We flew into Boston on July 18 as we prepared to embark on a 35 day cruise on Holland America Zuiderdam. Cruise ships have lousy pillows, so after we checked into the hotel, we walked to the nearby Target store and bought 2 standard sized pillows. One or 2 weeks we could put up with the pillows they provide – but 5 weeks… (we intend to leave them for the room stewards)
Bill and Charlene have done this legendary cruise twice before, and we decided to join them this year! They arrived later in the day, and we had dinner together at the hotel.
In the morning, we got an Uber to get to the cruise port. We had lunch on the Lido deck and got ready to sail on the Zuiderdam! (Interesting note – we sailed with Bill and Charlene on this same ship in March 2015 when we did a 10-night Panama Canal cruise!)
Here is a map of where we will go during the 35 day cruise. We were excited about so many new ports to visit!
We will be celebrating our 46th wedding anniversary – and Jim had flowers sent to the room! Beautiful!
As we sailed out of Boston, we went right by the busy Boston airport.
We walked around the ship and Jim noticed several Starlink dishes – our cruise package includes Wi-Fi!
Our luggage was delivered to our room; we unpacked and got settled in. We had dinner on the Lido. Bill and Charlene prefer eating at the Lido buffet rather than in the dining room. After dinner we went to the World Stage – the show that night was an evening of comedy improv by Doug Funk. He was entertaining and kept it clean!
The next day, we had our first port of call — Portland, Maine. We had an excursion planned, Portland Highlights & Schooner Adventure. Our bustour took us along the Eastern Promenade as we headed to the Portland Head Light. We had been here in September 2013 on yet another cruise with Bill & Charlene, Chuck, Chris and Linda’s father. Maine’s oldest lighthouse is the most photographed lighthouse in the US. Commissioned by President Washington in 1797 and dedicated by Marquis de Lafayette, it stands 80 feet above the rocky cliff and 101 feet above the icy blue waters of Casco Bay.
It was a beautiful day to be out and about!
In 2013 of course the scene was much the same…
We returned to Portland to embark on a wooden schooner for a leisurely sail around Casco Bay. Our ship was the 88-foot Wendameen, an historic two-masted auxiliary rigged schooner, designed in 1912 by the noted naval architect John G. Alden. Here’s a photo from the internet since we couldn’t get one with the sails up!
As we got underway, there was our cruise ship – MS Zuiderdam.
Jim helped pull the sail up.
Our captain
Here’s another similar schooner that was out nearby. As the wind picked up, the boat leaned quite a bit, making for an exciting time!
It was a perfect day to cruise on the schooner!
A few forts were built on islands in Casco Bay to protect the harbor of Portland. We sailed by 2 of them. Fort Gorges was completed in 1865 – read more here
Fort Scammel protected Portland Harbor during the 19th and 20th centuries.
There were many beautiful homes along the banks of Casco Bay.
The schooner cruise was great fun – aboard a ship built over 100 years ago!
After our excursion, we went back on board for lunch. Then we walked up to Shipyard Brewing and enjoyed a flight to sample some of the beer on tap.
As we walked back to the ship, there was a marker in front of the Residence Inn.
Erected in 1956 by The International Longfellow Society, this boulder is from the Hiram farm of his grandfather, General Peleg Wadsworth, where the poet spent many happy youthful days.
As we sailed out of Portland, the sky darkened, and we had some fog! Passing the Portland Head Light, we could see the beacon in action!
Leaving the harbor, we watched as the Pilot boat came alongside to pick up the pilot. They are experts on the waterways and ports the ship is entering or leaving. They come aboard to safely guide the cruise ship into and out of the harbor.
Our first Sea Day was July 21 – our 46th wedding anniversary! We had a delicious dinner in the Pinnacle Dining Room with Bill and Charlene. Remembered to get a photo AFTER dinner…
The World Stage had a Song & Dance show – Hollywood, Broadway and Beyond featuring several showtunes, a nice show! We had our first of many time changes; as we went to bed, we set the clock back 1 hour.
Our next port was Sydney, Nova Scotia. We had hoped to go on an excursion: The Bird Islands of Cape Breton: Puffins, Seals & Eagles. However, due to high winds and choppy seas, it was cancelled. The 37-foot boat we would have been on for 2.5 hours would not have been much fun! So instead, we walked around Sydney and had a tour of our own! The Big Fiddle is located right at the cruise terminal. It stands 60 feet tall and is a tribute to the province’s Celtic community and its rich folk music traditions.
Merchant Navy sculpture – many convoys sailed out of Sydney during the Battle of the Atlantic (1935-1945) and the Second World War. The convoys from Sydney often consisted of merchant ships that were never intended for the open sea and tended to be slower than other convoys. The prefix SC (for Slow Convoy) was used to identify each convoy from Sydney. There was a constant danger of being torpedoed or bombed.
