Aloha Greenland & Arctic Circle
Jim and I are about to embark on an Arctic Circle expedition cruise. We booked this trip almost a year ago and have been anticipating its launch ever since. We have spent the last 2 weeks preparing, buying long johns, waterproof everything, face and head coverings and warm, gloves. No tuxedos or fancy dresses on this trip!
The day is finally here, August 18th, and we are leaving Florida. Spoiler Alert: there is NO such thing as smooth sailing for the Flynn’s!
Woke up at 4am full of excitement for what lay ahead. At 5:13am, the first of the óops” happens…..
SHITE, JIMMY! Our flight to NYC has been cancelled!! What???
The next 45 minutes was total scramble mode as we looked for an alternative flight to JFK today in order to catch our charter flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland tomorrow morning. A change in airline, change in airport and the addition of a driver finally gets us on track to get to NYC this evening. We arrive at JFK without further ado. Our hotel (the Marriott at JFK Airport Hotel) is perfect, close to the airport, clean and comfortable with great service; all at a good price (for NYC). We decide to catch a taxi to Howard Beach and have dinner, NY Italian style.
DeVino’s did not disappoint; quintessential NYC Italian joint, family-owned with great food and amazing service. I felt like I was sitting in Nonna’s dining room on a Sunday afternoon, waiting for family to gather and dinner to start, with the smell of homemade red gravy and meatballs inundating my senses. I had a chicken breast served scallopini style that was so moist and tender, it practically melted in my mouth. No breading, just well seasoned chicken breast pounded as thin as a piece of paper, accompanied by a bowl full of rigatoni, al dente, topped with a delicious red gravy and Parmesan cheese, full of green peas (my special request). Add a glass of Chianti and I am a very happy camper. I loved this restaurant; the food, the delightful and fun service and all at a reasonable price. I may go back to NYC just for dinner at DiVino’s!!
Tomorrow we head back to JFK to catch our charter flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland where we will meet the ship.
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland (8/19) The name of this town is pronounced: kanger (like kangaroo)-LU-su ak
We gather at JFK for our charter flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland at o’bright n early o’clock.
After 2+ hours of unexplained delays at JFK, we finally board the plane and off we go to Greenland. The flight is 5 hours long and the time zone is 3 hours ahead of Eastern Time. We learn that there will be no food served and NO DRINKS! What??? What kind of airline is this? No wine? No beer?
I took this picture of Jimmy on the plane, BEFORE we found out this is a 5 hour flight on which no food or alcohol will be served. I didn’t have the nerve to take his picture when he received that news. LOL
We reach Kangerlussuaq around 9:30pm, Greenland time. There are only 2 people assigned to customs and there are 153 of us getting off that plane; so, almost 1 hour later, we are all through customs. We then take a 30 minute bus trip to our ship where we learn that we must board our ship in the Kangerlussuaq port via Zodiac rafts. The harbor is not deep enough to accommodate a ship so 153 of us (and all luggage) are transferred via these rafts. I must admit that I have never boarded a ship from a small raft. Amazingly, the Atlas staff accurately determined the proper home of each and every piece of luggage, happily waiting for us when we get to our cabin.
Our Zodiac chariots are quite fancy! Just like a “black car” Uber only rubber with no wheels and no roof or windows.
About the Ship
We are travelling on the Atlas World Voyager. The 14-day adventure is packed with visits to remote locations on the west coast of Greenland, in the Arctic Circle. The trip is an expedition cruise, meant for exploring this amazing island, one of the largest in the world. We will be cruising the glacier lakes on Zodiacs, taking the Zodiacs from the ship to landing sites where we will hike the glacier-made mountains and learn about how time and the forces of nature came together to create this majestic land. Our hosts will be geologists, marine biologists, experts in plant life and animal life, and the staff of Atlas Voyages, known for their service, good food and top notch ship accommodations.
We are finally settled in our cabin around 11PM and quickly the ship sets sail. We are all called together into the auditorium to meet our Expedition Guides, learn about our ship, The Atlas World Voyager, go over all safety features and review our itinerary for the next 14 days.
We quickly learn a very valuable lesson about exploring remote locations such as the Arctic; that is, nothing is “for certain”. In just a few minutes we see that our 2/3s of our itinerary has been changed due to weather and sea conditions. Our first stop was supposed to be Illilusit, Greenland. Unfortunately, this will not be possible as there are large blocks of ice blocking the way to Illillusit. The same is true for our 3rd stop, Disko Bay so we will not be visiting this place either. Both places will be replaced with “expeditions”, to be determined. Ha! Ok, no problem. Roll with the waves, so to speak! Off to our first wonderful dinner of the trip, a nice bottle of wine and time spent with our friends, Fay and Bill Clark who are also on this grand exploration of the Arctic. It’s after Midnight, but who cares? We are in Greenland in the “summer” where it is still light at Midnight!
