Pingu Travel - Pingu in car crash

This image shows where I normally live on the yacht. The car on the right is a model of what the Ancient Mariner has at home. His friends call it a "tart trap" - he says it doesn’t work. We left Blankenberge in Belgium very early in the morning to go home to Harwich. It all has something to do with the Cook wanting to go to a party. We hit a very big wave and the car flew across the yacht and hit me in the goolies - however being squeezey and cuddly the car just bounced back. The Ancient Mariner said a word I did not understand and then turned round and we went back to Blankenberge.

PIngu Travel

Pingu and the Ancient Mariner in deep discussion; The Ancient Mariner has a large Pimm's in hand, Pingu looks on enviously but deep down is still not sure what Pimm's is.

Pingu Travel

Pingu sitting on the beach on the Island of Ossehoek in the Grevelingenmeer in southern Holland.
It was off this beach that both of the Ancient Mariners children learned to row, played endlessly in the sand and then like all siblings throw sand at each other!
To the Ancient Mariner's family the island has always been known as Dinghy Island.

Pingu Travel

The restaurant Het Wapen van Willenstad at Willenstad in southern Holland. The Ancient Mariner and the Cook celebrated their first wedding anniversary here in 1981.

From their comments I gather it is just as good today; I was only allowed to watch with envy as large plates of moules were devoured.
Mind you when they discussed the bill I did wonder whether they were paying for lunch or buying the restaurant!

Pingu Travel

Pingu is back in Holland. Great excitement as he was taken for a cycle along a canal towpath by the cook.

Pingu Travel

getting up help

Pingu Travel

Paddington and I might be able to stop a motorway but Dutch railways are different. Here you have to wait for the railway to be clear.
This is at Gouda railway Bridge. The old bridge is in the foreground and the new one is the tower looking structure in the background.
You might just make out the sign saying when the next opening is going to be, 21.13 in our case.

Pingu Travel

Kiel Canal. The canal connects the North Sea with the Baltic. It is about 56 miles long and has large locks at each end. Due to the recession there were very few commercial vessels using the canal this year.

Pingu Travel

Pingu meets a lady bird.


Pingu finds some iron age stones and then proceeds to hold court with Hanne Lawrie, left, and the ships cook, right.
Pingu visits the memorial to a world war two bomber crash site on the island of Als. All the American crew survived and two returned recently for a reunion meeting at the crash site.

James, having repaired the “bear” and we are now on the move again.

Pingu Travel

Pingu has now arrived on the Danish Island of Als and is invited out to dinner, however he is somewhat confused by which knife, fork and plate to use.
He also anticipates that the Ancient Mariner is going to be a little grumpy in the morning.

Pingu Travel

Pingu keeps his distance; The "bear" has gone poorly. Waiting for a new throttle cable, should be available on Monday, maybe lack of marmalade sandwiches!

Pingu finds a vintage tractor; Ferguson 20, made in Coventry, UK, in late 1940 and early 1950. Exported world wide and began a revolution in modern farming systems. Now very much a collectors item. This one was near Ystad in Sweden. Pingu wanted to take it home but the Ancient Mariner said no; when the Ancient mariner says NO others around him do not regard that as the opening point in the discussion!

Pingu Travel

Let us get one thing very clear. I am the senior crew member on the Yacht Paddington IV. I have sailed for 26 human years, that is 52 Bear years, and I have over 60,000 sea miles under my duffle coat.
This year there appears to be yet another young upstart on board, Pingu the Penguin. He may have his own blog and be on face book. I have television programmes about me.
And finally just remember that I eat Penguins for breakfast without even a hint of a belch.....

Pingu Travel

All taken in the Visby, Gotland area.

There is pedal power and there is flower power; this bike needs both!

The is horse power and flower power; come back "Herbie" all is forgiven.

Pingu takes up construction work, or demolition work:
"Which one shall I pull next"

Visby on a foggy morning.

I am not sure who you are but you do a good line in cuddles.

I "smell" a party coming on.

Pingu Travel

If you think I am going sailing in this fog then think again.

