Torquoise under Violet Skies. Friday 26th July - Bray-sur-Somme to Ryalcourt

Heading down the highway in too much wind and too little temperature for comfort (I know, I know, we can never be happy) with the sky looking as though it was filled with actual purple rain, the approach of the curiously named “Turquoise” got us all a-thinking about the nature of boat names and particularly those brandished by commercial ships plying the inland waters (which “Turquoise” is not).

You never see a proper ship called “Sea Wind” or “Summer Breeze”.  Their owners have bigger dreams.  

Their ships are named for heroes, for aspirations and often just for fun, curiously in languages other than those spoken by the crew.  Today alone we have crossed paths with two thousand tons of “Stewball” as well as:“Moonraker”, “Athena”, ”Helena”, ”Posiedon”, “Mexico”, ”Mexicali”, “Rottweiler”, ”Pitbull”, ”Largo”,” Touriste”,” Tourisme”,” California”,” Arkansas”,” Capri’ and perhaps the most aspirational of all: 

“Queensland”.