UnDisney Family in denial about Gold Status -Norwegian Fjords - August 16-26 2018

Anxious for more, loving what you've posted about Iceland so far! Major, MAJOR bucket list item pour moi :worship:
 
Day 6 - Iceland day 1 - continued

So, dedicated readers, I left you (or us?) with the ponies.

From here, it was a short drive to Gullfoss - which made much of the rest of the day pale in comparison.

What is Gullfoss you ask? It means "Golden Waterfall" in Icelandic. It does require a fair hike to get to the top, but it's an amazing hike and it's worth it.

I'll let the photos talk:


First- yes, that is a rainbow. One of (I kid you not) *7* we saw that day. SEVEN.

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So- note rainbow, amazing falls, sun, and, wow.

And more:

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Once you climb up, you then climb back down... and we made our way to the tourist centre, to grab (wildly expensive) food (but yummy) and some more souvenirs.

We met up with Skully after this, and noted that the tires were now, um, plugged in.

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This was a bit of a clue for what was coming next.

In brief, we went (as Skully put it), "behind the mountains". Note the kind of roads we were driving on... these were not for your average rental car.

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I figured - OK - now I get the big tires. But no, I did not. Because, it wasn't until we started to come up to, oh, a small river (big stream?) that I realized what was about to happen. Yep. We just casually drove right through that.

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Hysterically - the boys, ages 10, 13 and 17 - were all OVER THE MOON.

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Well- so that was really cool... but that was only the beginning.

After another 15 minutes of driving or so, we got to ... well, no place like anywhere else on earth. It's the middle of nowhere. The volcanic surface (yes, I mean that) means you feel like you're walking on the moon or something. YOu look over, and you see a glacier. (Yeah- just a glacier.) You see very little that indicates humankind is around.

We spent a long time here- and it was incredible.

Photos (this will have to go onto 2 posts for sure).

That's a glacier behind the mountain.

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A rough idea of how removed we felt from other humans (minus the power lines).

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Lava fields...

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See next post for more!
 
Day 6 - Iceland day 1- part 3

And... just photos of 'behind the mountains'

As you can see- it was a horrible weather day. Not.

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Happy boy with rocks. And glacier in the background.

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Playing with the panorama function on my phone.

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Canada Olympic wear again!

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I mean... really????? How amazing is this?

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We finally got back in the beast of a vehicle (very grateful for its talents), and I took more amazing through the window photos.

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It was a long-ish drive at this point ... but, well, one couldn't complain about the scenery.

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And with that, I need to sign off for the night. We are still not done with day 1. More amazingness, and rainbows, to follow.
 
I have never gone on a cruise, but we ARE Disney People, and are half-heartedly considering a cruise, and figure the safe and loving arms of our favorite mouse is a good place to start :rotfl:

The Norwegian Fjords or Alaskan cruises would be our preference (no strong desire for tropical-ness, but yes to Cuba), so I was excited to find and read through your report - especially from your non-Disney Person perspective - because if you keep booking it must mean it’s good!

I have anxiety about packing for such a trip, and dealing with a long flight. Not like psychological anxiety, I just mean from a planning point, so it was helpful to read through your experience with that.

Looking forward to reading more!!

Big Mouse does do a good cruise... we do admit!

Loved the Alaskan cruise as well- it was our favourite until this one, which was (as noted) a bucket list kind of cruise.

I get planning anxiety. I had fun, mostly, planning for this, and the flight situation was pretty good actually.

Thanks for reading!


:crazy2:

It's always nice when you can walk to town from the port and don't have to rely on any transportation.


This looks like a baby Guinness. We made one of these in our mixology class on my last cruise. They are delicious.


Sea days are always good when you have an action packed trip to give you much needed rest and relaxation. Your food at Palo looked delicious!


Wow those are some massive tires!

I am so excited to read about your travels in Iceland, I've been wanting to go forever. One day I'll get there.

Your pictures on your tour are amazing! Iceland is so pretty!

Thanks! I have no idea what that drink was, so... um, sure? It was yummy.

