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YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS WITH US
WINTER 2022 AUSTRALIA | NEW ZEALAND
EDGE of
THE
world
IT’S TIME TO GO BIG
Gili Lankanfushi resort, Maldives.
TRIPS OF A LIFETIME
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Contents ISSUE 75
Winter 2022
Features
30
Chill adventure:
30 ANTARCTICA THREE WAYS
Cruising the seventh continent
Kayaking in Antarctica. and the coolest base camp ever.
BY KIMBERLEY LOVATO AND
KORENA BOLDING SINNETT
49 THE TOTAL PACKAGE
Trips of a lifetime that do good.
BY AMY CASSELL
Departments
6 EDITOR’S NOTE
12 JUST BACK
Aboard an expedition ship
in South Australia.
14 PASSPORT
London blooms again.
18 BON VOYAGE
Cruising Egypt,a new ex-
pedition ship, and more.
19 SUITE TALK
The Madrid
Edition opens.
20 CITY TO GO
Easy on the Eyes
A fashionable take on
the City of Light.
26 WELL TRAVELLED
All Together Now
Bathing traditions
around the globe.
56 GALLERY
Repetitive Emotion
Photos that capture
cities’ souls.
KORENA BOLDING SINNETT
ON THE COVER
BLUE-CHIP TRIP: Take a shine to Antarctica.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KORENA BOLDING SINNETT
Your Virtuoso travel advisor is your best resource for up-to-date information on health and safety
protocols and restrictions, wherever your travels lead.
WINTER 2022 5
Editor’s Note
The Size of Things
IA
cF YOU LISTENED CLOSELY EARLIER THIS YEAR, YOU
could hear it: the rustle of parkas as everyone in the
travel industry hightailed it for Antarctica. My Insta-
gram feed overflowed with penguins, icebergs, and red-
cheeked friends squinting in the Antarctic sunshine and
raising Champagne flutes to their seventh continent. People
were swapping seasickness remedies, comparing Drake Pas-
sage swell heights, and trading packing tips.
Why the stampede towards the South Pole? Yes, after a
season lost to Covid in 2021, operators were back to more ro-
bust schedules. But could it also be the prevailing sentiment
in travel, which skews heavily “carpe diem” (with a dash of
YOLO)? Travel plans delayed by the pandemic or even by
run-of-the-mill waffling have taken on a new urgency. Add to that the landscapes
being literally remade by climate change, and you have a recipe for action.
So in addition to our comprehensive guide to Antarctica (page 30) – and a take-
me-there-now cover photo by art director Korena Bolding Sinnett – we’ve stacked
this issue with big trips that can’t wait: safaris, rain-forest adventures, Tuscan
wine tours, and other trips of a lifetime, all with sustainability at their core (page
49). There are other gems too, like an exploration of Paris through a fashion lens
and a deep dive into bathing cultures around the world. Whatever your version of
going big, we aim to inspire – and your Virtuoso advisor is here to get you out there
in style.
MARIKA CAIN
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
EVA SEELYE
6 V I RT U O S O L I F EGlimpse a side of Tasmania rarely seen, in a group of just 30 on our chartered super yacht.
Enjoy an all-inclusive lifestyle while experiencing Tasmania's wilderness from every angle.
SECLUDED
SHORES OF
TASMANIA BY
SUPER YACHT
Take to the skies by chartered helicopter over the Tasman Peninsula and Freycinet National Park
Reach the Tasmanian wilderness by Zodiac and tender from our luxury vessel
Indulge in the gourmet produce of Bruny Island, King Island and the Tamar Valley
13 days, Hobart to Melbourne or reverse, 18 & 30 November 2022, AU$21,950 per person, twin share
To secure your place, contact your Virtuoso Travel advisor.
Discover our entire collection of Australian & New Zealand Journeys
For full terms and conditions, see captainschoice.com.au/conditionsYOUR JOURNEY BEGINS WITH US
“What’s always in your EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR MARIKA CAIN
carry-on?” MANAGING EDITOR JUSTIN PAUL
ASSISTANT EDITOR AUBURN SCALLON
DIGITAL CONTENT SPECIALIST EMMA FRANKE
DESIGN
DESIGN DIRECTOR MELANIE PRASETYO FOWLER “A paper journal to
ART DIRECTOR KORENA BOLDING SINNETT capture travel memories
in the moment.”
CONTRIBUTORS
COPY EDITORS MIRIAM BULMER, DIANE SEPANSKI
RESEARCHERS DONNA BLINN, JESSICA MUELLER
PHOTO RESEARCHER MARY RISHER DIGITAL RETOUCHER WALTER KELLY
WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS NANNA DÍS, LUIS GARCÍA,
ELAINE GLUSAC, DAVID HOCHMAN, JEFF KOEHLER, KIMBERLEY LOVATO,
KEVIN J. MIYAZAKI, KIM BROWN SEELY
MARKETING/ADVERTISING
MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL MARKETING STRATEGY LAURA SPORT
DIRECTOR, MARKETING PRODUCTS & PROGRAMMES ROBERT DUNCAN
MANAGER, DIGITAL MARKETING KELLY KIRCHNER
CIRCULATION/DATA SERVICES
LANECHA WHITE
AMY HYDE, GAYLYNN MAGERS
MARKETING OPERATIONS “I always carry face wipes,
DIRECTOR KATHY NIWA TERRELL a toothbrush, and tooth-
MANAGER NATALIE SHERMAN paste – a few little things
SPECIALIST DENISE RODRIGUEZ that help me to quickly
COORDINATORS KATIE HARNISH, CAROL LEWIS freshen up as I wrap up a
long flight from Australia.”
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OPERATIONS
GENERAL MANAGER FIONA DALTON
MARKETING MANAGER ZOE DEAN
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR, MEMBER RELATIONS ANNA DAVIES
ACCOUNT MANAGERS, MEMBER RELATIONS KARA LIPSCOMBE, JEN PAGETT
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR, PARTNER RELATIONS EVAN PIERCE
ACCOUNT MANAGER, PARTNER RELATIONS BHAVINI AGGARWAL
ACCOUNT SALES
SARA ARCHIBALD, AMY BAILEY, SCOTT BRYAN,
CAROL COLEMAN, XABIER EGUREN,
ARLLYS FILMER-BENNETT, TRISHA FORESMAN,
CHRISTINE GILBERT, MALLORY HAYES,
“My go-to is a portable TONY LOGAN, GREGG NIELSEN, DANIELA TROTTA
humidifier. Try it – you’ll
be amazed at the difference VIRTUOSO
CHAIRMAN & CEO MATTHEW D. UPCHURCH
it makes.” – A.B.
