Dartmouth, England
Ah, to awake in a new and exciting land; one steeped in history, culture, and global importance. Whether this is your first visit to the British Isles or perhaps just the latest, you soon realize this small corner of Europe looms much larger than its physical limitations. An area of continual human occupation since the last Ice Age over 10,000 years ago, the islands hold archeological remains that show mankind, in both its current and former forms, have been visiting for almost 400,000 years. Once the seat of empire on which the sun never set, many of its former colonies have been relinquished, but nonetheless, the decisions made here still have far-reaching implications. Currently, there are over 65,000,000 people spread out over the archipelago, and though much of the population is urban, the islands are densely packed with village after village and town after town making overland travel almost impractical if on any kind of time constraint. Whereas in the United States, a 100-mile drive might take an hour and a half to two, here you might spend over three covering the same distance. And though initially this realization might throw off your planned schedule, you soon realize that the countryside and nearly every village is worth a closer inspection and a slower pace is not only necessary, but also desirous. We are, of course, traveling on a ship, which frees us from much of the congestion that can occur when driving along the roads. But more importantly, this allows us to get to some of the more remote harbors and islands of the group; places where even in this densely populated region, the land still seems wild and the history, alive.
We pulled into the mouth of the River Dart this morning just as the sun rose and illuminated the vibrantly green hillsides that surround the city of Dartmouth. Though many of us were catching up on some needed rest from the flight across the pond, a few of us made it out on deck to see the city and the river open up before us. The mouth forms a deep natural harbor that has been an important haven for local seafarers for centuries. And though the historic city of Dartmouth has seen its former prominence fade, it remains a beautiful and lively town of cobblestone streets, maritime shops, and friendly pubs. It has long been a favorite stop of ours when traveling through this region, and we were happy to greet some old friends and invite new ones aboard for our welcome dinner and cocktails. The day started with a view of Dartmouth Castle, a striking reminder of the city’s past, but ended in the present as conversations with the mayor enlightened us of the city’s future.
Ah, to awake in a new and exciting land; one steeped in history, culture, and global importance. Whether this is your first visit to the British Isles or perhaps just the latest, you soon realize this small corner of Europe looms much larger than its physical limitations. An area of continual human occupation since the last Ice Age over 10,000 years ago, the islands hold archeological remains that show mankind, in both its current and former forms, have been visiting for almost 400,000 years. Once the seat of empire on which the sun never set, many of its former colonies have been relinquished, but nonetheless, the decisions made here still have far-reaching implications. Currently, there are over 65,000,000 people spread out over the archipelago, and though much of the population is urban, the islands are densely packed with village after village and town after town making overland travel almost impractical if on any kind of time constraint. Whereas in the United States, a 100-mile drive might take an hour and a half to two, here you might spend over three covering the same distance. And though initially this realization might throw off your planned schedule, you soon realize that the countryside and nearly every village is worth a closer inspection and a slower pace is not only necessary, but also desirous. We are, of course, traveling on a ship, which frees us from much of the congestion that can occur when driving along the roads. But more importantly, this allows us to get to some of the more remote harbors and islands of the group; places where even in this densely populated region, the land still seems wild and the history, alive.
We pulled into the mouth of the River Dart this morning just as the sun rose and illuminated the vibrantly green hillsides that surround the city of Dartmouth. Though many of us were catching up on some needed rest from the flight across the pond, a few of us made it out on deck to see the city and the river open up before us. The mouth forms a deep natural harbor that has been an important haven for local seafarers for centuries. And though the historic city of Dartmouth has seen its former prominence fade, it remains a beautiful and lively town of cobblestone streets, maritime shops, and friendly pubs. It has long been a favorite stop of ours when traveling through this region, and we were happy to greet some old friends and invite new ones aboard for our welcome dinner and cocktails. The day started with a view of Dartmouth Castle, a striking reminder of the city’s past, but ended in the present as conversations with the mayor enlightened us of the city’s future.
