Wild Labrador Coast, Caribbean & South America

Warmed by the Gulf Stream as well as by highly active thermal hot springs and volcanoes, Iceland is somewhat misnamed. While it is a stark and barren country with three huge areas of glaciers, one theory is that early Norsemen sought to mislead other potential settlers by giving a pleasant name to fierce, inhospitable Greenland, and a forbidding name to the imminently habitable Iceland. Irish monks and hermits established themselves here in the 8th century, but left a century later when the pagan Norsemen arrived. Europe’s first Parliament of General Assembly, the Althing, was established in the year 930 and still functions as the legislative body, although it was suspended by the Danes at the end of the 18th century and not reconvened until 1843. Reykjavik was the site picked by the island’s first permanent resident, Ingolfur Arnarson in 874, and is home to more than half of the island’s total population. The world’s northernmost capital, Reykjavik is proud of its virtual lack of air pollution. Both electrical power and home heating are derived from the geothermal activity on the island. The city’s large swimming pools are always warm, and in the countryside exotic fruits such as grapes and bananas are cultivated in greenhouses made cozy with the help of underground hot springs.

In October, 1941 the United States Army Air Force constructed an airbase at the site of Kangerlussuaq. It served as a refuelling stop for single-engine military aircraft being flown to Britain during World War II. Form their last port of call, Goose Bay, Labrador, it was 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to Kangerlussuaq until they could refuel. Kangerlussuaq fjord (‘Big Fjord’), is 170 kilometers (105 miles) long and was often shrouded in fog, providing a serious navigation problem for those aircrews.

Today, with the use of modern technology, navigation is no longer an issue. The landscape was ideal for the site of an airport. A large alluvial plain, deposited by the nearby glacial-outflow river, provided a perfectly flat environment for an airport. Kangerlussuaq is the largest commercial airport in Greenland and supports a population of 500. A little known fact, from 1971 to 1987, 33 missiles from various countries, were fired from Kangerlussuaq for upper atmospheric scientific research.

Greenland’s capital boasts some 16,000 inhabitants. Although the town does not offer us any shore excursions, there are several attractions which guests may wish to visit. One is the roofed town market, where the products of the nearby sea and wilderness are for sale, including the meat of whales, seals, birds and fish. The Katuaq Cultural Center offers changing exhibitions. Especially worth a visit is the National Museum, which besides many historic objects, contains the quite famous 500-year old mummies recovered from Qilakitsoq. The nearby Museum of Art has works by both Inuit and Nordic artists. There is also an artisan’s center where guests may purchase locally produced works, and a collection of traditional houses.

Lady Franklin Island, is an uninhabited Baffin Island offshore island located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in the territory of Nunavut. The island lies in Davis Strait, 25 mi from Hall Peninsula. There are at least seven smaller, unnamed islands off its northwest shore.

Montserrat is a mountainous Caribbean island, part of the Lesser Antilles chain and a British Overseas Territory. Its Soufrière Hills volcano erupted in the 1990s, causing significant damage to the south of the island and leading to the creation of an exclusion zone. The north of the island is largely unaffected, and has black-sand beaches, coral reefs, cliffs and shoreline caves.

Located at the most northerly tip of Newfoundland, L’Anse aux Meadows is nestled near the fishing village of St. Anthony. It is the site of the first European settlement in the New World, approximately 500 years before Columbus’ arrival. Other Norse groups had relocated from their homelands to the New World. In 1961, explorer and writer Helge Instad discovered a group of large mounds in the countryside. These mounds were excavated revealing the remains of a Norse settlement. This site became L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Park in 1977 and is noted on the UNESCO World Heritage List of important cultural properties. The site at L’Anse aux Meadows has been completely excavated allowing visitors to see the remains of the homes, a smithy, and various worksheds. The park’s interpretive center displays Norse artifacts from the excavation which include iron rivets, a flywheel and the floorboard of a boat. Researchers still debate as to whether the site at L’Anse aux Meadows is Leif Eriksson’s ‘Vinland,’ a lush, beautiful area where he settled in for the winter around the year 1000.

Parks Canada will greet you on disembarking the ship and you may explore at leisure this first settlement of the New World.

