As part of the Linacre Ball committee, I watched "Around the world in 80 days". It was a hilarious movie, made in the 1970's starring some British actor as Phileas Fogg. I am a huge fan of Jules Verne having read Around the world, Journey to the center of the earth and 20,000 leagues under the sea. I love the guys books. The guy was a visionary. Each of his books predicts things which happens 50 years later.
Submarines, rockets to the moon, aeroplanes, world travel all in 1902. What imagination. Surprisingly most of his ideas do make sense. The submarine for example is made of reinforced steel, has a generator all components of todays submarines.
I hate science fiction, in fact I cant read Asimov, Clarke et al, but somehow Jules Verne, HG Wells appeal to my sense of adventure in a rather old-fashioned way. Its so exciting when you are about 10 years old to read about martians, submarines, lost treasures and cities under the sea and climbing down a volcano to reach the center of the earth. I also think they are slightly easier to imagine than spacecrafts flying around the planet Xysos on the 15th galaxy of Andromeda...it just sounds wrong!!
However, co-incidentally came across someone who is presently doing just that. Ellen MacArthur is attempting to break the record for the fastest solo sailing trip around the world and seems to be right on target. She is looking to make the trip in 72 days,22 hours,54minutes and 22 seconds. She started from Britain on the 28th of November and will return some time this week. Presently she is two days ahead of the record, previously held by Francis Joyson. I think it is fantastic that she set out to do this, it must be so difficult to live alone on a boat and eat canned food for 72 days.
You can follow her progress here.
Thought for the day :
Travel, which was once either a necessity or an adventure, has become very largely a commodity, and from all sides we are persuaded into thinking that it is a social requirement, too.
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