Caribbean Princess 16 Day Transatlantic Cruise Review
Day 6 Akureyri, Iceland Arrival: 9:00AM Departure: 6:00PM
Click Any Photo To Make It Larger!
Day 6 Akureyri, Iceland Arrival: 9:00AM Departure: 6:00PM
Click Any Photo To Make It Larger!
View of Akureyri From The Ship
|
Akureyri is located at the head of the Eyjafjorour Fjord, Iceland's longest fjord
|
Church in Akureyri (Akureyrarkirkja) overlooks the city and 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
|
Laufas Folk Museum
|
Turf houses show how people lived during 17th century
|
Back of turf houses
|
Parlor with Icelandic artifacts
|
How they dressed back then
|
Store house
|
Store house
|
Garden behind turf house
|
Church built in 1865
|
Side view of church
|
Pulpit from 1698
|
Altar of church
|
View from balcony
|
Sheep in the field
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
Even though Akureyri is only 37 miles from Arctic Circle, it has a relatively warm climate so all types of plants can live.
|
Gardens have not only Icelandic native plants but also plants & trees from all over the world.
|
Can walk all through the gardens
|
Colorful flowers in gardens
|
Ferns
|
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.
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 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.
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.