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A few days ago we arrived in our second port in Greenland, Paamiut. It was another tender port. When we looked out of our windows we saw that we were very far from the town. In addition it was very windy and cold and pouring rain. We opted to not go ashore.

We had a short stay there with the morning excursions cancelled. In addition, because a cargo ship was in port and had to leave, we were told to leave as well. I am sure it was disappointing for those with tour tickets, but we were fine having what seemed like a sea day. We took advantage of the time to go to one of the lectures.

Our next day was the port of Nuuk, Greenland. We had a tour, but it was exceptionally foggy, so the views were were supposed to be seeing were not that easy to see. Our guide was a 20 year old college student. She studies in Denmark, but comes back to Nuuk in the summer to be with her family. Nuuk is divided into 3 parts. The buildings are very colorful. In the old days the colors of the buildings indicated what they were used as. For example, yellow was medical, red was a school and blue was shops.

The population of Greenland is mostly Christian. The total population of Greenland is about 56,000 and Nuuk, the capital, has a population of about 20,000. There were even traffic signals! Fishing is still a major industry, but the town has large industrial areas as well. Most of their electricity is water powered. The weather here is very harsh. Most of their food has to be brought in by ship. Most people hunt or fish to provide food for their families. Most families have boats but not all have cars. There are no roads that connect the cities so to get around you need a boat.

All the political parties of Greenland are against becoming part of the United States. In addition, they are a protectate of Denmark, not owned by Denmark. Our guide said that they want to be their own country, but do not have the financial resources to do that.

Some of the sites we visited was the old harbor where we saw the Mother of the Sea statue. All of the city, with the newest area often being cut off in winter by snow on the road. The new international airport and the main cemetery and University. We passed by the prison, which allows the prisoners to go out during the day. Our guide said that they are trying to rehabilitate the prisoners, not punish them. Most of their crimes are minor, drugs or family related offenses. Serious offenders are sent to prison in Denmark.

When got back on the ship, all the pool furniture had been lashed down because we were going to be sailing in bad weather. Even some of the furniture in our suite was tied down.

Our next day was a sea day. It was terribly rough and both of us were under the weather. We spent most of the day in our suite and had what little we were able to eat brought in. I took the following video from the TV bridge cam.

We were glad when we got out of the very heavy weather.

Our first port of call in Greenland is Narsaq. We did not book an excursion here, so we took the tender into town. The only information I have is from the ship’s newspaper about the port. Narsaq offers a rich blend of Norse history and southern Greenlandic landscapes. It is located between 2 fjords and offers hiking, boating and other outdoor activities. This area has some of the rarest of earth minerals. The town is full of colorful buildings.

We went to the Narsaq museum, which housed clothing made from various animal skins. There were several buildings to the museum, but we only saw one. Basically because we could not find the others. No map of the town.

Most importantly the water surrounding us was filled with amazing icebergs.

I am now sitting in my room, watching icebergs float past us.

We are at the end of two sea days. Our first one was spent sailing the Sea of Labrador. We had a calm and sunny day. Nothing to see just water in every direction. We played bridge in a duplicate game in the afternoon and for those of you who will understand the next statement, we had a 79.6% game!!!

Over night the ships fog horn sounded most of the night and when we woke up, you could not see anything. We were due to sail through Prince Christian Sound. We arrived as scheduled around 10 AM. It was still foggy, but we could see. Prince Christian Sound is 60 miles long at the very southern tip of Greenland. It has many dramatic landscapes, waterfalls, glaciers, mountains and icebergs. It was damp out because of the fog, but not rainy. It never got sunny during our day but the scenery was amazing to see. One of the lecturers would give commentary as we sailed along. At one point we were able to draw close to the face of a glacier. At another point we were at the intersection of 6 different fjords. It took us about 7 hours to make the transit.

We played bridge again (no score yet).

We are now sailing in the open waters and watching icebergs float past us, or we are floating past them.

Tomorrow we have our first port in Greenland. Anticipating a very chilly day.

The day was warm and sunny and the waters as we left town on the harbor were like a mirror. Our guide, Heidi, said it was very rare for the water to be that still. This is probably a repeat, but Isafjordur has a population of about 2,700 and is considered the capital of the west. This part of Iceland is the oldest and has no geothermal activity. It is full of lakes, fjords and waterfalls. There are three legs to the economy here: fishing, aluminum and tourism.