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER BRAD BOURLAND
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT DAVID KOLNER
SVP, GLOBAL OPERATIONS MICHAEL LONDREGAN
SVP, MARKETING HELEN McCABE-YOUNG
SVP, NETWORK PRODUCTS & EVENTS JENNIFER CAMPBELL
SVP, FINANCE & OPERATIONS MIKE McCOWN
SVP, PRODUCT TRAVIS McELFRESH
SVP, CULTURE & HUMAN RESOURCES MICHELLE RASHID
VP, GLOBAL PUBLIC RELATIONS MISTY EWING BELLES
VP, MEMBER RELATIONS CHERYL BUNKER
VP, TECHNOLOGY PAUL KEARNEY
VP, CONSUMER PRODUCTS ANDREW LOCKE
VP FINANCE & ACCOUNTING TAMARA LUPASCU-PRUNA “My favourite wrap,
VP, MEMBER AND PARTNER DEVELOPMENT KARYN McCARTHY purchased a few years ago
VP, OPERATIONS STEVE WOOSTER in Rome – and these days,
VP, PRODUCT MARKETING MARY BETH WRESSELL a Covid self-test.”
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
MEREDITH BURBIDGE, NOELLE CELESTE, EMILY CLENNEY, GRACE DEVITA,
CHRISTINA HANNA, SCOTT LARGAY, LEAH SMITH, JIM WELCH,
JENNY WESTERMANN, KIMBERLY WILSON WETTY
Virtuoso® is the leading global travel agency network specialising in luxury and experiential travel. This by-invitation-only organisation comprises over 1,200 travel agency locations with 20,000 elite travel advisors in 50 countries throughout North America, Latin America,
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8 V I RT U O S O L I F E2023–24 LUXURY EXPEDITION CRUISES
Introducing Abercrombie & Kent’s exciting new selection of ultra-refined luxury polar expeditions
and immersive cultural cruises for 2023–24. The portfolio now features 16 itineraries on all seven
continents, including four brand-new expeditions with adventures to the shores of East Africa,
French Polynesia, Western Europe and the Adriatic Sea.
Backed by an award-winning 30-year expedition cruising legacy, every voyage is a truly
all-inclusive, unscripted adventure on exclusively chartered, state-of-the-art vessels limited to no
more than 199 guests. Dynamic shore excursions and onboard activities with the award-winning
expedition team are inspiring and insightful. 2023–24 voyages are on sale now with limited early
booking savings available.
For more information, please contact your Virtuoso Travel Advisor.
Wonders of Japan Cruise: Arctic Cruise Adventure: Antarctica, South Georgia
Cherry Blossom Season In Search of the Polar Bear & Falklands
Experience Japan during springtime with a Travel alongside A&K’s knowledgeable Explore the Falkland Islands, unspoiled South
chance to witness the country’s iconic cherry experts, seeking out the mighty polar bear Georgia with its rookeries of king penguins,
blossom, and uncover atmospheric Kyoto in the Svalbard Islands and discovering the and incomparable Antarctica, encountering
and fascinating Kanazawa. starkly beautiful lava fields and ice caves wildlife and stunning views.
14 days from AU$29,570 pp of Iceland’s Westfjords. 18 days from AU$30,830 pp
Departs 29 Mar 2023 15 days from AU$26,040 pp Departs 20 Dec 2023 & 4 Jan 2023
Departs 17 Jul 2023
Prices are per person based on twin share in Australian Dollars, are subject to availability and include early booking discounts.
Those discounts are subject to availability and may be withdrawn or reduced at any time. Please speak to your Travel Advisor for terms and conditions.
Tailor-Made Adventures | Small Group Journeys | Luxury Expedition Cruiseswhen you finally come up for air.
Go ahead take a nice, deep breath.
Because we intend to make every
moment of your voyage a Seabourn
Moment. Enjoy all ocean-front
suites, nearly one team member for
every guest, and ships carrying just
264-600 guests. So you can take in
just how far you’ve come, and start
imagining where you will go next.
Contact your Virtuoso Travel Advisor
to learn more about special offers.Just Back
South Australia Sailing
A much-needed break from the pandemic aboard a small expedition ship.
Adventures on shore,
from left: Reevesby
Island, Fiona Dalton,
and strolling Seven
Mile Beach.
FIONA DALTON, VIRTUOSO’S GENERAL in Australian waters during the pan- surprising. Every day we saw seals, dol-
manager for Australia and New Zealand, demic as they are Australian flagged, phins, emus, kangaroos, wallabies, and
recently spent 11 days exploring South and the ships carried under 100 many, many bird species in their natural
Australia’s wild and unspoilt coast- guests. Carefully curated itineraries in habitats. We took wonderful walks
line aboard Coral Expeditions’ Coral exciting and remote destinations close through the national parks, accompa-
Adventurer. Here, her takeaways from to home, knowledgeable local subject- nied by the naturalists and bird-watching
the cruise. matter experts on board, a highly com- teams. I also enjoyed the opportunity
fortable – even luxurious – expedition each day to visit local bays and coves
FIRST IMPRESSIONS I had no idea how beau- ship, and an excellent, attentive crew: with the marine biologists on board to
(REEVESBY) CORAL EXPEDITIONS
tiful this part of the Australian coastline After nearly two years of navigating the hang out with the dolphins and seals.
was, with stunning bays and beaches, pandemic, it was the all-around holiday
remote islands, and incredible sea cliffs. experience I needed. CATCH OF THE DAY A trip on the ship’s tender
into Coffin Bay to enjoy freshly shucked
JUST THE TICKET Coral Expeditions was ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS The wildlife of the oysters in one of the world’s clean-
the only cruise line permitted to operate South Australian coast was most est, most ideal oyster-farming regions,
12 V I RT U O S O L I F EEvery day we saw seals, dolphins, emus, paired with local wines, topped the list
of food experiences. In addition, every
kangaroos, wallabies, and many, many birds night, the ship served local, seasonal
seafood, from lobster to deep-sea fish to
in their natural habitats. salmon and prawns.
HISTORY BREAKS I loved our visits to Cape
Willoughby and Troubridge Island to
learn about the historic lighthouses that
have guided seamen through these dan-
gerous waters for hundreds of years. We
also met the Woolford family, second-
generation abalone farmers, on Flinders
Island, their home, about 30 kilometres
off the mainland coast from Elliston.
