Visiting the British Isles

After visiting London and Paris in previous years, Ray and Traci decided to expand their exploration of the region by taking a British Isles cruise aboard the Crown Princess. The ship’s September itinerary fit the bill in duration and dates. Before sailing, Traci became quite a fan of Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey which added to the interest of exploring the area.

The travelers left Seattle on Virgin Atlantic Airlines and were both quite impressed with the excellent service provided inflight. The Boeing 787 airplane left Seattle on time at 3:20 pm and arrived at Heathrow 30 minutes early just after 8AM (London time). After speeding through customs, they had to wait for their pre-arranged car service driver to transport them into the city. Traffic on a Saturday morning was reasonably light and 45 minutes later the London adventure started. Due to its central location, Ray made a reservation at the Conrad Hotel St James to spend their three pre-cruise days. Fortunately, their room was ready for an early check in time.

Ray and Traci previously visited London in 2009 (http://rayandtraci.blogspot.com/2009/04/first-visit-to-london-part-1.html) and visited many of the most popular attractions so they sought out new ones for this short stay. After settling into their hotel room, Ray and Traci headed to the Churchill War Rooms, a 20 minute walk from the Conrad Hotel. This historical site housed the UK government during the London bombings of World War II. It was a popular attraction with Ray and Traci waiting about 20 minutes to enter – admission was included in their London Pass cards. After showing their passes they began their tour aided by very interesting narration on handheld audio guides. Life underground was difficult and one cannot forget the bombing that held London hostage for much of the war.

The next stop for the two rapidly tiring tourists was Kensington Palace, better known as William and Kate’s home.

The palace is located inside a large park area complete with a pond. Ray first noted the fearless wildlife in the park – squirrels that jumped on benches and approached people for food. At the pond, huge swans sat on the concrete with little concern for humans approaching them. Ray and Traci toured the public areas of Kensington Palace which provided a glimpse of Victorian London and the life of a monarch. Unfortunately, Kate was busy that day and couldn’t meet Traci so the travelers walked back to the subway station, picked up some takeout food at one of the ubiquitous Pret shops, and retired for the evening.                  

Getting adjusted to a significant time difference (London is 8 hours ahead of Seattle) was difficult making day two a challenge. A comprehensive breakfast buffet started the day at the Conrad Hotel, followed by a subway ride to Exhibition Row – much like Washington DC’s Smithsonian, London has a collection of schools and museums near the South Kensington subway station. The first stop was at London’s Natural History Museum. Much like the Smithsonian equivalent, the exhibits included some very impressive life size models of dinosaurs and a huge blue whale which dominated the much smaller land creatures. Many reconstructed dinosaur skeletons excited the many kids visiting on a Sunday afternoon. Next, Ray and Traci headed to the Victoria and Albert museum next door. While they previously appreciated the wide range of art ranging from ancient times forward created by cultures around the world during their 2009 visit, this time the travelers took a one hour tour hosted by a well-informed docent. After a refreshment break in the central garden with its wading pool full of kids, Ray and Traci stopped at nearby Prince Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall. The memorial dedicated to Queen Victoria’s spouse is a beautiful structure with genuine gold leaf and precious metals. Adjacent to the memorial is Royal Albert Hall, one of the most famous performance arts centers in the world. It was opened in 1871 and currently has a capacity for 5,500 people. 

Ray was initially lukewarm about visiting, but surprisingly found great interest after the tour. Their guide Tony brought much history and previous performances to life with his stories. Ray was amused that Henry Cole, the chief organizer on the project, funded it by selling 999 year seat licenses much like deals funding most newly constructed NBA, MLB and NFL stadiums in America (although with significantly less generous terms!) The widely celebrated venue has hosted an amazing variety of events including music, theater, award shows, an annual tennis tournament, and even a Sumo wrestling tournament.

The London Shard, a newly constructed building with a 72^nd floor observation deck was the last stop of the day. Fortunately the beautiful weather enhanced the wonderful views and many London attractions along the Thames River such as Tower Bridge were easily seen. Afterwards, Ray and Traci went to a Japanese restaurant Itsu which is a chain that celebrates its healthy ingredients. While Ray’s teriyaki chicken rice bowl and Traci’s chicken bento salad may have good things for their bodies, the chocolate cupcake from London’s Lola’s did not. The beautiful Sunday closed with watching the Seahawks Bengals NFL game courtesy of the internet with Seattle winning by 1 point well after midnight London time.

