Iconic Iceland Greenland & Canada

3rd / 06 - day 1 Tuesday We set off at 8 (Patrick McKendrick picked us up in his all electric Jag he was full of). A young business manager met us at a coffee place in terminal one, who extolled Icelandic food! Met by Buddy and drove to 3rd / 06 - day 1 Tuesday We set off at 8 (Patrick McKendrick picked us up in his all electric Jag he was full of). A young business manager we met in at coffee place in Terminal One extolled the Icelandic food! Met by Buddy and drove to Reykjavik, which was fine until we reached the town where the traffic queues were horrendous. Boarded the ship in very windy conditions.  It was so bad sailing was postponed for a day. 4th June - 1st full day but 2nd really Wednesday:  We went ashore in the morning amid powerful winds still in Reykjavik. Used the complimentary shuttle bus to Harpa (concert hall) and got on a hop on hop off bus but stayed for most of the whole tour - getting off in the same if anything more powerful winds at the cruise terminal. Had lunch then mooched around or read in the afternoon having an early dinner after all the safety messages/announcements. Dinner at The Restaurant - tiger prawns and then tenderloin Steak Diane - Margaret had soup starter and Fetta in Filo Pastry with Nectarines. Then Creme Brûlée for me and nothing for Margaret and an early night. 5 - day 3 Thursday …At sea. Not much to report.  6 - day 4 … Friday: Still sailing Norwegian Sea to Seydisfjordur. Still very windy but not as bad as Reykjavik. The last fish plant closed 9 years ago, which finished the fishing fleet! Now it’s main income is Tourism. Jessica was our tour guide - in season June to September - does it every day as cruise ships dock regularly. She lives 2.5 kilometres out of town … skies-in during heavy snow! Photographer mainly (saw some her photos for sale (£175 roughly 30,000ISK). A Canadian by birth, but lived here for 10 years, and loves the outdoors. Will get plenty here - these type of activities seems to be the only things to do! In winter, because of the ring of mountains around the fjord this place is relatively sheltered but I imagine gets little sun. Ice is the biggest issue in winter such that mini-crampons are ‘de rigeur’. We sailed at 2:50 - with lots of stragglers boarding well after the 2pm deadline! Stunning views leaving as we sailed slowly down the fjord. Out at sea the swell caused a bit of movement of ship. 7 - Day 5  - Saturday: Akureyri A very leisurely start to the day then a well below par coach trip to the Botanical Gardens (or a park with plant signs!) coupled with a coach around town with a photo stop. The best bit being the trip across the fjord to a hill top to view Akureyri from the ‘other’ side. Rough seas made Margaret change her mind about going to the Star Theatre to watch live… watched a bit on tv but not our kind of music so switched it off and read. 8 - day 6 Sunday:  Isafjordur Quiet start then an interesting coach trip … the start was a bit inauspicious … a good looking waterfall but guide was telling us about the pure natural water and offering it to us all to taste. Then to a fishing town to see someone dressed in original clothing and a replica boat. Clothes are sheep hide - a chest high pair of trousers that go over feet too - plus a jacket - all tied with a rope around the waist and under the crotch …. Helps catch and pull fishermen in if they are unfortunate to fall overboard! The feet also had a pair of shoes/ slipper style made of sharkskin as less slippy and providing a better grip. The hat was typical design but surprisingly still made of sheep hide. All the hides were waterproofed with fish oil. Margaret wanted me to take a photo of him full face … he reminded her of Terry Price. We then went back to via road tunnel to a concert in Isafjordur listening to a singer songwriter. Then we walked back in sunshine (it was quite warm) to the ship for lunch and a quiet afternoon. That night Wendy Law was featured in the Star Theatre but watched on the tv.  She is a Juilliard trained cellist (with her cello ‘Sebastian’ but she was playing ‘popular’ tunes so switched off! 9 - day 7 Monday: After a somewhat disappointing breakfast at Mamsens, we had a drink in the starboard side of the Explorer Lounge and saw a whale ‘lobtailing’. In the afternoon Margaret went to play Bridge and I walked around the deck. 10 - day 8 Tuesday: Another day at sea. Really stormy during the night (Margaret took sickness pills at 5pm and again at 11pm). John had breakfast (only one side of World Cafe open … lost my seat!) then we spent most of the morning together. John went for a mooch around at about 11:10. Met Steven (Bennett?) after sitting listening to music opposite what I assumed were 2 Americans. Steven joined and we got chatting then his wife joined. Turns out all 4 are Australians from Perth. Steve was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne but moved to Australia when he was only 4 years old! Told me he was something to with piston engine planes (just got a home based job with a US firm!). They went off to do the Trivia Quiz whilst I met Margaret for lunch in the World Cafe. After lunch Margaret went to play Bridge and I walked the deck (really windy so packed in early) and read.  