Once upon a time there was a dog. Not just any dog, but a Great Dane. (He stood 2m tall when he stood on his hind legs.) Not just any Great Dane, but an Able Seaman.
He is the only dog to officially be a sailor in the Royal Navy. He was drafted to prevent him being out down as a result of accompanying sailors on their day trips via train to Cape Town. You see, sailors got free travel, and the railways threatened to have him euthanized if his fares were not paid.
His duties involved whatever he saw fit to engage in, but he was a huge morale booster to the troops during WW2. His name came from the fact that his favourite resting place was on the gang-planks of the ships moored in Simonstown Harbour, making a 'nuisance' of himself to anyone trying to board or disembark the ship.
This past term #1 has been learning about him in class, so she wanted to go and see his statue. We took the train from Muizenburg, to make a day of it. We saw seals, penguins, and ships; ate mussels, calamari, biltong and ice creams; climbed rocks, walked for miles and slid down the zippy slide. What more could a family want?
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