Departing for the Arctic

Today I embarked on a journey to a place I've always wanted to experience: The Arctic. My journey took me from my home in the San Francisco Bay area to my first stop in London, England. During this leg of the trip, I couldn't help but think of the sharp contrast between the comforts we have today and the conditions that polar explorers like Peary, Amundson, Schackelton, Byrd, Scott, Franklin, and others had to endure during their expeditions. I could only imagine how difficult but exciting it must have been for them as I sipped on my cabernet while enjoying the Aurora Borealis from my 747's window seat at 35000 feet.

Flying into London turned out to be quite a treat. The flight attendants remarked numerous times how unusually sunny it was and how fortunate we were to see the city on such a clear day. It seemed a bit hazy to me, but overall the views were great and managed to snap a few photos of the countryside.



After we landed I boarded a bus to go to another terminal. Sure was strange to be driving on the wrong side of the road in such heavy traffic! :) Following a bit of exploring in the airport, I boarded my flight to Oslo, Norway where I will stay for three nights to recover from the jetlag and enjoy some of the sites the city has to offer. Just before landing in Oslo, the clouds started to clear and I was able to see the snow covered mountains beneath us.