With our 35^th anniversary and Roger among the first of the baby boomers to turn 60, this was a year to celebrate with an exceptional experience.
 

We wanted was a romantic getaway, an escape from summer heat, exciting new destinations, spectacular scenery, and to learn a little more about our world—all at an affordable price, of course. We found it all with Holland America’s Northern Isles Adventure. Beginning in Copenhagen, we would journey to Norway, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland before returning to New York City.

Aappilattog, Greenland

There would be breathtaking fjords, spectacular volcanic islands, thundering waterfalls, spurting geysers, Ice Age glaciers, and colorful dancing Northern lights. We would visit charming villages and dynamic cities, encounter flaxen-haired Scandinavian children in woolen sweaters, be welcomed by young Inuits in traditional sealskin costumes, spot dolphin and whales, and gain a little better understanding of history and life built around the sea.

Open Air Folk Museum, Oslo

Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

Life Onboard 

By cruising, we traveled from place to place in comfort, with fine dining and the gracious services of our floating resort, enjoying views beyond our imagination and pure North Atlantic air. 

This time we splurged on stateroom with a private veranda, where we could stretch out to the sounds and rhythms of the sea and enjoy brilliant sunrises, spectacular sunsets, romantic moonlit nights, and some of the most dramatic landscapes on earth.
 

Holland America has added features to cater to the premium traveler, like luxurious bedding (available for purchase on its website in response to customer requests), and spa-grade toiletries. Sea days were opportunities to savor delectable samples and learn to cook like the pros in the Culinary Arts Center (Grand Marnier Chocolate Volcano Cake, Dungeness Crab Cakes with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce). Explorations Café, replete with expresso bar, has the ambience of an upscale high-tech Barnes and Noble. It’s a place to catch up on reading, check email, or enjoy music at the listening stations while gazing at the sea.  To soothe the body and soul there’s the top-rated Greenhouse Spa with ancient and modern rejuvenating treatments from around the world, for an additional fee.

We could catch a movie in our room or in the Wajang Theater, join in on games, take a dance or exercise class, catch the game at the Sports Bar, or simply relax by the pool.  The Explorations Speakers Series in the Queen’s Lounge was an opportunity to learn more about the places we would visit with presentations by a geologist, an historian and a NASA veteran. Evenings, we could enjoy the cocktail of the day in whichever lounge matched on our musical entertainment preference or dance at the Crow’s Nest, high atop the ship. And then there were the special events, like the Dutch Chocolate Extravaganza.

Nightly shows in the Queen’s Lounge were typically Holland America -- with Las-Vegas style revues, comedians, illusionists, vocalists, and talented musicians. The performances by  pianist Hyperion Knight, from Gershwin to Rachmaninoff, received well-deserved standing ovations.

It was tempting to remain onboard the Amsterdam, but the ports were simply too alluring. One of the reasons I recommend Holland America so highly to friends and family, in addition to their best value in the premium market rating, is that their port lecturers provide personalized information not only for their own shore excursions but also for exploring independently. 

The capital of the world’s oldest kingdom is a world of wonders-- tales of kings and queens, Vikings, and a mermaid, with a fortress, castles, palaces, and crown jewels. The largest of the Scandinavian cities, once the capital of an empire that included Norway and Southern Sweden, cosmopolitan Copenhagen, or “merchants’ harbor”, is a city as enchanting as the fairy tales inspired here. For more about--getting there, getting around, accommodations, sightseeing and attractions, and travel tips,  see our story on Copenhagen

Strøget features a full range of shops, restaurants, cafes, and, in summer, street performers. At the beautiful Amagertov Square, Royal Copenhagen Porcelain, in a 16th century Renaissance building, is one of five shops serving the queen. Inside is a full range of dinnerware, including the world’s most expensive porcelain, Flora Danica. Look for the staircase that leads to a bargain area in the lower level.

•    The Little Mermaid (Den Lille Havfrue), the small bronze statue alongside the picturesque harbor promenade, has become the city’s most popular tourist attraction. Hans Christian Anderson published the beloved fairy tale in 1837, and a ballet by the same name inspired Carlsberg brewery founder Carl Jacobsen to commission the famous statue as a gift to the city in 1913.

•   Nearby Gefion Fountain is a tribute to the legendary goddess who, it is said, was offered by the Swedish king as much land as she could plow from Sweden in a day and night. Turning her four sons into oxen, they carved out an area and threw it into the sea to become Denmark’s main island of Zealand, leaving behind the outline of what became Lake Vännern.

