My cousins, Scott & Dustin of My Lux Cruises were planning an 2022 Icelandic Cruise for 29 family and friends. This was during the Corona-Virus Shut-Down 2020, and despite a lot of “Hell, No’s” in my head, the improv girl in me spurted a “Yes, and…” from my mouth.

Bravo to them for providing a First-Class, epic adventure and spoiling us with “Scone-O’Clock”, “Solarium Delirium”; you had to drag us out of the warm massage pools while coasting through the icy whale & dolphin infested seas.

My only mishap came visiting the “Icelandic Punk Museum” in Reykjavik. As I was jamming out to Bjork, a pickpocket made off with my iPhone. What’s more punk than that?

Cruising through the Prince Christian Sound, the ancient glaciers had my shutter finger twitching with adrenaline.  Too much beauty to focus on at one time, I heard the Geologist who beat me in Ping-Pong the day before, commenting about the mighty jagged mountains with the gentleman next to me who offered her photo advice about straight lines.  Eavesdropping, I made a corny photo joke about the Scheimpflug Principle that about 1% of the population would get.  Guessing my correct audience, he laughed saying “I knew you were a Professional”.  He introduced himself as Fridrik saying that he, too, was a photographer, and that his brother was a sports photographer.  Having my occasional Scorpio clairvoyant moment, I asked, “Is your brother George Tiedemann?”  His jaw dropped.  Then he replied “Yes.  How would you ever know that?”  

 
“When I was a Photo Assistant to Herman Gerechoff, at the Garden State Arts Center, Herman would teach and treat me to stories being a Press Photographer.  His best friend was the legendary, Sports Photographer George Tiedemann, and Herman always wanted us to meet hoping I could assist George at The Garden, for boxing matches or Knicks Games.  It was in the way back when; a petite girl wasn’t a commodity in this profession.  We never had a chance to connect, and I had always hoped to see Herman’s request come to fruition before he passed”.   
 
Fridrik replied “George was supposed to be on this cruise; he would have been standing next to me with his Nikons.  We were heading to Iceland to visit our mom’s birthplace and visit family.  Unfortunately, he got sick and had to stay home.  I’m going to text him right now to see if he remembers”.  Here I am in the middle of this dramatic landscape, communicating with a hero of mine, surely feeling Herman smiling from the heavens above.  Quite a momentous moment for me.