OVERVIEW

Drive through Nuuk, the world’s smallest capital, and trace the town’s history through its marquee attractions. Nuuk means “headland,” a reference to its location at the tip of a peninsula at the mouth of an extensive fjord system. Missionary Hans Egede founded the city in 1728, although Inuits, Vikings and various other groups had lived there on and off for about 4,000 years. The route that you will follow passes landmarks that include the Parliament, the University of Greenland and Katuaq, a cultural venue whose modern design was inspired by the magical play of light on the ice and snow. The National Museum occupies several buildings around the colonial harbor, where a statue of Egede overlooks the sea. Other prominent historical buildings include Nuuk Cathedral. You will also drive through Nuuk’s neighboring suburbs, which include Nuussuaq and the more contemporary Qinngorput district. Regardless of where you travel, craggy mountains provide a majestic backdrop.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Settle in for a panoramic drive through the diminutive capital of Nuuk.
• Gain insight into Nuuk’s history while passing landmarks such as Katuaq Greenland Cultural Center.
• Drive through the residential suburbs for a look at local life.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Learn to play Gaelic football and hurling, two decidedly Irish and wildly popular games that share similarities to sports you may be more familiar with.

After departing from the pier, you will enjoy a scenic drive to a sporting club that is ideal for the Gaelic games that you will be playing. The Gaelic Athletic Association promotes many of these traditional games throughout Ireland, the history of which you will learn during an introduction to the organization. You will also gain an understanding for how dominant sports such as hurling and Gaelic football came about and the basic rules of both.

Then, the fun will begin. With a hurling stick in hand, you will practice driving the ball through the goal. A coach will be standing by to offer tips to increase your chances of scoring. The sport of hurling is more than 3,000 years old and is considered the world’s fastest field game. If you’re good in lacrosse, field hockey and baseball, you will likely be a skilled hurler.

You will also have the chance to try Gaelic football. It is played with a round ball that is somewhat smaller than a soccer ball. The ball can be caught, kicked and passed, but with certain conditions that the coach will explain. For instance, if you carry the ball, you can only take four steps.

Following your invigorating immersion into Gaelic sports, you will enjoy a drink at the club.

Don’t miss a unique opportunity to visit the spectacular ‘City of Lights’, from two perspectives. After an approximately three-hour drive from Le Havre, you’ll arrive in Paris to discover the most important sights.

Your guide will point out Place de l’Etoile, its Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees Avenue at the end of which the Place de la Concorde offers to all visitors, its legendary obelisk. Continue to the Rive Gauche where the most impressive monuments of Paris are located. At the foot of the Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris, a glass-covered sightseeing riverboat awaits you for a scenic cruise on the Seine River. Enjoy a different perspective of this monumental city from the water while having lunch. See the famous Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum and much more. During your lunch cruise, you’ll not only discover the quays and the monuments of this enchanting city, but also the districts where the nobility and the Bourgeoisie live. Afterwards, before driving back to Le Havre, you’ll enjoy some free time in the city near the Trocadero.

Escorted around town by a local, you’ll be introduced to life in Greenland’s eighth-largest fishing village. Suffice it to say, rush hour is no big challenge in this burg. But living in Paamiut has its rewards for the 1,500-or-so souls who call it home. Their scattered skyline is colorful, their blue-black mountain backdrop is stunning – they even have a handsome stave church, one hotel and a supermarket. The fishing is excellent, the mitten-makers are busy, and the wildlife is contented. Minke and humpback whales swim by in the fjord, while white-tailed sea eagles (Greenlanders call them “Nattoralik”) guard the sky and bring good luck to those who spot them.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Stroll the streets of tiny Paamiut with a local who knows its story and residents personally.
• You will have an opportunity to view colonial harbor, museum area (no interior visit included), protected buildings, Church, Culture area, institution area, trade and administration area.
• Be on the lookout for exciting wildlife, from majestic sea eagles in the sky to whales in the fjord.

