rchrd@well.UUCP (02/17/86)
We note with great sadness the sinking of the Soviet cruise
ship Mikhail Lermontov this weekend off the coast of New
Zealand.
I have very fond memories of this fine ship, having taken it
from New York City to Tilbury (London) in June 1977. That
9 day passage is still fresh in my mind. We met a very odd
assortment of people on the ship, Russians who were doing the
round trip from Leningrad-New York-Leningrad, a number of East
European diplomats returning for the summer, a good number of
American academics who have been sailing to Europe each summer
for years and who remembered being on the Andrea Doria (it too
sank), and a confused group of Florida retirees who were taking
the cruise for no other reason than their travel agent suggested
it! This is the stuff novels are made of.
On board we met the niece of Isadora Duncan (and her daughter)
returning to Paris to re-open the Gallerie Raymond Duncan on
Rue Jacob.
We had our fill of vodka and "Galina, Galina"; it took years
to erase the sound of "Moscow Nights" from our brains. For 9
days, no telephone, no news, no TV. We just sat out on the
rear deck and watched the water, sea birds, and flying dolphins!
I wonder if there are others out there who took the Lermontov on
one of its voyages between NY and Europe. I believe the service
ended with Afghanistan, but it began in the summer of '73.
It was a wonderful alternative to flying, and to the more
expensive passages such as the QEII and the Dutch ships today.
(I remember that it cost us $480 each, one way!) Lets hear it
for the Lermontov!! R.I.P.
--
...Richard Friedman [rchrd]
Pacific-Sierra Research
2855 Telegraph #415, Berkeley CA 94705
(415) 540 5216
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