We walked along the boardwalk and, well, we DID see some birds after all…
More walking, we came upon the historic St. George’s Church (established by Royal Decree 1785)
Built in 1787, the Cossit House Museum building is one of the oldest surviving houses in Sydney.
Other older homes; the cars and window ac units look almost out of place!
As we sailed out of Sydney, we saw the Low Point Lighthouse.
That evening, we were enjoying hearing Anita Newby, the vocalist performing on the World Stage, singing the Sounds of Detroit. Unfortunately, we had to leave during her second song; our credit company called – our card had been hacked! We had to call them back. It’s a good thing we had Wi-Fi on the cruise and could make phone calls! (Also, good that we had another credit card that had no foreign transaction fees)
Our port of call on Day 5, July 23, was Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada. We hiked to Corner Brook Stream. A map of the trail system was handy!
The evening entertainment was ventriloquist Don Bryan with his “friend” Noseworthy. Linda had an opportunity to meet them later!
The next day, we were at Red Bay, Labrador, Canada.
We took a short boat ride to Saddle Island where we walked around the island and learned about its history.
The large, deep harbor at Red Bay is sheltered by Saddle Island. The Basque whaling industry flourished there in the 16th century.
The remains of a whaling ship was discovered buried near this site. Thought to be the San Juan, loaded with 800-1000 barrels of whale oil, it was driven ashore by a storm and sank in 1565. Underwater archaeologists disassembled and recorded the remains, then reburied them under a protective covering at the original site.
The remains of the Bernier that went aground during a storm in the fall of 1965 – 400 years after the San Juan met a similar fate.
Whale oil was transported to Europe in fifty-gallon barrels. The barrels were partially assembled in the French and Spanish Basque regions, then taken apart and reassembled here by barrel-makers (or coopers) who lived here at least part of the time.
The tryworks was where whale blubber was rendered into oil. Large copper cauldrons rested on a row of stone fireboxes or “ovens”. Workers stood on a platform behind the cauldrons to add blubber and remove the hot oil. In the oil were pieces of rendered blubber known as fritters. The oil was separated from the fritters and placed in a tub of cold water to cool. Later, it was ladled into barrels. Fritters and wood fueled the smoky fires.
A burial ground was found in this area. Whaling was a dangerous venture and the environment itself proved hazardous; sixty-two graves were found in this area containing the remains of more than 140 men and boys.
We visited a small museum that told of some history of Red Bay and the whaling industry that had been there. On the way to the tender, Linda met a live lighthouse?!
Later onboard we met Nancy whose funny sweatshirt caught our attention!
And Jim participated in the putting contest.
Flutist Suzanne Godfrey was the entertainer that evening. The sound system on the ship needs help – though she has a talent for playing the flute, the sound was so high pitched, it was hard to enjoy.
By July 25, the flowers were looking quite lovely – the lilies had opened up and filled the room with their fragrance. Unfortunately, the scent was too much for Linda and we gave the arrangement to Yuli – one of our room stewards and hoped she could enjoy them!
It was a Sea Day – so there were many activities to fill the day! Most Sea Days Linda enjoyed going to Bridge instruction in the morning and playing Duplicate Bridge in the afternoons. Guest lecturers gave presentations about all sorts of subjects. The cruise director had port talks so we would know what to see and do at the coming ports. Trivia contests, Mahjong, Knitters & Needlework. Pickleball, Ballroom Dancing – and many more activities to choose from!
On July 26, we arrived at Paamiut, Greenland and again were at anchor and used tenders to go ashore. Paamiut is on the southwestern coast of Greenland and is connected to the mainland. Jim took these shots as we came into the bay.
This one reminded us of New Zealand – the “land of the long white cloud”.
We went ashore and explored the little town; points of interest being the museum, the church and a watchtower. This whale was nice art on the rock!
It was obvious that there was no room for our big ship in the harbor!
The day we visited Paamiut, there was a funeral held at the church, so we were unable to see inside this striking red church, Fredens Kirke, built in 1909.
We hiked up to the watchtower, lots of steps to climb!
We were rewarded with a nice view of Paamiut and the surrounding area.
Charlene took this photo from the watchtower – there’s our ship!
The Paamiut Museum consists of eleven preserved buildings showcasing elements of their cultural history. But, due to the funeral, it was closed! The Turf House and ship – perhaps part of the museum, we were able to see.
As we sailed away from Paamiut, there was quite a field of icebergs!
We enjoyed the Comedy Improv of Doug Funk again that evening.
Nanortalik, Greenland was our port of call the next day. It is the southernmost town in Greenland, located on an island of the same name. (Greenland itself is the world’s biggest island.) Again, we did not have an excursion that we paid for and planned to walk around the small town. We had hoped to visit the outdoor museum there. It consists of nine separate historic buildings. We took a tender to get ashore, the ship cannot dock here!
One of the icebergs we saw was almost whale shaped.