WHAT TO PACK Everything from outer
jackets and beanies to swimsuits. Bring
plenty of layers for the ever-changing
climate and easy-dry hiking clothes. Our
early days at sea were remarkably cool,
quickly giving way to sweltering days by
the end. It was also quite cool on board
the Coral Adventurer’s tenders; they
FIONA DALTON
have two 225-horsepower outboards
and move through the ocean at an
incredible speed!
Tailor-made vacations and arrangements to France.
We Are Everything Chocolatine knows France — every wonderful corner, and all the ins and outs! Our dedicated
and Everywhere —
staff will take care of you in any part of the country you wish to explore. We are a one-stop
company throughout all of France — even to Corsica. We’ll create a seamless transition, every
France! detail of the way, for a truly memorable holiday.
Pont du Gard – Provence
Chocolatine
Please contact your Virtuoso travel advisor for details.Passport PLACES
TRENDS
CULTURE
STYLE
The Bee’s
Knees
London’s harbinger of fair
weather, the Chelsea Flower
Show blossoms 24 through
28 May. Organised by the
Royal Horticultural Society
annually since 1913 (apart
from breaks during the
World Wars and in 2020),
the garden party champi-
ons biodiversity this year.
Displays will burst with native
nettles, cow parsley, poppies,
and buttercups in more than
30 naturalistic and wildlife-
friendly designs on the
grounds of the Royal Hospital
Chelsea. Top landscape
designers compete for med-
als in the 13 show gardens,
while in the sanctuary gar-
dens, visitors will find plant-
ings inspired by Switzerland,
climate change, travel, and
nine more themes. A new
category, “All About Plants,”
explores flora’s positive
effects on mental health,
communities, and – in a
textile garden featuring
plants used for fibres and
dyes – industry. Interactive
exhibits highlight sustain-
able gardening through
composting, seed-saving,
bee-friendly blooms, and
more, sowing ideas for
greener beds back home.
CHRIS BEARDSHAW
A sketch for Chris Beardshaw’s
Royal National Lifeboat Institution PASSPORT IS REPORTED BY:
Garden at this year’s show. Elaine Glusac and
Janice Wald Henderson.
14 V I RT U O S O L I F EART & CULTURE
TREASURE TROVE
Beginning in the late nineteenth century, Scottish shipping merchant William
Burrell began amassing an impressive art collection, buying hundreds of
tapestries, more than 20 paintings by Degas alone, and Chinese pottery and
porcelain representing a 5,000-year span. Those treasures are highlighted in
the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, newly expanded by a third and renovated
for the twenty-first century.
From top: Glasgow’s Burrell Col-
lection, and The Girls on the Bridge
and The Scream by Edvard Munch at
Oslo’s National Museum of Art.
(EDVARD MUNCH PAINTINGS) BØRRE HØSTLAND/THE NATIONAL MUSEUM
More Than Munch
On 11 June, Oslo’s National Museum of Art, Architecture and De-
sign debuts in its new slate-clad building while reducing its carbon
(BURRELL COLLECTION) ALAN MCATEER,
footprint by half. With more than 90 rooms – including one devoted
solely to Edvard Munch’s most iconic paintings – Scandinavia’s larg-
est museum will house more than 5,000 works of art, from medieval
tapestries to gowns worn by Norway’s queens and earthy sculptures
by Gustav Vigeland. The 2,300-square-metre rooftop gallery, Light
Hall, will open with a show of contemporary Norwegian art featuring
150 contributors. Its adjoining terrace frames panoramic views of
the capital from the museum’s prime harbour-front locale.
WINTER 2022 152019
Bon Voyage
Ahoy,
Egypt
This August Viking introduces its
second riverboat on the Nile, the
82-passenger Viking Osiris. Round-trip-
from-Cairo journeys kick off with three
days of sightseeing in the capital before
guests f ly to Luxor for an eight-day
cruise. Among the highlights: private
From top: Luxor Temple,
access to Nefertari’s tomb in the Valley a caribou dish on Quark’s
of the Queens and a visit to an artisan Ultramarine, and Seabourn
Venture’s Grand Winter-
Nubian village. Inaugural departure: garden Suite.
24 August.
TASTE OF THE TUNDRA
Delve into Inuit culture through its cuisine on Quark Expeditions’ 199-passenger Ultra-
marine. On select Arctic voyages (two this year and five in 2023), passengers opting for
the Tundra to Table speciality dining programme savour four courses of modern Inuit
cuisine served on regional tableware, prepared by Indigenous chefs from Greenland and
the Canadian Arctic in the ship’s Balena restaurant. Plates showcase pristine local ingre-
dients in dishes such as beer-braised musk ox served with Greenlandic mashed potatoes,
mushroom sauce, and berry jam. The chefs also share Inuit culinary origins and storytell-
ing. Seventeen-day Northwest Passage departure: 30 August; fare includes round-trip
transfer flights and one pre- and post-cruise hotel stay in Toronto.
ADVENTURE ON
(LUXOR) OLEH SLOBODENIUK/GETTY IMAGES
The all-suite, all-veranda Seabourn Venture, Seabourn’s first expedition
ship, promises polar thrills and natural splendour in places such as the Am-
azon. The 264-passenger vessel sails with two custom-built submarines
and double sea kayaks, along with a 26-member expedition team that can
take all passengers Zodiac-exploring simultaneously – a rarity for expedi-
tion ships. Upcoming cruises include Iceland, Greenland, and Svalbard,
while later this year delivers South American highlights and Antarctica.
Thirteen-day Tromsø to Oslo, Norway, departure: 27 July.
18 V I RT U O S O L I F ESuite Talk
NEW HOTEL Spain’s capital is gearing up for a big season: Join-
ing the city’s much-anticipated hotel openings from
Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental, The Madrid
Make for Madrid Edition has debuted on Plaza de las Descalzas in
the city-centre Sol neighbourhood. Step out of its
eighteenth-century baroque doorframe and Plaza
Splash down at the city’s largest rooftop
Mayor is a three-minute walk south; a three-minute
pool and live it up in the underground
stroll east brings visitors to Puerta del Sol’s bus-
nightclub at this sexy arrival.
tling tapas bars and “Kilometre Zero” – the coun-
try’s geographic centre and starting point for its
six national roads. Inside, the urban resort spreads
out with 200 guest rooms (including two duplex
penthouses with private terraces), a spa dispensing
signature mud baths, and the city’s largest rooftop
pool. Mexico City chef Enrique Olvera’s Jerónimo
restaurant explores the links between Spanish and
Mexican traditions – hola, sherry margaritas –
while breezy Oroya from Lima chef Diego Muñoz
dishes out ceviche and other Peruvian favourites.
