RUSSIANS IN TENERIFE

 THE SHTANDART

This is a Russian replica of a ship first launched in 1703, and which is touring the Canary Islands this month.
I went to see it this morning in San Miguel harbour, where it looks enormous beside the usual yachts, but tiny compared with the Queen Mary ll which we saw in Santa Cruz de Tenerife last month!
There's a fierce lion on the prow rather than the buxom beauty you might see on an English ship, and the ferocious theme continues with eagles and talons everywhere.

For the knowledgeable friend who was with me, every rope meant something, but to me the miles of rope would be bewildering. You can book passage on it, when presumably you would learn what they all do. Although there were a few modern touches, such as a wide-screen TV among the hammocks, I think a sea voyage aboard this lovely wooden boat is for people younger and fitter than me.

The chart room aft had a door either side,

 each of which led to a room totally filled by a bunk, presumably for the captain and mate, but everyone else sleeps in hammocks.

The workshop was a shambles but as they'd sailed from St Petersburg I assume the crew knew where everything was! We wandered at will except for the lower deck and discovered a strange troll tucked away in a corner.

The only part of the original boat is the bell, because when the Russians tried to lift the wreck from the sea they used ropes rather than a cradle, and the wreck was so fragile that the ropes cut it into several sections.

We did wonder if whoever did that is now toiling away in a salt mine!

FRIDAY FICTION - FIELD TRIP

FRIDAY FICTIONEERS is an online group of writers from around the world who write 100-words stories once a week prompted by a photo posted on Rochelle's blog http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/

This week's other stories are on here http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=346493  so do pop along and read some of them.

This is this week's photo prompt and my story.

FIELD TRIP

They caught me unawares – it’s difficult to breathe in that polluted atmosphere and I was concentrating on collecting my specimens quickly so I could leave.

I wasn’t doing any harm, although the way they treat their environment, a bit more damage wouldn’t make much difference.

When that bullet hit my shield it reverberated through my body and I started running. They nearly caught me once but I upped the charge in my shield, reached the ship and gave the command.

As we lifted off, one specimen made a strange noise.

I must ask the scientists what ‘mum’ signifies.