•    Rosenborg Castle—One of the architectural treasures built during Christian IV’s reign, this Dutch Renaissance-style castle showcases the Royal Danish Collections including the crown jewels. It is surrounded by King’s Garden, a popular spot for picnics and sunbathing.

•    Nyhavn— The canals are another of Christian IV’s projects. Nyhavn, or “New Harbor” is lined with colorful houses over three centuries old. Originally the access to the city from the sea, it is now a picturesque harbor lined with sailboats, taverns, and trendy cafés. Hans Christian Anderson lived and wrote at #20 and #67, and later #18.

•    National Museum—In the 18th century palace built for Crown Prince Fredrik, Denmark’s largest museum depicts the 10,000 years of Danish civilization. It contains the world’s finest collection of Stone Age tools and rune stones, treasures of the Middle Ages ranging from awe-inspiring religious artifacts to drinking horns, Renaissance art, science and technology, and a modern history of emergence from the devastation of war.

•    Tivoli--This old-style amusement park in the middle of the city twinkles at night like an enchanted garden. Enjoy a leisurely dinner, check the schedule of free shows and concerts, or ride the world’s tallest carousel.

•    Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek—Founded by brewer Carl Jacobsen, named for the brewery and a word meaning “sculpture building”, it features Northern Europe’s largest collection of ancient art, outstanding Danish Golden Age Masters, and French sculpture and paintings.

•    Amalienborg Palace –When popular Queen Margrethe II, cousin of the King of Sweden, is in residence, guards in furred helmets march from Rosenborg Castle to the four nearly identical royal residences for the noon Changing of the Guard ceremony. Visit the museum, an extension of the Rosenborg Castle collection, and apartments covering 150 years of history.

•    Christiansborg Palace— Follow in the footsteps of Queen Margrethe II’s guests as you ascend the Royal Staircase to the reception area of the Throne Room. Emperors, kings and presidents attend royal banquets and gala dinners in the Red Room. The eleven tapestries in the Great Hall, a gift to the queen for her 50th birthday, creatively depict Denmark’s history and should not be missed.  This is Denmark’s political center—the Queen’s workplace, the prime minister’s office, and site of the Supreme Court. Tour the carefully preserved underground ruins of Bishop Absalon’s 12th century castle.

•    Denmark’s Resistance Museum (Frihedsmuseet)-- The espionage, sabotage and struggles in resisting the Nazis and saving 7000 Jews during World War II is highlighted here.

•    Town Hall (Rådhus)—The tall tower of this red brick landmark dominates the area. Above the doorway is a figure of Bishop Absalon, city founder. Inside are a cloistered main hall and a clock by Jens Olsen that keeps actual solar time and worldwide local time.

•    National Gallery —collections of paintings and sculpture from 1300 to present, including the King’s Collection—Italian, Dutch, Flemish, and German and Danish Golden Age.

•    Marble Church--Patterned after St. Peter’s in Rome, also known as Frederik’s Church, its dome dominates the skyline. Visitors can climb 260 steps for the views from the bell tower.

•    Citadel (Kastellet) Begun by Christian IV and rebuilt after the 17th century Swedish siege, this was the city’s main fortress into the 18th century. Germans used it as headquarters during their occupation.

•    Round Tower (Rundetaarn)-- Built by Christian IV in1642, it is now Europe’s oldest working observatory. The cobbled spiral ramp winds 7 ½ times around for a top-notch view of the city’s spires and rooftops. Peter the Great ascended on horseback, his wife in a horse-drawn coach.

•    Danish Museum of Art and Design (Kunstindustrimuseet)—A Rococo building is the center of furniture, industrial design, and applied art -- the hallmark of Denmark today. View collections of furniture, silverware, textiles, royal porcelain, and glass.

•    Opera House-- Harbor buses offer easy access to the stunning new Opera House, or take bus 66, passing the colorfully painted counter-culture community of Christiania.

•    Royal Library— Nicknamed the “Black Diamond”, it is ultra-modern and angular, with shiny black tiles from Zimbabwe. It will include concert hall and exhibition space, a café and restaurant and co-host Copenhagen Opera Festival in spring.

For more on Copenhagen and how to extend your stay in this delightful city, see our full story on Copenhagen.

