A Few “Lesser Known and Obscure” Facts I Learned While Sailing Across the North Atlantic

Bottom line: Travel feeds your soul, if you let it!

Janet and I pose with Kujalleq

Glacier (left) in Prince Christian

Sound, Greenland.

Janet and I recently transited the North Atlantic on a 35-day round-trip "Voyage of the Vikings" ocean cruise, visiting a number of countries along the way. Though the northern climate is notoriously cold, even during summer, we bundled up when on deck or on land. Despite that, the weather was pleasant on a number of days.

Saturday, 7/18 (Boston) – We boarded the Holland America Zuiderdam and sailed away from Boston, along with about 1,800 other passengers.

During the first day of our journey, Janet and I settled into a somewhat evenly paced routine of over-eating at every meal, over-indulging in drinking, and attending available lectures. Daily lecturers and port talks while at sea provided cultural enrichment on varied topics. (I've introduced interesting tidbits in this blog, which are numbered and sprinkled throughout.)

Sunday, 7/19 (Portland, Maine) – Janet and I walked about town on our own. We toured a brown-stone Victorian mansion, called "Victorian Mansion"!

Side view of Victoria

Mansion in Portland, Maine.

The Parlor, I think it's called.

Then, we enjoyed a lobster roll before reboarding the ship!

I'm enjoying a lobster roll at

an outdoor harbor restaurant.

Monday, 7/21 (At Sea) – As is necessary in the North Atlantic, we sailed through fog periodically.

Tuesday, 7/22 (Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada) – Janet and I meandered about town. Following a brief rain with a chilly breeze, the sky cleared.

1) Did you know that Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland?

We toured the Jost Heritage House Museum. Constructed in 1767, it's one of the oldest structures in town and served as a residence, general store and apothecary shop.

Janet talks with two

docents after our tour.

The Big Fiddle at

Sydney's cruise ship docks.

Wednesday, 7/23 (Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada) – We visited the Railway Society Historic Train site. (Eat your heart out, Sheldon Cooper!) In the town center, we consumed local beer, and toured the Corner Brook Museum and Archives. Along the way, we spotted a local coffee shop with a whimsical name. (I always appreciate a good sense of humor!)

A coffee shop on

the main drag.

2) Fiddlehead Ferns, a fresh food source in the spring, are edible when the shoots are first developing, and are usually fried lightly in oil. (I inquired about their availability on several occasions while in various ports, but learned the season had passed.)

3) The Canadian dollar (coin) is known as a "loonie," for the bird on the backside. The two dollar coin is called a "toonie".

Thursday, 7/24 (Red Bay, Labrador, Canada) – We rode a water taxi across the bay to hike Tracey Hill Trail.

Notorious small black flies, likely outnumber the fishing village population of 142! I can't attest to that, however, since the low temperature that day encouraged the flies to stay home. A local told us that the flies don't bite. Instead, they provide an enthusiastic welcome by swarming about.

Janet, dressed to stay

warm and thwart black flies.

(Red Bay in background)

4) Back in the village, we visited the Right Whale Museum. Right whales were given that name from Basque/Spanish whalers, because they were the "right" whale to hunt, ie. easy to kill, as they were slow moving and floated once dead. And now, as you might expect, they're an endangered species. In the 1500s CE, they were plentiful in Labrador's waters, however.

5) Clarence Birdseye was inspired to create Birds Eye "flash frozen" veggies as a result of the COLD temperatures he experienced in Labrador.

6) The San Juan, a basque whaling ship, sank in 1565 CE near Red Bay. The wreck was rediscovered in 1978 largely intact. Once recovered and examined, it was re-submerged as a preservation strategy. (The cold, oxygen-poor water creates a near sterile environment!)

Friday, 7/25 (At Sea) – Once again, we passed through areas of fog, usually accompanied by smooth sea. Newfoundland and Labrador are "home of Iceberg Alley". I looked for icebergs occasionally, and saw some from miles away.

Iceberg in the Labrador Sea.

Saturday, 7/26 (Paamiut, Greenland) – Settled about 1500 BC, with a current population of 1,500, this village is known for it's colorful houses. Janet and I walked about, and scaled the prominent viewpoint.

Panorama of Paamiut, Greenland.

Our ship, Zuiderdam, from Paamiut's

highest viewpoint. (Note the rock,

rubbed smooth by glaciation, and

kept barren by cold climate and

lack of top soil.)

7) The bedrock of Paamiut is part of the Archaean craton, a Precambrian shield of some of the oldest rocks on Earth. I was struck by the look of the treeless, barren landscape. (And they felt old to me!)

