Journey at Home Day 59
There is no more sagacious animal than the Icelandic horse. He is stopped by neither snow, nor storm, nor impassable roads, nor rocks, glaciers, or anything. He is courageous, sober, and surefooted. He never makes a false step, never shies. If there is a river or fjord to cross (and we shall meet with many) you will see him plunge in at once, just as if he were amphibious, and gain the opposite bank. ― Jules Verne, Journey to the Center of the Earth
Jason Edmunds of Adventure Canada ended yesterday’s webinar on Iceland with that quote. Jason was the expedition leader on the Out of the Northwest Passage adventure I took with Adventure Canada in September (see blog posts). Jason is supremely talented as a leader, a master of logistics, and unflappable. On that trip, he woke us every morning with his gentle voice to provide an update on the day’s activities. He ended the morning call with a quote. So I wasn’t surprised that his webinar on Iceland ended with a quote. Jules Verne was appropriate, as one of the stops on the Iceland Circumnavigation expedition is one of the sites where Journey to the Center of the Earth was filmed.
Traveler as I am, I have given up on any travel this year. All things involving groups, from operas to expeditions, were canceled. Even travel to see family this year will have to be wait-and-see. But next year? The Iceland webinar got me excited about the future. In June 2021, I am already booked on an expedition to the islands surrounding Scotland. Reykjavík is just a hop away by plane, so I am thinking this would be a great follow-on trip.
Adventure Canada trips have 190 passengers tops and more than 30 specialists. Unlike some companies who have guides, the AC specialists are educators or artists. The Iceland trip will include geologists, a volcanologist, an ornithologist, and many other “ologists” along with culture specialists, musicians, and other artists. The expectation is to get off the ship as much as possible to experience the land and the people. And when on the ship, take advantage of the many lectures and cultural activities. There will be lots of hiking and skiffing in Zodiacs.
One exciting aspect of this trip, is that the itinerary aligns with the opening of the folk music festival in Seyðisfjörður. Looking at this unpronounceable name makes me wonder if AC will have language lessons on board. They did for the Northwest Passage trip. On that voyage, I learned how to pronounce many Inuit words because we had a short lesson everyday. Here’s hoping to travel in 2021. (All photos from Adventure Canada.)
