Greenland & Iceland

Set sail to the Faroe Islands and visit picturesque Tórshavn, one of the smallest capital cities in the world, named after Thor the Norse god of thunder and lightning. The history of Tórshavn began centuries ago when Vikings from Western Norway first met in the middle of the islands for their annual gathering. Continue to Reykjavik, thought to be the location of the first permanent settlement on the island. An overnight stay gives time to get closer to the geysers, glaciers and volcanoes of the island. Cruise west to Greenland, the largest island in the world, whose ice cap covers 85 percent of its total area. Legend has it that Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland and went in search of a new land rumoured to lie in the northwest, he named it Greenland, even though much of it is covered in glaciers. Greenland, until recently a province of Denmark, has a history of civilisations such as the Inuits, Dorset, Norse, Thule, Icelandics, Danish and Norwegians. Evidence of local Inuits living in Nanortalik over a thousand years ago can be discovered, with the present settlement founded in the late 18th century as a trading and whaling post.

On-board Lecture
This sailing features a talk on 'Volcanoes & Geology' presented by Prof. James Floyd & Dr. Peter Cattermole.