March 19

We got on the TGV in Avignon to go to Cannes at 16:26. We were a little bit hungry because we hadn't brought a snack. As we approached our destination, it started to rain, so that by the time we got off the train in Cannes, it was bucketing and we had to take a taxi, a Peugeot 407 sw. We drove around for a while until we spotted the Oosterschelde. We got out and walked up the gangplank and when we had walked the entire 50m length of the ship, we found some people in the foc's'le, one of which was Astrid, a crewmember who showed us to cabin 4, where we would be sleeping. After we got installed, we went into the main saloon and met the other people, including a Dutchman called Leendert who went on a trip to Spitzbergen on the Oosterschelde and took 12,000 pictures with a Canon EOS 300D. He had just got a Canon EOS 30D 2 days before and also had a Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM lens and a Canon EF 28-105mm. Then we had dinner at 9 and had soup and sandwiches and chocolate sprinkles. Then we went for a walk and saw lots of boats: megayachts and a schooner that was very nice and a Moody 36 cc and a Jeanneau 54DS and lots of other boats and then we went back to the ship and to bed.

March 20

Cannes

March 21
I woke up in Toulon and had breakfast. Then we went ashore and looked at boats and bought some books and then we went to a naval museum which was very interesting and had model ships. Then we went back to the boat to have lunch. But after lunch it rained so we stayed on the Oosterschelde and read all afternoon. At dinner the captain gave a speech and said that there was a weather window the next day and that we might take it.

A model of the French aircraft carrier Clemenceau

March 22
When I got up the weather window had come early so we had to leave soon. On the way out of the port we passed some navy ships. When we left the wind was Force 6. The waves were big and I got sprayed a lot. We put up the main with a reef in it and the jib and after a while the foresail with two reefs. I was at the helm because everybody else was seasick. We saw some more dolphins. But later in the day we had to turn around








because people were sick and the weather report said Force 8 gusts to 9. We motorsailed to Marseille and came into the port at night. We had trouble docking so we had to do it twice. Then we went to bed.

                         Coming into Marseille at night                                                   The forward cabin at sunset

March 23
I woke up and it was Easter! And there was a pink bunny by my bed and there was an egg with little eggs and jellybeans

Above: A chocolate bunny with eggs in front of the cabin door. Right: The Oosterschelde as the modern coaster Fulgen. Below: a panoramic view of the city from Notre Dame de la Garde.

inside.The cabin was all decorated and it was also the captain's birthday. We went ashore and took the little train to a church called Notre Dame de la Garde and then we went back down to the port and looked at all the boats and came back to the Oosterschelde for lunch. Then we went back out and saw a museum about a museum that hasn't been built yet and came back to the boat and had dinner. After dinner, we saw a slideshow about the history of the ship.

March 24
I woke up at about 5 am and was sick, then I went back to sleep and woke up at about 1 pm and then I read and slept all day until I fell asleep.

March 25
I woke up and was a bit better. We left Marseille at about 11am. We sailed all day and I had the 8-12 watch but I went to bed early. At one point we had the mainsail with 1 reef, the full mizzen, the foresail, the staysail, the inner and outer jibs, and the square topsail and the topgallant, all but the main gaff topsail and the mizzen gaff topsail.

Left: The Oosterscheldeat sunset. The sails visible are, from left to right: The mainsail, the foresail, the topsail, the staysail and the inner jib.Right: Spray illuminated by the setting sun. Above: The captain checking the sail trim

March 26
While we were on watch from 8-14 we went aloft!It was fun and we saw lots of dolphins and one of them was right next to the boat and I could see it underwater. I also saw a strange fish that was floating and then dove. Then we went down and saw a big whale quite close to the ship. Heather went out on the bowsprit to help furl the jib. Then we slept for a while until midnight because we had the 12-4 watch. It was fun and there was a lot of wind and the waves were quite big, maybe 10-12 feet. The watch was a bit tiring and I got to steer which was hard because I couldn't see the compass very well so I had to steer by lining up a star with the shrouds but then they turned on the deck lights and I couldn't see the star anymore.

March 27
We had the 2pm-8 watch and we sailed which was fun. Leendert went aloft and on the way up he dropped his lenscap but I got it for him. Then we had a end-of-trip dinner which was very good with chicken and pineapples with cream. Then we came into Valencia and tied up at the fuel dock for the night.

Above:Waves at the bow. Left: Heather hoisted the Spanish flag. Right: The Oosterschelde docked in Valencia

March 28

From top to bottom starting above left:The Octagonal Tower.The Gates to the City. The Restaurant. The Silk Market. The Plaza del Ayunemiento. Heather on the Gates.

In the morning we moved the Oosterschelde from the fuel dock to another dock. Then we said goodbye to everybody and walked towards Valencia. It was very hot and a long way to the bus stop. We took a bus to the plaza del Ayunemiento and walked from there to our hotel, the Melia Ingles. Then we had lunch at a restaurant called La Riua and had Paella. After that, we walked around the town and went up an octagonal tower. We also visited the city gates and went to the silk market which had spiraled columns. We had to find a camera store because Heather had lost her lens cap on her camera, a Canon Powershot G3.We found an amazing store which had Hasselblads, Leicas, Nikons, Bronicas, Canons and all kinds of cameras and lenses. Then we had tapas and went back to the hotel.

March 29
We went out for breakfast at a horchateria and I had hot chocolate that was so thick that the spoon stood up in it! After breakfast we shopped in the huge covered market and bought food for the train ride home, later that afternoon. We walked back to the hotel and saw two Lamborghinis!!!! Then we visited the ceramics museum which was an old palace with a very nice interior. We picked up our bags at the hotel and walked to the train station, got on the train, and settled in for a very long ride. We were held up for an hour somewhere and the journey lasted over 9 hours. Luckily I had a very good book, The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. Bill picked us up at the station in Avignon and we drove home.