NorbertsNiece

Geoff's excursion: GEOTHERMAL LANDSCAPE & VIKING HISTORY by coach & on foot Iceland’s unique landscape has been shaped by great geothermal and volcanic activity over millions of years. This half-day experience takes you to some of the country’s geological wonders and includes a visit to a museum dedicated to the nation’s Viking history. Departing the port, your journey begins with a scenic drive through the lively port town of Hafnarfjordur which is situated on a picturesque ancient lava flow. Leaving the main road, continue along the shores of the enchanting Kleifarvatn Lake - one of the deepest lakes in Iceland. Your first stop will be a visit to Krysuvik, where the striking landscape has been shaped by volcanic eruptions and violent movements of the earth. Take a walk around the geothermal field where powerful jets of steam escape from deep below the earth’s crust and the multicoloured pools of boiling mud bubble and pop continuously. Your journey continues across the impressive volcanic plateau of the Reykjanes Peninsula, through the bustling fishing village of Grindavik and on to Njardvik for a visit to the Viking World Museum. The Viking Museum has a number of exhibitions about the Viking’s settlement in Iceland. Learn about the Vikings of the North Atlantic and see an exact seaworthy replica of a Viking vessel, Islendingur (the Icelander) that was discovered in Norway in 1182. Following your visit, re-join your coach for the return drive to Reykjavik. Please note This experience involves approximately 1h of walking/standing including uneven ground, gravel pathways, wooden boardwalks and slight inclines. Some of this is at guests’ discretion but is required for full enjoyment. Flat, comfortable footwear and appropriate outdoor clothing is recommended. Guests must exercise caution at the sites visited, follow the guide’s instructions and not venture into roped off areas. Guests are advised to only use marked footpaths to protect sensitive nature. Coaches used in Iceland are usually larger than in other countries and may have high steps to board. The experience may operate in a different order.

WiFi playing games with me. Can now add text! TODAY is day 30 / 34 apologies for yesterday.... sea days got to me! Thanks for following 😀 Went to Centre Court for a coffee and some quiet after ukelele class. They were vegetable carving! Iceland tomorrow! INTRODUCTION: Lying on the constantly active geologic border between North America and Europe, Iceland is a land of vivid contrasts of climate, geography, and culture. Sparkling glaciers, such as Vatna Glacier (Vatnajökull), Europe’s largest, lie across its ruggedly beautiful mountain ranges; abundant hot geysers provide heat for many of the country’s homes and buildings and allow for hothouse agriculture year-round; and the offshore Gulf Stream provides a surprisingly mild climate for what is one of the northernmost inhabited places on the planet. Reykjavík, is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located on the Seltjarnar Peninsula, on Faxa Bay, in southwestern Iceland and is the northernmost capital in the world. Strikingly modern and clean in appearance, the city is largely built of concrete and is heated by hot water piped from nearby hot springs. Its many public outdoor swimming pools are also geothermal. HISTORY: Iceland was founded more than 1,000 years ago during the Viking age of exploration and settled by a mixed Norse and Celtic population. The name Reykjavík, means “Bay of Smokes”. According to legend this is reportedly because the first Viking settlers saw steam from geothermal vents when they first landed in Iceland

Just back from this. Eyes streaming. Wonderful rendition with lovely background movieclips and pics. Told the musical story of my life. Really surprised me, my reaction not his sparkly winkle pickers 💝

Geoff saw a whale!

Day 30 / 34 still at sea Clocks went forward one hour last night. Current location.

Random pics from then until now. We travel slowly, around 9kns, to preserve and protect the many species of marine life that lives in this sectiin of the St Lawrence River I enjoy a superb show by the incomparable Lisa Jane Kelsey 💚 Name that soup..... I lasted 4 minutes watching Martn Daniels show. Toilet humour and jokes about fat women just won't cut it for me. 😡 Loving the hot alcoholic drinks!! Health and safety.... that door was open!! Songs learnt on uke! There was a question elsewhere about tea/coffee in the room. Pic attached. On a more serious note I've decided to broach the subject of air conditioning. The ship is either cold or not cold. Our room, on the other hand, is warm enough to dry my short air naturally in minutes sans hair dryer. So warm it verges on stuffy. The dial is permanently on the coldest setting. Engineers are continually and persistently called to other rooms with apparently little effect. We open the balcony door. Hardly surprising the amount of coughing around with the dry room air. Guest went to the doctor for some paracetamol. Charged more for one pill than a packet of 16 in Tesco's. Why on earth they don't dispense simple meds in the shop is beyond me. Geoff won trivia after a tie breaker! Where we are now

We go to Saffron to enjoy a truly delicious Goan meal inspired by Executive Chef Sydney Dias.

These guys have made my cruise, Pam and Steve Smith, A Band on Ship.

Treated to an unexpected fjord trip. Interrupted by a ukelele lesson! MADONNA OF SAGUENAY STATUE IN BRIEF : Height of the statue : 7.5 m without the base 9 m with base Weight : 3 tons Material: carved in three blocks of white pine and covered with thin sheets of lead Inauguration: September 15, 1881 Altitude : 180 m Please follow the link to the amazing story of this statue.

Amazing to see where we'd been but from the water!

Day 24 / 34 cruising St Lawrence River That morning we were treated to an unexpected delight, a sail by of Québec. We'd have missed this had we left Montréal on time! Sailaway was around 2200.

A walk around the ship with a view of the Montréal Olympics 1976 venue. Really can't see much of Montréal 😢

We head back to the ship. 2 hours with a comfort stop. We got back around 630pm, 200 passengers still ashore.

Instead of taking the cabriolet down to reception I walk down.

We make our way down in the cable car. Uploading grinding to a halt.

Walkabout at the top. My camera doesn't do the view justice. It's spectacular! The colour intensity, the field of vision, quite awe inspiring.

There are people walking up!! 💪

I think I'm online!! Here's a video of the free ride up from the reception area to the base of the mountain 🤞

We arrive at the resort which has a Disney feel about it.

Approaching the resort.... another hour on the road. Other pics not uploading atm.

Were you able to spot the pharmacy? Even locals I approached had difficulty directing me! By the time I'd found it, made my purchase and got back to the bus there was no time for coffee/croissant/gateaux 😭

10 minutes Carl said to the pharmacy he'd googled. Took me somewhat longer!

After an hour of stunning countryside we arrive at a very pretty small town / village for a comfort break, coffee, croissant etc. I go off in search of a pharmacy. These are not easy to locate in Canada! Just my experience. I eventually locate one hidden in a medical centre. Heads up. There are NO over the counter meds whatsoever in the shop on board. Reception have seasick pills.