Bergen Norway July 21-22, 2024

 Today we are in Bergen Norway which is known for it timbered framed homes and warehouses colored rust red and ochre line the quaint quay of the wharf.   The city itself is UNESCO World Heritage Site.   The historic area is known for it tree lined walking streets and numerous shops that have been located in the old historic area.  We were here 2 years ago and it doesn't look much different.  Dave took a walking tour of the city and saw the sites. The city market was alive and busy.  You can buy your seafood and have it cooked to eat their. We will disembark the vessel and head to the airport for our trip home tomorrow.

Our flight home was a horrible experience.  We left the ship at 6:00 am and were taken to the airport where we promptly waiting for 2 hours for the ticket window to open.  Not the best way to start the day.  Finally checked in and got to the gate area.  Boarded the flight easily and then sh...... hit the fan.  When we landed in Amsterdam were out in the field somewhere and had to be bused to the terminal.  This procedure took forever and eventually caused us to miss our connecting flight to JFK.  Unfortunately, the Friday before there was an internet crash caused by an update to the system and the flights were all backed up.  People were sleeping in the airport and some had been delayed for as many as 3 days.  We ended up being rebooked on a later flight that afternoon into Atlanta and then on to Savannah.  that flight was uneventful as was going through customs - thanks to Global Entry,  By then we had been up for more 24 hours and were exhausted.  So when we got to baggage claim we had only one bag.  The other one was still in Amsterdam.  We knew that because of our air tags.  (it finally got to us 4 days after we got home)  At this point we found out that flight to Savannah had been delayed 2 hours then 3 hours then 4 hours.  With fatigue well set in, we decided to get a rent a car, get a hotel and sleep and drive home the next day.  That wasn't as easy as it sounds as the line to get to the rental card station was a 2 hour wait.  So we got a taxi and got there in 30 minutes.  Got the car and drove about 30 minutes south of Atlanta and spent the night.  Drove home the next day.

Since we have been home we have found out that Delta is giving refunds for delayed flights, hotel expenses, meals and rental cars.  So now that process begins.

All in all it was a great trip but it has taken a lot longer that usual for us to recuperate from the jet lag.

Sea Day to Geiranger, Norway July 19 - July 20, 2024

 The Norwegian Sea is best know for its bounty of seafood, cod being the most prevalent.  It is dried and preserved for use during the winter as well as served fresh.  It is also know for the harvesting of sea salt, because of its pristine waters.

Geiranger, Norway is one of the prettiest ports I have ever been to.  The sail into the town through the fjord is so beautiful, with abundant waterfalls, tall mountains and lush greenery.  It is one the UNESCO world heritage site and is the gateway to the coastal waterways of Norway.  With its classification as a world heritage site the port is going to be closed to large cruise ships in the next few years because of the bad emissions that the ship import into the air.  

The fjord is know for the The Seven Sisters Waterfall which tumbles 1000 feet into the fjord.  Directly across from this waterfall is the Suitors waterfall which also tumbles straight down in the fjord.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Sisters_Waterfall_(Norway)  This link tells the story of how it gots its name.

We didn't dock here but the dock came to us.  The new dock accordian folds up to shore and then extends directly out to the ship.  So neat to watch.  Here we took a bus trip up out of the valley to the view the port from above and then went back up on the other side to see the tundra side of the mountain.  So beautiful.  I could have posted so many more pictures than you see here and none of them do this place justice.

Sail into the fjord

Sailing through the fjord

Suitors Waterfall which is directly across from Seven Sisters

Seven Sisters Waterfall

Approach into Geiranger

switch backs up to the tundra

accordian dock which comes out to meet the ship

View from the top looking down at our ship

Other side of the mountain up to the tundra.

leaving Geiranger

Sailing out of the fjord.  It was such a beautiful day -- So sunny and warm.

Leanest, Loften Island, Norway July 18, 2024

 This is by far the most beautiful port we have been in due to the rugged mountain peaks and rugged coastline.  The mountains are jagged and sharp pointed.  Just breathtaking.  The climate is temperate and we were very fortunate to have a warm sunny day, which is unusual for here.  Dave took a boot ride around the island with a bus ride back through the countryside.  We took the shuttle into town and enjoyed the sunny warm weather.  No coat needed.

Lofoten is home to breathtaking jagged peaks, a temperate summer climate and sheltered bays. The island stretch 218 miles into the Norwegian Sea from Norway's coast.  Ships in the cozy fishing harbor are dwarfed by the hulking massifs rising from the waters.  The setting was ideal for Norse settlement in the early Viking age.  Cod has long been harvested from these waters as they come here to spawn.  More recently, the fish have been caught from traditional rorbus, charming cottages that hover above the waters built on stilts.  The midnight sun illuminates the mountainous glory.

Viking crew welcome us back on board

Sailing out at sunset

July 8, 2024. Reykjavik

 Today begins the second cruise of our 29 day journey.  We lose about 500 passengers and gain 500 more for the trip to Norway.  We will visit Isafjordur once more before we begin two sea days to get to Svalbard in Northern Norway above the artic circle where we will have 24 hours of daylight.  We were her two years ago and toured the city.  Dave will get off and walk abit. Viking has provided a shuttle from the port into the city.  Below is the famous bread that we loved while we were here the first time and the famous cathedral.

Akuereyri, Iceland July 4th.2024

 Akureyri is notes as the capital of the northland.  It is the second largest city in Iceland boasting a population of 24,000 people. It is at the end of Eyjasfjordur fjord and was developed in the late 1700.  It is 62 miles from the Arctic circle.   The development of this city was due to it being an ice free port.     These are from our sail in down the fjord.

Dave toured the beautiful botanical gardens here as part of his tour.  There are two beautiful churches here one is home to stained glass windows from Coventry cathedral in England.

Botanical garden greenhouses.

ships in port from the botanical gardens

Botanical Gardens

We left with some beautiful shots of the mountains with snow covering as we sailed out of the fjord.

This couple were just wonderful to listen to in the atrium of the ship.  We became groupees.  Shayne and Wallie.  They actually graduated from Ball State in Indiana and spending several years playing for Viking on their  cruise ships.

June 29, 2024 - July 2, 2024 Sea Days from Newfoundland, by Greenland and on to Iceland.

 Well to our disappointment we will not be visiting Greenland.  We found out early on the sea day that we would not be going to the two scheduled stops because of ice.  The ports are all blocked in with ice. And if we got in we might not get out.  So they scheduled another port  up the west side of Greenland - called Paamiut..  But unfortunately it was blocked in  as well .  Captain thought it might be able to maneuver around the ice but when we got there the wind had moved the ice and blocked the port entry.  Apparently this is quite common here and ships have been know to be trapped in port for weeks at a time due to the ice movement.  Below is the picture of the icefields that we were by trying to get into port.

So cool to see big icebergs and smaller ones all around us.  The captain fanned the ship. So now we are off to two sea day to get to Iceland. Icebergs are common in the water

Ice block that had released from the icefield

Icefields off of Paamiut Greenland

Crew rescuing an iceberg for drinks on the pool deck

Ice Bergs in the water around Greenland

Now we are off for two seas days to get to Iceland.  The Labrador seas are known to be rough but we were very fortunate with calm waters and a very pleasant 2 days to get to Iceland. The water are bone chilling.