Home Again

Where to begin after visiting 9 different countries in 19 days? We really only got a wink at most of the countries but enjoyed every minute of it. Viking held true to its TV commercial promises. We were treated like royalty with delicious meals, fabulous service and a very interesting itinerary. My blog has been my memory. Without it, I’m afraid so much of the trip would have blended together. Some of my post trip thoughts include the following:

• The natural beauty of the fjords in Norway and the Golden Circle in Iceland is incredible. If you like majestic mountains and thundering waterfalls, these are must see places to visit.
• As the blog pictures demonstrate, we had many sunny days. Only two days were impacted by undesirable weather, one day in Norway and one in Iceland. How lucky were we!!!
• Several of the Baltic countries (as well as Iceland) are socially progressive with great health care benefits, free education even in college, and generous vacation and family leave benefits. For this reason, these countries are top performers in numerous metrics of national performance, including education, economic competitiveness, civil liberties, quality of life and human development. Taxes are very high in these countries, but their people get a lot in return. Some of these countries also maintain an official policy of neutrality in foreign affairs.
• One thing we missed was interacting with the locals other than our local guides. We weren’t in one place long enough to spend down time just roaming around.

Below is a direct link to the slideshow of our trip accompanied by music. Because we saw the monument to Jean Sibelius in Finland, I used his composition “Finlandia” at the beginning of slide show. I ended the slideshow with “Morning” by Edvard Grieg, whose home, museum and concert hall we visited in Norway.

Enjoy as you have time and interest.

Slideshow: https://youtu.be/TQDo4StIUS4 (Once in YouTube, click on  at the lower right corner to see the slideshow full screen.

Day 17 ~ The Blue Lagoon & Reykjavik

This morning, we boarded a bus and rode to the Blue Lagoon. In 1976, a pool formed from the waste water of the recently built  Svartsengi Geothermal Power Station. In 1981, people started bathing in it because of its supposed healing powers. The Blue Lagoon Company was established in 1992, and the bathing facility was opened for the public.

The warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulfur, and bathing in the Blue Lagoon is reputed to help some people suffering from skin diseases such as psoriasis. The water temperature in the bathing and swimming area of the lagoon averages 99–102 F and is renewed every two days. The Blue Lagoon also operates a research and development facility to help find cures for other skin ailments using the mineral-rich water. The building in the right/center of the photo is a bar for the swimmers.

There are about 70 of us touring Iceland, and the majority of the folks actually swam in the Blue Lagoon this morning. I only got as far as putting my hand in the milky turquoise water. It was wonderfully warm and would have been very relaxing, but I was a bit of a wimp. 

In the afternoon, we explored a variety of interesting sites in and around Reykjavik.  Our first stop was the house of the President of Iceland.  The flag was flying to the left of the house, indicating the president was in residence.

Arbaer Open Air Museum is an open air museum with more than 20 buildings which form a town square, a village and a farm. Most of the buildings have been relocated from central Reykjavik. The museum tries to give a sense of the architecture and way of life and lifestyles of the past. The building on the right is an old church (notice the turf roof).  The road is said to be the old road that led to Reykjavik.

The museum included farm animals.  I just can’t get enough of the Icelandic horses and fell in love with this little colt.

Hallgrímskirkja is a Lutheran parish church in Reykjavík. At 244 ft. high, it is the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country. We were not allowed to go into the church because the Viking Squad was inside the church arresting someone. Police in Iceland are not armed so when there is a serious threat, the Viking Squad is called. This group of about 55 officers is Iceland's elite counter-terrorism unit, specializing in various types of armed and unarmed infantry combat. Iceland has no standing regular military and never has.

The church stands out wherever you are in Reykjavik.

Perlan (The Pearl) is situated on Reykjavik’s highest hill where there had been hot water storage tanks for decades. In 1991 the tanks were updated, and a hemispherical structure was placed on top. Inside the Perlan, the Wonders of Iceland exhibition explores volcanoes, glaciers and geothermal marvels of this country. The Observation Deck on the fourth floor of Perlan lies on the top of the hot water tanks and encircles the entire dome to give an amazing 360 view. I took the above picture of the church from the observation deck.

 

We are home safe and sound now after being up for 24 hour on our travel day yesterday.  It was a great trip with so many beautiful sights, both natural and manmade.  I hope to have a slideshow of our trip to post within a couple of weeks. Thanks for joining us on our journey.

