Norfolk Adventures 2014 - Parade & Tattooo

Before writing this, I went back and reviewed the article I wrote on June 8, 2011 entitled "Norfolk Adventures - Day 245 to 248 - Norfolk, VA" to make sure I did not repeat myself.  Below is a link to that article.  I think did a good job of capturing the city's flavor.  It's worth reading.

www.mvguideddiscovery.blogspot.com/2011/06/norfolk-adventures-days-245-to-248.html

As you know, we arrived last Friday after a somewhat slow trip on the ICW due to the bridges that open on a rigid schedule.  Friday night, we had torrential rains connected to a front that produced a tornado in Elizabeth City, NC.  We were just 20 miles east of there at Coinjock the previous evening.

Guided Discovery at night in Norfolk

Saturday we awoke to a beautiful day and a parade that started at 10:00 AM with its reviewing stand right by the marina.  The parade kicked off the 2014 Norfolk NATO Festival, an event that celebrates the founding of NATO.  All 28 NATO countries had floats that symbolized their culture.  Interspersed were bands and civic organizations that came out to support the program.  It was a lovely parade.

Portugal (I think)

Romania

Slovenia

Spain

United Kingdom

Turkey

Norway

Model A Ford Club

Italy

One of many bands providing great music

The United States float captures our culture perfectly

After the parade we wandered to a parkto the event itself  (two football fields from the marina).  Here we found 28 tents, one for each country, promoting tourism.  Each tent had a sign that identified the country's political system and the size of its armed forces.  In the center was a beer garden with music. Diana could not resist knackwurst and sauerkraut.  I could not resist the bratwurst.

View from Nauticus Museum on the NATO Festival festivities

The "crew" poses in front of seven of the circle of 28 NATO country tents

Sunday we experienced another part of Norfolk's culture when we attended the Virginia International Tattoo, a part of the Virginia Arts Festival Spring 2014.

Explanatory Note: The next two paragraphs explain what is meant be the term "tattoo."

"In the old days, field musicians were vital to commanders as the sole means of relaying orders during battle. For marching, the bands kept the company or regiment in proper cadence, and served to beat the daily duty calls and ceremonies such as Reveille, Taps, the General, the Assembly and the Retreat. The distinctive and colorful uniforms were necessary to distinguish them easily on the battlefields, and were often the reverse color of those worn by the line soldiers.

The term "tattoo" derives from the cries of the 17th and 18th century Low Country innkeepers, who, as the fifes and drums of the local regiment signaled a return to quarters would cry, "Doe den tap toe!" -"Turn off the taps!" The sound of the "taps" caused the innkeeper's customers to depart and return to their barracks. The word "tattoo" evolved over time, and refers to what developed as a ceremonial performance of military music by massed bands today."

I need a better camera

I borrowed a paragraph from their website to give you a sense of the spectacle we enjoyed.  Their "hype" cannot capture the thrill of the performance we observed to a packed house (at the afternoon performance).

"The spectacular Virginia International Tattoo performances will once again inspire audiences, leaving them with a renewed sense of pride and optimism. The Virginia International Tattoo invites military and non-military bands, drill teams, bagpipe and drum bands, highland dancers and more from around the globe to create a unified and extraordinary performance. The Virginia International Tattoo offers an astounding display of patriotism and the spirit of international cooperation. Inspirational music…majestic massed pipes and drums… show stopping drill team maneuvers…colorful and elegant dancers…ALL give reasons for the crowd to roar!"

Kodi and I enjoyed a 4 mile morning walk on Monday.  Then it started to rain and it has been raining off and on every since.

Good news: Tuesday morning two technicians (JT and AJ) arrived at 8:30 AM to resolve a leak at the port transmission sensor.  The confirmed the diagnosis made by Rafael Betts from Performance Power System in Stuart and proceeded to resolve the issue.  They also found and corrected a fuel leak and installed a After Cooler Condensation Valve Hose that was missing when we took possession.  As of today, there a no open issues on Outer Reef's Warranty Issues list. Hurrah.

The next article will deal with the weather related to our 480 nautical mile trip from Norfolk to Hingham Massachusetts.  Stay tuned.  It will be interesting..

Written by Les