Daily updates for the Iceland & Greenland Expedition Cruise on the Seabourn Venture with Jann Porter, 21 August to 4 September 2022
PRE-CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS
We began in Reykjavik, it was full of surprises and attractions that comprise the most bustling spot in the country. Despite its notoriety as a city, Reykjavik boasts a small-town personality with exciting urban qualities.
We then explored the iconic Golden Circle with stunning views in Thingvellir National Park, the only place in the world where you can see the tectonic plates drift apart. We visited one of the most impressive waterfalls in the Europe, Gullfoss (Golden Waterfall) with thousands of tons of icy water thundering down.
For one of our hotel stays, we stayed at Hotel Geyser across the road from an area of hot springs and geysers that you can walk around at leisure. The water is BOILING hot. The Strokkur geyser is capable of shooting water 90 feet high and erupts every 5 minutes or so.
We also visited Reynisfjara, this magnificent black beach was rated the most impressive of its kind in Iceland and one of the worlds top 10 most beautiful non-tropical beaches. We did a ice walk on the Solheimajokull glacier, this is the Southmost glacier in Iceland where ice is up to 200 meters thick. We drank some glacier water and it was delicious!
We also visited Reynisfara beach, and the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. An endless grass covered plateau suddenly drops 65 meters onto the plains, causing the glacier on Eyjafjallajokull volcano to shoot over the edge in spectacular fashion. Uniquely, you can walk behind the waterfall to experience it from a completely different angle.
We did a Super Jeep Safari into Thorsmork , a nature reserve in the southern Icelandic highlands and absolutely stunning. Rugged mountains, glaciers and glacial rivers. This was where the fourth season of Game of Thrones was filmed!
Embarkation day and setting sale from Reykjavik, Iceland
Sunday, 21 August 2022
We’re onboard! The check in / boarding process was painless and with no hassle, as we got there early and got straight on.
As we arrived, they gave us bright tags, a different colour for each deck and we wrote our suite numbers on. Next, the Seabourn crew checked our PCR tests and asked a few questions. The process was really quick and no boarding passes were required. We then got onboard for a photo and went off to enjoy a lunch. We were notified that our suites were ready, before we’d even finished lunch and our suite cards were waiting in our rooms.
The ship is lovely but I must admit, I still haven’t seen it all! It’s very different onboard having everything electronic, so we asked for printed program’s for the Cruise Options group to make it more convenient for us.
We’ll be arriving in Grundarfjordur, Iceland tomorrow and cant wait to share some beautiful pictures with you!
Grundarfjordur, Iceland
Monday, 22 August 2022
We boarded the Seabourn Venture in Reykjavik at 12:30 yesterday and docked in Grundarfjordur, a little fishing village in Iceland at 07:00.
We drove to Snaefellsnes National Park, the only coastal National Park in Icelland. We also visited Djupalonssandur, a rocky black beach. There was a lIghthouse at the Malariff Visitor Centre. Our biggest excitement was seeing an Arctic Fox with a bird in its mouth. We followed it for a while and saw a second one.
We visited Arnarstapi with interesting geological phenomena and rich bird life as well as Stykkisholmor.
We had a lovely evening onboard where Cruise Director Sarah did a show, what a lovely voice!
Vigur Island, Iceland
Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Vigur Island is the second largest island in the Westfjords region, Iceland. A breeding ground to thousands of birds, Eider Ducks and Puffins (we only saw 3 on the water as they’ve already left for the end of summer) are the islands most famous residents.
The island is run as a farm by a family that harvests and processes Eider down, over 7 000 nest on the island every summer.
Ittoqqortoomiit, Greenland
Wednesday, 24 August 2022
At 09:00 we had an interesting talk with photo’s by Navarana Bidstrup, a Greenland Native, telling us about the Greenlandic way of life and their unique culture in the far North. There was beautiful clothing and beadwork.
Later there was great excitement as we saw the first iceberg of the cruise and on such a beautiful day.
Ittoqqortoormit is th eonly human settlement in the vastness of Scoresby Sound, Greenland. A small amalgamation of colourful houses on a rocky hillside and home to 350 people. It’s the most isolated town in Greenland and at the mouth of the largest fjord system in the world.
Zodiacs shuttled guests ashore from 12:30 to 16:30. There was a little local concert at the dock and a local supermarket. There was a beautiful little church and all churches in Greenland have a model ship hanging inside.
We had a lovely Venetian High Tea in the Constellation Lounge onboard with a pianist playing for us.
Hekla Havn, Scoresby Sound, Greenland
Thursday, 25 August 2022
Great excitement this morning as we’d seen our first polar bear, we needed to use our binoculars and some of the photo’s are from the webcam. It was on and around the ice for ages before swimming ashore.