Again, the museum there was closed – well un-manned. But we could walk around and see the outside of the buildings and read the signs. The first building we came to was a former train oil factory.
A former provisions stand…
We weren’t sure what this building was used for.
Another turf house – front and back
It was a rainy Sunday, and the locals were gathering for worship. “The old timber church” was built in 1916. Located in the old colonial quarter of the town, it is currently the only congregation in the area. The church gained protected status in 2004, and houses the oldest organ in Greenland, built by the Danish firm Gregersen in 1861. Since the service was in Greenlandic, we did not attend.
Some homes in Nanortalik.
Some strong winds from a low-pressure system were moving in, so we left early so the ship could shelter in a safe place!
We were glad that Anita Newby had another show that evening. We enjoyed hearing her sing tunes from movie music history.
A map of Greenland may be helpful at this point! Here is the whole island and an idea of its location..
This map of the southern part of Greenland is where we cruised. Not exactly sure how we got to Prince Christian Sound, but we passed by the village of Aappilattoq.
So, on Day 10, July 28, we cruised Prince Christian Sound and were treated to so much beautiful scenery, icebergs, waterfalls and glaciers!
There was another “dam” ship coming the other way! Holland America Volendam!
At 3:00 there was a “Polar Bear Plunge” Linda was still at Bridge, but Jim got some photos. Lots of people joined in the fun on a cold rainy day.
Ventriloquist Don Bryan had another show that evening. He has written a book and says “really anyone can learn ventriloquism”!
The next day was another Sea Day and there was an interesting lecture about Iceland – “Land of Fire and Ice”. It was surprising to learn that Iceland’s land area is only about the size of Kentucky! Here are some of the slides from the lecture – showing the volcanic area…
and where the glaciers are.
Here is a map of Iceland with arrows pointing to the ports we will visit. The D is for Djupivogur and the G is for Grundarfjordur.
The show that night was Hey, Mr. DJ – featuring Iconic Voices and Iconic Hits.
Day 12, July 30, we were at Isafjordur, Iceland. We had an excursion planned, Hesteyri & Glacier Fjord Cruise. Hysteyri is an abandoned village that can only be reached by a 70 minute boat ride from Isafjordur. Since we are showing maps – here is where Hysteyri is located.
Way up on the northwesternmost peninsula of Iceland!
From the boat, we walked along the beach and through a grassy meadow, along the old paths once used by the locals.
We stopped by the cemetery.
There was a monument with a bell in it – there had been a church there, but it was moved elsewhere since it was no longer used, but they left the bell!
During the most flourishing period, around 80 people lived in the village. The villagers collectively decided to move away from the area in the late 1940s, slowly abandoning it over the following years until no one was living there by 1952. There were 9 or so buildings still standing, one being a school.
There was a pretty waterfall that we walked over to see.
Our walk finished in the old doctor’s house, where we sampled traditional Icelandic refreshments. The house initially served as the residence of the local doctor when the village was inhabited. Built in the early 20th century, it remains one of the few structures left in the abandoned settlement. Today, it operates as a rustic guesthouse and café during summer, offering a glimpse into the village’s past. This fellow treated us to a tune on this stringed instrument.
We got back to the boat and cruised the fjord before we headed back to the ship. The glacier was hard to see since it was a bit overcast.
We decided to go to the dining room for dinner that evening. One of the couples we ate with told us about how they enjoy going to Jamaica and do a lot of cruising as well. They said this was just another SKI vacation. After seeing our puzzled looks, they said “Spending our Kids Inheritance”!
We crossed over the Arctic Circle on our way to Akureyri on July 31.
In Akureyri, Charlene had arranged a private tour for us and 3 other couples to visit 3 waterfalls and an Icelandic horse farm. Our guide was Audun – he is in his 80’s and was an excellent driver and guide.
As we drove through Akureyri, Audun pointed out different buildings, parks and churches. One home was the “Barbie house”; although it is no longer pink, the name sticks! Pastor Jón Sveinsson, a popular author of children’s books, grew up in Akureyri his childhood home is now a museum. We left the city and came to a nice viewpoint across the fjord where we could see our ship and the amazing landscape surrounding it!
The first waterfall we visited was Godafoss, the “Waterfall of the Gods” that plunges 39 feet over a width of 98 feet.
Our ride to the next waterfall was very scenic as we toured the countryside and followed the river.
The second waterfall, Akdeyjarfoss, was up the Skjálfandafljót River from Godafoss. Another beautiful waterfall with a drop of 65 feet into a turbulent, icy cold pool and is set in a stunning backdrop of basalt columns.
We left Akdeyjarfoss and continued following the river…
The third and last waterfall that we saw was called Hrafnabjargafoss, and Audun said it’s his favorite – it was REALLY off the beaten path! It stands just 16 feet tall and spans about 56 feet across in a horseshoe shape; it seems more like several smaller waterfalls tumbling down from the jagged and rocky lava field, with a giant boulder in the middle. It originates from the largest glacier in all of Europe; Vatnajökull, and the Skjálfandafljót River flows over it. The path to get a closer view was too much for Linda – but Bill, Charlene and Jim went for a closer look!
