Our ship was sailing toward Boston where we would be disembarking tomorrow! It was another nice day on board the Viking Mars. We were able to read out on deck because the weather was sunny and warm.
This afternoon the Hotel officers hosted a “Live Margarita Bar”. We participated in enjoying a drink.
Late afternoon we attended Rear Admiral John Lippiett’s lecture, “That ‘Tea Party’ in 1773- A Look into the Tea Trade”. He explained how drinking tea became fashionable and spread to the colonies.
This evening we went to hear one of the Viking vocalists perform a solo show. It was called “An Evening with Adam”. He sang a variety of his favorite songs.
Our last sunset of the cruise was beautiful!
Saturday, August 31st, 2024
This morning we woke up in Boston, Massachusetts.
Pier in Boston
Our flight home wasn’t until late afternoon. We thought we’d be sitting in the airport all day but Viking booked hospitality rooms where we could relax until 2:00 PM when they would then transport us to the Boston Logan International airport. We left the hotel and walked around Boston. The weather was sunny and warm. Viking also arranged for lunch to be served. We were quite impressed with these unexpected provisions.
Beautiful day in BostonChristian Science Plaza near the hotel
It was the Ohio State Buckeyes first game of the season against an in-state team, Akron. The game was in the afternoon and we figured we’d miss the entire game. We were surprised to see it televised an airport restaurant by our gate. So we saw a lot of the first half before we boarded our flight. We looked out over Boston and the surrounding area as our plane lifted off for Columbus!
This adventure had ended but we look forward to the next one!
Today was another day at sea! We were sailing toward Nova Scotia, Canada. Sea days weren’t fun for us. We would rather be off the ship exploring new areas! We talked to many on the ship who enjoyed the break. Today was spent walking on the ship’s outside track and reading.
In the evening we did attend the Cruise Director’s show. He had an excellent singing voice and put on a great performance.
Our Cruise Director’s Show
Thursday, August 29th, 2024
This morning we arrived at Pier 20 in Halifax! The weather was windy but sunny! It was a great day for touring the city and visiting Peggy’s Cove.
As we approached the pier we passed Mc Nabs Island. It was the largest island at the entrance to the Halifax harbor. It consisted of 1000 acres and had military fortifications built on it to protect the city. Those military installations began in the 1800’s and consisted of Sherbrooke Tower (1928), Fort Ives (1870), Fort McNab (1892), Hugonin Battery (1899) and the Strawberry Battery (1940). These fortifications became known as the Halifax Defence Complex. Fort McNab’s remains were a national historic site in Canada and the island was designated as parkland.
McNabs Island
The two pictures below were taken just past McNabs Island and looking at Halifax, Canada.
Once the ship was cleared to disembark, we were one of the first to leave. This morning we had a pass for the “Hop On, Hop Off” bus. We thought this would be the best way to see the highlights of the city with our limited time. Well, it didn’t work out how we planned. There was some major construction that slowed traffic considerably. There also was a train strike going on and the shipping containers were being moved by semi-trucks. It was slow getting to our first stop which was the Citadel. The Halifax Citadel’s official name was Fort George, named after Britain’s King George II.
Entrance drive to the Halifax Citadel
The Halifax Citadel was a national historic site that sat on a large hill overlooking the harbor. The current fort was completed in 1856 and was the fourth fort to sit atop the hill. It no longer was used as a military fortification but was a historic site with exhibits and a museum.
We spent a lot of time walking all around the Citadel which was in a star shape.
Entrance to the fort.The moat, which now had grass growing in it!
The guards were dressed in uniforms that their regiments wore in the mid-1800’s.
The pictures below were taken from the inside of the courtyard.
School roomTailor shopSamples of the fabric used to sew the uniforms
From the Citadel we could see the back side of the Halifax Town clock from the early 1800’s. It was a three tier octagonal tower that sat on a Palladian style building. This historic clock tower was a gift from Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. Prince Edward was commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America. He was stationed in Halifax for a year.