Back to Kangerlussuaq. Kangerlussuaq is the site of a former American military base during and after WWII. It is no longer a military base and instead is used for cargo and charter flights. Rumor has it that it will soon be a site for commercial jets to land as the interest in visiting Greenland is growing like rapid fire.
One of only 3 or so towns on Greenland’s western coast, Kangerlussuaq is home to about 80 inhabitants and the main “employer” is the airfield, customs (2 people) and the harbor. On this map, we will be traveling along the coast of Greenland’s western coast marked in “blue”. There are many, many fjords and we will visit a few of them on this trip.
Kangaamiut, Greenland (kanga-ME-ute) (8/20)
Kangaamiut is our first stop. This town was founded in the mid-1700’s, has about 300 residents and is located on Akulleq Island in the Davis Strait, about 30 miles north of Manlitsoq. It sits at the mouth of two fjords that drain the Manlitsoq ice cap; the Kangerlussuaq Fjord and the Eternity Fjord.
And, baby, it is COLD outside!
It is a lovely town with lots of colorful houses sitting on the mountain. We learn a very interesting fact about the colorful houses. They are not there just to brighten up a dreary winter landscape. They are color coded for a purpose! Back in the day, ships would pass by a town and the colors of the buildings would tell them what kind of services were available in that town – for example, a hospital building is yellow.
We learn that when we discovered we could not get to Illullusit, the Captain and crew reached out to the good people of Kangaamiut and asked them if we could visit their settlement and if so, was there anything they wished to share with us. They agreed to host our visit and with only 24+ hours notice, they put together a 3-part program for us, highlighting aspects of the Inuit culture they wished us to share in. By the way, the Inuit people are the native inhabitants of Greenland.
The first part of the program involved the skinning and field dressing of a seal caught that morning by one of the local fishermen. Some of the seal meat was also shared with willing guests, while the majority was distributed to the local people. I have no pictures of this event as I politely declined attending. Jim did attend and took pictures, none of which I have looked at nor will they be included in my blog. If you wish to see the seal skinning, kindly contact my macabre husband and he will oblige you.
The 2nd part of the program was a demonstration of a mask dance. The mask dance is a very important part of the Inuit culture (Inuit are the indigenous people of Greenland). The mask dance dates back to about 800BC. It was performed primarily in the summer gathering and always involves the telling of a story. It could be a fearsome dance, a dance of courtship and sexuality or it could take a comic approach. It is always a free physical form of dance and always involves painting the face.
This young woman painted her face in a fearsome mask and danced throughout our crowd using monster-like, scary person movements. No music to speak of. The woman next to her is her mother. She was very shy with us – they don’t get many visitors throughout the season, at least not yet. We were all very happy and grateful to our tiny dancer for her performance!
These are photos of 2 professional mask dancers which clearly show how seriously the Inuit people take the Mask Dance.
The 3rd performance was provided by the local choir, in the church. It was very lovely and much appreciated by all of us.
When the choir performance was completed, we thanked the wonderful people of Kangaamiut for their hospitality and returned to the ship via our Zodiac rafts.
We quickly changed and went down for a glass of pre-dinner wine in the lounge. The lounge has floor-to-ceiling windows offering magnificent views of the passing landscape. Jim & I are sipping a nice Spanish Tempernillo and staring out the window at some passing glaciers when before our eyes appears a fish! Yes, a fish dancing in our window at the end of a string. WTH??
A few minutes later, a 2nd and then a 3rd fish are swinging in front of our window and I’m beginning to wonder exactly what is in this wine! One of the staff comes over and exclaims: “Oh, the Captain is catching our dinner!” Well, it turns out that the Bridge is 3 floors directly above where we were sitting in the Lounge. It is from here that the Captain has been known to drop a fishing line and reel in a few beauties (cod, for example), which he then requests the chef prepare for the crews’ dinner! The staff tell us that the Captain is quite a good fisherman and they benefit greatly! This is just priceless!
Following the fish tale, we head to the dining room for a fine dinner prepared by the very talented culinary staff of the Atlas World Voyager. It is not cod….
