FRONTLINE


sharon thompson owner, Thompson Travel, Portadown, Northern Ireland


The last few months have been hectic,


both in and out of the office. In May, I returned to the


Battlefields of the Somme and, even though I have been there many times, I learnt a completely new fact on one of our days out. It was something that seemed so poignant, as I had just lost my partner’s father to cancer in April. We have all heard of Marie Curie, or benefitted from the fantastic support provided by their nurses for family or friends. But what’s perhaps less known is Marie’s history, which I learnt on this trip. Marie was born in Poland and moved to France with her husband Pierre as they furthered their scientific careers. Despite having two children, Marie never stopped her work, even after Pierre passed away in 1906.


SCIENTIFIC PIONEER For Madame Curie, the war started in early 1914 as German troops edged towards her hometown of Paris. She and Pierre had both pioneered developments in radioactivity and she knew her scientific research needed to be put on hold, so she gathered her entire stock of radium, put it in a lead-lined container, transported it by train to Bordeaux – 375 miles away from Paris – and left it in a safety deposit box at a local bank. She helped to develop mobile


X-ray units for the battlefields during 22 16 OCTOBER 2025 AGENT


Recent travels have reminded me that we are a mere dot in comparison to pioneers and nature


the war, training 156 staff to operate them. They were known as ‘Little Curies’. This was the start of mobile X-ray units both in military situations and beyond. Marie passed away in 1934 and left behind an everlasting legacy. Her achievements make me feel absolutely tiny in comparison.


MAJESTIC NATURE In September, I had the opportunity yet again to travel to the Canadian Rockies on a group trip. Travelling from Vancouver to Banff on the fantastic Rocky Mountaineer formed part of the fabulous experience. The Columbia Icefield, Jasper, Maligne Lake, Spirit Island and Peyto Lake were among the highlights.


There are more than 600 First Nations communities in Canada, which represent more than 50 nations and 50 Indigenous languages. Each time I return I get a sense that Canada is now respecting those people for their contributions to the preservation of the national parks and beautiful land. As I enter Jasper National Park, I don’t see any cars, telephone poles or power stations. Here, nature exists in beautiful abundancy, completely unspoiled. Waterfalls, icebergs, snow-topped mountains and wildlife bring to life the pictures in the brochures. But just outside Jasper, my heart sinks as I see the devastation caused by last year’s forest fires. Burnt trees look like a scene from the apocalypse, but after having a chat with our guide, I learn nature has a way of using everything to its advantage. As the pine beetles infest the


trees and the sun starts forest fires, it is all a natural necessity. Areas of old forest area are lost, but the space allows the sun to penetrate the ground, producing bushes of berries, vital for the bears and wildlife to source much-needed nutrition for the months ahead. Once again, I can’t help but feel tiny when I learn of these achievements of nature.


New Delhi travelweekly.co.uk UP NEXT: MY PASSAGE TO INDIA


My next adventure this year will be a return to India. It’s been a few years since I’ve been, but I look forward to visiting Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur and Ranthambore. India is a place that certainly makes me feel tiny; its busy streets, roads and trains make me feel like an insignificant speck. Rajasthan is well over twice the size of the UK yet is only 10% of India. I will, however, be giving Karni Mata Temple – the so-called


‘rat temple’ – a miss, no matter how ‘holy’ the creatures are deemed to be! But I will try to see the Great Wall of India, somewhere I had not heard of until I organised this trip. Once again, I find myself thinking, ‘How tiny am I?’


AndreaJenniferColin Clare Helen AndreaJenniferColin Clare Helen diary diary


Sharon Sharon


PICTURE: Shutterstock/Ravi_Sharma1030


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