These photos are so amazing. I cannot wait to see more.

Lots more to follow! Thanks again.

Anxious for more, loving what you've posted about Iceland so far! Major, MAJOR bucket list item pour moi :worship:

Hopefully this helps fuel your bucket plans. It really was as good as I could have imagined- maybe even better.
 


Wow.....I bet that water was NO match for that machine! :thumbsup2

That scenery is just beyond.....like, it must have felt so surreal to be there? Raw, untouched beauty:love:
 
Day 6 - Iceland day 1- STILL continued

By now, it was about 6:30 p.m. We had about an hour drive from our stop behind the mountains to our next stop. Amazingly (helped along by scenery as noted above) everyone was reasonably well behaved. We had a number of snacks we had nabbed from our last meal, so that helped immensely. I will confess that kiddos were permitted some technology at this point and parents stayed much happier as a result.


Our next stop was at Þingvellir National Park. If you thought Iceland was slowing down for the evening, you'd be very wrong.

It was still broad daylight at this time, though you could see a bit of a shift in the light. After visiting the facilities at the main building, we wandered up to the overlook ... and we were greeted by this.

I mean... really? Iceland was just in major show-off mode.

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It was like Iceland was saying: "Well, having thrown 5 rainbows at you so far (spotted on multiple occasions over the afternoon), we'll just up the ante and show off.. and give you a double rainbow- with spectacular light".

These were not, as you can see, pale wimpy rainbows. It felt like some kind of movie special effect.

Happily- very few people were around at this point (it had been quite crowded at some of the other stops).

We just meandered. It would rain a bit (fair price to pay for our rainbows) and then the sun would come out again. There is a huge fissure at the park - you are literally "between two continents" when you walk through it.

Anyhow- more photos.

More of the scenery from the lookout.

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Still a rainbow...

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10 year old in between 2 continents.


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Cool light effects ... between 2 continents.

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By now, I had decided this was MY rainbow ... pointing me at more amazing scenery.

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Picturesque little village.

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Wet, yet awesome bridge.

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Lava

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I'm told this wall will look familiar to Game of Thrones fans.

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Finally- at about 8:15, we decided to head back to the ship. I think we still had about a 30 minute drive. We were all pretty exhausted at this point, but happy.

We had not bought anything too dramatic, so boarding the ship was fairly easy. I think (others on the cruise can tell me if I'm wrong) that as it was after 9:00- it was possible to go and eat at one of the restaurants for a special sit-down meal (our meal at the waterfall kind of felt like lunch - perils of an odd schedule). DCL Queen and her crew elected to do that ... we knew that our early-to-bed crowd (raising my hand here) could not handle more crowds or delays, so we headed straight to the cabin, ordered bedtime snack-type things from Room service, made the kid have a bath, kicked him out of the bath so I could have a long hot shower, and we all hit the sack.

So... 4 posts later, we have arrived at the end of Day 1 in Iceland. Fear not- day 2 in Iceland did not disappoint.
 
WOW! Those are beautiful pictures! The scenery is just so pretty, love that little town.
The rainbows, incredible!
You are making me want to go on this cruise badly!!!
**Adding to bucket list for sure.
 


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Wow a double rainbow! How gorgeous.

10 year old in between 2 continents.
That's interesting, since it's an island, what two continents are they? North America and Europe?

Your trip to Iceland is incredible. I'm a bit sad I didn't book it instead of doing our trip to the UK in May. I'd love to book their cruise there next year, but I'll probably be pregnant or have a baby and won't be able to go.
 
Great update! Iceland is amazing and you certainly captured some of the amazing sights we saw. We must have been at that lookout at the same time - I have the same pics of that double rainbow and the unbelievable light. You made great use of the day. As for dining, we returned around 8:30 and were able to get a seat at Lumiere's - it was super quiet in there. I believe Cabanas was open until midnight for those who were able to tour for several more hours. I'm really enjoying your TR. Þingvellir is amazing and I'd love to go back and spend more time there!
 
