Iceland has a short growing season and so Icelandic flora is limited to smaller hardy plants that can survive the harsh climate and poor soil conditions. However, during the late spring and summer months it has an abundance of daylight that can make up for the long winter months. This gives plenty of time for…
We sail back to Liverpool away from Reykjavik port just after 5 PM and head South West around the Reykjanes Peninsula. It was all quiet then, but since has had huge volcanic activity toward the south near Grindavik. The fissures that erupted are linked to the ones we visited in Thingvellir as Iceland is being…
Walking on down the Lækjargata there are many typically Icelandic or Scandinavian style buildings of note. This one is a School. The Tjarnarskóli ehf School on the corner by the Tjörnin lake. The tower is very ‘Addams Family’. On the other side of Lækjargata is the Gimli Building that was obviously dated at 1905 by…
Reykjavík is our next and final port of call before setting sail back to Liverpool. We leave Ísafjörður around 6pm to sail up the Ísafjarðardjúp and down the west coat past the Westfjörðs and on to Reykjavík. We pass the most northerly fishing village in Westfjords, Bolungarvík. Nestled under a crescent of 600m plus mountains….
Isafjörður is a popular stop for the cruise ships and we find ourselves with the company of two other cruise ships, the MV Viking Star and the MV Artania both much smaller vessels than the MS Borealis. Hence, either due to the size or arriving last we anchor just off shore in the fjord. This…
Leaving the Goðafoss falls and heading east towards Lake Mývatn, we follow Route 1 across fertile river valleys for about 45 mins until we reach Lake Mÿvatn. Just beyond the Lake is a major change in landscape as we enter the Mývatn Geothermal Area. A land of steam and volcanic lava rock with the dormant…
We set off at a very leisurely 11:30am on a dry but overcast Tuesday. Rain was in the air, and by the time we got to Goðafoss it was a wet windy day. The initial road taken was part of Icelands Route 1 that goes right around the island so it was a good standard….
Akureyri is our next port of call. Situated at the end of a long fjord, Eyjafjordur, north of Iceland. A good place to explore the north and central part of the island. By the time we awake we are already in port. It’s a typical overcast start to the day but from the ship we…
While I use the phrase walk, it’s more like a short amble from the quayside to the falls. So an easy option for many on a day stop cruise to Seydisfjordur. The approach is flat but you can climb gently up to the rocky falls. From a photographic point of view it is well worth…
Arriving in Seydisfjordur early Monday morning, we needed to be up early as we had an onshore trip to look forward to. This was the boat trip to the Skálanes Bird Cliffs. The cliffs are at the mouth of the fjord about 14km away. We were to have had breakfast and be ready and waiting…