TravelWorld International Magazine Winter 2023

POLAR OPPOSITES!
Cruising to the Top and the Bottom of Earth
Several years ago I stood
on a promontory near
Sagres, in Portugal, the
southwesternmost point of
Europe, and looked out at the
sea, imagining the emotions
that filled the minds of early
15th-century explorers who
set sail from there to discover
new lands and sea routes.
Today, a beautiful lighthouse
stands at Cabo Sao Vicente to
guide vessels safely home from
worldwide voyages.
Story and Photos by Adrienne Cohen
Prince Henry, known as the
Navigator, founded a school
near Sagres in 1419 with the
goal of preparing sailors of the
time to explore the West African
coast. Previously, they had
feared the "Sea of Darkness" to
the south, near the equator. On
early navigational charts and
maps, it is said that areas beyond
the known world at the time
were marked with the notation
"BHBD," meaning "Beyond here
be dragons." Apparently it is
The Norway cruise
itinerary aboard
Island Princess – a
total of more than
4,000 nautical miles.
A map of
Mageroya Island.
Nordkapp is
sometimes called
the northernmost
point of Europe,
but that isn’t
quite true! The
island is reached
via an undersea
tunnel from
Mainland Norway.
not true, but I have always been
fascinated by the thought, with
the result that I consistently "push
the boundaries."
Henry’s school offered instruction
in navigation, map-making, and
science. It is credited with helping
sailors overcome their fears,
leading to the establishment of a
sea route to the Indies. Today, in
a sense, anyone who sets out for
new destinations follows in their
footsteps.
Cabo Sao Vicente lighthouse, Portugal
CREATING REALITY
FROM THE DREAM
The idea of traveling to the
Arctic Circle, and then to
Antarctica, became a growing
temptation for me, and then
a goal that needed to be
indulged!
In June of 2022, my husband
and I set out on a cruise from
Southampton along the coastal
fjords of Norway. The “prize”
was a visit to Nordkapp -- the
North Cape -- at the top of the
world. Then, in late January
of 2023, we embarked on a
second voyage from Chile to
Argentina, on an itinerary that
promised four days of sailing
the Antarctic Peninsula, close
to the bottom of the world.
As part of my research for that
journey, I had learned that
early sailors who rounded
Cape Horn at the tip of South
America earned the right to
wear a gold hoop earring in
their left ear, a testament to
the feat they had undertaken
the passage and survived
those extremely dangerous
waters. I was enthralled by that
idea.
Sadly, high winds and raging
seas prevented a local pilot
from boarding our vessel on
the day we were scheduled
to round the Horn. It is a
safety requirement these
days for ships planning to
circumnavigate the Cape
because the passage is still
considered treacherous.
Overcast skies even prevented
a photo op. But I wore the gold
hoop anyway! I had come close
enough.
allow us close-up views of small
fishing villages and farms along
the waterline. The itinerary
originally included a visit to
Longyearbyen in Svalbard,
Earth’s northernmost inhabited
island. It is home to the global
seed vault, also known as the
doomsday vault, where samples
of Earth's bounty are safely
stored should "the unthinkable"
occur.
That port call was canceled
just before the ship sailed from
Southampton. Instead, we
visited Lofoten, an archipelago
known for its stunning coastline.
Although at first disappointing,
it turned out to be a treat,
certainly a fair trade. Here
dramatic peaks soar into the
clouds, and communities with
brightly-colored buildings are
nestled onto narrow strips of
land adjacent to the sea.
28 29
Island
Princess
at anchor
among the
clouds of a
Norwegian
fjord.
TRAVEL AS ITS
OWN REWARD
Visiting earth's most distant
regions is a thrill. However,
such travel can test the
bounds of language, and my
descriptions are invariably
spiced with exclamation
points.
I'm not particularly
adventurous, and I thoroughly
enjoy my creature comforts,
so cruise ships, of late, have
become my vehicles of choice.
Besides, who can resist the
pampering, the food, and the
instant friendships that are
forged aboard a ship?
The Norway trip was on Island
Princess, a sturdy, classic
cruise ship, but not a megaship.
It was the perfect size
to navigate Nordic fjords and
Picturesque Honningsvag Harbor, the world’s northernmost
fishing village is not far from Nordkapp. Fishermen go out for cod,
a Norway staple, throughout the year.