OVERVIEW

Heighten your appetite with a walk through Qaqortoq to sample Greenlandic and Inuit cuisine at a local restaurant or in the Community Hall. You’ll spend about 25 minutes along the immensely scenic route through the heart of South Greenland’s largest city – still a compact, charming place where gardens flourish, colorful historic homes line the streets and public artworks celebrate the region’s rich cultural history. But then, there’s no better way to get a true taste of a culture than by its food. The offerings at this excursion’s designated venue change frequently but typically include traditional Greenlandic and Inuit dishes featuring high-protein meats – a diet meant to sustain early locals through harsh, physically demanding winters. Greenlanders have been whalers for some 4,000 years, so look for a taste of that to be served – perhaps thinly sliced like carpaccio or quick-cooked like veal to seal in its flavor. Lamb is also popular here, raised naturally and allowed to range the upland pastures freely. Other traditional specialties might include dried seal, grilled Arctic char or smoked reindeer. Tasty local crowberries, which look like blueberries, are used liberally in sauces and desserts. No worries; you’ll burn off any excess calories on the walk back to the ship.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a leisurely, scenic walk through Qaqortoq’s downtown – alive with color and charm.
• Visit a local restaurant specializing in traditional Greenlandic dishes made from regional ingredients.
• Enjoy a tasting likely to include whale meat along with dried seal, smoked reindeer or free-range lamb.
• Discover the flavor of Greenland’s answer to blueberries: the crowberry.
• See a few more sights and shed a few calories on the pleasant walk back to the ship.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing; include a light jacket or windbreaker.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and insect repellant as needed.

Travel by panoramic coach on a tour that offers fascinating insights on the lives of those who make the sometimes-harsh landscape of Iceland’s Westfjords their home. Beginning from the pier, you’ll drive through the streets of Isafjordur and out along the coastal road for a tour of wondrously remote Bolungarvik, a fishing village towered over by its surrounding mountains. Nearby, you’ll stop at the outdoor Ósvör Museum, where a century-old fisherman’s hut has been restored, complete with the tools of the trade – and the fisherman.

On another leg of the journey, you’ll find yourself up amidst breathtaking views of the magnificent mountains of the Djup, largest of the West Fjords and the Buna River. Not far from that spot, you’ll stop to admire a beautiful stepped waterfall in Tunguskogur and take an opportunity to taste the freshest, clearest mountain water you may ever have encountered. Back in Isafjordur, you’ll stop in at the Maritime and Folk Museum, which calls one of the town’s oldest and best-preserved houses its home. The museum presents an excellent collection of artifacts related to the region’s maritime history – as well as a sizable accordion collection. Gotta have something to do during those long winters.

Bicycle through the Waterland, a classic Dutch landscape that is ideal for bicycling as it is flat and spectacularly scenic. A ferry will take you to the Waterland, where you will begin pedaling at a leisurely pace well suited to the area’s laid-back ambiance. You can expect to see farmers going about their daily lives, brightly painted wooden houses and an impossibly green countryside crisscrossed with canals and dotted with seemingly endless rivers and lakes. Almost half of the Waterland is water, held in check by a series of dikes, and the landscape couldn’t be more beautiful. Expect to pass cows grazing in fields, iconic windmills pumping water out of the lowlands and a number of seaside villages, one of which you will stop in for a drink. The Waterland is also a paradise for water birds, and you will likely see countless swans and geese and perhaps even a godwit, the national bird of the Netherlands.

Experience the varied and stunning landscapes of Outer Hebrides and enjoy a stop that will allow you to observe a weaving demonstration of world-famous Harris Tweed.

Starting off from the cruise ship pier in Stornoway, the capital of the Outer Hebrides, you'll travel southward, skirting the fjord-like sea lochs of Loch Erisort and Loch Seaforth. The road then climbs steadily past the towns of Bowglass and Ardvourlie before navigating through a mountain pass which offers up excellent views of the rugged countryside. The views include the peak of Clisham, which at over 2,600 feet, is the highest mountain in the Outer Isles. Usually, native wildlife can be spotted here, including red deer, otters and golden eagles. The terrain here even features rocks which have been discovered to be the oldest in the world. During your drive, you will further witness how the powerful forces of ice and sea in the distant past have carved and polished a dramatic landscape of stark sea-cliffs, sweeping beaches and rugged heather uplands here on the island of Lewis.

One of the most desirable wool textiles in the world, Harris Tweed, is produced in the Outer Hebrides and you will have the opportunity of visiting one of the small shops and adjacent tweed storehouse in the town of Tarbert. A weaving demonstration at the factory shows how the product is weaved and you will have the chance to purchase some lengths of tweed or small souvenir products. As the factory is not large in scale, visitors should be aware that space is restricted. Afterwards, enjoy some free time in Tarbert - which overloods Loch Tarbert and is the largest village on the island.

Continuing on from Tarbert, you'll pass through a dramatic lunar landscape of rocks dotted with tiny lochans as you descend towards the vast expanse of Luskentyre Bay. Here, you'll head for Horgabost Beach where you will have some additional free time to enjoy the bleached white sand here. This lovely setting which is framed by the turquoise sea, backed by steep dunes and set against the backdrop of the mountains to the north, is a wonderful place to relax and take some memorable photos. From this location, you can also view the beautiful, uninhabited island of Taransay, the recent setting for a hugely popular television program, 'Castaway'.

