{"id":1178,"date":"2019-08-23T03:20:23","date_gmt":"2019-08-23T03:20:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?p=1178"},"modified":"2019-10-10T19:26:52","modified_gmt":"2019-10-10T19:26:52","slug":"a-day-at-the-opera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?p=1178","title":{"rendered":"A Day at the Opera&#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sat. July 20, 2019<\/strong>: <strong>When I visited these waters in 2018 I was lucky enough to strike up a conversation with Christian Juslin, a leading Finnish operatic tenor, through a chance meeting at the harbormaster&#8217;s office in Rodhamn, a charming little island just a few hours sail from Mariehamn.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Christian was a very friendly fellow and fascinated at the notion of an Englishman sailing an American boat in Finnish waters, and had come aboard Arcturus and shared some invaluable locations for off-the-grid bows-to anchorages nearby. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"288\" height=\"384\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Rodhamn-Mark-Rich.gif?resize=288%2C384\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1072\"\/><figcaption>Opera Ready? Mark and Richard look the part<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We had stayed in contact on social media and he invited me to meet for a drink when I had visited two weeks previously. I couldn\u2019t make it work then, which worked out gloriously to my favor this time around. Turns out Christian was celebrating his 50th birthday on Saturday out on Rodhamn with friends and family and would I like to attend? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Is the Pope a Catholic?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Friday we decamped to Bj\u00f6rk\u00f6r which was as wonderful as usual, but given its many mentions in these pages I will move on. Suffice it to say Mark and Richard were blown away by its charms. On Saturday we cast off around 10am for the easy 5nm journey to Rodhamn and tied up in its capacious but well sheltered harbor. The harbor master took our payment and directed us to walk \u2018just up and over the hill\u2019 where we\u2019d find the party, which started at 2pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1108\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Nn7BedpjueE?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><figcaption>Sometimes it just all comes together&#8230;.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Donning our best summer party clothes the three of us headed up there and were charmed by what we found. A marquee in jaunty red with two long tables, covered in white linen with fine silverware and china. Plenty of wine and Brannvin, the local aquavit, and some excellent food to follow. But most impressive were the people; warm, welcoming Finns of all ages who spoke perfect English and made us feel most at home. Christian even seated me at the head of the table next to his mother and a leading Finnish soprano. What followed was one of the most amazing days of my life. Imagine a perfect summer day with blue skies and a sky dotted with fluffy clouds. The most gorgeous alfresco setting among the granite outcroppings, covered with lichen and heather, with wildflowers dancing in the gentle summer breeze. First came some toasts and drinking songs. Now I\u2019ve heard those songs before, sung at the summer home of a very dear Swedish friend, but when they are sung, at length, with alternating choruses and harmonies from a chorus of full-throated Finnish opera singers, it is a very different beast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1108\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ejh4hmzHY2E?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Then came the speeches. Heartfelt, deeply personal reflections from Christian\u2019s friends and family before the birthday boy himself rose, speaking of the love and support from his family and his early mentors and teachers. All of these words were interspersed with music, arias from operas both classic and obscure, while an electric organ, harnessed to a small gas-powered generator, played along. It was simply sublime. Every now and then Richard and Mark would catch my eye with their jaws agape as if to say: can you believe what we are experiencing? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, it was that kind of day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1108\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TSvDyKohfss?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><figcaption>Granada, sung by the birthday boy himself<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019m an emotional fellow at the best of times and I\u2019m also an opera lover. A couple of the arias I heard that day brought tears to my eyes. And as this glorious afternoon reached its conclusion, one of Christian\u2019s boyhood music teachers, a huge bear of a man probably in his mid-70s but with a glint in his eye of a man half his age, gave an unforgettable rendition (in English) of \u201cWhat A Wonderful World\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; At that moment, it most certainly it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"432\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Rodhamn-sauna.gif?resize=576%2C432\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1073\"\/><figcaption>The perfect day ends the perfect way: with a sauna, of course<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"270\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Rodhamn-sunset.gif?resize=360%2C270\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1074\"\/><figcaption>The sun sets over the archipelago on a day none of us will ever forget<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As the party broke up around 9pm Mark, Richard and I wandered back to the boat, processing and retelling what we had just experienced. We had an 11pm sauna date so after a couple of drinks Mark and I changed and wandered back to the waterfront hut that is probably my favorite sauna in this part of the world. For perhaps half an hour we roasted in there, neither of us saying much, just absorbing how wonderful life can be if you open yourself up to new experiences. Once we went outside to dive into the chilly water and savor the sun setting over the fir trees on the far shore, we got a little more voluble. We were both ready to hit our bunks by then, secure in the knowledge that this was a day neither of us would ever forget.