Jim_Iain - Summit Live Post B3B Greenland / Iceland / Canada Aug 7, 19 and 31, 2022

[MamaFej]

2 minutes ago, jwlane said:

Akureyri?

Yes. Of course. Hubby and I were talking about Reykjavik while I was typing. 
Thanks, and I’ve edited. 
🤦‍♀️ 🤦‍♀️ 🤦‍♀️ 

[Jim_Iain]

Next stop was Siglufjordhur.  Beautiful quiet town.  We had 1 1/2 tour to grab a Coffee and lunch and walk around 

 

 

Loved the sod roof house  

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

First off was to get a Double Cappuccino and a sandwich.  Ok it wasn’t gaydar.   I just followed the yellow brick road.   LOL.  Really just a big symbol we are seeing worldwide of acceptance of all.  Such Love ❤️ 

 

 

 

 

[FLCruiser97]

4 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Next stop was Siglufjordhur.  Beautiful quiet town.  We had 1 1/2 tour to grab a Coffee and lunch and walk around 

 

 

Loved the sod roof house  

 

 

Rooftop Gardens in style.

[Jim_Iain]

Maybe because it is so dull most of the year bright colors were everywhere 

 

 

 

 

 

[lexmiller]

2 hours ago, Orsino said:

For the non-fiction crowd going to Canada/New England, I recommend Cod by Mark Kurlansky. I read that on my first Canada/New England cruise and it fit the setting perfectly.

 

For mystery fiction set in Quebec Canada, I recommend the Gamache Series by Louise Penny. It's mostly Montreal, but book 6 goes to Quebec City and incorporates many locales into the story. Book 6 contains spoilers for previous books, so be warned if you skip (like I did, but worth it to preview Quebec City before a visit).

 

OK, I've got to chime in here regarding non-fiction for the Canada/New England cruise - THE GREAT HALIFAX EXPLOSION, by John U. Bacon.  Excellent, details the explosion in Halifax Harbor of December, 1917, the largest man made explosion before the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.  

[Jim_Iain]

I turned dow an alley to see this beautiful street art

 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

Time for me and my friends

 

 

 

 

loved it the beard was made of nails. 

 

[Jim_Iain]

As you can see we had a beautiful day.   As we got to the ship it turned cold and rainy.   Boy did we have perfect timing. 
 

 

 

 

Our last stop was a scenic lookout over town. 
 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[mfs2k]

10 minutes ago, lexmiller said:

OK, I've got to chime in here regarding non-fiction for the Canada/New England cruise - THE GREAT HALIFAX EXPLOSION, by John U. Bacon.  Excellent, details the explosion in Halifax Harbor of December, 1917, the largest man made explosion before the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.  

i read that. Fascinating story. My wife is from Nova Scotia

[MamaFej]

12 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Maybe because it is so dull most of the year bright colors were everywhere 

 

 

 

 

 

You’ll be seeing a LOT of Pride flags. One brand of fuel station has them at all locations. They’re quite ubiquitous here. 
 

We arrived just after a nation-wide two week Pride festival had ended, and we were happy to see the Reykjavik airport  still festooned with these: 

[Jim_Iain]

5 hours ago, lexmiller said:

Will be very interested to hear the results of the B2B testing.......hopefully your Retreat concierge will give you the whole scoop, as to the actual numbers on board.

 

See what we can find out.   I heard (rumor) that there were a total of 28 Positive but that was before B2B results came out.     Still have not results but have to assume we are negative.   When we go through security a flag pops up but they clear it and allow for us to continue.    Sigh... of relief.

[IsItTimeToCruiseYet?]

Hi  Jim_lain:

 

What a fabulous vacation that you are having!!  Thank you very much for your detailed reports and pictures!  You just gave me some ideas for a future B3B cruise.

 

If you have time, could you please take pictures of the Martini Bar drink menu.

 

Many thanks and have an amazing trip!!!

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

 

It was me who suggested it... Read every one of them in order. Visiting Venice after reading those books felt... different. Enjoy.

 

I love to read (listen to audiobooks) in the order they were written.    I hate it when I miss one and there's a spoiler when I go back and pick up the one I missed. 

 

That just happened to me when I was catching up on Patricia Cornwell  Kay Sparketta Series and Read #25 Autopsy only to realized I had missed #24 Chaos  --- there was a major spoiler which I will not reveal. 

 

Her new one #26 Livid was just released but won't be out in Audio until October 25, 2022.    

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, tonto524 said:

Sorry to continue the hijack ….. but, while I am not normally an audiobook lover, there is something wonderful about the Brunetti series with its many and varied accents. David Colacci is fabulous.

