Of Books and Bergs

At Duane's Antiques (Anchorage) I happened upon a vintage English edition of Alexandre Dumas Margaret De Valois which was illustrated with a frontisepiece in photogravure by P.F. Collier and Son publishers out of New York. One of my all time favorite stories, I was delighted to find that this undated edition contaied introductory remarks extracted from a review of Domas' novels in Blackwood's Magazine.

I was to the most famous ill-fated boar hunt in history, and exciting event that could have well changed the course of the succession of kings in France and Poland, while we were enjoying a misty covered morning in our recent trip through the Inside Passage. We were floating on a perfectly calm sea, like a reflecting glass, Titanic-sized icebergs all around. The cedar clad hills, azure blue sky, dazzling crystal waters. Mystical.

A pod of orca made their way past us. Over thirty individuals focused on pushing past the ice, to the spotted seals who had taken refuge in these falsely quiet waters.

Very surreal, how nature was following the themes set in 1572, captured forever by the remarkable hand that more famously wrote "The Man in the Iron Mask," "The Three Muskteers," and "The Count of Monte Cristo." Keith was happy enjoying the amazing vibrancy of the blue ice. Someone needs to come out with a car this color.