The Daily for Wednesday May 19, 2021

[GeorgeCharlie]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

I thought that was pretty accurate for this long weekend for you and most of the Prairies. I have a friend in Calgary and they too are expecting snow 😔 

 

 

We live in Central Alberta and received some snow over night. Likely won't stay long, as the temperature remains above freezing.

 

 

 

Calgary is over a 1000 feet higher in elevation, so they'll likely get more snow then we did.

[kochleffel]

For the bartending theme, I'll mention that I still have a partial bottle of Fjallagrassa.

[Horizon chaser 1957]

Good morning, all! Having only daughters, I never had much contact with Boys Clubs. After many years of trying to grow vegetables on Salt Spring, I gave up and planted herbs instead. Deer don’t like them, and I can see the fruits of my labour! Having a good family doctor is worth celebrating, so I will!

I really love today’s quote about a man being the master-gardener of his soul! Chilli sounds like a good idea, the temperature has dropped here after a brief but enjoyable warm spell. I am very partial to Roy’s Surf and Turf suggestion, though.

We have never been to Reykjavik, but am traveling vicariously through the pictures!

My new peony looks like it will bloom (1 flower) this year, and the supports are already in. It is in the Chilliwack garden, but I think we’ll be back there before it opens. 

This afternoon I get to have my Wine Wednesday visit with my friend IN PERSON instead of on the iPad! We’re both vaccinated, and will be outdoors on her covered deck. 
 

In lieu of port pics, I will leave you with a different reminder of the past.

 

Happy Wednesday! If only it was spent heading somewhere warm on a BHB!

[lindaler]

Thanks Rich and all who contribute. Today I plan to meet up with a friend who will help me pick out an ac for my cabin. My new heater is working great this cold morning but I think summer will come sometime. 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning.  We have been to Reykjavik three times for a total of five days.  All our stops were on BHBs, Rotterdam 2003, Prinsendam 2016 and 2027.  The last two we were there overnight.  In 2003, we did the Golden Circle tour, and the other times we rented a car and toured the island.  We realized the other day that we have never toured the Reykjavik except to drive through part of it.  The next time we're there, we are talking about staying in town and seeing what we've missed.

 

I have so many pictures, that I think I'll break them up into several posts that are more manageable.

 

This is one of the very few pictures of Reykjavik.  It is the building where Reagan and Gorbachev had their 1986 summit.

 

Three pictures of the Rif in 2003 and a couple from 2016.  There were a lot of changes in the intervening 13 years.  Some were manmade and some were caused when the volcano erupted in 2010.

2016

 

These pictures of Geysir (their pronunciation is geezer) are from 2003.  The 2010 volcanic eruption affected Geysir, and it does not erupt as high or as often now.  I'm not sure if this is Geysir or another one.

 

We stopped at this church one our tour in 2003

 

These pictures from our last stop are for the Garden Club members and cheerleaders.

 

Lenda

 

[StLouisCruisers]

That's a good one, Lenda!

 

[Himself]

Rich, thanks for the DAILY Fleet report.  Thanks to all others who contribute to or read this thread.  Am in La Crosse WI for a couple of days.

[smitty34877]

@mamaofami, We moved  to  Yonkers  a  few  years  back  when  DD  and  SIL bought  a  2  family  home. We raised  our  children in  Elmsford  and  sold the  condo  when  we  no  longer  needed  a  good  school  district.  I  am  enjoying  Yonkers. The  neighborhood  is  vibrant,everything  is  walkable,etc. It  is  funny  but  I  ended  up 5  blocks  away  from  my  Dad's  home  in  the  Bronx. My  DB  thinks  we  are  NUTS  for  staying  in  New  York.  I  am  the  only  one  in  the  family  who  has  not  moved  away!      Terry

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

This time, I'll stick with pictures from our 2016 Prinsendam call in Reykjavik.  The first day, we drove north of town and toured the 

16 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

That's a good one, Lenda!