There is a small airport on the edge of the fjord and pilots need a special permit to land here because of the difficult approach. There are many fences and barriers on the mountains to protect the town and inhabitants from avalanches and rock slides. The hillsides were full of summer houses, but strangely about 70% were owned by the people of the town. The reason is that they are up high and are cooler in the summer.

We found out that the people of this area are pretty wealthy. The reason is that when the company, Kerecis (remember they developed using fish skin for healing of burns) was started the people of Isafjordur were given the opportunity to become shareholders. Many years later the company was sold for 1.4 billion and that made many people very rich. A really good story.

We went through a 1 lane tunnel which was 6 kilometers long and had a branch in the middle where you could exit to get to a 3rd town. There are lots of rules about driving in a 1 lane tunnel. When it was built they found an underground waterfall that supplies several towns with water.

The oldest bookstore in Iceland is one of these small towns and when you come in to buy a book it is sold by weight. The bookstore was established in 1914. The reason the books are sold by weight is because in the old days, it cost so much to bring in a book, that the best way to price it was by weight and they have not changed in over 100 years.

Our guide explained why Icelandic lamb is the best- it grazes all summer eating all kinds of grasses and wild herbs – sort of premarinating. We also learned about the traditional Icelandic sweaters and what the different colors and designs mean.

Our first stop was at a farm called Gemufall. We had drinks and traditional marriage cake. Then a young man took us to meet the horses, dogs, chicken, turkeys and of course the new lambs and their mothers. He had a fabulous sense of humor and told us very vivid stories about life on this farm.

Then we were on the road again, through another 5.6 kilometer tunnel, but a regular one with 2 way traffic. Our ultimate destination was the Dynjandi Waterfall. It was amazing and not just 1 waterfall but a series of over 10. The biggest part at the top looks like a bridal veil or maybe a wedding cake. We climbed up to get closer looks. Please Google it for more professional photos, we could not get all of it with our limited photographic abilities.

It was a wonderful day; sunny, cool and fun experiences.

We sail tonight towards Greenland.

We arrived at this port with sunny skies and a prediction of temperatures in the high 50s. Grundarfjordur is a small village located at the end of a fjord on the north coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. The town is surrounded by mountains and has about 870 in population. The mountains even block the sun from mid November to mid January. When the sun reappears they have a huge party. The prime industry is fishing and the processing of the fish. Approximately 30% of the population is made up of immigrants from Venezuela. They came to avoid the persecution they faced, and to seek asylum.

The French fished in this area from the 1700s to 1900s and one of the main streets is named for the sister town in France, Paimpol.

The are 112 words for wind in Iceland and the town has a unique sculpture to show this. The sculpture goes from the lightest wind to the most severe. The word for hurricane was fourth from the top – Fellibylur.

The town is famous for Kirkjufell, which means the church mountain. It is free standing and very large. It was featured in Game of Thrones and known as arrowhead in that program. It is often called the most photographed mountain in Iceland, due to the variety of different ways you can shoot it, and how different it appears under different light conditions.

Our main purpose was to hike to the waterfall whose name was not given. We walked through some forested area and then down and up and down a rocky path to the waterfall. The total round trip was about 6 miles.

It was an exhausting but rewarding day, and we earned our glass of wine with dinner.

We slept in late today with no activity planned until the afternoon. We had booked an excursion to The Lava Tunnel.. We were picked up at the hotel by a transfer bus which took us to the main bus station where we got on a minibus. Out driver, Thor, gave us information about what we were seeing on our way.

We saw the steam from their largest steam generation plant and mining of the lava from tall hillsides. The lava mined is used in the making of concrete.

After about 45 minutes we were at the Lava Tunnel. We had a briefing and got our hard hats and walking sticks and off we went. There were areas of rocks to walk over as well as stairs and ramps. This tunnel was formed about 5,200 years ago. Our guide explained about the different colors in the rocks and the different forms in the walls. The lava river that formed this tunnel was probably 1200 degrees Celsius. Now inside the tunnel it is 4 degrees Celsius. It was cold in the tunnel and lots of water was dripping down on us. It takes about 40 years for lava to cool, so some of the recent eruptions in Iceland will not be cool until 2065 or later making the areas affected uninhabitable for a long time.

