The first thing one is told about when talking to the crew members from the Sea Stallion is the hospitality and warm welcome the city of Dublin has shown them. The streets are decorated with flags and banners showing the Sea Stallion logo and reading the text: “We welcome the sea Stallion!”
It is not only the ”official Dublin” who has given this great welcome, also private people, store and institutions has decorated their houses and buildings.
Even the city’s parking information system is a part of the festivities; between the shifting green numbers telling the amount of vacant parking places it is written: “Welcome to the Sea Stallion!”
The crew meets the same warmth when they are walking around Dublin. As soon as it is heard that they are speaking Danish they are greeted with questions and firm handshakes. Preben Rather Sørensen who has been onboard the sea Stallion for all of the seven weeks was stopped on the street by a man who gave him 50 euros as a “thank you” for the great experience the Sea Stallion and its crew has given him.
Skipper Carsten Hvid tells: “It is touching to see how much interest there is about the project. We get the feeling that many people whish to tell us how much it really means to them to have their Viking Past come sailing back to them”. In Port Orley the skipper talked to a woman who gave him an envelope with one hundred euros which he was told should be used to by wine for the crew’s last dinner before Dublin.
But still nothing comes close to the welcome given by the large crowds of spectators when the Sea Stallion sailed up the River Liffey; which brought the tears to almost every one of the crew member’s eyes!