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Iceland

April - May 2023
Via Hamburg, Norway, Shetland and Faroe Islands Read more
  • 17footprints
  • 6countries
  • 15days
  • 113photos
  • 0videos
  • 3.7kmiles
  • 1.6ksea miles
  • 1.6kmiles
  • 302miles
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  • TravelerIceland
    Day 2

    Devon to Heathrow

    April 30, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Travel to Heathrow for flight to Hamburg. Complication of this trip is flying out from T5 but back to T2! Decided best option was to park at T2. To avoid leaving at 04:00 have booked the Sofitel hotel at T5 and drop Karen and cases off there before parking. Yet again navigating the Heathrow lifts is a challenge. The hotel lift also proved interesting as the floor indicators were not working. Fortunately a friendly fellow guest (who had previously negotiated this problem) told us and the other guests in the never ending loop so we could escape. There is a large water feature and fountain in the reception which had notices about being careful not to let children play there. Of course, that always applies to other people not your family so the floor was soaked after 2 little dears had finished.Read more

  • TravelerIceland
    Day 3

    Hamburg

    May 1, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Started the day with the flight showing a 3 hour delay, as the plane had been in Lisbon and the French Air Traffic controllers strike meaning it couldn’t fly directly back to the UK. Luckily an alternative route reduced the delay to 30 minutes. Airport pick up slightly confusing.Apparently I was supposed to book in with both Hurtigruten reps, so although we were on the coach it was thought we had got lost in the airport. Had to show passports about 6 times to board the ship, even when collecting our second set of red jackets. As usual Karen’s case lost the tag with the cabin number on. It was spotted by the lifts on our deck. Left port at 18:00 sailing up the Elbe (did remind us of the Rhine with the small towns we passed) towards the North Sea. The cabin is spacious with a big balcony accessed by 2 sets of patio type doors. Eventually worked how to switch the lighting on and off ……Read more

  • TravelerIceland
    Day 4

    North Sea

    May 2, 2023, North Sea ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    No activities today, just sailing in the North Sea along the coast of Denmark to our first landing in Norway. Feel very much in the minority on this voyage as majority of passengers are German,( to be expected as that is where the voyage started in Hamburg). Only about 20 on yesterday’s coach from the airport and that included a few Norwegians. Could just see the land and some wind turbines early this morning, a small gap between the land and the dark cloud made for an interesting sun rise.Read more

  • TravelerIceland
    Day 5

    Lysefjord

    May 3, 2023 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Arrived Stavanger early morning waiting for pilot to arrive and guide through the channels to Forsand. It was an early drop off for those who had chosen the excursion to hike to Preikstolen, an overlook some 600 metres high above the fjord. ( now famous as being used to represent some Indian cliffs in Mission Impossible Fallout. ) We had opted for the less strenuous zodiac cruising trip, taking us further up the fjord to a hole in the cliffs historically used by robbers to hide, then back down to one of the many waterfalls. It is known as the whisky falls as it was used to dispose of alcohol in the days of prohibition in Norway. Unfortunately the graffiti taggers had managed to spoil some of the sheer rock walls even in this isolated place.Read more

  • TravelerIceland
    Day 6

    The Shetlands

    May 4, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    Did spot an oil rig during the overnight sailing, before arriving this morning in Lerwick, Shetland Isles. After being checked by Immigration officials we were let back into the UK with a red dot placed on our ship passes. Today’s trip is to Sumburgh Head, the southerly point of this isle. Sumburgh Head is an RSPB bird sanctuary and lighthouse location. We did manage to see a couple of puffins set back in the rocky cliff but mostly seagulls perched in crevices and wheeling around. On the way we passed a beach with seals happily sunbathing and came back via a small village where Karen purchased a pair of locally knitted fingerless gloves. (Internet a bit hit and miss so ability to upload pictures variable, picture of seals yet to replicate to tablet.)Read more

  • TravelerIceland
    Day 7

    The Faroes

    May 5, 2023 in Faroe Islands ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    Arrived Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Isles in the late morning. Again lucky with the weather as it was another dry day.Apparently it rains 260 days a year here. We have opted for the boat trip to the Vestmannavegurin bird cliffs today. Iceland sheep everywhere although they can be difficult to spot in the landscape. The sheep population outnumbers the humans by around 20,000. No trees again, but plenty of grass for the sheep grazing even on the steepest cliffs. Some of the traditional houses also have grass roofs, good for insulation, but there are also a lot of modern newly built properties here as the town has expanded rapidly in recent years. On the boat trip we were shown the sites of the puffin colonies, but apparently we are a few weeks early for the breeding season. I spotted one puffin swimming and later a seal. I was too slow with the camera for both. The bird population was mostly gulls. The sea however was a striking turquoise blue! The stone walls in third picture are the remains of the fortress - Skansin, which overlooked and protected the harbour.
    It seems the tip for spotting sheep is to lookout for a rock which moves. That is a clue you may have noticed a sheep…    Read more

  • TravelerIceland
    Day 8

    Seyoisfjorour

    May 6, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Long voyage before we get to today’s destination. It has been foggy most of the day. Just clearing to give our first sight of Iceland as we entered the long fjord to our stop. Seyoisfjorour a small village with 500 to 700 residents depending upon season. Arrived an hour early at 16:00. Starting to get cold when we went out. Then the guide took us around in about an hour with a potted history of the houses and links to the rest of Iceland. The village relies n fish and tourism, but is also an arts centre with visiting artists coming and staying for extended periods. 15 years ago there were 2 land slips which swept away a number of houses.The rocks and mud pushed several houses into the sea but also uncovered some nationally significant Viking remains which are still being excavated. The landslides were caused by more rain falling in 24 hours than is usual in a year even in this damp climate. Our guide made her living by being a clothes designer using eider down. We could see a number of said ducks bobbing around on the water.Read more

  • TravelerIceland
    Day 9

    Grimsey Island - Artic Circle

    May 7, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Arrived alongside Grimsey Island around lunchtime and waited for the call for our deck to use the shuttle to the harbour. The plan was obviously changed and a basic free for all was announced. Managed to be onshore at 14:30. Decided to walk to the Globe monument which marks the line of the Arctic Circle. The Islanders have to regularly move the stone as the artic boundary moves allowing Iceland to claim it is an Arctic country even if only by a few hundred yards. Took about an hour to reach the marker with magnificent views everywhere. We carried on past the marker to the northernmost point of the island. Mostly gulls nesting in the rocks but eventually spotted a lone puffin as we made our way back to the harbour. Karen went back to the ship while I decided to go to the south of the island to get pictures of the church and the lighthouse.Read more

  • TravelerIceland
    Day 10

    Akureyri and a long sightseeing tour

    May 8, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    18 hours of daylight now (roughly 04:00 to 22:00), so awake early. Sailing very slowly as the ship has just entered the fjord for Akureyri. (Akureyri showing the fish factory). Tactic of the trip was to go to furthest point and work back so after 90 minutes we arrived at a desolate “muddy” looking landscape with steam rising from geysers and the smell of sulphur when downwind. Next onto the lava fields left from eruptions thousands of years ago.We followed the shortest walking trail through oddly shaped lava columns. Then lunch (salmon and salad) at the lake, followed by a walk along the shore of what is the largest lake in Iceland?Noticed what looked like with craters created by bursting lava bubbles. The last stop was a magnificent waterfall in full flow. The Gudass falls are very busy at the height of the season so we were lucky to be the only group there.Arrived back at ship 16:45. Pictures when internet connection will allow.Read more

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