Lindisfarne, England
Our circumnavigation of the British & Irish Isles came a step closer to completion today as we returned to the waters of England. Since leaving England in the Isles of Scilly over a week ago we have heard much of the background theme to this voyage, the influence of Celtic Christianity on the peoples and cultures of the British and Irish Isles. Today, many of the interwoven strands of this theme were pulled together during an early morning visit to the small island of Lindisfarne, also known as the Holy Island, with its ancient priory and direct monastic connections with Iona far away on the west coast of Scotland.
The tides and phase of the moon made the landing challenging but Expedition Leader Tom found an ingenious solution – go ashore early – very early! So, after a quick cup of coffee and a cold buffet breakfast we boarded the zodiacs at 06:30 and made the 1.5 mile drive to shore. And it was worth it. Again the weather was in our favour, again the landing was made simple thanks to the knowledge and skills of our Expedition Staff and yet again we stood in a very special place that many local people will never see.
Tom Heffernan gave a detailed and enlightening explanation of monastic life within the grounds of the ruined priory, Karen and Ian took others on what turned out to be a very fruitful nature walk out to the picturesque castle that dominates the approach to the little harbour, and the photographers in our group delighted at the soft early morning light that provide perfect illumination for the architecture, scenery and abundant wildlife.
Later in the day, back on board ship, Sissie and Cotton gave a presentation, “The Vikings,” that dismissed a good deal of the mythology surrounding the Vikings but also revealed an intriguing insight into how a photographic article finds its way into the pages of the revered National Geographic magazine.
As we ploughed our way south for our final destination, Ipswich, we had ample time to relax in the comfort of the ship and reflect on the wealth of information and the wonderful landings and experiences we have all shared since boarding the National Geographic Explorer in Portsmouth in (what seems) a very long time ago.
Our circumnavigation of the British & Irish Isles came a step closer to completion today as we returned to the waters of England. Since leaving England in the Isles of Scilly over a week ago we have heard much of the background theme to this voyage, the influence of Celtic Christianity on the peoples and cultures of the British and Irish Isles. Today, many of the interwoven strands of this theme were pulled together during an early morning visit to the small island of Lindisfarne, also known as the Holy Island, with its ancient priory and direct monastic connections with Iona far away on the west coast of Scotland.
The tides and phase of the moon made the landing challenging but Expedition Leader Tom found an ingenious solution – go ashore early – very early! So, after a quick cup of coffee and a cold buffet breakfast we boarded the zodiacs at 06:30 and made the 1.5 mile drive to shore. And it was worth it. Again the weather was in our favour, again the landing was made simple thanks to the knowledge and skills of our Expedition Staff and yet again we stood in a very special place that many local people will never see.
Tom Heffernan gave a detailed and enlightening explanation of monastic life within the grounds of the ruined priory, Karen and Ian took others on what turned out to be a very fruitful nature walk out to the picturesque castle that dominates the approach to the little harbour, and the photographers in our group delighted at the soft early morning light that provide perfect illumination for the architecture, scenery and abundant wildlife.
Later in the day, back on board ship, Sissie and Cotton gave a presentation, “The Vikings,” that dismissed a good deal of the mythology surrounding the Vikings but also revealed an intriguing insight into how a photographic article finds its way into the pages of the revered National Geographic magazine.
As we ploughed our way south for our final destination, Ipswich, we had ample time to relax in the comfort of the ship and reflect on the wealth of information and the wonderful landings and experiences we have all shared since boarding the National Geographic Explorer in Portsmouth in (what seems) a very long time ago.
