The Brown Travelers Circumnavigation of ICELAND Cruising aboard the All-Suite Small Ship Five-Star SStartar PridePride July 25 to August 2, 2018 Round-Trip Air Included from Select Cities† Dear Graduates, Parents and Friends of Brown: Join us for this exploration of Iceland—a land of incredible natural wonder, where glittering glaciers cap simmering volcanoes, ancient Viking ruins exist alongside the latest in geothermal technology and prolonged daylight melds into the lingering twilight. During our specially designed seven-night circumnavigation of this Nordic island nation, experience a landscape of unimaginable scenery and encounter Iceland’s wondrous sights at close range. Cruise aboard the exclusively chartered, Five-Star, all-Suite Star Pride, with the ability to cruise into small ports inaccessible to larger vessels and to alter course as a kaleidoscope of wild, ethereal landscapes and mystery unfolds before you. Look for rare migratory birds, orcas and humpback whales; admire steaming geysers, rugged coastline and pristine beauty; and touch ice fragments calved from one of Europe’s largest glaciers. Visit Grímsey Island, crossing into the Arctic Circle, and cruise up close to Surtsey, one of Earth’s youngest islands and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore the rocky vista of a former lava lake and marvel at Goðafoss, the “Waterfall of the Gods.” Don’t miss this unforgettable adventure through the wonders of Iceland, featuring included round-trip air from Boston, New York-JFK, Newark and Washington-Dulles. Low Air Add-Ons are also available from Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis and Seattle.± We will share this departure with alumni and friends from several other schools, including the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania, and space is limited. Make your reservation while space and Early Booking Savings are still available! Sincerely, Beth Goldman Galer ’88 Director of the Alumni Travel Program Faculty Lecturer On this program, as on all Brown Travelers programs, a Brown faculty member will present lectures and lead discussions that will enhance your educational experience. As this brochure goes to press, the faculty representative who will accompany the program has not yet been confirmed. But we wanted to mail this brochure in time for you to make plans to participate. All Brown lecturers share a love for both teaching and travel. Their presence ensures that Brown-sponsored journeys are not only pleasant travel experiences but also intellectually rewarding. ±Included airfare and Low Air Add-Ons have limited availability and are not guaranteed. L FI I AND of RE and CE A land of unparalleled geological riches, Iceland is comprised of 4500 square miles of glaciers, 15 active volcanoes, 10,000 waterfalls and 800 hot springs. Born of the monumental forces unleashed during the movement of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, and at the same time carved out by majestic glaciers, the land is a combination of intense natural energy and veritable calm. The topography of Iceland as we know it continues to evolve, yet many of its landscapes have hardly changed since the first Viking settlers saw it more than 1100 years ago. During your circumnavigation, see volcanic craters and fissures; watch as bubbling hot springs send steam into the air against a backdrop of Mars-like terrain; encounter snowcapped mountains and black lava desert; and come upon pristine, powerful waterfalls and the deep freeze of mammoth ice caps. Along the coast, Iceland’s characteristic fjords—deep inlets cut into the coastline— chronicle the pathways of its glaciers. All of these natural wonders are in constant flux, as glaciers calve and shift and new mountains emerge from volcanic lava flow. The result is a startlingly beautiful portrait of Earth in process—a raw, primordial landscape hewn by the forces of fire and ice. U.S. Vigur Island/Ísafjörður Wednesday, July 25 Friday, July 27 Depart the U.S. Enjoy the morning cruise to the Reykjavík, Iceland awe-inspiring Westfjords. On charming Vigur Island —home to one single Thursday, July 26 farming family and thousands of This morning, arrive in Reykjavík, the world’s puffins, Arctic terns, black northernmost capital. See the idyllic guillemots and eider ducks— recreational sports area of Laugardalur, where observe the birds in their natural geothermal water keeps an Olympic-sized habitat and see Iceland’s outdoor swimming pool open year round. only windmill, built in 1840. Continue to the Pearl, Reykjavík’s remarkable Visit the country’s smallest post office and landmark glass dome built atop six 10-story enjoy coffee and cakes served by our hosts hot water tanks, and admire a captivating in their well-preserved, 19th-century house. view across the city from the dome’s This afternoon, cruise up the dominant observation deck. Tour the National Museum fjord of this remote 14-million-year-old for a comprehensive overview of Iceland’s region, Ísafjörður’s Djúp (“deep”), defined by history, culture and heritage. Visit the rugged