email
shiftysailors
@whidbey.net

phone
360-222-3020

address
Shifty Sailors
P.O. Box 53
Greenbank,
WA 98253

Friday   August 22   2003

Hi Shifty Fans, We`re in an internet cafe, but they won`t let us into their usb port for pics.  So we`re stuck with text for the next day or so. Today was Tall Ship day at Travemunde Harbor.  It was a gorgeous day after very brief showers, with thousands of ships` flags and sails flitting on the breeze. There were hundreds of boats everywhere and many thousands of people enjoying the day.  We reunited with groups from Riga and were warmly welcomed by several of the boat crews. We arranged for a stage performance at one of the smaller venues and quickly drew a crowd of people and free beers. The people were most appreciative and the price of our CD`s is more affordable here, so they were flying.  We met up with a German Men`s Shanty Chorus and quickly had an impromptu concert underway on the walkway, with a large and vocal crowd.  Like the older group we saw in Bergan they were tightly controlled by their director, but like the younger group there, they had great voices in big numbers. It pays to have an instrument in the hands of your director.   Everyone agreed that the setup in Travemunde was better than in Riga.  There were many more boats, better laid out, more space, but prettier girls in Riga.  Well, you can`t have everything. Tomorrow we return to the boats (about 20 Km from Lubeck) and then on Monday to Copenhaven. The group is still very excited and energetic, even after weeks of travel.  It has been well paced and the great moments keep coming. We are hoping to meet up with another of the Shanty Choruses that are singing there and hopefully we can score a CD. Long Bob Wagner and the gang  Bruce Bardwell - 04:18 PM - link - 3 comments.

Wednesday   August 20   2003

By the end of the evening, many in the enthusiastic crowd were dancing on the tables as we sang shanties, Polish and American folk tunes, and Pop tunes from the 60's and 70's. We proved that you're never to old to enjoy a good party.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:41 PM - link - 1 comment.

The Shiftys bring down the house one more time in the "Irish" beach bar in Gdynia. Our new fans took home many copies of our 2 CDs, and we have been invited to return whenever we can to join them in bringing the energy and fun of a shanty sing.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:37 PM - link - 1 comment.

This building in the old town of Gdansk was designed to erect masts on grain boats that had come up river with their cargo so that they could then venture out on the Baltic Sea. Gdansk historically was a major sea port and grainery. We rode the passenger ferry in the foreground that takes people from one side of the downtown canal to the other.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:31 PM - link - Comments?

Shiftys walk the "Road to Freedom"as they enter the shipyard museum that gave a detailed history of the Solidarity movement and the events of the early 1980's that led to the fall of communism in Poland.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:29 PM - link - Comments?

These 3 crosses were located at the old entrance to the Gdansk shipyard were Lech Walensa and others led the worker strikes that eventually brought down communism in Poland and the rest of eastern Europe.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:24 PM - link - Comments?

This is a shot of the interior of a Catholic cathedral in Gdansk where the Shiftys sang "Eternal Father", and were treated to a short concert on the organ that contains over 8,000 pipes.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:22 PM - link - Comments?

Our tour guide, Ela, did an expert job of showing us the sights, and imparting the history of the Tri-Cities of Gdynia, Sopot (sp?), and Gdansk.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:18 PM - link - Comments?

