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Newly retired. Taking my first vacation without an end date. Read more Austin, United States
  • Traveler2023 Northern Europe Cruise
    Day 14

    Day 16, Travel Home and wrap up

    July 7, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 91 °F

    The alarm wakes us at 4:15 am. We need to be at the bus stop by 5:30 am. It is daylight like 7 am, which really helps us. Our flight leaves at 9:40 am. The international airport in Keflavik is an hour away from Reykjavik. It turns out to be a wise decision to give ourselves plenty of time.
    A shuttle bus picks us up as well as other airport bound people then we transfer to a large bus for the direct ride to the airport. Some of this scenery we saw two days prior, moss covered lava, pools and ocean. We had been told that one of the last volcanic eruptions had extended the land of the peninsula 2 miles into the sea. The impending eruption could have blocked this highway to the airport. Three days after we left the eruption occurred and thankfully, the lava flowed another direction away from this area.
    The airport is confusing and congested. The kiosk for faster check in wasn't working so we got in line. Of course, it was a long line. Bags checked so we went to find our concourse and some breakfast. On the way we had to go through immigration. My passport was stamped for Iceland a second time.
    The monitors are not giving us our gate - just has a note saying gate will be announced. That's confusing since we know our plane is to depart in about an hour. Exactly one hour before departure we see the gate listed and proceed to that gate. In the United States we are used to an organized boarding process. Here they called us all at the same time so we lined up in a crowd and waited. Finally we reach our seats and take-off. We are flying on Icelandair to JFK in New York. It is about a 7 hour flight.
    At JFK we go through Customs, get our bags and change from Terminal 7 to Terminal 8. We have to check in our bags with American Airlines and go through Security again. Then we have a 5 1/2 hour layover till we can board the plane for Austin. I am actually able to curl up in a chair in the noisy gate area and get some sleep. That gave me the boost I needed to get home. Sleeping in the plane just didn't happen.
    We arrived in Austin on time and were home by 10:30 pm. Total flying time with layover was 16 hours. All of our flights were on time with no problems.
    We learned later some people experienced flight cancelations and delays.
    One person reported 35 hours to reach their destination.
    By the time I got into my own bed I had been up a full 24 hours, 11:15p CT=4:15a Reykjavik.
    Flying stopped up my Eustachian tubes (ears) so I could not hear for about 11 days after getting home. I saw the doctor who diagnosed me with bronchitis and gave me medicines. Today, 7/23/2023, I can hear better but still have sinus congestion and a little bit of cough. I'm glad I felt good until I on the way home. Better to be sick in your own place. I'm also glad Alicia did not catch anything from me.
    It was a great trip! We learned a lot and had many fun, interesting experiences. I hope you have enjoyed my blog and photos. I couldn't edit the route associated with this blog so I'm sorry it doesn't show anything but Austin. I tried to include location information along in the blog notes.    Read more

