Giovanni's blog
Parting Thoughts
By Giovanni
I find myself back in Helsinki Finland having arrived today from Murmansk Russia. This is to be my first full day on land and my legs look forward to the stability of a motionless ground under foot...
Last Night...Tasting History
By Giovanni
Aside from seeing and experiencing the beauty of the arctic region, I've learned a lot on this trip. There has been enjoyable informative lectures focused on polar bears, seals, and walruses, whales, seabirds and their migrations, geology and climate change, and the history of the North Pole. A highlight was the lecture by Laurie Dexter, our expedition leader, who recounted and shared his firsthand account of skiing for 91 days from Russia to Canada through the Geographic North Pole. We were fortunate to have Brian Anderson, and award winning photographer, in residence on board. Brian's talks on photography were of benefit not only to the serious photographer but as well to the novice...
All In A Day
By Giovanni
Rose today on this 4th of July, American Independence Day, to find us in the international waters of the Barent Sea. Today's wakeup call at 0730 found us at 77 degrees 40 minutes North. We are seeking to make our way back to Murmansk Russia. The waves around us are choppy with a wind at times 14 knots. Fortunately the wind is coming out of the north and is on our backs helping us to make time. It’s foggy out as one looks onto the open waters that we are going through...
South Bound
By Giovanni
As I have with every morning on this expedition, I've risen to find my inner child awakening. Excitement for what this day holds fills me with anticipation and won't let me return to sleep. Unlike the past week, today we are greeted by an open sea. Gone is the constant ploughing through the dense ice pack of the Arctic Ocean behind us in the North...
A Monster of a Melt Down!!
By Giovanni
"About two O'clock the mist cleared away and we beheld, stretched out in every direction, vast and irregular plains of ice, which seemed to have no end. Some of my comrades groaned, and my own mind began to grow watchful with anxious thoughts, when a strange sight suddenly attracted our attention, and diverted our solicitude from our situation...
A Defining Moment
By Giovanni
Thursday night June 30th, we had been making remarkable progress through the pack ice, at times reaching speeds of up to 14 knots (17 miles/hour). Announcements were made keeping us posted on our progress to the North Pole. Shortly after midnight all passengers were assembled outside on the bow deck to mark the arrival of the pole with a champagne toast and drink. Many arrived bearing the flags of their country of origin. Likewise all the country fags of those represented by the passenger list were flown, strung across the bridge down to the front of the bow deck. In all 20 roughly flags flew including the USA, China, Great Britain, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, etc...
The Arctic Park 89 Degrees North
By Giovanni
This morning has not brought us to the North Pole. Turns out the need for mechanical repairs and maintenance of the ship has stranded us short of the pole. The 0730 wake up announcement on the public address speaker brought notice that we where 89 degrees 12 minutes North with sunny conditions outside, 1 degrees Celsius, with a mild wind present...
The World of Nanook of the North
By Giovanni
Rose from sleep again this morning at 0730 with the public address wishing me a good morning and giving our coordinates with us being at 87 degrees North. The weather outside our cabin was foggy with a light drizzle of rain and a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius...
The Arctic Ocean
By Giovanni
"Give me this glorious ocean life, this salt-sea life, this briny, foamy life, when the sea neighs and snorts, and you breathe the very breath that the great whales respire! Let me roll around the globe, let me rock upon the sea, let me race and pant out my life, with an eternal breeze astern, and an endless sea before."
-Herman Melville-
The Necessities
By Giovanni
Awoke my first morning on board feeling a bit chilled. Turns out Kerrie and I had left the two windows in our ample cabin ajar. Making more progress North not only has made us closer to our desired destination of 90 degrees North but as well brought us cooler temperatures. I thought I would have slept longer given a lengthy day of travel the day prior but my excitement and thrill of being on board wouldn't let me sleep...