Hello from the Northern Hemisphere

Day 8: At sea

We’re taking a short commercial break while at sea……..we will be back shortly….

In the meantime, meet Titina, who was the first dog to reach the North Pole. The fierce little brown-and-white fox terrier was the inseparable companion of Umberto Nobile, a world famous airship engineer.

As the story goes, polar explorer Amundsen from Oslo contacted world-famous airship engineer Umberto Nobile in Rome, Italy with a proposal: to construct a large, weather-resistant airship that will take Amundsen to the North Pole. Nobile was also asked to accompany Amundsen on his quest and the engineer enthusiastically agreed, bringing along Titina, a dog who Nobile saved from the streets of Rome. The two month old stray Fox Terrier had been wandering the streets of Rome when Nobile found her. Hungry, lost and in dire straights, the puppy stood up on her hind feet and pawed at Nobile. And that was that. Nobile scooper her up, named her Titina (Ti-teena), and together, they would make history.

Titina wasn’t an enthusiastic flyer, but she loved Nobile more than she hated flying, and she certainly wasn’t going to be left behind when Nobile made his 1926 flight over the Arctic. As the aircraft named, “Norge” ascended from earth, Titina was held tight to Nobile’s chest, a green, red and white Italian sash wrapped around her neck.

Not everyone on board was thrilled with the presence of a dog. While Nobile was the designer and main pilot of the Norge, it was famed explorer, Roald Amundsen, who commanded the vessel, and he was furious at having to make room for a dog. Only sixteen men fit in the small gondola hanging under the airship, and no one could sit down save Titina who settled on a pile of clothes.

The polar flight was a success, and the pair became famous. A world tour introduced them to dignitaries, celebrities and politicians, and through it all, Titina was included in every photograph.