Our second day in Newfoundland and Labrador, Tom and I hiked to Signal Hill in St. John’s. Signal Hill is a Canadian National Historic Site with lots of park land and hiking trails. Our ship docked in the center of town, which meant that the walk to Signal Hill was just 1.5 miles. Of course, …
From August 2024
St Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador
Three and a half months after we left, we returned to North America via St Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador. Technically, Greenland is in North America, but they are part of Denmark, so they identify as European. St Anthony is in Canada and it felt good to be back in a place that felt like North …
Cruising versus Taking a Tour Bus
Now that Tom and I are nearing the end of our trip, I have been reflecting on the advantages and disadvantages of cruising versus taking a tour bus. Having done both of them in close proximity means my memories of each are fresh. Our cruising has been with Holland America and the bus tour was …
Nuuk, the Capital of Greenland
Nuuk was our only port in Greenland. It wasn’t on the itinerary at all when we signed up for this cruise. We were supposed to stop at two other places on the southern shore of Greenland. But both of those places had too much ice for our ship to safely sail close to them. Nuuk …
Eulogy for My Friend, Sandy Shaw
This is a eulogy for my friend Sandy who died on Saturday. She would have been 60 this coming Saturday. You are familiar with Sandy and her husband Eric if you have been reading the blog for a while. They are our travel buddies. Aside from numerous Scout trips, we have traveled with them to …
Reykjavik, the Capital of Iceland
After seeing all kinds of natural wonders, Tom and I turned our attention to Reykjavik on our last day in Iceland. Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and has 1/3 of the population of the small, island country. Although it is the world’s most northern capital city, it has a mild climate due to its …
Geysir and Gullfoss, Iceland
What can be better than a waterfall? Turns out, for me, it is a geysir. On our third day in Iceland, Tom and I climbed aboard a bus for another shore excursion. This was was the Golden Circle, the most famous of all the scenic routes in Iceland. Probably because it is closest to Reykjavik, …
Dynjandi Falls and a Taste of Suðureyri
On the day our ship arrived in Ísafjörður, Iceland, Tom and I took a shore excursion to Dynjandi Falls and had a taste of Suðureyri. Even though we had seen a waterfall in Iceland the day before, this trip was totally different and very enjoyable. We started by meeting our guide at the bus. He …
Goðafoss Waterfall in Northern Iceland
Our first day in Iceland we saw Goðafoss Waterfall which started our stay on an impressive note. The ship docked in Akureyri, which is along the north coast of Iceland. The city is situated at the end of a long fjord, so we enjoyed the scenery as we sailed in and out of the fjord. …
Back to Ålesund, Norway
Considering all the places we’ve seen, it is surprising that Ålesund is only the third place we have been twice. We were in Lerwick, Shetland Islands twice, in London twice, and now back to Ålesund. Going back to Ålesund, Norway is not a hardship in the least. The first time we were here, we walked …