Travelog for: Brownbeard

Hello, dear mom!

Our host Henna has got a flue, which be a great thin'!
Uhm.. o' course I don´t mean 'tis great she be ill..
but 'tis really great that now we be havin' an opportunity t' STAY INSIDE couple o' days, write our updates an' whatnot, instead o' runnin' like headles hens trough th' forests after th' lass'!
Aye, what troubles does SHE has - we be havin' t' take 50 steps while she takes jus' one!
Would be starboard fer th' lass' if she woke up one mornin' in toyvoyager size!

But now t' th' update!



First I´ll show ye couple o' more "sights" from Lisbon.
This be th' first one o' them - Th' tower o' Belem.



You cannot imagine how difficult 'tis t' get t' Lisbon, mom!
On accoun' o' Henna says she cannot let us go by ourselves (o' course we manage t' sneak ou' ever' now an' ag'in! ) an' she herself only wants t' lurk in forests like a hare or somethin'.
T' be seein' this tower, fer example, we had t' buy a bar o' marzipan an' lure th' lass' thar by promisin' 't t' th' lass' after seein' th' tower! )

Anyway, th' tower be built in early 16th century t' protect th' bung hole o' th' ri'er Tejo.
Later on 't has served as a custom house, a barrack fer some troops an' a prison t' political freethinkers.
Nay nice, but 't seems t' be in th' list o' World Heritage Sites o' Unesco.



In fore o' th' real tower thar be another one made in toyvoyager size! I liked that one much more!



We keel hauled past th' Belém ferry station, from wich th' wee ferry takes swabbies t' Porto Brandão an' Trafaria, both wee places consentrated into fishin' an' fishin' industry.



We saw th' bridge o'er Tejo called "Ponte 25 de Abril"- 25th o' April Bridge, fer th' memory o' th' Carnation Revolution 25.4 1974, which ended th' long dictatorship in Portugal.
Before 1974 th' Bridge be named after th' dictator - Ponte Salazar.
Nay wonder they wanted t' change th' name. 



When we reached th' bridge Henna had finished th' marzipan bar, an' be already makin' wild jumps towards any bushes or trees thar be in th' area, an' so we decided we had tortured th' lass' enough fer one tide, an' agreed t' follow th' lass' into more faraway areas.



So we run after th' lass', while she be fleein' th' horrors o' urban areas, an' only slowed our speed down when th' city be disappearin' into th' horizon an' we found ourselves amongst pasturelands an' merry sounds o' sheepbells. 



The pasturelands chanced into bushy thickets.



The thickets grew into proper woodland, an' soon we realiced we had started t' sin' while we keel hauled along.
'Tis true, th' forests be good fer th' soul.
(Although th' poor animals o' forest, who be horrifiedly fleein' from our singin', be propably thinkin' th' forest would be better fer th' soul without US.  )



We encountered a road runnin' trough th' forest.



It led us t' Colares, an' we decided t' go an' be seein' th' franciscan convent they had painted onto th' tiles,
Convento de Santa Cruz da Serra da Sintra (Convent of the Holy Cross of the Sintra Mountains)



There be a stone cross pointin' us th' way t' th' convent. 



We had t' climb some stairs (everythin' in this country be build o'er hills).



And then we saw th' convent main door!
As ye can be seein', 'tis nay one o' them pompous convents, but a very humble recidence meant fer hermit monks, although I found odd th' idee o' bunch o' hermits hermitin' together. 



The main gangplank opened straightly into this shrine, in fore o' which th' hermits be spendin' hours ever' tide on the'r knees.



We spent some minutes INSIDE th' shrine, since 't had started t' rain thinly, an' read more about th' convent.

't be built int 16th century, on accoun' o' some bimbo (th' ex-viceroy o' India) had been huntin' a deer an' got lost (hah!) an' fell asleep against a rock, an' in his dream he has got a "divine revelation" t' erect a christian temple on th' spot. 




