Haha! The ever-alluring romance of sail!
Anyone walking by Kvæsthusbroen in Copenhagen’s harbour early on Saturday would have been able to take in the unforgettable sight of a fully-rigged three-masted sailing ship proceeding majestically up the channel.
Celebrating her 85th anniversary, the Italian naval training vessel ‘Amerigo Vespucci’ called at Copenhagen on a voyage that has taken her from Leghorn, through the Mediterranean, into the Atlantic and the North Sea and the Skaggerak, before ultimately returning to Leghorn on October 1.
Captain Curzio Pacifici (centre right), his officers and some of the cadets welcomed visitors and gave a guided tour of the impressive vessel, which still plays a major role in the training of budding Italian naval officers.
The sun shone, the brass gleamed and the dark wood of the wheelhouse glowed; it almost made me regret that I was not going with them – until I looked up from the base of the impressive main mast (54 metres tall) and realised just how high up those top sails were!
The ship sailed away on August 31. Fair wind and buon viaggio!