Town Clock on Citadel Hill
After we explored the fortress we went out to the bus stop to see more of the city. Unfortunately, the bus didn’t come for 45 minutes due to the traffic snarl. We were told they run every 10-15 minutes! Because of this significant delay we had to stay on the “Hop On Hop Off” for the rest of the stops. We didn’t have time to visit any of the other stops because we had to get back to the pier for our afternoon tour! It was disappointing to experience so little of this beautiful city. We decided we need to return at some point on our own!
We took a few pictures as we rode on the bus. The Bluenose Restaurant had been a landmark since 1964 and was named after Nova Scotia’s famous schooner. The Bluenose was Canada’s fishing and racing vessel and its image was on the Canadian dime.
We also passed by the Four Sisters homes. At the turn of the century a ship’s captain built the homes for his four daughters. The homes were painted red, yellow, blue, and purple.
Bluenose Restaurant4sisters homes4 sisters homesBridge across the harborLion statue at the entrance to a park.Mural on the side of a building.
This afternoon we took a chartered bus to visit Peggy’s Cove. It was an hour drive from Halifax to Peggy’s Cove. It took us a little over an hour due to the heavy traffic in Halifax.
The Halifax Shipyard was founded in 1989. It now was a subsidiary of Irving Shipbuilding Inc. Its building was huge! They built and repaired ships.
On our way we saw some beautiful scenery and boulders scattered around from the last glacier that receded.
Boulder balanced
Boulders left from a glacier about 20,000 years ago.
Peggy’s Cove was a picturesque fishing village with about 30 permanent residents. There were several legends as to how Peggy’s Cove was named. One was that she was a shipwreck survivor named Margaret and then shortened her name to Peggy. A second thought was that because the area was called St. Margaret’s Bay after Samuel de Champlain’s mother. Then when the British took over the locals began calling it Peggy’s Cove. A third thought was that it was named after William Rodgers’ wife. They were early settlers to the area from Ireland.
Nova Scotia had 160 historic lighthouses and Peggy’s Cove lighthouse was the most well-known of them. The lighthouse was built in 1915.
Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse
The ocean water around the lighthouse could be very dangerous. Rogue waves could happen at anytime. We were told when we visited to only walk on the dry granite rocks.
William deGarthe was an artist who lived and painted in Peggy’s Cove. He emigrated in 1926 from Finland to Nova Scotia. After his death his home was turned into a museum. The museum displayed 65 of his paintings.
William deGarthe’s Home , now an art gallery & museum
In his backyard he had a large wall of granite rock. He carved a monument to the Nova Scotia fishermen. Unfortunately he died before he finished his carving. He was about 80% completed. His ashes were interred inside the Fishermen’s monument.
Lasting monument to Nova Scotian fishermen by William deGarthe
This picture gives you perspective of the monument’s location in Peggy’s Cove.
The monument depicted 32 fishermen, their families, Peggy of the Cove and St. Elmo (patron Saint of Sailors).
These chairs would have been a great way to relax and enjoy Peggy’s Cove. Unfortunately we didn’t have time. We felt very rushed. Peggy’s Cove would be another place to make a return visit!
Andirondack Chairs could be found around Peggy’s Cove.
An hour was planned to get our group back to the ship. All passengers were to be back on board by 4:00 PM. Due to the extremely heavy traffic and street light problems, we returned at 5:30 PM and there were other tours that returned later than us! Any other passenger that we talked to was also frustrated by the wait for the “Hop On Hop Off” and how the other excursions in Halifax were negatively impacted by the construction, the rail strike, and the street lights in areas not working. Put those issues together and you had a huge mess! It was just one of those things that wasn’t anyone’s fault but it made it frustrating to be a visitor.
When we sailed away from Halifax we saw sailboats out on the water and another island with a lighthouse.
We would recommend visiting Halifax when you have more than a day! We’ll be back Nova Scotia!
Today was a day at sea as we traveled from Greenland to Newfoundland, Canada across the Labrador Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. We left the fog and today was sunny.
Sunrise in the morning.
Besides walking outside and reading, our highlight of the day was the Premium Wine tasting. It was fun learning about these 5 unfamiliar wines and tasting all of them. Three from France, one from Spain and one from Italy. We also had a variety of cheeses, nuts, grapes, and craisons that were paired with particular wines.