Oslo:  Fearless Vikings and the Nobel Peace Prize

 
The oldest of the Scandinavian capitals, founded over a thousand years ago, Oslo was an important center of wood trade. In the 1600s, after yet another devastating fire, King Christian IV, ruler of Denmark and Norway, rebuilt the city in brick and stone closer to Akershus Fortress and named it Christiania after himself.   The original name was not restored until 1925.

At the head of a 60 mile long fjord, surrounded by forested hills, lakes, and farms, the approach is superb. Oslo proper is easy to tour on foot or with public transportation. More on Oslo

The sculptures by Gustav Vigeland in Frogner Park, Oslo, are one the country's top attractions.

Our recommendation?  Take one of the ship’s city tours or, for the energetic, go early-- before the crowds—out to Vigeland Sculpture at Frogner Park. The park includes Vigeland’s nude granite and bronze sculptures on the theme of human relationships and the cycle of life, including the over-50 foot tall Monolith of Life. (Bus 20, tram 12, metro to Majorstuen)

	Open Air Folk Museum—Stroll amidst 155 traditional buildings from all over Norway, including a 13th century stave church, and watch traditional crafts demonstrated.
Oslo's Open Air Folk Museum's Stave Church dates from approximately 1200 AD.

Kon Tiki/Ra Museum—See the original vessels from Thor Heyerdahl’s expeditions testing the possibility of early migrations of man.

Norwegian Maritime Museum—Art and artifacts showcase Norway’s seafaring history from Viking times.

Polarship Fram Museum--The world’s strongest wooden vessel, designed to float with an ice sheet, went farther north and south with its polar expeditions than any other.

Return by ferry and, time permitting, take a guided tour or at least a look inside City Hall (Rådhuset), decorated by leading Norwegian artists with impressive murals depicting Norwegian culture and history from its rural beginnings. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded here.

Head back toward the cruise port and climb to Akershus Fortress --Built high above the harbor area by King Haakon V in the 1300s as a medieval castle, and rebuilt in Renaissance style three centuries later, it is Oslo’s oldest and most historic building. It was occupied by the Nazis during World War II, a time archived in the onsite Resistance Museum.

For more on this dynamic city, see our full story on Oslo. 

Kristiansand: Floral Town of Norway

Founded by King Christian IV in 1641, Norway’s second largest harbor is a major Norwegian port for fish and wood products and a seaside resort. 

Ship excursions include city tours, boat trips to charming Lillesand, scenic train rides on a narrow-gauge steam engine, or a visit to Setesdal Mineral Park.
 

Kristiansand is easy to explore on your own. We browsed the fish market, strolled past the traditional wooden houses in the old district of Pasebyen, visited Norway’s third largest church, and enjoyed the view from the Christiansholm Fortress area .There is a ferry harbor, plenty of shopping, and superb seafood in the harbor area restaurants.

Later, we would celebrate our anniversary with a romantic meal by candlelight at the Amsterdam’s Pinnacle Grill, known for Sterling Silver beef, fine wines, and elegant creations beautifully plated and served with style on Bulgari china.

Bergen: Gateway to the Fjords

Bryggen's colorful wooden warehouses were trading headquarters of the Hanseatic Leaguein medieval times.

Cosmopolitan Bergen is a cultural and commercial center rich in Old World charm. Built around a colorful and historic harbor, this westernmost city in Norway is a World Heritage City and one of the most visited cruise harbors.

A chief shipping center of Norway, and its first capital, Bergen was one of Scandinavia’s most important cities in the Middle Ages.

dried cod

Shore excursions include tours of Mt.Fløien, Bryggen and the famous Fish and Flower Market, quaint villages, scenic forests and cascading waterfalls, and Troldhaugen and Fantoft Stave Church.

On your own?  Take the Fløibanen Funicular up 1050’ Mt. Fløien for a birds-eye view of the city and harbor. You can hike one of the paths or take a break at the café before heading down to the colorful wooden waterfront warehouses of Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, the Hanseatic League, a German medieval guild of merchants, dominated Northern trade routes for 400 years. 

Visit the Bryggens Museum, site of archaeological finds from the Middle Ages. Meet at the entrance for guided tour of the carefully preserved area.

Hanseatic Museum

The Hanseatic Museum, recreated living quarters of a 16th  affluent merchant, is the oldest and best preserved wooden houses of the Hanseatic period.

