Sunday 9 September 2012

Ipswich


Winter in London
Summer in Norway



While it is generally easy to find a day of settled weather in the North Sea, as we headed into September it was getting almost impossible to find the three days of suitable weather needed to get to England easily nonstop under sail.  We were looking for a wind not from the southwest (the usual direction here) and not too strong.  Since the alternative was a seemingly endless series of day trips through Denmark, Germany and Holland, we scurried to untie the lines when a frontal passage offered near gale northerlies.  It was a rough passage at first, but the wind soon faded to a perfect strength and the weather guessers promised it had the staying power to get us down to England.

Local sailboat on the River Orwell
Three days later, we were resting in the September warmth of Lowestoft, the furthest east point in England, roughly five months after the chilly day we had left the place northbound.

Now with a short distance left to our wintering spot in central London, all pressure is off.  Travel days are few and short and rest stops are long.  We now find ourselves in Ipswich after a crowded weekend sail up the River Orwell and here we'll bring our blog to a close for the year.  We feel no need to add our pictures and text to the libraries of comment available on London.  Everyone already has - or perhaps should have - their own experiences of that vibrant city.







We now look forward over the winter to socializing with the many British friends we've made and with friends at St. Katharine's Dock.  Mary Anne also looks forward to a harpsichord course over the winter and playing with musician friends.



Ipswich