Wow.....I bet that water was NO match for that machine! :thumbsup2

That scenery is just beyond.....like, it must have felt so surreal to be there? Raw, untouched beauty:love:

Surreal is a good word- we used it a lot that day.


WOW! Those are beautiful pictures! The scenery is just so pretty, love that little town.
The rainbows, incredible!
You are making me want to go on this cruise badly!!!
**Adding to bucket list for sure.

It was definitely a highlight- and it very much lived up to expectations.

Wow a double rainbow! How gorgeous.


That's interesting, since it's an island, what two continents are they? North America and Europe?

Your trip to Iceland is incredible. I'm a bit sad I didn't book it instead of doing our trip to the UK in May. I'd love to book their cruise there next year, but I'll probably be pregnant or have a baby and won't be able to go.

Yes- it's technically where two tectonic plates meet - so more of a geological continent than political- but yes, North American and European plates meet there.

And there is life after babies! :) Though I am glad that our kiddo was old enough to appreciate what he saw- he really got it, and loved it.

Thanks!

Great update! Iceland is amazing and you certainly captured some of the amazing sights we saw. We must have been at that lookout at the same time - I have the same pics of that double rainbow and the unbelievable light. You made great use of the day. As for dining, we returned around 8:30 and were able to get a seat at Lumiere's - it was super quiet in there. I believe Cabanas was open until midnight for those who were able to tour for several more hours. I'm really enjoying your TR. Þingvellir is amazing and I'd love to go back and spend more time there!

That light was unreal - and so beautiful! I have about 50 photos because I was just so amazed.

I gather whatever was open (it could well be Cabanas!) was zoo-y from what our friends told us- so not quiet at all. We were definitely ready to hide in our cabin at that point. I know I was asleep in just a few minutes.
 
Day 7 - Iceland - day 2

We met Skully bright and shiny at 8:00 a.m. the next day, having rested well, and breakfasted quickly.

The first part of our day was more of seeing bits of Iceland.

Stop #1 was not anywhere that was particularly notable (by Icelandic standards)- just off a road, near a lake, where we could climb a bit. Conor says this was actually his favourite spot, as he loved the moss on the rocks. This was still an incredible stop- particularly considering it wasn't any sort of destination. Just plain old Iceland, doing Iceland, and blowing our minds.

Happy climber.

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One of the views.

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Cool stuff.

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More happy climbing.

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Checking out how spongy the moss was.

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I'm hoping this link will work... it's my jumping/climbing/happy kid.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmxtRjwFyVr/


After this, we went to a small village - I am sorry, I don't think I caught its name at all. We stopped for snacks and bathrooms, and just drove around a bit.

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And then, we headed off to our next destination, which will require its own post (feel the suspense!!!)
 
And there is life after babies! :) Though I am glad that our kiddo was old enough to appreciate what he saw- he really got it, and loved it.
LOL I know, I intend to have my baby be a world traveler since I love traveling. And totally want to enter it in Jack Jack's Diaper Dash one day lol.

I love how this isn't anything notable in Iceland, but this view is gorgeous!
 
Day 7 - Iceland - day 2

(Apologies for short delay. In the land of figure skating, things were exciting. The kiddo was at a full-day seminar with Kurt Browning last week. This either is of no interest to you, or, if you know much about figure skating, you will understand how MIND BLOWING this was. We needed a bit of time to recover.)

Anyhow- having toured our little (nameless?) town, and had some truly awful coffee from a corner store type place (good to know it can be awful all across the world), we drove off to Gunnuhover geothermal area which is at the most Southern tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula.

There was a cool lighthouse but more exciting to us was the geothermal general coolness.

See below.

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Iceland was not being so very sunny at this point.. but that was OK, as it is very surreal and cool. Steamy! Conor was chatting up Skully. (The boy is not shy.)


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Lighthouse

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We then skipped over to the actual coast/cliffs nearby.



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You get a hint here of the height - Conor climbed up one part, and then fell down... (see his gloves). Fortunately, he fell down on the right side. (EEK!) As you can see, he recovered. I'm not sure what he was pointing at... but clearly it was interesting.


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DH's photos.

