Clik here to view.
The Unique Icelandic Horse
A Fridheimer Iceland Horse Show is not part of the Golden Circle Tour but included by Tauck Tours for guests. Family owned, Fridheimer offers a 15-minute horse show for groups of 10 or more that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise: Sailing from Reykjavik
There was still one last included Tauck Tour in addition to the Golden Circle and visit to Fridheimer Farm, to the Geothermal Energy Exhibition at Hellisheioi Power Plant. The Geothermal Energy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 2: The Westmann Islands Boat Tour
It is said there are places on Earth that simply must be experienced (Tauck words, not mine…) and Heimaey (pronounced hay-may) and Surtsey Islands in the area of Iceland called Vestmannaeyjar (the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 2: The Westmann Islands Bus Tour
Potty break over, the “Lisa” group boarded a bus for a brief tour with a new guide who tried hard to be funny and I guess most of the other guests thought she was since they gave her a rousing hand at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 3: On the Snæfellsnes Peninsula – Budir
L’Austral docked in Grundarfjorour/Grundarfjordur (pop: 974), a small town situated on the North Snæfellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland. Once a French settlement in the 1800s, fishing villas hug the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 3: On the Snæfellsnes Peninsula – Bardur the Troll
Bardur the Troll is the deity of Mt. Snaefell. There is an entire Bardar/Bardur Saga about this mythological person, who was half man and half troll. He is said to have walked ashore at Djupalon,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 3: On the Snæfellsnes Peninsula –...
Last tour of the day was a walk down to the black stone beach of Djupalonssandur; one of the few areas that lead to the sea along the dramatic coast. Guide Lisa and local guide gave many cautions...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Mish-Mosh of Iceland and L’Austral Trivia
– The original Tauck Tours itinerary said the cruise would include a drive to Mt. Snaefell. Wrong, and I was disappointed because Snaefell volcano was made famous by Jules Verne in his epic Journey to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 4: Puffins and Arctic Terns on Grimsey Island
Approximately 3 square mile Grimsey Island is the northernmost inhabited island (pop: 100) of Iceland and is located about 40 kilometers/25 miles off Iceland’s coast. Grimsey inhabitants base their...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 4: Walk Across the Arctic Circle on Grimsey Island
Passengers on L’Austral were tendered in to Grimsey Island and tenders would run every 15 minutes until the ship sailed for Akureyi, the next port of call. (Each tender holds 60 people.) Grimsey...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 4: Beautiful and Lively Akureyri in North Iceland
L’Austral cruise ship sailed from Grimsey Island to Akureyri (pronounced ah-coo-rare-ee), docking at around 5:30p which gave passengers some time to walk into town. It was interesting that the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 5: Volcanic Lake Myvatn Hverir Hot Springs
Note: Akureyri is known for its whale watching and if I ever return, that’s what I am going to do. The best spot is in the Eyjafjordur fjord area and common sightings are the Humpback Whale, Minke...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 5: Lake Myvatn Pseudo Craters
After visiting the famous mud pots of Hverir, the day tour off the L’Austral continued circling Lake Myvatn on the Ring Road. The next stop was the unpronounceable Skutustadagigar Pseudo Craters or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 5: Lake Myvatn Dimmuborgir Lava Formations
Dimmuborgir means “dark forts” in Icelandic and this area along the East shore is filled with volcanic arches, pillars, caves and bridges, some as high as 20 meters/65 feet. The black lava formations...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Iceland’s Mythological 13 Yule Lads
Learn about Iceland mythology and, in particular, the fable about the 13 Yule lads. They are said to live in the Dimmuborgir area among the rocky lava and each appears on one of the 13 days before...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 5: Lake Myvatn and Godafoss Waterfall
Godafoss, Waterfall of the Gods, was one of the last sights today and the Ring Road halfway mark between Lake Myvatn and Akureyri on the way back. Godafoss is considered to be one of Iceland’s most...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 6: Family Owned Vigur Island
L’Austral docked at the fishing town Isafjordur in the Westfjords which stands on a gravel spit in the fjord. Isafjordur is the largest town in the peninsula and conveniently located between five...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 6: A Tour of Isafjordur
Once off the boat from Vigur Island tank at Isafjordur, it was on a bus for another land tour which began just outside the village at a nine-hole golf course in Tunguskogur. Tunguskogur is a beautiful...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 6: Old Fishing Outpost of Osvor, Bolungarvik
The West Fjords or Westfjords were created when thick and heavy glaciers during the Ice Age crept over the lava surface to an even level. Isafjordur is the regional capital of the West Fjords and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L’Austral Iceland Cruise Day 7: Disembarkation and Seltun-Krysuvik Hot Springs
The Iceland Cruise sailed a total of : 1,013.5 nautical miles or 1,877 kilometers or 1,166 miles around Iceland; not a complete circumnavigation. The total distance may not have been long but the...
View Article