Armchair Travel with Barry Pell

Wednesdays, November 16, November 30, & December 7 @ 2:00 pm-3:30 pm
Location: Sherborn Town Hall, Room 204A and on Zoom/ Cost: $30

Iceland in Winter – A Journey Around the Country’s Ring Road Iceland, an island nation in the North Atlantic, is about the size of Kentucky but with only 365,000 people. It has captured the imagination since its settlement by the Vikings a thousand years ago to over two million annual visitors today. While most tourists arrive in the warm months, the lecturer, Barry Pell, drove the entire circumference during the challenging winter weather season. At this time, Iceland’s attractions, its volcanoes, steaming hot springs and geysers, towering glaciers, black lava felds, and remote farms and churches, are dusted and glazed in a winter wonderland of snow and ice. Add to this the wild reindeer herds, the hardy pony-sized Icelandic horses, and the surreal colors of the Northern Lights make winter a very special (and uncrowded) time to see the country. The program will be accompanied by Mr. Pell’s photography.

Gullah Geechee – African Communities on the Barrier Islands of the American South The Gullah Geechee are descendants of people from Sierra Leone and other neighboring countries of the West African rice coast. They were kidnapped, enslaved, and taken to the barrier islands and coastal Low Country of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Over the centuries, the Gullah Geechee communities have retained a deep connection to Africa in their skills, language, arts and traditions. Barry Pell recently traveled to the barrier islands and adjacent coast where the Gullah Geechee people have lived for centuries, first as rice plantation slaves and then as freedmen. In this program, accompanied by his photography, he will discuss how they have preserved their African roots, heritage, and culture while resisting the pressures by developers for their valuable and pristine lands.

Bhutan – Travels in the Land of the Thunder Dragon The small and predominantly Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, squeezed between China and India, is tucked within the rugged Himalayas mountains and mostly covered with thick forest. Monasteries, often massive and commanding, abound, with crimson-robed monks performing centuries-old rituals. The country has no traffic lights, smoking is illegal, and employees must wear traditional clothing during work hours. Years ago, Gross National Happiness was identified by the nation as being more important than Gross National Product. Barry Pell recently traveled through the country, meeting its people and learning about their history and culture. Accompanied by his photography, he will discuss insights into a fascinating way of life that has only just begun to change after centuries of isolation. Presenter: Barry Pell is a world traveler and National Geographic photojournalist. He has traveled widely over the past 40 years, visiting and documenting landscapes and cultures in over 153 countries. He currently lectures on international cultures at schools, universities, and institutions in the Boston area.

You can pay for Lifetime Learning by sending a check made payable to the Town of Sherborn, 19 Washington Street, Sherborn, MA 01770 or pay online at https://unipaygold.unibank.com/transactioninfo.aspx