Vasco da Gama July 2019 Part 2, Freya & Kiel Canal entry

Wednesday 17th July 2019
I had an early breakfast in the hotel, packed a few bits into a tiny rucksack for the day, and set off back down to the water and FREYA.

FREYA was built in 1905 in the Netherlands and then sold on in 1933 to a shipyard and then on again in 1935 for use as a bunkering station. Bought again in 1988, restoration started in 1989 with a second-hand compound steam engine dating from 1926 and boiler dating from 1967. In 1990 she was in service as DE NEDERLANDER for charters around Rotterdam Docks, and then sold again in December 1999 to start operations for the 2000 season in the 'nostalgia' market. She has been fitted out in 1920s style and made available for charter with a regular sailing schedule. Re-named FREYA, she was to revive the tradition of paddlers serving the North Sea resorts of Germany, from her base at the offshore sand-bar resort island of Sylt. FREYA now sails mostly on the Kiel Canal and on the Elbe river from Hamburg. She is 52 metres long, with a beam of 11 metres, and can do 8.6 knots at speed.

This is just a little of the information I read about FREYA on http://www.paddlesteamers.info/Freya-DeNederlander.htm, which tells me it is the internet's leading database of Paddle Steamers past and present.

It was another cool and cloudy day but I was going through the Kiel Canal, and Following in Father's Footsteps again, with copies of some of Father's photographs in my bag, taken back in 1931 as he sailed through the Canal.

I walked along and down the now-familiar route between my hotel and the Central Station,

Kiel hbh

Outside the station

Freya at the quayside


and this morning I was soon at the quayside and FREYA. A coach load of German pensioners arrived and were allowed on board first. The rest of us were checked off on a list and welcomed by the Purser/General Manager and each escorted to our individual table. I had a small table to myself up on the top deck starboard side, right at the front, with beautiful china and linen; other tables seated 4 and were soon filled. A flask of hot coffee was on each table and everyone was invited to go down to the lower deck and get a pastry to have with the coffee. This was a good start as the ship prepared to depart at 10 a.m.

Paddle wheel

View down to the engine room

Dials on the wall

Laboe preparing to go through the raised lock gate


The small vessel LABOE prepared to leave the small harbour where we were berthed and so part of the small pedestrian bridge was closed and part of it raised for her to enter the main waterway and then it was our turn to go through. Immediately on our right (starboard side) was the Norwegian ship COLOR MAGIC (see blog for 2008) and on our port side was the Swedish STENA SCANDINAVICA.

Stena Scandinavica

Color Magic

My own table

Looking aft

Further aft

Aft end upper deck

Open deck aft

Freya china

Detail

Lots of jellyfish down in the water beside us

View back to the upper deck and the Bridge

Freya Life ring

Going through the raised bridge gap

Bulk

Bussard

Stadt Kiel


The FREYA Captain was on the Bridge above us and next mentioned that a German submarine was being tugged into the Naval Dockyard on the starboard side; she had been away for about a year and had returned for an overhaul.

The submarine being tugged into the Naval Dockyard;
the submarine was the German U 34 = Nato-Code S 184, escorted by the tugs Robbe ( ahead) and Holtenau (backside)


I found that several other passengers standing near me out on the forward deck were happy to translate into English for me, which was kind, and aided them practising their English too.

I noticed a small ship ALKOR on our port side, which was pointed out to us from the Captain on the Bridge. ALKOR is a research and survey vessel employed in German and European marine research, built in 1990, at 1322 gross tons.

One man told me he was particularly interested in steam trains, but enjoyed ships too. When I mentioned that I had several photographs taken in 1931 by my Father during a transit of the Kiel Canal, he and several people were keen to see them and that started several discussions about the bridges in my photos. That also seemed to answer one or two polite questions about why I was on the FREYA.

I explained that Father worked as a Junior Engineer on the Blue Star Line cruise ship ARANDORA STAR from 1930, and I have a Blue Star Cruising Programme for 1931 which shows that the ship entered the Kiel Canal on Monday 31st 1931 at 7 a.m. at Holtenau like us. They sailed the 115 miles to Brunsbuttel, passing there at 3 p.m. and sailed the 36 miles to Hamburg, arriving there at 6 p.m.; they stayed there for 34 hours before heading for Rotterdam. Father took several small photographs during the transit, so he must have fitted them around his Watch-keeping; the one I find fascinating of course is of him and a couple of fellow engineers sitting inside the rim of the stern funnel of ARANDORA STAR!

Another photo shows the other working funnel, and others show several Canal bridges.

