Cruising northward along the Atlantic seaboard from Miami, and visiting Port Canaveral, Charleston, SC and New York City our first disembarkation of note is Bar Harbor Maine, and a visit to Acadia National Park. Unfortunately our arrival was veiled with fog and rain (and a drop of some 20 degrees the previous day as told by locals). Braving the weather, we did a loop drive of the park and then enjoying a clam chowder and lobster roll at a local restaurant, returned the our ship.
One view
of the beauty
of
Acadia National Park
The dawn brings Saint John, New Brunswick into view as we navigate the Bay of Fundy with its’ highest tide fame. The sight of the Canadian flag flying stiffly in the wind, brings a feeling of going home. Walking the streets of Saint John brings back memories of my studying Canadian history in school. A brisk 10km walk along the Harbor Passage to the famous Reversing Falls viewing the seascape and braving the intermittent drops of rain proved to be an enjoyable stop in our short visit to Saint John.
Next, Halifax is the mid-point of our Canadian ports of call. There, a stroll along the beautiful Halifax boardwalk, with residents and visitors alike taking in the sights of various vessels tied alongside and enjoying the restaurants and shops dockside.
Next, Halifax is the mid-point of our Canadian ports of call. There, a stroll along the beautiful Halifax boardwalk, with residents and visitors alike taking in the sights of various vessels tied alongside and enjoying the restaurants and shops dockside.
The Bay of Fundy is known for having the highest tidal range in the world with measurements of 56 feet.
HALIFAX SIGHTS
Following a day at sea we then entered St. John’s Nfld harbor on a typical maritime coast day - cool,rain, fog. Nevertheless, a walk in order that we spend our final day on Canadian soil before heading for Greenland - NOT!. Raining the proverbial cats and dogs, we remained aboard and after casting off endured 2 days and nights of rolling seas wondering why we had traded this for the heat of Arizona.
| A yucky day. A view from the ships' bridge |
Images of St. John's Nfld taken on a previous trip
Finally our destination, Greenland, breaks through the morning fog. This land of Viking legends, isolated in the northern reaches of the Atlantic Ocean, not part of North America or Eurasia, is a new adventure , never having set foot on this rugged land, which has taken us from the warmth of our desert home to this land of ice and snow.
Nuuk, this most northernly capital of the worlds’ countries, its’ shoreline outlined with a rainbow of brightly colored homes welcomes us. After walking the few streets of the town center, we don survival suits and board a small, open boat to cruise through the adjacent fjord to get up close and personal to many icebergs, glacial fed waterfalls and whales.
Overnight we cruise to our next port of call - Paamiut. A walkabout the town with its colorful homes, a visit to their iconic church and very old cemetery under sunny skies provided an insight into the hard life here in Greenland. The waters are surrounded by a flotilla of icebergs of varying shapes and sizes. We then cruise to our next and final port in Greenland, Qaqortoq (pronounced ‘kakortok’). Awakening to pleasantly warm temperatures, this harbour is accented with a variety of icebergs. After tendering into the port, we walk through the town of 7500 and hike to a glacier fed lake meeting and talking to inhabitants along the way. Although the lake’s temperature is only single digit, it is summer and we see several swimming in the lake.
Nuuk, this most northernly capital of the worlds’ countries, its’ shoreline outlined with a rainbow of brightly colored homes welcomes us. After walking the few streets of the town center, we don survival suits and board a small, open boat to cruise through the adjacent fjord to get up close and personal to many icebergs, glacial fed waterfalls and whales.
Overnight we cruise to our next port of call - Paamiut. A walkabout the town with its colorful homes, a visit to their iconic church and very old cemetery under sunny skies provided an insight into the hard life here in Greenland. The waters are surrounded by a flotilla of icebergs of varying shapes and sizes. We then cruise to our next and final port in Greenland, Qaqortoq (pronounced ‘kakortok’). Awakening to pleasantly warm temperatures, this harbour is accented with a variety of icebergs. After tendering into the port, we walk through the town of 7500 and hike to a glacier fed lake meeting and talking to inhabitants along the way. Although the lake’s temperature is only single digit, it is summer and we see several swimming in the lake.
As the anchor is raised in late afternoon we will cruise for the next two days toward Iceland, but before leaving this barren northern land, we will cruise one more fjord and then Prince Christian Sound. Throughout our morning cruise of the fjord and Sound we gaze upon the craggy outcroppings rising to the sky, interspersed with packets of snow and ice and from beautiful rivets creating waterfalls. Icebergs abound in many sizes and shapes as they flow southward soon to melt into obscurity. Once our ship exits this area we are in open water again - our destination Reykjavik Iceland.
Reykjavik, the end and the beginning as passengers arrive and depart starting our second leg of this cruise. Again an overcast and rainy day, and as we have been here before waited for a break before traveling into the town centre. It was amazing how this city has grown in just the few years since our last visit. On the waterfront, the outline of the buildings made it indistinguishable from other large cities other than the peak of the iconic church that dominates the skyline. A walk though the side streets past cafes and tourist shops, refreshed our memories of our
past walks. With our ship underway again, we head for uncharted areas of Iceland on its’ Western coast, our first being Isafjordur, nestled between mountains. Its existence is due to the natural harbor and is home to many fisherman. Since the 16th century, merchants have been using this port as a trading centre between European cities. Our last port in Iceland, Akureyri situated on the northern coast is considered the capitol of the North. With its relatively mild climate and ice-free harbor is an economic engine of this tiny country, but with another day of rain our decision is to stay aboard and not place our last footing on this Icelandic port of call.
past walks. With our ship underway again, we head for uncharted areas of Iceland on its’ Western coast, our first being Isafjordur, nestled between mountains. Its existence is due to the natural harbor and is home to many fisherman. Since the 16th century, merchants have been using this port as a trading centre between European cities. Our last port in Iceland, Akureyri situated on the northern coast is considered the capitol of the North. With its relatively mild climate and ice-free harbor is an economic engine of this tiny country, but with another day of rain our decision is to stay aboard and not place our last footing on this Icelandic port of call.
And so, we now head on a South Easterly course to Torshavn in the Faroe Islands. Once there, we are again greeted with cool temperatures, fog and rain. Frustrated, but having been here before, we braved the weather and walked many familiar streets, including those, whose buildings sported their famous sod roofs. Departing we look forward to continental Europe and the Baltic seaports.
After a day at sea, cruising southward, we enter the Oslo fjord passing shoreline reminiscent of our previous life boating though the 1000 Islands of St. Lawrence River fame. The capitol of Norway, Oslo, is a very beautiful port of call, steeped in history and dotted with statues throughout. Having lunch in a street-side cafe watching both Norwegians and tourists pass by is a treat for our eyes and ears.
Oslo's Opera House is located right at the harbour, with an angled, white exterior that appears to rise from the water, designed to represent an iceberg. It invites its visitors to climb its roof and enjoy panoramic views of Oslo.
With our cruise soon ending, we next visit Copenhagen, Denmark. Here we enter a beautiful port, and having been here previously, we opt to just walk the city centre taking in the sights and sounds of this vibrant city.
Warnemunde,Germany lies ahead where we tour the adjacent city of Rostock learning of its early medieval history and looking at the old stone fortifications. Following a visit to a Bavarian Brewery, where we sample the local beer, we then board a boat to cruise back to our ship on the Warna river, being told about the importance of ship building and where the first jet engine was produced. Heavily bombed during WW2, many of the buildings have been rebuilt replicating how it looked previously.
Another day at sea and our cruise ends in Stockholm where we board our flight home.
A stowaway