Day 16 ~ The Golden Circle, Iceland

The settlement of Iceland began in 874 AD when the Norwegian chieftain, Ingólfr Arnarson, became the first permanent settler on the island. In the following centuries, Norwegians, and to a lesser extent other Scandinavians, emigrated to Iceland, bringing with them thralls (slaves or serfs) of Gaelic origin. 

Today was a very full day as we made an eight hour trek around the Golden Circle in a motor coach.

Our first stop at Thingvellir National Park (2), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This flag marks the location where the 52 chieftains gathered for their first parliamentary proceedings in the summer of 930, which is the official founding of the nation of Iceland.

The continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates can be clearly seen in the cracks or faults which traverse the region. This area is part of the North American plate. As we moved east, we were on the Eurasian plate.

This boulder precariously sits at the top of the ridge.  Folklore says if that boulder falls, so does Iceland.

Below is one of the beautiful waterfalls in the park.

Strokkur (3) is a very dependable geyser that erupts every 5 to 10 minutes. There are also more than 40 other smaller hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles nearby.

The Icelandic horse was developed from ponies taken to Iceland by Norse settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries. The Fjord, Exmoor, Scottish Highland, Shetland and Connemara breeds have all been found to be genetically linked to the Icelandic horse; however the breed has now been bred pure in Iceland for more than 1,000 years.

Below is one of the many glaciers that can be found in Iceland.

Gullfoss Waterfalls (4)  drops 96 feet into two falls. The haze in the picture is the spray from the falls. 

Iceland also has its share of craters. Kerid (5) is a beautiful volcanic crater lake.

All along our drive, we could see steam from all the geothermal activity, much of which is harnessed to produce electricity.

Lupine was imported from North America in 1945 to combat topsoil loss, which had been a serious problem since the 19th century. Unfortunately, the plant can both prevent other plants from growing and suffocate more delicate flora. Many feel that the lupine has become too aggressive and needs to be stopped,especially to protect the distinctive woolly moss which covers the lava. It sure is beautiful though.

Although it was very overcast most of the day today, we were very lucky to stay dry for all our our sightseeing.  Tomorrow, we explore the Blue Lagoon and tour the city of Reykjavik followed by packing for home. 

Day 15 ~ Flying to Reykjavik, Iceland

This morning we were up early and off to the Bergen airport.  Our first stop was Copenhagen where we had a two hour layover. We were shocked when we boarded our plane to find we were in first class for our 3 1/2 hour flight to Reykjavik. What a treat!

Both Bonnie and I got a chuckle out of the these bathrooms in Copenhagen. 

We arrived safe and sound in Reykjavik about 5:00 this afternoon. After being pampered for two solid weeks, we hated returning to reality where we actually have to take care of ourselves. Tomorrow we explore Iceland’s Golden Circle.

Day 14 ~ Bergen, Norway

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of 270,000.  We went on a panoramic tour of the city partly in the rain. Bergen has more rainy days than sunny with an average of 260 a year; but as our tour guide said, “There is no bad weather in Bergen, only bad clothing.”

The most iconic landmark of Bergen is the historic wooden buildings of the UNESCO Bryggen wharf. There are three ships lining the harbor which are among the oldest and best preserved sailing ships in Norway.

Some American companies have repurposed the old buildings in Bergen.  Below is a local Starbucks.  If you click on the image to enlarge it, you can easily see its name in the middle of the photo.

And here is a McDonalds occupying one of the old wooden buildings.

After our city tour, we took another excursion to visit Fantoft Stave Church. Stave churches are considered to be among the most important examples of wooden Medieval architecture in Europe. In the Middle Ages, there were probably more than 1,000 stave churches in Norway. Today, only 28 remain. The decoration is a fascinating mix of both Christian and Viking symbolism.

The entire church is built without using any nails. The inside surfaces are covered with bee’s wax to preserve  the wood.

The exterior or the Stave church is preserved using tar. This church was originally built around  1150. It was moved piece by piece to Fana near Bergen in 1883 to save it from demolition. In 1992, the church was destroyed by arson. It took six years for artisans to meticulously  restore it to its former beauty.

Edvard Grieg (June 15, 1843 – September 4, 1907), was a Norwegian composer and pianist and is the most celebrated person from the city of Bergen. This afternoon, we visited Troldhaugen, his home for 22 years.

The property also has a museum and concert hall. This is a statue of Grieg next to the concert hall, one of many found throughout Bergen. The garland around his statue is in celebration of his June birthday.