Wine tasting
This evening we enjoyed the Viking vocalists show, “The Sound of the Seventies”!
The backdrop for the Seventies show.
Tuesday, August 27th, 2024
This morning we arrived at L’Anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada. It was located at the tip of the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland.
We were anchored around 8:00 AM and used tender boats to visit.
One of the tenders that transported us to L’Anse Aux Meadows
L’Anse Aux Meadows was the site of the first Norse settlement in the Americas. It was a national historic site and UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) named it a World Heritage site in 1978.
By the statue of Leif Eriksson was this quote on a memorial plaque: “Son of Iceland, grandson of Norway, Ancestor of all who emigrated from the Nordic lands”
Statue of Leif Eriksson
The area was discovered in 1960 when a Norwegian explorer and writer, Helge Ingstad, came upon L’Anse Aux Meadows. A local, George Decker, took him to an overgrown area that had bumps and ridges. Ingstad and his archaeologist wife, Anne Stine Ingstad, spent the next eight years here. They had an international team of archaeologists from Norway, Iceland, Sweden, and the United States.
We visited the Visitor’s Center that had displays and artifacts that were found here.
Model of the Viking Basecamp that was discovered at L’Anse Aux Meadows.The path from the Visitor Center to the archaeology site.Moose tracks along the path.
They found the remains of an 11th century Viking basecamp and the remains of 8 buildings that were either dwellings or workshops. These buildings were built of timber as the frame and sod over it.
The area was still an active archeological site. We watched a group working in an area that was fenced off. It was interesting to watch their precision and small steps and digs that they made as they worked.
Another area we walked to was the Norstead Village.
It was a replica of a Viking port of trade and depicted what life would have been like about the same time as the discovered UNESCO site 1.2 miles away.
Selfie at Norstead Village
The village consisted of Snorri, a full scale replica of a Viking ship built in Maine. The name Snorri was the name the Vikings gave the first child born in the New World. It was transported to Greenland and then a crew sailed it to L’Anse Aux Meadows with just powered by a square sail and oars! This sailing was to simulate Lief Eriksson’s voyage here. The boat was 54 feet long, 16 feet wide, and 8 feet deep. It was stored in the boat shed at the village.
“Snorri” a Viking ship replica
There was a chieftain’s hall, a church, and a blacksmith’s shop. We saw locals portraying different Viking roles and many tools and items from that period. You could spend a lot of time here. It was an interesting open air museum and the locals made the experience authentic. They had a axe throwing, weaving and games that you could participate in doing.
Chieftain’s HallEntranceActivities inside the HallDying wool for weavingChieftain’s Chair on the left
Chieftain’s Hall
Outside the church and then inside the church
The Blacksmith shop was next. It was located near the church.
After we visited the Norstead Village we hiked the Iceberg Trail.
Today we visited Qaqortoq, Greenland. Qaqortoq means “white” in the Greenlandic language. Cruise tourism was the main income for the town. Its population was approximately 3,000. The town sits between steep hills. It was the 4th largest town in the country.
The fog was still thick when we woke up early in Qaqortoq, Greenland. We were on the first tender off the ship. It was very difficult to see!
A foggy morning in Qaqortoq.
Today was a walking tour of the town on our own. Qaqortoq was the only town in Greenland with a fountain. It was a gathering spot for the locals.
Fountain in the main square.
We visited the Church of Our Savior. Inside we listened to a local who gave some history of the town. Outside the church was a memorial to the Missionary Hans Egede and his wife who came to Greenland over 300 years ago.
The town had a unique art display. It was organized by Greenland artist Aka Høegh who was born in Qaqortoq. Other Nordic artists participated in created almost 40 works of art throughout the town. The project was named “Stone and Man” with each of the works crafted in stone. Click through the slides below to see many of these unique stone pieces.
There were many colorful Nordic homes around but it was difficult to see with the fog!
The last tender back to the ship was at 1:00 PM. By the time we returned the fog had lifted over the town. The pictures below showed the colorful town of Qaqortoq from our ship docked in the bay.
Hillside view in Qaqortoq
Panoramic view of Qaqortoq as we sailed away.
Once our ship sailed from the protective bay the fog was rolling back in!
