In the North Sea
This morning the sun was up before 6 and we had a bright sunny day for the entire day. The temperature was a comfortable 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Tom Heffernan lectured in the morning on the Vikings and their control of this area of the world from the 9th through the 13th century. David Barnes took up this historical narrative of maritime powers with his afternoon talk on the Hanseatic League and their domination of the Baltic from the 13th through the 16th century.
One of the greatest contributions we owe to the Vikings was their uncanny ability as sailors and navigators. The photo from the Sea Cloud’s bridge provides a glimpse of the enormously sophisticated technology we now find routinely on ships. Imagine a millennium ago none of this existed. The Vikings used the direction of the wind, the movement of ocean currents, shoals of fish, the flight of birds and, at night, the stars and the moon. They also were able to navigate during a cloudy, still day with so-called “moon stone.” This was a milky white stone, largely calcite, which they held perpendicular to the direction of the sun. As the watery light struck the stone, it produced a prism and the bluest light indicated the angle of the sun. Hence, they were even able to navigate on the cloudiest of days.
It is sometimes suggested that these Nordic peoples were simply brigands raping, looting and stealing. Nothing could be further from the truth. They built sophisticated societies. Often their harshest critics were Christian monks who wrote the surviving chronicles. Since the Vikings were not Christian and did often rob monasteries, it is not surprising that the monks present them in the worst light. One might, with a little imagination, consider the pan-national cartel of the Hanseatic League as a precursor of the European Union, in that each of the member cities participated in trade and were not subject to the punitive tariffs as were non-member states.
The captain arranged for us to have a Zodiac ride off of the Sea Cloud II. The sun was glorious, and we got breathtaking pictures of the Sea Cloud II under sail. We were provided with two additional culinary treats this afternoon: Belgian waffles on the Lido Deck and, with tonight’s recap, a sampling of Dutch cheeses accompanied by a trio of lovely Belgian beers. David presented an insightful and humorous discussion of those cultures who drink wine, those who drink beer and those who drink spirits.
This morning the sun was up before 6 and we had a bright sunny day for the entire day. The temperature was a comfortable 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Tom Heffernan lectured in the morning on the Vikings and their control of this area of the world from the 9th through the 13th century. David Barnes took up this historical narrative of maritime powers with his afternoon talk on the Hanseatic League and their domination of the Baltic from the 13th through the 16th century.
One of the greatest contributions we owe to the Vikings was their uncanny ability as sailors and navigators. The photo from the Sea Cloud’s bridge provides a glimpse of the enormously sophisticated technology we now find routinely on ships. Imagine a millennium ago none of this existed. The Vikings used the direction of the wind, the movement of ocean currents, shoals of fish, the flight of birds and, at night, the stars and the moon. They also were able to navigate during a cloudy, still day with so-called “moon stone.” This was a milky white stone, largely calcite, which they held perpendicular to the direction of the sun. As the watery light struck the stone, it produced a prism and the bluest light indicated the angle of the sun. Hence, they were even able to navigate on the cloudiest of days.
It is sometimes suggested that these Nordic peoples were simply brigands raping, looting and stealing. Nothing could be further from the truth. They built sophisticated societies. Often their harshest critics were Christian monks who wrote the surviving chronicles. Since the Vikings were not Christian and did often rob monasteries, it is not surprising that the monks present them in the worst light. One might, with a little imagination, consider the pan-national cartel of the Hanseatic League as a precursor of the European Union, in that each of the member cities participated in trade and were not subject to the punitive tariffs as were non-member states.
The captain arranged for us to have a Zodiac ride off of the Sea Cloud II. The sun was glorious, and we got breathtaking pictures of the Sea Cloud II under sail. We were provided with two additional culinary treats this afternoon: Belgian waffles on the Lido Deck and, with tonight’s recap, a sampling of Dutch cheeses accompanied by a trio of lovely Belgian beers. David presented an insightful and humorous discussion of those cultures who drink wine, those who drink beer and those who drink spirits.
