Review of Visits to Norway/Iceland/Greenland on Fall 2018 Cruise.

[Coolcruise02]

Loving your review and great pics!

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

From the Nature Baths we went to one of the many areas of where there are cracks depicting the shifting continental plates - on one side is the Eurasian Plate and on the other is the North American Plate.

 

 

This one is a relatively small crack, but was interesting in that it has a pool of mineral water where local people sometimes go to soak. Seeing the pool lies between the continental plates, it gives the unique experience of a person being able to swim between the continents with only a few strokes.

 

The water was very clear and pleasantly warm.

 

Getting into the pool area wasn't easy..

 

But getting through and out the other end was rather difficult, as it was very wet and slippery. 

 

I guess if you did fall, there was a chance you would land in a different continent from the one you were originally standing on!

 

[puppycanducruise]

Great pictures and comments!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great report.

 

I love your pictures showing the "plates".

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

The Dimmuborgir (dimmu “dark”, borgir “castles”) lava formations is a large area of unusually shaped lava fields composed of various volcanic caves and rock formations. The dramatic structures are one of Iceland’s most popular natural tourist attractions. The area has well developed walking paths, plus all the normal required tourist facilities, including a café.

It consists of a massive, collapsed lava tube formed by a lava lake flowing in from a large eruption in the crater row to the east, about 2300 years ago.

The lava flow surface remains partly intact around the Dimmuborgir area, so that the Dimmuborgir itself sits below the surrounding surface area. It features large hollow chamber-like structures formed around bubbles of vapour, and some dramatically standing lava pillars. Several of the chambers and pillar bases are large enough to house humans, giving rise to the term “castles” (borgir).

In Icelandic folklore, Dimmuborgir is said to connect earth with the infernal regions and is said to be the place Satan landed when he was cast from the heavens and created “The Catacombs of Hell”.

 

The area was recently used for scenes in the HBO' Game of Thrones.

 

 

Our guide gave an extensive talk on the area, about how it came about, as well as a few of the folklore about the local trolls.

 

 

Then he took us on a narrated walk through parts of it.

 

 

One of the many caves. 

 

 

Some of the troll like rock formations.

 

 

 

One of the subjects he covered was the extensive deforestation of the island. When Iceland was first discovered it was reported to be heavily treed. As more settlers arrived they soon cleared the land for farming and chopped down trees for firewood, plus building material. The final act was the introduction of livestock, mainly sheep - which destroyed the rest of the fragile ecosystem. Being a young volcanic land, there was not much soil to begin with, so once the trees were gone - the soil soon washed away.

 

In recent times effort has been made in trying to get the soil and trees to return, but it will be a long battle.

 

Areas like this one has seen a lot of effort in trying to bring back the birch tree - which was originally the most common tree.

 

In the lower sheltered areas you can see what struggles the trees have in trying to grow. In the winter they get crushed down under the heavy winter snows, which causes tree to grow along the ground, rather then up in the air.

 

A lot of the trees we saw looked more like small scrub brushes, rather than the majestic birch trees you see in other parts of the world. 

 

 

Edited November 8, 2018 by GeorgeCharlie

[GeorgeCharlie]

In Icelandic folklore Dimmuborgir is the home of the Yule Lads who are the offspring of lazy Leppaluoi and evil Gryla. 

 

Instead of just getting a visit from Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, Iceland has the 13 Yule Lads who descend from the mountains to wreak mischief in the nights leading up to Christmas. Starting on the 12th of December, the Yule Lads come one by one in the nighttime to Icelandic homes, where they leave a little gift in well-behaved children's shoes placed on the windows sills. Naughty kids get a potato! In return, children might leave them some little gifts or snacks.

 

 

But these troll-beings weren't always benevolent gift givers, that only came about with the popularization of Santa Claus. Originally the Yule Lads were troublemakers and that's how they got their peculiar names.

Their names are:

• Stekkjastaur- Sheep-Cote Clod

• Giljagaur - Gully Gawk

• Stúfur - Stubby

• Þvörusleikir - Spoon Licker

• Pottaskefill - Pot Scraper

• Askasleikir - Bowl Licker

• Hurðaskellir - Door Slammer (he loves waking people up by slamming doors)

• Skyrgámur - Skyr Gobbler

• Bjúgnakrækir - Sausage Swiper

• Gluggagægir - Window Peeper

• Gáttaþefur - Doorway Sniffer

• Ketkrókur - Meat Hook

• Kertasníkir - Candle Beggar

Even worse is their mother, the evil Gryla, the ogress who collects misbehaved children in her large sack and takes them back to her cave to boil and eat them. As the legend goes, bloodthirsty Gryla never goes hungry at Christmastime.

 

Yikes! That should help make kids behave.

[Balliett]

best trip report this year

[puppycanducruise]

My goodness!  Those Yule Lads.

Window Peeper, Doorway Sniffer, Bowl Licker, Meat Hook and the  others. 

Tales of Gryla should keep all of us well behaved.

Thanks for letting us know.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Love the details of your excursions.

 

Great pictures.

[Turtles06]

Bill, we were on so many excursions on this incredible trip that I’d forgotten, till I saw your photo of our wonderful guide, Cristian, above (and my wife’s back in another photo), that we were on the same mini-bus for this one. 😀

 

Great review and photos 

 

Judith

[GeorgeCharlie]

6 hours ago, Balliett said:

best trip report this year

Thanks, still fairly new at doing reviews, so keeping it as simple as possible, only have ever done one other (cruise to India a couple of years ago). 