Our final stop for the tour was an Icelandic horse farm.
Some horses were saddled for a group that was coming to ride them.
We went down into the pasture to look at the horses grazing there.
We were treated to some refreshments before we returned to the ship. Auden was a great guide – his company is No17.is.
That night, the Legendary Voyage Band did a fantastic job as they paid tribute to the incredible career of Carlos Santana.
We had 2 Sea Days as we headed to Eidfjord, Norway on August 3rd. We were thankful the seas were so calm as we sailed in the North Atlantic.
Our room stewards frequently left a towel animal when they made up the room in the evenings; here’s one!
As had become our custom on Sea Days, we mostly hung out on the Lido deck near the pool but also attended some of the lectures and port talks and participated in some of the activities offered. Alfred and Jan, from the Seattle area, joined us frequently during the cruise. Nancy and Ed often stopped by too.
When we got to Eidfjord, Charlene had arranged another private guided tour to see the Vøringsfossen waterfall, a dam and reservoir, and a ride into a National Park. As our bus ascended the winding scenic route to the waterfall on a rainy day,
our guide told us about what we would see and told a story about a boy’s encounter with Trolls. Trolls seem to be a large theme of Nordic folklore. The mythical beings are usually depicted as being hostile to humans and live in remote areas like caves and mountains. They are commonly associated with certain landmarks in Norway. Sure enough, a troll was watching as we proceeded down the walkway to the waterfall!
Vøringsfossen is one of the most impressive waterfalls in Norway. With a fall of 600 feet, the water cascades down the mountainside into a narrow valley.
There was a bridge over the river above the falls, but we did not go that far.
The river flowing through the valley below the falls.
We got back on the bus as our tour continued, our guide mentioned that most of the homes in this area serve as cottages; places to get away for a weekend or to spend time in the summer. She pointed out some grass roofs; they have sod on top of several layers of birch bark on gently sloping wooden roof boards. It also provides excellent insulation. The rain on the windows messed up the photos, but…
Our next stop was a large dam and reservoir; Sysendammen. It is one of Norway’s largest rockfill dams with a length of 1,160 meters (3,806 feet).
As the rain continued, we drove into Hardangervidda National Park but did not have an opportunity to get off the bus.
…and further down the road as we headed back…
Our last stop was at an old bridge where the highway used to run, but its now a place where the beautiful landscape of this part of Norway can be enjoyed!
A panoramic pic of the beautiful area we saw from the pier as we got ready to sail out of Eidfjord.
We left the port and went under a suspension bridge.
The next day was a Sea Day as we headed to Rotterdam, Netherlands on August 5. There, Jim and Linda planned a Rotterdam City Tour and Bill and Charlene’s tour was Gouda Highlights and Cheese Farm. That was the first time we did not choose a tour together while ashore. Our first stop was a short walking tour in the Delshaven area; it was from there that our Pilgrim fathers set out on their epic journey in 1620. This canal was pretty – with a windmill in the distance.
We passed by the spot where Piet Hein’s birth home had stood. Piet Hein (1577 – 1629) was a folk hero and naval commander. A song praising Admiral Hein’s capture of the Spanish “silver fleet” written in 1844 is still sung by choirs and children at primary school in the Netherlands.
The street on which Hein was born was named for him, Piet Heynsstraadt. “The current building dates from 1871. It has a memorial stone of Piet Heyn’s coat of arms (A bird on a fence). The dragon’s head at de top of the façade refers to both his hero’s death and his ship ‘the Green Dragon’ on which he died.” Piet resembles the Dutch word for bird and Hein the word for fence.
Other interesting sights on our walking tour in the Delshaven area… a drawbridge over the canal
More canals…
Dommelsch – a Dutch beer brewed in Dommelen (in southern Netherlands), this ornate building has a pub on the ground floor.
At our next stop, we to walked around “salad bowl”; the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, completed in 2021. The art museum is the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility! We walked around the outside but had no time to go inside.
The mirrored panels on the outside were quite large!
Nearby was a sculpture by Picasso!
Our last stop had even more interesting things to see. The Markthal was pretty cool! Built in 2009, it serves as a marketplace and an office building. The large semi-circular façade is unique…
and inside is colorful artwork by Arno Coenen; fruits, vegetables, plants, insects, fish and flowers — kind of like a modern Sistine Chapel!?!
An “arty” monument
The cube houses, designed by Piet Blom, were quite unusual! (And hard to photograph!)
Another unusual building
After the tour, we came back by the ship and walked around to get some photos of the 2 bridges near where the ship was docked. The Erasmus Bridge is one of the largest bridges in the Netherlands; an almost abstract combination of steel and concrete! There were pedestrian lanes and bike lanes on both sides of the traffic lanes.