Sunday, 7/27 (Nanortalik, Greenland) – Janet and I walked around the town, though most everything was closed. We surmised that the population of 1,070 didn't think it necessary to welcome us tourists.

8) In the past, the color of a building designated the occupants' function (job), though that holds less true today ... likely.

Panorama of Nanortalik.

Fishing is the locals' sustainable occupation, and whale hunting remains an important activity. Whale blubber provides a useful, and helpful, supplementation to their diet, particularly in winter (about eight months per year).

9) A local informed us that whale blubber causes the body to heat up, which is welcomed in cold weather, while in warm weather causes sweating.

10) Whales are hunted during the winter, and residents, in at least some villages, receive a text message alerting them that a whale has been killed, so that they can share in the harvest.

11) Narwhals, which can live up to 150 years, are veritable unicorns of the sea, have one tusk (widely known), and are otherwise toothless (not so widely known). Occasionally, however, a male will have two tusks. In the Norse language, Narwhal means "corpse swell"!

12) Cod (fish) swim with their mouths open. As omnivores, they scoop up whatever, and are likened to "aquatic Homer Simpsons" (not very bright)! They are a vulnerable species today.

13) Vikings visited, and had temporary settlements, on the North American mainland (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) in the 1100s, as per two sagas of "Erik the Red" and "Greenlanders." (That was 500 years before Columbus discovered the Caribbean Islands, the West Indies). As well, Christopher didn't see nor set foot on the mainland!) "Erik the Red" helped settle Greenland and "Leif the Lucky" Erikson (meaning son of Erik) helped settle Labrador (at least temporarily). The Vikings' furthest reach was into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Relics from ruins, dating 1021 CE (Leif Erickson's time), were found in Newfoundland. So, Erik the Red would've been the first European living in Greenland, and thus on the North American continent.

14) Vikings (Norse) knew how to work with iron, as evidenced by the discovery of slag heaps. Their favorite weapons were axes, and their "hardened" iron was much stronger than other European weapons made of brittle "bog iron". (Hardly an even match!)

The captain moved our ship away from the town's dock (Nanortalik) early that evening and anchored us in a more protected wind shadow to avoid swells/waves from strong winds. The ship shuddered throughout the night as side-thrusters worked to maintain an optimal heading. (Wouldn't do to have the ship swing broadside in strong winds, even when at anchor.)

Monday, 7/28 (At Sea, Prince Christian Sound, Greenland) – On an easterly course, we transited the sound, stopping to view the iconic Kujalleq Glacier on the way.

Cruising the Prince Christian

Sound, Greenland.

15) Though 80% (eighty) of Greenland is ice/snow covered, "Erik the Red" pulled a marketing con-job by promoting it as "Greenland", presumably doing so in order to attract settlers.

Tuesday, 7/29 (At Sea) – We continued sailing eastward toward Iceland, while Janet and I consumed food and drink to our hearts' content.

Wednesday, 7/30 (Isafjordur, Iceland) – Janet and I explored the town (which wraps around a small harbor) on foot, admired the houses and buildings, climbed to the "Observation Deck", a high point providing a great overview, then visited the Isafjordur Culture House on our way back to the ship.

Panoramic view of Isafjordur

as our cruise ship departs.

16) The Vikings were in Iceland in the 10th and 11th centuries CE. (And the western portion of Iceland rides on the North American tectonic plate! Another argument that they were the first Europeans in North America.)

17) Today's Icelanders speak the same language as the old Norse-Vikings.

Thursday, 7/31 (Akureyri, Iceland) – Janet and I joined a shore excursion through the town and to traditional turf houses. The residents are a friendly bunch as evidenced by their traffic signals.

A stop light in Akureyri, Iceland.

(Look closely for the heart-shaped

stop signal!)

They also have a sense of humor (whimsy) as evidenced by the woolen, knitted trashcan covers provided by one of the local women. (She creates the covers from scrap material with the hope that they will help prevent littering.)

An Akureyri troll waiting

to be fed trash!

18) Original/traditional farm houses were built into hillsides and covered with sod (turf) to maximize heat retention. Farmers sheltered their livestock indoors, though in separate spaces during harsh winter months.

A farm's turf house. (The left

two for people, the right three

for livestock/equipment, with

everything accessed inside,

eliminating exposure to winter

weather.)

