New Scotland to Boston

Anxious to go ashore we docked at Halifax on the 31st to a beautifully sunny day with temperatures in the high 60’s!!  Woo how!!  That morning onship in the big theater Jessica, our EXC guide lectured on Halifax followed by a lecture by Dr Hannesson on “The Vikings in the North”.   These talks are well received and folks need to get there 30 minutes early to be assured a seat.  

Here are some of the key points I took away about Halifax: Haligoneans are what folks call themselves here. The sea breeze keeps the air clean.  Halifax boasts a population of 432,000 people.  The harbor has a historic and very walkable waterfront.  Halifax is a global city with government offices for the province based here along with a bustling university.  It is the 4th best place to live in Canada!

Also it is the 2nd largest natural harbor with Sydney , Australia being first.  

The horrific Halifax explosion took place Dec 6 , 1917.  War time explosions detonated on SS Mont-Blonc.  Two ships prior to the explosion collided and 20 minutes later the explosion hit.  There was not enough time to alert the town or get the men off the ships even though they knew they were in trouble. It has been the worlds largest accidental explosion with 100’s of people treated for damaged eyes.  1951 people died from the explosion.  The first school for the blind was developed and sanctioned here due to the many people who lost their eyesight or had permanent damage. 

On a more positive side there are 250 vendors at the longest functioning farmers market.  There is a  popular Hop on hopoff bus here.   

This port was the Titanic connection being the nearest port to supply assistance.  Dead passengers from the Titanic came to Halifax and are buried in three cemetery’s here.  

Peggy’s Cove Lughthouse is the  Most photographed lighthouse of all time.  On a previous trip here we went to Peggy’s Cove and took our famous photos while there. 

Halifax no snow really; maybe 6 inches. Jan -Feb is their winter.   Average winter temp is 40 

Getting warmer winters along the 44th parallel.which is in the gulfstream.  

We got off the ship as soon as possible and walked the waterfront listening to different music venues and checking out lots of cute little outside eateries.   The harbor are seems to be in a constant state of revitalization with lots of study montage complete with power access.  Sailboats were floating by by the hundreds!   The whole harbor was full of boating activity.  We spent 3-4 hours walking around the waterfront and found a rather large grocery store where we could purchase toothpaste and some other necessities.   By the time we got back to the ship our feet were tired and we were ready for dinner.  The movie onboard was the true story of Maude, a handicapped woman who became a noted and famous painter from Nova Scotia.  We noticed a beautiful sign dedicated to her when we went ashore.  We had seen the film before and remembered it to be heart wrenching.   That evening the entertainment was called Postmodern Jukebox.  They take new songs and transform them into a different version with a flare for a bygone sound that sometimes  is interesting but too often for us does nothing for the ears!!  

We skipped the big show and just wandered around the ship taking in a little of BB Kinfs All Stars before hitting the hay .  

The next morning we had a 6 person tour to the Unesco Workd Heritage Site of Lunenburg about 45 minutes from Halifax and also Mahone Bay.  It was a quiet Sunday for our tour and our driver said we were lucky.  We were out early so we avoided the big buses and other tourists.  Our driver was an elderly fellow who grew up in the area and was a descendent if some of the earliest of settlers coming from Europe.  He provided a wealth of knowledge and history for us.  When we arrived in Lunenburg he took us through several of the historic streets and then gave us about two hours to stroll on our own.  The town is built around Mahone Bay on a hillside.  It’s a lovely quaint port with a quiet serene feel to it.  Property is spendy as folks all want to summer here with a few of the ocean.  Can you blame them?  A few of us bought souvenirs and some stopped for a local beer.  Others looked for the perfect photo to capture the unique spirit of the area.  The area around Halifax plants 200 trees here per year because the 2003 hurricane , Juan , hit and took out 1 million trees.  

Our driver told us on the way home that Halifax is the largest ice free port and the closest shipping port to Europe for Canada. 

2/3 of the people here work in military and the shipping industry.  Half of all the people in the province live in Halifax!