  • Traveler2023 Northern Europe Cruise
    Day 13

    Day 15, Reykjavik City Tour

    July 6, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    We disembark from NCL's Prima cruise ship at 8:30 am, pick up our luggage and catch the free city shuttle into town. The shuttle drops us off at The Harpa bus stop. The Harpa is a concert hall and conference center with a distinctive glass façade representing the basalt landscape of Iceland. It's an impressive structure but we need to find the Holt hotel and drop off suitcases. It’s a good 1 km (0.62 mi) walk. This is mostly a flat route except for the last three blocks that are uphill. By the time we’ve reached the hotel it feels like it was a longer distance. We store our bags as it is too early for check-in and get refreshments.
    Next on our agenda is to figure out where bus stops are for tomorrow's ride to the airport. We've asked to have the bus pick us up at the stop closest to our hotel about 7 minutes’ walk but just in case we check out other bus stop options. This gives us a good feel for the central city area.
    All is scoped out and it's a good time to eat before our afternoon city walk tour. There's the American Burger Bar nearby so we get a seat. I am not an adventurous eater and a burger sits well with both of us. There's a wall of pictures of American actors which we try to figure out who's who. A few faces we did not know. The food was good and we are ready for the afternoon.
    Mauricio, "Mo", is our guide for the City Walk. He is from the Dominican Republic, married an Icelandic woman, has twins and has lived in Iceland for the last 6 years. One of his other jobs is stand-up comedy so he keeps it interesting with his stories and experiences as well as giving us Icelandic history, stories of trolls, customs and notes about the language. For three hours he takes us to monuments, buildings, and places of interest in downtown Reykjavik.
    A note about the Icelandic language, it is our guide's opinion that this difficult language will eventually go the way of the dinosaur. Only Icelandic people speak this language. Duolingo doesn't even have it listed as an option for learning, but we can learn Klingon of Star Trek from Duolingo. Hmmm. Apparently, when The Vikings' shows have their actors speaking Old Norse it is really Icelandic. I found that logical and fascinating. Another factoid, Game of Thrones had scenes filmed in the lava fields on Iceland.
    After the tour we want to either go to the Harpa or to Hallgrimskirkja, famous Reykjavik church. Not enough time to do them both. We choose to go back to the Rainbow Street and onto the church. There is a statue of Leif Ericson in front of the church. This statue was given to the people of Iceland by the United States. The church is free to enter and look around. We get a ticket to ride up to the top for an overview of the city. The day has been sunny and warm. It's a great view.
    Afterwards, we are ready to get some supper and call it a day. We go back down the rainbow street (Skólavörðustígur in Icelandic) where I see a gluten free creperie. I choose the savory pizza crepe to share with Alicia and a chai latte. It hits the spot.
    Back at the hotel we settle in, shower, pack and get ready for our travel home day. For the last couple of days I've had a little cough, now it's worsening. My energy level has been good and I don't have a fever. There is chest congestion and I'm thankful I have my antihistamine and decongestant with me.    Read more

  • Traveler2023 Northern Europe Cruise
    Day 12

    Day 14, Reykjavik first day

    July 5, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 95 °F

    We have reached Reykjavik, capital city of Iceland. It's the largest Icelandic city with a population of about 140,000. This is our last day and night on The Prima cruise ship.
    Our excursion takes us toward Keflavik on the Reykjanes Peninsula to the Vikingaheimar (Viking World) Museum. There is a lot to learn and very little time. We see the Viking ship, burial ship and other exhibits. We are reading one of the exhibits when the page begins to shimmer. It's an earthquake tremor too small to be felt. There's been increasing tremors in this area and warnings of volcanic eruptions.
    Our next stop is the Blue Lagoon. Alicia has been looking forward to this place. It's a warm thermal lake with an amazing blue color. We have to shower completely naked in a room with other women before putting on our bathing suits. We've been advised to put conditioner in our hair and put it up. The minerals and silica in the water will apparently strip color and damage the hair. We walk or swim around finding the warmest spots in the lake. There's a cool breeze so I try to keep my shoulders under water. Our lagoon package includes a deep cleansing facial mud package and we can get a drink, either alcoholic or not, from the bar in the lagoon. It's fun and different. A couple of our tour guides say it is a rip-off but we've already paid for it and we found it enjoyable. Thankfully, we can shampoo our hair in the shower after the swim. They provided blow dryers and a environmentally safe plastic bag for our suits so we are comfortable walking back out into the cold.
    Next our excursion takes us to the geothermal and volcanic areas nearby in southern Iceland. With increasing seismic activity in the area there are concerns about tourists getting too close to the volcanoes. Our guide does not take us there but I do believe we were in the vicinity of the eruption that occurs 3 days after we leave Iceland. I asked the guide how Icelanders feel about living in a geologically active area. His response is that they are used to it. They are happy when the volcano erupts because then the tremors and earthquakes diminish or stop. Hardy people, those Icelanders. Of course, I've never lived close to these types of areas so it's all new. Now I can say I've experienced an earth tremor.
    On our way back to Reykjavik we drove through the 3rd largest city in Iceland, Hafnarfjordur. It's a fast growing community located about 10 km (6.21 miles) from Reykjavik.
    Back on board we have dinner at the Japanese Grill, Hasuki. I drink sake. We have to pack and put our suitcases outside our stateroom by 10 pm. They will pick them up and have them ready for us to pick up in the morning after we disembark.
    It's been a fun time. We have one more day in Reykjavik on our own before flying home.    Read more

