Episode 1

This episode is just to get the wingeing out of the way!!!

I will never, repeat NEVER, go in or out or through Reykjavik airport ever again!

Would you believe they had 4 seats @ the gate for an international flight of well over 100 + passengers @ a rough guess!!!!

When I got there - this being a different airport to the one I have experienced twice in the last little while - managed to find the assistance check-in desk [which turned out to be the only assistance I got] & for the 1st time ever, I actualy requested a seat [a window one so I could take photos as we passed over Iceland, the Faroes, Sweden & of course Denmark], BUT I was very careful to specify NOT anywhere near the wing. So of course U know where my seat was, & the reflection off the wing & engine was SO painful, I was really distressed.

Asked the 1st hostie if she could find me another seat & explained the reason, & she said it was impossible. When I began to think I would have to start a real commotion, another hostie did "manage" to find me an aisle seat. So no photos of course.

I thought I was going to have to pay for water even, & they were charging 2 Euros a bottle! I said I had my own bottle if they would just fill it! Thankfully, I had my emergency food supply of a gluten free bar (last 1 I think) as after getting up @ 3.45am I was starting to get a bit peckish by 10am!

Did have someone "meet & greet" from the aircraft to the baggage claim, but she left me in the middle of the terminal to find my own way to get a train in to central Copenhagen! (How unlike the other gorgeous woman  who helped me transit that airport before!)

Of course I managed as I usually do, but finding the hotel proved a bit complicated due to road (& pavement) works with many, many obstacles. The pavements have lines of cobbles on them, so dragging the suitcase............!

The "hotel" is um 'interesting' - but  it's only 3 nights!

Managed 2 of the 3 major tasks I had set myself, 1. getting a hair cut which deserves an episode all of it's own, & 2. posting off yet another parcel (thanks Gill). But I simply could not find the laudromat, so another expensive hotel laundry bill coming up *sigh*!! Also, did not manage a decent meal, as the places I did venture in to, did not really have anything I could eat, besides my search for the laundromat had taken me into the red light district, & I just wanted to get back here!

Find I get much more tired walking city streets than many of the other sorts of walks I've done - including up & then down into a volcano crater, but more of that, when I do the update, perhaps tomorrow morning, but having bought a 'cOPENhagen' card [that is printed like that deliberately!], I will be doing some explorations of the city - tho' I won't be pushing it to get my money's worth, but hopefully less hassles with entry fees, transport etc.!

Must clear the bunk so that I can get in to it! Night all!

Next Leg!

4.30 am  Off  to Copenhagen, hopefully catch up then! Love U.

Too tired!

A long & wonderful day! Was collected @ 7.30 am & dropped back @ 8.30pm! Tomorrow is another 7.30 pick up, & the following day is a 5 am pick-up!! I may not survive!!!

Went to Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) by bus & ferry. Just 8 in the group mainly women as well as the driver! U will have to wait for the telling & the photos! But, sadly, would U believe (M) NO puffins - welll there were a few in the water - but none to be seen elsewhere.

I have to have some sleep!

"The Golden Circle"

Now this   was more like it!!!

Whilst I should have taken my own instinctive advice & not hotel staff's re clothing, & I really dislike being with a large (big bus full) of people & having to do things to a fixed ime schedule, it was a good tour.

Fascinating country, with all the volcanic rock, over 500 kinds of moss, geysers & waterfalls etc. etc.

Gullfoss Falls were certainly impressive, but because of the incredibly strong wind, & the fact that I couldn't see the steps well enough, I did not go down very far towards them, though even from this height could still feel the spray!

The geysers were incredibly hard to catch in action:

when they did blow,

WOW

It was here that we had our mini drama because as the bus was pulling away it was realised by a guy that a young single girl was missing, after 1/2 hr. of searching we had to leave without her! The Argentinian woman beside me thought she had seen someone running to catch another bus like ours, & that she had got in to a private car to chase it - which indeed proved to be what had happened!

I have to say this woman, was very discontented with this tour: "Why did we have to keep stopping? It is so cold, the wind is terrible etc. etc." She did not go further than the souvenir shops at the various stops, but had loved the city tour that we were both on yesterday!!!!! Just goes to show, there ain't no pleasing folk [me yesterday & her today]!!!!