The tunnel was discovered about 120 years ago because of a “skylight” (a hole in the roof of the tunnel). The translation of the Icelandic name, Raufarhólshellir, means “cracky cave on a hill.” The tunnel walk was about 1/4 mile, with lights along the way. At the end, we stopped and our guide turned all the lights out and it was something to be in the total darkness and total quiet.

We were returned to the hotel to rest and freshen up. Our final stop for the day was dinner. About 10 years ago we had dinner in a restaurant in downtown Reykjavik and we had made a reservation to dine there this time. It was not a fancy restaurant but the food we remembered was great. I will report that the second time did not disappoint. The Arctic char dinner at Messinn was just as good as remembered.

Tomorrow we board Oceania Marina for the next part of our trip.

Our last port of call was supposed to be Heimaey, an island off the coast of Iceland. The ship had been rocky and rolly over night and although the seas looked calm when we were off the coast of the island the ship’s captain came on the public address system to tell us that they had tried to launch the tenders but the swells made them impossible to load.

In almost no time there were lots of activities to go to. Extra lectures, various games and sadly time to pack since we were getting off the ship the next morning.

The ship was able to get back to Reykjavik around 7:30 in the evening which allowed people to go ashore if they wanted to. We stayed onboard and went to the show in the theater and then got our suitcases out for collection.

When we got off the next morning our car service was waiting and we were able to get into our room at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica. If coming to Iceland we would not recommend this hotel. We walked into town and got to see the famous sculpture of a Viking ship which stands on the edge of the harbor.

We had lunch in the Harpa building and then went to the “Penis” Museum. Yes a museum dedicated to the male genitalia and we saw these from many animal species. There was even one from an Icelandic man who dedicated his on his death to the museum. I did not take any photos there, but you can use your imagination.

We then walked to the National Historical Museum. It told the story of Iceland from its inception to current times. It had some interesting items and was very well done.

We then walked back into town and rested in a park before going to our dinner at a wonderful restaurant in town. The room was lovely and the food amazing. Reindeer carpaccio, apple salad with peanut butter dressing, amazing fish and chips and a lobster, shrimp and langostino salad.

We ended up walking almost 6.5 miles today, and took a taxi back to the hotel. With the sun not setting it is hard to figure out when you are ready for bed 😉.

We started the day with very bright sun, but quickly it turned foggy and cloudy and windy. We had to tender from the ship because there is no docking area for a large ship. The small harbor had many small fishing boats. They only fish 4 days a week and can bring in 800 kilos a day of cod. 1 kilo of cod is worth about $4.

The name Djúpivogur means deep bay. Only 500 people live here, so with our ship in port we tripled the population for the day. There are approximately 5,000 reindeer in Iceland and most are found in this eastern region. The biggest industry of the village is salmon farming. There were huge areas in the fjord with the rings holding the salmon. About 20% of the village is involved with this industry and they produce about 20,000 tons a year. It takes 2 years for the salmon to grow to the size to be sold.

The cliffs in the area are full of minerals but they cannot be mined. The highest mountain in Iceland that rises directly from sea level is Berufjörður and lies directly behind the village. In the morning it was completely covered with clouds, but became visible in the afternoon. It is 1069 meters high.

The mountains in this area are dated to 15 million years old. They are flat topped from the glaciers movement and have diagonal stripes also from the movement of the glaciers. Our first stop was at a waterfall. Our guide said it was very low due to the time of year.

We next stopped along the fjord to an area where nesting Eider ducks are protected.

We next heard the story about the Eggs. It was very difficult to totally follow but here is a link that will give you some historical information.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-eggs-of-merry-bay-iceland

The day ended sunny, but very windy.

We awoke to a beautiful sunny morning. We had a walking tour of the town of Seyðisfjörður. The town is surrounded by tall mountains at the end of a fjord. The mountains behind the town have many waterfalls. The total population of the town is 660. The elementary school has 52 students and the kindergarten 21.

The area where we docked was originally part of the fjord but when buildable land became scarce they used landfill techniques to make more land. Just past the cruise ship was a piece of land being prepared for a house to be moved there. In 2020 there was a massive landslide and 12 homes lost and many not able to be lived in because of further possible landslides. One of those houses which is able to be lived in will be moved onto this area.

There were massive avalanche barriers built on the mountainside to further protect the town. When the avalanche barriers were being built a huge archaeological site was discovered. It had an almost complete Viking longhouse and many other structures. They excavated for about 5 years and now all the items are being studied in the University.