  • Traveler2023 Northern Europe Cruise
    Day 11

    Day 13, July 4th, Day at Sea

    July 4, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 95 °F

    Our original itinerary had a stop at Isafjordur in northwest Iceland. When we boarded they presented us with a change with no stop here. All we could learn was the port was not open so our cruise ship could not enter. That was disappointing and we had to cancel our excursion to the Westfjords and Dynjandi waterfalls. Instead we had our third sea day.
    The shops on the ship were open for business for the last time. We had onboard credit to use so made our purchases. The shops can sell things tax-free while not docked at a port.
    Again, the day is leisurely. The Ocean Blvd is closed most of the time due to inclement weather. We have to report to Iceland Immigration authorities in the afternoon while onboard.
    Later we caught up with a new friend, Katy from Katy, Texas, for drinks. We met her in London while waiting for the Uber boat. She is a history school teacher and is one of the Traveling Texans group we are with on this cruise. She didn't do the same excursions as we did so this was our chance to hear her stories.
    Tonight is dinner at Le Bistro, the French specialty restaurant on this ship. I have learned to pre-order my meals 24 hours ahead since they have to be gluten free. I get better desserts that way.
    Tomorrow we have our last specialty dining venue at the Hasuki, Japanese grill. That was a fun restaurant.
    I'm including photos of foods from the trip. My son is always taking food photos so I'm partially doing it because of his habit. Of course, most of the time I'm already halfway through my food before I remember to take the photo.
    We did take some foreign currency, Pounds (GBP) for London, Euros for Brussels & Amsterdam, and Krona (ISK) for Iceland. I feel we would have been just fine without it. Everywhere we went they accepted credit cards or cashless electronic payments. I became adept at using My Wallet on my phone. Double-click, scan, go.
    Prices in Norway (Krone) and Iceland were a bit scary. I paid 145.00 Krone for entrance to the Norwegian Fjord Center. That was $13.58 USD. In Iceland we paid 1300 ISK for entrance to the church tower. In USD that was $9.49.
    A word about European restrooms. They are commonly called Toilets or Water Closets so we learned to look for signs to the WC. You do have to pay for them unless you are in the train stations, airports, or have eaten or purchased something at their restaurant or store. Once at the WC in Brussels the attendant wanted coin payment. I waved my phone at her then reached for my coin but by the time I had my coin she was ready to accept my phone for scanning. Scan and go.
    I am including a photo of a curious sign I saw inside a toilet. Check it out. There's only one way to use the toilet.    Read more

  • Traveler2023 Northern Europe Cruise
    Day 10

    Day 12 Akureyri, Iceland

    July 3, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 95 °F

    We have arrived in Iceland! We are in northern Iceland. Akureyri is the second largest city in Iceland with about 20-30,000 people. In contrast to Norway there is not an abundance of trees. Birch is the native tree. It is a short tree due to growing conditions. The lava hills are covered with short grass or moss with pretty flowers blooming in places. Lupine flowers are plentiful. In Texas we call these Bluebonnets.
    Our excursion takes out of the city to volcanic rock parks and geothermal fields. It isn't Yellowstone National Park but there are steam vents, fumaroles, bubbling mud and the smell of sulfur. At the volcanic park our guide tells us stories about trolls and elves. Certain lava formations have troll names. It is with good reason that the Icelandic people are proud of their stories, especially the sagas of long ago.
    The geothermal field is call Námafjall. I took a picture of the sign so I would know. We have lost track of the names that are so unfamiliar to us and hard to pronounce.
    The highlight of this excursion is Godafoss Waterfall. It's grand and makes us think of Niagara, though neither of us have been to Niagara yet. Up to now the weather has been sunny and cool. At Godafoss it is cloudy, windy and cold but no rain. The sun returned after we left the falls.
    An interesting geological fact is that Iceland sits on two tectonic plates, the North American plate and the Eurasian plate. The divide between those two plates is widening so, of course it is being monitored. We step across the divide. There are probably more impressive spots to stand on two tectonic plates in Iceland. Between that and the volcanic activity I'm just thinking that this is Earth building in action.    Read more