St. Mary’s Church is the city’s oldest building still in use. Romanesque and Gothic, built in the 12th century, inside are a late medieval gilded triptych and a pulpit of fine Norwegian Baroque decorative art.

Torget—Sample smoked salmon or fresh shrimp open-faced sandwiches at this thousand year old fish market, or buy souvenirs handcrafted throughout Norway

There is also Rosenkrantz Tower and Håkons Hall, the royal residence when Bergen was the political center of Norway, an aquarium, art and natural history museums, the home of Norway’s best-known composer, Edvard Grieg, and even a leprosy museum. Leprosy is also known as “Hansen’s disease” for the Norwegian doctor’s discovery of the bacteria that caused the disease. These will have to wait until our next visit.

After our day in Bergen, we departed through Hjelterfjord, passing Norwegian oil rigs on port side in evening.

 
We were about to trace pathways across the Atlantic  taken by the Vikings over a millennium ago, continuing a voyage that would far exceed our expectations.

 For more on this charming city, see our full story on Bergen and Hurtigruten

Between Scotland and Iceland, these 18 volcanic islands that were formed millions of years ago have remained much undisturbed by the outside world. Residents are descendents of Vikings who arrived in longships over a thousand years ago in search of new uninhabited land. Today, the Faroe Islands are a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark.                          

Fishing is the major industry. Sheep roam freely, top-quality water-repellent woolen goods are produced, and eider feathers are gathered. The bird cliffs and variety of species are renowned

We docked in the colorful harbor of the capital, Tórshavn, named for the powerful Norse god Thor. Never consumed by fire like other European cities, its carefully preserved bright turf roofed wooden buildings date back as far as the 14th century.

You can browse the fish markets or shop like the royal family at Sirri for chic designer woolen clothing.

Outside the city is a rugged landscape with panoramic vistas at every turn.

The islands were formed millions of years ago by an undersea volcanic eruption, creating steep basalt slopes and deep chasms. Water gushes down verdant hillsides and cliffs, creating waterfalls made more dramatic by the frequent rain.

The largest lava field on earth is found in this major town and seaport of northern Iceland.

By the 18^th century, ten Danish traders resided here. The herring fishing industry grew, as did Iceland’s largest retail cooperative society. Fishing and trawling, canning and freezing of large fish, weaving, tanning, brewing, and tourism support the current population of over 16,000. 

Akureyri Church dominates the city with its stark modern architecture, and there is a botanical garden with amazing diversity for a city so close to the Arctic Circle.

Some old wooden homes are now museums, most notably Fridbjarnarhus, the Good Templar’s Museum, from the days of the Crusades, and Nonnahus, the Nonni Museum, early home of children’s author John Sveinsson, whose stories of growing up in Iceland were published in over thirty languages.
 

One of the ship’s excursions enjoyed by fellow passengers is a polar flight to Grimsey Island, population 115, known for long dark nights and chess champions.

Námafjall

Recommended Tour: Take one of the ship’s excursions or hire a taxi to the Lake Myvatn area to witness history and some of the earth’s most active geological phenomena:

• Godafoss “God’s Waterfall” --where the local chieftain marked the conversion to Christianity by throwing away pagan artifacts. 

• Dettifoss-- Europe’s largest waterfall. 

• Jökulsárgljúfur National Park-- a landscape of mountainous ruins and lava formations, with echoing Hljódakletter basalt rocks, distinctively red mountain, Raudholar, and horseshoe-shaped canyon Ásbyrgi. Beware! Legend has it hidden people live in the cracks. 

• Dimmuborger-- a labyrinth of lava outcroppings, often referred to as black castles.  

• Stóragja and Grjótagja—pools of natural hot water in underground caves. 

• Krafla-- a caldera last erupting in the 1980s, in an active volcanic area with a Viti crater, believed at times to be the entrance to hell. 

• Námafjall—Sights, sounds and smells at this high-temperature geothermal red and yellow valley are mesmerizing and other-worldly-- purple boiling sulfur pits and fumaroles with an eerie whistling sound from steaming hydrogen sulfide gas. Stay on the path or you could fall through the thin crust! 

• Húsavik—picturesque little fishing town and center for whale watching. 

• Laufás, a settlement going back to pagan times, has gabled farm buildings in typically Icelandic side-by-side style, part of the National Museum.          