In the late afternoon as we sailed, we attended the guest lecture by Rear Admiral John Lippiett. He talked about the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s flagship.
Before dinner we attended another guest lecture with Sue Stockdale. She discussed the Inuit people, their sled dogs and how things have changed.
Our visit in Qaqortoq was hampered by fog but we still enjoyed walking around the town.
Today was a “Day at Sea”. We had a chance to read. So it was a quiet day. There were three lectures that we attended in the afternoon and evening.
The first lecture was by Rear Admiral John Lippiett. His presentation was called “Sailors Discover the Unknown World 500 Years Ago”. He explained how early maps revealed information about the European explorers who tried to find “riches in the East”.
Not long after Lippiett’s lecture, we attended Dr. Ronald Orenstein’s presentation called “What to See at Sea- Seabirds and Other Creatures”. He presented on the birds we have seen or might see as we sailed on our cruise.
The last presentation we attended today was Sue Stockdale’s talk on her “Crossing the Greenland Ice Cap- A Lesson in Teamwork”. This was another epic adventure that she did with a team of other adventurers. Her trek was quite fascinating as the team crossed the Greenland Ice Cap.
Saturday, August 24th, 2024
We didn’t arrive in Nanortalik, Greenland until 2:00 PM but this morning from 7:00 AM until 11:00ish we sailed in Greenland’s Prince Christian Sound. Sue Stockdale, a guest lecturer on our ship who skied the Greenland Ice Cap, gave a commentary about what we were seeing as we sailed.
The sun was rising over the fjord of Prince Christian Sound.
The sun was relecting off the mountains and the icebergs. It was stunning!
Prince Christian Sound was approximately 60 miles long and located in Greenland’s southern edge and was a narrow passage. Below was a map that illustrated the sound as we sailed through it.
map of the Prince Christian Sound and it showed where some of our pictures were taken!
Prince Christian Sound was named after the prince, later he became king Christian VII of Denmark.
We watched from our deck for part of the time and then went to the front of the ship so we could see both sides of the Sound.
The view was absolutely breathtaking. We saw many waterfalls, icebergs of all sizes, glaciers, and some glaciers that reached the sea!
We had so many fabulous pictures it was very difficult to choose a few for this post. The icebergs we saw reminded us a little of Antarctica. Of course, Antarctica had more.
We saw glaciers as we sailed. They were magnificent.
The terrain was filled with steep mountains and a rugged terrain.
The snow melted and we saw many waterfalls that flowed all the way down the mountains.
We saw snow-covered mountains.
There was one settlement in Prince Christian Sound called Aappilattoq. The name meant “red” after the red mountain. There were 100 inhabitants living there. Aappilattoq people fish and hunt and were isolated except for when a boat stopped by or a helicopter flew into the settlement.
Approaching Aappilattoq
The settlement had colorful houses. One can see how isolated this town was along the Sound.
Aappilattoq
We still saw icebergs when we left the sound into the North Atlantic ocean.
Sailing up to Nanortalik, Greenland.
When we arrived at the island of Nanortalik we tendered in to the town. The sky was clear but the air was windy and chillly. Nanortalik was Greenland’s southernmost town. Its name meant a “place of polar bears”.
Some of the boats tied up in the Nanortalik harbor.
The town’s main industries were seal hunting, hunting crabs, fishing and service and administration with about 1,000 inhabitants. As we walked around, a celebration was happening.
Locals celebrating and enjoying food and drink.
The homes were painted bright colors. We loved walking among the town’s homes.
We had a self-guided tour of the town and its open air museum. Locals were out selling their handcrafted items. We purchased a Christmas ornament from a woman who had maded it from beads. She told us she had made the ornament along with six more!
A street sign along the gravel road and rocky terrain in town.
The Nanortalik Open Air Museum had buildings that housed different aspects of the history of the area with nine historic buildings. One building showed the Viking way of life.
One building had Inuit fishing and hunting tools, kayaks and more.
The former blubber house had displays.
Another building was the former train oil factory.
Another building was filled with medical equipment.
Dave climbed up the narrow stairway for a panoramic view of the area!