The concert hall has a unique roof found on an occasional building in Norway. The first layer of the roof is wood which is followed by birch bark because of its water proofing chemicals. The third layer is turf which serves as insulation. The grass just grows naturally.  An undesirable bush or tree can sometimes be found growing on the roof. Goats or sheep can be put on the roof to keep it trimmed. The roof usually last about 20 years.

After we explored inside Grieg’s home, we went into this lovely concert hall and were treated to a concert.  The red cabin in the background is where Grieg composed his music, and behind that is water.

Tomorrow morning, our cruise comes to an end; and we fly to Reykjavik, Iceland.

Day 13 ~ Eidfjord, Norway

When I woke up this morning and looked out our slider, this was our view.  We had just docked in the quaint village of Eidfjord, population 921. I had no idea what beauty was in store for us for the rest of the day.

We took a 7 hour excursion traveling by motor coach and two trains to Flam. Our first stop was this beautiful waterfalls.

After about a two hour bus ride, we all boarded a train for Mydral, where we boarded our second train for Flåm. The village of has been a tourist destination since the late 19th century. It currently receives almost 450,000 visitors a year. Most ride the 12 mi Flåm Line between Flåm and Myrdal, one of the steepest railway tracks in the world. This tourist train stopped at 305 ft. high Kjosfossen waterfalls.  When we exited the train, haunting music was playing in the background. Looking towards the falls, we saw a blond woman in a red dress dancing.  You can barely see her as a red dot about a third or the way down from the top and right of center.

The woman is known as a hulder, a seductive forest creature found in Scandinavian folklore.  I zoomed in for a closer look. 

Once in Flam, we again boarded our motor coach and traveled roads with hairpin curves back to ship. 

We stopped for a delicious lunch at Stalheim and were also treated to this stunning view.

Once back at sea level, we continued to have beautiful views.

The 490 ft. tall Tvinde waterfall is the most beautiful waterfall I’ve ever seen. Drinking its water is supposed to give you eternal youth. Unfortunately I didn’t discover this until I was back in the bus.

The Hardanger Bridge which crosses Eidfjord, is the longest suspension bridge in Norway. The bridge opened on August, 2013, with the main span being one of the longest suspension bridge spans in the world.  We entered and exited the bridge via tunnels, one 3/4 of a mile and the other 4.7 miles long.  One of the most unique features of these two tunnels is they both have roundabouts. We went through several tunnels, both via the train and the motor coach. Our longest tunnel on the bus ride was almost 7 miles. These expensive tunnels were built using oil money after it was discovered in Norway in the ‘60s.

By 7:00 PM we were back at sea.  This rainbow was a perfect ending to a fabulous day.

Tomorrow is our last full day on this portion of our trip.  We will be spending the day exploring Bergen, Norway.

Day 12 ~ Stavanger, Norway

This afternoon ended much better than it started. At 2:00, we walked in the rain to our sightseeing boat along with at least 150 other people to see the Lysefjord. We were packed in the boat like sardines, plus the windows were fogged making it impossible to see anything. After about an hour, we made a stop for waffles with jam and sour cream. Here we were also over-crowded, but the waffles were so delicious. By the time we left, the weather had improved a bit. When we got back on the boat, I discovered that the open area to the back of the boat was covered so I could take pictures and stay dry.

Below is our waffle stop at Helleren Beach.

Off loading our boat at Helleren Beach

 Vagabond’s Cave is a gorgeous cove where dramatic cliffs surround an aqua-marine pool. As legend has it, the cave was named after a group of vagabonds who hid in the shelter for months trying to escape police.

Pulpit Rock is a steep cliff which rises 1,982 ft. above the Lysefjorden and is one of the most visited natural tourist attractions in Norway. Atop the cliff, there is an almost flat top of approximately 82 ft. × 82 ft. from which BASE jumpers often leap.

This is one of the many beautiful waterfalls in the Lysefjord. Its name means light fjord which comes from the lightly colored granite rock rising from the waters.

These are two of the three local residents that greet the tourists as we pass their homes. The granite cliffs are so steep that only mountain goats are sturdy enough to scale them.

The Lysefjord Bridge is a suspension bridge over the Lysefjorden.

We ended our day with a delicious dinner at The Chef’s Table where we enjoyed a four course dinner with wine pairings. 

We are having a beautiful evening sail toward Eidford, Norway where we will arrive tomorrow morning.  It is 10:30 PM, and the sun is still beaming into our window.