 

I'd forgotten about this one until I looked at my pictures.  They really like their trolls.

[highland cruiser]

Happy Wednesday.  Great set of days to celebrate. Been to Reykjavik in January several years ago .  A promotion on Icelandic air.  Spent 3 days/4 nights so enjoying seeing pictures.  Was a promotion to see the Northern lights but no luck.  Did enjoy the Blue lagoon.  Weather was just cold with only a little snow.  Would like to stop there on a cruise.  Had one booked to stop there in 2020 but was cancelled.  Maybe will be able again to take a similar cruise.

Thank you for all the information.  This is such a bright spot in my day!  Stay well and safe.

 

 

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

In 2016, the first day, we drove north out of town along the west coast of Iceland as far as Grundarfjordur before heading inland and back to Reykjavik.  There is some really spectacular scenery in that part of the Iceland.

 

These are just a few of the pictures of our drive that day.

 

I believe these were in Rif, which is what I have in my list of places we visited that day, but I could not find it on the map.

 

This tells the story of the area better than I can.

 

Grundarfjordur is a very pretty little town in a beautiful setting, but I would not want to be there in the winter.  We stopped there in 2009 on the Tahitian Princess and walked around town.

 

A very pretty cascade

 

Back in Reykjavik, we decided to drive out to the Blue Lagoon.  The next day, we did our own Golden Circle tour.  I'll post the pictures from the Blue Lagoon in the next batch of pictures.  The pictures from our DIY Golden Circle tour were posted in the first batch of pictures.

 

Lenda

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

Of course, the current tourist "hotspot" to visit in Iceland is the Fagradalsfjall volcano, which is about 40 km (25 miles) from Reykjavik.

 

Internet picture taken May 10th. showing the volcano in Rekjavik's skyline.

[AncientWanderer]

We made our coffee run and saw Koningsdam at San Diego port.  Pulling at heart strings.....

 

 

[Love the beach]

Visited Reykjavik in 2016 on Koningsdam's Northern Isles Cruise. Also took the Golden Circle Tour. I won't repeat the waterfalls and geysers...just some beautiful scenery...it really takes your breath away! In some places it seemed as if we were higher than the clouds. I did not go to the Blue Lagoon as I am highly allergic to anything Sulfur but my friends did and loved it!

[JazzyV]

Good morning. Thanks for the Daily.

Good days. I will be planting my tomatoes soon; I usually wait until Memorial Day. I do need to get their spot ready and the soil enriched. I appreciate my family doctor.

Great quote.

I like the meal (and Roy's) and drinks.

I haven't been to today's port, so I appreciate looking at others' pictures.

 

Feeling ok today. I decided to skip yardwork for today. Just scheduled my mammogram and bone density; I'm trying to stay up to date with preventive care as well. I am due for colonoscopy too (ugh).

 

@NextOne I'm glad DH moved to rehab.

@rafinmd Glad all is progressing well.

@StLouisCruisers Glad DS is doing well enough to go to rehab soon. Hopefully they control her pain better.

@mamaofami I'm glad you're healing nicely.

 

Prayers for the care list (glad it's shorter) and cheers for the celebration list.

Stay safe everyone. Grocery stores are saying you don't need a mask if vaccinated, but I continue to wear mine.

 

 

 

 

[aliaschief]

So many familiar sites on the Iceland pictures. Thanks for sharing and reigniting wonderful memories.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

In 2017, the first day in Reykjavik, we headed east, stopping when we saw something interesting.  Our final destination was Black Beach, but our first stop was the museum at on of the geothermal plants.  I have pictures, but they are really just pictures of big pipes and not all that interesting.

 

If you haven't guessed by now, I like waterfalls.  We stopped at the first one on our way to see Seljalandsfoss, the second waterfall.  BTW, we have been to Gulfoss twice, but I did not want to repeat pictures.