Dave looking out at the town of Nanortalik
There was one lutheran church in town. It was wooden and built in 1916.
The church from a distance.the Lutheran ChurchInside the church
Many of the locals were out enjoying the day.
The tide was out when we tendered back to the ship.
Boats grounded because the tide was out.
When we looked out at the ocean from town, we could see icebergs floating.
Ísafjörður, Iceland, located in the Skutulsfjordur fjord, was our stop for today.
Isafjörður harbor where the ship anchored
The excursion we had booked was to Vigor Island for bird watching of puffins, Arctic terns and black guillémots and other wildlife. Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate. It was very windy and cold. The temperature was in the 30’s! Since this excursion was cancelled due to the winds and waves we did the included city tour of Ísafjördur and Bolungarvik Village.
Ísafjörður, who’s name meant ice fjord, had about 2,800 inhabitants. The town sat at the foot of dramatic mountain slopes. The oldest home in Iceland was here and it was built in 1734.
Looking at the harbor and Ísafjörður
Our ship anchored in the harbor and we tendered in for our tour and it was windy on our boat ride.
From the town we went to Bolungarvik and stopped at their community center. We were entertained with a fifteen minute concert of local music.
Community CenterThe entertainer
The next stop was the Ósvör Maritime museum. It was an outdoor experience located down by the sea.
Looking at the Ósvör Maritime Museum
The museum was a replica of an old Icelandic fishing station from the 19th century and was built on the ruins of old fishing huts. There was a reconstructed fisherman’s hut, a salting house, a hut to dry fish, a rowboat, a tug capstan and in the hut were tools of every day use.
tools used in the 1800’s
We were welcomed by a curator who was dressed in the traditional fisherman outfit that was made of sheepskin.
A replica of the rowboat the fishermen used in the 19th century.
Near the museum was the Óshóla lighthouse. It was built in 1937, about 21 feet tall and made of concrete.
On our drive to get to the museum we went through a mountain tunnel that was about three miles long.
Mountain tunnel
The beach and sea nearbymountainous terrain
We stopped at the Bunárfoss Waterfall. It was 262 feet.
Bunárfoss FallsBunárfoss Falls
Legend stated that if you drink water from the falls it would add a year to your life!
Delicious cold waterDrinking our water from the falls
On our drive back to Ísafjörður we passed the Hnifsdalur cemetery and closest to the sea was a memorial for drowned fishermen.
Below were views of Ísafjörður as we headed back to the harbor.
This evening we attended “Dancing Keys” with Adam Johnson. He was quite the piano entertainer.
The sunset was brilliant when we walked out of the theater around 10:00 PM.
We left Iceland and we’re headed to Greenland in the North Atlantic ocean!
Today we visited the town of Akureyi, the “Capital of the North”. It was located at the end of a fjord, Eyjafjördur. Its location was 62 miles from the Arctic Circle. Akureyri was the second largest city in Iceland with a population around 19,000. The founder of the city was an Irish Viking, Helgi Magri Eyvindarson in the 9th century.
On the hilltop was the local church, Akureyarkirkja, which had a stained glass window that originated in the Coventry Cathedral in London, England prior to its destruction in WWII.
The Akureyri Church
Water vapor off the stream and fjord
The traffic lights had heart shaped stop signs instead of solid circles. This was one attempt to boost its citizens’ morale, especially during the dark days of winter.
Heart shaped stop light
We traveled again along the Ring road. Our first stop was the northeastern shore of Mývatn Lake which was part of the Diamond Circle in Iceland. Lake Mývatn was created from a massive basaltic eruption about 2,300 years ago. During this eruption the lava flowed and it encountered wetlands and lower-lying areas. The hot lava mixed with water and caused steam explosions that created pseudocraters.
The lava caused an obstruction that dammed up the water which created Lake Mývatn. It’s one of the largest lakes in Iceland.
It was a beautiful area as we walked around the lake even though it was overcast.
We had an early lunch which included one drink of your choice, slaw, cooked potatoes, Arctic shark and tomato soup. The tomato soup was not gluten free so I had a lamb vegetable soup.
