FOLLOW THE VIKING TRAIL TO AMERICA
10-27-2007
REYKJAVIK, ICELAND – Imagine what the Vikings might have achieved had they been equipped with radar and GPS and other modern tools of navigation. As it was, they found their way to North America when, led by Leif Ericson, they landed in Labrador and established a settlement there more than 1,000 years ago (and about 500 years before Columbus landed in North America).
But that was at the end of a long journey. You’ll join the Viking Trail close to its beginning, as you travel by sea from Iceland to Greenland, then on to Newfoundland.
Follow the “Viking Trail to the Americas”in September 2008 with an 18-day cruise aboard the M/V Polar Star. As you travel to some beautiful areas of unspoiled nature in the vast North Atlantic, you’ll realize just what skilled sailors and navigators these Norse travelers were. You’ll enjoy the adventure of a lifetime as you follow in their footsteps among indigenous people and bountiful wildlife that includes whales, dolphins and seals.
The ship offers such amenities as a lounge, bar, a well-stocked library and exercise facility. Informative and entertaining staff lectures spice up your voyage as you enjoy the passing—and magnificent—scenery. The bridge and large deck areas are ideal lookouts for spotting whales and other wildlife.
After boarding the ship in Reykjavik, Iceland, you’ll sail west to Greenland. You’ll navigate the narrow waters of Prins Christian Sund with its array of glaciers, icebergs and melting rivers of ice. In the picturesque town of Nanortalik, Greenland, you’ll visit the open-air market and a museum with Norse and Inuit relics.
At Brattahlid, where Eric the Red’s wife established the first Christian church in Greenland, you’ll find a reconstruction of the village. In Hvalsey, you’ll see some of the best-preserved Viking ruins, including the church where the last religious ceremony was performed before the people mysteriously vanished from the area. At Qaqortoq, you’ll wander streets lined with stone sculptures and brilliantly painted houses.
Cruising “iceberg alley” on Davis Strait, you’ll make landfall at Iqaluit, capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut on Baffin Island. A community tour includes displays of Inuit art and an arctic-style luncheon.
You’ll travel by Zodiac to the wilderness of the Savage Islands—perhaps spotting polar bears, seals and a variety of seabirds. Next, you’ll visit Akpatok Island, known for its fossils, gigantic cliffs and sightings of polar bear and peregrine falcons.
Known to the Inuit as “land of the spirits,” the Torngat Mountains of Labrador are home to black and polar bears that live among a network of fjords, cliffs and peaks. Zodiac landings are planned at Saglek and Nackvack.
At Hebron and Hopedale you’ll trace communities settled by Moravian missionaries. At Battle Harbour, first settled by Europeans in 1770 and home to the Labrador Schooner Fishery, an excellent restoration provides insights into the rugged lifestyle of those days.
At L’Anse Aux Meadows, a series of mounds are the remains of the only authenticated Viking settlement in North America. Study the lifestyle of these adventurous people at Norstead, a reconstructed Norse village.
At Bonavista, you’ll explore the community where Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) is said to have first glimpsed North America (in 1487). You’ll visit a replica of Cabot’s ship, Matthew, as well as a restored 1843 lighthouse and reconstructed fishing village.
You’ll disembark in the beautiful harbor of St. John’s, Newfoundland’s capital (where you’ll board your flight home).
Included in the “Viking Trail to the Americas” package are 17 nights aboard the MV Polar Star, all meals, and shore excursions, activities and onboard lectures. Departure is September 11, 2008. Cost (based on double occupancy) is from $5,895 per person, excluding taxes.
Reservations and additional information available from The Great Canadian Travel Company Ltd., 333 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 712, Chicago, Illinois 60601, 800-661-3830, www.greatcanadiantravel.com.
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