With its exceptionally delightful harbor side setting, early Europeans were first attracted to Halifax in 1749 with the establishment here of a military outpost by Colonel Cornwallis. The ports natural advantages of a well-protected harbor and close proximity to major fishing grounds resulted in its growth into a major military base and sea port. The peninsula has had several major immigrations during its history; English, French, German, Irish and Scottish have come in substantial numbers at various times. Travelers familiar with the South Pacific will find it interesting to know that Captain James Cook, whose explorations defined most of the Pacific Basin for Europeans, also spent four years in Halifax charting Nova Scotia and the waters of the St. Lawrence. A college town, Halifax has an exhilarating and youthful air about it, as evidenced by many bicyclists and skateboarders. The heart of Halifax offers wonderful restaurants and shopping, galleries, museums, and sites of historic interest including the Naval Dockyard, which dates from 1757, and St. Paul’s Church. Heading out of town, the wonders of nature are to be found in the form of the sea, with the smell of salty air, cool ocean breezes, and the powerful force of waves crashing against the rugged shoreline.

A classic golden arc of sugary sand at South Friar’s Bay, Carambola is home to the island’s most luxurious beach clubs and restaurants. Umbrellas, loungers and optional water sports abound for those so inclined. Otherwise St. Kitts has other attractions, including a number of lovingly preserved plantation great houses, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Brimstone Hill Fortress and a scenic narrow gauge sugarcane railway.

This is the island’s yachting center, quieter and less crowded than the main port of Castries. You can visit the island’s “drive-in” volcano at Soufriere, view the iconic peaks of the Pitons or perhaps snorkel at Pigeon Island, one of Jacques Cousteau’s favorite dive spots.

Barbados has retained many of the trappings of its British colonial heritage. Judges and barristers wear proper robes and wigs, police don helmets styled after London bobbies and cricket remains a national passion. Barbados also has all the sporting appeal of the rest of the Caribbean, with pristine beaches, powerful surf and crystal clear waters. Brightly colored homes and hibiscus flowers mingle with mahogany trees and English churches dating back to the 17th century.

Before they were a notorious penal colony, the Iles de Salut (Islands of Salvation) provided French colonists with a welcome escape from the fever-ridden jungles of the Guiana mainland. Lying ten miles off the coastline, and swept by treacherous ocean currents, the trio of small islands provided a perfect isolated location for incarcerating criminals without danger or expense, since the shark-infested sea and the trackless jungles ashore precluded any possibility of escape. All three islands, popularly known as Devil’s Island, were used as a prison from 1852 to 1953. Your day is free to explore the prison ruins or search for signs of the surprisingly abundant wildlife.

If you are a “pollywog,” who has never crossed the line at sea, you will be expected to undergo a mock trial by King Neptune and his court for the entertainment of the “shellbacks” who have already done so. Mild but hilarious indignities will be conjured, and in the end a good time will be had by most, if not all.

Fortaleza, in the northeastern state of Ceara, is one of Brazil’s chief seaports. Among the wealth of exports passing through its harbor are cotton, beans, rice, sugar, fruit, and of course, coffee. Lovely beaches shaded by coconut palms and some of the finest handicrafts Brazil has to offer are among the city’s appealing attractions. Explore the highlights of the region along with some of its traditional activities.

Natal was built on the right bank of the River Potenji, right where the river meets the Atlantic; the soil is very sandy, with dunes and bays protected by reefs which appear all along the shore line. This “City of Dunes” invites you to ride in a dune buggy over huge sand dunes with sweeping views of the sea.

If Rio is the heart of Brazil and Sao Paulo is its brain, Salvador is its spirit. It was here in 1549 that the Portuguese founded the capital city and chief port of their new colony. Vast fortunes were made through the slave trade, and the introduction of a large African population had an important effect on the local culture. Salvador is built in two levels. The most appealing is in the upper city, the lovely colonial neighborhood of Pelourinho, which in the past few years has been completely restored to its former glory.

Buzios is on everyone’s top ten most beautiful places list. With dozens of gorgeous beaches, warm, clear waters, lush tropical vegetation and a wealth of opportunities for active or relaxing play, it earns the spot easily. The place thrives on pleasing visitors, and you’ll be no exception.
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As one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the world, Parati, which means “white fish,” is protected by UNESCO. The city exudes a magical and romantic ambience with its gas lights, well-preserved colonial houses, gardens and winding streets. Parati’s history goes back to the early 1530s and is full of tales of pirates, gold, romance and mystery. As the second most important port in Brazil, Parati Harbor was built in the 17th and 18th centuries for the export of gold to Portugal, and as the center of southern Brazil’s slave trade. The economy of Parati later turned to sugar cane with a multitude of mills that produced Brazil’s high quality spirit known as “pinga” or cachaça.

Its stunning setting and joyous lust for life make Rio a cidade maravilhosa, “marvelous city.” Ipanema, Copacabana, samba – the words alone conjure Brazilian paradise.