Add in the lobby’s marble pool table and the prop-
erty’s subterranean nightclub, and it’s an addition
to Madrid’s luxe-hotel scene that stands out for its
celebratory vibe. Accommodations include break-
fast daily and a $135 hotel credit.
Style central: The
portico hallway and
a Premier Room at
The Madrid Edition.
WINTER 2022 19City to Go
Easy on the Eyes
For the most fashionable city break, we’ll always have Paris.
BY JEFF KOEHLER
GO FOR The fashion-world’s doubling its space to showcase
capital is currently flaunting its its 200,000-piece collection of
flair with events (Haute Couture French fashion. Paris, as the dis-
Week struts across runways 4 plays in the new vaulted rooms
through 7 July), the new Galerie show, never goes out of style.
Dior – a museum, boutique,
fine-dining restaurant, and café EAT On the top storey of the
at the fashion house’s renovated eighteenth-century Bourse de
headquarters – and a number Commerce – once a commodi-
of highly anticipated openings ties exchange for grains, now
to help refresh wardrobes. After home to the Pinault Collection
standing shuttered for 16 years, of contemporary art – Les
La Samaritaine department Halles aux Grains, under the
(SKETCHES) MATILDA SCHREPFER, (LA SAMARITAINE AND PALAIS GALLIERA) LAURYN ISHAK
store reopened with a painstak- stewardship of father-and-son
ing restoration – peacock fres- chefs Michel and Sébastien
coes, gold-leaf-covered mosaic Bras, serves refined cuisine
tiles, soaring wrought-iron stair- based on grains and seeds.
cases, and more – from its new
owner, French luxury conglomer- Tucked into the rippling-
(MODEL) ALAIN GIL-GONZALEZ/ABACA/SIPA USA/AP IMAGES,
ate LVMH. The 1870 art nouveau glass facade on the back of
landmark has never looked so La Samaritaine, Ernest puts
glamorous (nor have the outfits new spins on classics, such as
and accessories from its 650 lux- mushroom risotto with hazel-
ury brands). Not to be outshone, nuts and a foam of aged Comté
Galeries Lafayette Haussmann cheese.
has refurbished its iconic soaring
glass-dome ceiling. And for those The Musée d’Art Moderne’s
who want to catch more than Forest has a dazzling river-
Clockwise from top left: Acne Studios’ womenswear show
at Paris Fashion Week in March, La Samaritaine’s restored
next season’s looks, Palais Gal- side summer terrace, but it’s
interior and sketching workshop, and Palais Galliera. liera joined the makeover trend, inside, amid climbing foliage
20 V I RT U O S O L I F EWHAT LIES
BEYOND
THE EDGE?
LET US TAKE YOU CLOSER TO THE
AUTHENTIC BEAUTY OF THE POLAR WORLD
Antarctica, by Steve McCurryCHASE DISCOVERY TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH Ultimate polar adventures await When you find your daydreams wandering farther and farther, stretching to shores yet unknown to your eyes, let yourself follow them – with Silversea Expeditions. Our polar itineraries perfectly unite your dreams of uncommon discovery with your desire for bespoken luxuries that amplify the experience. Join us as we head into the world’s most untouched regions, following in the footsteps of foraging polar bears and waddling penguins. Trek across glaciers, icy tundra, beaches teeming with sunbathing wildlife. Soar over landscapes few travellers have ever witnessed and cruise past glistening ice floes as you probe remote shores by Zodiac. Depart Patagonia via the Strait of Magellan, bound for the frozen continent of Antarctica. Or opt for the icy passages of the Arctic and Greenland on a journey of inspiring wilderness, proud Innuit culture and the thrill of the sea. Polar bear jumping on ice blocks in the Arctic
POLE TO POLE, SHIP TO SHORE
Experience the extraordinary in the Arctic and Antarctic
NORTHWARD TO THE ARCTIC SOUTH TO ANTARCTICA
The Arctic’s season of ethereal midnight sun beckons the adventurous Journey with Silversea to the closest thing on this earth to another
toward the Circle – and beyond. Blanketed in uncompromised luxury, planet – the vast White Continent. Our purpose-built Expedition ships
voyage deeply into Far North discovery as our expert Expedition Team make exploring Antarctica an adventure not just in wondrous nature
Members introduce you to a world of majestically wild nature and but in unbridled luxury. Whether by Zodiac, kayak, or on foot, your
uniquely isolated cultures. Gaze poleward at Europe’s far northern expert Expedition Team will lead you thrillingly close to sights rarely
edge, explore Svalbard’s monumental sea cliffs, experience the seen and expand your knowledge of this barely-charted world of
coasts of Norway, Greenland, Iceland, and Canada’s High Arctic as unique animals, plant life, geology, and history.
only Silversea can present them.
Guests kayaking in Svalbard
A napping sea lion and waddling penguins in AntarcticaTHE SILVERSEA DIFFERENCE
Global adventures in bespoke, all-inclusive luxury -this is the world of Silversea
SUPERIOR EXPEDITION EXPERIENCE
In polar waters, experts make the expedition – and Silversea’s top-notch team of biologists, ornithologists, geologists,
historians, photographers and other experts will draw you in with their extensive knowledge and enthusiasm.
From enriching your experience during active explorations to providing relaxed one-to-one chat opportunities, to
providing informative daily Recap & Briefing lectures, our array of onboard professionals reflects Silversea’s ongoing
commitment to maintaining one of the highest expedition personnel-to-guest ratios in the industry.
INTIMATE SHIPS, ALL SUITE ACCOMODATIONS
Our state-of-the-art Expedition ships really do break the ice between adventure and luxury. Designed to cruise
the planet’s most remote regions in civilized comfort, they offer a beguiling sense of open space in their public
areas while at the same time fostering an intimate atmosphere. A range of gourmet international and locally
inspired dining venues satisfy even the most ambitious of cravings. And spacious all-suite accommodations
offer sweeping sea views, many from their own private veranda, and all complemented by exquisite amenities.
