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A thousand years ago courageous Norsemen made the first known crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in their distinctive, high-prowed, open boats. From Norway, they sailed westward island-to-island until finally reaching the shores of Labrador and Newfoundland. Along the way they founded settlements in Shetland, the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland. This Viking journey has long had a special fascination for Trevor Hodgson and his wife Lesley. They read books, visited exhibitions and spent hours pouring over charts of the Norsemen’s route. The more they learned, the more their interest grew and with it the idea of following the Vikings' voyages in their own small sail boat. To the Lands of The Vikings describes their voyage aboard Symphony, a 37 foot fiberglass cutter. Braving cold and sometimes stormy waters they followed the fragmented chain of Viking remains. Everywhere, from the modern cities of Bergen, Torshavn and Reykjavik to the ruins of farms and churches isolated on the shores of remote fiords, they found signs of the Viking explorers. Spectacular scenery unfolds along each leg of this historic trail. These are lands of dramatic fiords, towering bird cliffs and desolate mountain valleys, volcanoes and hot springs, icebergs, glaciers, snow-sprinkled peaks and knife-edged ridges. The cold northern waters teem with wildlife. Whales, seals, dolphin and orca frequently swim around Symphony. Gannet, fulmar and puffin wheel and turn above the waves. Eagles and gyrfalcon soar overhead in Greenland while in Labrador, polar bear, black bear, and caribou forage by the shore. The voyage includes moments of excitement and occasional anxiety. Symphony runs aground... a stiff breeze splits the main sail from leach to luff. Waves driven by gale-force winds buffet Symphony for eighteen hours as she lies to a sea anchor off Iceland and a rope caught round a propeller is only freed by a bone-chilling dive in frigid water. Later, icebergs become a constant threat and early winter gales force her to shelter for several days at anchor. Everywhere the Hodgsons meet people who are generous with their time and hospitality. They join a celebration of Norwegian Independence at a mountaintop cabin, make friends with local children in Iceland and Greenland and are welcomed into homes in Labrador and Newfoundland. To the Lands of the Vikings is the fascinating account of a sailing adventure along one of history's classic routes, It describes great sailing that is off the radar screen of most cruising boats, in a setting of great beauty and abundant wildlife. Photographs of the Viking lands © Trevor Hodgson, 2001 - 2004
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