July 30, 2023 - Arnarstapi cliff Zodiac tour, and bus Tour around the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in Western Iceland

 July 30,2023

We got up bright and early for breakfast aboard ship--quite the spread.  Then we boarded zodiacs for a tour of cliffs, waterfalls and stone formations along the coast outside of the town of Arnarstapi.  This was a great tour, as we were able to see the geological levels and the beautiful rock formations in the stone cliffs.  One of the formations was the Stone Bridge, a big whole in the rock.  The colors were really impressive, also.  Our Zodiac driver was very informative about the area--history and geology.  Lunch aboard the ship.

We shuttled in a zodiac over to Arnarstapi, as our ship was too big for their harbor.  We boarded a bus for a tour around the peninsula.  This is a narrow peninsula with a lot of inlets.  Any towns are along the coast.  There is a road that pretty much goes all along the coastline of Iceland, following all of the inlets and fjords.  So the views are amazing.  

Our first stop was at the Londrangar cliffs.  Very impressive rock formations along the lava cliffs. What views.  Nearby was a view of the Snaefellsjokull Glacier.  A glacier, atop a lava mountain, with deep crevices down the slopes.  We were originally supposed to get to go to the top of the glacier, on a Snowcat, but it was too warm, so no one was allowed up there.  

Next stop was Snaefellsjokull National Park.  What a neat place.  You walk down a rocky trail, through lava formations, to a rocky, black, basalt pebble beach, with more lava formations.  There are even the iron remains of a shipwreck still there from 1948.  The rock formations certainly inspire seeing "things" in them.  I even pointed out a dog face in one to our guide, who had never noticed it before. 

Our last stop was at Kirkjufellfoss Waterfalls.  The was a delight.  Backed by a big lava mountain, the top falls cascades into a lower set of falls, which falls into a sweet little pond, before winding out into a stream into the ocean.  Lots of folks walking the trail to get to the falls and climbing all over the rocks.

We shuttled back to the ship in time for cocktails, dinner and a movie about the geology of Iceland. 

Photos day 4:

Zodiac tour

Cliff rock formations along Arnarstapi coastline

Beautiful colors, shapes & waterfalls

More colors and shapes

Rock formations

Colorful layers and shapes

Colorful layers and shapes

Colorful layers and shapes

Stone Bridge on the Arnarstapi cliffs

Typical Lava mountain along the coast

Stone Bridge --se the people walkiing along the top

Arnarstapi cliff formations

Our Sea Venture cruise ship

Rock formation in Arnarstapi

Arnarstapi harbor--see our ship further out.

Snæfellsjökull National Park-Londrangar cliffs

Snæfellsjökull National Park-Londrangar cliffs

Snæfellsjökull National Park-Londrangar cliffs

Snæfellsjökull Glacier

Snæfellsjökull National Park

Snæfellsjökull National Park

Snæfellsjökull National Park

Snæfellsjökull National Park

Snæfellsjökull National Park

Djúpalónssandur Beach

Djúpalónssandur Beach-Snæfellsjökull National Park

Mountain at the Kirkjufellsfoss waterfalls

Kirkjufellsfoss waterfalls-looking downstream

Kirkjufellsfoss-lower waterfalls

Kirkjufellsfoss waterfalls

Kirkjufellsfoss -upper and lower waterfalls

Kirkjufellsfoss -upper and lower waterfalls

July 29, 2023-Explore Reykjavik, Iceland, Board Sea Venture cruise ship

July 29, 2023

In Reykjavik, we spent the morning visiting the National Museum of Iceland, learning about its history from the settlement era to modern day.  We drove by Lake Tjornin, a small lake in downtown Reykjavik, then visited the Parliament House/City Hall building, which has a very large topographical map of Iceland.  It gave us a good sense of the scope and landscape of the island, and where we'd be going in the coming days.  

Lunch was on our own, so we explored a bit more of Reykjavik.  Lots of tourist shops, of which I get tired after only a few minutes.  We ended up walking along and exploring the habor and marina.  They have a very nice walkway.  The Harpa Concert hall building was particularly impressive.  All made of small glass windows, set and colored so they each reflected the sun differently.  

We boarded the Sea Venture cruise ship in the afternoon.  It holds 165 passengers, so not too big.  We were assigned to our cabins and had time to unpack and settle in.  Our room was very nice.  It had a decent sized window, a king size bed, and an efficient, but comfortable bathroom.  And it had lots of cabinet & closet space to unpack everything.  

We attended a mandatory safety drill, had dinner in their luxury dining room, and attended a presentation about safety on board the ship and what to expect the next day.

Day 3 photos:

Typical street in Reykjavik

National Museum of Iceland

Museum gardens

City Hall

Topographical Map of Iceland

Harpa Concert hall

Reykjavik marina

Sea Venture cruise ship safety training

July 28, 2023-Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss & Geysirs-on Golden Circle, South West Iceland

July 28, 2023

We headed out from Reykjavik by bus to the Golden Circle in South West Iceland.  First stop was at the Thingvellir National Park.  It was here that the first parliament was established in 930 AD.  It is the world's oldest existing parliament.  We had to walk from the visitors center to the overlook of the site, which ended up being almost a mile.  I was amazed at how many people visit each of Iceland's tourist sites.  Part of the walk went past a small pond where the Icelanders of old used to drown witch women in cages.  Yuck.  Women hold a much better position today in Iceland.