PERSONALISED SERVICE
Our Silversea Expedition ships accommodate anywhere from 100 to 274 guests depending on the vessel, which
allows us to guarantee a level of service well beyond what you may have experienced before. Surrender to the
joys of dedicated around-the-clock butler service in your suite, with no request too big or too small. For an
even more indulgent experience, allow us to customise your suite with individualized toiletries, stationery, and
favourite bar beverages. Our aim is to make this truly feel like your home away from home – only better.
“ALL-INCLUSIVE” NOW BEGINS FROM YOUR DOORSTEP
Take your Silversea all-inclusive experience to new heights. Start your cruise the moment you depart your door, thanks to our new chauffeur service. Escorting you from home to
your domestic airport and back again, this luxurious service is included as part of our Door-to-Door All-Inclusive fares on new voyage bookings starting Spring 2022.
SAIL WITH US, For you, for friends, for travellers.
If you are a Silversea Venetian Society member, until May 31, 2022 when you refer a new-to-Silversea guest, and they book a voyage, you BOTH enjoy $650* AUD savings per
suite. Terms and conditions apply.$
OUR DOOR-TO-DOOR JOURNEY INCLUDES:
Private executive transfers (home-airport)1 Pre- & post-cruise hotel nights3 4 Butler service in every suite category
Economy Class Air/Business Class upgrades Guided Zodiac, land & sea tours & expert lectures Expedition gear & unlimited Wi-Fi3
at reduced rates or Air Credit2
Multiple restaurants, premium beverages & Onboard gratuities
Domestic flights when required3 4 24-hour dining service
RESERVE YOUR SUITE WITH YOUR VIRTUOSO TRAVEL
ADVISOR TODAY TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS.
Contact your Virtuoso travel advisor for full offer details and complete Terms and Conditions. This document may contain inadvertent technical or factual inaccuracies and typographical errors. Silversea reserves the right to correct errors
and omissions at any time without prior notice, and to cancel any offered product, service, programme, reward, savings, credit, amenity, etc. in the event of any error or omission in the description, including pricing and availability.
Due to evolving health protocols, some imagery and messaging may not accurately reflect current onboard and destination offerings, or the public health standards and government requirements that modify or limit these offerings.
Onboard and destination experiences, features, itineraries, and guest conduct rules vary by ship and destination and are subject to change without notice.
1 - Private executive transfers are included in all new bookings on voyages starting on or after 30 March, 2022 (exceptions apply). Find detailed information on http://www.silversea.com/terms-and-conditions | 2 - Air is not available
in all countries and to all destinations. Should you book your air independently or should the desired air not be available, a non-use credit will be offered, that you can apply as extra saving to your cruise fare. Business Class upgrades
are available in selected destinations. | 3 - on selected voyages | 4 - Depending on Silversea’s air programme flight schedule |
The referred booking must be from a guest who has not previously sailed with Silversea, and is a friend or family member of the Venetian Society member. Sharing the Venetian Society member number in public forums or social media or with
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fares, savings, offers, programmes and itineraries are subject to change without notice. Any fares shown are per guest, based on double-occupancy. Additional restrictions may apply. Silversea reserves the right to correct any errors or omissions.
Visit http://www.silversea. com/terms-and-conditions.html for full offer details and complete Terms and Conditions. This document may contain inadvertent technical or factual inaccuracies and typographical errors. Silversea reserves the right to
correct errors and omissions at any time without prior notice, and to cancel any offered product, service, programme, reward, savings, credit, amenity, etc. in the event of any error or omission in the description, including pricing and availability.City to Go
tip
“Two of my favourite shops
in Paris are in Palais Royal:
Serge Lutens for perfumes
and French designer Jérôme
L’Hullier’s boutique.”
– Marie-Louise Noujaim,
Virtuoso travel agency
executive, Paris
and projections on the exposed cessories on its three storeys,
cement walls, that diners fully but don’t bypass the home
experience chef Julien Sebbag’s goods.
underground aesthetic. Plants
are the centre of his seasonal, Head to Babel, facing Canal
local, and creative menu with Saint-Martin, for pieces by
Middle Eastern accents. young French designers as well
as vintage clothing, antiques,
DRINK Slide into an orange and jewellery. Watch for its
leather booth for a predinner “pop-upcycling” events, featur-
drink at Brasserie Dubillot, ing handmade, upcycled fashion
where every cocktail is pre- from Paris.
pared with 100 per cent French
alcohol. Don’t miss its signature STAY Facing the Pont Neuf
spritz, with pét-nat sparkling on the riverfront side of La
wine and Pampelle ruby red Samaritaine, the new Cheval
grapefruit aperitif. Blanc Paris has just 72 rooms
and suites. They go quickly, but
With sumptuous decor by Dior non-hotel guests can still enjoy
Maison artistic director Cordelia its fashionable seventh-storey
de Castellane, the recently Le Tout-Paris brasserie/cock-
opened Café Lapérouse, just off tail bar and the Dior Spa. Ac-
place de la Concorde, has be- commodations include private
come one of the chicest spots in round-trip airport transfers,
Paris for a drink. breakfast daily, and fast-track
customs.
SHOP From the Hermès global
flagship to Alexander McQueen, Such was the grandeur of the
virtually every major luxury fash- InterContinental Paris Le Grand
ion brand has an outpost around that when Empress Eugénie
(BOURSE DE COMMERCE, ERNEST, AND MERCI) LAURYN ISHAK
rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. inaugurated the hotel in 1862,
None are more famous than the she said it reminded her of
original Chanel store, just behind her royal residence. A 2021
the Ritz Paris, where Coco Cha- refurbishment returned the
nel lived in a suite for 34 years. regal sparkle to the 470 Second
Empire-style rooms and legend-
Up-and-coming designers, ary Café de la Paix. Accommoda-
though, are more likely to be tions include breakfast daily and
found in concept shops such Club Lounge access. Clockwise from top: Café Lapé-
rouse, the Bourse de Commerce,
as Merci in the Marais. Visitors Ernest, and concept store Merci.
find plenty of clothing and ac-
WINTER 2022 25Well Travelled
All Together Now
Soaking in the world’s communal bathing traditions.
BY INGRID K. WILLIAMS
Infinite relaxation
at Iceland’s
Sky Lagoon.
W
HEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT A BATHHOUSE-CUM-ARTWORK ON THE JAPANESE ISLAND OF
Naoshima, I hadn’t realised that experiencing the art project would require wading into a
steaming pool amid a group of strangers, all of us in the nude. For someone unaccustomed
to public nudity, the mere thought was terrifying.
