Almost Live Viking Venus - Iceland’s Majestic Landscapes - August 7-19, 2024

[Frenchberet]

We did a tour of the Golden Circle, Blue Lagoon & Kerid Volcano with NiceTravel.  Our guide was a geologist and shared a lot of interesting information. Highly recommend.

[Hobson1754]

We used Gray Line Iceland - the tour guide was amazing, one of the best we’ve ever had😀

[OnTheJourney]

Very much enjoying your pictures! Iceland has been on my list for a long time. With any luck might still get there.

[deec]

We are only in Reykjavik for one day until 8pm.  Do those of you who took an outside company think that with not spending the night in port it is a wise choice?  or should we take the safe bet and try to schedule the the tour through Viking...don't want to miss the ship!  We will be on Viking"s Greenland, Iceland Norway and Beyond ( Bergen to NYC).

 

[Hobson1754]

5 minutes ago, deec said:

We are only in Reykjavik for one day until 8pm.  Do those of you who took an outside company think that with not spending the night in port it is a wise choice?  or should we take the safe bet and try to schedule the the tour through Viking...don't want to miss the ship!  We will be on Viking"s Greenland, Iceland Norway and Beyond ( Bergen to NYC).

 

Hi Dee - we were dropped back at our hotel (more or less last drop off) by around 4 p.m. where we picked up our luggage & got a taxi to the ship. We are extra cautious timings wise, but would have been happy with that if we were sailing that night. I chose the tour that was 6 hours, some of them may be longer.

[Hanoj]

Here's a photo from our 2018 Viking extension to Reykjavik that give's all the information necessary about Iceland's weather. 66°North is an Iceland based clothing brand. 

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 2 - Part 1 “Not So Grandi”

 

It was a long day so this post will be in 3 parts. I’ll start with the our pre tour breakfast and review of the Grandi Center Hotel.

 

On our way to breakfast we finally located the Viking desk and rep. The rep gave us our information sheet and checked off our names and that was it. This was in stark comparison with the tour guide from the other company that assisted us yesterday. It seemed to us that the Viking rep wanted to be anywhere except at work. Definitely the wrong personality for this job. We’ve been on several Viking extensions and all the reps have been helpful, informative, and cheerful. This one, not so much.

 

As we waited with other passengers for the restaurant to open for breakfast, we encountered our first occurrence of questionable behavior. This topic has been discussed thoroughly so I’ll add another datapoint in the “people behaving badly” column. The first person in line, wearing a Denver Broncos World Champion sweatshirt (How many years ago was that?) decided he had waited long enough and two minutes before the scheduled opening just walk through the door. This started a flow into the bar area in front of the breakfast room. The staff suddenly appeared and stopped everyone, stating they weren’t ready. I heard the guy’s wife talking to her friend, saying something to the effect “there goes the men again.” This guy is the poster child of the entitled ugly American. Definitely someone we will avoid on the ship. 

 

As for breakfast itself, it was really good. There was a variety of fresh fruit, hot food, cereals, breads, whole and non-dairy milks, and juices. I particularly enjoyed the fresh baked rustic rye bread. DW was delighted to find chia pudding, something she eats daily. There was one strange idiosyncrasy, no salt and pepper shakers, instead a large bowl and spoon. This required you to bring your food to the buffet to season it and I completely destroyed my portion of eggs when I dumped a glob of black pepper on them. Since they don’t get the concept of shakers, I give breakfast an A-.

Rye bread:

 

Salt & Pepper (Shakers please?)

 

As far as our hotel room is concerned, the bed is comfortable and there is a nice view but there are two big problems. 

 

1) The lighting is atrocious. Four tiny ceiling spot lights running down the centerline of the room and the two reading lights built into the bed headboard are the only lighting in the room. I know Icelanders believe in trolls and this place must have been built with them in mind because it’s dark like a cave. DW literally could not see to put on her makeup. The spot lights illuminated only the middle of the room. There is no desk lamp and no floor lamp. It’s ridiculous.

 

2) There is no sink or counter in the bathroom. It only has a toilet and tub with shower fixtures. The sink is located in the main portion of the room. I know that separate water closets with no sink are a thing in some places in Europe but I’ve never experienced this in a hotel. IMO this is very unhygienic. Are you suppose to open the bathroom door with dirty hands? Also the towels were tiny and flimsy. 

