drron29

Forget the Amazon,here is the real meeting of the waters. Caused by the run off from the glacier. As always the birds kept us company. Next one of the cruise highlights.

Saturday. A very good night's sleep and awake to another fine day. We are entering Prince Christian Sund and will view the Sernet glacier. At first it is not as spectacular as yesterday but the further we go the better things become. I am able to go out on the back deck sheltered from the wind just in a short sleeved shirt and jeans.

Seishin was in existence before Kaiseki was on the newer ships.

Certainly a change from last year on the Dawn. And in May on the Moon it was made fresh. The standard serve of each dish was 3 pieces but you could order several dishes at a time so your platter would look like this. Now the fish is not fresh but is frozen, but obviously from a good supplier who knows how to freeze the fish and then thawed properly. We love our Japanese food and the sushi and sashimi are of a good standard so on our 54 day Moon cruise we ate in Kaiseki 40 times. Now you certainly will get better in upmarket sushi restaurants especially in Japan but certainly as good as the everyday sushi you get there. As regulars there we had our lunch served by the chef.

The last of a spectacular day of cruising. At 1700 we steamed out into the open sea.The swell was now down to about 2 metres.After a marvellous day tonight was the Captain's Welcome Cocktail party. An historic day for Silversea. Then to dinner which we had with the newest Expedition member Travis. More of him later. The meal included Foie Gras and then lobster so we definitely approved. After dinner it was upstairs having a few Amarulas with the music of Lou in the background. There were now some barrier islands so really smooth and we enjoyed the last of the sunset.

I used a Sony pocket point and shoot. HX90V. Not made anymore but I still have it for zoom shots. Skjoldingen fjord just kept getting better.

A great read all the way from Dublin to Kangerlussuaq. A really wonderful style that you have recounting your adventures. The polar plunge though can be a bit different. I did my first off Svalbard from the PA11 as it was knownt then. I was tied up by the wife of our Expedition leader. I asked her if she was experienced in tying men up. she assured me she was. however as I hit the water the rope came off. So I had a bonus swim. Six months later I did my second in the waters off Commonwealth Bay in Antarctica with humpbacks nearby. it really is exhilarating.

Weatherwise the afternoon was the complete opposite of the morning.As we came to the narrowest part of the fjord the colours were amazing. Captain Maggi was doing an excellent job.The zodiac in the following pictures is the cruise photographer getting some great shots

At least it was calm as we cruised in Skjoldingen fjord.Although it remained overcast the scenery just got better. As lunch approached there began to be a little bit of blue sky appearing.This certainly enhanced the colours. The blue ice has a certain magic.Here is some more as a zodiac cruise of the glacier was offered.The zodiacs give a perspective to this magical place

Difficult to sleep that night as seas are ~4 metres. Thursday and it is grey and overcast.Still the same swell.Lectures on Arctic birds and the history of Iceland.Seemed rather routine-drinking by age 3,first murder at age 7 nothing out of the ordinary. Then lunch and after the mandatory zodiac briefing.Apparently even world champion zodiac paddlers have to attend.Then an afternoon snooze-need to get a bit of energy for dinner. Dinner was nice,not great.Feature was that the swell had increased to 6-7 metres and plates went sliding across the table at times.Sleep was difficult with things sliding of tables,drawers sliding out.Even packing things away in a cupboard didn't work-it opened and everything spread across the room again. Friday dawned and the sky was still grey.Raining,cold and looking miserable.But then we saw our first iceberg. Then the first sight of land. Then a real bonus-4 fin whales. And the bird life increased in numbers. The morning remained cold,grey and wet but it couldn't detract from the natural beauty of Skjoldingen fjord. Most of these photos have been posted before but there are some extras.

But finally Wednesday comes around and it is time to board the Explorer.It is docked at the Old Harbour.We sleep in,have a leisurely breakfast in the restaurant before getting a taxi to the ship.Just 4 Km and it costs 2000ISK($20).Taxi pulls up right at the ship and so midday and we board.A lot of the staff are still on from our April cruise so we catch up with them.Then lunch with a couple from San Francisco and another from the UK. Good to see the ship being refuelled. Overhead was the flightpath for Reykjavik city airport. With a lot of supplies being loaded. But will it be enough of the good stuff? The Art Museum is just across the road from the Explorer. And just outside the wharf the little Engine that could. A trawler leaves. Now Iceland has no Army,Navy or Air Force but it does have a Coastquard. And a final look at Reykjavik before the gangplank is raised. Then comes the introduction to the Explorer.At least 80% of the passengers have been on her before though.Then comes the boat drill before we head off into the wild blue yonder. The long serving Captain of the Explorer watches as the first woman to captain a Silverseas ship takes the Explorer out. Past the Coastquard. And an old Icelandic boat. Past the Concert Hall. And locals anxious for their last look at the Explorer. And off into the Ocean we steam. Our last view of the Hilton and the church. as the pilot leaves and Reykjavik fades from view.

On Tuesday after breakfast we picked up a bus pass from thr Hilton front desk.This was complimentary for all guests and allows 4 people to use any bus in the Reykjavik area.You can pick up a bus map and timetable from the Reykjavik Information centre or look on line at straeto.is. So we caught the bus downtown.This is one of the shopping streets. There is a lot of street art. The other shopping street has a great view. As you can see Tuesday turned out to be a beautiful day. Blue sky,sunshine and very little wind. Certainly different to our 3 days driving. After we walked the 2 main shopping streets we walked to Icelandic Fish and Chips which was recommended to us. On the way passed some more street art. So at lunch we shared a serve of cod and a serve of Pollock,a serve of garlic potatoes and one of crisp potatoes along with a trio of dips. The batter is certainly nice and the fish cooked to perfection. Unfortunately we found it very bland as were the dips. The potatoes were very good. With a beer and a glass of wine ~ $60 so not inexpensive. Across the road a rare touch of floral colour. Now to show some of the other sights from the Hilton lounge. First there is a hop on/off bus with an open top! But seeing you could get free rides on the public busses from the Hilton it is no surprise no one gets on or off this service at the Hilton. A good view of the bay. Ideal for small sailing boats and liners alike. Next we board the Explorer.