Yet there I was in the Naoshima Bath changing area, clutching only a tiny flannel for a modicum of
modesty. After a few deep breaths, I entered a cavernous, tiled bathing room where several women
were already soaking and quietly chatting in groups of two or three. Following the instructions on
an illustrated sign, I self-consciously scrubbed every centimetre of my body before gently easing
myself into the pool. Once submerged in the hot water, however, I felt my anxiety instantly ease, as
if washed away in the soothing warmth. In this newly blissed-out state, I could finally appreciate the
art I’d come to see: the aquatic-themed mosaics on the wall, the intricate collages on the pool floor,
and the swirling patterns painted on the skylights overhead.
NORBERT VON NIMAN
That inaugural dip on Naoshima turned out to be the first of many such experiences in Japan, a
country with a rich tradition of ritual washing in public bathhouses, known as sento, as well as in
natural hot springs, or onsen. Over the years, I’ve soaked in communal sento at small inns where
they were the only places to wash up, and in private outdoor onsen at luxurious ryokan, traditional
26 V I RT U O S O L I F EThe Kimberley is just around the corner...
Luxury Expeditions in 2022 & 2023
Timor Sea AUSTRALIA’S ICONIC KIMBERLEY
DARWIN Broome to Darwin / Darwin to Broome*
King George River & falls
10 nights aboard Le Lapérouse & Le Soléal
Swift Bay Vansittart Bay
Collier Bay Hunter River
April to September 2022
region Careening Bay April to October 2023
PLUS, two new departures just released!
The Lacepedes
AUSTRALIA From $10,060 per person*
BROOME
Connect with your Virtuoso Travel Advisor
*All advertised prices are based on the Ponant Bonus fare per person, in Australian Dollars (AUD), based on a double occupancy in the best available category, including port taxes and transfer, yield managed, correct at
time of printing, are subject to availability and can be changed at any time. Darwin to Broome itinerary differs from map shown. More terms and conditions apply. ABN: 35 166 676 517. Photographs : © PONANT Phillip
Schubert PHOTOGRAPHYWell Travelled
Taking
the Waters
On Artisans of Leisure’s
private six-day tour, check into
the 253-room Reykjavik Edi-
tion, a glamourous new tim-
ber-and-glass property beside
the harbour, and explore the
wild nature of rural Iceland,
from its glaciers and waterfalls Steamy situations:
to its steaming, open-air hot Tuscany’s cascading
springs. Departures: Any day Saturnia hot springs and
(left) a Japanese onsen.
through May 2023.
When Japan reopens to
tourism, travellers can make
a detour from Tokyo to see
the snow monkeys bathing
in hot springs near Nagano. Japanese guesthouses. I’ve simmered Centuries later, bathing traditions
A three-day outing with EXO in a bubbling thermal pool with spec- have evolved in different ways around
Travel whisks explorers from tacular river views in Hakone, a resort the world. In the U.S., bathing is almost
the capital to Shibu Onsen,
town southwest of Tokyo, and trekked always done privately, at home. But in
a historic hot-springs resort
town, for a stay at a Japanese into the snowy mountains near Nagano South Korea, for example, groups of
inn, or ryokan, and a hike into to the natural hot springs frequented friends will often socialise at jjimjilbang,
Jigokudani Park to meet the by red-faced snow monkeys. popular 24-hour bathhouse complexes
soaking macaques. Depar- featuring hot tubs, showers, saunas, and
tures: Any day through 2023.
spa facilities. And in Morocco, locals
(ONSEN) GYRO/GETTY IMAGES, (SATURNIA) SIMONSKAFAR/GETTY IMAGES
THE HISTORY OF BATHING CULTURE
On the Bosphorus’ European dates back to ancient civilisations. regularly visit the neighbourhood ham-
shore, a former Ottoman The Greeks took ritualistic mineral mam to be steamed, soaked, scrubbed,
palace is now home to the baths, and the Romans considered and caught up on the latest town gossip.
310-room Ciragan Palace communal bathing an integral part More than simply a place to get clean,
Kempinski Istanbul. At this
of daily life. Grand bathing facili- these locales are societal touchstones,
grand property, tired travellers
are revived at the Sanitas Spa, ties, known as thermae, constructed and ideal spots for travellers to immerse
which offers a traditional Turk- throughout the Roman Empire, were themselves in the local culture.
ish hammam, as well as sauna dual-purpose places for washing and While there are many different ways
and steam rooms, a fitness socialising. The remains of some of to bathe – in hot air, as in a sauna; in
centre, an indoor pool, and a
those bathhouses from antiquity still heated tap water, as in your bathroom –
heated outdoor infinity pool.
Accommodations include stand, from the well-preserved Roman for many, the idea of communal bath-
breakfast daily and a $135 Baths in the English city of Bath to the ing is tied to hot springs. Iceland, one
hotel credit. Terme di Caracalla in Rome. of the most volcanically active places
28 V I RT U O S O L I F Eon the planet, is dotted with natural Empire. Many of Budapest’s spas are also praise for the simple ritual of sweating in
hot springs, many of which have been architectural stunners, such as the pa- a small heated room or hut. For my first
transformed into spalike destinations, latial Széchenyi Baths, with its canary- Finnish sauna, I chose a bitingly cold au-
such as the famous Blue Lagoon and the yellow, neobaroque edifice and outdoor tumn day to visit Kulttuurisauna, a mini-
new Sky Lagoon outside Reykjavík. Far pools, where local retirees often play malist public facility on the waterfront
from the tourist crowds, in the northern chess in the steaming water. in Helsinki. After stripping down inside,
village of Húsavík, the geothermal spa I joined half a dozen women lounging
GeoSea lures bathers to its clifftop in- IN AREAS WITHOUT THERMAL SPRINGS, on the sauna’s tiered wooden benches.
finity pool filled with piping-hot seawa- bathing traditions often rely on steam Unaccustomed to the suffocating heat, I
ter believed to have a variety of healing and heat to cleanse the body. In Is- chose a spot on a low bench – the higher
properties, from soothing skin condi- tanbul, visitors to a Turkish bath, or you sit, the hotter it gets – and winced
tions to easing joint pain. hammam, prime their skin in a steam every time someone suggested löyly, the
Similar health benefits have been at- room, followed by a vigorous scrub and tossing of water on heated stones to re-
tributed to the mineral-rich water bub- wash, often performed by an attendant. lease a scorching puff of steam.