Eternity Fjord (8/21)
Evighedsfjord, more commonly called Eternity Fjord by those of us not familiar with the Inuit language, originates from glaciers that drain the Manlitsoq ice cap. It flows through a very deep canyon in an uninhabited and very mountainous region. Its beauty features active glaciers, floating icebergs and steep peaks that seem to rise endlessly towards the sky.
In the early morning, we learn that we will be able to make landing and explore the untouched wilderness we see from our state room balcony.
We gear up in our Arctic parkas, boots, weather-proof clothing and head to the lower level of the ship where we board our Zodiac rafts, 10 people per raft and each one led by one or 2 of the expert Expedition Guides. The Zodiacs carry us to land and we are off exploring this magnificent and raw natural beauty.
We are all divided into 3 groups of hikers: advanced, intermediate and less experienced/those with mobility concerns. The landscape is very rugged, lots of unforgiving rocks, treacherous glacier rivers with bottoms like quicksand and surfaces of sponge-like moss that sink down 12 or more inches when stepped on, causing the hiker to easily lose footing. It is therefore, extremely important to understand your limitations. Some of us quickly learn that our hiking skills are not advanced and not even intermediate in this environment! No matter – the beauty is all around us and there is no shame in enjoying at the level most suited to you. No judging here in Greenland! (I personally dropped out of the intermediate group shortly after making landfall and joined the less experienced/mobility concerns group. I happily stayed with this group for the remainder of the trip and am happy to report I will return home with no new injuries!).
I remain on the nice “flat” hiking trail…
In the afternoon, we leave one part of the Eternity Fjord and head to another fjord. We board our Zodiac rafts and head to land to explore more of what Mother Nature’s magnificent works of art. It is almost sensory overload as there is something more beautiful that the last most beautiful site you saw just seconds ago! My camera is on overload, for sure. Yet the pictures do no justice to this magnificent place. Beauty simple surrounds you at every turn.
I almost forgot! During our explorations, we see evidence of some form of tiny animal or bird, leaving its footprints in the sand!
Following a pretty rugged first day, we commune with our friends, Bill & Fay, for a wonderful dinner, great wine, really fun storytelling, and a night of entertainment in the Dome (a bar/nightclub located on the top deck of the ship). Our Cruise Director, Gregg, treats us to an hour-long performance of some of our favorite songs, followed by dancing (which I know I will regret in the morning when my muscles are screaming at me from the physical exertion of hiking) and then falling into bed utterly exhausted. 🥱
Sermilinnguaq Fjord (8/22)
I am not going to even try to “pronounce” the name of this Fjord.
It is a fjord located in western Greenland and known for its very steep cliffs and bird life, particularly seabirds. Ever heard of a black-legged Kittiwake? Me either…but they are quite beautiful. This area is known for its stunning scenery, towering cliffs and many glaciers. It is also a well-regarded habitat for Halibut, one of my personal favorites in the fish family.
You will note a familiar routine develop here…early morning rise, put on Arctic gear, join your hiking group, load Zodiacs, explore and repeat. So again begins Day 4 and Day 5 as we wander the Sermilinnguaq Fjords.
Another common theme: the scenery is stunning, awesome, overwhelmingly beautiful, majestic, remote, uninhabitable; a thing to be revered and treated with great respect.
On that note, a quick bit on Greenland. The entire country is inhabited by only about 50,000 people. It is the largest island in the world. Small areas of the west and east coast are habitable; while the majority of the island is a giant ice mass. The capital and largest city is Nuuk and it is in this city that 30% of Greenland’s entire population resides. The local people of Greenland are the Inuits. They are a very proud, fiercely independent and resilient people and it is very apparent that they cherish the land that has been entrusted to them.
Back to our routine…everyday following our hiking or Zodiac cruising, we return to the ship for a bit of rest and then prepare for the evening’s dinner and entertainment. Tonight we will be introduced to a husband/wife singing duo. He is from Chile, she is from Siberia. They are married 1 year and travel the world entertaining passengers on various cruise ships. She has an amazing voice and he is an expert pianist and musician. Another night of dancing and falling into bed exhausted from the day’s activities.
HA! Not so fast, my friend. Tonight, around 2AM, it is rumored that the Northern Lights will make an appearance. Seeing the Northern Lights is on the Top 5 of my Bucket List. So, we stay in the disco until the Captain announces that the Northern Lights are on display – about 1:30AM. We head out to the deck, but there are NO LIGHTS! The Captain advises to hold our cameras up to the sky and start taking pictures. Well, I’ll be damned (oh, I hope not!). My camera takes a picture of what looks to be a black sky and voila! The Northern Lights!! Oh my gosh, the most beautiful thing I have ever not seen with the naked eye! But, my camera captured Lights!
