Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
From Buenos Aires, our next stop was Montevideo. Because Jan was unable to walk more than a few steps at a time, we elected to stay aboard the Viking Sun. From Montevideo, Puerto Madryn, Argentina was our next port of call. Several strong weather systems in the South Atlantic caused the captain to revise our itinerary and head directly for the Falkland Islands. With skill and wisdom, he literally "threaded the needle" and wiggle between two gale-force storms.
The captain's plan worked! We arrived at Port Stanley and were greeted to a beautiful, sunny day with calm winds. Port Stanley, a town of 2,400 residents, seldom experiences this kind of great weather. Near the dock was their famous Whalebone Arch, a reminder of their heritage as a South Atlantic whaling and sealing center.
Walking along Ross Road, the main street of Port Stanley, I passed Christ Church Cathedral, the southernmost Anglican church in the world. It is built on the site of the Holy Trinity Church which was destroyed by a peat slip in 1886 (similar to a mud slide).
Completed in 1892, the Cathedral incorporates a tower with a ring of five bells, 19th and 20th-century stained glass windows and a two manual pipe organ built in Ireland.
The Falkland Islands, located 7,000 miles from England, were important to the British when they ruled the sea in the 19th century. At that time (before the Panama Canal) it was necessary for ships to sail around Cape Horn, a dangerous stretch of ocean which damaged many vessels. The Falkland Island's proximity to the Cape made them an important marine repair station.
Above is the mizzen mast (the aft most mast of a sailing ship) from the SS Great Britain. When built in 1843, it was the largest ship in the world. In 1886 the ship arrived at the Falkland Islands heavily storm damaged and deemed not repairable. It was scuttled and remained in the harbor for 80 years. In 1970, the SS Great Britain was recovered and returned to England for restoration where it is a historic museum today.
A little further along Ross Road is St Mary's Catholic Church, the sole Catholic Church on the Falkland Islands. It was blessed in 1899.
The simplicity of Saint Mary's interior was quite refreshing.
The Post office is typical British in appearance The 2 telephone booths are functional. (Not much need for smart phones when there are only 3,000 residents here.)
On the left is the Liberty Monument commemorating Britain's 1982 victory over Argentina. In April of that year, Argentina's army attacked and occupied the Falkland Islands in an undeclared war. After 74 days, Britain regained control. There were approximately 900 military and civilian casualties from the conflict.
It's springtime here and this local couple are watching for the seasonal return of migratory birds and marine life.
The island's museum is located at the historic dockyards. Its exhibits cover Falkland's natural and cultural history.
Waiting for the tender boat which would return us to the Viking Sun, we noticed three seals enjoying the warmth of the spring sun at the end of the dock.
Nautical Term of the Day - The Devil to Pay
"Paying the deck seams" meant to seal them with tar. The devil seam was the most difficult to pay because it was curved and intersected with the straight deck planking. Some sources define the "devil" as the below-the-waterline seam between the keel and the adjoining planking. "Paying the devil" was considered to be the most difficult and unpleasant task.
The captain's plan worked! We arrived at Port Stanley and were greeted to a beautiful, sunny day with calm winds. Port Stanley, a town of 2,400 residents, seldom experiences this kind of great weather. Near the dock was their famous Whalebone Arch, a reminder of their heritage as a South Atlantic whaling and sealing center.
Walking along Ross Road, the main street of Port Stanley, I passed Christ Church Cathedral, the southernmost Anglican church in the world. It is built on the site of the Holy Trinity Church which was destroyed by a peat slip in 1886 (similar to a mud slide).
Completed in 1892, the Cathedral incorporates a tower with a ring of five bells, 19th and 20th-century stained glass windows and a two manual pipe organ built in Ireland.
The Falkland Islands, located 7,000 miles from England, were important to the British when they ruled the sea in the 19th century. At that time (before the Panama Canal) it was necessary for ships to sail around Cape Horn, a dangerous stretch of ocean which damaged many vessels. The Falkland Island's proximity to the Cape made them an important marine repair station.
Above is the mizzen mast (the aft most mast of a sailing ship) from the SS Great Britain. When built in 1843, it was the largest ship in the world. In 1886 the ship arrived at the Falkland Islands heavily storm damaged and deemed not repairable. It was scuttled and remained in the harbor for 80 years. In 1970, the SS Great Britain was recovered and returned to England for restoration where it is a historic museum today.
A little further along Ross Road is St Mary's Catholic Church, the sole Catholic Church on the Falkland Islands. It was blessed in 1899.
The simplicity of Saint Mary's interior was quite refreshing.
The Post office is typical British in appearance The 2 telephone booths are functional. (Not much need for smart phones when there are only 3,000 residents here.)
On the left is the Liberty Monument commemorating Britain's 1982 victory over Argentina. In April of that year, Argentina's army attacked and occupied the Falkland Islands in an undeclared war. After 74 days, Britain regained control. There were approximately 900 military and civilian casualties from the conflict.
It's springtime here and this local couple are watching for the seasonal return of migratory birds and marine life.
The island's museum is located at the historic dockyards. Its exhibits cover Falkland's natural and cultural history.
Waiting for the tender boat which would return us to the Viking Sun, we noticed three seals enjoying the warmth of the spring sun at the end of the dock.
Nautical Term of the Day - The Devil to Pay
"Paying the deck seams" meant to seal them with tar. The devil seam was the most difficult to pay because it was curved and intersected with the straight deck planking. Some sources define the "devil" as the below-the-waterline seam between the keel and the adjoining planking. "Paying the devil" was considered to be the most difficult and unpleasant task.
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