Judith, Passenger
Day 11. Snowy day in Foyn Harbor, next to Guvernoren
We got up to a nice slow breakfast of delicious Banana bread, while the snow was falling. After that, we watched the movie: Around Cape Horn made by Mystic Seaport Museum for educational purposes. It was narrated by an old sailor, who had brought a movie camera aboard a tall ship, back in the day, and filmed the conditions the sailors worked under. Before he mustered on the tall ship, he practiced by riding one of those old bicycles with a huge front wheel and also climbed telephone poles for practice. It was quite captivating.
Finally, it seemed we had enough snow to make a snow penguin. He had a hat from Port Lockroy, grape eyes and a carrot for a beak. Quite handsome and he lasted most of the day.
Everyone was invited to tour the engine room, but not too many took Lucas up on the offer.
After a while, the smells of onion soup in the making spread throughout the cabin and we had the delicious result for Lunch.
Lucas brought out a microscope and we found a forest of diatoms (phytoplankton) in one drop of the water we collected yesterday. It looked completely alien and very interesting. Otherwise it was just a relaxing, mellow, day around the boat. People organised their photos and one brave passenger, braved the elements (it was a bit choppy in the harbor) and went on a windy hike, while the others stayed to paint penguins, nap and play a couple of games of Rummikub.
Dinner was polenta with meat and a little glass of wine. We had a briefing on the weather outlook. It seems the best course of action is to start at first daylight and make it across the Bransfield Strait in reasonable wind.
After dinner we had an activity of a group dance video production on deck. Everyone participated and a good time was had. Before going to bed, we were advised to organise ourselves in case it gets choppy tomorrow.
Writer: Judith Jacobsen
