Page 21 - 2003 - Atlantic Islands

appropriate parts of the sketch to create the details & highlights needed for the

bench. When Kay had finished we all agreed that it was a fine picture of a bench and

we admired it vociferously. Others of us are having a lot more trouble creating

anything that looks like what it’s supposed to represent. Our next formal educational

program was on “Coral Reefs,” their creation and their inhabitants around the tropics.

Coral reefs usually start as volcanic islands in which the mountain either subsides or

rises, at any rate, the water level rises. When the mountain totally subsides under the

ocean waters, a coral atoll is left behind. All this made me wonder about the reefs off

Florida & Belize because I do not think that either of those places is volcanic in origin.

However, the slide show was lovely with excellent pictures of undersea creatures so

there was no time for embarrassing questions or answers.

We did enjoy afternoon tea on the back deck again and had some interesting

conversations with other travelers. We skipped the cocktail hour but joined John for

his talk about our first excursion tomorrow to Sao Vicente in the Cape Verde Islands.

He warned us that we might find it a little depressing since it has been a long time

since the Islands were prosperous way stations on slavery routes for the Portuguese,

a refueling depot for the British (coal) or a Western Union Telegraph Station. The

Islands have fallen on hard times and there is no money to spend on infrastructure,

maintenance or new buildings. He said the area is desolate in appearance and in the

populace’s attitudes. When he last visited, he found the people unhappy and

unhopeful.

Supper was delicious as always and we enjoyed sitting with Bill B., Barbara T., and the

Harrises. However, we got into a rather heated, at least on our part, discussion of

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