Have to remember to call Icelandic ponies, horses, tho' in size they are not, I would have loved to have had the bus stop for some photos of them, instead of speeding past. Just couldn't get a decent shot

(& I certainly missed my 1 & only opportunity later on with my camera being on the wrong setting!! Stupid!!)

Even though not moving (thank heavens) it was still hard to photograph the amazing result of where the tectonic plates had split:



or the forces behind these marvellous 'designs'

Can't make further comment now! Will add later!!

Reykjavik 2

Well, I have to say that I'm incredibly disappointed with Reykjavik (there had to be somewhere I guess). Did a very boring tour of the city this afternoon! Bit like showing someone Canberra forgetting to mention Parliament House & the National Library etc. & instead a 5min stop @ St. John's, a wave @ St Christopher's, a drive past those boring apartments in Belconnen, & a bit of the lake!  Perhaps U get the picture?

We did go up to the Perlan, but the Saga Museum was not given a mention - tho' I knew it was there! It was suggested we go up to the 4th floor to look @ the view, & have a coffee (this for someone who had no Icelandic Krone!), but there was actually barely enough time to find the loo!!!
A longer time was spent (by some) looking at the people on the beach in the drizzle - it being 11 degrees. Quite mad!!!!

Actually we started with the best place which was
Hallgrim's (Dom) Church, interesting architecture & wonderful acoustic - a young man was "practicing" the huge organ, but I could find no info on it given the time limit (& given that I had to say hello to the statue of Leif Eriksson in front of the cathederal! Do Lutherans have cathederals, or are they all just churches????

I must say I liked the internal simplicity

We also had a quick trot around the sculpture garden, Einar Jónsson' most famous sculpture we were told:

but I'm ashamed to say I have forgotten what it was called.

Had to ask as I left the bus what this interesting building is, & inevitably it is a church, but I don't know which or where!

I sure hope they do better on tomorrow's tour - these 2 were not one's I organised!

Now will try to add a couple of pics to yesterday's blog!

Reykjavik

This is just a very quick entry to say I have arrived in Reykjavik (that's the capital of Iceland, E-B!!). It was not unexpected that whilst I sailed through passport control etc. there was NO assistance! No transport waiting ('they' thought the flight had been cancelled!!!), but thankfully given that it was nearly 10pm the hotel was expecting me!

Can get internet access in room for 4000 ISK for 5 days so that's a relief, no traipsing to lobby for dubious connection!

Hopefully I got some good photos from the plane out of Greenland.

The owner of Blue Ice the tourist company with whom I did my trips in Greenland was also on the plane, so he came back (yes, I had asked to sit away from wings etc.) to chat. It turned out he was going back to Provence for a few days as his mother had died. We had an interesting conversation.

Because of this damn cold I am almost completely deaf, & boy did my ears hurt coming in to land. Just as well I didn't do the helicopter jaunt!

Rest Day!

Well that is until I discovered that I had written an entry for today, then found when I went to put it on the flash drive to take to the lobby & try to upload ………. That I had managed to delete it completely!!!!

I am obviously not intended to tell you of the troubles I had transiting Reykjavik as that was part of it & it’s been “lost” so many times now, that it ain’t going up!!!! Let’s just trust they let me IN to Iceland with no fuss, rather than just passing through!!

Tomorrow afternoon I leave the mild weather here in South Greenland & perhaps in Iceland I will need all that warm gear!!!!

I expect the internet to be even more expensive where I am staying, so this is just to touch base, in case it is!!!!

Because I’ll hopefully be flying over the wonderous sight of the Greenlandic coast again, I’ll see if I can post a couple of photos from when I was arriving here, & in case I don’t have a window seat!

Down, but not out!!!!

Today, I had to admit defeat!!!!

Having managed a very steep long walk on a really bad rocky road up, down, up again, & then more up, then an incredibly difficult steep, and I do mean really steep down hill to get from Itilleq into Igaliko, all the while ‘singing’ a refrain that went something along the lines of: “If M……. can do it, so can I!!!!”

Mind you, I had hurt my back getting out of the boat as I had no idea it was such a huge step down to the pontoon, & did it with the wrong foot, & then someone shoved my other foot halfway up my spine to get it over. OUCH!!!

