Wow!

Greetings from Montreal! I'm currently sitting on the pier with my back to the Niagara using a friend's computer while loud music pours out of a club nearby. We're definately in the big city now, which is a blessing and a curse, but mostly a blessing, considering how amazing my last few days have been.

We arrived in Montreal on Thursday afternoon after going through yet more locks (!) and then setting sail while motoring in and firing off a few carronades. It was quite a show, apparently it was on TV and in the newspapers, along with a large welcome on the docks when we got here.
There was another great surprise waiting for us too, a friend from Jamestown is sailing with us now! Emily is in Charlie watch as well, so it's great to have another girl that I know to hang out with, yay! Good times, good times.

Another thing we noticed as we came in were some huge yellow and blue circus tents, but not just any circus, Cirque Du Soliel! They're right near where we're tied off in the marina and I was able to go see a show today with one of my shipmates. It was COMPLETELY amazing. The show was "Ovo", which had an interesting storyline, it was about bugs and how they interacted and what they did when an egg shows up in their midst. It sounds bizzare the way I describe it, but the show was really amazing, and front row seats didn't hurt at all.
The costumes are beautiful, the music amazing and all the acts were mind blowing. The entire thing was so seamless it didn't seem like it could be real, like it all might dissolve if I blinked. It was so beautiful all over.

Yesterday was my day off, so we wandered around Montreal some and got to check out the city some. I love how the old and new meld here, there are some narrow cobblestone streets in the center of the city, and then ultra modern buildings around it. There are some absolutely stunning places, I wish I had forever to wander around and see everything.
We did find a nice museum that was a house of an 18th century governor of Montreal, a beautiful stone house with a lovely garden in the back that was open to the public. Though we didn't go through the house it was nice to take some time to meander slowly through a garden, lingering over favorite herbs, trying to identify others and enjoying the natural yet controlled aesthetics of an 18th century garden. A most lovely way to spend one's time, in short.

I had better go, since I'm extremely tired and still have watch, a shower and slinging my hammock to take care of.....*sigh*
But I love it all, regardless.
All the best to you all, xoxoxoxoxoxo

Canada ho!

Greetings from Canada!
I'm having a blast on the Niagara and enjoying seeing Canada over the sides of a beautiful tall ship. Life is good!

The other day we went to Niagara falls, wow! It was beautiful and lots of fun to go on a boat ride with my shipmates.
Yesterday we were in Kingston, Ontario just in time for their annual busking festival, so our shore time was spent watching all manner of street performers and roaming about in a fun city.

Tonight we're in a tiny little town that has several very good things; a place to tie up the ship, a Shakespearian outdoor theatre, showers, laundry machines and a computer with internet (though slow).

Goodnight everyone, Montreal in a few days!
All the best,
Fern

This life on board

Well! I'm feeling a little more like I actually belong in a crew shirt now. The spaghetti up top on the Niagara is starting to make a bit more sense, and I'm able to remember a good percentage of my shipmates' names.

We've had daysails every day since I got here, but today we have off to spend as we wish, which for me means using the computer and probably working on my ditty bag and lanyards for my "rig" or knife and marlinspike.

Library computers to the rescue

I have successfully survived my first day, which consisted of a good bit of general and safety orientation, and trying to pin the correct names on all these new faces while not tripping over anything.
A good day, in short. We went aloft, which was thrilling and not as terrifying as it was a few years ago at Jamestown, even though I believe it was higher today, though only to the fighting top, 40' or so up. That was fun and I look forward to doing it again; the thought of going higher is both terrifying and glorious, like many things I think. But generally the terror isn't as strong as the glorious bit.

I've been assigned to the "Charlie watch", hammock and sea bag number 20. I'm still trying to figure out who else is in my watch and in the others, professional crew versus other "neophytes" like myself, etc. It's good though, everyone is friendly, open and quick to embrace new crew members it seems, which is helpful when one is standing alone trying to figure out how to contribute to the sudden flurries of activity. Anyway, it's all good!

Since there's a swanky dinner going on on the ship now, crew was dismissed to hang out "elsewhere" which for me means the library, of course. I'll have to get a card tomorrow, but for now I can use a visitor pass and it's all good.

Tomorrow is a day sail, so I get to see how things go in earnest. Thankfully I've been able to understand most of the things told to me so far, but it's just a lot to absorb all at once. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the month though. :]

Tonight before dinner we even had a bit of a jam session, some of the other crew members play guitar and harmonica so we played a few tunes which was lovely. Tomorrow a banjo will be coming, which will increase the number of songs we can play together as well, so that will be simply grand. I'm glad I brought both fiddle and concertina, even though they make my pile of stuff look ridiculously huge.

I still need to pack my things into the berth deck, but I 'spose I'll do that tonight when the dinner is over and we're allowed back on.
When I leave the library I'll probably head back to the crew's lounge and read some, listen to music, visit, whatever. A bunch of the crew is going out to a movie, and some to an amusement park, neither of which interest me very much, being the oddball that I am. Some nice quiet time will be appreciated too however, I haven't written in my journal for awhile, and I'd like to read a few more chapters of Hornblower......

Well I'm going for now, further reports in the offing.

Wahoo!!!!

Here we are in Erie, and I got to see the Niagara through the gates, since we got here too late to go through the museum (but the fabulous lunch at the vegan restaurant was completely worth it.....yum!). I like that it's right near a library though, that has to be a good sign, right? Libraries are always good signs. ;)

Tomorrow we'll get to see the museum and ship, I'm so excited!

Until I post again, fair winds and following seas to everyone.
~Fern