When we arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland late in the afternoon of September 8th, it was cloudy and rainy and we were concerned whether our evening shore excursion to see the northern lights would be cancelled. We were informed by the tour company that we should still meet our group at 9:30 p.m. and that there scientific information indicated there might be a chance to see the lights. We were hopeful!
We boarded our bus and as we drove beyond the city and its lights, the guide who was also a photographer told us about the lights and the conditions necessary to see them.
Within a few minutes after stopping and getting off the bus, we followed our guide out into a field and she pointed out the beginnings of the lights.
She quickly took photographs of all the tourists in case we didn't see any other lights.
However, we were fortunate to see increasing lights in green and pink throughout the next 1.5-2 hours. We saw a spectacular show of color and movement. Our guide and driver were very excited at our good fortune and that they had picked the correct spot to witness such a show.
We stayed until about midnight when they began to fade and disappear. What a thrill it was for us to be successful in witnessing God's wonderful handiwork in the northern sky.
We got back to the ship between 12:30-1 p.m. and had to meet our group for a 10 hour tour the next morning at 8 a.m. We had only one more day in Iceland and we wanted to see as much of it as we could.
Our first morning stop was a rest stop where we sampled some local favorites. One was a candy that had black licorice bits mixed in carmel and covered with chocolate. I LOVED IT and was disappointed that I didn't get another opportunity to buy any of it. Our next stop was a hike to this beautiful glacier!
As we drove throughout the countryside, our guide explained that Iceland has many volcanoes some of which are still active so the landscape is very volcanic in nature.
It also has thousands of hot pots and geysers and they use the thermal heat and energy to heat their homes and businesses. All but 2% of their energy is thermal or hydro from moving water.
You can see the smoke in the distance of these photographs. That is steam coming out of the ground.
These pipes move the steam and cool it down for use in homes and businesses.
We drove to this cute little fishing village named Vik and had a few minutes for photos and to stretch our legs. Then we drove on to the black sand beaches of Raynisfjara.
Iceland is expensive. For lunch we each had a bowl of soup-fish chowder and turnip/squash soup with a cheesecake-like special local dessert which we shared and it cost $36.
These stacks of stone came out of the edge of the water. People are warned to stay away from the water and waves as they are very strong, unpredictable and dangerous. On occasion when the sun came out, it wasn't too cold. The high temperature may have reached 50 degrees F.
Even though I wore several layers to keep warm, I had to walk barefoot on the black sand beach.
We talked to a fellow who lived in a small hut and raised sheep right next to the beach restaurant. He rented out a couple of beach cabins. It is a very basic lifestyle.
We hiked behind one of the waterfalls. They were named Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. It was actually kind of treacherous. We really had to be careful.
Our guide stopped and took us in this cave which had been used for refuge for hundreds of years. Ferns were growing from the ceiling. We sampled some local foods which we didn't care for.
Iceland was a uniquely beautiful place. Because of the all the volcanic rock, it kind of reminded us of southeastern Idaho with a green covering because it rains or snows there all the time.
It rained a lot on our day in Northern Ireland and the countryside near Belfast. But that did not dampen our spirits as we enjoyed the rugged coastline, castles, rock cottages and walls, coastal fishing villages and the amazing Giants Causeway! This is Dunluce Castle built in the 14th century.
Due to the rain and slippery conditions, we did not hike all the way down and back to the Giant's Causeway. It would be well worth doing so on a better day.
The fog lifted just in time for us to see the Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge that connected this strategic island.
Our lunch of fish and chips and seafood chowder at Harry's Café in the small town of Cushendall was fantastic and cost a little less than Iceland--about $26.
Scenes from the Game of Thrones were filmed in this charming fishing village of Carnlough.
This hotel in Carnlough was formerly owned by Winston Churchill.
This is the Carrick Fergus Castle, a Norman castle, located in the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim near Belfast. It is one of the best preserved medieval structures in Northern Ireland and was built in 1177. This statue of King William of Orange commemorates his landing at Carrickfergus in 1690. He was only five feet tall.
I took this photo of the government building with the red double decker bus in Belfast. It was interesting but sad to hear of the violent and turbulent past of the city as people loyal to Great Britain fought against those who preferred Irish Independence. It was called a religious war but was really about whether or not people were loyal to the crown of England.
The famous RMS Titanic ship was built in Belfast so there is a big museum there.
From Dublin our excursion took us to the Irish Countryside and the picturesque setting of Glendalough's monastic ruins.
We loved the rock walls that separated the homes and green fields dotted with sheep and cattle.
You can see the beautiful Glendalough monastic ruins in the background. This monastery was founded by Saint Kevin in the 6th century. The site has an impressive 30-metre high round tower which is a structure that exists mainly in Irish religious ruins.
This church was one of the few with a stone roof so it has survived for hundreds of years.
This round tower is original except for the roof which had to be replaced.
This is a photo of the beautiful Irish countryside. There is a famous estate and hotel indicated by the white buildings.
St. Patricks Cathedral in Dublin is seen towering over the city as we approach.
There are many beautiful bridges over the River Liffey in Dublin. The one below is the Samuel Beckett Bridge.
The townhouses near central Dublin are very expensive and like to show off their colorful doors. Below is also a truck used to pick up trash.
There are lots of bikes and buses in Dublin for transportation.
This is the famous Trinity College, the oldest university in Ireland. It houses the oldest medieval book, the Book of Kells. Someday I hope to see this book.
This is the daytime view of the River Liffey and Dublin from our ship.
Here is the spectacular evening view with another well-lit ship in the background.
We loved catching this beautiful evening view of the city, a cruise ship and the moon. Twenty minutes later the ship was gone and the beautiful night view was gone. It was a lovely end to our day in Dublin, Ireland.
