Lord Nelson
Before the attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the English naval hero Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) said he returned from the expedition dead or with a laurel wreath.
However, in July 1797 he returned neither dead nor victorious – but he had to lose his right arm.
Well, I didn't have to lose quite as many feathers as the English naval hero when I called at Santa Cruz 2 days ago, but nevertheless strong winds, high waves and currents, all from different directions, had shaken me pretty badly for 28 hours non-stop.
Santa Cruz is a lively city, almost completely untouched by tourism, I like it far better than Las Palmas.
Here, too, the final sprint in the Christmas stress, like everywhere else in the world.
Old Nelson somehow inspired me to visit the Military Museum, as the original flag that was taken from him after the lost battle in 1797 is kept here.
Humanity has been celebrating the festival of love and peace for almost 2000 years.
The tradition of weaponry and war is even longer.
For millennia, weapons have been invented to smash in the heads of those of different faiths, those of the same faith, those with different ideals.
Sometimes just out of greed, but always with God's help and in the name of Christ!
However, it was and is often a pious custom on Christmas Eve to stop the slaughter for a few hours on the battlefields of this earth.
Because peace be on earth!
With this in mind, I wish you a merry and peaceful Christmas.