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

[itzfitz]

Jim, Iceland was never on my bucket list but after seeing all of the beautiful pictures, it's a definite addition!  Thank you for taking the time to let the rest of us enjoy your trip!

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

Just curious as to what happened to the bok choy that was supposed to accompany the fish dish…don’t see any veg other than the parsley/cilantro(?) garnish 🤔 

It was hidden underneath and the waiter said we needed more veg so he brought us a bowl of it.  I have to say it was cooked to perfection. 
 

Iain wasn’t fond of the sesame rice.  I on the other had loved it. 

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

Thanks for this thread! I especially appreciate the links to private tour operators and am bookmarking them for 2024!

It was a real find.  The driver said he wasn’t your regular tour guide and was much better

 

He talked from his heart about growing up on a farm.   Answered all questions and did things like taking the gravel roads across the mountains vs the boring tunnels (his words). The views were incredible.  
 

 

[Travelicious]

Gorgeous scenery and fantastic photos!

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, lexmiller said:

Remember when they had the flavored chocolates, and the various colored wrappers?  Refer to my "photo" - the X is made up of all of the chocolates from one of our multi-back2backs some years back.  We never eat them onboard, always bring them home and I thought, hmmmm, these would make an interesting photo!

I think we will have a supply for the grandkids.  We haven’t eaten one yet.  Iain puts them in a baggie. 

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

I wonder if you will see any elves 🤔

lol

 

 

ust have seen some at the entrance to the bathroom. 
 

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, islabahia said:

Funny thing about the chocolates…in all of my years of cruising, I have never eaten any of the evening chocolates!  Definitely not my thing…Hubby however loves them!

All I can remember was that when Lisa first came on board she eliminated them to save money.   You have to remember at the time they had Cova Chocolates. (They were bing and really good).  
 

you would have thought she eliminated Lobster 🦞 night.   There were riots in the street.  Ok maybe I’m exaggerating. 

[Azulann]

20 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

It was a real find.  The driver said he wasn’t your regular tour guide and was much better

 

He talked from his heart about growing up on a farm.   Answered all questions and did things like taking the gravel roads across the mountains vs the boring tunnels (his words). The views were incredible.  
 

 

When you get a guide like the one you had, it makes all the difference in the world. Your pictures are stunning. I feel like I can hear the water falling and feel the crisp air  all the way to the  Midwest of the USA. Thank you 

Edited August 21, 2022 by Azulann

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, ohiojohn said:

We have one more Iceland port after this one, then on to the Faroe Islands, finishing with 4 stops in Norway.  As Jim mentioned,  he was hoping for a nice day.   The sun came out with blue skies.

John 

 

Wasn’t it a beautiful day.  I hope you continue to have great weather.  
 

Our cruise director just came on PA and said the chances of Northern Lights are high this evening between 12-1.    He said should be clear behind the storm. 
 

I would love to see more of Iceland.  

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, jwlane said:

That waterfall is (unexpected) hot water that flows from Vaðlaheiði tunnel that was constructed through the mountain to Mývatn lake a few years ago.  https://icelandmag.is/article/water-pouring-both-sides-vadlaheidi-tunnel-north-iceland

 

Wow.   Thanks.   I learned something new.   
 

I never knew how they use hot water to heat their homes.  Our guide said it enters the home at 70c (160 F). 

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, venicecruiser said:

Halibut looks great!  Was it?

Yes.  The chef cooks the fish to perfection.  It literally just flaked off as you stuck your fork into it.  
 

I’ve not had a fish dish I didn’t enjoy.  

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, dazey said:

Jim_lain, did you hear stories while in Iceland about the "hidden people" and the gift giving at Christmas?  These stories were told to us on one of our tours and I had to purchase at the airport  the books entitled The Legend of the Icelandic Yule Lads and The Little Book of Hidden People as reminders of our visit.  We stopped in Iceland for 4 days on our way to a cruise in Europe(forget which one).  It was expensive to drink and eat but such an interesting place.  We were impressed that in order for children to graduate they must study Icelandic, English and Danish or another Scandinavian language.  Impressive.

 

Am enjoying reading about your cruise(s).

One guide did mention them.  She said they originated before radio and tv and were told as folklore in the evenings around the fire. 
 

