Serenade of the “C’s” I Mean “I’s” – Ice Bergs, Iceland, Ice Caps and Ice Cream

[SailorJack]

We have reached the Geysir field. 

 

 

Steam and boiling water seemed to be coming out of the ground everywhere.

 

 

 

The rivers running down the hill were boiling hot!

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

On ‎12‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 11:33 AM, ecslady said:

 

 

Come check out the roll call  if you haven't.

 

 

 

Just a heads up on the roll call.  We got a lot of good tips on tours on our roll call so make sure you check it out.

 

Jack

[SailorJack]

There was a short walk to the main geyser - all the while with a heavy sulfur odor.

 

 

 

 

Everywhere you looked there were bubbling fumaroles. I wondered if Danes inferno may have looked like this.

 

 

We were warned not to touch the water or risk getting severe burns.

 

[SailorJack]

This is the base pond for Strokkur - the main active geyser in the three square kilometer geothermal area.  The largest geyser is Geysir which is currently inactive.  When active is shot water up over 500 feet into the air. Geysir was where we derived our name "geyser."  Geysir is reputed to be the first geyser witnessed by Europeans and was first recorded in 1204.  Notice that there are no protective railings around the sinkhole.

 

 

 

This is Storkkur erupting.  The plume of steam and water reaches between 90 and 120 feet and erupts every 8 to 10 minutes.

 

 

 

 

After viewing a few eruptions of Stokkur we had lunch at the Kantina.  The main course was Icelandic Salmon and was delicious. The place had seating for literally hundreds of patrons and included a huge souvenir shop.  Good place to dine and shop. Lunch was included in the tour, but not the shopping.

 

 

 

[FromSea2ShiningSea]

On 12/31/2018 at 11:48 AM, SailorJack said:

 

 

Just a heads up on the roll call.  We got a lot of good tips on tours on our roll call so make sure you check it out.

 

Jack

Sailor Jack,

 

What was the dates of this cruise?  Tried looking for the roll call but had problem finding it.

 

Thanks,

Helen

[SailorJack]

On ‎12‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 8:20 AM, BigNance said:

There were likely no women architects on that design team.............

 

 

A possibility.  But this may have also been designed before the big boom in Icelandic tourism.  According to several travel websites, Iceland is THE place to visit.

[BigNance]

I have heard that.  A couple of our friends gone for long weekends (we are in the Philly area) and LOVE it. 

[SailorJack]

On ‎12‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 2:49 PM, lakelorain said:

I was on there that day. There were also restrooms on another floor with multiple stalls.  No wait.

 

 

 

Interesting.  You would have thought that they would have posted a notice to that effect.  The line on the main floor was so long several of our companions opted to wait for the next stop - about an hour or so away.  You can imagine the rush to get off the bus when we got there.

[SailorJack]

The next stop on the Golden Circle tour is the Gullfoss Waterfall. While not the Niagara Falls, it was nonetheless magnificient in its power. The steps leading down to the valley were quite good, but once down on the rocky perimeter the footing is quite treacherous.  A number of people (including yours truly) slipped and fell climbing up the rocky incline to get the "perfect" photo.

 

 

 

The falls are on the Hvita River - and is fed from the ice sheet and glacier.

 

 

 

Nearly 5,000 cubit feet of water a second fall over the two stage water fall.

 

 

[SailorJack]

Ooops, looks like I posted the same photo twice.. I meant to show one giving a little more perspective.

 

 

[SailorJack]

Some last photos of Gullfoss  before we head to our next stop on the Golden Circle. Up close and personal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The downside of the waterfall.  The crashing water created a curtain of mist.

 

 

 

 

 

And the crevasse created by the flow of water over the years.

 

 

 

 

[Saltdog]

On 12/17/2018 at 1:41 PM, stevea36 said:

RCI Just released the 2020 version of this trip.   It will be on Brilliance of the Seas, 15 nights, from Amsterdam to Boston, Leaving on September 2, 2020.

 

You will not regret the balcony. I took a similar transatlantic (and back!) cruise on Holland America and spent a lot of time enjoying the views. Gerainger is perhaps my favorite port of all time. Absolutely stunning. If they offer it, I highly recommend a trip up to Mt. Dalsnibba. Amazing views up top and on the way. Prins Christian Sound was another favorite.

[Saltdog]

SailorJack, this is the first review I've run across of yours (and as others have attested, I'm missing out!), and I cannot tell you how many times I laughed out loud (or downright gaffawed) reading your excellent trip report. You should think about professional comedy! No, never mind, let's keep you here. 

