Onward to Falkland Islands...

 After leaving Antarctica, we spent a day at sea to reach the Falkland Islands.  Once again the seas were on the rough side.  Celebrity allowed us to take photos of the evening shows.  We enjoyed this dancing, acrobatic show one night.

 The Eclipse was a beautiful, classy ship.  I especially loved this two story library you could see from the central glass elevators.  I took advantage of the library and read several books throughout our cruise.

 Once again the weather cooperated with us.  It was a cloudy, sometimes rainy day in the Falklands and the wind continued to blow.  However, we were told it was about the best it gets.  The previous cruise was unable to dock at the Falklands.  Due to strong winds, they were unable to safely tender the passengers to the island.  We felt fortunate indeed.

We took a brief excursion around the island which has a long history of whaling.  The current effort to preserve whales has ended that economic activity.

 Whalebone Cove has the remains of many sailing vessels that wrecked here.  Nothing is being done to remove or preserve them so they are in their natural state.  Below is the shipwreck of Lady Elizabeth.

Controversy exists over the Falklands' discovery and colonization by Europeans, including French, Britsh and Spanish.  Argentina maintains claim to it and thus invaded the island in April 1982.  Two months later at the end of the Falklands War, British administration was restored.  Falklanders favor remaining a UK overseas territory but the dispute is on hold.  The local approximately 3,500 inhabitants speak English and are considered British citizens. 

 This is the Falkland Islands Totem Pole.  It was started by British troops deployed to protect the islands from further Argentine aggression in 1982.  They made signs with their hometowns and distances from the Falklands and attached them to an old power pole.  It's a tradition that is continued today.  The result is an unusual, unplanned piece of outsider art.

 For centuries the local people heated their homes with peat they cute from the nearby peat bogs.  While the peat still exists, only a few residents still heat with it.  Above is a storage shed of peat.

 A local resident has a big display of whalebones in his yard.  We drove past to see this incredible collection by Mike Butcher.

This Government House in Stanley has been the home of the Falkland Islands' London-appointed Governors since 1845.

 This is a monument to those who died in the Falklands War in 1982.

 After our tour, we walked around and visited the museum buildings clustered together in Stanley.

 This Whalebone Arch is famous and located in front of the Christchurch Cathedral.  We liked the view showing the water in the background.

The small town of Stanley was easier to walk around.  We checked out the souvenir shops, museums, and the local grocery store.

There is a large colony of King penguins at Volunteer Point and since they don't migrate, visitors can pay to see them year round.  Since we are seeing penguins at another point, we opted to tour the island instead.