Blogs from Iceland, Europe - page 102

Back in Europe, as of an hour ago. I'm in the middle of the return trip and have selected this time the fast route via Goose Bay and Narssasuaq, and will be flying form Boston to Rotterdam in only three days - more about that tomorrow, when I have actually completed it. Today just a brief description on how it is to fly these long hours (like 11 hours today) over the Atlantic. But before that, a brief look back to the stay with Ira & Linda in Sudbury: we had a rather lazy Saturday, going swimming in Walden Pond, and in the afternoon Linda and I flew a bit around Boston area. But the weather was not brilliant, and it was rather humid and hazy - still a nice flight. And that was the last ... read more

GOLDEN CIRCLE - Part Two Iceland is so remote that many things have developed without interaction with other cultures or species. The Icelandic horse, sheep and cattle are the same as when the Vikings brought them over in the 9th century. All animals are free to roam until shearing of slaughter and grow very warms coats in the winter. The horse is smaller than other horse species and has five gates rather than three or four: walk, trot, pace, gallop and throp. Throp is a very smooth pace such that one can ride for hours and not feel tired or ride around a ring with a glass of liquid and not spill a drop. The horses are handsome animals with rich flowing manes and tails, the color of which often contrasts to the coat. Enjoyed watching ... read more

INTERNET SERVICE IS IFFY THIS FAR NORTH. WILL POST AS I CAN. Surprise! Surprise! It’s a cloudy day with a chance of showers but the temperature is a balmy 62. Our group met on the dock and was introduce to Jens (pronounced Yens) for our grand circle adventure. There are fifteen of us and our cost was $40pp versus $189 the ship was charging. We had a quick tour of Reykjavic. It was a National Holiday so the streets were empty. Tradition has it that everyone heads out to the country for the last three day holiday of the summer. Yes, up hear summer is coming to the end. I wish I had more time to explore this city. It is very clean and almost graffiti free. The oldest building dates to the mid 1800’s. Before ... read more

We docked at 5:00 pm and by six thirty I was off for a swim in the Blue Lagoon with three busloads of my closest friends. The ride took us through a moonscape of lava fields. Although the nearest volcano has not erupted in three hundred years, the only vegetation to be seen is a think layer of moss. This delicate plant protects against erosion but when the winter winds howl, it can be swept away in seconds. I got my first glimpse of the rift where the North American Plate is moving west and the Euro-Asian plate is moving east leaving a jagged fault line clearly visible. Off in the distance, volcanic mountains and cinder cones provide a rugged backdrop. The Blue Lagoon is a huge complex. Our guide remembers when it was just a ... read more

Tuesday July 26th, 2011 Seydisfjordur, Iceland Norwegian Sea We have traveled west from the coast of Norway following the path of the Norse explorers of old. They were a hardy lot and so the traditionally rough seas of the North Atlantic that we encountered would not have deterred them. It did, however, make a lot of the passengers and quite a few of the crew sick. It has been the roughest seas we have been through since we left Fort Lauderdale last January. The Captain said we encountered 60 mph winds and waves of 15 feet on top of the usual ocean swells. They even put barf bags out all over the ship and handed them out in the Cabaret Lounge during lectures and shows. Antwerp, Belgium was a modern cosmopolitan city with great architecture and ... read more