bling in hot springs around the world. These cleansing and purification ritu- After about ten minutes, with my
In Tuscany, for example, the tiny vil- als, once necessary for public hygiene lungs and cheeks ablaze, I ducked out of
lage of Bagno Vignoni has long been re- and religious purposes before indoor the sauna and followed the lead of oth-
nowned for its therapeutic geothermal plumbing was available, remain cher- ers I’d seen dashing outside and quickly
springs. An early rest stop for Christian ished traditions for relaxation and laid- dipping themselves in the ice-cold sea.
pilgrims looking to soothe their aches back socialising. The jolt of shockingly cold water on the
and pains in the Middle Ages, the village In Finland, another place that has heels of the searing heat was exhilarat-
remains popular today for its restor- been bathing in heat and steam for cen- ing. Over the next hour, I repeated the
ative terme, or thermal resorts. And in turies, the sauna is considered an in- routine a couple of times until all that
Hungary, the capital of Budapest earned tegral part of the national identity. In remained was a meditative calm like
the nickname “City of Spas” due to its 2020, UNESCO added Finnish sauna to I’d never felt before. Once again, a little
abundance of curative thermal baths, its Representative List of the Intangible courage (and nudity) led me directly into
some of which date back to the Roman Cultural Heritage of Humanity – high foreign – but friendly – waters.
Touch of SpiceANTARCTICA
3 WAYS
PHOTO CREDIT TKTKTK
Cruising the Seventh continent and a base camp built for adventure.
30 V I RT U O S O L I F EKORENA BOLDING SINNETT
PHOTO CREDIT TKTKTK
Exploring Roundel Point
with Aurora Expeditions,
and (opposite) an iceberg
adrift off Snow Hill Island.
WINTER 2022 311
Cool factor
Explore the Eastern Peninsula (and skip the Drake on the way home).
BY KORENA BOLDING SINNETT
Y
OU’LL NEVER FORGET swaying was extreme: The ship’s Fair weather made conditions all
your first iceberg,” our ship’s dining room has big picture windows, the better for meeting some notewor-
sea-kayaking guide told us and at a sway’s apex, the windows on thy residents. I thought I’d seen my
somewhere between Punta Arenas and the opposite side were three-quarters fill of penguin shots, but I get it now.
Antarctica. “And you will take a thou- underwater. Like many of my fellow They’re hilarious in real life – espe-
sand photos of it.” adventurers, I chose the 132-passen- cially when they chase each other. Our
He was right. Our ship’s passengers ger Greg Mortimer’s 12-day sail/fly first Zodiac landing was at a gentoo
were all out on deck when a few faint option, which skips the return Drake colony on Brown Bluff, and all those
white dots appeared on the horizon. As crossing, because I wanted to experi- penguins in their natural habitat
we got closer, the asymmetrical shapes ence this uneasy rite of passage – but had us laughing and snapping away.
came into focus, and I knew we’d made only once! We thought our crossing Immediately after I stepped ashore,
it. For me, the continent’s remoteness was rough until the crew rated it a 5 a gentoo came close to greet me; we
was its initial appeal, but I could never or 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. Our bubbles tried to keep a respectful distance, but
have imagined its stark beauty. were burst. penguins are very curious, and they
We’ve all seen a lot of pictures of Once we arrived on the peninsula, kept coming closer to inspect us.
Antarctica, but it’s tough for a photo to it was all action. “Gooood morning, Another memorable sight appeared
capture its sheer vastness and colours. ladies and gentlemen, good morn- one morning when I stepped onto my
The white is so bright and pure, and ing!” our expedition leader, Florence private balcony in my pajamas at 3:30
older icebergs contain shades of blue Kuyper, greeted us each day over the am, camera in hand. A sliver of burn-
I’d never seen in nature. Each one is a intercom. “You are in Antarctica! You ing orange lined the horizon. Snaps,
different shape, a different size, with a can sleep when you’re home, but today crackles, and pops shattered the si-
different sky behind it. The light dances is a day for exploration!” And explore lence as we slowly cut through the ice.
around them, changing their appear- we did, with two Zodiac excursions The sky turned cobalt with streaks of
ance from one second to the next. a day to see penguins, whales, and orange, and millions of glistening ice
I travelled to Antarctica with other wildlife, and the option to sea chunks dotted the sea.
Aurora Expeditions to explore the kayak, dry-suit snorkel, scuba dive, Before I left home in Dallas, I
Antarctic Peninsula’s eastern side and brave the polar plunge. I assumed didn’t fully comprehend how long it
and less-visited spots, such as Snow Antarctica would be bitterly cold, takes to get to Antarctica – six days
Hill Island in the Weddell Sea. We’d but we lucked out with perfect blue from doorstep to iceberg. It will take
just crossed the Drake Passage in skies, very little wind, and an average infinitely longer for Antarctica to
five-metre seas, and the side-to-side temperature of zero degrees. leave me.
KORENA BOLDING SINNETT
PHOTO CREDIT TKTKTK
32 V I RT U O S O L I F EClockwise from top left:
A crabeater seal, dry-suit
snorkelling, the White
Continent’s colour palette,
the Greg Mortimer’s
hydraulic viewing platform,
kayaking, View Point’s
clear waters, scuba divers
heading out, and the ship’s
cosy quarters. Opposite:
Aurora Expeditions’
Greg Mortimer cruising
View Point.
PHOTO CREDIT TKTKTK
WINTER 2022 332
View from the stern of
Le Commandant Char-
cot, and (opposite) hik-
ing in Hanusse Bay.
