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Fun Facts: Iceland
Iceland was first settled in 874 and has been a sovereign nation since 1918. The first republic of Iceland was founded at Thingvellir. Reykjavik means ‘Smoky Bay’. The population is 358,000 with 228,000 of its citizens living in the capital city of Reykjavik. The country converted from paganism to Catholicism in the year 1000AD. The country is volcanically active and all volcanoes have female names. The tectonic plates in Iceland separate more than an inch each year and are situated under Thingvellir Lake. There are more than 500 small earthquakes every day. There is a golf course on top of a lava field and it is rated in the top…
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Glacier safari, Iceland
I’ve officially nicknamed the glacier safari as “One of the Best Experiences of My Life”. Seriously. It would have been impossible for me to have enjoyed this day any more than I did. We took a 4×4 Mercedes Super Truck from the ship back to Thingvellir National Park, but this time took a different route so that we could see another part of the park. Our guide and driver Bjorgvin drove us through some spectacular landscapes, showed us a geothermal power plant, then stopped at a number of lookouts and waterfalls for us to snap photos to our hearts’ content. Then it was time for the highlight of the day:…
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The Golden Circle tour, Iceland
We covered a lot of ground on this tour. We first travelled to Thingvellir National Park, which is designated a World Heritage site for its historical and geological importance. The thirty ruling chiefs first met at Thingvellir in 930 AD and formed a basic type of parliament. They would pass on news, create laws, discuss disputes, make decisions and mete out punishments. The standard execution method for men was decapitation and sometimes they were given the option of exile. If they took that option, it meant they were essentially outlaws and they had no protection if someone decided to kill them. The only execution method for women, usually for the…
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Iceland: Signs, slogans and street art
The Icelanders are progressive, have a great sense of style and humour and everywhere you look you’ll see cute signs, slogans, fun designs and fabulous street art.
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The Blue Lagoon, Iceland
The Blue Lagoon wasn’t exactly as I had imagined. I’d always assumed that they were natural hot springs, but the lagoon’s mineral rich waters are actually heated to 38⁰C by the adjacent geothermal power plant. Regardless, it was the most relaxing afternoon possible. As part of the ship’s excursion package we were issued with electronic bracelets on arrival which were used for a locker, shower, robe, slippers, a drink at the swim up bar and two masks from the swim up spa. Yes, a swim up spa. It all felt pretty decadent and I chose the silica mask and then an algae mask. Our local guide Erika had promised the…
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Reykjavik, Iceland
We caught the shuttle from the ship to Harpa, Reykjavik’s stunning concert hall, where we set off on foot to explore the old town. It was really mild at around 13 degrees which we were assured was unseasonably warm, so all around us were locals stripped down to short sleeves whilst we were bundled up in three layers. Within minutes, we unsurprisingly found ourselves at Eymundsson, a chain bookstore with an huge selection of books, magazines, luggage, stationery and gifts. I bought a copy of Independent People, the book for which famous Icelandic author Halldor Lakness won the 1955 Nobel prize in literature, a cute book bag, a couple of…
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Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
Our morning started when we entered the waters of Vestmannaeyjar (the Westman Islands) and watched as its stunning, lush, green islands came into view. Within an hour, we were anchored offshore from Heimaey, the only inhabited island, and I was watching a whale playing near the ship. Absolutely amazing. The ship was too large to enter the harbour, so instead we took one of tenders into the marina. Our tour leader, a lovely man with an unpronounceable name who usually works at the library, led us on a steep walk from the harbour up to the Elheimar Volcano Museum where we spent around an hour. The island’s volcano had been…
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Vágar, the Faroe Islands
Our scheduled Gasadalur hike was unfortunately cancelled due to high winds and rain, as the rocks were unprotected and would have been too slippery and dangerous. Luckily, the tour company suggested another hike in a (slightly) more sheltered area so we didn’t have to miss out. The new hike was absolutely beautiful with sweeping views across the cliffs and ocean. We ate our lunch perched on rocks overlooking the sea, before heading back to the start of the track where we had free hot drinks provided by the cafe to hikers. Today’s lecture was Vikings in America, presented by Sturla Ellinvag, an ever so handsome Norwegian who stars in a…
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Eysturoy and Streymoy, the Faroe Islands
Feeling only slightly jet-lagged after a great night’s sleep on a mattress that could be mistaken for a cloud, it was time to head out for our highlights of the Faroe Island tour. We travelled to the southwest corner of Stremoy to visit Kirkjubour, its 12th century Magnus Cathedral, Saint Olav’s Church and the Kirkjubøargarður farmhouse. We had a Vicar of Dibley moment when the priest rushed past us waving to start his televised service, wearing his cassock and a ruffled collar that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the 1600s. It was then on to the villages of Saksun and Gjógv and a traditional Faroese lunch of of salmon,…
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Tórshavn, the Faroe Islands
38 hours, 3 flights and half a jar of Red Currant chocolate coated licorice later, we arrived in Torshavn in the Faroe Islands. The taxi ride into town was marked by emerald green grass, dramatic cliffs punctuated with deep cracks and sheep. Many, many sheep roaming free on the hills and alongside the roads. We checked in a hotel, 62N, as the ship wasn’t due to dock for around four hours after our arrival. We showered and freshened up and I left the girls to meet up with Gudrun, my friend Camilla’s aunt who lives in the Faroe Islands. We set off on foot together to explore the town and…