I have to confess to a weakness for old maps. There is something vaguely adventurous and exciting about the yellowed paper, the colours, the text. I found this image recently on a free app for iPad. It brings to mind a Europe that to us today … Continue reading Old maps
Month: October 2014
Dover to Tenerife
Towards morning I had fallen into a peaceful slumber, when the Captain called into the cabin, "Come up, Doctor - Calais and Dover." I rubbed my eyes; the dawn light shone through the little window. As I was half dressed, I threw a … Continue reading Dover to Tenerife
Seasick… the English Channel
The Fischer family and Johann Holtorf were landlubbers; they had never been to sea. After leaving the sheltered waters of the Elbe on their respective migrant ships they traversed a corner of the North Sea and then entered the English Channel. The Fischers sailed on … Continue reading Seasick… the English Channel
Cuxhaven and the North Sea
We were nearing Cuxhaven, a signal flag was hoisted and a boat neared the ship to take off the Captain's relatives... The boat vanished quickly, as did the flat coastline and eventually also the lighthouses of Wangeroog and Neuwerk, and we were on the open … Continue reading Cuxhaven and the North Sea
Ice on the Elbe
Hamburg is a city on a river, the Elbe. But it is also a large seaport and in the 1850s was becoming, with Bremen, one of Germany's major emigration points. To reach the sea ships had to navigate the wide reaches of this mighty river … Continue reading Ice on the Elbe
Forgotten tales 