Gallivanting Grandma

Wednesday – August 30, 2017

The Rotterdam left Akureyri yesterday evening and cruised north along the Eyjafjordur fjord.  The ship crossed the Arctic Circle during the night and cruise director Jan announced that Holland America will give us certificates to mark our crossing.  Amazing!  I never thought I would ever travel this far north.

A thin beam of gray light through the curtains woke me up this morning and I looked out to see the side of a mountain.  Very close.  The ship had traveled up the Isafjardardjup fjord on its way to the tiny fishing village of Isafjordur.  Jeff and I watched as the Rotterdam turned around 180 degrees in the narrow fjord then very very slowly moved sideways and tied up alongside the pier.  It was a painstaking but successful maneuver accomplished by the people on the bridge.

We looked out at the commercial dock where we had tied up.  Container ships are the only way people in Isafjordur get any supplies.

From our balcony, we could see large fishing boats docked across the waterfront and fish processing buildings on the other side of the harbor.  The weather was cool (9 degrees C) – 45 degrees F – and cloudy, but not raining.

The main part of Isafjordur lies at the base of a very tall mountain and along the deep fjord. The commercial port and the older part of town jut out into the water in an L-shaped peninsula.  It looks like the village expanded along the road.  Isafjordur (population 2,600) means “fjord of ice” in Icelandic.  The region has a subarctic climate of cold high winds and very few clear days.

The town grew in the 16th century as a trading post for foreign merchants.  We discovered the Westfjord Heritage Museum which is a maritime museum housed in an 18th century house.  Built in 1734, it is the oldest house in Iceland.

We walked out to explore the town and see what the fishing village was like during the summer.  There were a few small hotels and guest houses on the main road.  It looked like there was one road that ran along the water and out of town.

Looking back toward our ship, the Rotterdam was dwarfed by the tall mountains surrounding it on both sides of the fjord.  Isafjordur was a very well protected harbor.  Fishing is the main industry in town and it has one of the largest fisheries in Iceland.

We walked along the narrow streets of Old Town and saw brightly painted 19th century homes.  The sides and roofs of the buildings were covered in corrugated metal.

We explored the supermarket and I bought a couple of postcards and stamps in the postoffice.  It’s a neat and clean town, of course overrun today with tourists from our ship.  We didn’t see many local people, except shopkeepers.

Jeff had coffee and a large slice of blueberry cake in the warm and toasty Gamla Bakariid (bakery) while I wrote postcards.  The sky darkened and the wind picked up.  It was difficult to believe it was August.  We walked back to the ship to warm up and relax.

We talked about what Isafjordur must be like to live in, especially during the winter.  I wondered if the only road into town was closed during snow storms and whether the fishing boats operate in the cold dark months of December, January, and February.

It is just amazing to be in Isafjordur, Iceland…..

Tuesday – August 29, 2017

We cruised away from Djupivogur last night and into fog and rain.  The ship traveled northward for several hours then turned west along the vast northern coast of Iceland.  The Rotterdam crossed the Arctic Circle in the middle of the night to arrive in Akureyri at 8:00 AM.

My alarm woke me abruptly at six this morning because we had a long excursion which would take us into the interior of Iceland.  I looked out of our window and saw only dense fog and rain.  It was 46 degrees.  I dressed in layers and made sure I had my umbrella and waterproof shoes.

The ship moved slowly down the Eyjafjordur, the longest fjord in Iceland, to dock in Akureyri at the end of the fjord.  Akureyri is the capital city of the north and the second largest city in Iceland after Reykjavik.

View of the countryside from the bus.  Icelandic horses are a special breed.

We joined 200 other passengers in the theater to board buses to go on an excursion called Jewels of the North.  We drove through the city of Akureyri and crossed to the other side of the fjord as the guide, Machina, told us about Iceland.

We drove along the fjord and across a mountain pass and the Fnjoskadalur Valley.  The weather was gray and overcast.  Low clouds hung over the mountains.

The bus drove around Lake Myvatn, a popular vacation spot for Icelanders.  The terrain is incredible, miles of lava fields and dormant volcanoes.

The river cut its way through the lava fields:

Our first stop was the spectacular Godtafoss waterfalls which means the “waterfall of the Gods.”  Machina explained the name comes from the last pagan king of Iceland who threw statues of pagan Gods into the waterfall to show that he adopted Christianity.  We walked out to the falls to take pictures.  The rain subsided a bit.