The suspension bridge was pretty.
There was a lighthouse by the Maritime Museum – another place that would have been fun to visit, but we had very little time.
Other things we saw…
bicycles galore!!
We stopped off for a tasty beverage on our way back to the ship!
Happy Italy philosophy…
Here’s a shot of Bill and Charlene from their adventures in Gouda!
As we sailed out of the port that afternoon, we could see the SS Rotterdam. She came into service with the Holland America Line in 1959 and now the historic vessel serves as a hotel and museum.
We had another Sea Day on August 6 and a medical emergency in the afternoon. One of the cruisers was taken off the ship by helicopter! No lack of excitement as we watched the chopper come in. We did not get any information as to what happened, but someone’s cruise got cut short.
The entertainment that evening was the Shamrock Tenors, setting the tone for our time in Ireland!
On August 7, our port of call was Dún Laoghaire, Ireland; the closest port to Dublin. We had a Hop-on-Hop-off tour of Dublin with a transfer from Dún Laoghaire. We passed by St. Patrick’s Cathedral which was restored by Benjamin Lee Guinness in 1865 (grandson of Arthur Guinness, the founder of the Guiness brewery). A Statue of Sir Benjamin is on the grounds there.
Our main destination was the Guinness Storehouse – a seven-story building where they have been brewing beer for over 250 years! We bought tickets way in advance for a self-guided experience & Gravity ticket to explore the Guinness story at our own pace before ending up at the Gravity Bar to get a pint!
As we ascended the escalator, there were many graphics explaining different aspects of Guinness’ history and brewing process.
There is a 9,000-year lease signed and sealed in 1759 by Arthur Guinness himself, so they will be there for a while!
Advertising Guinness – many mottos and animals have been used over the years – here are some samples!
Our tour ended at the top of the Storehouse – at the Gravity Bar where we each got a pint!
Yep – we were pretty high up and could see Dublin below!
It was a big building!
We took the bus back to Dún Laoghaire; we really didn’t have any time to see more of Dublin as the ship was leaving at 5pm.
On August 8, our ship docked at Greenock, near Glasgow, Scotland. Charlene had arranged for us to take a tour on a BusyBus. Our first stop was at the little village of Luss.
We walked thru the village to a lookout spot on the pier to view Loch Lomond. It is the largest inland body of freshwater in the UK by area and runs about 22.5 miles in length.
As the the bus ride continued, we were following along Loch Lomond for a good half hour!
We had a short stop at the village of Tyndrum where the Green Welly gift shop was. This was the site of a famous battle between the Clan MacDougall and Robert the Bruce known as the “Battle of Dalrigh”. There were some cute squirrel photos on display…
Our bus tour then took us to the ruins of Kilchurn Castle. We walked for a bit and passed a field where we saw some Highland cattle were grazing. They are rather unique with their long hair!
Then on to see the castle ruins!
This 15th Century Castle was the former home to Sir Colin Campbell.
Around back…
A view of the landscape from the castle grounds…
Our next stop was another castle in the town of Inveraray. The Inverary Castle was the ancestral home of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll.
On a hill nearby, there was a watchtower.
We walked around the town, visiting some of the shops and found a place to have lunch. Walking down by the lake, there was a soldiers’ memorial.
The scenery along the road was stunning as we headed back to the ship.
Belfast, Northern Ireland was our port of call the next day. We had scheduled a bus tour that included a stop at the Ulster Museum on day 22 ~ August 9. Our first stop was at the Stormont Parliament Buildings.
Looking down the hill, Belfast was laid out in the distance!
Our next stop was City Hall. This panoramic shot really distorts the building – but got it all in one shot…
There were many memorials on the grounds around City Hall, one honoring Queen Victoria was front and center. She awarded city status to Belfast in 1888 in recognition of its rapid expansion and thriving linen, ropemaking, shipbuilding and engineering industries. This building was opened in 1906.
A memorial to James J Magennis, VC (1919-1986) – a Belfast-born sailor and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the only native of Northern Ireland to receive the Victoria Cross in the Second World War. Magennis was part of several operations involving X-Craft midget submarines in attacks on Axis ships.
We were really disappointed that we did not know there was also a memorial to the Titanic – it was built in Belfast! Here are some more photos from our stop at City Hall.
Our last stop gave us time to visit the Ulster Museum. As we stepped into the 75-foot-tall glass and steel atrium, we were greeted by flying dinosaurs!
The world’s largest antlers – from a giant deer – were quite impressive!
Oh, the dangers of arsenic!
This Celtic cross had some interesting features. Perhaps it is St Patrick in the center?!
On display were some of Linda’s favorites of God’s creatures: butterflies, squirrels and turtles!
There were all sorts of rocks and minerals to see; some with black lights to show how they glow.