As expected, the great weather took a break and Monday was cloudy and drizzly. Ray ran around St. James’ Park as well as Green Park, which is directly in front of Buckingham Palace, the home of the Queen. Breakfast was at the Conrad buffet, then Ray and Traci decided to start the day watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. They were able to attend a changing ceremony 10 years ago, but due to the huge crowds, their view inside the palace gates was non-existent.

Despite the rainy conditions, the Monday morning crowd was astonishing large but Ray and Traci managed to station themselves at the palace gates. The new troops marched in followed by their own marching band. When inside the gates, the various soldiers made changes with their departing counterparts. The band played a collection of contemporary music – theme from Rocky, music from Games of Thrones, and the common college football halftime song Birdland. When the troops neared the fence where Ray and Traci were watching one of the usually silent soldiers said “Hi” to a waiting child. Compared to their visit 10 years ago, it did appear the event was becoming less traditional and more crowd friendly. Maybe next they will add VIP bleacher seating and floats like the Rose Parade! From Buckingham Palace, Ray and Traci used the excellent train system to get to Windsor Castle. 1 hour after leaving St. James’ station, requiring 3 different but easily accessed trains, they arrived at Windsor. The rain was increasing but fortunately the first stop was indoor at St. George’s Chapel where many Royal tombs were located. The choir area displayed the crests and banners of the most honored knights (Order of the Garter). The rain magically subsided for their next stop which was climbing 200 steps to the top of Windsor Castle’s Round Tower (now shaped more like a D after reconstruction.) The optional Conquer the Tower tour gave participants the best views over Windsor.

After the climb down, Ray and Traci completed their exploration with the State Apartments. These rooms were decorated ornately and are still used for official State visits (such as one by President Obama) and special royal events such as charity fund raisers and awards ceremonies. Ray thought the apartments were furnished more luxuriously than France’s Versailles. No photos were allowed indoors at Windsor. Exhausted from another busy travel day, Ray and Traci retraced the route home and picked up food before retiring for the evening.

The weather improved for Ray and Traci’s embarkation on the Crown Princess ship. They arranged pickup from a large bus that brought passengers to the Southampton Cruise Terminal. About halfway in the journey, the bus made a rest stop at an amazing area for motorists. A gorgeous modern building complete with sprinkler fountains for kids to play in had a wide selection of fast food and convenience stores including KFC, Krispy Kreme Donuts, Starbucks, and Burger King. Other European countries have similar truck stops, but the English had by far the nicest. These rest areas are something American road trippers need! Before arriving at the cruise terminal, the bus made a stop at Stonehenge. Simply put, Stonehenge is a collection of large stones over a cemetery. 

However, astronomers have found the placement of keystones highlight the summer and winter solstice along with other astronomical correlates. Many bodies were buried in the area along with worldly possessions – sadly, their security measures were much less effective than the Egyptian pharaohs so much of their treasures have been looted. Now sheep make their home around the site where a million visitors annually wonder what its purpose was. A landing pad for aliens? A spiritual mecca? Legos for dinosaurs? Fifty years ago there was no visitor center selling all sorts of memorabilia and visitors just walked among the stones. Now it is a UNESCO Cultural Landmark and one of Great Britain’s most popular destinations. Perhaps it is simply a case study in great marketing. While Ray and Traci were glad to participate in the great puzzle that is Stonehenge, they recommend combining a visit to Stonehenge with other area attractions (or perhaps a cruise ship boarding) in case others don’t feel its calling.

The ship’s first stop was Wednesday morning at Guernsey, an island in the Channel between France and England – but much closer to France. It actually has a very interesting history of being a territory of France, Great Britain, Germany in World War II, and then back to Great Britain. After taking a water taxi (tender) ride from the ship to the waterfront, Ray and Traci walked to Castle Cornet. They did not know anything about it except it was a castle. Three hours later they knew quite a bit. Castle Cornet is a military fort on the shoreline of Guernsey, built, destroyed, rebuilt, and refortified over the years to protect Guernsey. 

Cannons from the distant past decorate the seawalls, and visitors are treated to an actual cannon firing at noon daily. German bunkers built into the walls bearing traditional German female names once housed anti-aircraft guns. The complex now houses several museums dedicated to the castle’s history, militia and infantry battles, and a Royal Air Force squadron once stationed on Guernsey. If that wasn’t enough, 16^th century herb and pleasure gardens are also seen. To finish off the visit, Ray and Traci listened to a resident who was in Guernsey as a child during the German occupation and brought the era to life with his stories. Castle Cornet was one of the very few attractions that Ray and Traci have visited with what seemed like an extraordinarily low price (10 pounds to enter). Having spent much of their limited time at Castle Cornet, they returned to the tender line for the ride back to the ship.

