SAINT HELENA - NAPOLEON'S PRISON AND FIRST GRAVESITE

It's been a smooth crossing of the South Atlantic and we've enjoyed our sea days.  Lots of activities on the ship plus nice sunny, warm weather for those lunches by the pool. 

We had a very nice dinner in the Officer's Mess with the Captain, Fernando and Norman, the Hotel Director.  Deck 3 is surprisingly bright and cheery and we noted a ping-pong table among other amenities for the crew.  We had champagne in Captain Corsaro's board room on Deck 9 before descending into the bowels of the ship.  Good conversation and a very interesting discussion about the Captain of the Costa ship lying on its side in Italy.  To quote Captain Corsaro, "no matter the cause of the disaster, his actions afterwards warrant locking him up and throwing away the key".  Our Captain is not one for mincing his words!!

This morning we anchored at Saint Helena Island.  I think I've included a view of Jamestown, the Capital, taken from our ship.  It is a pretty and very well kept town built in a valley between two mountains.  The Portugese discovered it in 1502 and I'm not sure when the British took it over.  It is, of course, still a British Protectorate and English Pounds are accepted as legal tender ... not that there's much to buy other than postcards.   The people are friendly and we learned that this year they are expecting a total of six cruise ships to visit.  Last year it was four -  all small ships like ours.  I doubt the large ones would ever bother as their numbers would overwhelm the island population of about 4,000.

Along with Niels and Molise, we hired a car and driver who took us to where Napoleon was first buried before his body was taken back to France.  Unfortunately, it was a fifteen minute walk down to the actual grave site and at least twenty minutes back because of the steepness of the trail.  So we passed on that and drove right to Longwood House where he was kept under arrest until his death.  The road there was full of switchbacks, very narrow and of course, like the U.K., they drive on the left side. 

Longwood House is now a Museum with some fascinating artifacts as well as some original and reproduction furniture.  The green canopy bed is a replica of the one he died in and kept in the Parlour where it happened. They apparently moved him there from his bedroom for comfort during his last days.  I've also included photos of his dining room (original table and chairs), library, dressing room and bathroom - complete with his copper lined tub.  Based on the size of his bed and bath, I can confirm that he was indeed a very short man!

The gardens are beautiful and although we were told that Napoleon was very unhappy there, I would say the British treated him extremely well.  The locals believe that if arsenic was involved in his death, it could have come from the wallpaper at Longwood.  They have retained a small swatch of it at the Museum but were quick to point out that none of his servants suffered the same fate despite being exposed to it as much as he was. 

We walked through the main street of Jamestown before returning to the Whisper and admired some of our fellow passengers who decided to walk the 699 steps of "Jacob's Ladder" leading from the valley floor to the top of Ladder Hill.  Many turned back because of exhaustion and declared that coming down was even more difficult than going up.  At the top of the hill is an old crumbling stone fortress built hundreds of years ago. 

Compared to Easter Island or Pitcairn, this place is quite charming.  The island residents are eagerly awaiting the construction of an airstrip which Britain has promised to complete by 2016.  Once built, planes will have access to and from Cape Town which will bring their mail faster (it now comes and goes by ship every three weeks) and will bring down the cost and availability of regular supplies. 

We are now on our way to Walvis Bay, Namibia.  We will dock overnight there and Silversea has organized a "Dinner in the Dessert" for us. That should be interesting and we are looking forward to the experience which we understand will be complete with camels and tents.  I will of course take pictures.

Hope all this information is not boring everyone and that you are all well back home.  We'll write again soon.  Hard to believe we have been away for over three weeks.

Ciao for now

D & K