They say food is a window to the world. And at Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, another window is opening as they introduce a new specialty to their stellar expedition team – culinary naturalist. Renowned for their team of experts including historians, geologists, ornithologists, marine scientists, biologists – and even an ethnomusicologist – Lindblad is now harnessing the power of cuisine-as-culture to further connect guests to the places they explore.
In typical Lindblad style, they have sought out the very best experts and found their man in Francis Lam, who will choreograph a unique and remarkable Faroese culinary experience.
Francis visited the Faroes on assignment for Bon Appetit in 2014, and his article introduced American foodies to this new, unlikely, mecca for global gourmets—thanks in large part to chefs whose culinary innovation won the islands their first Michelin star. Now host of public radio’s The Splendid Table, and editor-at-large at Clarkson Potter, Francis joins Lindblad in 2017 on both the June and August Nordic Passages: Shetlands, Orkney, Faroes, and Iceland cruise voyages.
In his role as culinary naturalist, Francis will choreograph several experiences and excursions, both off and on the ship, exposing guests to the role food plays in this remote locale, and the forces that shaped its unique culinary landscape, and is influencing the world’s culinary landscape. He’ll introduce guests to some remarkable individuals; to a cuisine built on fermented lamb, foraging (since there’s so little agriculture), turnips that taste like cantaloupes, and more—plus, incredible seafood, including Faroese langoustines, considered the finest in the world.
Set aboard the 102-guest National Geographic Orion, the 14-day Nordic Cruise departs June 22 and August 13, 2017. Expedition highlights include sailing beneath the midnight sun, over seas steeped in Norse mythology, and along the route of the boldest Vikings who ventured west. Guests will meet the welcoming islanders who call the scenic Faroes home—Danes by nationality and Vikings by blood; see the graves of their Viking ancestors, and explore their tiny towns of turf-roofed homes. On Scotland’s outlying isles they’ll discover a 5,000-year-old village and see the mysterious standing stones of the Ring of Brodgar. And in the west, complete a near-full circumnavigation of Iceland, from an iceberg-strewn lagoon to an Arctic Circle island, soaring cliffs populated with razorbills, a working eiderdown farm on an isolated peninsula, dynamic, volcanic islands and, finally, cosmopolitan Reykjavík.
Rates begin at $13,690 per person based on double occupancy in a category 1 cabin. For reservations or additional information on Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic voyages to some of the most beautiful and fascinating places on Earth, visit www.expeditions.com, call 1-800-EXPEDITION (1-800-397-3348) or contact your travel agent.
About Francis Lam
Francis Lam is the host of public radio’s The Splendid Table, editor-at-large at Clarkson Potter, and serves on the board of the Southern Foodways Alliance. His writing and editing have won numerous awards from the James Beard Foundation and the International Association of Culinary Professionals. In past lives, he was a columnist for the New York Times Magazine, a judge on Top Chef Masters, the features editor at Gilt Taste, a senior writer at Salon.com, and a contributing editor at Gourmet. His work has appeared in the 2006-2014 editions of Best Food Writing. He is also eager to explore and share his knowledge with people willing and ready to taste the world.