On Thursday, the Crown Princess stopped at Cobh (pronounced Cove) in Ireland. The tour leader Mike from Paddywagon tours brought Ray and Traci’s group to the famous Blarney Castle. 

The site included the castle with its Blarney Stone, a kiss of the stone according to lore, leads to 7 years of eloquent speaking. Neither traveler thought risking transmittable infection from thousands of fellow travelers was worth the purported gift of gab. Now, granting a wish like a 2020 World Series in Seattle would be a different story. In addition, the signs warned visitors that the line was 90 minutes long to get into the castle and see the stone, so Ray and Traci explored the other areas of the grounds. Pretty waterfalls, and areas of rock and wood were accompanied by signs alerting visitors to legends about past inhabitants like witches and druids. An interesting area of the complex was the poison garden where there was a large variety of plants that could be harmful and even deadly to humans. Everything from marijuana, poppy (opium), foxglove (digitalis) to poison ivy could be found growing in a well maintained garden. After leaving Blarney, the tour group headed to Kinsale, a small waterfront town with many pubs and shops. It seemed that pubs were more ubiquitous than Starbucks are in Seattle! Before returning to the ship, the bus stopped at St. Colman Cathedral – a most impressive church rising above the Cobh waterfront, signifying the importance of the Roman Catholic faith to the inhabitants of this small town. 

Cobh was the Titanic’s last stop before sinking, and Ray and Traci hoped history wouldn’t repeat itself with their ship.

            

Beautiful weather welcomed the Crown Princess to Dublin, the capital of Ireland. Due to the tides schedule, the ship could not dock until 11AM, limiting the time available to see some of the attractions. Making matters worse, Dublin has terrible traffic and the shuttle bus journey took 1 hour to the heart of downtown (3 mile distance). Taxis would face the same delays and cost significantly extra due to the traffic. Once downtown, Ray and Traci walked to Trinity University to see the Book of Kells. The famed book is a Latin manuscript with illustrations of the four New Testament gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) created by monks around the year 800. The stop at Trinity began with a guided tour of the historic campus led by a psychology student. After some very interesting insight about student life in Ireland, the group entered the Book of Kells Exhibit. The background about the books and how they were produced was interesting, and the two sections being displayed were quite impressive in condition and artistic quality – 1000 year old inks making pictures that appeared to be recently printed. The calligraphy also was masterfully done. From Trinity, Ray and Traci walked to Dublin Castle which primarily houses government offices today. With time being limited, they decided to skip a tour of the castle and headed toward St. Patrick’s – a church constructed in 1220. It was interesting to see a large portion of the church occupied by a gift shop to satisfy the wishes of the long line of tourists waiting outside. Leaving the impressive Anglican church, Ray and Traci walked back to the shuttle pick up area and endured the Friday afternoon traffic back to the ship.

Saturday was another beautiful day, this time back in the United Kingdom at Liverpool. Ray and Traci planned on exploring the city on their own. After a leisurely exit off the ship, they wandered down the waterfront to Albert Dock, a tourist food and shopping mecca. A Liverpool branch of the Tate Modern art museum was their first attraction of the day. Using the very helpful Google Maps, they then found their way to Liverpool Cathedral, a beautiful Anglican church, just in time to enjoy a noontime concerto by the church organist.

A short distance away, Ray and Traci found the much different Catholic church, the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.

Shaped like Disney’s Space Mountain, the structure was quite different than any other Roman Catholic Church either traveler has seen. The history was also very unique. Fundraising and initial construction started with the crypt below ground. This area was quite immense and included many different areas for events and performances. The initial plan was to build an immaculate traditional church – the model rests in the Liverpool museum. Unfortunately, the war and lack of finances prevented the execution of their plan and in 1962, this spaceship looking church was built next to the original crypt. The inside of the cathedral matches the modern appearing outside. From there, Ray and Traci wandered back to the waterfront along the streets of Chinatown. Many Chinese restaurants and shops lined the streets although surprisingly most were closed on a Saturday afternoon. Back at the waterfront, a statue of these local residents seemed to attract a lot of attention:

Before returning to the ship, Ray and Traci made a stop at the Liverpool Museum. A special exhibit dedicated to the memory of John Lennon made a bittersweet ending to their Liverpool adventure. 