  • Traveler2023 Northern Europe Cruise
    Day 9

    Day 11 At Sea to Iceland

    July 2, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 95 °F

    At Sea days were days to chill, rest up, be leisurely around the ship. We are in the Norwegian Sea heading for Iceland. This is about the most northern point we will be in. It is gray, foggy, windy, cold and the sea is causing us to experience swaying movements. It's gentle and just noticeable, more so because we are landlubbers who are not accustomed to floors beneath our feet moving. The Ocean Blvd, outside walkway around the ship, is mostly closed due to inclement weather. There was probably about 2 hours of darkness between 12 and 2am. The photo I'm attaching is representative of the usual view.
    When we traveled from Austin, Texas to London, England we moved our clocks ahead 6 hours. On the way to Brussels we moved ahead another hour. We stayed in that time zone throughout Amsterdam and Norway. Now we go back one hour. Tomorrow we will move back another hour to Icelandic time, 5 hours ahead of Austin, TX. One always follows ship time when cruising.
    Alicia has noticed that the balcony door seal between the sliding doors has buckled which causes cold air to leak in. The heavy, black-out drapes keep us comfortable. I reported the problem to the stateroom steward and the problem was remedied by the next day.
    Alicia and I watch a couple movies and join part of the Traveling Texan group for dinner. Tonight we saw the live "Donna Summer Musical" in the Prima Theater. Good singers and actors. A thoroughly enjoyable presentation.
    I want to include a note about our tour guides in Norway. They all lived locally in or near the places we visited. The guide from Bergen was Vietnamese who grew up in France. He had moved to Norway with his family and spoke multiple languages. The guide in Geiranger was originally from Michigan. We were delighted to hear American English spoken as much as he was to speak and hear it. He had lived two years in Germany before moving to Norway. He and his wife had settled here and wanted to raise a family in Norway. He really had praises for the social, environmental and economic policies of the country. Our third guide in Ålesund was 25 years old and traveled to a different place every summer working as a professional guide. She was originally from Italy and exploring the region. All three loved Norway.
    I will also include three more photos from Geiranger.    Read more

  • Traveler2023 Northern Europe Cruise
    Day 8

    Day 10 Ålesund, Norway

    July 1, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 99 °F

    Today we arrive in Ålesund, Norway. It's a beautiful day. Sunny all day, temperature reached 61F. The daylight hours begin at ~3:45am. Sunset is at 11:34pm. We are enjoying these long days. Our stateroom has thick blackout drapes so no problems having a dark room to sleep in.
    It is a leisurely morning, our NCL excursion doesn't begin until afternoon. We are feeling the muscle fatigue from our hiking the previous day in Geiranger.
    The letter Å = aa in Norwegian and is pronounced "oo" like in "loose". So "Oo-le-soond". Some words I'm finding easy to interpret because they are similar to English like Skole is School. At least I'm doing better with Norwegian than I did with Dutch in Amsterdam.
    After breakfast we walk to the Town Center. It's Saturday and there's hardly any people around. We find our way to the Ålesund Kirke (church). Churches are predominantly Lutheran in Norway, we are told. There is a cemetery behind the church. I liked the tombstones with the candles. We climb an overlook and see the harbor from the other side of town. This is a quaint, pretty town.
    The afternoon excursion takes us to other highlights of this town. The Sunnmøre Open-Air museum is a good stop. We walk the grounds and see old homes with thatch roofs, schools, out buildings, etc. We learn there was a color coding system for how they painted their houses long ago. Red was for barns and outbuildings, Yellow for schools and businesses and White for wealthier people's homes. Some painted most buildings red to avoid taxation. Now, they prefer bright colors to cheer up long winters. There are ancient boats and a couple of Viking ships in this museum. I am including a video of the Viking ship seen at this museum. Chilling to think of being in the open sea with only an inch or two of plank between you and the water. The North Sea does not tend to placid, either.
    Next our guide takes us to Mt Aksla. It is an observation point of the town and harbor. There is still a WWII bunker up there that the Nazis built.
    We see the church again with the group then we are driven across a bridge to Hesse Island. More scenic views of Ålesund.
    We needed this easy day to rest and recover. The ship leaves port at ~4:30 pm. We will be at sea all day tomorrow. Tonight we find ship's entertainment, the Mike Sterling Show, in the Prima Theater (main theater) then hang out at the Penrose Atrium and Bar where there are more entertainers playing our genre of music. The Penrose has become a favorite haunt of ours.    Read more