So our last port on this Voyage of the Vikings and we haven’t seen or done it all.  As some say, a cruise is a sampler; a little of this and that from which you determines what you want to see more of.  Can one ever see enough icebergs, whales, seals, or beautiful vast scenery?  I think not .... but I’m ready to head home.  I’ve enjoyed it all and not a regret but it’s time to get back to reality.  We tuck ourselves in after a lengthier stay in Halifax than we thought.  We will head toward Boston with one more sea day.  That sea day will mean packing up and saying our good byes to all those happy people that made our trip enjoyable.  And one last time we adjust our clocks!  

Thanks for taking the time to follow our adventures.  A little post script for this blog; it took us almost 5 days to get back to hot Arizona with our camper after flying back into Spokane, WA.   Loaded with lots of dirty clothes and tired bodies we were so glad to pull into 3167 N Summer St!   We are unpacked and the camper safely stored till 2020!   We have a few weeks to get caught up on chores of the home till the suitcases drag us to the Mediterranean for a 24 day cruise and transatlantic crossing.  I guess deadlines get us up and moving preparing to be gone again.  We will spend several days in New York State before our night flight to Rome where we will board the Nieuw Statendam for more adventures with friends of ours as the celebrate their 50th anniversary.  We feel honored we can join them!  Come along with us and follow our next adventure!!

On the boardwalk the famous painter Maud Lewis and one of her prints. 

Beautiful Halifax harbor

These look yummy!!

Lunenburg cuteness!

Lunenburg harbor area..

The area over the door was called “ the bump” and all the old historic homes had them.  It was said you could go to the bump and look out each side to see what was going on up or down the street!!  

Mahone Bay

Beautiful flowers everywhere 

Many homes were being restored to their original beauty.  

Look inviting?

Poor photo of this fish but all the street signs were a different kind of sea critter!!  On the post would be the name of the fish or street.  

Original homes had these plaques on them telling whobuilt it and what the owner did!

More flowers

The old harbor. 

Cancelled!!!

Up early to get ready for our three hour combo tour in St. John’s, Newfoundland. We had our packs ready and clothes laid out for the day.  St John is a docking day, no tendering here. Some of the ships tours today would take you through the town stopping at old churches, the government hall or to Cape Soear and Ild St John’s to visit Signal Hill where Marconi received the first trans Atlantic wireless signal in 1901.  Cape Spear is the easternmost point in North America. Here you will see the oldest lighthouse in the province.  You might be up for a coastal hike from Signsl Hillwjere you hike down to sea level from 5000 ft. Or maybe you want to attend a Scheech which is a ceremony at a local pub where you tastes the rum and go through a tradition to become a “Newfie”!!  

Well whatever you would have chosen you would have been sorely disappointed.  As we heated the mouth of the harbor the winds picked up.  The captain came across the public address system to say he had serious doybts about our ability to dock here due to the narrow approach which we would course through at s slow rate of speed.  Because our speed would be slow we could not guarantee our passage without the possibility of being crushed against the side of the entrance!   We waited a bit circling but when it became apparent we couldn’t make it he announced we would set out further into the Atlantic to avoid the storms and then Bri g us into Halifax a day early.  We would spend 1 1/2 days there and be able to avoid the strong wind, waves and storms.  To the passengers that sounded great!  As our tour was to be paid for when we got there we weren’t out any money.  We were disappointed but better to be snug as a bug rather than squished!  They reprinted the days activities adding a few more things to get involved with.  We were to be in Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 1st but now we would arrive around noon on the 31st and be able to spend more time in this huge lively city.  

The captain did a questionand answer with a few other officers in the main theater.  Folks loved it and being that he is quite a personable celebrity it made it all the more fun.  They changed dinner to a gala night which doesn’t affect us as we always go to the Lido.  At 9 PM they scheduled a chocolate surprise in Deck 2 by one of the dessert chefs.  We didn’t attend but heard it was beautiful.  The weather was still chilly at 59 degrees and there was nogoung out on the open decks due to the wind.   The days movie was “The Intruder”  which was a thriller that we skipped.  The evening entertainment in the big theater was Planet Earth in Concert. They always have afternoon tea in the dining rooms at 3 and some folks love it.  So all in all we found plenty of things to occupy our time from playing cards and games to exercising or reading by the covered pool on the Lido deck. We ate with a group of friends and took some photos of our favorite folks in the Lido. We vow to stay in touch after this cruise ends although we know their time is extremely limited for anything other than work.  Then early to bed to prepare for a 1/2 in Halifax!