[GeorgeCharlie]

2 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Love the details of your excursions.

 

Great pictures.

 

Thanks, I've got a great memory for trip details - it's called Google!

[GeorgeCharlie]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

Bill, we were on so many excursions on this incredible trip that I’d forgotten, till I saw your photo of our wonderful guide, Cristian, above (and my wife’s back in another photo), that we were on the same mini-bus for this one. 😀

 

Great review and photos 

 

Judith

 

And thank you for arranging the tour in the first place.

[GeorgeCharlie]

The pseudo craters site is also in the lake Myvatn area and is an interesting phenomenon, which can be found in very few places in the world. They are considered to be false in that they may look like a volcanic crater, but they're not. They are formed when hot flowing lava cross over a wet surface, such as a swamp, causing an explosion of steam through the lava, and the flying debris builds up a crater-like feature which can appear very similar to real volcanic craters.

 

 

This is a protected area, with well developed walkways and viewing platform. but you can still walk around the rims of the craters if you wish.

 

 

 

Volcanologists witnessed the formation of this type of cone for the first time during the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in March 2010.

 

Edited November 8, 2018 by GeorgeCharlie

[Krazy Kruizers]

I don't mind if you use google to get all the extra details -- they are wonderful.

 

And with your pictures, you have great memories.

[GeorgeCharlie]

Close to where we had parked there were a number of Icelandic horses - which Lynne had to get pictures of. 

 

 

You can tell they're Icelandic horses - as they are to only breed of horses allowed in Iceland.

 

Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return. Which means, if a owner wants to take a horse to another country to show, they are not allowed to bring the horse back home.

 

One very valid point for the law, is that in Iceland the breed has few diseases - so why import more.

 

 

Developed from ponies taken to Iceland by Norse settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries, although many were wiped out in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption at Laki in 1783 and 1784 - along with about a quarter of the human population.

 

Selective breeding has also played a role in developing a breed of horses which are long-lived and hardy. The Icelandic horse displays two gaits in addition to those common to other horses.

 

Although the horses are small, at times pony-sized, you may be putting yourself in harm's way if you were to call them ponies in front of a true Icelandic horse person. Maybe it's because they have no full-size horses to compare them with - just kidding!!

Edited November 8, 2018 by GeorgeCharlie

[GeorgeCharlie]

Our final stop was at the Christmas House, which had started out on a farm a short distance out of Akureyri as a small novelty store at Christmas time and has now grown into a year-around operation.

 

 

They have many local developed Christmas decorations, including these neat craved Christmas trees.

 

 

Along with many imported ornaments.

 

 

They also have their own Icelandic Yule Lads ornaments made especially for them from drawing by the local artist Sunna Bjork.

 

 

Edited November 8, 2018 by GeorgeCharlie

[GeorgeCharlie]

With our stay extended in Akureyri, we had to move to an anchorage, as the dock space we were in was required by another ship.

When we got up then next morning, we found out there was now four ships in the harbor. The Serenade of the Seas and the AIDAcara were tied up to the pier, plus the Pacific Princess and the Zuiderdam were at anchorage. The AIDAcara is hidden behind the Pacific Princess.

Not sure if any of the other ships were scheduled to be there, or if they were also just seeking shelter from the storms.

[GeorgeCharlie]

With nothing better to do, we hopped on a tender and went ashore to get a better look at Akureyri.

 

Some of the sights from around town.

 

The Culture & Conference Centre. A popular place for information, gifts - and washrooms.

 

Their oldest house.

 

 

And it seems every town has to have a famous church. This church is noted for its large 3200-pipe organ and unique interpretation of the crucifixion. There is also a suspended ship hanging from the ceiling which reflects an old Nordic tradition of giving offerings for the protection of loved ones at sea.

 

 

Edited November 8, 2018 by GeorgeCharlie

[Krazy Kruizers]

Have yet to be bored by your reports.

 

It does sound like you weren't the only ship taking shelter from the storms.

 

Wonderful report and pictures.

[senior lady]

great review

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

6 hours ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

 

They have many local developed Christmas decorations, including these neat craved Christmas trees.

 

 

Oops - but I guess I did crave the carved trees, as I bought one!!

[GeorgeCharlie]

More of Akureyri.

 

The "Sailing" statue.

 

Got to like how they mark their handicap parking spaces - hard to argue you didn't notice what it was. 

 

 

Houses shown in this picture would have sat on the shore line 100 years, or more ago.

 

 

 

This is part of the information sign you see in the above picture. 

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

Iceland is true 4-wheel drive country.

 

Noticed these three in one yard. Two with the Willys name and one with Jeep name. 

 

 

 

Not that far away was this well restored GAZ-69. GAZ is a Russian automotive manufacturer and produced over 600,000 GAZ-69s from 1953 to 1972.

 

 

 

A copy of the original bill of sale shows it was purchased in 1958 for 59,080 ISK , or about $500USD at the current exchange rate (which would be about $4,500 in today's money).

 

 

As expected, it is rather spartan on the inside.

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

We spent some time visiting the Akureyri Museum, which has many interesting exhibits pertaining to past history.

 

 

 

 

 

There were a number of photo displays of day-to-day life.

 

 

Including this one of a drawing from 1836 showing one of the two existing trees in town at that time.