Ísafjördur

In the westernmost part of Europe is Ísafjördur, commercial and fishing center of Westfjords, linked to main island by narrow isthmus. Brightly painted timber homes of the three or four thousand residents are surrounded by pristine wilderness. The Folk Museum is a highlight. Shops feature handmade woolen sweaters and pottery incorporating crushed lava.

This remote area rich in fish, bird life, and culture attracted worldwide attention with the controversy over whaling. Shore excursions are offered to the fjords, mountains, and tiny villages.

There are only ten human inhabitants but thousands of birds on Vigur Island in Djupfjord in Iceland.

Recommended tour—the excursion by local boat to tiny Vigur Island, where Hugrún Magnúsdóttir opens her home to visitors wanting to learn about her family’s unique life collecting down from the century-old family-built stone wall where 3600 eider ducks return to nest each spring.

In summer, about 80,000 puffins revisit their mates and underground nests, adding to the food chain. During the harsh winters, down is cleaned and cows are tended.

We sipped coffee made from the island's fresh water and savored homemade pastries inside a delightful 19th century family home that was reminiscent of  Carl Larsson paintings, while university student Helga Gudmundsdottir regaled us wth popular folk and patriotic tunes.

At the end of the day, we sailed in the Isafjörd toward the Northwestern tip of Iceland and headed south for Reykjavík. 

This northernmost capital in the world is perhaps best known to us for warm woolen sweaters and the 1986 disarmament talks between Reagan and Gorbachev. A majority of Iceland’s population lives in this rapidly expanding city.

For an urban experience, take the Holland America City Tour or buy a Reykjavík WelcomeCard at the Tourist Information center for admission to museums, galleries, and all seven of city’s thermal pools, as well as free Internet access and unlimited Reykjavík bus use. Shoppers enjoy browsing along Skolavodustigur for art work, woolen items, pottery, and jewelry.

For a revitalizing adventure like no other, simply relax, perhaps with a massage, in the renowned Blue Lagoon, set amidst a black lava field, with warm geothermal waters rich in silica and other rejuvenating minerals. 

Iceland Travel offers a full range of options, and we maximized our day by pre-arranging a customized independent car tour with an experienced guide.  

Icelandic horses, descendants of those brought by early Viking settlers, are fearless and good tempered.

Recommended Tour: The Golden Circle Tour, booked onboard or independently in advance, is an unforgettable drive past mossy lava landscapes, glaciers, villages, lush farmland, Icelandic horses, and stark wilderness.

The geyser Strokkur erupts with boiling water every few minutes.

It’s an opportunity and to peer inside the volcanic crater Kerid, and walk around a steaming geothermal field.

The statue of Leif Eriksson outside Reykjavík’s landmark Hallsgrímskirkja was a gift from the United States.

Water from under the glacier Langjökull drops over 100 feet at Gullfoss, the"Golden Waterfall"

• UNESCO World Heritage site Thingvellir (“Place where people gather”.) National Park, -- site of one of world’s oldest parliaments, established 930. Here Christianity was adopted in 1000AD and the founding of Icelandic Republic was celebrated in 1944. 

• Walk a dramatic landscape where tectonic plate boundaries produce spectacular rifting and expansion of the earth’s crust. 

• Gullfoss, “Golden Waterfall”-- saved from power plant development by a farmer’s daughter. Waters of the Hvita River fall over 100 feet in two stages into a long, deep canyon, and the spray creates breathtaking rainbows in the afternoon sun.   

• Geysir (the gusher that gave its name to all the rest) geothermal area--mud pools boil and the hot spring Strokker spouts every few minutes. 

• Skálholt— once the cultural and ecclesiastical center of Iceland and site of a church since Iceland’s conversion to Christianity. 

• Nearby Mount Hekla is a volcanic ridge that last erupted in 2000.

Your trip might also include a visit to the geothermally heated greenhouses in Hveragerði, to the charming south coast fishing village of Eyrarbakki, where the oldest house, Húsid, dates to 1756, or to the black sandy beach at Stokkseyri. 

Next, we sailed for Greenland for an adventure beyond our expectations. 

GREENLAND

We glided past floating sculptures shaped by wind and weather, frozen reminders of ages past, shimmering shapes in a sparkling sea, the sky a clear cerulean. On both sides, dramatic peaks soared nearly 5000 feet above, dwarfing us as we sailed past icebergs and waterfalls in a pristine wilderness. This was the rarest of days in Ikerasassuag, “The Long Channel”, Prince Christian Sound. We were in the southernmost tip of Greenland, in a network of narrow channels and fjords accessible only when thawed sufficiently to allow passage and navigable only when the characteristic thick fog is absent. We could not believe our good fortune. 

