Expedition Stories

Our fleet navigates the world in search of adventure. These are the stories they bring back…

Previous Reports

Daily Expedition Reports

5/13/2001

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the Caledonian Star in Morocco

We have now begun our epic journey, which will take us from Morocco to Scotland over the next three weeks. Early this morning, the M.S. Caledonian Star berthed in the Moroccan port city of Safi, which we used as a staging point for a choice of two excursions. Although a few people opted to visit the attractive resort coastal town of Essaouira to the south, most of us went inland to the exotic, colorful desert oasis city of Marrakech, situated at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco, having been made the capital of the Saadian Dynasty in 1524 (today, the capital is Rabat). This dynasty originated in Arabia and came to power shortly after the last of the Moors were expelled from Spanish Andalusia in 1492. Much of the stunning architecture in Marrakech demonstrates that Andalusian connection, and it is a real pleasure to walk among the formal palatial courtyards, narrow alleys, and covered souks around the bustling center of town. The Saadian style has recently become popular again with the restoration of many of their monuments, palaces, and tombs, and this has resulted in a new wave of artisans who produce the same type of painstaking and intricate designs for some of the public buildings and homes of upper class Moroccans today. The photograph shows the incredibly ornate design of carved plaster facades typical of many of the magnificent buildings of old Marrakech.

Daily Expedition Reports

5/15/2001

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the Caledonian Star in Gibraltar

Standing proud and marking the north side of the Straits of Gibraltar is a steep, knife-edge limestone crag, rising to over 1000 feet. For the Mediterranean mariner it is Mons Calpe the northern Pillars of Hercules. Paired with North Africa's Mons Abyla, they mark the portals of the open Ocean. Not surprisingly the Rock has been of massive strategic importance, controlling and registering sea traffic between the sea and ocean. Historically it is the Moors and Spanish who vested their power on this rock. The current British presence is now much diluted from the dark days of the Second World War but now represents an anachronism within the European community. In the latter years of Franco's power it was a critical place, the border was closed, only to be reopened when Spain entered the new Europe. But beyond these political machinations the rock outcrop presents other features of interest. Its flora and fauna, with a visitor-focussed tribe of Barbary apes, a protected, lush vegetation on the steep southern slope and a complex of natural caverns. In visiting St Michael's Cave, with a Cathedral chamber over 250 feet deep, it is the tall columnar, stalagmitic formations that demand attention. The acoustic qualities of the cavern have been even formalized into a concert venue. But generally the visitor bypasses the deep history of Gibraltar's many caves. Over 150,000 years ago Neanderthal families made use of the cave system as living quarters, for ritual and probably burial purposes. Archaeological excavations since the mid 19th century, and most recently in the 1990s, have revealed the tool kits, hearths, refuse and even the bones of these early hominids. One episode of habitation coincides with Ice Age conditions when sea level was as much as 100m lower than today. The Stone Age food refuse of shellfish, ibex, auk, seal and even roasted pine nuts presents a choice menu reminiscent of our own Caledonian Star!

Daily Expedition Reports

5/17/2001

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the Caledonian Star in Spain

After the M.S. Caledonian Star berthed this morning in the harbor town of Cadiz, we boarded coaches and drove inland to the one-time capital of Seville. This beautiful city is the fourth largest municipality in Spain and is known as a center for Spanish art, literature, architecture, and education. The beauty of the city and its layout is enhanced considerably by the profusion of blooming trees and shrubs found everywhere. We found Seville to be a dynamic and energetic city in spite of its ancient history and dominating Old Town center. One of the highlights of our walking tour was certainly the old Royal Palace, built in the 14th century in the typical Andalusian style of its day…a combination of European Renaissance and Moorish architecture. The accompanying photograph shows one of the outer walls of the palace with a reflecting pool and a magnificent blooming jacaranda tree in the background. Inside one of the rooms, it was eerie standing in the very spot where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella received Christopher Columbus and listened to his radical idea of sailing westward to the Orient. A short while later, we visited the tomb of Columbus in the great Cathedral of Seville - the largest gothic church in the world. Our day was filled with the history of Spain's colonization of the New World. We learned that Seville grew rich by holding the monopoly on trade (and plunder) from the New World for nearly two centuries. Seville is located about 55 miles (89 km) upstream along the banks of the Guadalquivir River, which required a tricky bit of navigation before unloading. Unfortunately for Seville, the river eventually silted up and made things too difficult for ships to reach Seville, allowing Cadiz and other coastal towns to develop.