 

In room sink:

 

The website describes the hotel as “Industrial Chic.” This is an architectural style that started with the Pompidou Centre in Paris, featuring exposed ductwork, wiring, hanging lighting, polished concrete, etc. I absolutely hate it. To me, it’s just a cost cutting measure that keeps finishes to a minimum and was marketed as modern and chic. Avoid any place with the word “Industrial” associated with it. Overall I give the hotel a C- with the positives being location and the breakfast. Otherwise it would be a solid D. Viking can select a better hotel.

 

The next post will deal with an awesome Golden Circle Tour. We’re aboard the ship now and will be heading out early tomorrow for an all day excursion to the southern coast, so it may be a day or two until I can post again. 

 

 

Edited August 7 by OneSixtyToOne

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 2 - Part 2 

“Will the Circle be Unbroken”

 

After breakfast we took the short walk to the bus stop to start our Golden Circle Tour. Seems like there are a dozen companies doing tours so multiple busses stopped and loaded passengers. Each had a passenger list so while at first it looked confusing, it was in fact well organized. 

 

While waiting at the bus stop we met a lovely couple from  Alabama, Ralph and Cathy,  who are also on the extension and cruise. Ralph is a retired marine biologist and an avid bird watcher. He has been a wealth of information on this cruise, pointing out all kinds of bird species. 

 

The bus to the bus arrived right on time and shuttled us to the location of the actual tour bus. We then boarded our coach and headed to our first stop on the Golden Circle, Thingvellir. 

 

Thingvellir is the site of the first parliament in the world, the Allthing. Our guide was very informative and told us the history of how Iceland was settled. Fleeing the wars in Norway, settlers were looking for a place to farm and live without being subject to a king. The settlers selected chieftains and every year the villages sent their leaders to this unique site to create laws and settle disputes that could not be decided locally. If they still could not decide, the Law Speaker was the final arbiter. Since there was no written language, he has to memorize all the laws and procedures. This is the origin of the modern speaker of the house and speaker of parliament.

 

The site is located at the rift where the plates of North America and Eurasia are separating at about 3 cm a year. There is an underwater area where divers can touch both continents simultaneously. The water in the lake is very clear. The main supply of water is from groundwater percolating through volcanic rock. This removes the nitrogen and the only algae in the water is a specific species that is found nowhere else. Iceland is very proud of its clean water. You can drink from nearly every stream, waterfall, and tap. It’s most refreshing.

 

 

 

Our next stop on the Golden Circle was a visit to the namesake of all geysers, Geysir. The area is a geothermal hot spot and we pass a valley full of venting steam. The town has no cemetery because if you dig down six feet it is hot enough to boil water. No one wants to boil their dearly departed. Such hot spots are used as a resource all over the country. Iceland is self sufficient in fruits and vegetables thanks to geothermal heated greenhouses and grow lights powered by cheap electricity. Our tour guide said that almost all homes are heated with piped in hot water and her heating bill is about 5€ a month. The streets of Reykjavik have heated sidewalks to keep ice from forming. They even pump hot water into the lake near city hall to help the local waterfowl survive the winter. 

 

 

The old Geysir is no longer active, but next to it is the Old Faithful of Iceland, erupting every few minutes. We manage to see a double eruption when we were there. Very cool 

 

 

 

 

Our final stop was the highlight of the tour, Gullfoss waterfall. This awe inspiring waterfall is where Iceland’s environmental movement started. A local woman threatened to throw herself over the waterfall if a planned dam was built. After the incident, laws were passed preventing foreign ownership of any energy related resource in the country. The waterfall is impressive. The sound of the falling water is overwhelming. Be sure to wear rainproof gear because you will get wet.

 

 

 

We had great weather for the day but on our return, the skies opened and it started pouring rain. We were still in our rain gear so it was a quick walk back to the hotel to rest and make dinner plans.

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 2 - Part 3

“Test me, test me. Why don’t you arrest me?” 