The journey thus far had been exceptional, but never had we expected to experience a day as extraordinary as this.  The scenery that surrounded us drew gasps from even the most sophisticated travelers among us. Photographs cannot do justice to the scale and magnitude of one of nature’s most extreme creations.

We would pass just one settlement in this area of the world’s most spectacular fjords, a remote village of under 200 residents on a small promontory beneath a 2970´ mountain that drops so steeply to the water’s edge that villagers can walk no farther than 1.2 miles.  Aappilattoq is approachable by boat only from July to late autumn, and reached by helicopter other times of the year.

We were in the land of dogsleds, kayaks, glaciers and icebergs, a country mostly north of the Arctic Circle, a land carved by Ice Age glaciers and characterized by its harsh and challenging environment. North of the Arctic Circle the sun does not appear for three months in winter. Existence in outer areas is as one with nature, dependant on the hunt for fish, seals and whales using skills passed down through the generations. More on Greenland

Qaqortoq is a fishing port teeming with icebergs. 7/8 of an iceberg is beneath the sea.

Fishing dominates the economy and exports. Greenland also has sheep, gold, diamonds, and oil reserves, drilled offshore.

Life expectancy has increased to 70. Powerboats and helicopters often replace dogsleds and kayaks.

The Greenland we visited was not, as alleged, a misnomer created by Eric the Red to attract settlers to an Arctic climate. In the southwest, the North Atlantic Drift, a warm ocean current, a continuation of the Gulf Stream, brings a warmer climate with ample sunshine. There are hilly pastures for sheep in the milder fjord settlements and waters teeming with marine life.

Lunch in the dining room included a superb view of Prince Christian Sound.

In contrast to those arduous early explorations by longboat, we were aboard the Amsterdam, reclining with room service on our sunny veranda,  spellbound by the beauty of our surroundings.

We continued to the more moderate climate of the southwestern shore, to the largest town in South Greenland, where summer temperatures can reach 70º.

Eric the Red, banished from Iceland, discovered and began to colonize South Greenland in 985 AD. At its peak there were thousands of colonists and hundreds of farms in Greenland. 
Eric’s son, Leif Ericsson, or Lucky Leif, sailed from here to North America around 1000 AD.

Port city, Qaqortoq, “the white”, teems with ice floes. Founded in 1775, it is connected to other towns by boat or helicopter, not roads. About 90% of the 3500 residents live in town, the rest in surrounding sheep or reindeer farms. Greenlandic and Danish are spoken, with many also speaking English, particularly in summer when students are in town. English  words of Greenlandic (Inuit or Eskimo) origin include kayak, anorak and igloo. 

Harbor fishermen arrive with the day’s catch. There are brightly colored contemporary houses prefabricated in Norway and well-preserved buildings from colonial days, some over 200 years old.

The Tourist Information Office is across from the dock and excursions are offered by land, sea, and air—around town and to Viking ruins, an agricultural research facility, and the icecap by helicopter. Internet access is available for a fee.

Young women wear red, single women white, and older women have costumes of dark blue and yellow. All have warm sealskin pants.

We were greeted by young ladies in the Greenlandic National Costume--warm and colorful outfits with harbor seal slacks. A short excursion is offered showing the hard work that goes into sewing these Greenlandic National Costumes, traditionally worn on holidays, for confirmation, weddings, birthdays, and the first day of school.

Whether on a guided tour or exploring on your own, Qaqortoq offers much to see and do. The town itself is a unique sculpture park.

“Stone and Man” was begun by artist Aka Høegh, a sculptor who imagined faces when she played on the rocks as a child. Her fantasy was carved into reality by artists from all over Scandinavia in a project that continues to draw artists each year.

Great Greenland, the only tannery in Greenland, has thousands of seal and polar bear skins in piles.  Their high quality fur coats, boots, and accessories are displayed in their showroom, but cannot be imported to the United States.

The oldest fountain in Greenland is surrounded by an old and a new church, an open air fish and meat market, and a small museum of Inuit and post-colonial history with historic photographs and  contemporary art.