 

Off to find some other trips of yours.

[SailorJack]

On the way to our next stop on the Golden Circle we pass a number of farms that are heated by the steam coming out of the earth.  This farmer has build a small enclosure around the fissure in the earth and has harnessed the steam.

 

 

 

 

.We also pass Thingvallavatn - the largest natural lake in Iceland - with an area of 84 square kilometers and a depth of 114 meters

 

 

 

Our first view of the rift valley - with a waterfall thrown in for good measure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

On ‎1‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 3:02 PM, FromSea2ShiningSea said:

Sailor Jack,

 

What was the dates of this cruise?  Tried looking for the roll call but had problem finding it.

 

Thanks,

Helen

 

 

Sorry to take so long, I had to dig through my files to find the actual date.  The ship left Copenhagen on August 26.

 

Jack

[FromSea2ShiningSea]

7 hours ago, SailorJack said:

 

 

Sorry to take so long, I had to dig through my files to find the actual date.  The ship left Copenhagen on August 26.

 

Jack

Got it!  Thank you for that, Jack.  It is a lot to read (91 pages!) but I look forward to getting some good tips.    

 

I have really enjoyed your review and photos.  Thanks again!

[SailorJack]

We have arrived at Thingvellir National Park - one of Iceland's most popular tourist designations and a world heritage site since 2004. The visitor center was excellent with helpful attendants and really modern, clean restrooms.

 

 

It borders Iceland's largest lake with some stunning views.

 

 

The rift valley. The climb down into the valley is not very strenuous, but climbing back up is!  Our guide, however, earned her tip - she had the bus parked at the bottom of the valley (you can see it in the far background) so we didn't have to climb back up.

 

 

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

On ‎1‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 9:44 AM, Saltdog said:

SailorJack, this is the first review I've run across of yours (and as others have attested, I'm missing out!), and I cannot tell you how many times I laughed out loud (or downright gaffawed) reading your excellent trip report. You should think about professional comedy! No, never mind, let's keep you here. 

 

Off to find some other trips of yours.

 

 

Glad you enjoyed it.  Very kind words indeed. Links to my other reviews are in my signature - hope you find them enjoyable as well.

 

Jack

Edited January 7, 2019 by SailorJack

[SailorJack]

We couldn't tell if people were really living in the rift valley, but if they did they had a beautiful setting - rivers, hiking trails, and scenic views.

 

 

 

 

One thing about Iceland  - if you love rainbows this is the place to be.

 

 

A final look before we head down into the rift.

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

On ‎1‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 9:50 PM, FromSea2ShiningSea said:

Got it!  Thank you for that, Jack.  It is a lot to read (91 pages!) but I look forward to getting some good tips.    

 

I have really enjoyed your review and photos.  Thanks again!

 

You're welcome.

 

Glad you liked the photos  - I know you will enjoy seeing them in person even more.  Have a great cruise!

 

Jack

[SailorJack]

We are heading down into the rift.  This is actually pretty exciting - to think that there is no tectonic plate underneath us.  What's holding us up?

 

 

 

 

We sympathized with the people who had to walk up from the valley - our bus was waiting for us at the bottom.

 

 

 

This sign told us that a hole occurred in the floor of the earth and they had to build a bridge over the hole in the trail.  They didn't post the sign until we were halfway down!

 

 

[SailorJack]

Deeper into the rift.  Our guide did not take us down the path - it was sort of a DYI exploration trip.

 

 

 

 

Looking back up the path.

 

 

 

Down on the valley floor. Lots of walking/jogging paths down here. You can see our bus in the far background.

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

Our guide liked to use the phrase "where history meets nature" in describing this national park.  That is because the flagpole marks the spot where, in 920, democracy first came to the western world.  It was here, in 920, that the first parliament in Iceland was located.  Parliament continued to meet here until 1798 - nearly 900 years!

 

 

Our Golden Circle tour almost at an end, we head for our bus and pass a nice little waterfall. This was an amazing stop and a nice way to end our tour.

 

 

 

A Zen moment.

 

[Baatman]

Looks like a great tour.  If you don't mind my asking, what was the fee for the tour?

[SailorJack]

18 hours ago, Baatman said:

Looks like a great tour.  If you don't mind my asking, what was the fee for the tour?

 

 

It is a really good tour - gives you a real feeling about Iceland's attractions.  But for the life of me I don't remember how much it cost.  I had a boatload (no pun intended) of OBC so used some of it for the ship's tour. Ergo, no credit card statements to refer to. I think it may have been somewhere between $150 and $200, but just don't remember. 

 

Jack