Archive for April, 2010

I would bet that until about three weeks ago, an unpronounceable name Eyjafjallajokull , would have meant nothing to the majority of us, but within the last 21 days  this Icelandic  volcano has become the hottest news topic around the world.

For those traveling in Northern Europe it meant chaos , disruption and to many a great deal of unexpected cost. This was something on a grand scale. The figures of 6 million having plans disrupted , the Royal Navy ferrying stranded passengers on aircraft carriers , images of people lying on camp beds in airport terminals were almost  as dramatic as the enormous wrath of this monolithic monster …an incredible 7,500 tons of ash being pushed into the atmosphere every second.

But more interesting to me was the fact that the skies in the effected areas  of  United Kingdom and Europe were clear, people could not believe why massive airports had shut down with an erie silence , a flashback to the morning in London of Princess Diana’s funeral when there was unprecedented  quietness as a nation mourned a love one .

A bush fire gives off smoke, you smell it , you see it , the clouds reflect it, but this phenomena was so much different.

People were reminded of the British Airways aircraft  back in 1984 that all of a sudden lost simultaneously  power in  all 4 of its engines, whilst in as flight at night over Indonesia. But for the quick thinking and skill of the crew , who put the aircraft into a steep noise dive to clear and eventually blow out the dust and restart 3 of the 4  engines and safely land , the happy ending would have not been so but rather an unexplained air-crash with the loss of many lives.

So what can we learn from a volcano erupting in the Arctic Circle? I think it ironical that the Financial rout that Iceland has and is having to endure because of the greed and deceit of British and European Bankers and Investment Companies, has come back to haunt them. ( Refer to a blog I wrote on March 5th 2009         ” What A Country Full of Thermal Activity and Hot Water Can Teach Us on the Subject Of Financial Stupidity!”)

We also must learn that living life is largely an exercise in Risk Management!  Somethings happen in our lives that appear unfair and are certainly unexpected. But it is ” normal” and part of life itself.

Dalaine and I, in three weeks time  will be embarking  on an amazing 6 month adventure, including visits to London, Europe, North ,Central,  and South America. It has been 2 years in the making and the itinerary  has been described as breathtakingly complex!

I will be writing and putting video clips and photos for all tellingitasitis readers to enjoy as well as comments and blogs from what ” tickles my fancy ” .

So what ever happens stay watching and reading this website.

This volcanic eruption 12 ,000 miles away has even affected us…..as a precaution we are now flying into Rome rather than Heathrow , and catching an overnight train to Paris then the Eurostar to London, simply because we cannot afford disruptions to a jam packed Itinerary! I still believe the land of Ice , Ash  and Fire has not finished venting its anger on the Western World yet…..let us see who is right!!!!

I will write again soon.

Take great care

Lindsay Walker