 

On the bus back to our hotel we passed a meat packing plant and our tour guide talked about the world famous Icelandic hotdog and a small hot dog stand located in old town that is the best place to eat. I had read about Icelander’s love of their hot dog and that it’s made out of lamb. It just so happened on the previous day we passed the very stand the guide talked about. DW remarked “We need to try a hot dog.” 

 

Back at the hotel we rested for an hour, then the rain stopped and the skies cleared. We then decided to try the “world famous” hot dog for ourselves. The tour guide said that you need to order it with the works: crunchy fried onions, Icelandic mustard, ketchup, and some local cheese sauce. We walked a few blocks and managed to locate the hot dog stand. I’m fussy about my hotdogs condiments so I ordered mine with just mustard and DW ordered it with crunchy onions and mustard. The mustard was sweet and the hotdogs are not skinless, so there is a bit of resistance biting into it. It was very flavorful and much better than I expected. I give it an 8 out of 10.

 

 

As we were chowing down I noticed the line at the stand had grown considerably. Then a tour guide walked up with a group of about a dozen people and started giving the history of the place and how to order a hot dog. It turns out this is the most popular restaurant in Iceland. It sells 2000+ hot dogs a day and every celebrity that comes to Iceland stops by to eat. Bill Clinton had a hot dog with the prime minister. Justin Bieber ate here when filming a music video. Kim Kardashian and Kanye stop by, etc. The line typically goes down the block. As I’m standing there eating my mustard only hot dog, I hear the tour guide say “You have to order it with everything. If you only have mustard it’s a crime and they will arrest you.”

 

Check please!

 

We then proceed to walk around old town. We found the rainbow road and saw that it led directly to the famous church atop the hill in Reykjavik. The church design resembles the basalt columns found on the southern coast. After taking some photos of the church we went inside to find an organ recital in progress. We sat and listened for a few minutes and then took a few photos of the inside. Lutheran churches are intentionally very plain inside, as a statement against the over the top interiors of the Catholic Churches in the Germany of Martin Luther. 

 

 

 

 

We then headed back to the hotel and had a gelato for desert. Tomorrow we board the Venus.

Edited August 11 by OneSixtyToOne

[island lady]

Wow!  Great narration and pictures.  I love your style!  We will be there doing the same thing next week...excited to do so even more now.  And yes...will order "the works" for our dogs.  😄 

[OneSixtyToOne]

3 hours ago, island lady said:

Wow!  Great narration and pictures.  I love your style!  We will be there doing the same thing next week...excited to do so even more now.  And yes...will order "the works" for our dogs.  😄 

BTW the hot dog stand is near the dockside Ferris Wheel, across the street on the old town side, behind the first row of buildings. From the Ferris Wheel, cross the street where the large anchor statue is at the crosswalk.

Edited August 12 by OneSixtyToOne

[20Cruise20]

Another almost live poster joining OneSixtyToOne. 

 

While we were flying United, we also had mechanical problems, weather delays, and flight cancelations. Original itinerary - Dulles to Newark to Reykjavik with a 7 AM 8/3 planned arrival. Actual itinerary - Dulles to Frankfurt to Reykjavik with an actual arrival of 1145 PM on 8/3. Two long travel days; however, we felt fortunate to be re-routed within a reasonable time frame. The access to the Lufthansa lounges allowed us to rest and relax a good bit.  

 

Loved, loved, loved our hotel. Reykjavik Konsulat, Curio by Hilton. Superb location, excellent hotel staff, best rain shower ever, large bathroom, and a nicely accommodated room. The included breakfast was small, but adequate. An evening cocktail and light snack were also included with our stay. 

 

The weather changed a lot within each day. Sun, rain, wind, etc. Layers and rainwear worked perfectly. 

 

Three nice dining experiences involving a three minute walk from the hotel. The Fish Company (Fiskfelagid), Tres Locos, and Apotek. All expensive; however, very good food and service. Yes, we tried the hot dogs, too. Glad we tried them with all of the toppings.   

 

Independent Day 1: HOHO leveraged to orient ourselves to the immediate area and as transportation to Perlan. We enjoyed all of the exhibits, films, observation deck, and everything else Perlan had to offer. While we pre-purchased timed entry tickets, they probably weren't needed. 