The Captain tells us to be patient. About now, the allure of the Northern Lights is wearing off – I am exhausted and tomorrow is another early day. We head up to our cabin and Jim goes out to the balcony to see what he can see. It is now after 2AM. Well, here is what we saw first-hand. Just absolutely amazing and stunning. I can happily check one off the Bucket List and go to bed dreaming of beautiful lights. What a treat!
Ikamiut Kangerdluarssuat and some surprises!! (8/23)
Greenland is a massive network of fjords, bringing many possibilities for exploring beautiful glaciers, mountains and wildlife. We spend the morning hiking and being awed by everything we see.
We get back to the Zodiac and start heading back to the ship via a little detour. Our guide is a geologist and further entertains us with his knowledge of the many rocks we see, including stunning examples of granite. Can you see the bird perched on the granite? Well, note the beautiful white streaks in the granite. Would look lovely on the kitchen counter, no? Ha! NO! those big white streaks are bird poo!!
From our Zodiac, we get up close and personal with some beautiful waterfalls
So I mention that this day is full of surprises. Well, I was surprised to learn that Greenland has mosquitos. What??? How can that be with so little wildlife and only small concentrations of humans. How can a remote glacier be swarming with these nasty, annoying and gnarly creatures? What do they eat?? Ha! They “eat” plants and not the blood of mammals. But they do swarm and there are literally thousands of them, everywhere! It is so uncomfortable for me that I lose sight of the rugged beauty of the mountains and glaciers; ever-anxious to get the Hades off this land and back to the ship! Note to self: bring mosquito netting on our next trip to Greenland.
We are back on board and will soon be leaving the fjords and heading to Nuuk. Before leaving the “safe” and very cold waters of the fjord, we are to be entertained by certain (I say, CRAZY) passengers electing to take a POLAR PLUNGE!! What??? It is relevant to note that the water is so cold (the air temps have yet to surpass 42F at a High) that should you fall in, you will probably die of hypothermia in minutes.
Despite this dire reality, a certain member of my family, namely, James Patrick Flynn decides to take the Polar Plunge. I quickly call our insurance agent and make sure the life insurance policy is all paid up. 😂 It is Paid in Full, so plunge away you crazy man!
Let it be forever noted that Himself is actually the first in line to take the polar plunge! (Never mind it took me 3 years to convince him to take the marriage plunge and yet he is not only enthusiastic to plunge to his hypothermic end, he is the first to volunteer!).
He is hooked up to a rope which is tied around his waist and held by an Expedition Guide who lets out the rope until Himself is full on in the water. In he goes! He emerges from the water and swims back to the boat (I never saw someone swim so fast) joyous that he has done one for the team! I am strangely proud of him for taking part in this act of stupidity and no doubt, Jimmy has a great story to tell at the pub for the rest of his days (so spoiler alert, be prepared to hear the story when he next sees you).
And our Captain, also a crazy man!, DIVES in wearing his entire uniform, including shoes!!
It is also relevant to know that when in these fjords, the ship is generally protected from choppy seas and more fierce weather conditions. Leave the fjords for open water and the game instantly changes. We are headed to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. Surprise again as we get out on open waters and are “treated” to 15+ foot waves as the ship did its own version of a rock n roll boogie!
In the night, we are sailing to Nuuk. The boat is rocking back and forth and when laying in bed, you can feel it rock, as though you are in a cradle. It is the closest to being rocked to sleep that I have come since I was a wee little baby.
That brings the excitement of this day to an end as we once again enjoy a fabulous meal, good company, and some disco entertainment in the Dome. The final Act is a stunning sunset around 11PM. All is good in the world…
Nuuk, Greenland (8/24)
Nuuk is the largest city in Greenland, with less than 20,000 inhabitants. It is the economic hub of Greenland. It has a very large and modern Cultural Center, a multi-story shopping mall and a small pedestrian street filled with little shops and a charming cafe. From the city centre, you can walk a few minutes and be at the shores of the Nuuk Fjord or drive about 10 minutes and find yourself at the base of some really tall mountains that lead to an extensive backcountry.