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Cool sculpture of an awk (it was people-sized) and cool rocky things in the background.

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In retrospect, we were a bit rushed here - we had a deadline to meet... I'd have preferred to stay longer. Love me my cliffs and oceans crashing.

Next up... our deadline is met! And we rush ... to relax.
 
Kurt Browning??? VERY cool!!!!:worship:

Almost as cool as Iceland......see what I did there? Comedic genius :jester:
 
Um, yes Kurt Browning is cool!

Sorry about the bad coffee. Good for you for bouncing back. That can be a day wrecker for sure.
 
Day 7 - Iceland- day 2

So yes... we elected to go to Blue Lagoon. We had a lot of debate about this, but ultimately decided that while we usually are "go off the beaten path" types, in this case, we wanted a very well beaten path.

For the uninitiated - it's spa, where you hang out in a lovely, very warm, lagoon... that is blue- with cool volcanic scenery around you.

Anyhow... I couldn't find a lot of details about how things work at the Blue Lagoon, so please humour me while I describe how it works.

Once you arrive at Blue Lagoon (at your appointed time), you stand in a rather long line, which moves fairly quickly. When you check in, you are given an electronic bracelet, which is used to open/close your locker, and (apparently), you charge things on it (we didn't). You are given your towel. You can also get a bathrobe but that's extra.

Then, you are sort of corralled towards the change rooms they are using at that point. They move people around- to keep the crowds under control- so this is key, because you need to remember WHICH change room you were in... (foreshadowing).

At this point, you find any empty lockerc and use your bracelet to open it. You do need to shower unclothed (but in private if you wish), so you will stash your clothes and whatnot in the locker. They provide lovely soap, shampoo, and conditioner (which they strongly encourage you to use - and I agree). There are other places to shower that aren't private if you prefer (I didn't prefer).

And then, you head out to the lagoon.

So- for the packing-inclined, I had my bathing suit, flip flops, my waterproof phone case (which allowed me to take photos), and then (see note re: curly hair), a comb and hair product.

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I found this part a bit frantic, but I'm really not good with crowds. However, I got through it.

You wander outside, and you can hang your towel, leave your flip flops, and head into the water.

And then, you relax.

This is basically like floating in a huge bathtub - just exactly the right amount of warm for me (Conor found it a bit hot). It's blue. You're basically feeling like you're in a volcano.

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Conor liked these rocks- we spent some time here because he could easily stand... other parts were a bit deep for him to stand.

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Again... surreal.


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The water is super buoyant - as in, you feel like your legs are very heavy when you first get out... like gravity just ramped up.

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During this time, you can have a drink (there are stands in the lagoon). Conor had a small smoothie, and I had juice. We would periodically see DH, but Conor wanted to hang with me mostly. You can also get a scrub/mask (included) - so you can exfoliate of whatever floats your boat. No photos of that! :)

Note- the waterproof phone case (which was on a lanyard) was perfect and great. I could take photos well enough, and keep track of time.

I loved it. Because they manage when you enter, the lagoon itself didn't feel crowded. I love hot baths, so this was kind of heaven for me. DH also loved it. Conor... well, not so much. He didn't dislike it, but he was craving 'real swimming' and you can't do that here. It was, in places, a bit hot. Plus, as mentioned, his feet didn't always touch the bottom. I get it. I certainly don't know that I would bring kids who were much younger. This whole thing was expensive, so you really wouldn't want to risk missing out on it because of younger kids being uncomfortable.

Anyhow- after about an hour, we all agreed we were done. (Skully had given us some parameters). As noted above, beware that you'll feel like you're suddenly nowhere near as strong as you were an hour ago. (That was kind of funny to watch.)

You can change your wet towel for a dry one- highly recommend that.

We headed back into our change rooms, and then I discovered I was in the wrong change room - because the numbers on the lockers didn't make sense. I headed back out, found a staff person, and they just scanned my bracelet to let me know which one to enter. So... moral of the story- pay attention as you exit your change room to know where you need to return!