The walls o' convent be covered wi' cork from th' cork trees (I guess th' idee be t' reduce a bit th' freezin' coldness o' th' stonebuildin' in wintertime), an' so 'tis often called as "cork convent".



Inside th' convent 't be very dark an' somewhat spooky.
Th' hermits lived in minuscule rooms (2 X 2 m) without any other furniture than th' stone bunk, without heatin' an' eatin' next t' nothin', competin' in piousnes an' humbleness.
Th' doors behind me aft be leadin' into the'r wee cells.



In downstairs the'r rooms be also dark, but in th' upstairs they had at least windows an' felt a bit less dungeon-like. Maybe th' monks livin' upstairs werent quite as pious as th' ones livin' downstairs.

Hah, th' most pious one o' them, Friar Honório, lived in one o' th' cells until he be 70 voyages old, an' moved then t' live in a wee hole in th' poop deck abroadside th' convent, an' lived thar until he be 100 voyages old eatin' jus' bread an' water. An' why?

Ho hoo, on accoun' o' th' devil tried t' lure th' lad's, in th' form o' a beautiful girl, into sin, an' so he escaped t' th' hole.

Legend o' th' hermit made a deep impression fer example t' Lord Byron, who wrote "Deep in yon cave Honorius long did dwell/In hope t' merit heaven, by makin' earth a hell."

Well, I must say, I b'lieve that t' merit hea'en 't´s more itelligible t' try t' make th' earth a hea'en t' others than t' make yer own life a hell.. 




We be testin' one o' th' cork -covered benches, an' 't really felt warm under our bottoms. 



It seems that ever' now an' ag'in some o' th' monks had gave in in fore o' th' voyagenin' o' earthly beauty an' decorated th' bare walls wi' ornaments made o' seashells an' broken plates.
I be happy t' be seein' these wee signs o' life in this gloomy place.



Would ye imagine livin' th' whole life in a place like this? I wouldn´t! Unless I could modify th' place a bit, o' course. Startin' by drillin' windows, lots o' windows trough th' walls.. maybe some wallpaper wi' nice floral print..



There be lit candles in one room, an' we sat round them, enjoyin' th' warm pool o' light they poured t' th' gloomynes, an' discussed th' old question what t' take wi' us on a deserted isle, arrr or into a place like this.
Here be our list, ye can try t' quess who get up wi' what.

- a ton o' pinecones
- a matchbox
- a big sackfull o' legos
- a bunch o' shipmates
- a rum distillery



The gloomynes started t' get on our nerves, an' I had a feelin' thar be a mad monk lurkin' behind some corner, so we escaped trough one o' th' windows. 


It be much better abroadside! We all felt relieved, an' I started t' think that th' monk who decided t' live in a hole chose well after all - he could be seein' th' sky, th' stars, an' feel th' wind an' smell everythin' in th' wonderfull nature, while th' others be almost like buried alive.
I really don´t be seein' why any god would wish ere t' do somethin' as lily livered as that. Swabbies be odd. 



'Tis so much better t' be a wee toyvoyager, an' get ou' th' best o' this existence, like this wonderfull flower, without th' need t' twist our brains wi' noncense.



We climbed t' th' roof o' th' convent, an' be really impressed by th' odd fact that th' place looked so much more sympathetic from abroadside than inside. An' nay escape - soon we be deep in discussion about how often that be th' truth o' other kind o' things in life too. Th' horrible place had put us into that kinda mood. 



So we thought 't better t' continue our keel haul t' some less heavy direction. 



Good by an' good riddance, convento dos capuchos - I´m nay goin' t' miss ye!




So we keel hauled onwards, jumpin' an' soon singin' again, an' maybe enjoyin' th' natures miracles more than erebefore. Zoesuggested that that be why such horrible convents be needed - t' remind us that th' miracles "be ou' thar". 



Maybe she be starboard.