Where else will you have the opportunity to sample mattak-- raw whale skin with thin layer of blubber--or the national dish suaasat, a seal soup with rice and onions? Restaurant Napparsivik, in the Town Square, serves a “Taste of Greenland” including a variety of Greenlandic delicacies. For another authentic experience, guides stand by with kayaks for scenic tours.

Excursions outside the city take you to Upernaviarsuk, the Research Station of Agriculture, or by helicopter to Tvillingebræen to touch and taste the icecap.

For shoppers there are Inuit dolls and warm clothing.

Tupilaks are grotesque figures usually of stone, bone, antlers or ivory. These unique carvings of real or imaginary creatures and evil spirits incorporate interpretations of ancient myths and legends and were originally created as protection against enemies. Some are of carved from endangered species such as sperm whale ivory. A CITES permit may be needed to bring them home.

The grass roof is long gone, but the thick stone walls of Hvalsey Fjord Church remain in this pasture where sheep continue to graze.

We took a local boat around Arpatsivik to the Hvalsey Fjord Church, site of the best preserved ruins from the times of Norse settlements in this area. The thick stone walls of the church remain untouched and together with ruins of the prestigious great hall are surrounded by foundations of farms and living quarters of the old Norse village. Sheep continue to flourish here today.

For more on these Viking ruins see our Greenland story.

As early as August, when darkness returns to the Arctic night sky, the spectacular natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, creates the biggest light show on earth.

The stars appear especially bright when out to sea, and an expert from NASA was on deck to help us spot the constellations and enjoy the Northern Lights. And what could be more romantic than spending the rest of the evening enjoying the celestial fireworks under a warm blanket on our veranda?

Our voyage continued as we followed the icebergs to Vinland, now known as Newfoundland, where, in the 1960s archaeological evidence proved, as the Icelandic Sagas had long revealed, that Leif Ericsson was the first European to reach our American continent.

Around 1000 AD, Leif Eriksson, son of Erik the Red, was accused of murder and banished from Greenland. He sailed westward with thirty others and arrived at a sheltered harbor. Crewmember Tyrkir, the German, is said to have found grape vines in the forest. They brought wood and wine back to Greenland, and the name Vinland, “Land of Wine” was used to describe the place they had visited. 

The Ingstads found proof at L’Anse Aux Meadows that the Vikings landed in North America.

In 1960, Norwegian explorer and writer Helge Ingstad and his archaeologist wife Anna Steine Ingstad were following "The Saga of Eric the Red" and "The Saga of the Greenlanders". They knew the Norsemen were traders looking for good land to settle on.

This cloak pin in the L’Anse aux Meadows Visitor Center, Newfoundland, is among the evidence of the Norse presence in the North Atlantic over 1000 years ago. .

A bronze ring-headed cloak pin was found-- clear proof of the Norse being there. A small spindle whorl, part of a thread spinning kit, a fragment of a bone needle, and a small whetstone for sharpening it revealed the presence of Norse women.

 The Visitor Center and museum is run by Parks Canada. The historic area remains much as it was when the Vikings, the first European settlers, arrived 500 years before Columbus. Sod huts have been replicated and costumed interpreters recreate Viking life in Norse-style longhouses.

Adjacent to L’Anse Aux Meadows in the Norstad Viking Trade Village, staffed by costumed reenactors. Viking wives may have shell brooches or Venetian beads. Were they plundered or traded? This isn’t a question to ask. Watch as pig fat is first boiled for soup then burned for use in caulking ships. Buy jewelry hand-carved from shed reindeer antlers. It’s an entertaining finish to a remarkable day.

Thick brogues and lilting speech greet visitors to the city, traces of English, Irish, or Scottish roots. 

Screech is a local favorite  used  in a ceremony known as a Screech-in to induct visitors as honorary Newfoundlanders.

Foot stompin’ Irish music entertains into the wee hours of the night from the 75 or so pubs along George Street. Stop by this friendly city. You may be inducted as an honorary Newfoundlander or uncover centuries of legends.

St. John’s is a blend of old and new, city and nature. There are elegant historic homes, colorful wooden houses, brick and stone church and government buildings, colonial shops, and innovative modern museums. Should you want to tour by sea, regaled by songs and stories, accompanied by a Newfoundland dog, the Scademia sails past lighthouses and rugged cliffs to Cape Spear.

