Food shopping

Last meeting we had with the team, about a month ago, I volunteerd for putting together the menu. I'm difficult when it comes to breakfasts, and during the pre expedition in Iceland I barely could eat the prepackaged muesli. I'm not a muesli eater and prefer bread, but that's hard to find during expeditions. Luckily in Iceland we brought roasted biscuits and with the cheese, it was a nice alternative. During the Last Degree however, I'll have to look for an alternative of the alternative. Cheese will become ice cubes because of the extreme cold.

Anyway, my first shop stop is at Adventure Foods, where we bought most of our diner dishes for Iceland as well. The offer doesn't look that bad: meatloaf dish, goulash, spaghetti bolognese, nasi, chicken curry, ham/cheese pasta,... all great and teasty when it's cold, or when you are hungry. Also the dessserts like chocomousse, vanilla dessert, abricots and apple cumble seem very appealing. The breakfast however: 2 choices, muesli and cereals. After some advice and talks with friends, I found what I could eat: porridge! And it seems very healthy too.

To come to our 6000 kcal diet, we'll eat plenty of nuts, raisins and choclat in between. Also cookies with cereals and some sugar are welcome as snack. Off course the good heavy breakfast and dinner which contains approximately 2000 kcal, are the mean meals of the day. Soups will be drunk to warm us from the inside. Tea and coffee can be taken along to refill the lost sweat during the day.

Quote of the day

Everyday I receive a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt and today's quote was a quite inspiring one for all people that might read this blog. I couldn't said it better.
"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience. "

Heartwarming

Today, I put our website online. I sent out an e-mail to my a bunch of colleagues at work. Some of them knew already that I was going to the Northpole, others I just wanted to inform as I thought they might be interested in such a thing.
I was very surpised however that one colleague that I didn't know very good, came very excited to me, really surprised of me facing that extreme cold. She knew that I was part of the Deurnse Icebear Club, but walking that far and in that cold...!? She was so excited she wanted to organise kind of a benefit, a party to raise money,... all nice ideas came out. Her enthousiasm and sympathy makes her for me the colleague of the year!

Shackleton inspires

Boudewijn sent me today this video.
Inspiring story of a true hero!