There was a special section explaining about the civil and political conflict in Ireland is known as “the Troubles.” The Troubles occurred from the late 1960s until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. During the Troubles, great conflict, violence, and riots infiltrated Northern Ireland.
However, the conflict continued; 15 people were killed in the McGurk’s Bar bombing on 4 December 1971. The death toll included two children aged 13 and 14, the oldest victim was 73.
There was so much to see – and not enough time to see it! We didn’t even get a glimpse of the Botanical Garden, and it was time to head back to the bus. Well, look who thought she might drive us back to the ship! Good one Charlene 😊
The Shamrock Tenors were back on the World Stage that evening with an all-new show of classic Irish tunes.
The next day was another Sea Day as we headed back to Iceland. It was a lovely day for a Guinness!
On August 11, our port of call was Djúpivogur; a small fishing village on a peninsula in eastern Iceland. It is known for recording the country’s highest temperature of 30.5°C (87 °F) all the way back in June 1939. (So much for global warming…) We took a tender to go ashore for our excursion to the Valley of Waterfalls.
Our group consisted of several 4-wheel drive vehicles in convoy style as we toured the countryside!
This sign showed an overview of the area we explored; the Fossárdalur Valley.
We saw sheep and goats as we headed into the valley.
Another sign – at our first waterfall stop; Nykurhylsfoss is the lowermost waterfall in the Fossá River.
We stopped at a spot where a farm home once stood, and the guide told us a story about the family that lived there; unfortunately the details were hard to hear/understand.
More sheep along the way!
Spectacular views as we rode along the valley!
Another stop – to see a multi-tiered waterfall
upper portion
lower part
Riding in the 4-wheel drive vehicles was a lot of fun!
The last stop – one last waterfall and we were treated to hot chocolate and pastries.
On the road again…
As we headed back to the ship, we noticed another cruise ship was anchored by the Zuiderdam.
We visited the Faktor Brewery before we boarded the tender to return “home”.
We had an overnight stay in Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital. On the first day, we booked an 8-hour tour – The Best of The Golden Circle; Bill and Charlene’s tour was Iceland on Horseback.
Our first stop was at the Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant where they had a Geothermal Exhibition. It seemed like an odd place to stop but had some interesting information.
Iceland has 33 areas of volcanic activity. The plant we visited is in Hengill, as indicated by the arrow.
Iceland is nearly divided in half between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate. We visited that area later!
We stopped at the Geysir Geothermal Area where we saw a geyser and some burbling hot springs.
Gullfoss is a very large waterfall and claims to be Iceland’s most beautiful – beauty is in the eye of the beholder… Gullfoss Waterfall plunges about 105 feet in total and is a two-tiered cascade: the first is a shorter 36 foot drop, followed by a larger, dramatic 69 foot drop into a deep canyon.
A meal was included on this 8-hour tour, and we had a tasty hot supper right at the waterfall. As we headed to Thingvellir National Park we passed another steamy geothermal area.
Beautiful scenery along the way…
It was after 7pm by the time we got to Thingvellir National Park (Þingvellir) and the visitor center was closed, but we were able to see so much!
On the other side of the river was Thingvallakirkja (church) and the summer residence of the prime minister of Iceland.
Thingvellir National Park is one of the best geological wonders in Iceland. This UNESCO World Heritage Site and Game of Thrones filming location is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. These plates move apart at approximately 2.5 centimeters a year and have done so for millenniums.
The park is also an important historical site in Iceland. It was here that the Althing (Alþing), the annual parliament of Iceland, met from 930 to 1798.
What a beautiful country! Iceland is only about the size of Kentucky – there is so much to see and with 5 stops on the cruise, we sure saw a lot. At 8:50pm, there was still light out as we passed by this farm – it was after 9pm by the time we got back to the ship.
Our second day in Reykjavik, August 13, was another full day of adventure as we went on a Glacier Safari by 4-wheel-drive and visited an ice cave! We rode in convoy formation again today – but the 4-wheel-drive trucks we rode in were super-duty 4×4 trucks! We stopped briefly at a geothermal area and saw some bubbling hot springs.
We passed by a farm as we headed to Hraunfoss and Barnafoss waterfalls.
The Hraunfossar (lava falls ) consist of countless springs of clear water that emerge from under the edge of a lava field over a distance of about 900 meters (2,953 feet) and flow into the river Hvítá.
This well-worn map from a sign at the falls shows the local geography…
The Barnafoss (children’s falls) is upriver from the Hraunfossar where the channel of the Hvítá narrows.
Well, there’s Bill and Charlene!
Charlene got a photo of us on the bridge!
More scenic views as we headed to our lunch stop.
Here’s our ride!
Soon we saw the glacier. The Langjökull Glacier (Long Glacier) is 4460 feet long and covers an area of about 366 square miles, approximately 4,000 feet above sea level.
It was a thrilling ride ON the glacier!
