76-year old Peg Berner, already a seasoned traveler having visited 56 countries, some as a Peace Corps volunteer, frets a little about how to pack for her latest trip to Antarctica
Our Peripatetic Peg is off to Antarctica
By: Bill Doak 01/08/2004
"I've read everything about him, and there's more written about Shackleton than you would believe," said Berner, 76, noting she resorted to checking books out of the Manchester library when she couldn't find the research she needed at the Raymond Library here in East Hartford.
Berner, already a seasoned traveler having visited 56 countries, some as a Peace Corps volunteer, frets a little about how to pack for her latest trip. It will be mid-summer when she flies into Buenos Aires Friday, but the weather will be close to zero - with 130-mile-an-hour winds - when she's aboard the Marco Polo as it sails from Ushuaia across Cape Horn to the Widell Sea where Shackleton's ship, The Endurance, was crushed in pack ice. The Irish-born explorer become famous for keeping his entire crew alive for 17 months until they were rescued in 1916.
"Antarctica, the seventh continent, is as big as the United States and Europe put together," says Berner, pointing to a map of the bottom of the planet. She also uses a little globe to show where her latest exploit will lead her. Passengers on the Marco Polo will take rubber Zodiac boats to the icy shore where they have been promised 'up close and personal' encounters with wildlife.
"We are not allowed to touch or take anything," said Berner who has her new rubber boots and waterproof pants packed. Berner started her travels in the company of her husband some 50 years ago. They started out traveling to the Caribbean, then their goals became more exotic. At one time the couple had considered retirement in Columbia or Costa Rica. But after Peg's husband died 21 years ago this April, her global jaunts became Peg's way of reliving memories of travels with her husband.
"I do everything my husband wanted to do," said Berner, bags ready again. "I joined the Peace Corps, too. He would have wanted to go into that." Berner is also very much involved in her town of East Hartford. She is a member of many organizations, and sits on the board of directors of Main Street Plus Burnside, is chair of the East Hartford Shelter Advisory Committee and is a member of the board of H.E.A.L.T.H.Y: the town's effort to fight obesity.
The group is busy with plans to organize four community walks this year as part of the new Trailblazers program. And Berner, though she missed the initial Mayor's Walk in November, plans to lead the way.
Berner comes from a family of travelers. She and her brother, Robert Tucker, were born in Newfoundland where her grandparents, surnamed Cook, were descended from English royalty.
"I was 10 years old when we left," related Peg. She's been back, but only to lament the loss of the Cook Grant, once said to be one of the largest land holdings in Newfoundland.
Berner feels she understands some of the reasoning behind what drove Ernest Shackleton to explore Antarctica. Generations have marveled over the ability of the sea captain to survive, and keep his men from despair when all hope seemed lost and the world had forgotten them.
"He was one of those people who was just so aware of people's feelings. He was sensitive to them, and had activities planned to keep their morale up even when things seemed at their bleakest," said Berner. "It's unbelievable that he was able to keep them all together without giving up. It's inspiring, really."
©East Hartford Gazette 2004