Our drink choice was set our table
The Hverir Geothermal area that was also called Námafjall was otherworldly. We saw colorful mineral deposits that were shades of orange, yellows, reds, and greens. It felt like being on another planet. NASA brought astronauts here to train. It was located on the east side of Lake Mývatn. Fumarole gas contains hydrogen sulfide that caused the smell of rotten eggs. Yes, it did smell!
Hverir Geothermal area and its surreal landscape
There were smoking fumaroles. At a depth of over 3,000 feet the temperature was 392˚F, so water that flowed below was quickly heated and came to the surface as steam. These steam vents resulted from the intense geothermal activity beneath the surface where magma heated the groundwater that caused it to rise and escape through fissures in the earth’s crust.
We also saw boiling mud pots that were surrounded by sulphur crystals of different colors. These bubbling mud pots were formed when acidic gasses interact with the surrounding rocks and broke them into thick mud.
Boiling Mud Pots
Watch the short video below that illustrated the boiling mud pots!
Dimmuborgir when translated means “dark castles”. We spent some time walking through this area. These lava formations were created about 2,300 years ago from a volcanic eruption. We saw lava pillars, caves, rugged crags and towering rocks.
Walking toward Dimmuborgir
It was a dramatic expanse of lava. Some of these spectacular pillars reached 65 feet in height!
We used our imagination to transform a rock into the face of a troll of something else. Look at the picture below and do you see the profile of a troll?
Troll’s Profile
Do you see the kissing trolls in this picture?
Kissing Troll
What about a chicken in the picture below?
If you watched Game of Thrones, Dimmuborgir was featured. It was filmed during the winter and was where Mance Rayder held his wildling army.
Some more pictures from our walk through the formations.
The locals believed that Yule Lads lived in Dimmuborgir. In December, you could see these beings around the area. It would be fun to have experienced this.
Icelandic Yule Lads
As we walked it was pointed out to us the crack in the earth due to the two tectonic plates, the North American and the Eurasian.
North American plate and the Eurasian plate shifting apart
Nearby was a volcano and it you look closely you could see the hikers on the top.
The last stop was to Godafoss, also part of the Diamond Circle. Its name translated to “waterfall of the gods”. The waterfall cascaded over a horseshoe shape and spanned about 100 feet and plummeted 39 feet. It flowed from the river Skjálfandafljót which orginated in the Icelandic highlands.
Goðafoss Waterfall
The power of the water over the falls was amazing.
The falls and the river was beautiful.
The continuation of the river from the falls
Looking back toward Goðafoss in the background
We were back on the ship just before we sailed from Akureyi. We took a couple of pictures as we sailed out of the Eyjafjördur fjord.
Our ship arrived to Seydisfjórdour, Iceland located at the end of a beautiful fjord, early this morning. It was located in East Iceland and surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. The main occupation was fishing and now included tourism! Many cruise ships stopped here.
We were on the first walking tour of the town. The ship was docked so we didn’t need to get on a tender. Seydisfjórdur was a town of about 650 people with one road leading in and out of town. In the winter and early spring the road could be closed due to wintry conditions.
Many early 19th century timber houses with beautiful scenery around the lagoon.
Seydisfjórdur was prone to avalanches due to its steep-sided mountain slopes. In December, 2020 the town had a huge mud slide that demolished more than ten homes and damaged others. The town has added avalanche protection walls all around.
The mountain where the mudslide occurred.
Pictures from the mudslide and clean up.
The District Commissioner’s building had multiple agencies. They included police management, customs management, state tax collector, Social Security agency, licensing, family and child affairs and proxy voting. All of these were handled in this one building!
District Commissioner’s Building
As we walked around the village we saw some beautiful flower gardens.
The Blue Church was a well-known landmark in town. It was known for its blue color and architectural style. It was moved to its present location in 1920.
The Blue ChurchInside the Blue Church
The street that lead from the church was Seydisfjórdur’s Rainbow street. The town was very welcoming to the LGBTQ community and its rainbow path was painted as a symbol to respect and tolerance. We noticed the inclusivity and acceptance of all throughout Iceland.
The Rainbow Path
Along the rainbow path there were shops and galleries with colorful artwork that decorated the buildings.