  • Traveler2023 Northern Europe Cruise
    Day 7

    Day 9 Geiranger Part 2

    June 30, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 97 °F

    It was about 20 minutes walk uphill to the Norsk Fjordsenter (Norwegian Fjord Center). This building is shaped to represent Geirangerfjord, 'geir', an old word for arrow head and 'anger' for fjord. Geiranger is at the head of Geirangerfjorden which is an arrow-shaped fjord.
    The museum gave me a beautifully written booklet in three languages on the living history and nature of this area.
    Living on these steep mountain slopes was very challenging with hardships. The fjord area is so beautiful, though. There exhibits of the quay, steamer, post office, a church shed used as a changing place for people traveling a long distance from home to church, old homes, tools etc. I was particularly interested in the formation of Norway as we know it today over the multitude of Ice Ages which cut deep mountains and formed the fjords. Our morning guide had told us of a widening crack on a mountaintop that was being carefully measured and watched as it widens. He said there would be a tsunami when the rock cap fell. I learned this was not without precedence. There had been a landslide with resultant tsunami reaching 64m (210 ft) that killed 40 people in 1934. A good reason to be vigilant. Another danger is avalanches.
    We learned about the thatch roofs. It's an older technology and not commonly used anymore. They waterproofed the roof with birch bark and sod. When the grass got too high they would put goats on the roof to 'mow' it.
    Norway uses hydroelectric power, as you might imagine, with all those waterfalls and snow melt. We saw a lot of hybrid and electric cars. Lots of Teslas. Even these cute two-seater eMobility cars for tourists to rent.
    When I left the Fjord Center I walked down the Waterfall Trail to the harbor. Another long, powerful set of rapids and falls. I'm including a photo from that walkway. In the background (right) there is a waterfall coming down the mountain. To the best of my knowledge that waterfall and the foreground waterfall is not the same stream. Nor are either of them the hidden waterfall Alicia and I climbed to in the morning.
    As we sailed out of port we looked for the Seven Sisters Waterfalls. You can probably find the story online. There are legends and stories and so many waterfalls!
    One of the reasons we enjoyed this place so much was that we didn't spend all day in a bus and actually got some strenuous exercise. We then had time to explore the village and time off the ship.
    Going into the grocery store I saw a familiar site, an ad for Old El Paso products. It's interesting to see American made items in other places! The troll was outside another shop. Doesn't he remind you of the character Billy Crystal portrayed in the Princess Bride?
    The video of the waterfall is from the Waterfall Walkway leading down from the Fjord Center to the harbor.    Read more

