This post is an entry to Paul Henderson's March 2017 challenge, "Tell me the most unique or special place you have lived". As I thought back over my childhood and adult life, and thought of all the places I've lived, they are all my favorites. I believe "home" is all about the memories, not about the structure or even the town. So my homes in Baldwin Place and Carmel, NY as a child bring all sorts of fabulous memories of family and activities. My homes in Carmel, Dobbs Ferry and Monroe NY as an adult bring many more of the same. They all make me smile. But I thought this post should focus on the most unique place I have lived, the Training Ship Empire State VI.
This home was a short-term one; in fact, I only lived there for three months. The 560' ship was originally a cargo freighter that was repurposed in the late 1980s as a training ship for SUNY Maritime cadets. Our cabin was one of the ones that used to be used for guests in the days when guests were able to sail on the original freighter ship. So it was actually quite nice. Not only did we have our own head with shower, we had two beds, a desk, chairs, small couch and plenty of room for our stuff. Of course, this home was a ship which can definitely roll at times, so we had to ensure everything we owned was secured. I had a lot of fun with the velcro; in fact, I think I can claim the title of Velcro Queen because nothing in our cabin ever banged around.
Food was plentiful and adequate. The galley crew did a good job of making sure we had varied food from day to day with a bit of choice. Of course, the same seven meals were repeated every week during the entire three months, but that was half the fun. Guessing what might be for dinner. The main thing I missed about the dinners at this particular home was cooking them and enjoying them with wine. The ship was a dry ship; no alcohol allowed. So home had plenty of food, but no wine. I couldn't wait to visit ports to have more tasty beverages than ship-made seltzer.
As far as work while living here, the job was a seven day a week assignment, except when we docked somewhere. Then, while we would still be required to perform some minor duties, basically we were free to explore. I served as the Engineering Yeoman during that summer. My role was to support the Engineering cadets, teachers and staff. My husband is chairman of the Marine Transportation department at the school, and he also teaches celestial and terrestial navigation. On this particular voyage, while I was supporting the Engineering students, he was running the Deck department. As opposed to the engineers, the deck students are those who are learning about navigation, "rules of the road," radar, bridge equipment and the like. So he taught his navigation classes, supported the teaching staff and basically kept the 300-400 cadets busy while I ran an office for the other 100 or so students. The great thing about this work/home scenario was that our offices were a 5 minute commute from our cabin. Up or down a deck or two (or four) and you were at your place of business.
And one of the best characteristics of this three-month home? Visiting all sorts of places and having experiences I never would have enjoyed had it not been for this trip. Sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar and being able to see both Europe and Africa at the same time. Watching dolphins play alongside the ship. Hearing a fog horn go off every two minutes for days while traveling in thick fog. Watching an island appear way in the distance and get bigger and bigger until we were close enough for cadets to run all over the ship trying to get a cell phone signal. Traveling above the Arctic circle and watching the cadets enjoy their Neptune ceremony. Looking over the side of the ship and watching the waves. Watching the foreign coast guard do helicopter rescue maneuvers using our ship for practice. Learning how to sleep when the ship was rolling from side to side, and how to manage stairs at the same time. Realizing how absolutely insignificant we are while riding for days in the huge expanse of an ocean.
And the ports of call were amazing learning experiences.
We experienced Gibraltar, walking the cobblestone streets, eating at the oldest bar in Gibraltar which has been serving customers for hundreds of years in the same place. Going to the top of the Rock and being accosted by monkeys (okay, that wasn't exactly fun but certainly memorable). Meeting many friendly Gibraltarians while wandering around the area and at a ship-board party.
And then there was Iceland which was totally different than I expected. With warm temperatures and nearly 24 hour sunlight, it was a great place to ride horses, explore the countryside, and eat a non-ending amount of fresh fish and seafood. If I could still be sitting at the table at the Fiskmarkadurinn (Fish Market), I would still be there. I have never seen or eaten such an appetizing array of raw and cooked fish. Yum.
We also went to the Azores which was very interesting to me, since my grandmother on my mother's side was from there. I could swear I saw little ladies all over the place that looked like her! The Azores are islands off of Portugal. We visited the island of Sao Miguel, which is one of the most beautifully green and flowery places I have ever been. I loved learning about the culture, and experiencing the delicious cuisine of this island.
The trip also took us to Liverpool and an Eastern United States port, which were also interesting in their own right. Out of the 90 days on board, about 15 were spent in various ports of call. These two weeks of memories will live with me forever.
So would I ever want to go back to this home aboard the sea? Yes, definitely. I have hundreds of photos to look at and remember. I have a million more memories that if I shared would make this post way too long to read. I would absolutely love to get to live in this home again. We shall see what the future holds.
Comments(30)