Atlantic 3 times by ship, the first time when I was 6. We sailed on the Empress of Canada
seen here passing the Cloch Lighthouse on the Firth of Clyde, which is somewhere I wish I had been, but haven’t, but had to include because of the awesome lighthouse.
On that trip we flew home, but when I was a teenager and went to England with my parents who were happily on sabbatical, we crossed both ways on a Polish liner, at the time called the Stefan Batory
seen here at dock in Montreal in the early 1980’s, which is from where we must have embarked. [Not finishing sentences with prepositions is a damn silly rule!]
I saw the Stefan Batory, somewhat oddly coincidentally on what I believe was it last transatlantic voyage, at dock in St Pierre and Miquelon a very picturesque little chunk of France that sits about 13 miles off the southern coast of Newfoundland. They have kept it to maintain fishing rights, and have a two hundred mile long, but extremely narrow channel that they get to have as a national right, and which is affectionately known as the baguette.
I had gone there for a French Immersion course, 6 weeks long, and being a loner I took the train there so I could bring my bicycle. That decision took me to Newfoundland for the first time. The Canadian National Railway still ran then all the way to North Sydney in Nova Scotia, from where the ferry to Newfoundland leaves. They have recently cancelled that service because they have lost their minds. That was also before the Atlantic provinces introduced their new fast ferries, which take the sting out of the Atlantic, and cut the trip in half, an improvement that I disapprove of, merely out of misplaced nostalgia.
From the ferry I must have ridden my bike to the ferry to St Pierre, but my meandering point is that because I had my bicycle in St Pierre I was able to ride out along the pier to the lighthouse, which I did frequently. And one morning much to my amazement, there sat the Stefan Batory in all its Polish glory. I still remember Noodles in Lard from the menu. And the strange realization [this was before the Iron Curtain came crashing down] that there were Polish passengers on the lower decks who were not allowed to come up or mingle with the non-communists. They were somehow privileged, because they were being allowed foreign travel, but it was obvious that their freedom was severely restricted. And they were literally second class and we were first class. The staff, who were desperate for Western contact, had to watch themselves so as not to appear as potential defectors, but the poverty both intellectually and physically that their gruelling political system had imposed on them was dreadful to feel, and deeply affected me.
What a contrast with the vast freedom that the Atlantic Ocean promises.
Which brings me back to my beginning, because yesterday I was asked if I wanted to go to Cape Spear, to which I replied: ‘Yes. Always.” And so we did.
Brave
What a fabulous sight coming out of the fog
Not a great picture but that was an enormous iceberg!
And that’s me on the right!
Have a fabulous Friday … or at least try to and I hope it works out.
This is the scene below deck on the Stefan Batory. (found while doing a yt search for noodles in lard, which sounded so good)
Lest ye think I’m a pig too for posting this, let me just say that my grandkids are an eighth Polish and I embrace that ethnic heritage for their benefit. Right now I have 7 different kinds of heirloom Polish tomatoes growing in my garden. I even learned to curse in Polish from the wife’s grandfather and some day I will pass that on to them.
Me too on the Polish. Though my family was more dripping in butter, we love our lard as well. And noodles, of course, always and with everything.
Nice pics, Xty. I get the sense that the salt air does you good.
I ran across this article this morning. Curious from a fellow named Puplava, suggesting a lineage in the hard money camp. The gist of it is that there more to come in the stock market.
Typical “Team Snark” response to something like this would be to claim that the numbers are all spin, MOPE, rigged, and an outright lie, and then to stick their heads right back in the sand, or up their asses, as the case may be, and back to the bunker with ye.
The Bears Are Seeing Red In A Sea Of Green
and…good morning!
Another trip back and forth to Eau Claire today. yippee…
This is a family favorite, especially when it’s made with the sauerkraut that we made from the cabbage that we grew.
UPS guy was in a good mood today when he brought my Amazon purchase- truck doors open, this playing and he was singing along- much preferred over a drone.
Stumbled upon and likin’ it
If you want to see what I look like dancin’- well, it’s pretty (not) much like this-
Seasick Steve, Lonesome Bob- what’s next? I’m stumped. There should be a Hobo Harry, or a Cryin’ Charlie or some such. Did I hear you say One-eyed Jerry? He can’t sing or play.
that was a long shift in the booth Dude, and i noticed that you didn’t play any obviously, at least by the usual standards, really long tunes. so just in case you need to go hit the can…
someone left the mic on.
i’m karaoking this right now. and i’m handsome.
since you asked, the handsome comment was for my wife. she was making fun of me. i really was singing, dancing, though not in moonlight, since it’s too close to the new moon. i have a pretty cool dance move that i stole from Travolta too. 🙂
These ruins would be on my bucket list if my money bucket had anything in it………so I will have to be satisfied with simpler pleasures, like grandson’s fourth birthday today. Leaving for the party as soon as grandma is done making deviled eggs.
How the NRA Rewrote the Second Amendment
Excellent interview with Josh Brown. Pundit bashing, how to cope, honest introspection. Stick with it to the end. I feel like he was talking to me. Or about me. Or that he stole my material. Or something.
My Interview With Morgan Housel
i’ll pile on. everybody here should take the time to watch that video EO just posted. it’s only 15 minutes.
Re: vid- I did a cntl + to enlarge the pundit crowd pic and I can definitely identify 16 of them plus a couple of probablies. Can you guys do any better or worse? What’s that say about me, or us?
i used a really nice Bushnell scope to look at each face, and i can beat 16 for sure. my trigger finger never itched so apparently none of those guys ever helped lose me any money. it’s not that these guys are any better than the next, but i never listened advice wise to any of these particular paid lackeys, pumpers, or shills.
back to packing boxes and flights of stairs. i sure do miss winter. 🙂
I think I did better, but I’m not so sure that’s a good thing. And I don’t remember how many I got on the first look, because now I’ve seen the answer key. And a lot of times I knew the face, but the name was escaping me unless I really took the time to think.
Here you go, test your skillz!
People Who Appear in ‘Clash of the Financial Pundits’
“With the Bullish Best Wishes of Louis Rukeyser.” back in the day these guys had some humility. plus he sent me an Ike dollar in a catchy little desk display. i’m looking at it right now.
so my first chance to start moving some stuff today, 90 degrees. i haven’t even grown accustomed to 70 yet. wtf? i think in a former life i must have been really evil. karma’s a bitch.
Popcorn Diary: 6/1/2014
Planted today! I had been thinking I’d wait, with everything being late this year, but I think a lot of catching up has been done lately.
Changes for this year:
Store bought seed corn ( I often just plant the stuff from the grocery store)
Heavier than usual fertilization, in lieu of added topsoil and compost
I would have gotten 31 if it was a better picture.
Good morning and good bye- goin’ on a working road trip, helping friends move back from Fl to Wi. Will be sporadically incommunicado.
Have a safe trip, Dude.