All at sea

Saturday, April 28th., Flying Cloud R.Y.S., at sea.

Flying Cloud

I arose at 5.45, not needing any more sleep, and ate two apples and one orange on the poop deck, talking to the officer of the watch. Neither the Captain or the other two officers are really interesting. The Captain is young and energetic but a bit boastful. Having eaten the fruit I returned to my stateroom  and wrote up my impressions of the previous day in due form for printing. It is really very easy. Shaving and bathing and so on is a great nuisance and consumer of time. Breakfast at 9.

Rudolf is usually in his dressing gown; so is David Gray, the playwright; so is Kahn sometimes. Of course they have been up later than me playing their infernal cards. I am always dressed. The meal is very plenteous. The difficulty is not to eat too much. Cigarettes are always offered before the end of each meal. There are two or three stewards to look after us. I alone have a cigar after breakfast.


The 'Boss' (as they call him, except me I always call him 'Commodore' and he always calls me 'Vice Commodore') announced the time at which he proposed to leave for an excursion, but he will alter the time if asked. Today we went ashore at Candia. Motor cars were waiting; they always are, and we drove off instantly 3 miles to Knossos, the seat of Minoan civilisation. Three palaces, one above another. Very interesting, but not big enough for my taste. Then we drove back to the museum which is far more interesting artistically than the palaces. That said, when you examine the designs closely it becomes apparent that they are largely conjectural. A lot has been made out of not very much. I feel a bit disturbed by the authenticity issue. I liked the 'Snake Goddesses' - they would cause a 'stir' in Kensington!


We returned to the quay where the launch was waiting; it always is, and we were back on the ship at 12.15. I decided to bathe and then lay on the deck in the sun to dry. It did me good. A steward came round and asked what cocktail I wanted. Kahn won't have one. Then lunch. The talk at meals is very good. It is occasionally obscene startling, and even bawdy, but very intelligent. A good group of travellers (except for the card obsession!). All have been educated by experience.

Jo Davidson

I had a sleep after lunch and then we went back into the town. Intensely hot. Met Jo Davidson and Paul Dougherty in the port. We were ferried back in instalments for tea on deck. The tea is terrific. Then more card playing. I went down to my cabin to write a bit. Kahn reads a lot and writes in his stateroom. I am reading a book by him. Full of sense. 

At 6 p.m. we weighed anchor for Santorini. Lovely dusk and night. I emerge from my cabin at intervals to tease the card players, and sometimes go out on the poop to see how the ship is getting along. Dinner at 8. very plenteous, too plenteous. I didn't eat half of it. I devoted most of my evening to a fine cigar. More cards! Drinks come round, but very little alcohol is drunk. I read a bit and walked around and at 10.30 said goodnight to Kahn and nodded to the others, and settled to write this. I shall probably sleep sometime after 11.

 

In Greece

Monday, April 25th., at Nauplia, on board Flying Cloud, R.Y.S.

Flying Cloud R.Y.S.

First glimpses of Greece yesterday at 7.30 a.m. Grey day, overcast, no sun. Lovely coastline: medieval castles on it, and snow-topped mountains in the distance. At noon we had turned into the Marathon Gulf, and dropped anchor off Getheon. As soon as lunch was over we went ashore and saw the town. Crowds and crowds gathered to inspect us. The Chief of Police came to greet us on the quay. We must seem very alien to them. Lovely landscpaes and seascapes all dominated by Mount Taygetus, apparently the place where the Spartans exposed children they wanted to die.

Otto Kahn

I must say that Kahn is a man of terrific energy, also highly nervous. I suppose the two things go together. He is by far the best-dressed man on board. I am not in it. He has brought fifty two suits and six overcoats. He has six pairs of the most chic yachting shoes and appears daily in a fresh uniform with stock to match. But he hasn't got a gilt-buttoned blue blazer like mine, and much regrets the sad fact. I reckon his income at about £1,000,000 a year, so of course expenditure is nothing at all to him. Good job because the hire of the yacht is £1,000 a week, and the miscellaneous expenses must come to at least £100 a day.

Social relations are perfect so far. Kommer and Kahn pretend to quarrel at bridge. Kommer is easily the best player on board. He is a very idle man who wouldn't come with us to Epidauros this morning; he would stay on the yacht and play bridge all day if left to himself. 

He missed a treat because Epidauros is simply the best-preserved theatre in Greece. In fact it strikes me as a perfection in theatres. We calculated that it can hold 12,000 people. You can hear perfectly words spoken in an ordinary tone in the centre of the 'stage'. I was quietly calculating in my head the potential revenue from a performance. I could see something in that!