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sat. July 20, 2019: When I visited these waters in 2018 I was lucky enough to strike up a conversation with Christian Juslin, a leading Finnish operatic tenor, through a chance meeting at the harbormaster&#8217;s office in Rodhamn, a charming little island just a few hours sail from Mariehamn. Christian was a very friendly fellow [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7wHME-j0","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1311,"url":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?p=1311","url_meta":{"origin":1178,"position":0},"title":"Show us a proper map?","author":"Becoming Salty","date":"October 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A very broad outline of our travels in the summer of 2019. For a more interactive version, click the link below https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/embed?mid=1rXVjOk2Ez_LwaU6reyLECegk1u92bnWO&ehbc=2E312F Full disclosure: I am not a map-maker. I know there are plenty of clever folks out there using Google Earth, KMZ files and AIS updates to make stunning,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?cat=8"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/map-2019.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/map-2019.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/map-2019.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/map-2019.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":990,"url":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?p=990","url_meta":{"origin":1178,"position":1},"title":"Hanko to Kasn\u00e4s","author":"Becoming Salty","date":"August 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Wed. 7\/10\/19 Dep 12.18pm, arrive 5.57pm. 24.7nm. 5 hrs. 39 mins. For a higher-resolution map of this route, click HERE: But before we leave....coffee Wednesday dawned bright and sunny with good wind that promised a brisk passage to Kasn\u00e4s. By now my initial conservative sail plan had given way to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?cat=8"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Grace-Hanko.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Grace-Hanko.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Grace-Hanko.gif?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":648,"url":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?p=648","url_meta":{"origin":1178,"position":2},"title":"Blid\u00f6 to Mariehamn","author":"Becoming Salty","date":"July 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 Sat. June 23rd:\u00a0I\u2019d always looked on the prospect of crossing the Baltic as daunting. The images that came to mind were of spume-flecked rolling seas, driving rain and howling winds, with nothing but dark and frigid depths awaiting the unwary. To attempt this passage surely it was not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?cat=8"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Arcturus-Mariehamn-12.20am.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Arcturus-Mariehamn-12.20am.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Arcturus-Mariehamn-12.20am.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":820,"url":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?p=820","url_meta":{"origin":1178,"position":3},"title":"Creepy to the Max&#8230;","author":"Becoming Salty","date":"July 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Gothic horror - almost - on Bj\u00f6rk\u00f6r With the boat sitting serenely at the dock I spent a couple of hours catnapping before cleaning and tidying the boat and grabbing some breakfast (my usual staple of yogurt and granola with honey). James had gone exploring and returned to tell me\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?cat=8"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/very-strange-shoes.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/very-strange-shoes.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/very-strange-shoes.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/very-strange-shoes.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/very-strange-shoes.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/very-strange-shoes.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":976,"url":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?p=976","url_meta":{"origin":1178,"position":4},"title":"K\u00f6kar to Jurmo","author":"Becoming Salty","date":"July 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Sun 6\/30 Dep. 11.47. 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I often use that old chestnut to provide solace when the day\u2019s sailing was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?cat=8"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kokar-chapel-2.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kokar-chapel-2.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kokar-chapel-2.gif?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":972,"url":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?p=972","url_meta":{"origin":1178,"position":5},"title":"Mariehamn to Bj\u00f6rk\u00f6r","author":"Becoming Salty","date":"July 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Fri. 6\/28\/19 Dep 11.16am, arr: 3.18pm. 15.5nm. 4 hours 2 minutes For a higher-resolution map of this route, click HERE: Bjork\u00f6r: what's not to lichen? With my newspaper deadline safely out of the way Kevin and I rose early and grabbed a shower and sauna. Given the long hours of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/?cat=8"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/bjorkor-lichen.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1178"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1342,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1178\/revisions\/1342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingarcturus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}