 

Independent Day 2: Greyline Golden Circle with a 930 AM pick-up about 3 blocks from the hotel. Excellent guide, well timed stops, and a comfortable bus. We chose the late tour (10-5) and after speaking with the guide, the stops remain consistently busy regardless of the tour timing.  

 

Independent Day 3: Enjoyed everything that Reykjavik has to offer. Delightful weather. Walked everywhere, shopped a bit, lots of photos, etc. 

 

Independent Day 4: The hotel ordered a taxi for us. In all, 30 minutes from the time we stepped into the taxi until the time that we entered our cabin. One of the best embarkation experiences we've ever had with Viking. (This is our 6th Ocean cruise.)  Leveraged the port shuttle to walk the city again to enjoy the wonderful afternoon weather. 

 

More to follow tomorrow. If I can answer any questions about our Reykjavik activities, please ask.    

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 3 - “The Little Captain”

 

Today is the day we board the Viking Venus. Our luggage needed to be placed out by 9:00 AM and busses arrive at 11:05 with staggered departures and no assigned busses. We had breakfast went back to our rooms and went down to the lobby about 9:30 to find everyone was milling around for the next 90 minutes. What happened next was predictable. Without assigned busses it was total confusion. Of course everyone wanted to be on the first bus and the Viking people had no control. When we arrived at the busses, they were there and all had color coded placards in the window. I have no idea why the color code wasn’t used. This was the most poorly organized Viking extension I’ve ever been on. Every other time we’ve had our bus assignment and had to identify our luggage before boarding. Here there was none of that. We were very disappointed in the lack of organization.

 

We finally made the short 15 minute ride to the port coincidental with the same day airport arrivals. There were several hundred people waiting to clear port security so it took a while. We were finally onboard at about 12:30. 

 

After the safety briefing heading to the World Cafe for lunch. There was a very long line waiting to make dining reservations for the cruise. After eating we went to our stateroom and found the stewards just finishing up. As I wrote in another post, we were upgraded to a PV1 from a DV4 right before we left home. We found out that our new friends from Alabama were upgraded from a Junior Suite to a rear Explorers Suite. We also overheard conversations multiple times about people being upgraded. One person we talked to said they were with a large church group from Denver. I suspect the upgrade dominoes started falling upward to accommodate a group sale.

PV1

The view out our stateroom is of the peace monument designed by Yoko Ono to honor John Lennon. Every October a light to the heavens is illuminated on John’s birthday and extinguished in December on the anniversary of his death.

 

By 1:00 PM an announcement was made that all cabins were ready. We now waited for our luggage to arrive.

Waiting in our room was a letter stating one of our excursions, Iceland’s Pristine Panorama, had been cancelled due to insufficient number of signups. I tried to book a different excursion via the app but it still had the original excursion booked and told me there was a time conflict. I sorted it out at Customer Service along with changing our Chef’s Table reservation. BTW the line at the WC to change/add reservations was 20 deep and was just as long when we finished lunch. I could not book via the app. I’m not sure if CS will help if you only want dinner reservations, but the line there was very short in comparison.

 

 

 At about 2:30 I headed to the spa for some therapy in the thermal pool. It seems that on every voyage something unusual will occur. Today was that day. While in the spa locker room I heard the voice of a child in the sauna. I assumed it must be the son of a crew member. After some relaxation in the therapy pool, I returned to the locker to find a man and his son wrapped in towels having difficulty opening the locker. He said his id badge didn’t work and he had called the spa attendant. After the attendant opened the locker the father and his son, who looked around 7 years-old, proceeded to get dressed in identical officers uniforms, complete with epaulets.  The boy even had a Viking name tag. I then said to the man “Is this the little captain?” He laughed and replied “Yes, he’s the little captain.”

 

Tomorrow we tour the southern coast.

[AroundWithMAPTravels]

8 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

BTW the hot dog stand is near the dockside Ferris Wheel, across the street on the old town side, behind the first row of buildings. From the Ferris Wheel, cross the street where the large anchor statue is at the crosswalk.