Sunday found the Crown Princess in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Unlike the rest of Ireland, Northern Ireland remains a part of Great Britain, leading to political and military conflicts over the years. Ray and Traci took another Paddywagon tour headed by a superb guide, Paul. The weather was more marginal with occasional light rain. Their first stop was at the Dark Hedges, an avenue of spooky trees made famous in Game of Thrones. Traveling the Irish countryside, Ray and Traci had never seen so much greenery.

Next, the tour went to the famous Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World heritage site. The causeway, according to Irish lore, was created by a giant named Finn McCool making a pathway to Scotland. Ray and Traci didn’t get to see Finn, but did hear his booming steps at a distance. The site’s curiosity stems from the hexagonal columns at varying heights. For the scientific purists, volcanic drying during solidification results in formation of the columns.

At Paul’s advice, Ray and Traci skipped the visitor’s center charging 12.5 pounds to enter a glorified gift shop. Instead, they walked past the causeway (infested with hundreds of visitors) to an uphill path leading to the amphitheater, an enormous concave rock structure. They returned to the bus by walking back along the cliffs. Few site visitors made this added journey and missed out on some spectacular seaside geography. 

Making their way back to Belfast, the Paddywagon bus passed some beautiful beaches with impressive surf. Much to the travelers' surprise, surfing is a popular activity in Ireland and despite 50 degree temperatures and occasional rain, surfers could be seen catching waves off the beaches. Dunluce Castle, a seaside structure partially eroded into the sea, was the next stop. Traci was delighted to see this second location from Game of Thrones although it was heavily altered with computer graphics for television. Downtown Belfast was the final destination, with a tour of City Hall – a grand structure with a history museum occupying most of the first floor. A memorial to Titanic passengers was found outside, as the Titanic was built in Belfast. 

Downtown Belfast looked like many American downtown areas with shopping, restaurants, and many people milling around. Before returning to the ship, the Paddywagon bus took passengers to a street along the safety fence that splits much of Belfast. A somber Paul, discussed the long history of conflict between the Royalists (Protestants) and Nationalists (Catholics) which lives on today. While violence has subsided for nearly 20 years, neighborhoods, families, schools and the country remains quite divided. Safety fences which are locked at 7pm daily inhibit tensions from flaring. Although violence has subsided along with international media attention, tensions are still ongoing. Colorful and thoughtful murals impart the sadness and loss of the conflict and memorialize the events of the past. Paul thought his Paddywagon bus, despite being full of Americans would be at risk for rock throwers should the tour venture into Protestant neighborhoods. So called ‘black cab tours’ are a much better options to tour both Belfast neighborhoods.

The final stop was at the Titanic Museum (and adjacent Titanic Studios – the producer for Game of Thrones). Unfortunately, the museum was closed at the time of the Paddywagon visit, so only exterior photos could be taken from this attraction.

Ray and Traci returned for the night with new perspectives thanks to their excellent tour guide.

Monday marked the end of their first week of British Isle tours, and the ship moved on to Scotland with a port of call stop at Greenock, 45 minutes from Glasgow. Ray and Traci booked a shore excursion with Timberbush tours. The first stop on the tour was Stirling Castle, about 90 minutes away from the port.

The castle has been strategically located on top of a steep hill and overlooked the River Forth crossing. Originally built around 1100, it was mostly destroyed around 1300 and then rebuilt – it was an active British Army training facility until 1965 at which time it was restored and now serves as a popular tourist attraction, concert venue, and even television set. At first, Ray was a bit lukewarm on visiting another castle, but after taking the 60 minute free tour given by castle staff, he was disappointed they only had 90 minutes total to see the site. The architecture was quite interesting with limewashed stonework on the outside giving it a golden appearance due to iron content of the sealant. Inside, regal furnishings gave the feel of its past life.

One key difference between Stirling Castle and others is the extensive restoration required due to centuries of use as an active military facility – much of the tapestry and furniture are reproductions so not tarnished by age and available for visitors to use.

Due to limited time, Ray and Traci didn’t get a chance to play king and queen by sitting on the dining hall thrones.

Another nice touch is the costumed staff who look and talk “in period” giving a first hand description of life during the castle’s heyday. One staff member talked about the importance of golf, although the clubs looked quite challenging for players of that era.