Following your stop at Horgabost Beach, you'll rejoin your coach and travel back the ship in Stornoway.

Enjoy an insider’s look at life in Edam by visiting a local family and touring a cheese-making facility to see how Edam’s famed cheese is produced. An enlightening walking tour will introduce you to the city. Here, you will see from the outside, St. Nicholas Church and the Edam Museum; which occupies an 18th-century sea captain’s house. For a deeper understanding of life in Edam, you will stop by a centuries-old residence and enjoy coffee and cake with the owners. They will elaborate on the long history of their home, how Edam has changed just in their lifetimes and what the future may hold. Still, it is impossible to escape the draw of cheese in Edam. More than a quarter of the cheese produced in the Netherlands is the city’s namesake cheese, a soft variety made with less milk fat than most other cheeses. While touring a cheese-making facility in town, you will watch the process and then taste samples.

Bruges is an exquisitely preserved Medieval town. The general prosperity, visible in the opulence of the mansions and civic buildings, lasted until the end of the 15th century.

After a 30-minute drive from the port, you arrive in Bruges where your guided walk will start. Often called Die Scone or 'the beautiful', the charm of this lovely Medieval city will capture you immediately. Smaller and more contained than many other old Flemish cities, Bruges gives the impression that you have stepped back in time. Your guide will walk with you through the narrow, twisting cobbled streets, passing by picturesque scenes of ancient buildings, tree-lined canals and gabled facades. See the bustling marketplace, Belfry Tower, the Town Hall and the Chapel of the Holy Blood. The highlight of this walking tour will undoubtedly be a 30-minute canal tour. While sitting back in a small boat, you'll enjoy this short canal boat ride along the serene waterways of this romantic historical city. As Bruges is full of lace and chocolate shops, you will have lots of free time which will allow you to search for the perfect souvenir. Your guide will lead you by the romantic 'Lake of Love' back to your coach, that will bring you back to your ship.

Explore parts of Edinburgh that are often overlooked but shouldn’t be, as these revitalized areas have become thriving destinations.

After departing from the pier, you will soon reach Dean Village, a historical area of Edinburgh where grains were milled for 800 years. Once a separate village where many mill workers lived, it still seems vastly different from busier Edinburgh.

Highlights include a 19th-century residential building for the mill workers known as Well Court and Dean Bridge, which spans the Water of Leith. Thomas Telford, the engineer behind the ingenious Caledonian Canal, designed the bridge. While meandering about, you might also see decorative mill stones and stone plaques with carvings of baked breads and pies, a nod to the grains used to make them.

Continuing on, you will next explore Stockbridge, a village on the north edge of Edinburgh that is wonderfully bohemian and artsy. Landmarks include the Roman temple-inspired St. Bernard’s Well, whose waters supposedly have medicinal qualities, and the Stockbridge Colonies, a cluster of 19th-century stone homes that is really a village within a village.

A leisurely walk to Leith follows. A port for more than 1,000 years, Leith has been thoughtfully renovated and revitalized, yet its historical character has remained intact. During the guided portion of your visit, you might see what was once the largest swing bridge in the United Kingdom, a 17th-century signal tower that was originally a windmill, and the statue of Roberts Burns. During free time, you can explore even further.

Experience the joys of two iconic Scottish activities: drinking a wee dram of whisky and playing the bagpipes.

After departing from the pier, you will soon arrive at a downtown venue for a whisky tasting. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society will host the event, in which the whiskies will be served at cask strength. That means the drams will not have been subjected to chill filtration or any other interference that would alter their tastes.

You will be served three drams, a dram being an eighth of a fluid ounce. The tasting will reveal the remarkable variety within the distillation processes and present the complexities that the different oak casks and aging times impart.

Before each dram is sampled, one of the society’s members will describe the whisky’s characteristics. Some whiskies might taste spicy and dry while others may be heavily peated with strong smoky flavors. The experience will be enlightening and entertaining.

Your immersion into the world of bagpipes will be just as fulfilling. Louise Marshall, one of Scotland’s most renowned pipers, will lead your workshop. She has played for Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Benedict XVI, and her instruction will be based on years of experience.

Marshall will teach you basic chanter techniques, show you how bagpipes work and describe the instrument’s history. If you wish to look the part, Scottish attire such as kilts, sporrans and feather bonnets will be available.