The 1^st thing I did when I got to Igaliko, was to go in to the “hotel” & say: “I have a voucher for lunch, but can I trade it for a ride back to the boat later?”

Thankfully my request was granted, so I was able to look around at the ruins of Gardar - otherwise I would have had to start walking straight away in order to get the boat!!!!
The cloud was very low when we went over, so couldn’t see the ‘tops’, but it was really a grand sight as it gradually lifted to reveal a really splendid vista of mountains & fjord with it’s own spectacular iceberg!

Oh yes, the reason for going.........

 

Given that my cold has worsened, with my chest aching, I think I really did very well! And, given that my ears are hurting, I cancelled the helicopter flight tomorrow also. If it had been a trip that I really, really wanted to do, such as up & over the glacier, or to Nanortalik with the possibility of polar bears, I probably would have done it, but not to go to Qaqortoq with a huge long walk from the helipad in to a town I don’t particularly want to go to, I prefer to loose 100DKK for a possible rest day!

That being said, I want an earlier night tonight also! Heaven knows if I’ll get any photos up, or whether I will add them at a later date, we’ll see!

Now I’ve got all the money back in cash as he couldn’t refund my Visa card, but some of it will come in useful in Copenhagen.

No words - well hardly any!!!!

I need to find a thesaurus that will give me dozens of new superlatives!!

The icebergs & glacier were awesome - the other people on the boat were not! And even when I asked if we could have at least 2 minutes silence & the skipper agreed, they simply would not keep quiet!

You could hear the ice sizzling in the water, and some of it really was blue! And yes, we did hear the glacier calving, & icebergs cracking & shedding parts. But I wanted to REALLY hear the silence, & to capture it & the amazing sounds of this natural phenomenon.

The shapes were incredible, & even little bits floating by - and that we hit - were so beautiful!

Now given that I took  649 photos in 3 hours, trying to choose 1 or 2 is ridiculously impossible, & whether I’ll be able to upload even 1 may prove impossible anyway! But will give it a try!

The glacier BTW is 8 miles away!!!

Do zoom in on this one!

The following is the "underwater" shot - with only the very top bit above the water!! No, I did NOT fall in, the water was just so clear!

 

Qassiarsuk - Brattahlid 2nd try

Firstly, the things I forgot to say yesterday!! Such as Happy Solstice!! Well, I guess for most reading this, I hope it was happy!!

The most important thing I didn’t say, was that for the FIRST time on this trip, I have a room with a view!!!!

And the second thing, is that a dear friend who shall be nameless ………. either did not tell me, or I, (in)conveniently forgot about the MONSTER mosquitos that live here!!! They have insatiable appetites for Anglo- Saxon blood. They also have no respect for citronella!

When I went on the boat over the fjord to Qassiarsuk this morning, I was assured there were no mosquitos because of the sheep being there! He just forgot to mention the millions of midges!!!!

Still managing to stave off this cough, cold whatever - sorta anyway, but I’m pushing it I think!

But enough moaning!!!

Today, another glorious day, warm, sunny, very still and quite lovely!

It was Greenland’s National Day & @ 8am, they had a flag raising ceremony with a bit of singing, with probably pretty close to the entire population of Narsarsuaq outside the hotel, & where after the ceremony they had an outdoor breakfast.

As I said above, went over Tunulliarfik Fjord to Qassiarsuk - Brattahlid where Erik the Red settled in 982! Around 1000, Lief - his son - after being baptised in Norway bought Christianity back to the Viking settlement & this was - unsurprisingly - not popular, but his mother, Tjodhilde, converted, & it was she who had the 1^st Church built in Greenland here.

They have made a reconstruction of this & of a long house, & this is where my visit commenced (lucky me as I didn’t have to walk up from the “harbour” as the guy driving the boat, from Blue Ice, needed to open it up as there is no guide at present), so, we arrived in a small cove just below it.

I then walked around the settlement, talking to a local whilst waiting for the “real” Church to be opened up for the day, there is 1 photo from inside it that I’ll try to post that I think is very funny!!! They must get an awful lot of 'firey' preachers!!!!!

It is a very sweet building.

Looked at the Viking ruins before & after visiting the Church, then clambered up on to a rocky outcrop to view them from above - excellent.

This little fellow followed me around:

Have just lost half of what I got up yesterday! I hate this program sometimes

Wednesday - I think!!!!