Champagne on Ice
Discover A delightfully French take on Expedition cruising.
by kimberley lovato
II
’M ALONE ON THE SHIP’S FORWARD DECK, WHICH MAKES IT EASIER TO HEAR MOST ANTARCTIC CRUISES EMBARK
the cracking. I peer over the railing to see the source: square slabs of Land Rover- from Punta Arenas, Chile, or Ushuaia,
size ice pushing away from the metal bow. It’s the first sound I’ve heard 20 minutes Argentina, before making the nearly
into my preferred activity du jour – watching snow-covered peaks and sculptured 965-kilometre crossing of the Drake Pas-
icebergs slip by. sage, a much-feared strait of converging
What resonates isn’t this unfamiliar noise, but rather the booming silence into oceans pinched between the tip of South
which it expands. Against the backdrop of Antarctica’s untamed vastness, the whoosh America and the South Shetland Islands.
of whales breathing, the plouf of penguins porpoising through the water, and the flap Admittedly, I was nervous and packed
of bird wings on frigid air amplify and form the soundtrack of my expedition aboard a pharmacy’s worth of patches, pills,
Ponant’s newest ship, the eco-friendly, 245-passenger Commandant Charcot. and wristbands to ward off seasickness,
Sprawling almost entirely within the Antarctic Circle, the southernmost continent none of which I used. While Charcot and
is a place of extremes trod by more penguin feet than human. The word “otherworld- explorers like him roughed it in drafty
ly” gets thrown around a lot in travel writing, but Antarctica comes by it honestly. It wooden boats, the 150-metre Comman-
is another world that, not so long ago, was reserved exclusively for brave explorers, dant Charcot’s stabilisers handle squally
sailors, and scientists, such as our ship’s namesake, Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Char- seas like a dream – it helped that we
cot. In the early 1900s, he carried out two lengthy expeditions around the Antarctic encountered the “Drake Lake” (a fairly
Peninsula, where our 14-day odyssey concentrates. smooth crossing) instead of the “Drake
These days, travellers can’t get here fast enough. According to the International Shake.” The most challenging parts as a
Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, 74,401 visitors travelled to Antarctica dur- passenger were keeping the free-flowing
(SHIP) OLIVIER BLAUD, (HIKING) MIKE LOUAGIE
ing the 2019-2020 season, compared to 56,168 the previous year. Now that pandemic Veuve Clicquot from splashing out of my
travel restrictions are lifting, pent-up wanderlust has been unleashed, and big-ticket flute, and not rolling off the spa’s mas-
trips are on trend, says Noosa-based Virtuoso travel advisor Natalie Cherry, who sage table.
chose this cruise for Le Commandant Charcot’s ice-breaking capabilities and luxury, As the only luxury cruise line flying
private-yacht feel. under the tricolore, Ponant doubles
“During the pandemic, people had time to reevaluate their lives, and they devel- down on French joie de vivre, from the
oped a thirst to see remote places,” she says. “They feel like more is possible now.” vessel’s captain, Patrick Marchesseau,
Over her 26 years in the industry, she’s never had more clients set sail for Antarctica. to much of the 215-person crew to daily
34 V I RT U O S O L I F Ehomemade desserts and croissants. announces a plan to assist the Sir David Charcot is also the only expedition ship
Pastry chef Julien Arnaud uses roughly Attenborough, a British research ship in that hosts researchers on board in a
12 kilos of sugar and more than three the area. For several hours, we gather on dedicated scientific laboratory.) Given
kilos of chocolate a day to whip up cream deck to watch our ship open a three-nau- the volatile weather, they have their work
puffs, éclairs, macarons, and the flakiest tical-mile path through sheets of ice two cut out for them and set out early each
tarts this side of Paris. At Nuna by Alain and a half metres thick, a task that would morning to scout locations. Eventually,
Ducasse, multicourse and à la carte have taken the other vessel six days. we zip from ship to shore in inflatable Zo-
menus change daily and are paired with “I think passengers like going where no diacs for polar hikes and walks; the braver
fine French and Chilean wines. one has been before,” Marchesseau says. among us even take plunges into the
Dining sets the daily clock on board, “It’s exciting and the true idea of being an Antarctic water in our swimsuits. One
but it’s an explorer ethos that sets the explorer. In Antarctica, you never know morning, we wiggle into dry suits and
tone – one embraced wholeheartedly what to expect each day.” kayak amid floating ice, catching sight
by Marchesseau, who has spent 12 years of an ice rainbow against the cerulean
sailing the polar regions. Minding Ant- WHETHER SEATED NEXT TO A WIN- sky. In the ship’s 270-seat cinema, team
arctica’s mercurial weather, Marches- dow in the dining room or on a heated members give afternoon presentations
seau deviates off our planned course to bench by the outdoor pool, I keep tabs on local geology, history, and wildlife, as
Peter I Island, a few hundred kilome- on passing ice, looking for dark smudges well as on the area’s delicate ecosystem.
tres away, and opts to push down the on the white topography that might be a Expedition leader John Frick says cli-
peninsula. We squeeze through rugged, lounging crabeater seal, nesting birds, or mate change remains the biggest threat
narrow channels and tuck into ice-filled penguins. While many passengers aim to the region, and Ponant takes sustain-
blue lagoons, ultimately landing at paparazzi-length camera lenses, I find ability seriously: Le Commandant Charcot
Carroll Inlet – 73 degrees, 15 minutes it hard to take in Antarctica through a is the first luxury hybrid-electric polar
south – the farthest Marchesseau and Le screen or viewfinder – my eyes capture vessel powered by liquefied natural gas.
Commandant Charcot have gone to date. wide, golden sunrises and dapper pen- But increased visitors imperil Antarctica
En route, the captain manoeuvres so guin tuxedos with 100 per cent precision. too, which is why guides keep passengers
passengers get a good gander at a pod of The ship’s expedition team consists an appropriate distance from sensitive
humpback whales on the starboard side, of guides and scientists from around the areas such as rookeries and attempt to
and the turquoise hues of older icebergs globe who orchestrate our daily landings prevent the introduction of invasive spe-
off the stern. Another afternoon, he in this surreal world. (Le Commandant cies by insisting we vacuum our clothing
and pockets and disinfect our boots.
“A lot of people think of Antarctica as
this desolate place,” Frick says. “But it’s
actually full of life and is a wilderness
Sprawling almost entirely that needs our protection.”
within the Antarctic Circle, the Always a back-seat driver, I visit the
ship’s bridge, where screens blink green
southernmost continent is compass headings, wind direction, and
a place of extremes trod by the outline of our ship between latitude
and longitude lines. Nearby, a crew mem-
more penguin feet than human. ber charts our position on a paper map
with calipers, “in case all electronics fail,”
he says. His numbered markings remind
me of how the original seafarers and
scientists voyaged into Antarctica – with
maps and mathematics, instinct, and a
robust spirit of exploration.
Through the front window, white
clouds fall into the white horizon, and
towering basalt cliffs drop straight into
inky water. I imagine this remote tableau
of white, blue, and grey to be almost as it
was when Charcot first saw it, and goose
pimples rise on my skin. It’s a big ask to
take in every last illuminated inch. In rev-
erence to the exquisite expanse and those
who came before us, I study Antarctica
piece by piece, joining her in utter silence.
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