Reluctantly, the travelers returned to the bus without getting to explore more of the exhibits at the castle.

Lunch in the quaint village of Aberfoyle was next, Ray and Traci found an excellent (and unbelievably inexpensive) restaurant called Liz MacGregors. Traci enjoyed a lentil soup and roll, while Ray had a very tasty grilled ham and cheese sandwich – called a toasty made with very thin bread. They also explored some of the shops and found a grocery store with unexpectedly cheap prices of American goods at least when British pounds are converted to US dollars. The last stop was at Loch Lomond, a large lake in the Trossachs National Park. Like many tours, the bus stopped at this shopping mall located along the lake. While the view was nice, Ray wishes they spent 5 minutes at the lake (mall) and an hour more at Stirling Castle. The tour guides James and David did a good job, and shouldn’t be blamed for the misallocation of time. Ray did some research after the excursion and could not find a tour that just went to Stirling Castle – something he would recommend for future travelers. Before the Crown Princess left, a Scottish bagpipe band serenaded the departing ship with traditional music from the shore.

Tuesday was spent at sea – a much needed day of rest from the long shore excursions. The following morning, the ship docked at Inverness, a port in northern Scotland. Ray and Traci booked an excursion with a newly created travel company, Thistle Tours. The bus driver John and tour guide Becky, brought the Crown Princess group to Cawdor Castle, a private residence of the Earl of Cawdor’s family during the off season.

During tour season, the estate is a busy destination of many visitors looking at the castle, the extensive grounds complete with a hedge maze and even a 9 hole golf course open to the public, and a glimpse into the life of today’s aristocracy. The castle complex includes a drawbridge, ornate yet impractical bedrooms due to their lack of nearby bathrooms, and even a small dungeon for unwanted houseguests. 

Of course, since the castle is a residence during the off season, a kitchen well equipped with computer controlled ovens mixes in with much older furnishings. After exploring Cawdor Castle, the group moved on to Culloden Battlefield. The site of a major battle between British soldiers and rebels called Jacobites who were trying to restore the Stuart monarchy to the throne. Tragically, the battle ended as a massacre with the British monarchy reigning over the Scots. The television show Outlander has used the site for many scenes. After wandering around the sacred site, Ray enjoyed some macaroni and cheese, while Traci had a ham and chicken pie at the visitor center café. From Culloden, the tour group drove thru Inverness before reaching the famed Loch Ness. 

While Nessie, the legendary Loch Ness Monster has been in hiding recently, the legend lives on – in fact a whole Nessieland complex complete with hotel, restaurant, playground, gift shop and, of course, replicas of Nessie are found nearby. Another site made famous from Outlander, Urquhart Castle sits on a perch above Loch Ness which was seen as the tour bus headed back to the cruise port. Limited time prevented the group from stopping at the ruins of Urqhart castle (it was mostly destroyed in 1692 during battle between Royalists and Jacobite groups.) The bus passed through the town of Beauly, another site seen in Outlander, before dropping off passengers back at Invergordon.

Thursday was the final stop in Scotland at Edinburgh. The ship did not dock and used its lifeboats to shuttle people into the Queensferry port – the tender boat time and a 40 minute shuttle bus ride into town significantly delayed enjoyment of Edinburgh. Ray had obtained online tickets for Edinburgh Castle so they walked from St. Andrews square to Edinburgh Castle, built on top of a hill. 

Arriving shortly after 10am, Ray and Traci were fortunate to miss the huge crowds which later appeared even on a weekday off season visit. They joined one of the walking tours and learned about its rich history. The oldest existing structure at the castle – St. Margaret’s Chapel was originally built in the 1100s. Over the years, the castle expanded, parts demolished, and extensive renovations took place. Even today, the Royal Regiment of Scotland is garrisoned at the castle. A small cemetery for pets of soldiers is found within the walls.

The large complex contains several museums housing the Crown Jewels of Scotland, War Memorial, and detailed exhibits of castle inhabitants and areas used as prisons for captured soldiers. While the complex has many replica cannons, a modern Howitzer is used to fire a 1pm charge daily. The crowds continued to grow as Ray and Traci left the castle and headed east on the Royal Mile. Nearby, they decided to stop at Camera Obscura – a tall building housing many types of illusions. On the top floor, a special periscope displays a 360 view of surrounding Edinburgh. Outside, balconies allowed visitors to appreciate the beautiful landscape on a sunny day. On the next four floors, tourists were treated to all sorts of optical illusions, electronic images, a disorienting light tunnel, and a maze built of mirrors. Camera Obscura was a nice diversion from the mostly historical sites visited during this trip. Ray and Traci walked further down the Royal Mile, stopping at Café Nero, Europe’s answer to Starbucks, and shared a toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Their last stop in Edinburgh was at Holyrood, the Queen’s official residence while in Scotland.