Pingu is trying to learn to tell the time.

St Mary’s Cathedral

The Gotland symbol is a sheep; Pingu this one is not going to move very far!

Pingu is proving a little fickle. It was not long ago that he had had enough of towns and tall ships; all he wanted was rocks and anchorages. He has now heard about Visby on the island of Gotland; an island with a distinctly young feel to it. Haunt of young Stockholmer's wanting a boisterous holiday.
It is also one of the original Hanseatic League Cities with wonderful old buildings, narrow cobbled streets and old city walls.

Pingu Travel

In case it has not been explained I would like to let all my many fans know that I am actually passenger on a 11.5m sailing yacht cruising round the Baltic for the summer. I left the East Coast of England on the 4th May and expect to be back in early September.
It is not all posh marinas with hot and cold Pingu baths!
Here we are tied up to a rock in typical Finnish style.

Pingu Travel

This is me with the Archipelago in the background.

King Pingu- on my new throne.

I now understand why the fairy did not like sitting on top of the Christmas tree; how would you like these spikes stuck up your ....

Next time I think I might go the other way.

Pingu Travel

On the island of Gullkroma there is a nature trail with a "fairy forest with many exciting surprises for children"

Pingu and his elderly custodian both believe they qualify as "children". One of them certainly behaves like one!

Any way pingu found what seemed like a space capsule and climbed all the way to the top of it, how ever he got a bit of a fright when he went to look inside!

Pingu Travel

Pingu visited the island of Gullkroma in the outer Turku Archipelago.

The island was a pilot station until the early 1900’s.

The old pilot hut is now a museum.

"I see no ships" Maybe if you spent less time smiling at the camera and more time looking out of the window that would help!

Else where on the island Pingu got a bit of a shock – more to come.

Pingu Travel

"Mother you always told me I only had one sibling; is there something you did not tell me?"

Taken in Lubeck in May

Pingu Travel - Episode 8

Pingu writes:

I have had enough of the fleshpots of Turku, Castles and Tall Ships so I am now off to the Turku Archipelago for a few days relaxation, fishing and swimming. I might of course find a little blonde Finnish sea nymph!

They do not have quite the same wi fi internet access out there so my reports may be a little delayed.

Love Pingu

Pingu Travel - Episode 7

Turku is the oldest city in Finland with records going back to 1229. The Finns carelessly allowed the city to burn down on various occasions but the biggest disaster was when it lost its capital city status to that "village in the east" – Helsinki.

Penguins pictures are taken at the castle, started in 1280 and enlarged, modified and fought over ever since.

Pingu Travel - Episode 6

Turku is host to one of the stop overs in the 2009 Tall Ships Race.

This is open to sail training ships but the average age of the crew must not exceed 25.

The Sail Training Ship Lord Nelson has special dispensation as they carry a large number of young disabled people. Penguin managed to get aboard and sent these images.

Trying to stow away.

With new found friend, Sara Lehtimaki, a Finnish girl who sailed on the Lord Nelson on the St Petersburg to Turku leg.

"Delusions of grandeur" - I am in charge.

Pingu Travel - Episode 5

Penguin survives encounter with Finnish dinosaur and proves that with training anything is possible "ride 'im cowboy"


Penguin has strange encounter with flying friends


Penguin stakes claim for England.

Pingu Travel - Episode 4

www.wisa24.com

On the same island as the NJK Yacht Club; known as "The Hotel".
1 double bedroom, 1 twin bedroom, bar-b-que as cooker.

Two problems; no loo and no bedroom curtains; great view from ferries going past!






"West Malling I think we may have a problem" With apologies to the astronauts on Apollo 13 who used a similar expression when they announced their problem.

Pingu Travel - Episode 3

Pingu has sent us updates of his whereabouts, currently in Suomenlinna, an island just off Helskinki.

"now which way did that Russian Destroyer go"

"The Kings Gate" Penguin waited for sometime to be greeted by the King. I had to explain that Finland did not have a King and the President had a previous appointment; Penguin was not amused.

View from the battlements.