We stopped at the base camp where we were offered rubber over boots, raincoats and crampons to prepare us to go into the ice cave. Jim and Linda got all 3 – Bill and Charlene got the crampons. It was cold and wet, and slushy in places. The crampons were a great help to keep our footing. Soon we were at the ice cave, ready to explore!
The man-made Ice Cave was a new attraction on the flanks of Iceland’s second largest glacier. Stretching deep into the glacier with tunnels and caves carved through solid glacier ice. It was about 100 feet below the glacier’s surface and about 800 feet in length.
Now THAT was a cool adventure!
We got back in the 4×4 and rode back off the glacier.
Our last stop for the day was, ironically, back to Thingvellir National Park where we (Jim & Linda that is) were the day before!
Our last port in Iceland was Grundarfjörður on August 14, and we had a bus excursion to see the “Charming Villages of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula”. The name of the excursion sounded quaint, fishing villages, an old farm and lighthouse, rocky shorelines, jagged mountains and a waterfall! Here are some shots as we left the port on the bus.
Our first stop was at the 30-foot-tall Svöðufoss waterfall. The Snæfellsjökull glacier lies above it.
Back on the bus!
The next stop was Malarrif– to check out the beach, a lighthouse and more.
Bárður Snæfellsás, a mythical figure, who according to the Icelandic saga, was half-human and half-giant or troll. A 6-meter-tall statue adorns the town of Arnarstapi.
More scenic views of Iceland as we headed back to the ship.
This turned out to be a very interesting day for one busload of fellow cruisers! Their bus made a wrong turn and got stuck trying to cross a bridge. Our friend Alfred helped people get off the bus and no one fell down the steep embankment. Fortunately, no one was injured but they didn’t get to see the big waterfall.
The next day was August 15, day 28 of our cruise – and it was a Sea Day, followed by a day of cruising in Prince Christian Sound once again. Linda enjoyed some time playing Bridge both days, Jim, Bill and Charlene hung out on the Lido deck and got some fabulous photos.
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines – the Bolette was going the opposite direction.
And another cruise ship; the Norwegian Star.
There was an opportunity for a Polar Bear Plunge at 2pm.
Those brave enough to take the plunge became a member of the Order of the Blue Nose! Not enough incentive for us to take a dip in the icy cold pool…
We cruised past the fishing village of Aappilattoq; less than 100 people live there.
That evening was the Orange Party – our friendly bar service girls came by; Say and “Happy”.
One of them gave Charlene some orange accessories for her to wear to the party!
On August 17 we stopped at the little town of Qaqortoq (“ka-KOR-tok”) in Greenland. Qaqortoq means “white” in the Greenlandic language; a rather ironic name, as South Greenland is truly one of the greenest areas of the world’s largest island. The town looked quite colorful too!
Two other ships were at anchor nearby.
We took a tender to go ashore.
At this port, we had decided to walk around on our own; as we began to explore, there were several carvings in the stone.
We went up the hill to look around and passed by the Rockhouse – a pub and live music venue.
We were back on board in time for lunch. As we sailed along that evening, we passed a rather large iceberg!
We enjoyed hearing trumpeter Nathan Samuelson on the World Stage that evening.
August 18 was a Sea Day. We enjoyed a lecture: The World Up Close: The Wizard of Wireless – the Marconi Story. We may want to learn more – Tom Lewis’s book Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio could be an interesting read!
Charlene enjoyed a moment on stage – until she was asked to leave… 😊
That evening The Legendary Voyage Band had a really well done “visual and sonic journey through Pink Floyd’s greatest hits” – Shine On – the Pink Floyd Experience. Apparently, several cruisers had a heads up on this; we saw many Pink Floyd shirts!
We were to be at St. John’s, Newfoundland on August 19, but due to the weather, the captain made a course change. And we were at sea all day. It was a bit disappointing to miss St. John’s; Charlene had arranged for an excursion around Conception Bay including lunch with McCarthy’s Party.
In the afternoon there was a bit of fun on the Lido Deck as some fellow cruisers tested out their shipbuilding skills in the pool.
On August 20, Bill was up early, as usual, and got some spectacular shots of the sunrise off the back of the ship. Our Lord God is an incredible Artist!
We arrived safely in Halifax, Nova Scotia in the afternoon and we had an overnight stay. The Immigration Museum was our primary destination for our first day! Canada had all their National Parks open with no admission fee in 2025, but since the Museum was not part of the Park system, we paid the nominal fee to enter. There was so much on display, it could take a full day to see it all! It was after 4pm when we started…
A model of the R.M.S. Ascania – a ship in the Cunard White Star Line – was on display as a mirrored cutaway. Many Europeans took a ship like this to come to Canada; Halifax was a major port to welcome immigrants.