Our cooks and waiters on the main line at dinner.  They were always singing and entertaining even the grumpiest of folks!

Some folks we met in the cruise having dinner in the Lido.

Riesta was our newest waitress coming on a week before we were to leave. This is her first tour ever on a ship.  She was struggling with sleep issues and getting accustomed to the strenuous routine.  

Weenah, Reista and Lucy!!  Very sweet ladies and all saving to go further with their education which they hope will find them better jobs out of their countries. 

Look at all the cards we went through for time changes!!

One of the books some of us read to provide inside get into the tulip craze that historically happened. 

Another of our book club books which I really enjoyed.  HAL provides us with the books which we read and return. 

 A page from Tulipmania which shows how much one tulip bulb cost and what that money would have purchased in 1637.

Cruisin’ the Sound to Qaqortog

As we make the return trip to Boston we will again transit through the Prince Christian Sound.  Our weather has been deteriorating become colder, wetter and stronger winds.  The captain has kept us informed all along the way.  Everyday at noon he comes across the ships speakers and gives us latitude and longitude providing the details regarding the weather we may be sailing into.  Today the trip through the sound is quiet for the most part but he tells us that we can expect worse weather when we leave the sound.  The ship provides two narrator guides for the journey and they also tell us they will be dropping a tender to deliver food supplies and donations from the passengers to a Inuit native village with approximately 103 villagers.  The name of the village is Aappilattoq.  They have given passengers a few days to donate clothing, school supplies, books or money and have provided a drop off spot by the guest services area.  All of the passengers we eager and anxious to see the tender make the trip over to the village which was about halfway through the sound.  The problem was that the captain stopped the ship at a location that didn’t allow for anyone to see the tender actually deliver the items.   It was rather disappointing but we all felt good knowing that in some small way we could help these people who live in such a barren remote area.  

The tender trip took about an hour and then we were back on our way to the end of the sound.  It seemed that many more growlers or iceberg chunks were in the water this time.  The big one we had seen before north of the sound was now in the midst of the sound. 

At dinner that night the captain told us everything was to be battened down as we were to have very uncomfortable seas with high waves and strong winds.  He was right!  It probably was the worst night we have spent on a ship.  Before we left the Lido there were plates and food flying off shelves.  They actually had to close up the Lido because it was too dangerous to keep the galley open.  We made sure everything in our room was secure before we went to bed.  The boat rocked hard back and forth and pitched up and down with those hard crashes but we got through it.  The next day the wait staff told us of all the damages that occurred in the shops and dining rooms.  They all had a very long night cleaning all of the broken glass and food mess up.  Our  next day in Qaqortoq was still a bit windy but nothing like what we had experienced.   The captain shared that he had to alter his course to avoid weather systems and no one could argue with that!  We took the tender off shortly after 9:30 and wandered around on our on in this fishing village.  There was a small souvenir shop, a museum, and many colorful houses.  The village is home to about 3000 people and is the largest town in southern Greenland.  The name means “white ” which is an accurate description of the white granite seen here.  The history dates back to Viking settlements but the present day town was founded by Danish and Norwegian colonists in 1775.  The Stone and Man project invites visitors to explore the town to find different chiseled designs made by the artists.

We spent several hours there and then back on the tender we went. All aboard was 4:30.

The big one was still making an impression in the sound. 

The little tender off to the left delivering donations to the villagers. 

Sunset that night before the storm .

Here’s where we were on the map after the Sound.

A map of the area and locations of various sites.

Green-land or Ice-land??!!  Ha ha

Walking paths are everywhere 

A small stream runs thru the village. 

All the crosses in the cemetery are the same. The small gold plaque bears the name and date of death.  Several had other small burial stones in the tall grass.  

Looking out from one of the higher areas of the village to the lake behind the village. 