 

Black Beach is black with very interesting formations just off shore.  The cave and area around the cave reminded us of the Giants Causeway outside of Belfast.  It had the same type of formations only on a smaller scale.  Could this be the "trolls causeway"?😁

 

Puffins were nesting on ledges outside the cave.  This is the closest we've gotten to those little birds.

 

The village of Vik near Black Beach

 

I'm not sure if this was in Vik or another village.

 

On the way back to town, we drove down to the ferry to Heimaey, an island off shore.  We almost took the ferry over there, but decided not too as that was our next port.  I think some of you may have figured out what happened.  We missed Meimaey as it was too rough to tender as the anchorage was unprotected.  Maybe some day.  Anyway, I could not resist getting a picture of this sign in the ladies restroom.

 

Lenda

 

[kazu]

2 hours ago, mamaofami said:

My Mohs surgery is healing nicely so only a few more weeks till I can get vaccinated.

 

That’s great news Carol 🙂 

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks to everyone for sharing their wonderful pictures of Iceland.  Brings back great memories.

[kazu]

2 hours ago, Overhead Fred said:

I have heard rumors that the border may open by July 1 (Canada Day). Do any of our Canadian (especially Ontario) friends have any insight?

 

I’m not in Ontario but the Government is looking at the possibility of re-opening the border or a portion of it.

 

Premier Ford of Ontario has been adamant he does NOT want the border open until enough people are vaccinated and covid is under control.  Our Premier here in NB does not even want our border open to Eastern Canada let alone the U.S. until everyone is vaccinated and covid is not the threat it is now.

 

Vaccines are moving pretty quickly here (at long last) though so who knows?

[Sharon in AZ]

Good morning everyone and Happy Wednesday!  Thank you for the Daily Rich and thank you for the lists Jacqui. Roy, I’m so happy that your recovery has been quick. Prayers to all on the Care List.  Great collection of days. 
 

The meal suggestion is something I make a lot in the winter, however I am planning on making it within the next week so we can take some to the mountain cabin with us. I always make it in the Crockpot and actually use the very first recipe I ever made when I was a newlywed. We were gifted 2 Crockpots for our wedding, a big one and a little one, and they came with small recipe books. That little book is so worn and stained with my little notes made trying to tweak a recipe.  But I always use pinto beans and usually make them from scratch, because that was what the little cookbook said to do!

 

 I have never been to today’s port and am really enjoying all the pictures and comments. Iceland is truly a place I want to see. If we didn’t have 2 cruises scheduled within the next 16 months I would book the VOV in a heartbeat. 
 

The Nieuw Statendam last night, just in case you didn’t see it on that thread:

 

It looked like they were having a party at the Lido pool but they forgot to invite me!

 

Have a great day everyone!

[HAL4NOW]

2 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

A photo of the famous Hallgrimskirkja church which I took in 2018.  The weather was perfect for our overnight visit so we saw pretty blue skies which made all our photos better.  You must see this church when you visit Reykjavik! 

 

@StLouis Cruiser I have been meaning to tell you "THANKYOU" for all of the wonderful pictures of church buildings and cathedrals you include in your port posts. Today is just another example of the unique architecture people have incorporated into their worship.

[Sir PMP]

Heimaey:

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Our last day in Reykjavik in 2017, we drove southwest of town around the Reykjanasbaer Peninsula, with side trips to Keflavik and Gardur before stopping at the Blue Lagoon.

 

I think these are of Gardur, and that I didn't get any of Keflavik as we drove through.

 

After we left Gardur,, we came across an area where the Rif between the continental plates was visible.  We liked it better since it was easier to see and and not nearly as crowded.  This time we just walked across the bridge between the two continents.

 

Our final stop (and my final pictures today) was the Blue Lagoon.

 

Lenda

 

[57redbird]

DH doesn't have a blood clot - YAY!!!  Slowly making progress with PT.  Thanks for all the good thoughts.