The below photos, clockwise left to right: 1)SS Berlin arriving at Pier 21 from Bremerhaven, SS Bantam in background, April 20, 1957 2) SS Anna Maria arrives, 1965 3) Immigrants about to leave the gangway and step onto Canadian soil, 1950 4) Postwar Jewish immigrants arrive from an unknown ship at Pier 21(no date)
The immigrants went through many screenings, including medical.
The museum closed for the day, so we headed to Garrison Brewing to sample some craft beers.
On our second day in Halifax, August 21, we booked a Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour. We had been to Halifax before, but this tour would take us places we had not yet seen. The buses were antiques and made for a fun ride. The tour was well narrated by a guide.
The St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica boasts the highest free-standing granite spire in North America. The Cross atop the spire sits one hundred and eighty-nine feet above the sidewalk! St Mary’s was our first “hop-off” stop!
Lots of beautiful stained-glass windows, many depicting scenes from the Bible.
Creation: And God created man to his own image Genesis 1:27
Incarnation; For this day is born to you a Saviour who is Christ the Lord in the city of David Luke 2:11
These 2 windows depict (Left) At the crucifixion, when Jesus cried out, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit – Luke 23:46 and the angel stopping Abraham from sacrificing Isaac – Gen 22:10-13 and (Right) Christ’s resurrection – Luke 24:6 and the fish vomiting Jonah onto dry land – Jonah 2:10
As we headed back out, over the door was this beautiful window; Caritas in Latin means love or charity.
We “hopped” back on a bus and stopped off at the Public Gardens.
We walked around the pond and spied the Titanic making a crossing… Halifax was where many survivors of the Titanic were sent – and a large graveyard holds many of the victims.
This unusual flowering plant may be a combination of Purple Clematis Vine and Firecracker Vine/Ipomoea Lobata – colorful!
Weeping European Beech tree.
Not much activity at the fountain – and it was a perfect day to be outside!
Back on the bus, we headed to the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site.
The Cavalier Building houses an information center, Army Museum and Barracks.
We went to the upper level.
At noon every day, they fire the canon – lots of folks were watching for the action.
And we stayed for the big bang!
From up there, we could see the city of Halifax; The Citadel is on a hill above the city, and we spotted our ship in the harbor, anchored by St Georges Island National Historic Site. Since Halifax was not a scheduled stop on this journey, we were assigned a spot at the pier when our ship came into port but had to move later today to make room for ships that had been scheduled earlier.
The Halifax Town Clock
Time to get back down and hop on the bus again!
We hopped off the bus at the waterfront and walked back to where we could take a tender to get back to the Zuiderdam. The waterfront was a bustling place – lots of folks milling about! There were interesting things to see – The Acadia was on display – this Canadian ship served 56 years of active service!
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And a Canadian Coast Guard ship – the Constable Carrière.
Our last full day on board the Zuiderdam, August 22, was a sea day as we sailed toward Boston. When we headed to the Lido for breakfast, there had been a towel animal explosion! There were hundreds of assorted towel animals all over the place; a Zuiderdam Animal Zoo!
Some were rather elaborate and almost life-size!
The crew bid us farewell just before lunchtime; they did an outstanding job all around!
That evening, Breton Thunder entertained us with a third show! This band is from Nova Scotia – we really enjoyed their musical talents!
Here is the final itinerary for our adventure!
We got into Boston again on August 23 and headed back home again. What an amazing cruise it was! So many interesting ports – lots of adventures, including unexpected weather and a lot of rain; our ship had to “hide out” to avoid Hurricane Erin, and make a change of ports. Exciting times for sure, and we made it thru safely! We are so glad to share this adventure with you – and happy that you hung in there to the end!
What a marvelous journey. Great photos and facts. Thank you for sharing it.
Wow! What a trip! So many names and locations! You must keep daily detailed notes in order to write up this blog after the fact. Wonderful writing and photos! Thanks for sharing.
Bill and I were so happy you guys joined us for this epic 2025 Voyage of the Viking cruise. We saw and visited ALOT of cool places. Our favorite spots in Norway, Scotland, Iceland, Ireland are so beautiful with so many waterfalls and unique places to see and visit. Your photos represent the trip so well. We did have a few hiccups but for 35 days (your longest cruise) we all came thru with awesome memories. Linda you did such a fantastic job on this BLOG for that we thank you and that memories will be saved for years to come. A lot of time was put into this blog, but your time IS appreciated for others to enjoy and possibly follow in your and Jim’s footsteps. You both are so fortunate to have visited so many awesome places and built a lifetime of memories. Until next time and hoping we can travel together another time soon……………..Charlene & Bill
It was thrilling to journey with you on your cruise! I am delighted for all your viewing opportunities! Thank you so much for sharing!
That looks like an epic voyage you took! What a nice way to celebrate your 46th anniversary. And two people unexpectedly receive flowers 🌹.
Wow! What a spectacular trip. Such a great job with this blog. And the photographs! Felt like we were on the trip with you all.