Four straight days of class on the ship (above, the view from my office). Students came back from Spain tired but elated. We are attempting to keep them focused and up on their classwork. That's not an easy task with all of the distractions, but this is a terrific group that seems to be taking the academics seriously. We have noted a steady improvement in the students' attitudes toward the academic part of the voyage since UVa got involved (first UVa voyage, summer 2007); from that perspective it's rather sad that UVa has pulled the plug on its academic sponsorship.
We have an Interport Lecturer from Glasgow on board (Christine Reid, winner of the European Librarian of the Year Award in 2000) who gave a terrific talk on Scottish history and the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence (September 18).
On the first day we did a ship trip from the Greenock port to the Luss Highland Games, a once-a-year event that pits athletes in events like running or cycling, but also caber tossing (when the woman told me what it was in her sweet Scottish accent, I thought she said "caper tossing," which, of course, impressed me not one whit), rock throwing, boulder lifting, and bagpipe competitions.
The entire event takes place on the large estate of Sir Malcolm Rory, on the edge of Loch Loman.
Tomorrow, Glasgow and Edinburgh.Stay tuned.
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