It was a beautiful morning and we headed out on the zodiacs to see the polar bears.
In Scoresby sound everything is bigger. Mountains rise to 2 000 Meters in dark basalt that loom over the ice filled water of fjord the below. Named in honour of the English explorer William Scoresby who mapped the area in 1822.
Northeast Greenland National Park was created in 1974 and comprises 375 000 square miles (approximately the size of France and Spain combined) but has no permanent population of humans. The top of this park reaches and encompasses the most northern piece of land on our planet, There are vert few more wild and untouched places.
We arrived at Rode O for kayaking and Zodiac trips in the afternoon. It was a beautiful sunny wind free day, about 8 degrees Celsius, so we needed to wear 2 pairs of socks, 2 layers of bottoms, 3 layers of tops and then these huge dry suits over that. We looked and felt like the Michelin man!
We finally went to bed at midnight and when I looked outside at 5am it was still beautiful and had been all day!
Bear Island & Sydkap, Scoresby Sound, Greenland
Friday, 26 August 2022
We spent the morning in Sydkap and some of us walked up the mountain on such a beautiful day with stunning views.
We also did a zodiac cruise of Bear Island in the afternoon that was stunning! The size of these icebergs are unbelievabe, they are HUGE. We ended the day with yet another stunning sunset.
King Oscar Fjors & Alpe Fjord
Saturday, 27 August 2022
It’s been such a treat to have a morning onboard cruising up King Oscar Fjord. At 09:00 Peter Damisch, the historian onvoard gave an interesting talk about Nansen.
Renaissance Mas as Polar Explorer, Father of his Country (Norway), Scientist, Inventor, Humanitarian and Nobel Prize Awardee. He was first to cross Greenland as well as ski closest to the North Pole.
We went ashore on Segelsaellskapet Fjord, Greenland. The wind was freezing but it was s o beautiful and interesting, being one of the top 5 geological sites in the world. We had a few geologists ashore with us and it was fascinating to hear how the layers are formed from glacial activity and drought etc.
In the evening we had a beautiful scenic cruise to a glacier up Alpe Fjord. On deck 9 there are two great longes / bars; the Constellation Lounge right in front serving canapés and The Club right at the back serving sushi. Both have floor to ceiling windows and open onto big decks, perfect for stunning views plus they both have live music. Really spoilt for choice!
We had the Earth & Ocean dinner in The Colonnade, they offer this about four times on this cruise and it’s really delicious, and great to share the starters and desserts to taste them all.
A few of us went straight onto the Party in your Parka, dancing on the pool deck with DJ Sarah, our Cruise Director. A few South African waitresses joined us for Mama Temba’s wedding, lots of fun!
Ella Island & Blomster Bugt, Greenland
Sunday, 28 August 2022
We went ashore at Ella Island this morning, about 4 degrees Celcius and drizzly, the coldest day out. There are 6 Danish Rangers stationed here with a few sked dogs. They do 2 year stints and patrol the area, a presence is required for ownership by Denmark, as there was a fight with Norway in the 40’s over this land.
The rangers hut has very narrow beds. The flowers were made by Queen Margaret of Denmark from paper serviettes when she recently stayed there. We saw some beautiful flowers on our hike, all the plants are really small up here and there are no trees at all.
We had a great walk in the afternoon at Blotter Bugten, Greenland. We saw an Arctic hare and over ten Musk Ox in the distance, they were very skittish but still a great sighting.
We had another beautiful evening enjoying the bauty and a night cap in the Constellation Lounge.
Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord, Greenland
Monday, 29 August 2022
Today we’re in the narrow and winding Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord, that stretches more than 200 km’s fro the icecap to the open Arctic Ocean. We saw spectacular Landscapes with wild remote mountains and glaciers rising from the frigid sea.
At 11:30 we had a caviar party on the pool deck, the table is made of ice and it was a stunning day and setting.
Sea Day
Tuesday, 30 August 2022
Today was the polar plunge! Guests and crew who are interested, jump into the sea from a zodiac platform with a rope attached to them. About 30 jumped and all seemed happy to have done it. The water was a mere 2 degrees Celsius, no South Africans did the plunge and none seemed sorry to have missed it.
We had a lovely afternoon cruising out of Kaieser Franz Joseph Fjord, Greenland. By evening it was completely foggy and it still was as we cruised the open sea back to Iceland. That’s the end of seeing icebergs on this trip and we were so lucky with the weather.
The crazy thing is that Greenland is full of ice and Iceland is so green!