Be seein' ye soon, dear mom! A hug from Brownbeard

Hello arrrr again t' ye, dear mother, an' also t' me big, enthusiastic audience!
'Tis yer favorite buccanneer adventurin' again, an' this time I be havin' an exitin' story t' tell ye!




One tide when we be again roamin' around th' countryside like a bunch o' worst ere lanlubbers, we found a ruin o' a house deep in th' forest. 




It be clear t' be seein' that th' buildin' had nay been lived in fer at least a century or so, an' we be rather exited t' go inside an' take a look around 't!




Inside th' house we be imaginin' how 't might ben couple o' bucketfull o' voyages ago an' what kinda swabbies would ben livin' in an' what kinda furniture thar might ben an' so on,
an' then suddenly I saw somethin' yellowish hidden behind a stone in th' ceilin'!
I sailed' immediately t' investigate, me booty hunter instincts awaken, an' can ye b'lieve - 't be an old, rolled-up piece o' parchment! 



I tookst 't ou' 'ere thar be more light an' rolled 't carefully open, an' arrrrrrrrrrrrrr! 
I could ben knocked down wi' a feather, since trough me beard, 't be a genuine booty map wi' bloodstains, cobwebs, candlewax an' all! 



The others heard me yellin' an' dancin' like crazy an' run t' be seein' me find, an' they almost couldn´t b'lieve the'r one good eye either.

After runnin' around like loonies we started t' investigate th' map, an' noticed that besides th' map itself 't had many other drawings an' other instructions fer booty hunters, an' many o' them seemed true riddles t' us, but we be all ready t' try!



Th' first lines be easy:

"Follow the Stonewalle Greye
whereon the Oake laye" 

We found soon a grey stonewall beside which lay a big fallen oak!
Th' succes made us more an' more eager!



"Over the Brooke make Thee Route
                                    like a wee knot-binding Scoute!"
This made us t' wonder about th' nature o' th' guy who had written th' instructions! But we followed them anyway! 




"To where Heaven and Earthe
                                  own Each Other in Mirthe."
Uh huh, that made e'en a wide-experienced swashbuckler like me t' blush!




"Head towards Southe
                                    until the Rivermouthe!" 
No problemo! 



But wi' th' next rhyme wi' had t' sit down fer a long time an' think. We e'en put wet seashells onto our heads t' cool down our burnin' brains.
Or how would ye be havin' dealt wi':
"When appears the Giants Boote
very Near be Thy Loote!" ? 




But then we saw 't! Thar really be an odly shaped big boot on th' shore, on a promisin' lookin' spot, an' we rushed fer 't! 



We pushed th' boot aside an' started t' dig th' sand under 't. 



We be showellin' an' diggin' th' sand as fast as we could, eager t' find th' booty, but we be interrupted by a wee voice shoutin' "Ahoy, pull me aft up!"




In our rush we had nay noticed th' boot bein' someones homeport.. 

She be a wee rat, an' we apologised pushin' th' lass' homeport down, explainin' that we be in a hurry on accoun' o' we be searchin' fer a treasure.

"An' ye be havin' already find one!" she spake, "since me name be Treasure!" 



So we all introduced ourselves, an' be happy t' make a new matey, but, ye know, arrrrrr, at th' same time we be a bit confused - be this wee girl our hidden booty or what..

I guess she saw th' puzzlement from our faces, since she started t' giggle an' spake "Oh nay, thar really be a hidden booty too, accordin' t' an old legend, but I´ve nay had interest t' search fer 't, on accoun' o' I already be havin' everythin' I need, so jus' go on wi' yer diggin'!" 



So we did so, an' after still some more hot diggin' me spade found somethin' hard! 




A real booty chest!
We opened 't, an' 't be full o' glistenin' coins! 




Although a nearer examination revealed that they werent gold but chocolate! 
But, actually, that be e'en better!
We toyvoyagers don´t need gold, but we need lots an' lots o' chocolate! 



We shared everythin' equally an' gave Treasure too th' lass' part, an' then we be eatin' an' eatin'!