There are other things to see in Nuuk; namely, the National Museum, Nuuk Museum of Art and the University Library. We did not have enough time to visit these museums. Anecdotally, we are told that the National Museum houses a “mummy room”, where 3 remarkably preserved mummified women from the 15th century can be seen. The Nuuk Museum of Art has on display the works of Emanuel Petersen, famous for his landscapes that capture the beauty of Greenland.
While we visited on a Sunday when there is not much happening at the Harbor, we were told that it is a busy place during the week where locals offer the day’s fresh catch. It is just a short walk to the Colonial District from the harbor, which is where we head next.
Incidentally, in case you are in the market for a “new” boat, the harbor is also home to one of the largest schooners in the world, currently for sale for a measly $42M!
The shoreline is dotted with charming multi-colored houses, known as the Nuuk Colonial District. It is the oldest neighborhood in Nuuk and a living link to the early European history of the area. Some of the brightly painted wooden buildings date back to the 1700’s. As in the first city we visited in Greenland, the color of the buildings is code for what type of building it is, namely, hospital, school, trading post, etc.
The district’s most iconic landmark is the red wooden church built in 1849. A famous missionary, Hans Egede, is responsible for bringing Christianity to Greenland and his home can be found in this area. He is known as the Father of Greenland and there is a statue commemorating him that sits high on a hilltop overlooking the harbor. If you care to climb to the top of the hill to see the statue up close, you will also be treated to a beautiful 360 degree view of the harbor and city.
One can also see a weird looking statue in the middle of the sea, not far off land. This statue is Sassuma Arnaa, the Inuit Goddess of the Sea. She is the ruler of all sea creatures and the source of all marine life in Inuit mythology. As the story goes, the hair of the goddess becomes tangled when people do bad juju things to the natural order, thereby disturbing nature. Her tangled hair prevents hunters from catching sea animals. So, a shaman must travel to the ocean floor to comb her hair and cajole her into releasing the ensnared sea animals. She represents the spiritual connection between the Inuit and the sea and is the main character in any Inuit story about respecting nature. I must admit that I find this legend a bit confusing, but I’m sure I’ve lost something in the translation. It is also interesting to note that what you see of Sassuma Arnaa depends on the tide, if you get my drift!
Back to Nuuk…There are surprisingly modern looking apartment buildings in this lovely city as well. However, the Inuit have taken great care to make sure that the modern blends well with the surrounding natural beauty and the quaint historic village. Materials are made of light colored wood, shapes are soft and curvy, and natural resources are optimized. For example, the Katuaq Cultural Center is a striking example of modern design. Inside the Center you will see bright, airy spaces, lots of windows and light colored wood, the shape of which is inspired by the shimmering waves of the Northern Lights.
Our group makes it way to the Katuaq Cultural Center for an authentic Inuit lunch. Our tapas lunch is a representation of Greenlandic food, including caribou (Greenlandic reindeer), halibut, seal and scallops, accompanied by delicious sauces made from berries, sesame seeds, soy sauce and scallions. The tables are all set with bright, colorful plates and wine glasses. The people at the tables are also colorful. Hello Clarks! LOL
Following the lunch, we are treated to a presentation on the history of the drum and drum dance, a meaningful part of the Inuit culture. The drum dance is a very ancient ritual and was used much like the Mask Dance – to communicate comedy, engage in courting rituals, or fearsomeness to one’s opponent. The demonstration we saw was one of courtship. Pictures were not really encouraged and the courtship drum dance was a bit promiscuous. Let’s just say it was a good thing HR wasn’t in the room. #drumdance2??
We wrap up our day with a quick visit to the Nuuk Shopping Mall, a multi-story modern building just up the street from the Cultural Center. I am looking for Tupilaks and other representative souvenirs to bring home. Unfortunately, the items in which I am most interested are made from local wildlife byproducts and importing these into the US is strictly prohibited. So, we leave Nuuk with only our pictures as memories but a much healthier pocketbook!
Neria Fjord (8/25)
The Neria Fjord is located in southwestern Greenland and is part of a very remote coastal region characterized best by the word “rugged”. Today promises to be a very, very special day. Today we are going hunting for icebergs! We gear up early donning our Arctic parkas, boots, hats and gloves along with waterproof pants and long john’s. It is a cold, windy, dreary, and misty day. We are heading out in our Zodiac rafts to play amongst the icebergs. By “play”, I mean we will skirt around them, get as close up as is safe and stare agape at their majestic colors and shapes.
and baby, it’s cold out there!
