Well Nautie Friends....it's freakin' cold out. I mean really cold. It's been stormy, stormy, stormy. Our port isn't taking any ships due to Gale Force winds and so we (along with every other ship imaginable) have been drifting waiting for the weather to clear. By drifting I mean getting blown sideways by 50 knot winds. Last night it finally got well below freezing and things started to ice up. I haven't seen ice since I was fresh out of school sailing in Alaska! It was borderline exciting....until I remembered that pretty soon I'd be turning valves instead of standing in a toasty bridge....and that they'd be frozen.....and I'd be cold and cranky.

The term 'toasty bridge' may also be relative. I'm currently on the bridge wearing long underwear (tops and bottoms), a tank top, a polo shirt and, a jacket....and my Uggs.

When I was a cadet I was on a containership that crossed from Hawaii to California - it was the middle of the summer but as soon as we'd hit the open Pacific it would be chilly. I had one measly fleece jacket. The Second Assistant Engineer took me to task and said, 'Let me tell you something cadet....SHIPS MOVE! You always, always, always pack cold weather gear!'. I've never joined a ship without long undies and smart wool socks since.

Let me tell you what, those undies and socks have been necessities of late. Who knew a Mediterranean winter was so much colder than a Mediterranean summer!

Last night we had sea smoke. Tres cool. This happens when the air temperature is substantially colder than the sea temp. It's eerie....but gorgeous. Wispy fog curls off the ocean....it literally looks like smoke. I saw it quite often up in Alaska - and it's been fun to see again.

The other thing about the Black Sea? It's dark! This sunrise occured at approximately 0900. Seriously. Sea smoke, ice and darkness? I'm glad this is only going to last for another week or so!

For the record....to take these photos I'd run outside snap two or three and then run back inside....FRIGID! Enjoy more in the gallery below!

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