Icelandic Volcano Causing the Travel Snarl

Here are some great pics of the Icelandic volcano that disrupted my travel plans and those of millions of others around the world. Is the criticism valid that the EU over-reacted in shutting down airspace for so long over such a wide area?

They did the right thing for safety, but waited too long to reevaluate the situation.

Fortunately, my delay was only two days in Yerevan, Armenia before an alternate route home via Moscow rather than Paris. Thanks to Air France for the efficient people in their Yerevan office!!

Icy Rescue as Seas Claim a Cruise Ship - New York Times

Good reporting by the Times for a ship sinking in a remote area of the world. Carol and I have talked about an Antarctic cruise sometime in the future. These things happen, I suppose, so the possibility must be part of our thinking.

The reports suggest that the evacuation was orderly and well managed. The passengers are all safe and the weather was cooperating with sunny calm seas as the Explorer was abandoned to its icy grave. Fortunately, other ships were nearby to pick up the passengers and give aid.

Hopefully we will read more soon to determine how the ship struck a berg.

Icy Rescue as Seas Claim a Cruise Ship - New York Times

Travellers and Tourists

"The traveller sees what he sees. The tourist comes to see what he has come to see."
-G.K. Chesterton

I thought this elaboration on Chesterton's observation found in the introduction to the 2007 Traveller's Guide to Newfoundland and Labrador was well stated:

"You see, tourists know what they're looking for long before they know what is
really here. An experience that is knowable and containable and packageable. But
these are mere parts of the puzzle.

A traveller, on the other hand, seeks the truth of a place, the essence that can only be appreciated by seeing the puzzle as a whole."

I believe I'm a traveller.