 

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, Oville said:

Wondrous pix Jim.  The falls are beautiful and the water color amazing.  Katie

Most of those were shot while still drizzling.  When the sun broke through things really brightened up. 

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, ohiojohn said:

Goodbye Summit

 

 

 

Bye John.      Have a great cruise.  

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, ohiojohn said:

Goodbye Summit

 

 

 

Bye John.      Have a great cruise.  

[abbydancer2003]

7 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

We are on a nice tour today.  6 of us  in a 16 passenger van.  
 

info@wildwestfjords.com    
 

A very interesting combination of Iceland's history, culture and nature - a shore excursion to Godafoss waterfall, the Laufas turf house, the Christmas house and Akureyri town.

 

Cost is $180 per couple.  

 

We did a tour with them when we were Iceland in 2015.  It was excellent.

 

[wrk2cruise]

Jim do you know the specific tour name you took today or what the duration was?

[jwlane]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

they use hot water to heat their homes. 

Unfortunately, the tunnel water can't be used---it's only around 50°C.

[IsItTimeToCruiseYet?]

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Now to get an even better view I climbed down to the base.  Iain said. “Your on your own, I hope your insurance is paid up.”

 

 

 

 Just around the bend my mouth dropped. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Totally different feeling when I turned around. 
 

 

I then got a text from Iain I only had 10 minutes to get back to bus. 
 

On my walk (jog) back 2 Celebrity tour busses arrived. 
 

 

Beyond magical!  Outstanding photos and thanks so much for sharing. I would have had a field day taking pictures!

[MamaFej]

4 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Hope everyone knows that the marshmallows are actually wrapped hay bales.   

BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!

[Barwick Cruiser]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my fave of the falls, great composition with the grasses in the foreground. Def have added Iceland to our bucket list! Thanks Jim (and Iain!)

[MamaFej]

6 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

The marshmallow farm , that was what one of grandkids said the first time he went by one 😁

That reminds me of a story that’s amusing (at least to me). 

We were on our first RV trip around the US with our kids. Naturally, they had a higher vantage point than from the car.

 

We passed a cemetery. The four year-old had never seen one, and asked what it was. We explained. 
 

From that point on, every time we passed a cemetery, he would say, “That’s where they keep their dead people!” 
 

Hubby and I still say it to each other as we travel the world. The aforementioned four year-old is now 20, and he has had enough of our nonsense. 

[villauk]

6 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

That reminds me of a story that’s amusing (at least to me). 

We were on our first RV trip around the US with our kids. Naturally, they had a higher vantage point than from the car.

 

We passed a cemetery. The four year-old had never seen one, and asked what it was. We explained. 
 

From that point on, every time we passed a cemetery, he would say, “That’s where they keep their dead people!” 
 

Hubby and I still say it to each other as we travel the world. The aforementioned four year-old is now 20, and he has had enough of our nonsense. 

 

You mean you get to cruise without him now? Ours are 20 and 22 and still insist on coming with us 🤦‍♀️😁!

 

Loving the review, Jim. We’ve been to Iceland previously but would love to go back, especially on this itinerary with Greenland 👍.

[MamaFej]

2 minutes ago, villauk said:

 

You mean you get to cruise without him now? Ours are 20 and 22 and still insist on coming with us 🤦‍♀️😁!

 

Loving the review, Jim. We’ve been to Iceland previously but would love to go back, especially on this itinerary with Greenland 👍.

We LOVE traveling and cruising with the young adult offspring. Two are teachers, and the 20 year-old is in college (he is disabled and takes classes mostly online). He’s our dog sitter and house sitter. 
 

His big sister used to teach in the middle of Nowhere, and recently got a new teaching job closer to us and moved back in. We now ALSO have a RENT-PAYING dog and house sitter. The two of them are far less lonely than before, and we have less (perhaps no) guilt about the fact that we travel far more than we are home. 
 

I’m sure we will find another trip or cruise that works during a school break for all three of them before long, and we will all five have a blast doing so! 

[TraderSam]

Loving all your photos @Jim_Iain 

 

I have just booked us a 6 day trip to Reykyavik for the end of November and have added this waterfall to our “must see” list.

 

I sincerely hope that you get to see the Aurora Borealis tonight.🤞🏻 That is what I am hoping for on our trip.