Travel/Viking Passage cruise, Part I: Rotterdam to the Shetlands – Champaign/Urbana News

By DON KOJICH

One of the most appealing aspects of ocean cruising is visiting locales that are off the beaten path or not easily accessible by plane or car. You can find many hidden gems that otherwise might be an answer to a geography question on the TV game show “Jeopardy.”

Another advantage to cruising is that you pack and unpack just once, so your vacation doesn’t resemble the movie “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.”

This past summer, my wife and I took an 18-day Holland America Viking Passage cruise that started in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The 1,400-passenger MS Rotterdam included stops in such exotic and remote locations as Norway; Scotland’s Shetland Islands; Iceland; Greenland; and the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Laborador and Nova Scotia, before docking in Boston.

We visited six countries and 10 distinctly different ports of call while cruising through the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Greenland Sea and North Atlantic Ocean.

There were many presentations on the profound influence and history of the vikings and their many explorers, including Eric the Red and Leif Erickson. Stories of trolls, elves and vikings were common themes throughout the trip.

We arrived in Rotterdam two days prior to setting sail. It gave us time to explore a city that we had never visited, and we were surprised and impressed with the modern city that has been described as “architecture with some life in it.”

Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port, had been rebuilt after the German Luftwaffe bombed it during May 1940. It was an easy city to navigate on foot, with public transportation or using a bicycle like thousands of the Dutch residents.

One of our favorite stops was Markethal, an indoor market that is the shape of a giant airplane hangar. It has more than 100 food booths with local produce, baked goods, spices and fresh fish, and the indoor ceiling has vibrant colored murals of flowers and plants.

Rotterdam also is home to one of the finest maritime museums in the world. The interactive exhibits give visitors a unique experience of the history of the maritime and shipping industry in Rotterdam. There also are numerous eclectic restaurants, shops and cafes in the city center and along the waterfront area.

Bergen, Norway, was our first port of call after leaving Rotterdam. Bergen, located on the southwest coast, is the country’s second-largest city. Cruising through the picturesque postcard fjords to get to Bergen is worth the trip itself. The harbor area is the focal point of life in Bergen, especially Bryggen, a collection of colorful wooden houses built in the early 18th century for the Hanseatic League. They have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Many boutique shops and cafes now dot the waterfront.

The waterfront fish market and restaurants are popular for both locals and tourists. Cold shrimp sandwiches, smoked salmon, a selection of moose and reindeer sausages or a cup of fresh picked berries are just a few of the items found while browsing the booths.

We took a funicular up to the top of Mount Floyen, about 1,050 feet above sea level. There are many breathtaking views of the harbor area from the top, including 10 walking and hiking trails to explore the area.

The next stop on our cruise was Lerwick, the capital of Scotland’s northernmost outpost, the Shetland Islands. The Shetlands, located at 60 degrees north latitude, has only been part of Scotland since 1472, when it was mortgaged by King Christian I of Norway in lieu of the dowry for his daughter Margaret and later annexed by James III of Scotland.

One of most unique sites we visited on our trip was a walk to the Broch of Clickimin, which archaeologists believe was built between 800-700 B.C. A broch is a restored Iron Age dry stonewall structure only found in Scotland.

Lerwick is the quintessential Scottish town that is home to the Shetland Museum. It houses exhibits focusing on the Shetland heritage, agriculture, fishing and shipping. We recommend you not leaving Scotland without sampling the local fish and chips, a dram of single malt whiskey and sweet Scottish tablet, similar to fudge.

Next time, I will share our experiences from Iceland, Greenland, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

Don Kojich is retired after working for 30 years in higher education communication and marketing, including spending 20 years at the University of Illinois and the University of Illinois Foundation. He is an avid traveler and amateur photographer.