The Beautiful “Green” of Iceland

After we pulled out of Djúpivogur we headed in to Reykjavík where we would arrive mid day and stay overnight here.  On the western shores of Iceland lies her capital and largest city in the country try.  Many believe that the land was first settled by the Celtics and Norwegian immigrants in the 9th and 10th centuries.   A full fledged township wasn’t established until the 18th century.  Today you would find a bustling city which attracts a wealth of tourists during the summer months when the temperature tops off at a high of 55 degrees!

Our plans included going to the Blue Lagoon on Friday afternoon with a Holland America Tour and then going on a private tour with a small group on Saturday doing the Golden Circle.  

The Blue Lagoon was about a 30 minute drive from where we were docked.  They told us that we would shower and dress on a ommunal bathroom and then proceed out to the large geothermal pool.  The Lagoon was extremely busy and wall to wall people trying to get in and out of the dressing rooms.  We soaked in the hot bubbly waters for about two hours enjoying a drink of our choice included with the entrance fee.  They also encouraged bathers to take advantage of the white warm clay mud packs for your face so of course we Hobbes that stuff all over our faces!!  We have ourselves plenty of time to get out of the pool, shower and dress so that we didn’t miss the bus back to the ship.  The weather was cool but partly sunny.   When you enter the Lagoon they fit you with a bracelet that opens a locker for you so that you can store your belongings. The bracelet also unlocks just your locker when you are ready to dress.  Still it’s a mad house trying to find a place to dress without getting your dry clothes wet. But we managed to get it together and get out to the bus with time to spare.  That evening we decided to stay on the ship because our docking site was in a very commercial part of the port.  The town was hosting a marathon the next day and a music festival so we had been told that taxis and buses would be hard to find.   There was a movie in the theater Friday night for entertainment but we opted to watch a movie in our own room.  

Saturday we were up early to have breakfast and get loaded up on a private tour of the Golden Circle which is a loop tour that takes about 7-8 hours.  The gal that arranged the tours filled four small buses.  Our busses were late coming into the port due to several streets being closed for the marathon.  It was a wet cold day and we were all getting tired of waiting on the buses but finally after waiting 30 minutes passed the time they were to have been there they arrived.  Folks got loaded up and on their way.  We were on the last bus and right before we were to take off from the port the driver shared that one of our tires in the back looked low.   He said we would take off from the port and meet a replace bus at a nearby gas station.  It seemed like it wouldn’t create much of a hassle but folks started worrying a little.  When we got to the station the driver told us that the replacement bus couldn’t get to us because of the closed roads so we were going to slowly drive to a tire shop where we would be a priority and our tire fixed immediately.  So off we slowly drove to the repair shop.  They were able to fix the tire quickly with all the passengers still on the bus.  

Our driver was so apologetic and said we would not miss any of the tour and that for our patience and understanding he would buy us all ice cream.  How could you argue with that?  

The first part of our drive took us to the Gullfoss or Golden Waterfall.  The driver had a heavy acccent but his information came easily and abundantly.   We were taken to the Geysir in the Haukadalur Valley where we stretched our legs and had 90 minutes to get lunch or take a hike.  The rain was still coming down and we had our hoods on and umbrellas up.  The last part of the drive took us to the National Park where we witnessed the fault line where the plates are pulling apart in a dramatic fashion. 

We did stop at a local dairy where we were served delicious ice cream.  Another quick stop took us to a horse ranch and wool shop.  By the time we got back to the ship it was dinner time and tired travelers offloaded and made their way up the ramp to the ship.  We left port late that night at 11 pm.  The next day was at sea and once again we turned our clocks back one hour.  There were more guest speakers on the sea day getting us prepared for upcoming ports and lecturing on the people and history of Greenland and the Vikings as Navigators.  

The soothing waters of the Lagoon 

The walkup bar where you get your complimentary drink 

Inside are dressing rooms, a restaurant and gift shop 

Part of the waterfall from a view point above it 

The geysers and hot pools. 


Dan covered his face with sunscreen showing our waitress in the Lido how we lookedwith our mud masks!!

The beautiful lush scenery of Iceland. 

The geysir blows!

The beautiful waterfall 

Look at that selection of ice cream!!  Yummy!!

The National Park where you can see the faults and cracks in the earth 

Walking down the fault line