Daily Expedition Reports

5/19/2001

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the Caledonian Star in Portugal

Lisboa, ancient sea port accessed via the magnificent Tagus, has a pedigree which reaches back to Roman and Phoenician times, possibly into the second millennium BC. Today's European City of Culture extends across seven hills and its centre is vibrant with an international identity reflecting Portugal's former extensive colonial role. The tour began with a visit to a maze of narrow streets, where fish vendors were more than willing to participate in photo opportunities. Whilst parts of the city core have a medieval feel, two events have essentially erased that reality. In 1988 fire raged through the magnificent medieval quarter. On November 1st 1755 an earthquake struck. The tremors, accompanying fires and floods destroyed the lower part of the city. Over 15000 people lost their lives. Despite a proposal to relocate the capital to Oporto or Rio de Janeiro the King's chief minister very quickly developed plans for a grid of parallel streets, dramatic plazas and a grand vista down to the river Tagus. Much of the Marques de Pombal's city plan has survived to today. Our photo is taken from the park dedicated to Edward VII. The green avenue invites one down to the heart of the 18th century city center. In the foreground is a contemporary art installation representing Portugal's democratic 'Carnation' revolution of 25 April 1974. Following this momentous political event Lisbon and Portugal have not looked back. Across the city renovation of the older buildings and the construction of new culture centers present a bold and confident European sense of place.

Daily Expedition Reports

5/22/2001

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the Caledonian Star at Sea

After four days of awe-inspiring tours around some of the beautiful cities of Portugal and Spain, the guests on board the Caledonian Star have a chance to sit back and relax. The Caledonian Star has a day at sea, she is travelling through the Bay of Biscay towards France, where more incredible sites await, including a visit to the world-famous Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain. Today the guests have a chance to take in informative lectures on the regional geology, archeology, and art, which are given by our knowledgeable expedition staff. It is also a time for the guests to unwind by resting in their cabins, or reading a book in the library. Although the guests may be relaxing, behind the scenes it is business as usual for the crew of the Caledonian Star . The galley continually creates delectable dishes, giving the guests a variety of choices at every meal. The purser and the hotel manager make sure the trip is as comfortable as possible for the guests. But it is the combined effort of the entire crew, starting with the officers on the bridge, the deck crew, the hotel staff, and the engine department, who like a family, work together to make each Lindblad expedition as incredible as possible for our guests.

Daily Expedition Reports

5/24/2001

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the Caledonian Star in France

This morning, beneath a gray sky, the Caledonian Star cruised up the Gironde estuary. At the confluence of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers we continued our journey along the latter on course for Bordeaux, France's fifth largest city. The Dordogne River valley was a vortex of prehistoric activity and has an outstanding concentration of sites associated with early settlement. Europe was in the grip of a major glaciation when Neanderthal groups hunted and gathered along its banks some 100,000 years ago. Here also is found the site of Cro Magnon, which produced the first evidence of anatomically modern humans. Occupying this area between 35,000 and 10,000 years ago these groups adorned some of their caves with wonderful depictions of the animals which they hunted, feared, and probably venerated. So impressed was Pablo Picasso on leaving Lascaux that he commented 'we have invented nothing'. North of the Pyrenees Mountains, in a key wine producing region, lies Bordeaux. Established at a fording point on the Garonne the Romans named their trading center Burdigala. The river, with the Gironde estuary, was to become a major trading route between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Under English occupation in the fourteenth century the town's prosperity was based on the exports of vast quantities of wines from it's rich hinterland. A modern city, Bordeaux still exudes an air of wealth, international contacts and a rich historical background partly reflected in the elegant eighteenth century buildings along the riverfront. The broad river flows on.

