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Caribbean Princess 16 Day Transatlantic Cruise Review
Day 6       Akureyri, Iceland              Arrival:  9:00AM                 Departure:   6:00PM          
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View of Akureyri from the ship
View of Akureyri From The Ship
Akureyri is located at the head of the Eyjafjorour Fjord, Iceland's longest fjord
Akureyri is located at the head of the Eyjafjorour Fjord, Iceland's longest fjord
Church in Akureyri (Akureyrarkirkja) overlooks the city and harbor
Church in Akureyri (Akureyrarkirkja) overlooks the city and harbor
View of the ship in the harbor
View of the ship in the harbor
​Arrival:  After sailing through Iceland’s longest fjord the Eyjafjordur, we arrived in Akureyri located at the end of the fjord with mountains on both sides. Our first sight of the town was its brightly colored buildings that sparkled on that sunny day which was relatively warm but very windy. 

Laufas Folk Museum:  As we left Akureyri, we drove along the coast to the Laufas (farm) Museum. The turf-clad timber houses gave a glimpse of how the Icelandic people lived during the 17th century. The farm, located by the estuary of the river Fnjoska, is an example of a wealthy vicarage in earlier times and the church located here is a renowned church site which is still in use today. 

View from coach
View from coach
View from coach
View from coach
View from coach
View from coach
View from coach
View from coach
View from coach
View from coach
View from coach
View from coach
Laufas Folk Museum
Laufas Folk Museum
Turf houses show how people lived during 17th century
Turf houses show how people lived during 17th century
Back of turf houses
Back of turf houses
Parlor with Icelandic artifacts
Parlor with Icelandic artifacts
How they dressed back then
How they dressed back then
Store house
Store house
Store house
Store house
Garden behind turf house
Garden behind turf house
Church built in 1865
Church built in 1865
Side view of church
Side view of church
Pulpit from 1698
Pulpit from 1698
Altar of church
Altar of church
View from balcony
View from balcony
Sheep in the field
Sheep in the field
Farm house in the area of the church
Farm house in the area of the church
Farmland in the area of the church
Farmland in the area of the church
Farmland in the area of the church
Farmland in the area of the church
Farmland in the area of the church
Farmland in the area of the church
​Godafoss Waterfalls:  These falls are called the “Waterfalls of the Gods” because in the year 1000 Chieftain Thorgeir Thorkelsson and the Icelandic Parliament made Christianity the official religion of Iceland. The statues of Norse gods were then hurled into the waterfalls.  The falls are some of the most spectacular in Iceland and not to be missed!
Godafoss Falls - Waterfalls of the Gods
Godafoss Falls - Waterfalls of the Gods
Waterfall
In 1000 Chieftain Thorgeir Thorhelsson decreed that Iceland would convert to Christianity. He threw all statues of Norse gods into the waterfalls
Godafoss Falls
Godafoss Falls
Godafoss Falls
Godafoss Falls
Godafoss Falls
Godafoss Falls
​Botanical Gardens: These gardens were established in 1912 and are home to over 2,000 different kinds of plants, flowers and trees. Many of them are native to Iceland, but others have been gathered from all over the world.  We were given an opportunity to stroll though these beautiful gardens and were amazed that plants like we have at home are able to grow in a garden so close to the Arctic Circle which is only 37 miles away!
Botanic Gardens - established in 1912
Botanic Gardens - established in 1912
Plants
Even though Akureyri is only 37 miles from Arctic Circle, it has a relatively warm climate so all types of plants can live.
Gardens
Gardens have not only Icelandic native plants but also plants & trees from all over the world.
Can walk all through the gardens
Can walk all through the gardens
Colorful flowers in gardens
Colorful flowers in gardens
 Ferns
Ferns
Walk ways throughout the gardens
Walk ways throughout the gardens
​Other possible sights to see:  For those passengers wanting to walk to the town center, it was about a quarter of a mile from the pier. For those needing transportation, taxis were located outside the pier area and all over town.  Other areas to visit were the Namaskard Pass with its boiling mud pools and steaming vents, Lake Myvatn which is Europe’s largest bird sanctuary, and Myvatn nature baths at an active geothermal area where you can take a dip in the hot baths.

​Heart-shaped Red Traffic Lights: Our tour guide pointed out to us the traffic lights and explained why the red light is in the shape of a heart. When Akureyri’s economy went downhill sometime back, the people were very depressed and pessimistic about the future. One lady decided to put red hearts all over the town, even the traffic lights, to express optimism. The economy is doing well today, but the heart-shaped traffic lights were left as a reminder.

​
Favorite appetizer
Favorite appetizer
Favorite main course - surf and turf!
Favorite main course - surf and turf!
​Evening Entertainment:  Showtime in the Princess Theater was Production Show: Born to be Wild with the Caribbean Princess Singers, Dancers and Orchestra. Not only were the performers wonderful, but the sets (think full sized Pink Cadillac on stage) were unbelievable. Very professional!!
​
Northern Lights:  This was the first night for a possible sighting of the aurora borealis and we had signed up for a phone call if any lights were seen. Around 10:45pm we got the call (which was much earlier than expected) and we headed to the starboard deck which we had been told was the best side of the ship to see the lights. Unfortunately, in the short time it took us to get to Deck 15, we had sailed into a cloudy sky and the lights could not be seen again that night. But we still had two more nights for a chance to see them, so hope was still alive.
Up Next: Day 7
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RyG's Cruise Guide is not affiliated with any cruise line or travel organization. Any information is subject to change at any time given that the cruise industry is always changing. Due to the Covid pandemic, crew staffing shortages, and supply chain issues information could change without updates being made here. I always recommend checking with your cruise line for the latest information related to onboard amenities and Covid protocols. 

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