These photo’s were taken from our balcony, it’s much bigger than usual, as we are in a wheelchair accessible suite. We have spent a few moments sitting on it in the sun but as soon as the ship moves, the wind is icey.
The Constellation Lounge is right in front on Deck 9 and is a great spot for enjoying the views. They serve tea from 16:00 to 17:00 and canapés from 18:00 with live music.
The Expedition Lounge on Deck 4 is great for a drink before going into the Discovery Centre for a talk or show. They also serve delicious hot chocolate here, with a shot of something when we get back from a zodiac cruise.
Akureyri, Iceland
Wednesday, 31 August 2022
We docked in Akureyi, Northern Iceland and had a choice of tours. Most of us did the 8 hour Wonders of Iceland tour that gave us a great overview of the area.
We visited Dimmuborgir lava labyrinth – towering lava castles, natural arches and unexplored grottos.
We had beautiful views from the bus and of the country where we had lunch.
We visited the Myvatn Nature Baths, where we had a lovely relaxing time in these pools of geothermal water.
This is the geothermal area and Hverarond, a geyser strip with fumaroles (steam springs) and mud springs in a kaleidoscope of colours.
We visited Godafoss – the waterfall of heathen gods – one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland.
I saw this beautiful Red Wing at the waterfall, it was just in the grass for ages!
Seydisfjordur, Iceland
Thursday, 1 September 2022
We arrived at 10:00, a picturesque village of 700 people. Settled by Norwegian fisherman in 1848 and quickly became an important trading center between Iceland and Europe. It’s known throughout Iceland for it’s colourful Norwegian-style wooden houses.
We took a walk along Rainbow street and note the sheep skins to sit on, they often have this in Iceland.
The morning was icey cold but the afternoon was beautiful. We wen to the sound sculpture, this was 5 domes with reverberating sound. We had two women singing when we were there.
Papey Island, Iceland
Friday, 2 September 2022
We were supposed to spend this morning at Papey Island, a tiny island on the east coast of Iceland with lots of seabirds, but the sea was too rough for a zodiac cruise or kayaking, so we spent the day at sea.
There is always a lot to keep us busy, including interesting talks. I went to one by a marine biologist about cutting 4 tons (!) of fishing nets off a humpback whale in Iceland.
We had a Signature Epicurean Event on the Pool deck this evening and it was beautiful out.
Heimaey, Westman Islands, Iceland
Saturday, 3 September 2022
We had a beautiful cruise into Heimaey Island yesterday evening. The largest of the Westman Islands, located 4 miles off the south west coast of Iceland, it boasts tall vertical sea cliffs along it’s coastline. Home to thousands of Atlantic Puffins but they’ve probably already left for the end of summer.
In January 1973, the island received the nickname Pompeii of the North when a volcanic eruption and lava flow destroyed half the town. Fortunately that morning, Heimaey’s entire fishing fleet was moored in the harbour for the night and the boats could evacuate all residents to safety on the mainland. The lava almost closed the harbour completely but with luck it didnt and people could eventually return to live on the island.
I had a lovely walk around the outskirts of town this morning. We had a lovely 3 hour tour on the island in a small group with a great local guide. The population is about 4 600 people.
Our guide demonstrated how they climb and swing with these ropes and his 86 year old grandpa still does this!
We saw replicas of Viking houses with turf roofs. The animals used to sleep on one side and the people on the other side. There was also a beautiful golf course that was all walk, no carts.
There were lovely views and tame sheep. We went to this beautiful are with 100’s of Puffins all over the grass as well as swimming and flying. Such a treat to see so many and very lucky as they soon move to the water for winter. Our guide had a rescued Puffling on the bus and it was being released this afternoon as it’s a good time and seems to be a daily occurrence.
Puffins were hunted a lot, not as much anymore but they are still eaten.
Viewpoint for the 1973 volcanic eruption, very interesting to see how much the area changed eg houses with sea views, no longer have this. The size of the island increased by 20% with the lava formations.
The lava was cooled with Machines donated by America and this was instrumental in saving the island.
We went to a museum of the 1973 eruption with an excellent audio visual tour. It was built around a house that was destroyed in the eruption that belonged to our tour guides grandpa’s brother.
Below is a picture of the house of our tour guides grandparents and the actual site showing what was left after the eruption.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Sunday, 4 September 2022
We arrived back in Reykjavik after a fabulous 2 week cruise and will disembark this morning. My sister-in-law and I went on to spend 3 hours at the Blue Lagoon; beautiful, relaxing and a perfect end to our time in Iceland.
The first picture is a series of public pools and the others are pools and streams on the outside that you can walk around.
