I have known the skipper, Hans Christian Cars, and his wife Isolde since the early ‘seventies. He and I started out as graduate students in economics around the same time at the University of Stockholm.
Hans Christian is a man of many talents, among them that of a writer, with several books published, on a surprising range of topics, from documentary reports on politicians to economic reform proposals, not to speak of a thriller and a treatise on religion. Despite approaching his seventies, he is still surprisingly agile and handles the rudder and sails like a youngster.
Isolde, formerly a renowned ophthalmologist, also has a formidable knack as diagnosist and pedagogue, when it comes to explaining the nature of the various ills and cramps we all are burdened with. In her new life, she is keeping the ship in fit and orderly con-dition, as well as seeing to the guests’ wellbeing with persisting enthusiasm.
The sailing partner, Andreas, has a successful career as manager in private enterprises to look back on. Despite his “youth”, only just approaching his ’fifties, he has vast experience in sailing all kinds of boats, from small boats to large catamarans.
That not withstanding, he gladly admits his fascination with handling a huge sailing vessel, like the Gulet Algarina. He is usually relied upon to do the jumping and flexing of muscles that we old-timers admire but have difficulties in emulating.
Isolde and Irene in well-deserved repose, basking in the glow of the afternoon sun.
His companion, Irene, joined the trip for a week and kept us content with her albeit shy, but serene, personality, always keeping a smile on her face, whatever the travails of the journey, and ready to lend Isolde a helping hand when needed.
My fellow passenger, Per Magnus Wijkman, hardly needs a presentation, being an internationally renowned expert in trade economics. Suffice it to google his name to get access to the numerous publications he has issued over the years.
What the search results don’t tell you is that he holds a comprehensive grasp of world events, present and past, having gained these insights through his multivaried career and ever present curiosity about all things human and societal. For instance, his preparation for the trip consisted of ploughing through a thick tome on Byzantine history, as well as bringing along DVD’s with 21 lectures on the same topic by a renowned American professor.
Humility prevents me from listing my own personal characteristics. Suffice it to point to certain similarities to Per Magnus’ personality; my preparation for the journey also implied ploughing through a tome on Byzantine history, although a somewhat smaller and more superficial one.
Thus are described the “dramatis personae” – let the journey begin!