Since finding out that blogger had lost ½ my blog from the trip in to Greenland etc., & then last night the internet cut out just as I was uploading another photo, I don’t know if I’ll find all that is gone as well. It is really frustrating to put it mildly.

I have just spent a huge amount of money as I decided I couldn’t just sit around here all day on Friday getting bitten (& since I can‘t spend time on line!), so, went to see if I could get a helicopter flight up over the glacier.

Unfortunately, they need a minimum of 5 passengers, so that was out, but am going to go further south to Qaqortoq for the afternoon & it calls in @ Narsaq on the return flight, so will hopefully see a little more.

Today, a boat trip this afternoon to Qooroq Ice Fjord.

"Greenland's Icy Mountains"

Don’t think anybody could have prepared me for the flight along the coast of Greenland! I still can’t believe it!

I thought at first that my eyes were playing tricks on me!! That I was just imagining land out of the clouds, but dear heavens it was real!

Wonderfully, awesomely, spectacularly real!!

Seems like all the rest of this has gone missing! But here, maybe, are some pics.

Just taking too long to upload will have to add @ a later date,. But, no photo through a dirty plane window trying to avoid a propeller etc. could ever do it justice!

Another Drive!

Sunday
The warmest day in the Faroes yet, with very bright sunshine, & I’m trying to pack to go to Greenland tomorrow - the BBC Weather site tells me there will be a max. 0° most days!!!! This will be for the Summer Solstice!!!! I wonder if I will actually get to see a midnight sun?

Today was my trip to Eysturoy, to Gjógv where I so badly wanted to stay, & to Saksun, where this Saxon (yes it is pronounced pretty much the same!) would very happily live! Absolutely gorgeous!

Of course the weather was still brilliant, but I reckon it would still have been marvellous, even if had been otherwise - as it was over the next hill (more or less)!! There, the cloud was right down, no visibility in places, but still I loved Gjógv.

I was taken out on to that point on the righthand side, in order to be shown:

what you may well ask is the significance of this bench?????

Yup! Princess Mary was here!!!!! They built the bench for her!!!!! My driver insisted on taking a photo of me sitting on it - which he will send on!! I ain't holding my breath waiting on that! Personally I was more interested in:

 By this time I needed the loo & a warm drink, so we adjourned to the hotel

where I got him to record, as planned, the names of the places we had visited over hot chocolate!

Of course there are thousands more photos & masses to say, but must eat & pack! Not sure about internet in the next few days, but I'm sure you are not going to worry - tho' I might!!!!!

Tórshavn

2 days of amazing contrasts!

I intended to have Friday as a down time day! Didn’t quite work out that way!! Thought my feet would give up on me from pounding the pavements - which I really hate! And I also, yet again, learnt some very salutary lessons re the currency here, that I had given up trying to work out! What a drastic mistake! [Could have bought new clothes almost for the cost of getting 3 items laundered here @ the hotel!!]

But, I needed to get various ‘jobs’ done, such as posting back yet another parcel. The hotel told me where the PO was, but that I would need a taxi to get there! But my German friend showed me where there was a closer one on his App! Except, it turned out that it had closed! However, on enquiring at the bank, a kind woman offered to take me there in her car! How good is that?

Decided I could easily walk back as it was supposedly downhill, but managed to get hopelessly lost, & was “rescued” by the only person around as he got out of his car & I asked him where I was, & he then took me down & dropped me off @ Greengate (the firm which booked things here for me), which was still not open!

Walked back again to the Info/Tourist Office who rang them & then told me, yes they were there, but I had to get in through the back!!!! So walked back yet again - the 5^th time, & eventually found how to get in!

By this time it was too late to get out of town in order to go to Kirkjubøur as I was advised that I wouldn’t be able to do the walking bit in order to link up with the bus timetable to get back. So, decided to walk to see the graveyard & the Natural History Museum (the Historical Museum was way up the hill past where I had been in the morning!!).  It looked so simple on the map!

However, met several very nice people who all gave me conflicting info, & I walked miles past where I was wanting to go it turned out (& I do mean miles  &all uphill!)!! In the end as I gave up, I asked a woman @ a bus stop, & it was then that I found out that the town buses are FREE, & they come frequently!!! Please read this ACTION & take note!!!

