"...It was a life-changing experience to be aboard the Adventure Canada expedition ship Ocean Endeavour for almost two weeks in early October, circumnavigating our stunningly beautiful province of Newfoundland. We anchored daily into bights, coves and harbours adjacent to UNESCO world heritage sites, outports and scenic destinations, becoming immersed in the physical geography, geology, archaeology, biology and culture of this great island province.
Part of the reason the trip was so exceptional was that there was a huge music component. We were treated to daily doses of Newfoundland music and culture, history and stories, from the likes of singer-songwriter Alan Doyle (Great Big Sea), singer-songwriter-culturalist Tony Oxford, and flute and whistle player Gerry Strong (Cotillion)..." (Elizabeth Szekeres)
As fans of Alan Doyle who follow him on social media know that he recently went on an Adventure Canada trip circumnavigating Newfoundland. Alan was one of several Newfoundlanders sharing their expertise of Newfoundland history, culture, music, geography and the natural environment with passengers.
The 10 day trip included visits to St. John's, outport communities, L'Anse aux Meadow a World Heritage listed Norse settlement, Red Bay Basque Whaling Station, Gros Morne National Park and Woody Point, Miawupkek (Conne River) First Nations settlement, and Saint-Pierre the last French colony in North America. And a what a trip that would have been visiting places that many tourists to Newfoundland would never get to visit while learning about Newfoundland from the resident experts. The trip has become one of my dreams for next year.
Alan, Adventure Canada and some of the other crew and passengers shared some of their highlights via social media. One of the passengers Elizabeth Szekeres wrote an article for the online music magazine rootsmusic.ca describing her experiences on the adventure of a life time and the role music played on the voyage. The article was then shared via the official Twitter sites of Adventure Canada and then responded to and shared by Russell Crowe.
If you are an Alan Doyle fan then you really should read this account of this unique experience.
The article 'Alan Doyle And Friends Aboard The Ocean Endeavour' by Elizabeth Szekeres is available at rootsmusic.ca and was published on 18 October, 2018.