We were in Reykjavik at the same time as you (returning from Greenland on a different ship, but had been on Venus in February so I was “following “).  I guess I also could have been arrested- only had mustard on mine too.   That was our second visit there- hubby had “the works’ both times and proclaimed it an “oddly delicious “ combination.

definitely worth a try…. As is the Posthaus food hall a few blocks away…. There are other food halls nearby, but this one seems to be frequented by locals more so than some of the others.

btw. Same hot dogs are sold in the mini mart on next block… can also buy other food there(sandwiches, chips, drinks, etc) … in case the “extensive” 4-item menu at the hot dog stand is too limiting (hot dog, soda, hot chocolate and Prince Polo bars).

[AroundWithMAPTravels]

Looking forward to traveling along.  And eager to hear which CT menus you get at your thoughts.  

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 4 - “The Backside of Water”

Today we have an early departure for an all day Panoramic Southern Coast of Iceland excursion. We ordered room service for breakfast to save time and were on the bus at 7:30 am.

 

On our way, we again passed the geothermal valley were steam was venting out of numerous fissures.

 

Our first stop was a comfort stop where we just happen to see some Icelandic horses. The horses are directly descended from the original Viking horses. They are considered prized possessions and people breed them to show prestige in the same way people in other countries buy expensive cars. The horses do not have some diseases found in horses in other countries and the importation of horses into Iceland is banned. If a horse leaves the country it may never return. Peter Jackson wanted to film Lord of the Rings here but they wouldn’t allow him to import horses for the movie. 


The Icelandic horse is smaller than other breeds. It also has five gates instead of three. One is called a flying gate and it looks as if the horse is moving level with the terrain at full speed. Very strange to see.

 

Our next stop was Seljalandsfoss, one of the tallest and well known waterfalls in the country. It is somewhat unique in that it allows intrepid hikers to go behind it to view the backside of water. To do this requires sure footing and waterproof gear. We succeeded but it is very treacherous, with sharp slippery rocks, mud, and falling water. Although this tour is labeled easy, IMO that’s only if you stay on the bus or don’t get close to the main attractions. It’s more of a moderate level, and difficult if you explore the areas visited. 

 

We then headed for the black sand beaches at Reynisfjara and the basalt columns. The tour guide pointed out a mountain cliff where Justin Bieber shot a music video. They had to close access to it because people were going there to film themselves and almost falling off the cliff. 


The basalt shapes are formed because of how the lava cools. It starts at different spots called “centers.” If those centers are evenly spaced, the forces that pull inward toward the centers end up creating different chunks of cooling lava that are hexagonal. They are spectacular to see.

 

 

Our guide warned us to look out for “sneaker waves” and there are warning light indicating today’s level of danger. He told us a few weeks ago a tourists was knocked down and caught in the rip current and managed to struggle back on shore. He warned not to keep your back to the water, which is almost impossible because everyone wants a picture of the columns. As someone who lived near the beach for a number of years, always be aware of the wet/dry sand boundary, as it indicates the recent limit of the biggest set of waves. If you are on wet sand, do not turn your back to the water.



After our day at the beach we headed to nearby Skógafoss. This waterfall is almost as high as Seljalandsfoss. They have built a trail and observation platform at the top. Given that our stop was limited to 20 minutes and the height is that of an 18 story building, we decided not to attempt the climb. It is a beautiful site to behold from below.

 



Our next stop was lunch at a farm / eco tourism venue. It was a hot buffet with a meat and vegetarian selection. It was quite tasty.

 

Our final stop of the day was at the Lava Center, a regional museum that explained the geology of the Iceland. This was a small but very well presented museum. I was very impressed with the interactive displays, some of which reacted to your hand gestures. Our guide at center was one of the best I’ve encountered. He was an undergraduate intern from the University of Wisconsin who was studying vulcanology. He had a great natural delivery of complex information and answered all of our questions. He explained that two things has contributed to the current uniqueness of Iceland. There is a thinness in the earth’s mantle, hot spots, that occurs in several areas on the planet and there are plates constantly moving. He demonstrated on a large circular display how the hot spot is stationary but over time the plates move. The current hot spot use to be under Greenland but plates shifted and it now rests between the North American and Eurasian plates. So now a thin mantle is directly between two plates which creates conditions found no where else. This essentially is why the area is so active. We then viewed a short film about all the recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland. 