  • Traveler2023 Northern Europe Cruise
    Day 7

    Day 9 Geiranger, Norway Part 1

    June 30, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 97 °F

    I have too many photos (limit 10 per post) so there will be at least 2 parts, maybe 3 to this stop.
    Geiranger was decidedly our favorite stop and excursion. This is our second day/stop in Norway. Geirganger is a small village at the end of a fjord. In winter it has about 100 people but booms with tourists during the summer. Due to the environmental damage from cruise ships they will be stopping the ships from coming into this fjord in 2026. Not sure how that will affect their economy but this is a World Heritage site and they want to keep that designation. There is an RV park at the shore which is completely filled with travelers.
    To get here our ship traveled the west coast of Norway from Bergen to Alesund then into the Inner Channel to Geirangerfjord. It was ~3am when we traveled the Inner Channel so I didn't see it. We will go back to Alesund for tomorrow's stop.
    Today Alicia and I are hiking up the mountain to a hidden waterfall called Storseterfossen. The bus takes us a little way up then we begin to walk. I've read this is Westerasfjellet Mountain and that will will be some 800 feet above the village. Not sure but I think the trek is about 4-5 miles round trip. We begin the climb on stone steps laid down to be stairs. It's steep but we're handling it. Though at one point we begin to sweat. Glad I brought a cloth to wipe with. Then it begins to rain, gently but we got wet! Alicia pulls out her rain poncho to wear. The rain stops before we reach the waterfalls. It's misty here with low clouds. Actually, we've had low clouds all morning and couldn't see the mountaintops. I say all of this to explain why we look like drowned rats in our photo.
    The multiple waterfalls are powerful and raging. I don't think I captured its grandeur. There is also a rock overhang so we can walk down behind the waterfall and I take more photos.
    Upon our return to the trailhead there is a restaurant where they serve us waffles with honey and jam. Yum!
    The bus then takes us back to town past the Norwegian Fjord Center. This looks interesting but we stayed on the bus not realizing we had an option to get off until too late. Alicia wants to accomplish some shopping so we browse the shops, have hot chocolate and yummy pieces of chocolate at a chocolate making shop, then find the grocery store called Joker (probably a "y" sound to that J). Alicia is headed back to the ship but I really want to back to the Fjord center. A tour guide says it's about a 20 minute walk and I can see it is all uphill following hairpin turns. It was worth the climb!    Read more

  • Traveler2023 Northern Europe Cruise
    Day 6

    Day 8 Bergen, Norway

    June 29, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 97 °F

    Today we arrive in Bergen, Norway. Our excursion is to the Hardanger Fjord. My best tracking of our bus ride is from Bergen to Fusa where we took a ferry ride then via land to Omastrand to see Hardanger Fjord then Norheimsund for a waterfall and buffet lunch at the Thon Hotel. We returned to Bergen by another route.
    The weather was mild at 15-18 C (59-64F). A gray day with low clouds. We were fortunate to only see rain while on the bus.
    Hardanger Fjord is the second longest fjord in Norway and the fifth largest in the world. It was beautiful, calm & serene. We continued our route to Norheimsund to see the Steindalsfossen waterfalls. Our guide explained the name, stein=rock, dals=valley, fossen=waterfalls, so Rock Valley Waterfalls. Seems Norwegian and Icelandic names, we later learned, are quite descriptive.
    Steindalsfossen was a powerful waterfall with a rock overhang so we walked up the path and behind the falls.
    On into town with a stop at Thon Hotel for a buffet lunch. Is hotel a word universally found in many languages? I know it in English, French, Spanish and now Norwegian. Who knows?
    The return to Bergen was via a different route. The countryside is green, covered with trees and waterfalls. The mountains are granite which shows through at times. Their highways were in great condition but narrow along the mountainside. Many times our bus drivers showed extreme skill in navigating the hairpin turns or having to back up the bus to let an oncoming vehicle through.
    The ship left Bergen through the fjords and islands. I watched from the Observation Lounge as we sailed under the bridge. As we got out to sea we felt more rocking of the boat. This was actually the first time we felt anything significant but all was normal.
    I am realizing my Norwegian great grandmother lived about 70 north of Bergen. I pause to consider the country she left in Norway at age 17 to emigrate to America then settle on the plains of South Dakota near Mitchell. What a dramatic change in lifestyle and scenery.    Read more

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