Just to add to my non-family-history thoughts at present, as we arrived at Holtenau and the entrance to the Kiel Canal, I remembered a small book I own, published in 1896, and called "Log of the Tantallon Castle". It records in beautiful detail the occasion that Sir Donald Currie, who founded the Castle Mail Packets Company (yes, of course I have to mention Union-Castle Line), invited many distinguished friends and guests to sail on his seventh Fairfield Shipping Company-built vessel to the Baltic to be present in Kiel 'at the opening of the Canal that links by a fresh bond the Baltic with the North Sea'.

Log of the Tantallon Castle


They left Tilbury in the UK on Wednesday 12th June 1895 and, after calling at Hamburg, they travelled to Copenhagen, before arriving at Kiel to take part in the ceremonies for the opening of the Canal. They had to anchor about 4 miles outside Kiel (probably here at Holtenau) amongst a whole fleet of ships of all nations; on 20th June 1895 the weather was glorious and everyone was awaiting the coming of the Emperor, making the first transit of the Canal.

The illustrations and descriptions in this little book are fascinating and the guest list makes absorbing reading too. Having the Right Honourable W. E. Gladstone M.P. on board pleased Sir Donald too, as well as the Royalty that visited the ship or invited him and his guests to functions ashore. They left Kiel and then travelled to Gothenburg, rather than going straight back to the UK, which by coincidence will be part of my own explorations during this trip.

Kiel Canal entrance ahead

Going into the Canal


Back to the present in 2019 and my own transit of the Kiel Canal, starting at Holtenau near Kiel - where we entered the Canal behind a couple of other big ships, and I watched the gate close behind us.


Ships seen:Freya, Bussard, Bulk, Stena Scandinavica, Color Magic, Laboe, Stadt Kiel, Alkor, submarine,


To be continued...

VASCO DA GAMA July 2019

VASCO DA GAMA and other Voyages
19th July 2019

Vasco da Gama (1460 - 1524) was a Portuguese explorer who in 1497 was commissioned by his King to sail from Europe around Africa, arriving at what is now India. The chance of sailing on a ship named after him sounded interesting so when the German cruise line Transocean were offering a 3 night cruise from Kiel in July 2019, I decided to make a booking. Making my own explorations at the same time offered great possibilities.

The ship was originally built at Fincantieri's Monfalcone yards in Italy, for Holland America Line in 1993 as STATENDAM, at 55,877 gross tons, before sailing from 2015 as PACIFIC EDEN for P&O Australia, under the Carnival mantle. On 24th April 2019 she then made her first voyage from Singapore, before joining Cruise & Maritime Voyages as VASCO DA GAMA. CMV's Transocean Kreuzfahrten is using her from May to October 2019 in Europe, after which she will return to Australia and Singapore, with a brief annual visit to Tilbury in the UK each September or October.

Monday 15th July 2019
Getting to Kiel in Germany was my next plan, and I started by flying to Hamburg one summer early evening and staying overnight near the airport. I showed the Ibis hotel address to an Airport taxi driver and he opened the car door and I sat beside him with my rucksack on the floor. Almost immediately he started shouting at me about something. I said I was sorry but I didn't understand what it was; he had accepted me as a passenger and eventually set off for the short journey in the dark. I was glad to arrive at the hotel, paid and tipped him for his metered time and wished him a better evening as he drove away. The hotel receptionist made me very welcome and I mentioned that the taxi driver had shouted at me before driving me here; she said that many of them were not happy people, and apologised for him. The bar was still open so I was able to check in and enjoy a glass of something delicious from German vineyards. I pondered for only a moment about the temper of the taxi driver.

Tuesday 15th July 2019
After breakfast this morning I was directed to a local bus stop to get into Hamburg city; on the bus I bought a combined bus/train/ferry ticket for the day, and got off at the nearby Rapid Transport S line station at Ohlsdorf, for the train to take me to Central Station (Hauptbahnhof).

Once there I put my rucksack into a locker, paid the 2 euros and locked it, and could set off to enjoy some time here. I have learned that there are thousands of lockers at Central Station and it is wise to make a note of the exact location of one's particular locker alcove. They are well hidden around the huge station! I learnt that it is best to note the shop immediately opposite the lockers, and then make a note of the two train platform numbers that run immediately under the lockers, below the stairs leading down to those platforms. There are stairs at both ends of the platforms, all with locker banks nearby at the top, with numbers running into the thousands. Imagine many platforms, all with lockers available somewhere nearby up the stairs at one end or another, and you can understand the potential for stress. There is also a main concourse inside the huge station, with inviting shops and restaurants, and hundreds of people going about their business. A fascinating place to use but not to stay for long.

Outside in the street I felt I was being 'Summoned by Bells', as John Betjeman put it many years ago. I could hear a tremendous sound of bells booming out over this part of the city, as I walked towards the River Elbe. I could see the tower of St. Nicholas Church in the distance - the ruins surviving the 2nd World War, and now serving as a museum and as Hamburg's central memorial for the victims of the Nazi regime.

