What better way to start a voyage around the United Kingdom than by boarding the National Geographic Explorer in London. Waiting for all of us arriving from different points of the globe was our ship alongside the River Thames. And spectacular was the location just below the Tower Bridge. As a kickoff we first went under the bridge to the delight of onlookers who photographed us as much as we took pictures of them and the impressive surrounding cityscape of central London.
Our first full day on board also started with a dramatic entrance into the major coastal port of Portsmouth. A local pilot was picked up early in the morning to direct our passage through the somewhat twisting channel to the inner protected pier of the harbor.
The morning was dedicated to visiting the dockyard museum complex not far from the ship. Because Portsmouth has played such a significant part in marine and naval history of England, the country has displayed some of the important vessels and artifacts in very nicely done museums. For those of us particularly keen on history we could explore the attractions not only in the morning but also many returned in the afternoon.
Most guests focused their morning visit on the HMS Victory, the preserved flagship of Admiral Nelson. Today one can walk through the ship stepping on the same oaken decks that many a sailor did during the in service life of the ship. The keel of the ship was laid down in 1759 and ready for service by 1765. Probably the most noteworthy event in the ship’s life was at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Under the command of Lord Nelson the ship engaged the Spanish and French navies. On the deck of the Victory Lord Nelson was shot and died but the Battle of Trafalgar was won. The ship’s 104 guns still stand waiting at read.
A subgroup of the ship’s guests decided in the afternoon to visit a nature reserve of Farlington near the harbor in the afternoon. Even though the weather was a bit breezy and there was an occasional shower, the group had an excellent time birding or just stretching their legs on the harbor-side trail. A total of about 45 species of birds were spotted during the outing.
In the early evening we set sail off the southern coast of England.
