Iceland & Greenland Cruise (August) 2024: Day 4 - Ísafjörður
Day 4 is Ísafjörður day. Ísafjörður is a very small town, more like a village. However checking the Internet, it says that it is the largest town and unofficial capital of Iceland's Westfjords region, a center for trade, fishing, and tourism known for its dramatic natural beauty, cultural heritage, and outdoor activities
We didn't know what to do on this stop, although we'd do just what we could do, perhaps most likely explore this town on foot.
An open-air element near the port in Ísafjörður is the Westfjords Heritage Museum, also known as the Ísafjörður Maritime Museum. While most of the collection is indoors, it includes historical buildings located in the town's oldest neighborhood, Neðstikaupstaður, near the harbor.
I took a few photos, but didn't go inside any one of the buildings. The reason for this is that we saw a group of our fellow cruisers riding ATVs into town. Envious, we searched where we could sign up for an ATV tour. We did find the office, but it was closed. After waiting for 15-20 minutes we realized that this is a one-man operation, and that one man had already left with one group.
So, we walked the length of the town, passing colorful houses and entering into bookstores and souvenir shops.
Books are a central part of Icelandic culture, leading to the world's highest per capita book publishing and consumption rates, a tradition exemplified by the Jólabókaflóð (Christmas book flood), where books are gifted on Christmas Eve. This information was relayed during one of the talks onboard, which I found very surprising.
The Church of Isafjordur
Interior of church.
There is a volunteer that explained the history of the church and the town; we didn't stop to listen. We had places to see.
Common sight is the angelica herb.
Mr. Google came to the rescue by suggesting a visit to what is called Observation Deck, which is an elevated viewing area.
The Observation Deck offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and fjords. It is the perfect spot for photography.
Back on sea level, we continued our exploration of this very colorful town. For someone like me who love anything colorful, this was a delightful walk that I enjoyed immensely.
A multi-purpose store - convenience store, food store, ice cream parlor and a cafe - got our attention and found some souvenirs to get and then I saw the Kirkland toilet paper pack of 4.
The store clerk had suggested we check this place for local cuisine. However, this being a Sunday the place was packed with locals getting a meal. I was guessing that this must be the local's social time.
As we walked back to the ship, the sun rose for the first time today. It had been continuously drizzling all morning long.
This one wasn't giving me the time of day.
A spit away from where the ship was docked was this local brew house. It was packed.
Not wanting to wait for tables to open, we just grabbed one of this local beer to taste.
So back on the ship, I was out on the deck indulging in my love of photography.
Sunsets captured while doing the laps on Deck 7.
Now on to Greenland.
An open-air element near the port in Ísafjörður is the Westfjords Heritage Museum, also known as the Ísafjörður Maritime Museum. While most of the collection is indoors, it includes historical buildings located in the town's oldest neighborhood, Neðstikaupstaður, near the harbor.
I took a few photos, but didn't go inside any one of the buildings. The reason for this is that we saw a group of our fellow cruisers riding ATVs into town. Envious, we searched where we could sign up for an ATV tour. We did find the office, but it was closed. After waiting for 15-20 minutes we realized that this is a one-man operation, and that one man had already left with one group.
So, we walked the length of the town, passing colorful houses and entering into bookstores and souvenir shops.
Books are a central part of Icelandic culture, leading to the world's highest per capita book publishing and consumption rates, a tradition exemplified by the Jólabókaflóð (Christmas book flood), where books are gifted on Christmas Eve. This information was relayed during one of the talks onboard, which I found very surprising.
The Church of Isafjordur
Interior of church.
There is a volunteer that explained the history of the church and the town; we didn't stop to listen. We had places to see.
Common sight is the angelica herb.
Mr. Google came to the rescue by suggesting a visit to what is called Observation Deck, which is an elevated viewing area.
The Observation Deck offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and fjords. It is the perfect spot for photography.
Back on sea level, we continued our exploration of this very colorful town. For someone like me who love anything colorful, this was a delightful walk that I enjoyed immensely.
A multi-purpose store - convenience store, food store, ice cream parlor and a cafe - got our attention and found some souvenirs to get and then I saw the Kirkland toilet paper pack of 4.
The store clerk had suggested we check this place for local cuisine. However, this being a Sunday the place was packed with locals getting a meal. I was guessing that this must be the local's social time.
As we walked back to the ship, the sun rose for the first time today. It had been continuously drizzling all morning long.
This one wasn't giving me the time of day.
A spit away from where the ship was docked was this local brew house. It was packed.
Not wanting to wait for tables to open, we just grabbed one of this local beer to taste.
So back on the ship, I was out on the deck indulging in my love of photography.
Sunsets captured while doing the laps on Deck 7.
Now on to Greenland.
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