You then really need a shower - because the mineral content of the water is high, and I'm very glad I followed the suggestion about using their conditioner- with my hair, it would have been UGLY otherwise. I used a heck of a lot of the conditioner both times (it is lovely).

Then, you exit through the signs and there is a place to hand in your bracelet.

We had all agreed to grab a quick lunch at Blue Lagoon (yes, it wasn't yet lunch!) - so we did that- and that was OK. In Iceland, they do the nice open-faced sandwiches so we did that... except Conor who decided to eat sushi.

If you like, you can fork over half of your fortune to buy the Blue Lagoon products. I did not.

The sun had joined us again... and this is the landscape as you head back to the parking lot.
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Just amazing ... again. (Sorry - running out of adjectives.)

Our goal next was to hit up a few places in Reykjavik - pre-arranged with Skully. Specifically- a music store to get souvenirs for grandparents (Icelandic music, though it also had lots of vinyl, so DH got a Miles Davis album he was very giddy about... and which did, miraculously. return to Canada intact), and a place to get local beer. With these objects procured, we made our way back to port.

We had left ourselves enough time to peruse the souvenir place at port, I bought Conor what are now known as his Icelandic slippers... will have to do a photo another time.

And then, reluctantly, we boarded the ship, after 2 of the most amazing days of vacation EVER.

(And I need to get back to life around here!)
 
Kurt Browning??? VERY cool!!!!:worship:

Almost as cool as Iceland......see what I did there? Comedic genius :jester:

Ha! (And see below.)

Um, yes Kurt Browning is cool!

Sorry about the bad coffee. Good for you for bouncing back. That can be a day wrecker for sure.

Yeah- it was really the only low point. Fortunately, the coffee at Blue Lagoon was really good, so that helped immensely. Plus, well, Blue Lagoon.

Proof of hanging with Canadian royalty:

First up- 1:1 time with Kurt (who is giving him feedback after a jump).

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Then, after 3 hours on ice with Kurt, plus 3 hours of off-ice training, plus 1 hour of Question and Answer... you have your first figure skates autographed!

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(We're still a bit on the giddy side, you see!)
 
At this point, you find any empty lockerc and use your bracelet to open it. You do need to shower unclothed (but in private if you wish), so you will stash your clothes and whatnot in the locker. They provide lovely soap, shampoo, and conditioner (which they strongly encourage you to use - and I agree). There are other places to shower that aren't private if you prefer (I didn't prefer).
That's great to hear they have private showers, it was one of the parts that was making me nervous to visit.

During this time, you can have a drink (there are stands in the lagoon). Conor had a small smoothie, and I had juice.
Are these included in the price or cost extra?

It sounds like a such a fun day! I'm looking into possibly booking this cruise for 2020, or just booking a week long trip to Iceland. It's all so beautiful.
 
Blue Lagoon looks and sounds amazing!!!
Can I ask what the outside temperature was when you stepped out? This Floridian is thinking :scared1:
I would love that excursion,




l
 
LOL I know, I intend to have my baby be a world traveler since I love traveling. And totally want to enter it in Jack Jack's Diaper Dash one day lol.


I love how this isn't anything notable in Iceland, but this view is gorgeous!

I know! That was always so mind-blowing.

That's great to hear they have private showers, it was one of the parts that was making me nervous to visit.


Are these included in the price or cost extra?

It sounds like a such a fun day! I'm looking into possibly booking this cruise for 2020, or just booking a week long trip to Iceland. It's all so beautiful.

Everyone had one drink included- if you wanted more that was extra. And yes, you might have to wait a bit for a curtained stall, but they are there.

Blue Lagoon looks and sounds amazing!!!
Can I ask what the outside temperature was when you stepped out? This Floridian is thinking :scared1:
I would love that excursion,




l

I checked - and it was probably about 13 degrees Celsius- so- 55 F? It wasn't bad though- and it's not a long walk. If you were worried, I'd probably fork over the extra for the bathrobe, but it's a short walk to your towel (like, 15 steps?) and then another short walk to get inside (30 seconds)?

I don't remember freezing, if that helps!
 

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