Page 86 - WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE DISCOVERING ENGLAND

“The Expedition Team will be talk- Tabular icebergs flat as plateaus rose them “willy willies”) swooshed down
ing about this weather for years,” above the sea, dwarfing the 20,000- gray mountains streaked shimmer-
Cavaghan said as we stood in shirt- ton Discovery. Dozens of chinstrap ing white.
sleeves (thermal shirts, mind you) penguins porpoised beside the boat,
under the warming sun. diving and surfacing like mini dol- The sunset on one of those stunning
bright days went on for at least six
A group of like-minded na- hours. The sun alternately
ture lovers commandeered shaded the sea gold, tur-
the teak lounge chairs on quoise, sapphire and laven-
deck and idly watched the der as it descended on the
scenery, champagne flutes horizon. Pale coral streaks
in hand. A cream-colored in the sky deepened to a
seal snoozing atop an ice- rosy glow settling over pink
berg brought a crowd to ice. During his talk on art,
the rails at one point. Cam- Noel Miller had emphasized
eras clicked with paparazzi the colors of Antarctica and
frenzy as the berg cracked the fact that it isn’t all blue
and the thousand-pound and white. I’m not sure any
seal tumbled into spray painter or photographer
and foam, then swiftly slid could ever capture the colors
up the largest chunk of ice. we saw that night. I thought
Within moments, seal and phins. The occasional Orca set off a of physiologist Craig Frank-
humans were back in dreamland. lin’s talk on Antarctica’s web of life.
spout; giant petrels and wandering
Shiny as aluminum, the ocean mir- albatrosses swooped in air currents. “It really gets you in your heart and
rored glaciers and frothy clouds. Katabatic winds (the Aussies called in your soul.”

Above: Golden sunsets last many hours. Center:
Expedition team explores in the small boats.

86 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2014