Iceland - Greenland - Canada - NYC

Sunday Aug 20, 2023 - Again we got a ride to the airport from Jessi. Things were going to get hot in MN, so time to leave. Got to the airport by 5, had the usual hassles getting checked in and going thru TSA. We have pre-check, but it now seems like everyone else does. Traveling is something to be endured. 

Flight left at 8 and got to Reykjavik at 7am Monday morning. Viking was there to pick us and our luggage up once we cleared customs. Since we can't get on the ship till noon, the bus takes us to the Opera house for breakfast and a tour of the city. It's nice, but one really wants to get to their own room and bathroom to rest/freshen up. Viking does a good job of getting you checked in and then it's on to the life jacket drill. I question the wisdom of doing this when everyone is jet lagged, but it was soon out of the way. Then on to lunch and getting reacquainted with the ship. We hooked up with Paul & Shirley and got a tour of their room. We got into our room just after 1 and our luggage arrived one at a time soon after. A rest and a shower and we were feeling good. We had dinner at the Chef's table which is one of the two specialty restaurants. Tonight's menu was an Asian theme. Very enjoyable and well done. 

We managed to stay up till after 9, then off to sleep.

Tuesday Aug 22 - When we woke up, we looked out our veranda and there was a hill covered with birds, Turns and Puffins. The ship was in the Heimaey harbor of the Westman Islands. We had a nice breakfast (salmon benedict) and thought we had the jet lagged beat. But around 10, we were back down for an hours rest. After an early lunch, we boarded the tender for our excursion. Our guided group walked from the harbor to the museum. This walk was on top of the lava flow from the 1973 Eldfell volcano eruption. It was on the edge of town and there were markers to show where houses were buried underneath. The museum contained one of the partially buried houses. All the town people were able to flee, but weren't able to return for many months. During that time, the battle was to keep the lava from closing the harbor. The US Navy assisted in this efforts. Then the residents spent months clearing the ash from their town. It was surreal to know that we were walking on a 50 year old hill. It's younger than I am.

The ship left in the late afternoon. At supper in the World Cafe, we had Plokkfiskur, and Icelandic dish of cod and potatoes. We saw at least 5 whales. Later, in our room, we had another sighting. I assume they were the smaller, Minke whales. We ended the day by sitting on the Vernda, watching Iceland go by and the sun go down. It feels good to be back on a Viking ship cruising the ocean. 

Bob