Saturday, July 31, 2010

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Are We There Yet?

We slept in because we had no plans in the port of Isofjordur. There were busloads of folks going into the countryside, and some across the water to a bird sanctuary, but decided ahead of time to relax today. We had a tiring day yesterday and will have one tomorrow as well.

We ate breakfast in the MDR, glad to be back among the crystal and linen. We have gotten up early and eaten room service too often and we are only 20 per cent into the cruise. When we were finished, we returned to the room and relaxed before venturing into the town.

Medical Update: D was still walking as if he should be playing the fife in a Revolutionary War recreation. The limp was so pronounced on the way to and from the MDR that MA suggested that we not go ashore. By later in the afternoon, he was walking better. Luckily, there will be lots of car-time tomorrow.

But go ashore we did. The walk into town was not terribly long in time or distance, but it was a strain on our hero. As a result, we made it a short trip and apparently missed the high points of Isafjordur. We went past the little museum near the ship because we took one of several paths which led into the town, and we missed the church, etc. because we simply did not walk far enough. It was far enough for us, though, and we decided this was another town which had no there there. We had hoped to buy a local lunch in town but saw only a bakery with yummy looking pastries in the window. We avoided temptation but saw no place else that was open. Ed and Roxanne said that there was a burger joint open around noon, but we missed it and turned around before seeing very much of the town.

We walked back to the ship and read before going to lunch, again in the MDR [fish and chips]. When we returned to the room, MA had the nerve to take a nap before trivia. We did not do badly at trivia but not well enough to win [who was the first rock star to release a CD? Which 2 South American countries are landlocked?]. Then, MA had the audacity to take her post-trivia nap! D went to the Crow’s Nest to watch as we navigated the Isafjordur Fjord on the way to open water and tomorrow’s port, Akureyri, Iceland.

The town was cute; there is no other way to describe it. As we sailed out of town, it looked like it should be the village in a Christmas garden. All it needed was train tracks running through it. Of course, there is no railway here and we have seen no evidence of rail service in any of the island ports. Isafjordur is primarily a fishing town surrounded by other smaller towns nestled in glacial valleys. The outlying towns depend on fishing and agriculture depending on the season. Ed said that the inhabitants have to own a boat before they can buy land. Despite the jokes we make about herring and eggs or a herring burger, herring is big business here.

Tonight’s menu included meatloaf, so both of us were quite happy. Since we have to be up early tomorrow, we went to bed early again.

1 comment:

  1. Glad to hear the leg/knee is better.
    While in Iceland, be sure to find out how the shark meat is cured....before you eat some.
    Have you gotten to the point of using "ship time" as you are changing time zones so rapidly?
    I am remembering fondly our Scandinavian trip through your blog.
    Hello to MA.

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