In Which Two People Are Inspired by a Jules Verne Adventure…
Many lifetimes ago, we took a trip. It was the benighted time at the Turn of the Century (i.e. 2001) and my Dearest Travel Companion and I undertook a journey inspired by the Jules Verne character, Phileas Fogg. Like Fogg, we sought to circumnavigate the globe – from London to London – without using airplanes. Ideally we would go – as the title of Verne’s book suggests – Around the World in Eighty Days.
The posts below are a collection of our web posts on this site during our journey and excerpts from the personal journals we kept. Since we traveled in the dark days before prevalent Wi-Fi and social media, our updates on the road were limited to whatever internet cafes we could find. Our original web postings are noted with the typewriter icon.
Interactive map with our route and shortcuts to posts
-
St. Paul (Day 66)
Rolled into St. Paul, Minnesota in the morning, stocked up at Target in the afternoon, and partied with family and friends in the evening.
-
Chicago (Day 68)
Due to regional flooding, we took a bus to Chicago. Met with friends as we prepare for NYC. Today our journey intersects with Fogg.
-
Time Check: Day 68
Day 68 of our journey around the world finds us in Chicago on the same day as Phileas Fogg.
-
New York City (Day 70)
Ten days left. Fogg already left New York City and we only just arrived. Hopefully we’ll have better luck with our Cunard connection.
-
New York City (Day 71)
Nine days left. A tour of Ellis Island offered amazing views of the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline. Then Broadway!
-
New York City (Day 72)
Architecture tour of New York on our last day before sailing to England. Visits to Grand Central, Rockefeller Center and the United Nations.
-
Queen Elizabeth II (Day 73)
Sailing out of New York harbor on the Cunard ship, Queen Elizabeth II. Final leg of our trip is underway.
-
Queen Elizabeth II (Day 75)
Learning loads about the history of Cunard as the rougher seas presage a looming storm.
-
Queen Elizabeth II (Day 76)
Riding out a storm in the North Atlantic aboard the QE2. Enjoying tea amidst the tumbling dining room furniture.
-
Success: London (Day 78)
Seventy-eight days and nine minutes later, we successfully return to Waterloo station. Time for a nap.
-
Epilogue: May 27, 2001
Trip complete, we travel to the Royal Observatory at Greenwich to learn how Fogg arrived a day early unbeknownst.
-