For more information read our complete story on St. John's 

Signal Hill National Historic Park:  military, communications, and geologic history

Stop at the Interpretive Center for an overview of the history of St. John’s. Stroll a trail, perhaps to Gibbet Hill—“hanging hill”—where, until the 19th century,  bodies of criminals hung for 2 or 3 days before being rolled down in a barrel to Dead Man’s Port. On summer weekends, the Signal Hill Tattoo performs 19th century marching drills on O’Flaherty Field in Royal Newfoundland Regiment uniforms.

Cabot Tower on Signal Hill is the hub of military and communications history.

Topped with a high flying flag, and 500 feet above sea level, the landmark “castle”, Cabot Tower on Signal Hill is the area’s most visible attraction. It is worth the trip for the spectacular seaside views of the city and “the Narrows”, the rocky entrance to the harbor.  There is a Marconi exhibit on the second floor.

Newfoundland and Labrador are geological showcases—the most easily reached places on earth to find some of our planet’s earliest rocks. Those of Signal Hill are 550 million year old -- from the time the continent of Avalonia drifted north. 

At the Johnson Geo Center visitors travel underground inside excavated rock walls and can touch pieces of prehistoric ocean floor or nearly 4 billion years old rocks from Labrador. Multimedia exhibits include the Titanic Story. Fifteen hundred lives were lost in the greatest peacetime tragedy of the 20th century when the luxurious ship hit an iceberg and sank 350 miles off Newfoundland’s coast.

You can’t miss the three steep roofs that overlook the city and harbor.  The Rooms are archives, a museum, and an art gallery designed in the style of “the rooms” in fishing communities where families came to process the catch. The Rooms are on the site of the star shaped citadel, Fort Townshend, one of North America’s largest British fortifications.

King’s Bridge Road is where the elegant Victorian, Second Empire, and Gothic homes of the wealthy and elite were built in the 1890s. Jelly Bean Row, also known as Crayola Corner, is often photographed for its brightly-colored wooden houses. 

John the Baptist is the patron saint of Newfoundland, and two churches named for him are of particular interest. 

Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on Church Hill, near the Newfoundland Museum, is said to be the best example of Ecclesiastical Gothic style in North America. Inside are ornate wood furnishings and golden goblets given by patron King William IV. 

St. John the Baptist Basilica, with 150 ft. twin towers, seats 1500 and was built in Romanesque style in the mid-1800s for the Catholics from Ireland, then three-quarters of the city’s population. Designed in the shape of a cross of limestone and granite from Ireland, the Basilica is known for its religious sculptures and ornate ceiling. Also noteworthy is the Old Garrison Church, chapel for the garrison at nearby Fort William. The Hanoverian Coat of Arms is featured inside.

Government House, built 1827, is the residence of the Lieutenant Governor, Queen Elizabeth’s representative. A bedroom was redecorated with furniture designed and handcrafted by a local artisan for Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s visit celebrating Newfoundland’s 400th Anniversary of becoming a British colony.

Shoppers are drawn to the art galleries and handicrafts along Water Street, the oldest street in North America. 

For locally produced hand-knitted products, stop by NONIA Handicrafts. An acronym for “Newfoundland Outpost Nursing and Industrial Association”, NONIA was founded in 1924 to raise funds for medical services in remote areas through the sale of hand-knitted and woven goods made at home by women of Newfoundland.

Woof, also a cottage industry, gained fame for the rolled-neck fisherman-style Quoyle sweater worn by Kevin Spacey’s character in the movie The Shipping News.

Also on Water Street, Velma’s Place is known for traditional Newfoundland food like fried cod tongues and fish and chips.

Nestled on a small protected harbor, just north of Signal Hill, Quidi Vidi (kidee videe) is a charming village in St. John’s with weathered buildings and fishing shanties. Guides in period uniforms tell colorful tales at the reconstructed barracks of the Battery. Quidi Vidi Lake is known for the annual Royal St. John’s Regatta, North America’s oldest continuing sporting event.

A jewel of the area is Mallard Cottage, the oldest structurally unchanged cottage in the oldest city in North America. The Mallard brothers, dairy farmers, joined other Irish immigrants in the area and built their home around 1750. It is now a  lovely shop filled with antiques and collectibles.

Travel southeast for about 7 miles along a road built by Americans during World War II to the easternmost point in North America. You may spot a caribou, black bears, snowshoe Arctic hare—or one of Newfoundland’s 125,00 or so moose.

•  Home  Destinations
•  Cruises
•  Travel Products
•  Travel Resources Photo Gallery Contact
•  About Us