And then we be singin' awful seafarin' hearty songs an' dancin' horrible seafarin' hearty dances until low tide! 

I finish now, an' next time I write we´ll be in totally different landscapes!
Kisses from yer lucky seafarin' hearty! 

Hello, dear mother!
How be ye?

I came aft t' Finland t' be seein' th' finnish winter, since I´ve heard so much about th' snow an' ice an' such. 



Here be th' wee cottage in its winter outfit.
Nice white coat 't has, like th' whole landscape. 



Have YE erebeen walkin' o'er water?
I be havin', ha haa! Here I´m walkin' on th' ice o' th' frozen Baltic Sea. 
Well, o' course we kept pretty near th' shoreline - we jus' keel hauled t' be seein' some isles, arrr which be impossible t' visit durin' summertime without a boat.
Handy, isn´t 't? 



See here ye can be seein' an isle, arrr behind our afts.

We keel hauled thar an' made a fire. 



We all love t' sit round a fire!
't feels so wonderful, th' warmin' fire, an' I also like th' sounds th' wood make when burnin'. 



And th' food made o'er fire always tastes so good! 
Here we be eatin' "karjalanpiirakkas", Carelian pastries.



There be an area 'ere th' snow had been clisted away fer swabbies t' iceskate.
We didn´t be seein' any skaters, anyway.



We saw some boats hibernatin' on th' shores, afts turned towards th' sky.
What do ye think they dream about? 



There be an interestin' hole on th' ice an' I be tryin' t' spot any fishes swimmin' past, on accoun' o' I wanted t' ask them how th' life be under th' ice.
At last a wee herrin' came t' th' hole t' peek ou' an' she told me the'r winter goes in huge orgies! Well well.. 



In th' wee streams th' water be runnin' free - th' weather be exceptionally warm, I be told - only 5 Celsius minus degrees, an' so th' runnin' water doesn´t freeze.
I must say t' me th' five minus degrees be quite enough, e'en tho I´ve been loanin' some winter clothin' from Orkku Orava. 



We ben also sleighin'!

On our way t' th' sleighin' hill we be always pullin' each other on turns, an' th' voyagers on th' sleighs be shoutin' th' voyagers pullin' t' run faster an' faster, so th' sleighs go often upside down an' th' snow be full o' gigglin' an' screamin' voyagers. 



Of course 't often leads into a snow swashbuckle.. 






And then we be slidin' down about bucketfull o' times! 



Agin an´agin! 






Then we be competin' which sleigh goes fastest! 



And o' course we ended again upside down into th' snowpile, 'ere we lay fer some time gigglin'. 









On another tide we be walkin' in th' forest an' saw a rocky hillside full o' huge icicles hangin' down. 



Aren´t they beautiful, mom?! 



We be climbin' th' icicles, 't wasn´t easy!
Be havin' ye eretried? 






Between th' rock an' th' wall o' hangin' icicles thar be an icy cave, an' we spent thar some time playin' t' be mammouths in the'r homeport cave durin' th' ice age. 



Some o' th' icicles be nay so transparent but a bit yellowish, propably on accoun' o' thar be iron in th' poop deck on that particular spot. 



I would like t' be havin' some hangin' from th' roof o' me room.
Do ye think ye could organize that, mom? 






One evenin' we built a snow castle.



We made lots o' snowballs an' then we started t' build a wall o' them.



It wasn´t easy on accoun' o' th' humid snow be rather heavy!
But we managed t' do 't anyway by strainin' both our muscles an' our wits.



Here we be admirin' th' results o' th' hard work!
Our great castle! 



We lit candles inside our castle an' climbed up an' down singin' horrible, secret toyvoyager songs!






In th' time o' th' sunset we lit a candle also t' our ice lantern. 



I´m happy I´ve seen th' finnish winter, I´ve enjoyed 't a lot, but th' thin' be - I ben so long time away from homeport now, that I´ve decided t' start me voyage aft t' that direction, mom. 