Fortunately our plans were to turn off to Stokksevri and their supposedly famous restaurant Fjorubortit.Now basically only 2 dishes-a fish soup and lobster tails in garlic and butter.The soup was lighter and definitely inferior to the previous 2 in Reykjavik.There were some very mushy lobster tails as well indicating that they had been frozen and not thawed correctly. Son if you want quantity at a lesser price this is the place but if you like quality then go elsewhere.It is a stop for many tour busses and that says it all for me. From Stokksevri we returned to Reykjavik via Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon.This had the advantage of having hardly any traffic.The road to Grindavik though was through a lava field.Mile after mile of lava. However it was then a very new road and at that time it was not on google maps so according to our GPS we were lost. We found out later that google was ready to fix it. We did not pay to enter the Blue Lagoon.Think the price is just too high.Besides there are hot pools outside the complex if you really believe in their healing powers. Also couldn't help taking this photo.Watch out for the hill! The Google Earth car went by. At a lookout close to the Blue Lagoon you could watch planes landing at KEF. On Monday night the Blue car fellow came to the Hilton to pick up the car.We felt the service was very good.It worked for us as we like to be independent.We weren't very hungry so just grazed in the Hilton lounge.

Monday and it was a public holiday in Iceland.We went for a drive to Vik.Going there was not too bad for traffic.I recommend the last 60Km into Vik.Really beautiful scenery.There were many waterfalls.Some unknown- Some famous. And Glaciers you could see from the road. It was again a very windy day and once more if you were passing walkers or the many cyclists you could give them a free shower if you operated your windscreen washers whilst passing them.The first time it was accidental! Vik is a delightful small town with a church in prime position and majestic mountains for a back drop. Then there is their famous black sand beach.If my zoom was powerful enough it would show in the next photos the next land mass-Antarctica. Behind Vik are the snow and icefields. On the return from Vik the traffic was really heavy with all the locals who had gone south for the long weekend returning.This was not helped by the conduct of many drivers particularly of tour busses.Others would cross straight across you on the highway.Particularly annoying were a pair of young women tourists who must have obtained their licence out of a corn flakes pack-driving straddling the middle line.If you tried to overtake they would pull across further.

It can take a while to clean up after lunch as 12 noon to 4pm is usually butler's down time so only a few working during those hours. The Expedition ship did have the same butler hours when we were aboard but may have changed since then.

Some views from the Hilton lounge. On Sunday night we had our best meal in Reykjavik at the Fish House. Reading the menu we were unsure of our choice but after tasting the food we were converts. I started with the Fish soup.It had a piece of fish,a lobster tail,a couple of small scallops and a coconut jelly. The broth had just a hint of chilli. That and the coconut jelly turned this from a good dish into a perfect blend of favours. . Rojaan had the veal carpaccio with thinly sliced beetroot and a foie gras puff,she enjoyed it. She then had the lobster and monkfish dish which had good flavour and cooked just right. Whilst I had the fish of the day-salted cod,plaice and blue ling. Again each cooked perfectly. The only let down was the blue ling which had little taste.The plaice was great. We then went for a drive around some of Reykjaviks sights. First the Viking ship statue. Then the Concert Hall by the old harbour. Then the Hallgrinskirk.

The country was quite stark. We saw evidence of older forms of dwelling. and the lava flow from an earlier eruption- The wind was nearly at gale force at times which whipped up the snow on Snaefellsjokul. You could see where the lava flowed into the sea. There was a road over the slopes of the volcano,Snaefellsjokul, but I was too chicken to take it. We began to go round the volcano so getting new views. At the point of the peninsula there were interesting lava formations by the sea. The volcano took on a different look. And on the western shore of the peninsula the scenery changed. And another church on the way back to Reykjavik. On our way back from the west coast we saw a rare white tailed eagle.By the time I got my camera out though it was gone.

Sunday and off to an early start as it is a much greater distance today.The first thing that commanded our interest was a 5KM tunnel on the main highway to the west which goes through a mountain and under a fjord.This is looking back to where the tunnel is.A large expanse of water to traverse.It bamboozled the GPS which had us drowning. The scenery was impressive. We saw a waterfall direct into the sea and many lagoons. And lots more horses and waterfalls. But then our first sight of the volcano. Then an unusual sighting of large trees. And picturesque farms by the sea. And a hotel in the middle of...well nowhere. .But it was still the mountain that took our attention. The road wound round the hillside. Which took us to the place where Iceland's worst serial killer took 18 lives in the 1500s.

I have exactly the same experience. but then again I know my computer just does what it wants to do.

There is no where in Japan where the chance of seeing Mt. fuji in all it's glory is near 100%. Even with all our visits and being in places where there can be a view of Fuji we have never seen the complete mountain. We have even stayed in Kawaguchiko which is at the base of Fuji in a room with a direct view of Fuji for 9 days in total with still no luck seeing the complete mountain. We are going back in late April next year for another 4 nights attempt.

I remember going to the breakfast buffet at our hotel in Glasgow. Every hot dish was deep fried and often left in the oil. The fried eggs were left in the serving dish under 2 inches of oil. And there was a fellow reading his morning paper. On the front page was an article headlined Officials blame England for the high rate of heart problems in Scotland. Yeah right.