Daily Expedition Reports

5/14/2001

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the Caledonian Star in Morocco

The Imperial City of Fez Today a scenic coach ride through the heart of the north African grain belt took us to this greatest and most ancient of Morocco's historic capitals. Plunging into the Medina, the medieval heart of the city, we found ourselves immersed in a world of commerce, study, worship and day to day life, little changed for over a thousand years. Within the maze of narrow, twisting alleys we found new scenes and striking contrasts around every corner. Heavily laden donkeys and their shouting drivers brushed past us in the busy streets, while a few steps away crystal fountains bubbled in the quiet of cool, tiled courtyards. The pungent odor of the tannery, still working as exactly as it has for hundreds of years to produce the raw material for fine Moroccan leather goods, mixed with the gentler scents of perfumed candles and fresh herbs in the produce market. Tailors' shops, brassworkers' shops, carpet emporiums, jewelers, antique dealers, and many, many more were all crammed to overflowing with a chaotic variety of goods and products of every kind; but behind the gates of the mosques, universities and stately private homes, the precise order of geometric mosaics and elaborate carvings held sway, drawing the eye from one lovely detail to another on a journey of rapt contemplation. There is nowhere else on earth like Fez. When we finally emerged, we felt that we had been transformed by a journey deep into the inner sanctum of the Arabic world.

Daily Expedition Reports

5/16/2001

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the Caledonian Star in Spain

Granada For almost two centuries, western travelers have been drawn to visit Granada. It is to the Alhambra Palace and its gardens that we flock, and upon reflection this might seem curious. For the Alhambra was the last stronghold in Spain of an Islamic culture we judge to be quite alien to our experience. But is it really? The palace and gardens we visited this morning have a distinctively modern feel to them. They are clean and bright, spacious and light, abstract and geometrical in design. For the early twenty-first century traveler, this is a place of "good vibes." By contrast, our afternoon visit to the Royal Chapel and cathedral in the city itself made us feel less at ease. The mausoleum of the Reyes Catolicos , Ferdinand and Isabela, makes a stridently political statement in the context of some very bloody imagery crowded into gaudy altarpieces in darkly-lit chapels. This is our inheritance too, but the troubled and traumatic one of ethnic cleansing over many centuries. The year 1492 was the year the Moors and the Jews were expelled from Spain and Columbus landed in the Americas. Eurocentrism begins here.

Daily Expedition Reports

5/18/2001

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the Caledonian Star in Portugal

A perfect azure day saw the ship arrive in the small Portuguese harbour of Portimao. Once an important center for the sardine industry, only two processing factories are still functioning. Ironically a number of white storks have constructed their nests in the erstwhile busy chimneys of the now derelict factories. With an origin in the Roman period Silves, the former capital of the Algarve, was once on par culturally with Seville. We were provided with fine vistas from the battlements of the twelfth century castle that dominates the skyline on a high bluff. Recent excavations at the site have revealed occupation layers dating to both the eight and thirteenth centuries. The nearby medieval Gothic cathedral was almost destroyed in the famous 1755 earthquake. On then to Alte, a photogenic village of narrow streets, simple houses and latticed chimneys. An absolute gem on this visit was the Fonte Santa or Holy Fountain. Blue and white tiles depict the thirteenth century St. Anthony offering a pitcher of water to a local woman. The fountain is fed by a natural mineral spring originating in a nearby hill and is inscribed with a number of verses penned by a local poet, Candido Guerreiro

Daily Expedition Reports

5/20/2001

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the Caledonian Star in Portugal

OPORTO Portugal's second city located on the river Douro, in the north of the country, is synonomous with the fortified wine. This link was certainly reinforced on our tour of this World Heritage designated city. A tour and tasting at the House of Sandeman was the mid-morning relaxation slot! Beside the river are ranged the port houses where the wine is aged in oak and mahogany barrels. Secure behind iron grills were the remaining ten bottles of a superb 1904 vintage… somehow not included in our tasting! Like Lisbon, the city fabric is being revitalized. UNESCO and European monies are ensuring care and refurbishment of the core city area seen in our photo taken from the right bank of the Douro. The twin towers of gray granite locate the cathedral, a Romanesque-Gothic-Baroque hybrid. For contrast, after a light, lingering lunch in a restaurant close to the river, time was spent in the Serralves Museum. This multicultural center, opened in 1999 at a cost of $25 million, is set in thirty acres of parkland. Whilst focussing on post 1960 art, there is a multipurpose auditorium and an engaging educational program which embraces environmental and other pressing issues in contemporary society. Architecturally this is an exiting space and reflects the new role of museums as places of fundamental relevance and accessibility. It is certain to be a major player in Portugal's cultural life.

