Our last two consecutive sea days, as we transit from Africa to Spain, were packed with activities and, of course, food.

On top of that, today was Easter, so there was both a Roman Catholic mass at 8:00 a.m. and an interdenominational service at 10:00 in the morning. Viking tries really hard on long cruises to accommodate the wishes of passengers who want spaces for bible study and services, although they do not provide clerics or sanction any at-sea ministries. Jewish passengers and their guests shared a Seder dinner for Passover earlier this month.

The day began with Dr. Caroline Malloy’s talk: “African Queens: the Lions of African History”. My two favourite takeaways from her lecture were an African (Igbo) proverb, and a wonderful new word, “damnatio”.

The proverb (translated) reads: “Until lions have their own historians, the story of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”

The word damnatio comes from “damnatio memoriae”, a Latin expression that means “condemn of/from memory” and was used in ancient Rome to refer to the practice of eliminating or vilifying the memory of a person after their death, especially those considered enemies of the state or dishonorable characters. Think of images removed from frescoes or scraped from reliefs, statues toppled, or books burned; all of those are the process of damnatio.

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There wasn’t time for much more than coffee while the theatre was being used for the second of the Easter services, and then the schedule moved right into the second lecture of the day, Russell Lee’s talking about the colour red (well, he did blue, so why not?). “A Study In Scarlet – The Story of the Colour Red” celebrated the hue that was discovered by the Aztecs, stolen by the conquistadors, and coveted by Europeans.

Now that I’ve been reminded that red clothing is associated with royalty, I may need to start wearing it again!

When Ted popped into the room before lunch, there was a gift on our freshly made bed…

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Attending Russell’s lecture had meant missing out on getting photos of my own of the Easter chocolate buffet on the Aquavit Terrace before it was attacked, but Ted – as always – came to the rescue.

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Of course, there were lots of non-dessert special foods for Easter too, supplementing all the usual choices of salads, entrees, and pool grill items.

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Linda and I had good intentions of walking after lunch, but the seas were rolling enough that the deck was wet and the boat rocking enough to make walking hazardous. The Captain’s noon announcement indicated “medium to rough” seas until we reach Tenerife in two days.

Canarianweekly.com yesterday reported that “The Canary Islands will end the Easter weekend under yellow weather warnings as strong winds and rough sea conditions are expected across several islands tomorrow, Sunday, according to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).” and “At sea, the weather will be especially severe. Northeasterly winds are forecast to reach speeds of up to 61 kilometres per hour (force 7) on the southeastern coasts of Tenerife and the southeast and western shores of Gran Canaria. Swells from the north or northwest could produce waves up to two metres high, making for rough or very rough sea conditions across much of the archipelago.”

Yikes. Instead of walking I took a short nap, which turned into a long one – completely missing Gail Lee’s 3:00 p.m. genealogy workshop on tracing maternal lines.

I slept so long that I only just barely made it to the theatre in time for Robin Hinckes’ lecture called “12 Statues”. Robin’s history lectures on South Africa have always been emotionally charged, and this one was no exception. I was quite sad that this would be his last lecture of the cruise, because I’ve learned so much from them. Viking requires that he preface his talks with the disclaimer “Some of the content contains graphic images which you may find upsetting”; Robin promised that today’s would not cause tears.

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Today’s lecture focussed on the 12 statues of British leaders and important personages located in Parliament Square opposite Westminster Abbey.

Eight of the statues have nothing to do with South Africa: David Lloyd George, Abraham Lincoln, George Canning, Millicent Fawcett, Viscount Palmerston, the Earl of Darby, Benjamin Disraeli, and Robert Peel.

Four of the statues have defining ties to South Africa:

• Winston Churchill, who made his initial reputation as a leader and motivator of men during the Boer War. Churchill was a big believer in colonialism and the might of the British Empire.
• Jan Christian Smuts, an Afrikaaner who studied law at Cambridge, returned to South Africa where he rose to the rank of General in the Boer War against Britain, and – due to his later success against the Germans in South Africa – served in the British War Cabinet in WWI, ended the Welsh coal miners’ strike, and became Churchill’s greatest confidante and friend. Ironically, Smuts believed in equality and freedom in the wider world… but just not in his native South Africa.
• Mahatma Gandhi, whose journey toward a policy of peaceful resistance was born after the incident in South Africa where he was thrown out of the white carriage of a train. Gandhi served as a stretcher bearer on the British side in the Boer War. Gandhi was imprisoned on four different occasions by Jan Smuts, yet evidence shows that Smuts highly respected him.
• Nelson Mandela, whose entire life experiences – from schooling to job experience – in South Africa shaped his political views. When he became president of South Africa, he was received by the Quern of England, who called him “Nelson” ; in response he called her “Elizabeth”, which she apparently received with good humour.

The phrase “Ubunthu” means humanity. “A person is a person only through other people”. Robin ended his lecture with the quote by Kwame Nkrumah, “I am not an African because I was born in Africa, but because Africa is born in me”, and with a very personal paraphrasing of one of South African President Thabo Mbeki’s most stirring speeches, portions of which have also turned into a poem by Dr. Wayne Visser. Robin generously gave me his copy, reproduced here:

I am an African.
I owe my being to the valleys, the mountains, the seas, the veld and the deserts, the trees and the flowers;
and the never-ending African sunsets and sunshine and ever-changing seasons that define the face of our land.

I owe my being to the Khoi and the San,whose desolate souls haunt this land that was once theirs.
I owe my being to the migrants from Europe, the blood of Malay slaves, and the tears of the Boers as they buried their dead.

I am the child of Hintsa, Chaka, Moshesh and Sekhukune,
of Smuts De La Rey and Gandhi;
of Chinese and Indian labourers, 
of those who created wealth underground in our gold mines
and of those who sent them there.

I am an African.
I am born of tears and the pain and conflict of a bloody miracle,
all of which forge my being into one with Africa,
and which make me proud to say:
I am an African.

For her blue skies take my breath away
and my hope for the future is bright.
I am an African.
For her people teach me the meaning of ubunthu
and greet me as family.
I am an African.
For her wildness quenches my spirit 
and brings me closer to the source of life.

I am an African 
When the music of Africa beats in the wind, my blood pulses to its rhythm, and I become the essence of sound,
When the colours of Africa dazzle the sun, my senses drink in its rainbow, and I become the palette of nature.
When the stories of Africa echo around the fire, my feet walk its pathways, and I become the footprints of history.

I say to you all as Africans:
Bayete! I salute you!

We are Africans.

Africa has been an enriching and emotional experience for us, and will undoubtedly remain a highlight of our world travels.

We had a group dinner with the Viking Sky 24/25 World Cruise Directory Team, who have a big Crew Appreciation event planned first tomorrow morning.

Then it was an early night for me, since the rough seas arecwearing me out. .

Just one more sea day until we reach Spain…. sort of … in the guise of the Canary Islands.