On August 11, 2018, we sailed into Reykjavic, Iceland. We arrived around 2:00 PM at dockside. No tinder will be required at this port. The trip across the Atlantic from Scotland was not without some minor rocking, but nothing that bothered Pam and I. We wore our “bands” since sailing away from Invergordon, Scotland and never had any issue with the ship’s motion. Best part about the bands – there are zero adverse effects (like drowsiness) from using them. We first used the bands on our Alaska trip and they worked fine. We did have (as a backup) both the patches and Bromide tablets if they would become necessary.
By the way, we crossed another time line. We had to set our watches back an hour (that meant another hour of sleep!!). Once we got near land, our Verizon phones picked up the mainland signal and we are good to go again with our unlimited service (for $10/day).
After docking, the four of us scurried and got down to the gangway and exited the ship to go on our first Icelandic excursion – “Easy Iceland.” This was a 2 ½ hour bus tour seeing the highlights of the city. We saw a number of significant buildings – including the place where Ronald Reagan met with Russian President Gorbachov in a meeting that ended the cold war! We also visited the oldest church in Iceland (a very impressive structure), and visited their cultural center. It was a good way to get introduced to Reykjavic. It was drizzly most of the trip which made it a challenge to take pictures from the tour coach. But there were periods when the drizzle stopped and we were able to get good shots.
On our second day in Iceland, Pam, Bill and I took the “Iceland Tomorrow: Ancient Ring of Fire” excursion – a 5 hour bus tour with several stops along the way. Mary was not feeling up to the trip today, so it was just the three of us. But we took enough pictures to share the excitement of the excursion with her. The weather was decent (for this city). We had a light (very light) drizzle at times, but for the most part, it was just overcast. Temp was about 51 degrees. The tour bus was good, as the driver was an expert (as evidenced at one point while in the national park getting by some wayward folks driving the wrong way in motor homes!!!!). He literally had a couple of inches of clearance on the left side of the bus, and the wheels on the right were inches from a cliff. He got a well-deserved round of applause after we cleared the last motor home!
There were a number of highlights in this excursion. One of the most remarkable was visiting one of the two power plants that produce the energy for the island. The plant operates by geothermal natural power (steam created by the magma just below the earth’s surface). Around the plant as well as in other areas of the property, we saw steam vents – not dissimilar to the ones we saw in our trip to Yellowstone. The difference, however, is that Iceland is using the steam to create “green” power and hot water for the country. Our guide on the trip gave us some typical numbers for the cost a homeowner with a 4 bedroom flat would pay annually for water and power. It was a fraction of what we pay annually in Burbank!
Speaking of costs, the Icelandic money is the Krona – roughly 1,000 kr = $10. Everything we looked at in the restaurant and gift stores are marked with the Kr price. Fortunately, credit cards are accepted. When you check out, you are given a choice of having the Kr price or the US Dollar price print out on the receipt. It made me rethink about “sticker shock” in this country if you wanted to buy a big ticket item. For example, a $50,000 Lexus in the U.S. would have a sticker of about $5 million Krona! I think that would make the average person stop and think about the purchase!!!
Back to this adventure. We stopped at a cute café for a bite of lunch on this excursion. The owner who we met (Anna Marie) was very gracious – and the food she prepared for our traveling troop was great!! After eating, we took a stroll through some a geothermal field behind the restaurant. That was cool!
We also got to see a lot of lava as well as drove around one of their active volcanos. Fortunately, it was quiet today! There are a lot of volcanoes in Iceland.
Isafjordur
We sailed out of Rekyjavic at about 5 PM on August 12th, and headed up the west coast of Iceland to our next port – Isafjordur. We landed there about 8 AM on August 13th – just in the nick of time to take our excursion that departed at 8:30. This excursion was called “Artic Foxes and Avalanches.”
But before recapping this excursion, let’s talk about the actual voyage on the ocean. The journey was a bit rough at times. In fact, Pam accused me of intentionally shaking the bed. She finally accepted my insistence that I was not! It was not a rolling or other movement that could bring on some unpleasantness; rather it was like driving over a cobblestone street. Most of the ride was smooth as I reflect back on it.
As we approached our destination, the fog was pretty heavy. In fact, starting at about 4 AM, the ship was periodically sounding its horn to warn others of its approach. At 6:15 AM (when I am writing this section of text), the fog was still pretty thick. According to the weather forecast, it is supposed to be partly cloudy today with a small chance of rain. The high is supposed to be 57, with a low of 41 (burr!). Rain forecast is at 20%. We will be prepared for rain just in case.
We will be in port for a short time – arrive at 8 AM, and leaving at 4:30 PM. Our excursion was about 3 hours today. It was one of our best excursions! We got to get up-and-close with a pair of artic foxes (they were brothers). At the artic fox center, we learned about these animals which are indigenous to Iceland. They served refreshments including a rhubarb pastry. It was good.
We then boarded the bus and visited one of the oldest Lutheran churches and were treated got to a beautiful Icelandic young woman, Christina, who sang several songs. It was cool! We then continued to a couple of other beautiful stops where we were able to take some great pictures – including a short video of a distant waterfall. The weather was great – warm enough that a jacket was not needed. This is the first time that has occurred since arriving in Iceland!!!!
Another highlight for this day’s adventure was the evening show on the World Stage – the 2-deck large amphitheater at the front of the ship. The performance was by Fogwell Flax – a comedian as well as a singer impersonator who was a big hit!
Akureyri
We left the Isafjordur port around 5 PM and cruised the approximate 200 miles around the island to Akureyri. The trip on the water was fairly smooth. We are set to arrive at 7 AM with the meeting for today’s excursion to be at 7:15 AM (that is cutting it close….), and departure on the bus set for 7:30 AM. We are only in port until 2 PM when we will head off to Norway. The excursion today is called, “Akureyri, Falls and Farmland.”
This is how it is described:
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Leaving Akureyri, cross the waters of the fjord and travel along the slopes of Vadlaheidi Mountain, via the Fnjóskadalur Valley to Vaglaskogur Forest -- one of Iceland's rare woodlands -- which is part of an extensive soil and vegetation reclamation project.
Travel to historic Godafoss -- waterfall of the heathen gods, which figures prominently in Iceland's 12th-century Book of Settlement.
Continue to one of Iceland's most famous turf houses at Laufás. The 19th-century turf farmhouse here was built in the traditional Icelandic style of stone and turf, and it is now one of the last of its kind in the country. It is an interesting regional museum and has the original implements and equipment so essential to life in past centuries, and a beautiful country church (1865). The Icelandic turf house was the product of a difficult climate, offering superior insulation compared to buildings solely made of wood or stone.
Return to Akureyri for a short panoramic sightseeing tour of the city, including an outside view of the modern church and a stop at the Botanical Gardens.
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This was one of the best excursions we have taken on this vacation! The weather was great (no rain – and again warm enough to walk around without a jacket later in the tour). Seeing the falls, the old houses and church, and the botanical gardens were a great way to gain an appreciation for the beautiful scenery and history of this city! We strongly recommend this excursion. Of our three ports in Iceland, this was universally our favorite. We got to see so much of the beautiful countryside.
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