Next lesson in a bad buy!! Do NOT buy take-away here! Not only was there enough to feed a family of four, it was awful, & then when I checked the price…….. Ye gods!!!! No wonder I'm broke!!!

Today, I spent the morning trying to get this blog a bit more up to date before my excursion of this afternoon!

Had a taxi driver/guide who was happy to take me anywhere, & wait whilst I took photos en route to Vestmannabjørgini, as well as impart a great deal of local colour & info.

Begins with an 'N' will put it in later!!! Pretty sure it's

Norðadalur

We got there just in time to board a very crowded boat - it being Saturday - & we set off to view the famous Bird Cliffs & caves. Managed to stake out a reasonably good position, but nowhere to sit.

It was a wonderous experience, & altho’ we had zoomed past in the “ferry” & flown over by helicopter, nothing was as good as this (despite all the people, some of whom did not seem very interested!) Extraordinary on both counts!

On the way back to the hotel, Ken???? said we would go to see Kirkjubøur, & I’m so glad, as it was fascinating, an 11th century restored church & an older cathederal which is being protected very cleverly in order to “dry out”.

Loved the gate to the Church:

There is also an artifact museum in a man's house he is the 17th generation to live there. My guide took much delight in explaining in graphic detail the weapons used to kill whales, & to inform me (he had pointed out the beach where the slaughter took place) that they had killed I think it was 240 whales in 10 mins recently (This was too much & after being offered whale meat & fermented fish yesterday when I had to whip out my phrase book to say hurriedly "I am a vegetarian"!!!).

It was hard not to voice my disgust & abhorrence, but I had known before I left, that this would probably happen somewhere along the line before I came away, & I managed to keep my cool.

The worse problem was that by this time, I was busting to get back to civilisation literally!!

More to come!!!

What an afternoon!

And he will also drive me tomorrow Eysturoy & the place I really wanted to stay - Gjógv. Trouble is, I feel I should tip him, but have no idea how much, & probably it would clean me out! Wish I could take advice on this one!

2nd instalment of catch-up!

OK, so the next morning, the helicopter picked us up & we flew to Vagar past the bird cliffs etc.

Had just under an hour in the airport & then flew on to Skúvoy (pop. 25)

     





                                                 Think U could call this a "jolly" boat!

I was told after lunch - in no uncertain terms - that I was not to walk south the way the others were going - & that I should go north & "follow the red poles"!

It started out innocuously enough:

a steady climb

but as I got to the gate, these birds started harrasing me

On going through the gate as directed, I found the 1st two markers, which turned out to be not poles, but little markers that stood about six inches high!! Fell over the 3rd, but then could not see any more! Tried searching for them, but must have strayed way away from them, & presumably on to the breeding grounds. I needed to get away from them, but which way?????

THEN, these Great Skuas

http://seabird.wikispaces.com/Great+Skua

started! They didn't just come at me head on, one by one - well they did at first, but as I turned & tried to run downhill & duck @ the same time, they started in 2's & 3's, & from all directions & were swooping so close & fast that their wings were touching my hair as I ducked!! It was absolutely terrifying. Bought out all my old panic of being attacked from behind etc. etc.

Eventually, a lifetime later, I did find & make it to the gate, but, it made me sad & angry that because I can't see properly, I could not get to the bird cliffs.

I did manage to see this curlew on the horizon though.

The next morning the fog was really low - couldn't see the hill directly outside my window, so it was a good thing we were going out by boat!

I went down early to get some photos

impossible to see the opposite shore

but, no trouble getting photos of sea spray this time!!!

sometimes a bit tricky to get away from it!!!

Martina was worried about sea sickness, whilst I was worrying about how I'd get onboard the wee boat!

So 4 out of 5 managed to leap for it, I'm busy saying I can't see where to jump TO!!!! Eventually, a combination of me trusting & 2 sailors manhandling me, I did make it!!!

& we were on our way!

Had to sail much further north than I had seen it do the previous day, but I won't bore U with all those photos!

We arrived safely on Sandoy with 4 hours to wait for the bus, so, of course, I went to the church

and found the first one I could actually get inside to see!

Went down to the beach

& saw this great sight when I went back into the town!

Eventually after 2 bus rides & a ferry trip we arrived back in Torshaven!