After a long nine hour day we returned to the ship for dinner and the sail away. Tomorrow we arrive at Isafjordur where we have a date to see our first Puffins.

Edited August 12 by OneSixtyToOne

[ReaderGirl57]

We did this trip in reverse last July - looking forward to sharing your journey!

[millybess]

Beautiful photos.  Thanks!!

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 5 - Morning - “It’s a Fjord”

 

This morning we arrived at ísafjördður in the northwest of Iceland. The weather was overcast with a cold wind and light rain. 

 

We took the early included tour of ísafjördður and Bolungarvík. This was the perfect example of how a tour guide can create a wonderful experience out of pretty much nothing or turn a great tour into a bore fest. In this case it was the former. Our tour guide was what I can best describe and the young Jerry Seinfeld of Iceland. He told us the easiest way for us to pronounce ísafjördður was to say “it’s a fjord” really fast. He also commented on how unimaginative the name was. His observational humor had the whole bus laughing. He was from Bolungarvík and his routine was a great take on 2nd city syndrome. He ironically told us how boring ísafjördður was and when we emerge from the tunnel connecting ghettos two cities we’ll see how exciting Bolungarvík was in comparison.  He pointed out various mundane sites and emphasized how they were so much better than those in ísafjördður. It was a really funny bit.

 

Our first stop was at a traditional fishing village that was in use up until 1904, when the first motorized fishing boats were introduced. Seven men and one woman would live in a small hut and sleep two to a bed in order to keep warm in the dead of winter. Besides catching local fish, they would row for a week halfway to Greenland. There they caught sharks on a large iron hook, cut out the liver, which was harvested for oil, and discarded the rest. When the boat was full of life vets, they rowed back home.

 

Their clothing was made of sheepskin which they drenched in fish oil to wake it water resistant. Since it was impossible to pull on your slick clothing, they wore a belt with a large loop on the back that enabled you to be grabbed in the event you fell overboard.

 

After visiting the fishing huts, we then took a rest break at the community center where a local woman played piano and sang two Icelandic songs.

 

It was now time to return to ísafjördður, being thoroughly informed on how boring it was compared to Bolungarvík. On the way our guide talked about how fascinated Scandinavians are about crime because they rarely experience any. During COVID I became a big fan or Nordic noir and what he said now made perfect sense to me. He said a lot of Icelandic authors write crime and mystery novels. He then told of how the only U.S. state he knows anything about is Florida because of “Florida Man” stories. There is a website that you can enter your birth date and a Florida Man story for that date is retrieved. For his birth day Florida Man was arrested for wrestling someone’s companion alligator in front of a convenance store. Our guide was at a loss why anyone would have a companion alligator.

 

Our last stop was a small park and a visit to the waterfall overlooking the town. We were told about the health benefits from drinking pure Icelandic water. Our guide also said it was a fountain of youth and warned of drinking too much. He then climbed down to the stream and filled a pitcher to serve us. Cheers!

 

 

 

After our refreshment and feeling younger by the minute, we returned to the ship for lunch. This afternoon we head to Vigur Island to hopefully view eider ducks and puffins. 

Edited August 14 by OneSixtyToOne

[20Cruise20]

August 8: Venus Day 2 - Reykjavik   

 

Contrary to our usual first breakfast experience in the dining room, everything was consistently orchestrated. Pleasant service and hot food. 

 

After breakfast, we headed to our excursion, Iceland through the Lens. (1030 AM - 5 PM) We are not photographers and only use our camera phones; however, we made this selection expecting to see some unusual and scenic Icelandic locations. The excursion did not disappoint. We made four scheduled photo stops with about 45 minutes of time at each location. We also made a 10 minute unscheduled stop at a road-side pullover to photograph the Icelandic horses. Our fairly quick lunch stop included a delicious fish soup, sourdough bread, and a beverage of choice.   

 

Our first stop was an area to explore the Tectonic plates with scenic gorge areas, a viewing platform, and a general landscape area showcasing the geology of the land. Only a few passenger cars shared the stop with us. So, it was easy to take photos and simply explore the area.  