8/20/03- Afternoon Hi Shifty Followers, I’m leaving today and I hope to get this up before I go. I have mixed feelings about going- the action has been non-stop, fun, challenging, and I’ve been stretched; but I’m looking forward to seeing my family, and getting back into a regular routine. Vern and company will take over the upload process, and hopefully we’ll be able to continue the pictures as well as the text. Yesterday we saw a couple of folks continuing to nurse themselves back to health. A few stayed around the hotel, another group went off on a city tour of Gdynia and Gdansk, and a third group took a hydrofoil trip to the resort area of Hel (that’s one “L” not two, however it’s pronounced the same). One of the impressive sites we saw was the Gdansk shipyard where the Solidarity movement got its start. There is a museum there dedicated to the movement and the history of how these Polish workers started the dominoes falling that changed the face of Europe and the world forever. We passed the home of Lech Walensa, the former leader of Solidarity and past President of Poland. We also heard personal stories from our tour guide about her involvement in the movement for freedom from the Soviets. The city of Gdansk was impressive in its beauty, and place in the ancient history of this area. We gathered together as a group at 6 PM and headed back to the “Irish” bar that we frequented last night. Tonight they promised free food and beer in return for our performance, and we didn’t disappoint the assembled crowd. We did 2 sets with a 30-minute intermission in between to consume some liquid courage and food. After our performance, a local group got up and did a combination of Polish shanties, folk songs from both Poland and the US, and old Beatles and Pop tunes. This group repeatedly called the Shiftys that remained up on stage to help them out, and the free flowing beer increased our willingness to be supportive. Three hearty sailors were there until 1 AM singing, and partying with friends we made from the night before. We left a warm and appreciative crowd behind when we finally left and made our way back to our hotel beds. This was a grand finale for this Sailor’s last night with the crew. I’m going to miss me mates, but me Lassie is awaiting me at me homeport. Arrrgh! Bruce PS- Dr. Bob says hi to the staff at his office and to the nursing staff at the Whidbey General Hospital ER.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:14 PM - link - Comments?

Tuesday   August 19   2003

Ed Walker joined our group before our bar exploits, and was immediately pressed into service. It's good to have him aboard.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:57 AM - link - 2 comments.

The Shiftys made several new fans including these 3 young women at an "Irish" bar on the beach.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:51 AM - link - 4 comments.

The Shiftys doing what we do best to a captive audience on a departing ferry boat.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:51 AM - link - Comments?

Bob Wagner takes the plunge into the Baltic he was followed by several others throughout the day.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:50 AM - link - Comments?

A local street performer having fun with the kids.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:39 AM - link - Comments?

The Vikings were prominent in this area in ancient times, but we got nervous that they may be coming back for more looting, plunder, etc. This is actually a dinner boat out of the Gdynia harbor.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:39 AM - link - Comments?

Vern Olsen, Jim Amis, and Bob Wagner take a stroll along the promenade by the sea.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:35 AM - link - Comments?

Beach volleyball is very popular in the Baltic region.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:35 AM - link - Comments?

Beach scene 2 blocks from our hotel in Gdynia.  Bruce Bardwell - 08:34 AM - link - 73 comments.

8/19/03- Afternoon Hi Shifty Friends, Tomorrow I leave the group for home, and the duties for keeping up the Shifty Log will go to Vern Olsen and some tech savvy assistants. Doing the Log has been fun and I look forward to being on the receiving end of the posts. The trip has more than exceeded my expectations, and I can safely say the crew have similar feelings. Yesterday found some members of the crew in bed doing their best to recover from a virus that swept the bus. Some were able to avoid this plague altogether, most had fairly benign symptoms, while others were quickly looking up the word for pharmacy in the local language. Most seem on the mend at this point, but we didn’t schedule any group activities until the evening. The day was spent in various ways by crew members- sightseeing, casual walking trips, shopping, and swimming at the beach. Those at the beach found the scenery interesting (bathing suits, or lack thereof, showed off the beauty of the local people), and the water warm and inviting. At 5 PM the group gathered for some impromptu singing on the pier in front of our hotel. This pier is very active as it serves as a passenger ferry terminal, cruise ship terminal, historic area, and small boat port. There are also a considerable number of craft and food vendors on this pier so we had a good audience wherever we stopped to do a tune. As we were walking along we saw a familiar face striding towards us as Ed Walker found us after arriving from Amsterdam. We welcomed his bass voice, and the Shiftys were up to speed with the new configuration in no time. After the pier we ventured to an “Irish” bar on the edge of the beach. We had been told that they like sea shanties, and they had a small stage on which we could perform. After some negotiating about our beer requirements, we leapt onto the stage and proceeded to do a 45-minute set that had people clapping, cheering, and singing along with us by the end. After a short encore, we sat and chatted with some new local fans and drank our payment for singing. Vern made plans with the bar staff for us to come back again tomorrow night. Most of the Shiftys left the bar at a reasonable hour, but 6 diehards stayed behind to enjoy the fun. The bar maid approached the “Gdynia 6” and said that if we sang a couple of more songs, that they might consider giving us dinner for free tomorrow when come to sing. Of course we didn’t need much encouragement given the prodding of others in the crowd, so we jumped back onto the stage and proceeded to do 3 more songs. During our set a few local men decided to settle their differences by starting a brawl that climaxed with the two of them sprawled on the stage at our feet punching each other. The bar staff quickly pulled them apart and ejected them, but not before a microphone stand had gotten broken. The 6 of us looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and sang our last song to loud applause. What a night! We eventually walked back to our hotel knowing that we would be able to tell a great story with lots of embellishment to the rest of the crew in the morning. Tomorrow we’ll be taking a tour of Gdynia and Gdansk that includes a 2-hour boat ride that returns us to our hotel. And then there’s another performance at the bar awaiting us. It should be fun, and hopefully safe. Time to sign off. Bruce  Bruce Bardwell - 08:31 AM - link - 222 comments.