Friday, 8/1 (At Sea) – The effects of sea swells on us was minimized as a result of the ship's stabilizers, and though I did observe the ocean conditions periodically, the ship's motions only occasionally drew my attention.

19) Polar bears are classified as marine mammals as they are excellent swimmers and hunt on ice flows (for seals mostly). Though their hair is predominately white (as camouflage, though it may be dirty and look dingy), they have black skin which helps reflect UV radiation.

20) Polar bears caught within the city limits of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada (polar bear capital of the world) are jailed for 30 days, in hopes that they will self-deport when released and never return!

21) The Arctic is the fastest warming region of the world.

22) The Icelandic Walrus is extinct. (For those of you keeping track.)

Saturday, 8/2 (At Sea, Denmark Strait) – As we'd sailed eastward, and set our clocks back, Janet and I experienced "boat lag", necessitating afternoon naps. (Just as tiring as "jet lag", though creeping up as we more slowly moved through time zones.)

23) The 8th-12th centuries CE are considered "the Viking era". Excellent ship builders, the Vikings constructed flexible boats suitable for ocean travel. Yet, with a shallow draft, their boats were suitable for river travel. As a result, the Vikings invaded many areas of Europe, aside from expanding across the North Atlantic and southward into the Mediterranean Sea. They explored (raided) the interior of Europe, reaching deep into Russia. They raided the Lindisfarne Priory, North Umberland, England in 793 CE, and conducted raids throughout France in the 9th and 10th centuries CE.

The extent of Viking

raids and settlements.

24) Popular notions of horns on Viking helmets are false! Their helmets were mostly made of leather or metal. (Each Viking was responsible for their own gear and weapons. Consider the disadvantages of a horned-helmet during hand-to-hand combat!)

25) A Viking's personal appearance equaled status. (As a result, many women in the British Isles preferred them over their local, more disheveled male counterparts! That explains, at least in part, why the genetic background of women in Iceland is predominately Irish.)

Sunday, 8/3 (Eidfjord, Norway) – Idyllic, this small town with a population of 916, invited exploration on foot.

Eidfjord, Norway

from our ship.

Janet and I signed up for a tour to Voringfossen (waterfall). Our originally scheduled tour guide/transportation didn't materialize, however, so we opted for "plan B", which turned out to be less expensive.

Panorama of Voringfossen

(waterfall) near Eidfjord,

Norway.

26) Norway's longest tunnel is 15.3 miles in length. (We traveled through one tunnel to and from the waterfall, though not nearly that long.)

27) Reindeer and lamb burgers are common cuisine. (Open to the idea, I didn't have opportunity to try any, however.)

Monday, 8/4 (At Sea) – We sailed onward, towards Rotterdam, Netherlands. On the occasions when skies were clear and I was looking, the sunsets created gorgeous spectacles.

Sunset in the North Sea,

off Norway.

Tuesday, 8/5 (Rotterdam, Netherlands) – Though quite windy, and with the sky partly cloudy, Janet and I strolled around a small area of Europe's largest sea port, founded in1270 CE and with a current population of 655K. Broad streets and wide canals in this relatively modern city (as many of the older buildings were heavily damaged during WWII), transform walking around into a challenging hike. We walked through Museum Park, then visited the Natural History Museum located there. Before re-boarding our ship, we joined a local canal tour.

A view of central portion

of Rotterdam from it's

main canal. (Note our

cruise ship.)

During our harbor tour, I spotted a most unusual structure. Though I can't identify it's purpose, I surmised it's an oil drilling platform or lays pipeline on the seabed. Regardless, I admired it's structural complexity, which, for me, is elegant. (My engineering, left-brain intrigued.)

Oil drilling platform ...

or deep-sea pipe layer?

Wednesday, 8/6 (At Sea, English Channel) – We sailed toward Ireland via England's southern tip.

28) An important American Civil War Naval battle occurred in Cherbourg Harbor, on the Normandy coast, France, between the CSS Alabama (commerce raider) and USS Kearsarge (sloop-of-war). The Alabama (tasked with disrupting Union shipping from Europe) was out-matched by the Kearsarge (tasked with hunting it down), and was sunk.

Though our days-at-sea generally passed without major excitement, we witnessed an evacuation. Despite the relatively calm sea, the winds were high, necessitating the pilot make multiple attempts to get into a hovering position for a safe transfer of the "patient" from the bow deck. Rumor spread that the victim was a passenger, though that turned out to be a crew member who'd suffered a heart attack. (Was in stable condition at the time of evacuation.)

One of the rescue

chopper's approaches.

