Segment 1: Iceland, Faroe, & Orkney Islands

Iceland is one of those places that seems far removed from the beaten track. As we flew the red eye north from New York, over snowy Greenland, the brilliant orange sun began to rise over the horizon at 3:30 am. This is, in fact, the land of the midnight sun with only 4 hours of darkness this time of year. Our Iceland Air stewardess was dressed in a 1960s style outfit complete with a pill box hat and it was interesting to listen to her translate their ancient Norse/Viking language into English. We had 4 days to explore Iceland before boarding the Voyager, so even though we had major jet lag, we hit the ground running. We expected cold weather with rain or snow but instead we were pleasantly surprised when the sun was shining and the temperatures were in the high 50s. The town of Reykjavik, first settled in the late 18th century can be described as a clean ultra modern city surrounded by beautiful scenery. The population including the neighboring towns is 170,000 about 60% of Iceland’s total population. With 3 hours of sleep we headed out to the Blue Lagoon, a popular geothermal spa and tourist destination. We hurried and put on our swimming suits and spent a relaxing afternoon wading waist deep in the 90+ degree milky blue water. Chuck had fun lathering his face and body with the famous white silica mud which is known for its positive effects on the skin. Afterwards, wrapped in the spa provided fluffy white robes, we enjoyed a delicious dinner of local lobster and wine. We slept like babies that night! The next morning we were up early for the all day Golden Circle Tour that encompassed Iceland’s geological and historical heritage. We saw the beautiful Gullfoss waterfall, the Geyser geothermal area with all of its hot springs and many volcanoes, snow capped mountains and glaciers. We ended the day with a visit to Thingveller National Park, the site of Europe’s oldest parliament established in 930 AD and the center of Iceland’s culture. On our last day we decided we wanted to ride the famous Icelandic ponies. These small, sturdy horses took us through the lava fields to a scenic mountain stream. Galloping is not a natural gait for them, so as we trotted at a fast pace we were holding on for dear life. It didn’t help that there was no saddle horn. We felt bow legged the next day but were happy we had this experience. This would be a good time to mention that the food here was fantastic; lots of fresh fish and the best lamb we had ever tasted. Chuck even tried whale and puffin per the recommendation of a local. I know what you’re thinking-that cute little bird. Apparently there are 40,000 puffins in Iceland and it is considered a delicacy. Both were red meat and delicious. You know what we say- when in Iceland… Some of you have asked about the dire financial situation in Iceland. We can honestly say we did not as tourists experience anything negative because of the bankruptcy. We found the people extremely friendly and helpful and the services of merchants, restaurants etc. above average. All in all we really enjoyed our time here and it was a highlight of our trip.
Then it was time to travel to the nearby port to board the Voyager. As we came around the corner and saw the ship we were filled with excitement and anticipation. There is something wonderful about cruising on the same ship year after year. Maybe it’s the familiarity of knowing where everything is or seeing old friends. Or maybe it’s the thought of meeting new people and experiencing new places. Whatever it is, we love it and this time was no exception. We hurried and unpacked and immediately got back into our routine. That night as we left Iceland we happily sat up in the Observation Lounge watching the 10 pm sunset. The next morning we bypassed Heimaey, a small island on the south coast of Iceland due to rough seas. We were okay with this because we had a busy schedule with a special luncheon for the original Presidents cruise passengers, a mid afternoon Town Hall meeting and formal night with the Captains welcome aboard reception. Besides we had much anticipated dinner reservations with friends in the new Prime 7 steakhouse. It did not disappoint with all of our favorite dishes like crab legs, Dover sole and filet mignon with multiple sauces. We definitely had a great time and were the last to leave the restaurant.
Our 1st port was Torshavn in the Faroe Islands located east of Iceland and north of Great Britain. As we approached the harbor we were struck by the rugged beauty of the coastline. We saw farms and small villages along the edge of the ocean and at the base of the tall green mountains. As we drove into town, passing through a 2 mile tunnel, our guide spoke about the long history of the town dating back to the Viking days of the 9th century. Today the capital has colorful buildings, many with thatched roofs and a seaport flavor. Even though it was cold and rainy, we came prepared with our raincoats and umbrellas and didn’t miss any part of our walking tour. Our 2nd port was Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands off the northern coast of Scotland. It was a blue, crisp day as we drove through the gentle, rolling landscape covered with sheep and spring lambs. Our 1st stop was Skara Brae, a Neolithic village dating back 5000 years and a World Heritage site. We also visited the Ring of Brodgar, a ceremonial circle of stones also 5000 years old. We ended our day at the famous Scapa Flow. This stretch of water had historical significance in both WW1 and WW11.

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