DESTINATIONS GREENLAND | NORDICS
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Whales off the Greenland coast; Rhonda and Ripley; a Zodiac expedition in Spitsbergen; Fram at Strongbreen glacier PICTURES: Stian Klo; Jan Hvizdal
view RIPLEY’S “Observing hundreds of
millions of years of sedimentary rock uncovered by a glacial movement so slow it can’t be seen; watching a musk ox that looked as old as the landscape; hearing snapping sounds as air
escaped that had been trapped inside an iceberg for millennia – all these made the fact that I
was the youngest on our ship by quite a margin feel insignificant. Although this cruise was a
break from the sense of urgency in my life, it turned out to be very different from previous
holidays I’d been on, and I came back with the reassurance that things are progressing in their natural rhythm.”
travelweekly.co.uk
When Rip goes away with his girlfriend, however,
their preference is for sunshine, sandy beaches and cities. So when I mention a Greenland cruise to him, he’s somewhat unsure. He’s also not a natural traveller – he dislikes flying due to vertigo and is anxious about both the motion of the ship and being so far from land. But he also knows it’s a unique opportunity it would be ridiculous to turn down.
I, on the other hand, know he’ll love it. But it’s only
on our first night in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, before boarding the ship, that I get a sense of how meaningful this is going to be for him. While visiting the environmental research station at Ny-Ålesund on the west coast of Spitsbergen, meeting huskies and spotting wildlife including Arctic hares and foxes, Ripley opens up to me about some tricky feelings he’s having about his future. They’re things it’s hard for a mum to hear because, while I can try to guide him, I have to let him make his own way; it’s time to let go of the reins.
FRAM-TASTIC Svalbard, with its mining history and the ever-present threat (or hope) of seeing a polar bear, blows our minds (though it’s reassuring that HX sends you out with armed guides ready to get you to safety should one appear in the distance). But the real adventure starts after we board our ship, HX Expeditions’ Fram. Ripley is delighted – it’s comfortable and there’s great food, including Greenlandic dishes by guest chef Inunnguaq Hegelund.
We see so many wonders during our 14 days on board, from scarlet sunsets to icebergs like Disney castles on steroids
We each have a plush, spacious suite with mod cons and indulgences such as a minibar, and daily laundry service and treats.
Despite his anxieties, Ripley is happiest standing on deck with his binoculars, wrapped up warm spotting dolphins, minke whales and seabirds. He spends hours out there alone, deep in observation and thought. We see so many wonders during our 14 days
on board, including scarlet sunsets, icebergs like Disney castles on steroids and soaring basalt columns reminiscent of Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway. We hike across mossy peatlands, hold broken-off chunks of glaciers and help collect samples of phytoplankton to monitor the health of this environment, inspecting them under a microscope in the onboard lab. Some of the daily outings by Zodiac include landings
to explore our surroundings. In Blomsterbugten, or Flower Bay – part of the Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord in northeast Greenland – I join other passengers on a polar plunge. Ripley, meanwhile, stands with a camera at the ready, rolling his eyes at my squawking as I hit the freezing 4C waters of the bay.
² 21 MAY 2026 35
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