I remembered that my Father (Harry Williams) photographed it back in the early 1930s as a complete church, when he was working as a Junior Engineer on board Blue Star Line's cruise ship ARANDORA STAR, visiting Hamburg on annual cruises. Here I am, Following in Father's Footsteps again in my life, with more to come this week.

It was time for coffee and I noticed a local branch of Datbackhus nearby (Speersort 10, Eingang 20095) and that half of this shop was also an Archaeological museum of a Bishop's Circle of stones, down in the lower half of this corner shop, where I could also sit at a table amongst the huge stones.

Top of the cafe stairs

Half-way down the stairs

Note about the Bishop's Tower


Outside again I caught a Rapid Train Service but had to get off at Baumwall. Oh my, they are doing extremely noisy railway and bridge works and I had to go down to street level again for a replacement bus. It reminded me of Southern Rail's replacement buses back in the UK, so no change there. I finally got to the Captain's Cabin shop at Landungsbrucken, where they sell all kinds of small model ships. They are not Waterline models, but what I know as cheap and cheerful ones, and are ideal for small grandsons to play with when we are organising voyages and trips with ships on the floor at home.

Nearby I could see something interesting in dry dock over the other side of the river, with Cunard's QUEEN VICTORIA berthed further along from where I was standing. CAP SAN DIEGO was in its usual place along the waterfront. Local ferries were sailing past on the river as I made my way back to the Central Station.

Something interesting in dry dock

Queen Victoria down river

River view and Cap San Diego

My train from Hamburg to Kiel


I collected my rucksack, bought a ticket for Kiel Central Station, joined the hourly train from Hamburg and enjoyed a comfortable journey north to the port city of Kiel.

This was fascinating in Kiel station

Detail


Outside I took one of the 3 exits from this big station and headed for the taxis. Again I showed my hotel address to a driver, and he shook his head, waved an arm, and said words to the effect that it was only along there. Hmm, that wasn't what my phone said, which was why I wanted a taxi, but I set off. My phone maps stopped working but a couple of helpful young cyclists stopped and walked with me to locate the small hotel, and saw me safely inside; that was so kind of them. It certainly wasn't 'just along there' but maybe the taxi driver wouldn't have earned enough to make him stop his conversation in the taxi rank or help a foreign tourist.

Once I'd checked in for 3 nights and left my bag in my room, I could walk outside and see several small local bar restaurants to choose for a meal, but first I decided to walk down to the waterside. Along by the pedestrian bridge crossing I was happy to see my ship for tomorrow: I was booked to sail for the day on the good ship FREYA, along the Kiel Canal. They offered day cruises from here in Kiel, with meals booked in advance, and that's what I had arranged.

An advertisement for the ship trip

The bow of Freya

Just look at that stern view


I admired the little ship and took a few photos in the evening light, before being asked to take a couple of photos by 3 local girls sitting on a bench beside FREYA. They had a very new Polaroid-type camera so we all had a giggly time getting them lined up for a picture. I think they were happy but impatient for the print to come out of the very lightweight plastic camera, but it finally came out and was waved about to dry and then they were happy. I remembered the original Polaroid cameras but didn't ever own one, but this new digital version seems so simple and lightweight.

Then it was back up to the hotel and a meal nearby and planning my day tomorrow.

Ships seen: Freya, Laboe

To be continued...

METAMORPHOSIS: From Liners to Cruise Ships (Part 5, the final one)

Sunday 1st October 2017 (contd.)
Leaving Monfalcone and visiting Venice

After many photographs were taken, we had to head back to the hire car and take to the road again, this time to the fabled city of Venice. We waved farewell to the shipyard, to the eye-catching water tower that somehow managed to survive war damage, the MuCa Museum with its details of the great entrepreneurial Cosulich family, and this delightful part of the Italian coast.

We headed south-west from Monfalcone on the motorway and were soon checking into rooms in a small hotel near Venice Airport; tomorrow we had early flights back to the UK. Once in Venice we bought tickets for the vaporettos,

Venice water routes


and I remembered once being asked if they ran on vapour (that amused me). The blue sky of the morning had clouded over, and things began to look slightly grey and the water more ruffled. Ah well, we were in Venice and that couldn't spoil its charm.

Our destination

Our first vaporetto arriving

Along the route

Metamauco

Carinthia VII (built in 2002)

On the opposite bank

San Giorgio Maggiore far ahead


We sailed along the Guidecca Canal and noticed the Societa Adriatica per Azioni di Navigazione name above one building.

Detail

View ahead to our next stop

Zattere stop

We turned and crossed the water and headed for San Giorgio Maggiore


We stopped frequently along the waterborne route and disembarked at San Giorgio Maggiore, designed by Palladio and built from 1566 to 1610. This is on one of the small islands on the south side of the main island of Venice, with good views of the cruise ships and other local vessels heading out near and far.

