The World rose out of a chaos of fire and ice, according to the mythology of the ancient Norsemen. this is a combination very readily seen in Iceland with its Volcanic activity and spouting Geysers and the fields of ice which appear in the winter. From these opposing elements were born the first Gods. Ymir, the Ice Giant and his descendants ruled until superceded by one's more perfect and banished to Jötun-heim. the triad Odin, Vili and Ve ruled the world in turn until they retired to build palaces in Asgard, the home of the Gods.
Iceland lies at the north end of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and can be considered to be one of the most geologically active places in the world. Most cruises pass Surtsey Island which appeared during the sixties as well as the Heimaey Islands which are active.
You will find Iceland is expensive for most goods as they have a VAT rate of 24.5%. You, can, however, claim this tax back, less a handling charge, if you purchase goods from a participating retailer which displays a sign saying 'Iceland Tax-Free Shopping'. However you must purchase goods over IKr5000 (Approx £40) on each sales ticket to get the refund. An officer from the Icelandic Tax office is usually on board ship just before the ship leaves to give a refund of the tax or you can send it to the Icelandic Tax office and get a refund to your credit card. One of the great things to buy are Icelandic Sweaters however bear in mind you duty free allowance when you getback to the UK is only £145 or thereabouts you can order these direct from Arctic Nature by mail and they do a quick delivery to the UK.
The climate can be variable and can change quickly so be prepared. You will notice the air is noticeable cleaner and smell and tastes wonderful. The scenery is out of this world and if you have the chance to cruise down the East coast keep a eye out for the the massive Vatnajökull Glacier, the largest in Europe.
There are no language problems as everyone seems to speak fluent English.
There are toilet facilities at most of the tourist locations and they are clean, however be prepared that many of them are Unisex.
For further information about Iceland and links for information visit My website. .
Akureyri is a small but clean and tidy town. There are some nice souvenir shops in Hafnarstræti only 5 minutes walk from where the tender lands you. Look for the shop with the 7 foot viking outside! There is also a modern looking church near the harbour.If you look along the harbour walls you may see Eider Duck chicks, something you don't see in the UK
One trip from Akureyri is the Leisurely Akureyri and Goðafoss trip. This is a coach trip showing well known sites in Akureyri followed by a trip to the Botanic Gardens. However you only spend about 20 minutes here. There is wheelchairs access and toilets here. The coach then takes you on to Goðafoss Falls which is about 30Km away. The coach will take you down to view the falls. You can then either take the coach or walk back to the souvenir shop. The walk takes about 5 minutes along a lava track which is not too difficult walking, then across the river on a footbridge up a slope to the shops. There is a souvenir shop/cafe and a woollen goods shop as well as toilets.
An extension to the Goðafoss falls is the day trip to Mývatin which is a large lake, a haven for wildfowl and you can also see natural bubbling mud pots. Take insect repellant if you go later in the year to Mývatin
We were fortunate to have the ship tied up to the quayside when we were there so we did not use a tender to go ashore. From the quayside an half hourly shuttle bus was in operation to the City Centre. A stall selling Icelandic Souvenirs was in operation at the bottom of the gangway. Did not see much of Reykjavik as we went on a day trip. There is a nice lake called the Tjörn in the middle of the city. Look out for the Swans, they are not the usual Mute Swans we are used to but Whooper Swans. You may be lucky and see a Great Northern Diver (the American Common Loon).
For a street map of Reykjavik click Here then click the red writing 'click for street map'
One of the most popular tours from Reykjavik is The Golden Circle tour. Hveragerði is the first stop. You have about 30 minutes here. This town lies on a geothermal field and is also known as greenhouse town as many fruit and vegetables are grown under geothermally heated glasshouses. You stop at the main entrance to the centre where you can buy postcards and souvenirs. There are also toilets here. The next stop is the Kerið crater which is a lake within a volcanic crater. Unfortunately this is not a good location for photos in the morning if it is sunny due to the sun being in the wrong quarter. Further on we reach the furthest we go at Gullfoss Falls. The coach will drop you at the cafe/shop and toilets at the top and you can walk down the pathway to the falls. For disabled people the coach will take you down. These falls are spectacular and are one of the few natural places where the place looks like you see in photos. Take a waterproof coat, you will need it if you want to get close. The coach picks you up a the falls and you retrace your steps about 5 Km to Geysir. Here you will see the familiar Geysir Strokkur (The Churn) which erupts about every 5 minutes. The original Geysir, The Great Geysir, has become active again since earhquakes 2 or 3 years ago but is unreliable in its timing and does not erupt regularly. There is a souvenir shop/Cafe/Toilet here. Lunch is served in the Geysir Hotel, however you are at Geysir for about 1-1½ hours before lunch. Unfortunately this is where the timing breaks down and makes the afternoon a rush! The lunch is excellent. There were around 500 people on our trip and we were all served at once. There was an excellent soup followed by Salmon and vegetables, coffee then pancakes.
After lunch we carried on towards Þingvellir. Alot of the route was along track now rather than tarmac roads although this was not noticeable as the coaches are designed for this type of terrain. Þingvellir used to be the site of the AlÞing, the original Icelandic Parliament and is considered an Icelandic revered location. The coach will drop you off at the bottom of the track up through the gap between the European and American Tectonic plates. It is quite a steep walk along a rough track but is worth the effort for the views of the AlÞing buildings. Of course you don't have to walk, the coach takes you to the top to meet the walkers. There are toilets at the top. We then carry on back to Reykjavik and the Pearl, which is a revolving restuarant purchased on tanks of geothermally heated water. The views of the city are excellent. We only had 15 minutes here and returned to the ship with about 15 minutes to spare. All in all this is a sites of Iceland in a nutshell tour and I would recommend it.
For something different I hear the Blue Lagoon is excellent for swimmimg in Geothermally heated water.
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