ICELAND TO CANADA

Welcome to Reykjavik. The world’s northernmost capital is also one of its most liveable — compact enough to cover on foot, with a waterfront, a geothermally heated outdoor pool culture and a restaurant scene that punches well above the city’s size. The Hallgrímskirkja church rises above the old town as a useful landmark, and the harbour district of Grandi has some of the best seafood in Iceland. In September the days are still long enough to make the most of your arrival.

A full day to explore further. The Golden Circle is the classic day trip from Reykjavik: Þingvellir National Park, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates visibly diverge; the Geysir geothermal area, where Strokkur erupts every few minutes; and Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s most powerful waterfalls. For those who prefer to stay closer to the city, the National Museum of Iceland and the Settlement Exhibition in the old town give a thorough grounding in the Norse and Viking history that shaped this part of the North Atlantic.

Seabourn Quest departs Reykjavik today. Before you board, the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is approximately 45 minutes from the city and well worth a morning visit if your embarkation time allows. Once aboard, the ship is small enough that you’ll have your bearings within an hour, and the itinerary ahead more than justifies an early drink on deck as Iceland recedes behind you.

The charming small fishing village of Grundarfjörður is located in the middle of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and thus provides easy access to Stykkishólmur, Snæfellsbær and the Snæfellsnes National Park. Its best-known landmark is undoubtedly the peak of Mt. Kirkjufell. Translated as ‘church mountain,’ Kirkjufell is the most easily recognizable peak, and one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland. During summer months a Viking Village is built in the center of town where Viking re-enactments occur quite regularly. During the Á góðri stund town festival in July, the town’s 900 residents decorate their houses in red, blue, yellow, and green, transforming the town into a spinning kaleidoscope of color.

The town first began trade in 1786, and around 1800, French merchants came to Iceland and settled in Grundarfjörður, where they constructed a church and a hospital. The town has prospered through the fishing industry for a long time. The surrounding sea is rich with birdlife & marine life throughout the year.

Like most Icelandic towns, this one on the northwest coast was started by fisherman and whalers. The name means ice-fjord. It is a perfect place from which to explore the cultural and economic staples of Iceland. An excursion to Sudavik reveals a town started by whalers and nearly destroyed by an avalanche in 1995, now rebuilt out of the path of further slides. Its lovely church was donated by whalers, as well. The own also holds a center for the study of the indigenous arctic foxes. The Maritime Museum in Isafjordur illustrates the lifestyles of the early inhabitants, including many implements of their trades, and also a wall of accordions, one of the few forms of entertainment on bygone days. Another option is a boat ride to nearby Vigur island, a nesting site for many species of seabirds, including eider ducks, whose down is yet another example of local economy based on the surrounding seas.

One of the southernmost towns in Greenland, Nanortalik sits at the foot of some of the most dramatic fjord scenery on earth. The peaks that rise directly from the water here rival anything in Patagonia or Norway, and very few travellers ever see them. The town’s open-air museum preserves turf houses, kayak frames and hunting equipment from the Inuit and Norse cultures that shaped life in this part of the Arctic for centuries. Seabourn Quest is among a small number of vessels able to access waters this remote.

The largest town in South Greenland, Qaqortoq was founded in 1775 and retains some of its colonial-era architecture around a central square that feels quietly European against the surrounding Arctic landscape. The town is the cultural hub of the region, its museum covers Greenlandic history from the Norse settlers to the present, and local artisans produce some of the finest Inuit stonework and bone carving in the country. The surrounding fjords and hot springs are accessible by small boat for guests who want to venture further out.

St Anthony sits at the northern tip of Newfoundland, where the Gulf of St Lawrence meets the Labrador Sea. This is Viking country — L’Anse aux Meadows, just outside town, is the only confirmed Norse settlement in North America and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, predating Columbus by five centuries. The waters around St Anthony are among the best in Canada for iceberg viewing, with cathedral-sized bergs drifting south from Greenland through Iceberg Alley each autumn. Humpback and minke whales follow the same cold current.

At the tip of Quebec’s southern peninsula, in the heart of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Gaspé is like a remnant of Brittany marooned on the North American continent. Charming fishing villages, lighthouses and marine vistas abound. Nearby Percé Rock is a huge stone arch stuck into the sea, and offshore, Bonaventure Island hosts the largest nesting colony of gannets in the world.

Located on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence River northeast of Quebec, this town was born of the forest and river resources and still thrives on them. Timber and paper production. hydroelectric power from two huge dams and aluminum smelting are the mainstays. Explore the boreal forest, its wildlife and the geology of the Laurentian Shield in displays and in person.

Founded in 1608 as a fur-trading base by Samuel de Champlain, Québec has a long and exciting history. In 1759, the English defeated the French on the Plains of Abraham and helped determine the outcome of the French and Indian Wars, which under the Treaty of 1763, established British supremacy in Canada. The joie de vivre and panache, however are totally French, as are the cuisine, language and heritage. The first buildings were close to the St. Lawrence waterfront and are known as Lower Town. Most hotels are on a hill that rises steeply from the river in what today is called Upper Town. Québec is still North America’s only walled city north of Mexico. Handsome old structures throughout the city are fine examples of classical French architecture. The towers and spire of the imposing Château Frontenac Hotel, built by the Canadian and Pacific Railway in 1892, lend the city an aura of the Belle Epoque.

Montreal, an island city of approximately three million people, claims to be the largest French-speaking city outside of Paris. It was here in 1535 that Jacques Cartier, the first European to explore the St. Lawrence River, founded a small settlement on the island. This settlement failed, so the official founding date of the city is May 1642. In modern days, Expo ’67 and the Summer Olympics of 1976 brought hundreds of thousands of visitors to Montreal. Major conventions, film festivals and cultural events are held in Montreal, attracted by the city’s extensive facilities, fine hotels and excellent dining.

Your voyage concludes in Montréal this morning. With two nights of hotel accommodation included, you have time to explore the city before making your way home. Old Montréal’s cobblestone streets, the Plateau’s café culture and the city’s exceptional restaurant scene reward those who linger. Your Cruiseabout Travel Advisor can assist with onward flights or any extensions to your stay.