We visited the only grocery store in Seydisfjórdur. The grocery store also sold socks, underwear, and souvenirs!
Kjörbúðin Supermarket
After the walking tour we enjoyed a “Viking Festival”. It was held in the Herǒubreiǒ Community Center. We enjoyed food and drink that was provided by the Hótel Aldan. Rhubarb proseco was served along with -double smoked lamb on homemade flat bread, -Arctic char mousse, barley cracker from Vallanes, dresh dill, -regional goat cheese, gluten free biscuit, rhubarb jam, -Happy Marriage cake. I was given a plate with all gluten free food. The food and drink was delicious. Music was provided by Bjort Sigfinnsdóttir, singer and Jón Hilmar Kárason, guitarist. They were very entertaining.
Near the Blue church was a monument to honor Ingi T. Lárusson (1892-1946) who was born in Seydisfjórdur and an Icelandic composer.
Monument to Ingi T. Lárusson
The memorial to Otto Andreas Wathne (1843-1898) was on our walk around the town. He was a merchant and shipowner born in Norway. He founded Seydisfjórdur.
Otto Wathne Memorial
We also hiked up to Búðarárfoss waterfall. You could see the town from the falls. It was a little over 196 feet high.
Buðarárfoss Waterfall
View of the town below
Our ship in the harbor.
On our way back to the ship we stopped at the outdoor exhibit of Women who had influenced the town over the years!
The scenery was stunning as our ship left the pier and sailed out of the fjord.
This evening we attended two lectures on the ship. The first one was by Clive Steeper who talked about his story as a race driver. He included videos of racing on the track and those experiences.
The other lecture was by Dr. Ronald Orenstein on “The Natural History of Fjords”. His talk was informative.
This morning we arrived in the town of Djúpivogur.
Arriving to Djúpivogur
Our excursion was a full day and was called “Fjallsárión Ice Lagoon by Zodiac”. Our guide pointed out the sights as we traveled by bus.
Passing through Djúpivogur
He pointed out the Icelandic horses. A lot of these horses were along the road. They were smaller than most horse breeds in the world. These horses could survive the harsh Iceland weather. Icelandic horses had five gaits where other horses have three: walk, trot, and gallop. The two that these horses had was tölt and flugskeið. Tölt was a 4-beat ambling gait. The horse always had one or two feet touching the ground at equal intervals. Flugskeið had been nicknamed the fifth gear. It was very fast and a horse could reach speeds up to 30 mph on it. Not all Icelandic horses could do the flugskeið.
Icelandic Horses
We saw swans that migrated from England and spent the summer along the East coast of Iceland. Some bird watchers had counted up to 30,000!
Swans in the bay
The geology of the area was quite interesting. The layers of lava flows were apparent. The jagged steep cliffs were imposing.
A view of the landscape
As we rode along the “Ring Road”,which was an 820 mile loop that connected most towns and villages. We saw spring water flowing that was clear and glacier runoff that was murky.
A Glacier riverA Spring river
We saw potato farms and sheep along the road. The sheep had the right of way. Our bus had to stop and wait for the sheep to cross the road. We also crossed over one lane bridges.
As we approached our destination, Fjallsárlón, we saw glaciers in the distance.
Fjallsárlón was a glacier lagoon that’s about 20 years old when the glacier started to recede up the mountain. Fjallsárlón was an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe.
We were fitted with a heavy duty parka that would keep us warm and dry when we were on the water.
Dave in his parka and life jacket
After getting our parka and life jacket, we hiked down to the lagoon where we boarded a zodiac boat. It was nice to be in small groups with a guide.
Zodiac Boats at the lagoon!
Our zodiac guide holding ice
It was an overcast day so the glacier and the icebergs weren’t glistening but we enjoyed our time on the lagoon.
Water fall from the melting glacierThe glacier faceClose up of the face
In front of the Fjallsárlón Glacier
After our zodiac ride on the lagoon we hiked up to the equipment shelter and turned in our parkas and life jackets. Lunch was served in the restaurant at the site and it was good.
On our drive back to the ship we drove along the North Atlantic shore.