The town is filled with colorful houses. The early houses were ordered from Denmark and shipped here in boxes. They then were assembled on the land. They are small and made of decorative iron. Later houses were built of wood and now they use traditional modern building techniques. The houses are also decorated with art works.

They consider themselves an international city with many languages being spoken here. During WW II, over 1,200 American soldiers were stationed here. They lived in Quonset huts and weekly would invite the town people to see movies. After the war, the Quonset buildings were sold the the Icelandic people. The only requirement was they had to move the building. Many farms have a Quonset building as part of their buildings.

Seyðisfjörður had the first rainbow street in Iceland. Every year after winter is over the whole town comes out to repaint it and then they have a party. For such a small place, they have a grocery store, a movie theater, government offices, a bank and many restaurants and gift shops with local items.

After our walk through town we went to their cultural center for drinks, we had rhubarb lemonade, a tasting of local delicacies and entertainment, 2 singers. We also could view a drone footage movie of the surrounding countryside. Quite an experience for such a small place.

An unusual fact, they are a cold town. This means that there is no thermal activity in the area. Since every town must have a swimming pool, and they need to heat it with electricity, the walls and foundation are 2 meters thick. The government also subsidizes the cost of the electricity.

Our ship is docked in Akureyri, but our tour took us way out of the immediate area. Akureyri is known as the northern capital of Iceland. On our way here, the evening before, we crossed the Arctic Circle. The city is at the end of the Eyjafjördur and is surrounded by mountains. The city was founded by the Viking Helgi Magritte Hrólfsson in the 9th century. In the 17th century it developed as a Danish trading post. Akureyri is the second largest city in all of Iceland and has a mild climate and an ice free harbor.

Some of the many museums in town have documents of the written history dating back to 1582. The area is a haven for wildlife. All the red lights in the city are heart-shaped ❤️. The roads were lined with the Alaskan lupine which is used for medical treatment as well as keeping the soil in place.

In the early times most of the houses were turf houses because wood was scarce. The people farmed. The workers were paid once yearly with a cow. Once you had 3 cows you could leave the farm and create your own farm. Most people grew all the food they needed and raised sheep. The Icelandic sheep have two different coats: the top one is coarse and is used to make blankets and the inner one is very fine and used to make softer goods. The Icelandic horse is unique to Iceland and has 5 gaits as to the usual 4 of all other horses. They are pure here and if one is sold and leaves Iceland it can never be returned.

To leave Akureyri we drove through a 7 kilometer long tunnel. Because of the geothermal activity in the area the tunnel is very warm and in the winter people come here to melt the ice from their cars, to run and bike.

Our first stop was in Hüsavik, a fishing village and whale watching center of activity. We used it as a rest stop and to stretch our legs. We then went to a restaurant that was totally isolated for an early lunch. We had pumpkin soup and Arctic char for our lunch. It was surprisingly good for this remote location. I must mention that although we had been driving for just over an hour, the scenery was amazing to see. We saw volcanic fields of lava, farms with already harvested hay wrapped in plastic for the winter, areas of lush green grass, areas of wild brown grass, lakes and rivers beyond belief.

After driving we came to a river that had been part of the ice age erosion of this area. The waters and shores were filled with many rocky formations. Its name is Landavatnshöði. We had to walk on gravel paths to get to it.

On our way to the next stop we passed another area where we could see the rift.

Our next stop was the highlight of the trip – Dettifoss, a huge waterfall. It is 100 meters wide and 45 meters high. The water flows at almost 6200 cubic feet per second. We walked to 2 different viewing points. The trails were gravel and in some areas very rocky. In the area where the picture of us was taken we were being hit by spray from the falls.

We passed sulfur mountains where sulphur was mined and some hills that were red from iron.

Our last stop was at the “Grand Canyon” of Iceland. It was formed by 2 huge floods of lava, water and soil. The first happened 10,000 years ago and the second 3,000 years ago. It was interesting to see but not as grand as our Grand Canyon in Arizona.

We have not had any sunsets on this cruise, because most nights it is setting around midnight. We are in the time of year of the “white nights” or “land of the midnight sun.” Last evening I did get a photo, not a sunset but nice light on the water. We have been lucky with the weather and although it has been cold for us, we have mostly had only cloudy skies and just drizzle but not real rain.