July 31 8:00 - 17:00 - Isafjordur
After breakfast we had our scheduled tour of Dynjandi Waterfall. 9:00 – 3:00.
Today
‘s destination was Isafjordur, an idyllic town in the Westfjords region, which
is a very sparsely populated area even for Iceland. This secluded peninsula is
connected to the Icelandic mainland by only a narrow strip of land and includes
many roadless areas where cars have never been. The landscape had jaw-dropping
views of dramatic fjords carved by ancient glaciers, sheer table mountains that
plunge into the sea and pristine North Atlantic vegetation.
The
drive to get there was interesting in that we went through 2 of the longest
tunnels we have ever been. One even had pull-overs so traffic in the other
direction could pass.
It was
around 20 minutes of walking to get to the waterfall which consists of 6
different cascades that flow into a large fan-shaped waterfall. It is 328 feet high
and 196 feet wide. Dynjandi means “thunderous" and the other 5 falls are Háifoss, Úðafoss, Göngufoss, Hundafoss and Bæjarfoss that you can see on your hike.
The little church dates back to 1886.
We stopped at a typical Icelandic village, where we had our included lunch. Our guide Dorothee was very excited to have the fish soup. (I’m not much into fish so I was less excited) We were invited into her home and our group had salad and soup. There was a cabbage soup for those of us not into fish or vegetarians. For dessert there were home-made fried bread. (like donut holes) YUM!
We had some time to walk around the village before our return ride back to the ship.
We
went to the Tea Time for some snacks and then attended the port talk on Siglufjordur
& Grimsey followed by a lecture on Icelandic birds.
Whenever
we had some free time, we often went up to the Expedition Lounge with wrap
around windows and we did see some seals today. (Usually early or late as the
room was used for all of the lectures and port talks)
The
Germans had their Captain’s Welcome Aboard last night, and we English speakers
had ours tonight.
It
started with champagne (which was actually good) and virgin punch for the
non-drinkers. Cold and hot appetizers were plentiful and good. The Captain was
introduced and he did a speech before introducing just about everyone on the
ship. Captain was Nino Radic from Split, Croatia. Most of the officers were
either from Croatia or Ukraine. He then introduced Peter Podzaski the F&B
Manager. He was a hoot as you will find as the cruise goes on. Next, all of the
waiters & chefs, and the bar staff were introduced as well as all of the cabin
stewards. Most of the staff were from the Philippines. The ship’s doctor and so
on were introduced.
This
was followed by the Captain’s Welcome Dinner. Awesome food & Service.
After
dinner there was an Icelandic Show with Folk Stories and Folk Songs with Arndis
called “Magic of Freedom”. Arndis’ background is in opera, but she got tired of
living out of a suitcase and went into being a tour guide. She is a wonderful
addition to Iceland Pro Cruises for her entertainment value, but also, she
works as a Zodiac driver, guide, on land tying off the Zodiacs or collecting
life vests. She put on a fantastic show with her vocals and stories. She speaks
English, German, and Icelandic. (as do most of the expedition leaders and staff
onboard)
It was
time to get ready for our day tomorrow in Siglufjordur & Grimsey and get some
sleep.
Isafjordur,
Iceland https://photos.app.goo.gl/rdXDcvhZAyAwzbcr9
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