Winterberries Birthday for Paper Players #671
Lady Liberty and Ellis Island - a personal connection

Around the world in 80 (or so) days!

Happy Monday.

Well, it's not quite Around the World in 80 days.  In fact, it's over 120, but whose counting.  Oh... yeah... not me cos I'm retired now:-)

The ship sailed from Pier 12 at the Brooklyn terminal in New York and I was lucky enough to be facing the downtown and the Statue of Liberty from my cabin.  I know you have seen photos like this before from me, but it's a skyline that never, ever gets old.  So, I hope you will forgive me if I share the sights from just before we sailed away on Wednesday.  My iphone doesn't take great night time shots, but I think you get the idea :)

Screenshot 2024-01-08 at 4.50.22 PM
Screenshot 2024-01-08 at 4.50.22 PM

One of my all time favorite sights in New York is Lady Liberty.  I remember the first time I visited New York back in the early 90s and Lady Liberty was one of the sights I really wanted to see - along with a visit to the top of the Twin Towers.  We decided to do an evening boat ride that took us all the way around her.  She was magnificent.  Back then though, I had absolutely no idea whatsoever that I had an connection with her - or Ellis Island.  But that's a post for later in the week!

In the meantime, I love how she sits alone, regal and magnificent, her green light a beacon to millions of hopeful immigrants welcoming them to her shores.  I still get a little shiver everytime I see her!

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So, that was the last sight of the North American coast that I will get until she greets me again on our arrival back to New York in May! 

A world cruise!  It's been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember.  The idea of visiting so many exotic places appealed to me even as a child.  Back then travel was so different to what it is today.  It was so much harder to get around and I remember packing at least a week in advance for my first trip!  this time, I started a day and a half earlier and managed to pack over 100# of goodness knows what into my two suitcases!  You don't realize how much you have to pack until you realize you are going for nearly 5 months and not everything you use will be available along the way!  Mind you, it didn't help that I have a stack of art books, sketch pads, watercolor paints, pencils, etc. with me:-)

I promised a little history about world cruising.  Although the first official "world cruise" can be tied back to the Empress of India in the 1890s, those ships were not truly able to circumnavigate the world.  It really was Cunard's Laconia that completed the first true circumnavigation of the world by a cruise liner back in 1922.  (Prior to the opening of the Panama Canal, a true circumnavigation was not really possible.)

Although she could accommodate over 2,000 passengers, only 450 berths were put up for sale to ensure that the cruise experience for those who could afford it was extra special.  Her journey took six months and visited 22 ports.  She left New York on November 21st on a journey that was meant to replicate the first circumnavigation by Magellan nearly 400 years previously.   It's interesting to note that the 2,200 passengers she could accommodate is only just smaller than today's Queen Mary 2 whose capacity is just over 2,600.

Screenshot 2024-01-08 at 5.16.20 PMRMS Laconia - photo from Wikipedia

The cost of the cruise was $1500 including all excursions and access to on-board activities such as swimming in one of the 2pools, clay-pigeon shooting (I'm hoping that was an outdoor activity :-) ), fencing and even access to the on-board gym!  Considering the average household income in 1920 was around $3,000, $1500 for a cruise was a lot of money!  Laconia was the first ship of its size to traverse the Panama Canal and visited such exotic places as Japan, India, Burma and Egypt.  Tours included overnight stays and cultural experiences in each port.  What an experience it must have been!

Now 102 years later, I find myself sailing somewhere in the North Atlantic as the ship makes her way to Southampton.  Due to the complex and fast moving storms that have hit the US over the last few days, our crusing has not always been smooth.  Yesterday and the previous day were extremely rocky with swells over 30 feet and winds of 10/11 on the Beaufort Scale.  I didn't really appreciate what that meant until the Captain told us that 12 on the Beaufort Scale is classified as hurricane strength winds!  At one point in the middle of the night we hit a trough and it was like armageddon in my cabin!  Water bottles flying everywhere, my cleansers and moisturisers flying around the bathroom, cupboard doors opening and I could hear things rolling above my head from the cabin above!  I must admit, I didn't get much sleep that night.

Oh... and I suppose this could be classified as TMI (too much information), but at one point in the night I had managed to scramble my way to the bathroom, only to be catapulted off the toilet and almost hitting my head on the opposite wall!  Luckily, I managed to put my arms out in front of me in time to avoid hitting my head, but my hands slipped down the wall and I ended up on my knees!!!!!   yes, you can stop laughing now :-) - it must have been quite the sight I can tell you! 

I'll be back in a couple of days to tell  you to story of why Ellis Island - and World Cruising - has a personal connection.

In the meantime, warm hugs and prayers for those of you who need a little lift tonight.

Hugs

Jaydee

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