 

Our second stop was on the southern coastline. The rock structures, both in the water and on land, and the various shades of landscape green were interesting to photograph with the guide's insight.  

 

The third stop featured geyser areas unbelievably unique in orange and grey colors. According to our guide, this geyser type is only found in Hawaii and on Mars. The entire area truly looked like something from a Sci-Fi movie and was fun to wander about.  

 

We made our last stop at a coastal area with two light houses. Each was unique in design. Because rain started falling, we didn't broaden our exploration too much with this stop. However, most of the "real" photographers in the group relished the stop.  

 

Overall Excursion: A

 

August 9: Venus Day 3 - Isafjordur 

 

No excursion scheduled. We enjoyed the little bit of sunshine the windy day provided. Our village walk as well as our waterfall climb kept us busy for over two hours.   

[OneSixtyToOne]

Day 5 - Afternoon - “Down on the Farm”

 

This afternoon we took the optional Vigur Island excursion. The excursion leaves from a dock a short walk from the ship. It’s a 30 minute boat ride to the island on a small boat. It was windy and choppy so I made sure to take a Bonine to prevent an onset on seasickness. 

 

The island of Vigur is privately owned and is inhabited by a farmer and his family. They harvest Eider duck down, conduct tours, and protect the wildlife on the island. As we disembarked we saw two Eider ducks nesting near the dock. We were told they are use to visitors and they ignored us. He also said that the birds can’t count but they can recognize patterns. The number of people doesn’t matter, the just know when people arrive and depart, whether it’s 10 or 100.

 

 

 

The farmer showed us a boat that has been in continuous use for almost 200 years. It was built around 1830 and is thought to be the oldest boat in use in Iceland. Almost everything used to build the houses on the island was carried over on this boat. It even brought over the first tractor. They still take it out a few times a year. He says if you don’t use it, it will deteriorate if left on dry land. The boat was made using the same construction techniques as the Viking longships.

 

 

The island was full of nesting birds, but most had already started to leave. As you walk around you need to hold a stick above your head. The arctic terns are territorial and will attack the highest thing the see. In this case, the sticks instead of your head. Because most birds have left, the terns were less aggressive than earlier in the season. We saw arctic tern nests, eider duck nests, and the reason we came, puffins! There were dozens of puffins on the water and a few still in the grass protecting their nests: we also learned that their distinctive orange colored bill appears when they breed and disappears when they leave to spend the rest of the year at sea. 

 

 

 

 

 

Next we went to a shed and had a demonstration on how the down is collected and cleaned. One duck produces a tremendous amount of down for the nest. Ducks are not killed for their down because you will get very little down and mostly feathers. During nesting the females release a hormone that cause the down to form on their chests. They then continuously pluck the down and place it in the nest. The down insulates the nest but it can get wet and less effective, so the farmers remove the down and replace it with hay, which is more water resistant. This doesn’t harm the eggs and actually gives them better protection.  The down is then cleaned by hand during several processes and sold to a wholesaler. 

 

 

 

We finished our tour with a slice of cake with fresh whipped cream, and a cup coffee. In the small dining room is a modest gift shop and the “smallest post office in Europe.” You can buy postcards and have them stamped with the Vigur Island postmark to send to yourself, friends, and family. I wonder if the postcards will arrive before we return home? This was a marvelous excursion, one we highly recommend.

 

Back onboard we had a great dinner and at 8 PM it was time for our first trivia contest. We met a retired state judge from Minnesota and she joined our team. We lost to one other team on a tiebreaker: What is the total number of gifts given during the 12 days of Christmas? You have 30 seconds…

 

[CCWineLover]

Glad you had a great time on Vigur!  It was one of our favorite tours.  Your pictures brought back good memories.  Thanks!

[Azulann]

love reading your live report. I feel like I with you on this very special journey!

I will never get to Iceland but love hearing , reading and seeing the pictures of this most unique place on earth. 

Thanks again for your great reporting and pictures.

Cheers!

Patti

 

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

We just docked in Alesund. I’m several days behind and internet access is slow. Photo uploads are painful. I may have to complete this after we return. Oslo might offer an opportunity for an update. 
Stay tuned.

[deec]

enjoy you vacation...post when it is not frustrating!