Shamrock 10

We had a terrific guide for our "Akureyri Nature and History" Excursion yesterday. Akureyri is Iceland's second largest urban area. I think the population is around 25,000. It was settled in the 9th century but did not receive a municipal charter until 1786. The area is said to have a "relatively" warm climate due to its location, and as a consequence the town's harbor stays ice free.

From the pier we, crossed Iceland's largest fjord and drove inland. Beautiful snow-covered mountains surround the area. Our first stop was a very interesting farmhouse made of stone and turf that was once a manor house and vicarage. Apparently it has been expanded over the centuries, and the oldest section is believed to contain timbers from the 1500s. Walking through the structure was like walking through a dark maze with low ceilings and many uneven paths conducive to breaking one's neck! (I think I only twisted my leg.) There is period furniture and a several antique agricultural implements outside.

From the turf house we went to Godafoss--the Waterfall of the Gods--a picturesque waterfall in which the Skjalfandafljot River cascades over a horseshoe-shaped cliff. It was definitely photo worthy but not as spectacular as the one around Reykjavik.

From there, we headed back to Akureyri to visit one of Iceland's rare botanical gardens that is made possible by the area's more moderate microclimate. I took several photos of flowers, but it wasn't anything like some of the gardens we saw in the UK. However, what made it all worth it was the sight of these to little Icelandic children who were real "hams"--especially the little girl in the pink who even got up an a stage outside and started singing to us.

We returned back to the ship too late for Trivia, and the group's team lost. When reviewing the missed questions, we determined that had Gail and I been there, we would have put them over the top. Oh well, next time.

Dinner with Mitch, Bert, Ngaire, and Ken was very enjoyable and I decided to spend some of our onboard cruise credits on "premium" wine. We had a good 2004 Syrah from the St. Ynez Valley from La Sirena Vineyards. (I had spent several hours online looking ratings and prices of wines on the premium wine list, and there were bargains to be had.) For dinner, I ate escargot, followed by an interesting artichoke sale with mushrooms and grilled peppers, then osso buco, and the very good apple strudel (the best apple dessert I've had by far). During dessert, Gail spotted a whale not far from the ship. I was skeptical so I ran to the window and sure enough after waiting several minutes, it surfaced again. By then, we had everyone remaining in the dining room standing and looking. He surfaced several times.

After dinner, we went to the Observation Lounge where at 10:30 PM it was still sunny outside. I can't tell you how crazy and unusual it is to see the sky in this part of the world. We saw blue sky high up, but near the horizon everything looked very gray. In fact, even during dinner, when looking at the horizon it looks like icebergs in the distance but they are really clouds, while the sky itself is still blue. Gail went out to the pool deck where she was inducted into the "Blue Nose" club denoting that we passed the Arctic Circle. They draped an Icelandic Flag around her shoulders and placed a Viking hat on her head. She had to place her foot in ice and drink a shot of Aquavit. She was feeling no pain the rest of the night but this morning is a different story.

Today is a sea day. So time to catch up on things and relax.

Akureyri harbor area


Akureyri from across the fjord


Turf House


Bedroom


Old kitchen


New kitchen


Dining area


Antique farm implements


Church


Godafoss Waterfall


More pictures next post.