For The Love of Travel

Following in the wake of Eric the Red; Brendan the Navigator and the Bismarck before it was sunk…….today we travelled through the Denmark Strait, which connects the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, and separates Iceland and Greenland. The waters are of strategic importance as part of the Greenland/Iceland/UK gap and the economic importance of rich fishing grounds. I seem to remember a few politically tense incidents in the 1980’s between Iceland and the UK about fishing rights….Iceland won (the US put pressure on UK to accept Iceland’s terms in order to keep NATO forces stationed at Keflavik….well it was still tense times with the USSR).

We didn’t get off the ship today……so there was time for ‘stretching with Claire’ :), a Greenland history presentation with Henning, Captain Leif Skog’s welcome aboard cocktail party and dinner and after dinner, a film ‘The Deep”, about a fishing trawler that sank in 1984 in the Westmann Islands and it’s sole survivor.

 

A small group of passengers saw a blue whale surfacing 3 times off the port bow this afternoon, and as soon as an announcement had been made, the rest of us scrambled to the observation deck….sad to say, whale didn’t surface again…..too many paparazzi obviously!!

Floated past the Latrabjarg cliff, 14 kms long and 440m high, nesting place to 40 % of the world’s Razorbills population. For centuries, men used to lower themselves down the cliff in breeding season, to collect the eggs, which were a part of the diet, along with the birds themselves. AND….I saw a PUFFIN!!

Visited Flatey Island, one of the largest islands in the Breidafjord, and was an important trading post during the Middle Ages. A monastery was founded there in 1172, which made the centre of culture and education in. Iceland at this time.  While the monastery has been moved to a different location, a church built in 1926 with a wonderful mural by the artist Baltasar ( a Spaniard holding Icelandic citizenship), is still visited. The tiny village hamlet still has a few residents, but most people visit in summer holidays.

 

Took a walk around the old town visiting the Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral with its 10 metre tower which provides scenic views over the city.

Joined up with my shipmates for a buffet lunch, and we were soon off to experience the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland. The spa is located in a lava field in Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Boarded the ship , had a safety drill with life jackets and marshalled at the lifeboats…….and we then we supped being entertained by Henrik, the ships Hotel Manager.