Thursday, 8/7 (Dun Laoghaire, Ireland) – Janet and I prearranged a tour of the Guinness Storehouse, which necessitated a 20-min train ride into Dublin. After our tour, I spotted this unusual parking queue of hackneys.

Odd parking scheme

in Dublin!

29) We were informed that Dublin has over one-thousand pubs, though, aside from the Guinness Storehouse, I didn't have time to visit them all.

We did visit this

Dublin pub!

Friday, 8/8 (Greenock, Scotland) – Janet and I met two friends, who live nearby, and that we'd met on a previous cruise. Together, we took the local train in Glasgow for a day's outing.

Janet and I with

friends, Julie & David.

We walked a bit, passing the statue of the Duke of Wellington.

The Duke, adorned with

traffic cones. (A daily prank

courtesy of college students.)

Then, we caught a Ho-Ho bus (Hop On/Hop Off) to see more of the city. We hopped off to have a fantastic lunch, then hopped on again to visit the Museum of Transport. Afterward, we retraced our route to Greenock, then said our goodbyes.

30) The term "Scot free" comes from the lack of a conviction during trial, when "we know you're guilty, but it wasn't proven."

Our ship recrossed the Irish Sea that evening, heading for Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Saturday, 8/9 (Belfast, N. Ireland) – Janet and I joined a "shore excursion" to the Ard Peninsula.

The weather was near perfect. Our tour stopped for a pub drink in Bangor, then we toured the Grey Abbey, founded 1193 CE. At the abbey, we learned about the monks' lives.

Grey Abbey docent in a

traditional monk robe.

31) The abbeys were known by the color of their monks' robes. Hood up meant that the monk wasn't talking! Irish monks grew and used herbs and, as a result in part, lived longer than the general population.

32) Roman soldiers carried small pouches of fennel, a mild stimulant, which helped them stave off hunger when marching.

33) Rabbits were introduced to Ireland by the Normans in the 1100s CE. (In case you were wondering.)

Sunday, 8/10 (At Sea) – Occasionally, we sailed through rougher seas, though their effects on the passengers were dampened by ships' stabilizers.

The North Sea swells

seemed bigger in person,

I swear!

Monday, 8/11 (Djupivogur, Iceland) – Janet and I walked around the town (population of 350), visiting a number of beautiful spots. Along the way we stopped for a singing demonstration inside in an empty fish-liver oil tank.

Acoustics

inside the tank.

34) Icelanders suffer from "sun anxiety," focusing on utilizing sunny days to the greatest degree.

35) The Arctic fox is the only indigenous mammal in Iceland. (In case you've wondered!)

36) Beer was illegal in Iceland before 1989! (As a result of clamor to self-medicate "sun anxiety"?)

37) The term "Killer Whales" comes the Basque, who referred to them as "killer of whales". And the Latin name, Orcinus orca, means "large pod coming from hell". However, they are not whales, instead they are the largest dolphin! Sometimes, killer whales will courteously offer up food to people. (For people monitoring their diets, take caution when consuming whale blubber, as it can contain unsafe levels of pollutants!)

Tuesday, 8/12 (Reykjavik, Iceland) – Janet and I took the Ho-Ho bus tour around town, then returned to our ship.

38) Reykjavik (meaning smokey day from volcanic activity) is the most northern capital city in the world.

Wednesday, 8/13 (Reykjavik, Iceland) – On foot, we visited the Harpa Concert Hall.

A Reykjavik troll.

Then, we visited the National Museum, admiring the houses and buildings, and along the way passing by The Pond (city park).

The Pond in Reykjavik,

Iceland.

I saw this sign while at the National Museum. (Some things you just need to know!)

(Self explanatory!)

That evening a local band performed on board the ship. (They refer to themselves as "Icelandicbandname"on their website. Their name, in Icelandic, contains one letter not in the English alphabet, is difficult to pronounce for English speakers, and as they said, "You wouldn't remember it anyway.")

Icelandicbandname performs

one song a cappella.

And, yes ... a dog does bark in the background! (Someone had a support pooch on board.)

Thursday, 8/14 (Grundarfjordur, Iceland) – Janet and I joined a shore excursion around the western tip of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and National Park. We visited a black sand beach, site of a shipwreck, the iconic black-painted church, and enjoyed lunch in Arnarstapi before returning to the ship.

Kirjufellfoss (waterfall)

with Kirkjufellfoss

(Arrowhead Mountain).

Arnarstapi turf house

become restaurant.

Friday, 8/15 (At Sea, Denmark Strait) – We sailed toward Prince Christian Sound, Greenland.