Did you know that icebergs can just roll over, much like an ice cube in a drink? Yes, these monsters can just turn on their sides or flip completely over with no warning whatsoever! So, we get very close but far enough away that if one of these giants decides to roll over, it is not doing a somersault on top of our little Zodiac!
Our expedition guide is Mara. Mara has done her doctoral thesis on the topic of ice and the wildlife that lives in ice. The food chain that exists in these frigid waters and temperatures is really fascinating. Mara shares her knowledge of ice and its inhabitants with us and we affectionately refer to her as the Ice Queen. We are out on the water exploring the iceberg playground for over an hour. My hands and feet are numb but I don’t complain as this is the experience of a lifetime. We are getting ready to head back when another Zodiac comes speeding towards us. I am apprehensive that something is terribly wrong. So, you can imagine my relief when the Zodiac pulls up with the ship’s General Manager and 3 of his immediate team and they are carrying hot chocolate, Bailey’s and Kahlua! We are treated to a little bit of the delicious chocolate (mine with Bailey’s!). We gather our glasses and off the Officer goes to find the next Zodiac of very cold iceberg explorers! What a class-act are these people of Atlas World Voyages!
I’m going to let the iceberg pictures tell their story as nothing I say can do justice to what we witnessed that morning.
and let’s not forget the little sea lion we saw amongst the icebergs!
Back at the ship, we begin to thaw out while enjoying a quick nap and then heading to the Auditorium for a lecture series on the Heroic Age explained by Art & Literature and another series on The Arctic and its Poles. All of these lecture series are delivered by our Expedition Guides. The Expedition Guides are highly trained and deeply knowledgeable about these topics and make them fun and interesting to sit through and you are welcome to bring your beverage of choice into the Auditorium while enjoying the lectures. We are quite impressed with Atlas Voyages and at this point would definitely sail with them again.
Perhaps, the Antarctica is next?
Dinner is an elaborate Tapas Affair with a stunning dessert smorgasbord, followed by Broadway Show Tunes performance by our Cruise Director, Gregg (who has a fabulous voice). Perfect way to end a glorious day!
Prince Christian Sound (8/26)
Today we will be traveling the Prince Christian Sound on our way to Iceland. This is supposed to be one of the highlights of the cruise. The 60-mile long sound cuts between the mainland and an archipelago of islands from east to west. It sits under the southern edge of the massive Greenland Ice Sheet, which makes up about 80% of the island of Greenland.
The Prince Christian Sound is a narrow body, sometimes only about 1500 feet across. Glaciers slip into the sea from both sides of the Sound’s shores and one can witness glaciers calving icebergs into the sea. Which is exactly what we witnessed early this morning. The Captain navigated the narrow sound and got us up close to a very large glacier. As we stood admiring its beauty, a thunderous sound erupted and a huge piece of glacial ice crashed into the sea right in front of us! A huge splash preceded a series of rippling waves caused by the force of the ice hitting the water. It was a breathtaking display of natural splendor and one I will always remember as being one of the highlights of this cruise.
The next highlight was witnessing the Captain deftly turned the ship 180 degrees to head back out of the Sound, leading to open seas and our journey to Iceland.
We did a 2 mile walk around the ship, ate a delicious Tuscan beef stew for lunch and I headed upstairs for a nap while Jim took part in the lecture series for today (Arctic vs. Antarctica and The Franklin Expedition).
Tonight, we have a cocktail party with the Expedition Guides and a Farewell Cocktail Reception with the Captain. Tonight’s entertainment is provided by the Voyager Crew Talent Show. A fun night is on tap, for sure!
Our time in the Arctic is nearing its end, but no time for sadness yet! More fun is on the horizon!
At Sea (8/27 and 8/28)
For the next 2 days, we will be At Sea. Days at Sea are revered by some and found to be boring by others. I am in the “revere” camp. I enjoy lazing away the time on the open seas with little or no access to internet. The ship itinerary calls for more lectures, eating, drinking, lounging by and reading a good book or taking a nap (or both). Now tell me, what is not to revere??? So, sit back and enjoy this leisure time with me. We will be up and running about when we land in Iceland on 8/29 (a very important holiday, btw!)
Reykjavik, Iceland (8/28)
On August 29, we arrive in Reykjavik, Iceland where we will spend the next 3 days. We have several tours planned in order to maximize our time here in Iceland. So get on board the Iceland choo-choo with the Flynn’s and the Clark’s and be prepared to see some of the most beautiful places on earth; not to mention the great shopping and amazing food in Reykjavik!
ALOHA, GREENLAND! It was just wonderful getting to know you. Until next time…