N. Atlantic Ocean shoreline
We returned from our day excursion in time to hear Sue Stockdale a guest lecturer on board. This talk was called “Magnetic Attraction”. She discussed what motivated her to go on her adventure to the North Pole. In 1996 she was the first British woman to ski to the Magnetic North Pole. She was very interesting and she included videos and pictures of her experience. She was quite an adventurer!
We tendered from our boat for our walking tour of Heimaey Island. The tender docked in the marina. Fishing was the main occupation and much of Iceland’s fish exports came from here!
Viking Mars Tender Boat
Heimaey was part of the Westman Islands and was the only island inhabited. It had one town, Vestmannaeyjar, with approximately 4,500 residents. It was a gorgeous day but windy!
Heimaey Harbor
Part of the town, Vestmannaeyjar
Our guide’s family moved here when she was four years old and she has stayed.
Our guide
She shared with us a puffling, a baby puffin. The adults nest in the mountains and this time of year they fly off and the pufflings need to get to the ocean.
A Puffling
The people in the town rescue the pufflings that get confused by the town lights and thinking it’s the ocean and end up in town. The children in town helped search for the pufflings and if they located one, they would they take it to the sea.
Our guide discussed as we walked all about the last volcanic eruption in 1973. Luckily for the town when the eruption occurred the weather was bad so all of the fishing boats were in the harbour and all but possibly one resident made it safely to the mainland of Iceland.
Dormant Helgafell, last erupted 6,000 years agoEldfell, born in the 1973 eruption that flowed for 6 months
We walked up the hardened rocky hill that was 50 years old that buried homes, streets, the swimming pool and more! It was solidified molten river that was 50 feet deep!
The hardened lava and the town in the background
As we climbed up the hill we could see where the lava flow stopped in the backyard of a home!
Lava flow stopped right at the backyard of this home.
The old water tower was partly destroyed by the 1973 eruption. The pictures below show the tower and the where the lava flow stopped.
The town added street signs along the rocky hill of lava where the streets were once located!
One of the street signs of the location of the former street.
Our walking tour ended at the Eldheimar Volcano museum. This was a self-guided tour with an audio guide. The museum was built around the remains of one home that archaeologists uncovered. The home was buried in lava and ash during the eruption. The family escaped unharmed. It was a very moving exhibit of the power of nature and the destruction it caused.
Artifacts that had been uncovered were on display. Below was a table setting.
Table setting
Below was a group of pictures in the museum from the eruption!
Pictures from the eruption in 1973
After touring the museum we walked around town and it was very quiet. We passed the town hall. It was originally built as a hospital in 1927 and in 1977 it was transformed into the town hall. In the picture below on the left side of the building is an ash pole that showed how high the ash had accumulated after the 1973 eruption.
Town Hall
Across the lawn from the town hall was a statue called “the Big Giantess” (Tröllskessan) by the sculptor Asmundur Sveinsson in 1975.
The Big Giantess
It was a joy to see the children playing in the park on such a clear day with not a cloud in the sky!
Playing in the park
The preschool/kindergarten building was opened in 2007 for the children on the island.
School for 3-5 year olds.
Heimaey Island was always windy so you won’t find many trees or any that are very tall. We saw their only “forest” on the island.
Heimeay Island “forest”
Landlyst was the oldest residence on the island and was moved to its current location in 2000. It was the former home of Iceland’s first maternity hospital. It’s a medical museum today. Below Landlyst was a wooden church that was donated by Norway in 2000. It marked the millennium of Christianity in Iceland.
The church was on the left and on the right was the Landlyst Medical Museum.
Below is a slideshow of additional pictures from Heimaey Island.
Along the cliffs were many birds but we also saw puffins from a distance.
Puffins and sheep!
View of Heimaey Island from the ship.
As the ship sailed from Heimaey Island we saw some beautiful islands.
We also could see the snow covered mountains of Iceland.
Snow covered mountains from Iceland
It was such a nice day that we sat on our balcony as the ship sailed toward our next stop. We saw some whales too!
Enjoying our balconywhale spoutwhale back in the sea
Today was a day full of exploring and learning all about the island and the volcanic eruption in 1973 that reshaped the landscape drastically!