This was the view immediately opposite us

So was this bridge

Just a little further along across the water, to our left, was St. Mark's Square and the Campanile


I had time to remember my two days staying in the Cannaregio area of Venice back in September 2015 (see 'More Ferrying in 2015, Part 7'), which was such an enjoyable experience. By coincidence that was the time I took photos from the same places as those taken by my Father when he visited Venice in 1930.

He joined Blue Star Line's NORMANSTAR (travelling to and from the River Plate) in September 1929 as 5th Engineer, worked his way up to 4th Engineer, and then in September 1930 was appointed an Assistant Engineer on the Blue Star Line cruise ship ARANDORA STAR. One of his photographs, also shown on the blog here, he simply called 'Starboard side, Arandora Star Engine Room'.

Yet again I realised I was still Following in Father's Footsteps as I like to call it. The biggest coincidence now is that Father took some photos on 30th September 1930 (I treasure his photograph album and small notebook from his days at sea) but others were taken exactly 87 years ago today, on 1st October 1930, and here I am in Venice on 1st October 2017 taking photographs.

St Mark's Square and the Campanile, viewed by Assistant Engineer Harry Williams on 1st October 1930

Another view by Assistant Engineer Harry Williams on 1st October 1930

Starboard side, Arandora Star Engine Room, by Assistant Engineer Harry Williams


We knew we had a little time before the cruise ships would appear, and luckily there was a small cafe near where we were standing in front of S. Giorgio, so we enjoyed coffee and delicious chocolate cake. Back outside, windproof clothing took care of the outer body and cake and coffee had taken care of the inner and mental well-being. We had seen lots of local vaporettos heading back and forth, saw CARINTHIA VII, APOLLO, tugs at each end of the cruise ships, all with an antique background of the buildings of Venice. St. Mark's Square was just across the water from where we were standing, and we enjoyed seeing the nearby S. Giorgio Orientale lighthouse, one of two on this little island. Its size made for an often interesting comparison with the passing vessels.

Back in the present we could see the huge top of a cruise ship heading along the Canal towards us. The cloud cover overhead became lower and lower, and there was the hint of light rain in the air. MSC MUSICA headed towards, with a tug at bow and stern, and she seemed enormous when viewed against the Venice skyline. She disappeared from sight around the S. Giorgio Orientale lighthouse and we prepared for the next cruise ship to appear.

The next ship was COSTA DELIZIOSA and of course she too looked enormous in these surroundings. The sight of her reminded me of a very short trip made on her in December 2011 (see 'Costa Deliziosa 18th December 2011') when we sailed out of Savona in Italy, and then headed for dry dock in Marseille - an amazing and amusing experience.

The third and final cruise ship of the day was NORWEGIAN STAR, again aided by tugs. Once we had seen her pass the Lighthouse we headed back to the car park on our second vaporetto of the day, ready to drive away from this little gem of a city. We found a local restaurant which was warm and welcoming, and an excellent end to our day.

Ships seen:

In Monfalcone: MSC Seaside, MSC Sea View, Spes of Grimaldi, Grande Detroit of Grimaldi,

In Venice: Metamauco, Carinthia VII, MSC Musica, Costa Deliziosa, Norwegian Star, 2 vaporettos, other local vessels

Monday 2nd October 2017
Today meant an early alarm call. We drove back to Venice Airport to return the hire car, and checked in for flights home to the UK. Again I was treated to a visit to the BA Guest Lounge by my travelling companion, which was much appreciated.

The weekend had been fascinating and full of comparisons. The visit to the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone was an unexpected treat thanks to Maurizio Eliseo. The Metamorphosis Exhibition in Monfalcone was interesting and well worth visiting. There we saw the various books on sale including Maurizio's latest publication about Cunard's QUEEN ELIZABETH; we learned that his next book would be the story of the Cosulich family's greatest ships: SATURNIA and VULCANIA. Again, this is being translated into English by the maritime author Anthony Cooke. The short visit to the old Fish Market in Trieste and experiencing the virtual reality headset was fun.

The next day we visited the MuCa exhibition, which included models, and a memorable crane simulator; there was time after that to find good locations to take photographs of MSC SEASIDE and MSC SEA VIEW in the shipyard. Then it was off to Venice to try and photograph the cruise ships as they left the port in the ancient city. I found it nostalgic to remember my previous visits to the little city, and that feeling of 'Following in Father's Footsteps' as I photographed similar views to those he had photographed way back in 1930. It is stranger still to think that he photographed sights on 1st October 1930 in Venice and I was photographing sights on 1st October 2017.

I feel very fortunate in what I have been able to do. Once again I like to think I took the opportunity to SEAS THE DAY.