For months and months, it seems, I've been singly focussed on preparing for the cruise to Iceland and our specially-designed wool applique project. The following photo journal provides a taste of the travel experience from my perspective. Enjoy!
Seems like ages ago when I stepped on a plane in Syracuse before dawn and landed at JFK in New York City just as the sun was coming up. I had a 12-hour wait for my next flight to Amsterdam and (due to some weird airline policy) couldn't check my bags through to Amsterdam. Once I was able to dump the bags, I had about 6 hours left before the Amsterdam flight departed, so I wandered into the 1960s at the TWA terminal at JFK. Piped in music from the 50s and 60s as well as all the memorabilia from that era made it hard to shake the time travel feeling!
And before you know it, next morning, I landed in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands!
After checking into the hotel, I found some lunch and tried some Stroopwafles - very thin waffles, split in half and filled with carmel. Warm, sticky, and yummy!
My only planned tour stop in Amsterdam was the Anne Frank House, booked six weeks in advance.
Excellent tour. Highly recommend! Read the Anne's diary before I went which brought the factory and annex hiding place to life as I walked through the buildings. Sobering and worthwhile.
Amsterdam is a beautiful city! Canals, bicycles, flowers, shopping, and neighborhoods full of activity.
I went to the Rijksmuseum (below) after hours to relax in the gardens before the busy couple weeks ahead.
And just like that, the next day, I'm in Rotterdam, and on the ship (also named the Rotterdam!) headed northward to Norway. I didn't realize it at the time, but this would be the last time I saw the sun set (or a night sky) until we returned to Scotland. We would be traveling above the Arctic Circle where this time of year, the sun sets around 11 pm and rises about 4 am.
After a day at sea, working on our wool applique project (more on that next time), we arrived in Alesund, Norway. Our group could select from a handful of excursions, I chose to visit a fishing village and ship museum. The church (below center) was in its original location, several other buildings and homes, many of them with turf roofs to keep warmth inside, were relocated from their original locations. Of course, Viking history runs deep in all the areas we visited (Viking ship replica, below right).
It was unusually warm in Alesund, and my research indicated that the statement (below, right) is accurate. Ice cream flavors: Honey comb and vanilla.
Another day at sea to work on our stitching project, and we were back on solid ground again, this time in Iceland. Our first stop Akureyri. I opted for a whale watching cruise, but the whales didn't cooperate. No whale sightings, but it was a lovely boat ride in a brisk wind. Before the whale watch cruise, there was time to explore. Up hill to the church! We encountered brightly painted sidewalks and buildings in all of our ports!
A bit down the road from the rainbow steps, Lystigardur, a public garden awaited with an amazing display in full summer bloom. The plants pictured in the center, below, were at least 7 feet tall! The close up shows that they look just like foxglove from the land of giants!
On to Isafjordur and a trip by boat to Vigur Island, to see puffins!
However, before we could see the puffins, we had to walk through the Arctic Tern nesting area.
Our guide, wearing the green coat, is one of three human inhabitants of the island. Notice the 'icing' on her coat indicating that she's one 'lucky' gal
The terns seemed innocent enough (below, left), but they're pretty protective of their nesting ground. Everyone has to carry a stick because the terns dive bomb the highest part of your body - your head, but if you carry a stick, then the stick. Felt like an Alfred Hitchcock movie set.
This is one of three excursions I elected to do that featured puffins. Anyone surprised?
The birds live at sea for most of the year and come ashore to nest from March to August. More on that later.
In case you haven't already noticed, the location names in Iceland are a bit of a mouthful. We practiced before our stops, plus you get used to the mega-syllable names the more you hear them.
Our third stop in Iceland was Grundarfjordur where I took an excursion to explore the lava fields. Iceland lies directly on the intersection of two tectonic plates, and volcanic rock formation makes up the island. This Arctic Thyme (below, left) finds a way to bloom in this seemingly uninhabitable spot. On to the small, charming village of Stykkisholmur (below right). If you're a fan of the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, then maybe the scene (below, right) looks familiar.
On to Reykjavik, the capital of Icleand. I walked and walked my way around town! To old harbor for the best Fish & Chips ever! Through the shopping area, and around a park, then back to the ship. It's hard to do this city justice in just one day.
Next stop, the Westman Islands. Our guide Ebbi (his name is actually about 50 letters long, but he said that everyone has a nickname!) demonstrated how the local folks climb the cliffs to collect eggs from the gulls' nests. Then he took us to an authentically-built Viking turf house. Inside we ate like Vikings with a taste of dried cod, butter, sea salt, and seaweed - tasted like cheese and crackers at your average cocktail party gathering. Then . . .
We drove on to visit another puffin colony, the second of three on my personal itinerary. This distance shot gives you better idea of the colony. Each puffin couple has one egg, hatched inside the deep burrow. The parents take turns bringing back fish for the puffling. On their return the parents fly straight into the burrow, then hang out on the ledges after the meal delivery.
Our last Iceland port, Seydisfjordur, featured a stop at Gufufoss falls, then, of course, on to see puffins!
Of all the puffin stops, this one was the best opportunity to see the wild birds in an up-close environment. Visitors to the elevated platform were respectful of the wild animals in their natural habitat!
I could have stayed and watched the puffins all day, but it was time for a quick and delicious lunch in the small town of Borgarfjordur Eystri, then back into Seydisfjordur for a quick photo of the blue church and then back on board the ship for another day at sea to sew before arriving in Scotland.
In Inverness, I traveled with a small group to Donrobin Castle to tour the castle and the huge formal gardens out back. Then a quick stop in the small town of Dornoch, where Elon Musk and Madonna both got married (but not to each other) and for some lunch.
Edinburgh next.
In Edinburgh, my visit was all about royal residences. First a visit the Britannia, the now retired royal yacht. Really, it's just a little houseboat, complete with a quaint little state room for when guests come along for the ride. Then to Holyroodhouse Palace, not pictured. At St. Andrews Square, this thistle bloom (below, right) was as big as my hand!
One last day of stitching before heading back to the U.S. From the looks of it, we all had a really great trip. We found a few quilt shops along the way, maybe a few skeins of yarn, and lots and lots of memories!
Many thanks to everyone who joined the cruise and enthusiastically worked on their projects! I hope to share some of their work in the coming weeks and months as I receive photos from those on the cruise. The group included many beginner stitchers and it was amazing how well everyone did. And we had a LOT of fun in the process!
A special shout out to Michelle from Travel Adventures by Michelle. She handled all of our travel arrangements, as well as all of the last minute adjustments, like a pro!
Once the dust settles a little bit, I'll offer the remaining kits for sale and will announce when they are available with details for purchase. I only have a few left, with a waiting list started, so stay tuned.
Happy Stitching!
Head Hummingbird
Hummingbird-Highway.com
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