Next we stopped at the Strokkur Geysers.  This is an active geyser that burst forth every 8 minutes in a tall plume of steam.  It is surrounded by bubbling hot springs and small hot rivulets.  Again, you have to walk quite a ways to get there, and then you stand around the area waiting for the eruption.  It was quite impressive.

Our last stop for the day was at the AMAZING Gullfoss water falls.  Another long hike with a huge crowd of people, but well worth it!  These falls cascade down in a couple of levels, splashing into a big crevasse, complete with rainbow.  What a site.  The amount of water, the smell, and the sound were wonderful.

Back at the hotel in Reykjavik, we had drinks with the group, then were on our own for dinner.  We found a great restaurant on the marina, ate outside, then walked along the harbor.  Nice way to end our 2nd day.

Day 2 photos:

Thingvellir Natl Park-oldest Parliament location

Thingvellir Natl Park

Pond to drown witches

Thingvellir Natl Park

Strokkur geysers, SW Iceland

Strokkur geyser

Erupting Strokkur geyser -every 8 minutes

Gullfoss waterfalls, SW Iceland

Gullfoss, complete with rainbow

Long walk to the Gullfoss waterfalls

Gullfoss crevasse

Us, thoroughly enjoying Gullfoss waterfalls

Reykjavik harbor & marina

July 27, 2023-Iceland trip -day 1, Reykjavik

 July 27, 2023

After an over night flight on Icelandic Air, we flew into Keflavik International Airport, about 30 miles southwest of Raykjavik.  We arrived about 5am our time, which was 9am Icelandic time.  I wasn't able to sleep much, but Peter seemed to do OK, sort of.  In any case, we arrived and had to be ready for a full day of touring and sightseeing.  

Before I start on our daily itinerary, it might be useful to give a brief summary of Iceland's history (which we learned through various lectures) and general observations:

• Iceland was created by volcanic eruptions under the ocean, so the entire island is volcanic lava rock.  Then, the glaciers carved steep, deep valleys, creating the water-filled fjords, all around the island, with many incredible waterfalls.  Then, there is the geothermal activity throughout the island, giving rise to geysers, hot springs, and power plants that use the very hot water to create electricity.  It's like seeing a young earth, geologically
• The Vikings settled Iceland in the 9th & 10th centuries, bringing along with them stolen women from Ireland.  
• Iceland created their own parliament in 930AD.  And the island adopted Christianity in 1000.  Icelandic Sagas were written in the 13th & 14th centuries.  
• The 14th - 18th centuries were very hard for the Icelanders, due to cold temperatures, disease, volcanic eruptions.  Originally under the Norwegian crown, by the 14th century, they came under Danish rule.
• They struggled for independence, and by 1874 they were granted a constitution, in 1904 they acquired home rule, in 1918 they were recognized as a sovereign state, and in 1944 they became a republic.
• During WWII, they were occupied by British forces, and then American forces.  Their presence had a significant influence on Icelandic culture and economy.
• The "crash" of 2008 hit Iceland very hard.  Due to tourism, they have now have an economic boom.  There are only 350,000 people living in all of Iceland, yet they have over 2 million tourists each year, mostly in the summer.
• I was very impressed with how modern and "liberal" the country seemed.  Women's rights and LGBTQ pride is very evident.  
• Many of the Fjords have very picturesque, little fishing villages.  But there are very few people living in Iceland, with most in the two bigger cities. 

After breakfast, we boarded a bus to tour the Reykjanes Peninsula (SW Iceland).  In 2021, a volcano that had been dormant for 800 years erupted, significantly adding lava to the altered landscape.  So now, there are lava fields, some covered with white fungus, everywhere.  

• Our first stop was at the Mid-Atlantic rift.  This is where the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates that meet there are actually drifting apart, at the rate of 2 cm per year.  This has created a lava-sand filled river.  So we were actually standing right on the rift!
• Along the route, we then stopped to view a geothermal bubbling steam vent that just happened to be bubbling next to the road.
• The highlight of the day was the Blue Lagoon, where we were able to soak in the mineral-rich geothermally-heated waters.  Superheated water from a nearby lava flow feeds into the nearby power plant system.  The outflow from the power plant flows into the large, extensive lagoon, where the temperature stays between 98 and 104 degrees.  We got to drink a beer and soak for 2 hours--how relaxing.
• After our soak, we got to stroll around the water-filled lava pools next to the Blue Lagoon.  These were so neat!  Little islands of lava, surrounded by white silica at the very blue water's edge.  
• Our final stop along the route back to Reykjavik was overlooking Lake Kleifarvatn.  

July 27th photos:

Route around Iceland

Mid-Atlantic Rift, chasm between plates

lava sand filled chasm

Bubbling steam vent along the road

Blue Lagoon hot waters

Hot water ponds overflow from the Blue Lagoon

Silica-edged lava islands

blue, blue waters

Overlook at Lake Kleifarvatn