The next stop was the geothermal field of Namaskard to see the bubbling pools of hot water and purple and yellow sulfur.  Steam hissed out of the ground and made an eery sound.  The smell was awful!

Lake Myvatn is ringed with active and inactive volcanos:

The bus drove around Myvatn Lake to Dimmuborgir lava labyrinth.  Circular paths twisted around towering lava formations and caves.  They were formed after the eruption of a volcano 2000 years ago.  There are folk tales about trolls and other mythical creatures who live among the lava formations.

We had tomato soup and salmon for lunch at the Sel-Hotel Myvatn.  We walked across the road and looked at the pseudo-craters of Skutustadagigar.  These were formed by steam explosions when burning lava encounters wetlands.

The weather cleared on our ride back to Akureyri. The Icelandic terrain is open and vast and very impressive.

We returned in enough time to explore the city of Akureyri.  We walked up to the center of town and took pictures and did a little shopping.

The ship left the dock promptly at five o’clock and slowly progressed along the beautiful Eyjafjordur fjord and out into the Icelandic Ocean.

We went up to the Crow’s Nest in the bow of the ship to look out at the fjord as the sun faded.  There were many others there with the same idea.  Someone mentioned whales and when we looked out, we saw intermittent spurts of “steam” coming out of the water.  There must have been several pods of whales in the fjord and it was exciting to look out in anticipation of seeing a whale.  We just saw spurts of spray emanating from the inky water and an occasional break on the surface, but exciting nonetheless.  The northern coast of Iceland:

Monday – August 28, 2017

Somehow I slept through the foghorn sounding loudly during most of the early morning hours.  When I finally heard it, I rested with my eyes closed and listened to the somber sound. The ship had stopped rolling back and forth and I imagined the Rotterdam anchored somewhere, enveloped by fog.

We had traveled from the Hebrides islands in northern Scotland to the southeastern shore of Iceland.  I looked out to see the tiny town of Djupivogur, Iceland covered in mist and fog.  It was 48 degrees and raining.

We had a leisurely breakfast then slowly made our way to the tender gangway.  Thick fog hung over the high hills in the distance but it wasn’t raining and the sky over Djupivogur looked like it was brightening.

Djupivogur in the rain:

The tender transports began by 7:30 but I thought there was no need to rush out into the rain.  We rode the tender to the dock in the middle of the town.  I knew there were tall mountains surrounding Djupivogur but we couldn’t see them in the mist.

The main port was filled with fishing boats of all sizes.  The white building on the left was the fish processing plant.

Djupivoggur was a charming village with a long history of fishing and trading since the 16th century.  The main street:

The information center with cafe and small restaurant:

When we landed on shore, visibility all around us seemed to be improving.  It was still a hazy gray day, but not too bad.  There were several fishing boats in the harbor and the fish processing plant was working noisily.

The rain held off so we walked down the street to see what was there.  The population of Djupivogur was about 400 people.

We followed the sign to see the outdoor sculpture called “Eggin i Gleoivik” (The Eggs of Merry Bay) by the world famous Icelandic artist, Siguour Guomundsson.  These are 34 large-scale egg replicas which represent 34 native bird species.

Along the road there was a quirky sculpture garden and museum called Bones, Sticks, & Stones:

Djupivogur has been granted international “Cittaslow” (Slow Town) status.  The town likes to show visitors Iceland in slow motion.  A ‘slow city’ is an attempt for people to reconnect with their environment, nature, food, and unique crafts against a globalized world.  Commercial signs are banned but local craftsmen are allowed to display signs.

We walked across to the lovely Hotel Framtid on the other side of the harbor.  The knotty-pine interior was warm and cozy.  We took advantage of their free wifi and rested on comfortable chairs.  The children from the local school were eating lunch in one of the hotel’s dining rooms.

Looking across the harbor:

There were beautiful panoramic scenes everywhere.  I imagine on a sunny day the surrounding mountains must be fantastic, unfortunately they were hiding behind heavy dense clouds.

We rode the tender back to the ship, relieved that the rain held off giving us a chance to explore beautiful Djupivogur.  The ship sailed away and went northward along the Icelandic coast.

We’re going to travel 183 nautical miles to the city of Akureyri on the northern coast of Iceland.  Wow!  What an adventure!!!