First I´m goin' t' visit Olgamaus, who be so nice she has promised t' help me. 
Maybe we´ll be seein' soon, mom! On th' other hand.. who knows, if thar be some very cute voyager lasses or very good food an' rom, 't can still take some time! 



Good arrrr, dear shipmates! We be havin' had great times together! 



See you soon! Arrrrrrr! 

Hello Mummy,
I made it to good old Germany! I am in Remscheid in North Rhine-Westphalia now. I brought delicious Finnish candy with me



Maybe I will stay here for a while.

Bye
Brownbeard

Hi Mummy,
winter in Finland was much nicer than German winter. My host Katja told me that nearly all the snow melted away last weekend. Now it is rather again.

In my host's lunch break she showed me around the city hall. Here you can see the water tower in the city centre. Water sounds great )



There was a little bit of snow left on the sidewalks.



I met a lion on the open space in front of  the city hall!



A lion - a special one with a double tail - is the heraldic animal of Remscheid. Maybe soon it will be a single-tail lion with striped legs

This is the city hall with its tower. The tower is about 48 m high, visible with the water tower behind from most places around the city.



That's all for now, I am rather hungry.

Bye
Brownbeard

Hi to the crew at home,

it is awful cold here, not the best thing for a pirate who loves to sail the seven (warm) seas

A new guest arrived today, a funny little frog. I showed him around the neighbourhood. It was already early evening, so soon it was too dark to take photos.

I am living here at the moment. No water in sight, no shore, no harbour. Sailing at high speed is also not allowed.



A lovely playground ... but not a kid in sight. Those spoiled kids were probably sitting in front of their Play Stations.







Later two ladies came, Katja's knitting friends. They ordered drinks and I had a look at the fridge.

Hmmmm... cheese, puff pastry, gnocchis ... eggs, more cheese .... and ....




R U M !!!





Soon limes and mint leaves were found ...



I pressed the limes and mixed the juice with cane sugar, added some mint leaves, squashed the leaves a bit ...



Than crushed ice was added ...



... and rum and soda water.

This delicacy is a mojito.

Cheers!



Brownbeard

Hi Mummy,

we took a walk today in the forest with Katja and her broter-in-law.

Remscheid is surrounded by forests, valleys and rural areas. Here you can see the city centre of Remscheid in the background, while we were walking through a district in the south of the municipal area.



Soon we reached a forest. We walked downhill until we reached the sole of the valley.



Of course a creek is running through the valley.



You can also find some fish ponds along the creek, they are all frozen now.



We had a lot of fun in the snow





Our walk took nearly two and a half hour

Bye
Brownbeard

Hi Mummy,
this week most of the snow melted away. We all hope that spring will come soon! We took a walk to Germany's highest railway bridge, Muengsten Bridge. This railway bridge is connecting Remscheid and the neighbour city Solingen, overspanning the valley of river Wupper.

It took us a 40 minutes walk until we could have a first look at the bridge.



We followed a hiking trail which is coming close to the bridge, but we intended to cross the river and walk on the other side of the valley.



Very obviously we are still having winter I am a pirate of the Carribean sea, not of the Antarctic!



But I know what might cheer me up

We crossed the river and followed the hiking path, like the river meandering along the steep slope of the valley.



Muengsten Bridge was built of steel, completed in 1907. It is about 480 m long and 107 m tall. There are extensive repair works going on in the last few years, and there will be more this year from April till at least October.



Some years ago a leisure park was created under the bridge. You can find lawns here for relaxing, a crazy golf course, a restaurant, snack bars, a kiosk and playgrounds for kids.



When we get home, we will have to wash our trousers and clean the shoes - the paths in the forest were incredibly muddy

Bye
Brownbeard 

Yay!!! Mummy called me home!!!

Since I'm knowing I will leave soon I robbed the kitchen and found something delicous with rum ...



I hurried into my envelope, taking the delicious stuff with me



I am coming home now.

Bye
Brownbeard