 

I got hooked on Audio Books --- mostly so I had something to do when I walk.   I've gotten so many good suggestions here that I think it will take me a year to listen and the list keeps growing.

 

Whether you read or listen a guest here pointed me to Hoopla and have been saving a fortune by checking out of one of  my Libraries.  

[lexmiller]

14 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

See what we can find out.   I heard (rumor) that there were a total of 28 Positive but that was before B2B results came out.     Still have not results but have to assume we are negative.   When we go through security a flag pops up but they clear it and allow for us to continue.    Sigh... of relief.

For you guys, no news is definitely good news!  We never got any word when we were on the Equinox - we thought, well, if we were positive, they'd find us!  😜  And unfortunately you know from personal experience, that yup, they will find you!  But I am very interested to hear the numbers.....on a personal basis, we have a B5B in Australia/NZ/SoPacific/Hawaii/Vancouver next spring on the Eclipse.  I think you are doing something similar in the fall.  Anywho, I am super concerned about B2B testing - I KNOW, it's a long way off, things change, blah blah.  But if B2B testing is still going on when final payment is due, we may postpone (again! this is a failed 2020 and 2021 cruise adventure).  I am just not comfortable with the B2B testing when it is SO easy to catch this virus and yet be asymptomatic! 

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, FLCruiser97 said:

WOW! These pics are awesome, as usual. You have a good eye.

 

Believe me I probably trash 30 for everyone one I keep.    You are probably way to young to remember shooting 35mm and the cost to develop the film only to realized they were all trash.    

 

I'm hooked on digital photography especially the RAW format where you can basically recreate everything from Fstop and depth of field after you shoot. 

[Stem to Stern]

51 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

 

I am speechless.  Absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!!

[SEAGURRL]

Another great mystery series is the Dark Iceland series by Ragnar Jonasson. They are set in Siglufjordhur.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Love the contrast of the two little girls on bicycles in sleeveless shirts and Iain in a down jacket!

 

[Jim_Iain]

44 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

You’ll be seeing a LOT of Pride flags. One brand of fuel station has them at all locations. They’re quite ubiquitous here. 
 

We arrived just after a nation-wide two week Pride festival had ended, and we were happy to see the Reykjavik airport  still festooned with these: 

 

Every time I see a pride flag it puts a smile on my face.   Believe me it wasn't always this way. 

[Stem to Stern]

46 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

You’ll be seeing a LOT of Pride flags. One brand of fuel station has them at all locations. They’re quite ubiquitous here. 

Love it!!

[Jim_Iain]

2 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Love the contrast of the two little girls on bicycles in sleeveless shirts and Iain in a down jacket!

 

 

Our drive was kidding and saying that they have had such a bad winter that this is a heat spell.   He said don't be offended if I strip my clothes off. 

 

I was thinking the same thing with the kids...  but you know kids don't feel the cold the way we adults do.    When I was a kid my mother couldn't keep a coat and shoes on. 
 

Speaking of Icelander.  
 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[MamaFej]

1 minute ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Every time I see a pride flag it puts a smile on my face.   Believe me it wasn't always this way. 

Amen! Unfortunately, it still isn’t this way in many places. 

 

Regarding the earlier discussion of same-sex marriage, it wasn’t legal when I (cis-het female) married my cis-het male husband in 1991.

Then it was.

Then it wasn’t. 
Then it was again, and has remained so. 
 

ALL throughout the back and forth, I kept hearing how legal same-sex marriage would DESTROY traditional marriage (with a very narrow definition of what that means, but that’s another discussion). 
 

Yet, somehow, there has been absolutely no effect on my marriage by yours or anyone else’s. 
 

It’s almost as if y’all just wanted to live your lives, have basic human rights, and weren’t out to destroy anything after all. 🤔 

[tonto524]

23 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I got hooked on Audio Books --- mostly so I had something to do when I walk.   I've gotten so many good suggestions here that I think it will take me a year to listen and the list keeps growing.

 

Whether you read or listen a guest here pointed me to Hoopla and have been saving a fortune by checking out of one of  my Libraries.  

I use the Libby app for our library system.  Can’t beat free ! And my audio books are mostly for walking inside our condo building to escape the Florida heat. (Also, everyone should listen to at least one, if not one part of, a Harry Potter book read by Jim Dale.  The narration is incredible.)
  Jim, thank you for your great blogs, with their amazing food and scenery pictures!!  So enjoyable !!!!!

Linda

Edited August 17, 2022 by tonto524