Monday   August 18   2003

Gdynia Port at sunset from our hotel window.  Bruce Bardwell - 01:55 AM - link - 72 comments.

Bob Wagner and the Thelans walk the Gdynia beach before retiring for the evening.  Bruce Bardwell - 01:55 AM - link - 27 comments.

Bob Wagner checks the temperature of the Baltic Sea on the beach at Gdynia at sunset.  Bruce Bardwell - 01:52 AM - link - 73 comments.

Vern and Martha explore the old Teutonic Order headquarters.  Bruce Bardwell - 01:50 AM - link - 29 comments.

Some local kids enjoying playing dress-up at the castle.  Bruce Bardwell - 01:48 AM - link - 65 comments.

Malbork Castle, the home of the Teutonic Knights, and our history side trip for the day.  Bruce Bardwell - 01:44 AM - link - 75 comments.

Jean took time out from his women friends to load our bags on the bus. Jean's wife has been tracking our activities daily, and faces difficult surgery in a week. These posts have provided some relief for her, and the Shiftys send our thoughts for safe surgery and a speedy recovery.  Bruce Bardwell - 01:42 AM - link - 65 comments.

Peter also said goodbye to a friend he made in Warsaw, Chris, a fine woman from Australia.  Bruce Bardwell - 01:39 AM - link - 26 comments.

We said goodbye to Ray, Barry, and Karen. Their spirit and support will be missed, but we will meet again in Copenhagen for the trip home.  Bruce Bardwell - 01:37 AM - link - 74 comments.

8/18/03- Morning Hi Shifty Fans, Yesterday was a traveling day and we needed to leave early. The Internet café I was using didn’t open until after we were scheduled to leave so that is why I posted the previous day’s activities in the evening of the day before. We left 3 more of our group behind yesterday as we headed off to Gdynia. Ray, Karen, and Barry will be traveling on to St. Petersburg and Moscow for a couple of days, and they will rejoin the group in Copenhagen for the trip home. The 3 contributed greatly to our esprit de corps, and Karen was especially helpful in her picture taking and help in editing of the daily post. I have now pressed Mary Moeller into service as my assistant photographer, and her photos started appearing in my last post. Ed Walker, who has been in Amsterdam visiting friends, will join us tomorrow for our first full day in Gdynia. After negotiating Warsaw traffic, we headed north for a 330-kilometer trip to Gdynia. We made a detour to see the ancient seat of the Teutonic Order at Malbork Castle. The Teutonic Order had its origins in Jerusalem at the time of the Crusades, and they saw as their mission to protect and spread Christianity to the non-Christian world. When they came back to this area from the Crusades they set about conquering large amounts of territory. Wars and counter wars ensued for centuries and the Knights of the Teutonic Order were eventually defeated in the 14th century. Their castle and influence, however, remain. We arrived around dinnertime in Gdynia, and followed previous routines of checking in, unpacking, finding a place to eat, getting money exchanged, checking out the nightlife, and eventually heading to bed. Since Gdynia is right on the Baltic Sea and out hotel is 2 blocks from a nice sandy beach, a few in the group had to go and “test the waters”. Our hotel has an Internet connection, and I hope I will be able to use it to do our upload. See you tomorrow. Bruce  Bruce Bardwell - 01:37 AM - link - 308 comments.