Iceberg(s) in the Denmark

Strait off Greenland.

39) Minus 69.6 degree C (sixty-nine-and-six-tenths) is the lowest temperature recorded on land!

40) Glaciers cover 10% (ten) of earth's landmass, and the sea level would rise 70 meters (approx. 210 feet), if all of them melted.

Another iceberg in the Denmark

Strait near Prince Christian

Sound, Greenland.

Saturday, 8/16 (At Sea, Prince Christian Sound, Greenland) – Our captain informed us of an itinerary change per effects of Hurricane Erin. After our port call in Greenland, we would divert from our St. John's port call, and instead head to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

41) The US Army had nuclear aspirations at Camp Century near Thule, Greenland in the 1950s. Constructed within the snow/ice, the camp was abandoned as a result of thawing/melting.

Sunday, 8/17 (Qaqortoq, Greenland) – Though clouds/fog hung low, and a chilly wind blew with a threat of rain looming, Janet and I walked about the town. Most shops were closed and few locals were to be seen.

A bird's eye view of

Qaqortoq, Greenland.

42) Qaqortoq means "white" in Icelandic. (I imagined it would look quite white during the winter!)

Monday and Tuesday, 8/18-8/19 (At Sea, Labrador Sea) – The captain estimated that we transited through sea swells of 2.5-3 meters (8.2-9.8 feet). Once again, the ship's stabilizers minimized the rocking motion.

Wednesday, 8/20 (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) – Janet and I walked on our own, visiting the Halifax Public Gardens, stopped at the Peace By Chocolate store where we purchased several bars of their confection.

43) During WWI, a munitions ship exploded in the Halifax channel following a collision.

Thursday, 8/21 (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) – Janet and I joined shore excursion to Peggy's Cove. Along the way we passed the children's hospital in Halifax, founded by Izaac Walton Killam. They refer to it as IWK Hospital, rather than Killam Hospital. (Think about it!)

A small portion of

idyllic Peggy's Cove.

Another small view

of Peggy's Cove.

Then, our tour took us to the mass grave of Titanic victims in Halifax.

44) Many of those recovered from the wreck site, 337, though not all, were interred in a mass grave there, simply because they couldn't be identified. (Since then, some have been identified by various means.)

Mass grave for

Titanic victims in Halifax.

After our tour, Janet and I walked the Halifax waterfront a second time, then stopped dockside at the Garrison Brewery for a cold one. Or in my case, a few, since I enjoyed a beer flight. (Had to!)

My beer flight at the Garrision

Brewery. (I liked the taste, and humor,

of the"Oh My Gourd" ale on the right,

which had a pumpkin/all-spice flavor.)

After we'd sailed away from Halifax, we were treated to another gorgeous sunset at sea.

Alpenglow of

a sunset at sea.

Friday, 8/22 (At Sea, Atlantic Ocean) – Our travel toward Boston was relatively smooth, as the captain has successfully skirted the worse of Hurricane Erin's effects, though it was miles away.

I attended a lecture regarding privateers during the American Revolution.

45) George Washington was a privateer (as opposed to pirate). Privateers operated with a Letter of Marque, which meant that they were sanctioned by a government to attack and raid only the "identified enemy", with a portion of the loot going to the sanctioning government. Whereas, pirates rob everybody. The loot from privateering was the only funding source to fight the American War of Independence. Privateers could be easily recruited with the inducement to get rich quick, and captured ships became privateer vessels.

46) Approximately 25K privateers died on British Prison ships in New York harbor, more than those who died in land battles.

47) Eye patches, a common pirate meme, derives from the strategy to maintain/preserve night vision for the covered eye, when vision would be needed instantly when going below deck (a dark environment) during battle. (Not worn due to loss of an eye!)

48) Ben Franklin was heavily engaged in providing Letters of Marque to European ships, particularly French, in hopes that the English would be threatened by potential war with France and give up the fight in America.

49) At the time of the Boston Tea Party, tea was as valuable as gold. As a result, people kept their tea in locked chests. The Tea Party dumped more than $2M of tea in today's value.

Saturday, 8/23 (Boston) – We disembarked the ship early, then toured a portion on the city by bus on our way to Logan airport. While at Quincy Market, we enjoyed a couple slices of pie (pizza) and beer.

Me posing with The

Lobsta at Quincy Market.

I remain grateful that traveling widens my world view, and brings me great pleasure and spiritual renewal.

Enjoy your travels and walk in beauty.