I did go to Sail 2010, and quite the to-do it was. I believe that the entire population of the Netherlands converged at the event. It was quite the mob scene, so much so that I aborted my first attempt. When I returned on Saturday, I knew more what to expect.
There was no going against the prescribed route around the harbor, unless you wanted to feel like a tadpole going against a stream of salmon. I only made it aboard a few of the ships. Because of the huge turnout the lower levels of the ships were closed, and after waiting on line to get on a few decks I soon tired of that particular game.
I got some good shots and got out. Really, it was way too much of a crowd for me, and there was no way to get near the beautiful ships without being in the thick of it. All went well, but as I was being funneled through one particularly tight spot I did think of the stampede in Germany earlier this summer. And it was about then that I turned back. Riding home was heavenly, as absolutely everyone had deserted the streets to see the ships.
The new architecture pictured is of the mixed-use area recently built behind the harbor. I like the way they managed to keep some of the old structures amid the new glass walls.
To me the fun bit was all the little private boats participating. I had never seen the harbor so choked with such a variety of sea vessels.
I'm glad the event was proclaimed a success. The weather held fairly well, until the sail out on Monday morning.
Marvelous photos! You turned the gloomy lighting into the camera's advantage. You got skills, girl.
ReplyDeleteaw, shucks, thanks, I have to give credit to GIMP, a pretty nifty free download that enables me to brighten, sharpen, crop, et cetera. For these, I actually added a lot of yellow.
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