Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Reykjavik, Iceland

For our second full day in Reykjavik we enjoy another day of sunshine—only this time it’s liquid sunshine (as the Icelanders like to describe rain).  I am certainly glad I did my touring yesterday when the sun shone brightly in a clear blue sky.

For those who have been missing my food descriptions, dinner is chilled pear soup with caramelized apples; frisee and maiche salad with dried cherries and cherry tomatoes; chicken Kiev with assorted vegetables; and a lemon-chocolate layered concoction for dessert.

Thursday, 6 September 2012

Sailing from Iceland to Greenland

Today is a lovely day with smooth sailing, which the captain tells us is pretty rare for this part of the world at this time of the year.  As part of the ship’s cultural program, Jon Vidur Sigurdsson gives a preview of tomorrow’s sailing route through the fjords of southern Greenland.  It sounds (and looks from the pictures) like an exciting day; and the captain has promised more fair weather.

Friday, 7 September 2012

Sailing Prins Christian Sund, Greenland

Although I don’t get up at six to watch for whales as we enter Prins Christian Sund, I am up at eight, early enough for the start of a most incredible day.  Rather than sailing around the southern coast of Greenland’s smaller islands, we are sailing through a series of inter-connected sounds, fjords, and narrow passages that first takes the Eurodam westward for about 30 miles. The scenery along the Sund is majestic:  tall mountains with glaciers that stream all the way down to the water and breach calves that float out to sea. At some points the Sund is barely wider than the Eurodam itself. 

At the upper end of the Sund, we make a series of hard right and left turns as we navigate through narrow channels that take us north to the tiny village of Aapppilattoq (where we drop off supplies and pizzas for the locals).  From there we had west and then south down the long and narrow Torsukattaq channel before reaching the ocean water that takes us around the southernmost tip of the mainland.  If you look at a map of Greenland, you can see how our route literally slices across the southern end of the island.  The total journey is 66 miles, but it takes a full day to reach open water.

All the decks and the bow are open to passengers for the entire journey and a lunch buffet is served outdoors by the pool on the Lido Deck.