mountains. Near the town of Ísafjörður, iconic Hallgrímskirkja, a towering Lutheran visit the open-air Ósvör Maritime Museum church and the tallest building in Reykjavík. where restored traditional 19th-century Pass by the picturesque houses of central fishermen’s huts and fishing equipment Reykjavík before boarding the Star Pride. vividly depict the harsh reality of the lives Please note that the ship’s cruising pattern and of generations of Iceland’s fishermen. direction are dependent on weather Tour Ísafjörður’s Westfjords Heritage Museum conditions and are subject to change. to learn more about coastal art and culture and Cover photo: Luminous blue icebergs calve from Breidamerkurjökull glacier into majestic Jökulsárlón lagoon. Photo this page: Divine Goðafoss punctuates northern Iceland’s craggy lava fields and rich green pastures. UNESCO World Heritage Site Cruise Itinerary Grímsey Island Air Routing Vigur Island Land Routing Ísafjörður Siglufjörður Húsavík Lake Goðafoss Mývatn Seyðisfjörður Th ingvellir Djúpivogur National Park Reykjavík Gullfoss Jökulsárlón Geysir North Atlantic C Heimaey I R SurtseySuSurtrtsesey C D U N M N L A AV C E I G AT I O N o f I An amphibious vehicle provides the ideal Jök the fascinating maritime history of this remote outpost. AIR is Included Attend the Captain’s Welcome Reception from Boston, New York-JFK, Newark and on board the ship this evening. Washington-Dulles!± Low Air Add-Ons are available from select cities.† ± Siglufjörður/Arctic Circle/ Economy-class air is included round trip Reykjavík, available exclusively through Gohagan & Company in partnership with Icelandair. Grímsey Island Gohagan & Company and the sponsoring association/organization Saturday, July 28 have no control over availability or air schedule changes. Picturesque Siglufjörður is a small, historic fishing hub built from the Húsavík for Lake Mývatn success of the herring industry. Visit the Sunday, July 29 award-winning Herring Era Museum and Explore northern Iceland’s extraordinary enjoy a lively, music-filled performance, natural landscapes, stopping at Námaskarð, an then sample traditional local herring and unearthly field of boiling, sulfurous mud pots, Icelandic schnapps. and the pseudocraters at Skútustaðir, formed Return to the ship for the unforgettable when hot lava flowed over the wetlands cruise past the mountains of Eyjafjörður, 2300 years ago. Walk among the surreal lava Iceland’s longest fjord, to Grímsey Island and formations of Dimmuborgir, the mythic visit Grímsey Church, built out of driftwood source of Icelandic folklore, and drive in 1867. Officially cross the Arctic Circle, along the shores of cerulean Lake Mývatn, the top of the world, where the island is a birdwatcher’s paradise and a haven for treeless but lush with grasses and mosses. many rare migratory birds and 14 species of See thriving populations of puffins and auks— Iceland’s bountiful wild ducks. their black and white coloring is similar to a Continue to Goðafoss, “Waterfall of penguin’s, but auks have the distinctive ability the Gods.” According to legend, this to fly and to dive into the water. spectacular waterfall earned its name when Námaskarð is known for its otherworldly terrain sculpted by sulfuric mud springs. kulsárlón lagoon experience. Reykjavík was a simple fishing village until becoming a capital city in 1918. an Icelandic chieftain threw wooden statues Tour the Eldheimar Museum, which of his Norse gods into its crashing waters, chronicles the fateful volcanic activity signifying his conversion to Christianity. of 1973 that created Mount Eldfell, and Seyðisfjörður see the incredible formation, also known as “Fire Mountain,” and its lava fields that are Monday, July 30 still warm to the touch over 40 years after its Seyðisfjörður is a tranquil, 11-mile-long last eruption. fjord that winds toward the charming, eponymous town, where well-preserved, colorful, chalet-style houses shelter beneath Mounts Strandartindur and Bjólfur (Beowulf in English). The glittering Fjarðará River cascades down from the verdant valley and runs through the center of town into the lagoon at the head of the fjord. Visit the town’s iconic Blue Church and observe a specially arranged cultural and musical performance. Continue to the Technical Museum to learn how technological advancements in mechanics, Look for diverse marine life, such as the protected communication and architecture have humpback whale, along Iceland’s wildlife-rich coasts. shaped this island nation and enjoy light refreshments. Stop at the precipitous headland of Djúpivogur for Jökulsárlón Stórhöfði to observe Heimaey’s largest Tuesday, July 31 puffin colony and see the ruins of ancient Viking farmhouses dating from Enjoy a full-day scenic excursion along A.D. 650. Iceland’s east coast from Djúpivogur to the This evening, cruise along Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Enjoy a panoramic the coast of Surtsey Island, tour of historic Höfn, a small fishing village a UNESCO World known for its stunning mountain views, Heritage site. Created during including lunch.