We found out early evening that plans were changing again! We are not going to Paamiut because of the medical emergency but Nuuk at full speed so we should be in tomorrow by 11:00! 11 - day 8 - Wednesday: Nuuk, formerly called Godthåb, is the Capital and most populous city (16,500) of Greenland, an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk is the seat of government and the territory's largest cultural and economic centre. It is one of the smallest capital cities in the world and the furthest North! We got a shuttle bus into town and walked about a bit. A bit like Iceland … expect to see lots of wildlife and see little. Bought some wool and needles plus chocolate and toothpaste but pretty underwhelmed on the whole. 12th - day 9 Thursday:  Sea all day - got told we cannot get to next call. 13th - day 10 Friday Should have gone to L'Anse aux Meadows but is now not going to happen …. We are going straight to Halifax … getting there Sunday!  With carbon dating estimates between 990 and 1050 AD L'Anse aux Meadows is the only undisputed site of pre-Columbian contact of  Europeans with North America and for its possible/probable connection with the accounts of Leif Erikson in the Saga of the Greenlanders and the Saga of Erik the Red, which were written down in the 13th century. Remember Columbus was 500 years later! Archaeological evidence suggests the settlement served as a base camp for Norse exploration of North America, including regions to the south. The area nowadays mostly consists of open, grassy lands, but, 1,000 years ago, there must have been forests that were convenient for boatbuilding, housebuilding and iron extraction. So at sea: breakfast then quiet time in the Explorers Lounge then to the cabin and lunch where Margaret introduced me to Mike - a retired gay ex PWC accountant who lives in Arizona & Lisbon!. Margaret knew him through Bridge which is where she went in the afternoon! I walked the deck. It rained very lightely during the last few laps then I went for a hot chocolate in the Explorer’s Lounge. Went later with Margaret and had some cake and coffee after going to the cabin for a while and watching a lecture about Vinland. Went for dinner after a lecture about Moby Dick from Russell Lee!  15th - day 11 Saturday: At sea. We got down for breakfast but Margaret felt a bit unwell and went back to the cabin.  Recovered enough to go to Bridge … I had a steak sandwich and walked around the upper deck then read more about the ‘Icebear’ and we had dinner at 6:15 ish.  16th - day 12 …Sunday: Halifax: After a foggy night sailed in very bright sunshine! Everyone seems delighted at the idea of getting off the ship for a while! Started with hop on hop off bus tour of Halifax but we got off at big park then walked down to the Citadel. Enjoyed that … some of the ‘pretend soldiers’ were surprised I recognised their Mackenzie tartan. Quick lunch then we caught the tour bus to Peggy’s Cove. The coach drive was brilliant scenery but the guide talked non-stop about two shipwrecks,  two air disasters (Swiss Air & 9/11) and depressing stuff like that!  Bought an art print from painter - (Neil Depey)  and had the most enormous Ice cream (The Captain - never again!). Even the ‘small’ vanilla Margaret had was too much! Lovely day though, in spite of the guide.  Monday - day 13 At sea today and saw porpoises as we cruised along in nice sunny weather, on last leg. Margaret went to Bridge  watched a bit of guitarist doing a tribute to dIRE sRAITS and Russell Lee doing a similar (but mercifully  it was a lecture!) on the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson.  17th - day 14 Tuesday: Into New York in the early morning: watched us sail past the Statue of Liberty and dock at pier 90. We left the ship (Tan 2) about 9ish and did a tour of Little Italy and Chinatown pre-booked … Rob guided us on a slightly raining, foggy morning. Had a Bao Bun in Chinatown, then a coffee in an Italian Restaurant in Little Italy. Talked with Sharit and Beira Jamal from Chicago. Flew home that night with Virgin but a Delta plane via Upper Class lounge; take-off at 7:30 pm. So Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning is the flight HOME!