Daily Expedition Reports

5/23/2001

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the Caledonian Star in Spain

A calm overnight passage prepared us all for the big decision, were we Guggenheimers or Bayonets ? The choice was difficult. Chocolate or art? That's CHOCOLATE in capital letters and art as in Global Guggenheim. Would one's cultural appetite be satiated with a gravity defying chocolate drink at Bayonne on the Franco-Spanish boarder or would the temptation of a Gehry creation at Bilbao in Spain's Basque land win the day ? Our guests selected on a 3:1 ratio the journey to Bilbao. Journeying along the highway that cuts through a dissected hill and valley terrain we saw fresh roadside exposures of mainly fine-grained sedimentary sequences. Thin thinly bedded rock was dramatically deformed into folded strata and steeply dipping beds. This is evidence of plate tectonic collisions millennia ago. The living landscape is characterized by small farms, pasture and a dominant mixed deciduous woodland, verdant following the very wet spring. On entering the industrial city and port of Bilbao eyes were peeled for the region's newest icon. Rising out of the remnant industrial zone is a gleaming edifice. A beached whale, an armada of surreal medieval galleons, a statement of presence - this new Guggenheim has a multiple personality. In our photo the reflective surfaces of paper-thin titanium are fresh, clean and new born. The creation demands a wow response. Whether you subscribe to the comment 'the image is the container rather than the contents' or ' I like it more each time' you need to check this museum out for yourself. Art is about experience and some of us did participate. Richard Serra's Snake, part of the permanent collection, was invaded, installation works were embraced and the Giorgio Armani show became a memory lane. Meanwhile in French Bayonne culture was being accessed to an equal standard. A 'classic' art gallery, medieval townscape and relaxed ambience were transfixed by the chocolate indulgence. Correspondents tell us that some guests partook of the chocolate drink experience with dramatic result. The art form in this case was the rotation of the chocolate drinking cup, through 360 degrees, before imbibing.. so viscous is this concoction.. so energizing is the effect. Medieval Bayonne knew its dot.com portfolio when it invested in this wonder commodity from the New World.

Daily Expedition Reports

5/25/2001

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the Caledonian Star in France

The American Constitution was once famously described as the eighteenth century English constitution as misunderstood by a Frenchman. That Frenchman was the Baron de Montesquieu who presided over the powerful regional law courts of Bordeaux that were situated just a stone's throw from where the Caledonian Star moored overnight. Our location was perfect, at the heart of one of Europe's great historic river fronts, lined with splendid examples of eighteenth century architecture dating back to the time when this city was at the height of its powers. It grew rich on the triangular Atlantic trade in industrial produce (textiles and iron from Europe), slaves (from Africa) and raw materials (cotton, sugar, cocoa, coffee) from the Americas. In the eighteenth century it was, after London, Europe's second largest port. Trade linked Bordeaux with England; the famous wines of this region have always sold well there where they are still known as "claret". Montesquieu, like the other writers of the French Enlightenment, was an Anglophile. What he admired about England was the separation of powers that historians now realize was not nearly as separate as Montesquieu supposed. Ideas spread around the triangular trade route as readily as goods and the American Revolution was greatly influenced by French philosophy. Not all exchange between the Old and New Worlds has been beneficial. In the 1870s, disaster hit the vineyards of Europe when they suffered a phylloxera epidemic originating in America. The remedy was to graft French vines onto resistant New World stock, so today's Bordeaux wines are, in a sense, also New World wines. In the past 36 hours we have visited chateaux in the Medoc and in St-Emilion, celebrating these transatlantic links. This celebratory mood intensified as we cast our moorings this evening and headed downstream to the accompaniment of local cheeses and wines served on deck.

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