The Med! We've transited the Suez Canal--leaving behind the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and the Gulfs of Oman, Aden and assorted Persians--and now sail the choppy waters of the Mediterranean Sea. After spending Summer in the Middle-Eastern "Sandbox" I find the cool November breezes and haze-free skies immensely refreshing. Of all the bodies of water I have sailed in nearly forty years of seafaring, THIS is my favorite, with its even, pleasant climate and the fascination of millennia of history hidden beneath its swell.
My first six naval deployments (beginning in 1981) were to the Med, and I've explored and sampled the cultures of many of the lands that border this ancient sea; Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Monaco, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, Israel, Greece, the Balearic Islands, Romania, and the states of the former Yugoslavia. I well know that in fact I've only scratched the surface--there is SO much to see, to learn!
And perhaps to teach; in my small way I have always worked to dispel the popular image of the American Sailor or Mariner in-port as drunken, loud and crude--heading straight to the bars and houses of ill-repute and of course to 'McDonalds'; to break the stereotype of the Ugly American. I've had some success in this effort, but there is much to be done.
And that's okay, for I know that I'll continue to explore these waterways, countries and islands--and I'll have many, many more opportunities to interact with the wonderful peoples that I chance to meet along the way. And THAT is why a life at sea has held me in thrall since I was a teenager; my chosen career gives me the opportunity to explore strange, new lands, the worlds of fascinating people and cultures, and the deep, deep history that lies as foundation for all we know. And it gives me the chance to explore something else; myself in the context of all of these things.
This is the Mediterranean Sea, and this is what it means to one particular Mariner.
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