Fortunately, crowds were light at the end of the day, so Ray and Traci could appreciate the history and beauty of Holyrood. The tour featured great reception halls, offices, and dining areas used today for official visits but unfortunately no photos were allowed. This policy was sternly explained to Ray after he inadvertently photographed the elegant dining room!

The surrounding grounds were immaculately maintained. Traci especially enjoyed the special exhibition of Harry and Meghan’s Royal wedding which displayed the wedding gown, veil and tiara. As is the case with many ship stops, time grew short and Ray and Traci had to take the reverse route on the bus and tender boat back to the Crown Princess. A Scottish band provided music for the ship's departure.

Friday found the Crown Princess at sea sailing toward France where warmer temperatures and sunshine greeted the passengers. Ray and Traci’s final stop on their European journey was Saturday in Le Havre, a port on the northern coast of France. Unfortunately, many of the popular tours involved long bus rides from Le Havre – some travelers went to Paris, some to Normandy, others avoided the 2-3 hour bus rides and explored nearby. Ray and Traci used their day to visit Mont St. Michel, a stunning island with a monastery and village built in the 9th century.

In its rich history, the island has hosted religious orders as well as prisoners. Today it still hosts a small colony of 10 monks, but mainly serves as an amazing tourist destination. Its remote location discourages many from making the trip but Ray and Traci endured 2 ½ hours on the bus each way and appreciated the beautiful and unique location. A shuttle bus system brings tourists from the parking area across the bridge to the island. Their guide provided some relief from the crowds by using a route that bypassed the Mont St. Michel village before beginning the tour. When walking off the bridge toward the monastery, visitors can reach the ticket office / entrance by turning left under the arch flying a French flag. The normal route to the entrance requires visitors to traverse the extremely crowded village with its narrow and steep pathway shared by those coming and those leaving. After a 90 minute tour of the facility which included chapels, dining areas, work areas, cloisters and formal ceremony rooms, visitors descended into the village below with dozens of shops and restaurants. While the crowds were impressive when the tour began, Ray was overwhelmed with the onslaught of tourists arriving later in the afternoon. Ray and Traci decided to use their free time in the area to share a ham and cheese baguette from Le Brioche Doree, a French bakery chain. Surprisingly, all 31 people on the tour made it back to the bus early for the long journey back to the ship.

After enjoying a final meal in the dining room, Ray and Traci completed packing for the long journey home. Fortunately, their transfer to Heathrow and the Virgin Atlantic flight home were uneventful and they arrived in time to watch the Seahawks game on TV. While initially unsure about expectations for this British Isle cruise, the fascinating cultural and historical background together with spectacular sites such as Mont St. Michel made this a truly remarkable itinerary.

Winter in Iceland

So why would anyone want to go to Iceland in the middle of winter? Iceland has become a very popular destination with tourism now being the biggest industry in the country of only 330,000 people. Ray and Traci decided to find out what is attracting so many people to the land of fire and ice during a March adventure.

Icelandair solved one of the biggest hassles of traveling by providing direct service to Iceland from many US cities including Seattle. They also offer tickets where travelers can fly to the European continent with a stopover in Iceland to stay hours to a few days at no extra cost. Ray and Traci decided to make Iceland their only destination and booked tickets for a 5 day 4 night stay. Their 7 hour 10 minute flight from Seattle to Keflavik International Airport (KEF) was on time and pleasant. Icelandair provides no complimentary food in coach but offers a variety of food choices for purchase at reasonable prices. They have strict baggage policies (carry on size and weight) so don’t try to bring in an oversized carry on to avoid checked baggage fees. Their back of seat entertainment screens have a modest selection of programs and you will need your own audio device – so bring a patch cable for your noise cancelling headphones or some earbuds. Icelandair will sell you some earbuds if you forget. They do have USB charging ports and slow (3G speed) wifi available to those who need to stay connected.

After arriving in the early morning hours at KEF, Ray and Traci passed thru passport control efficiently, claimed their checked baggage and bought roundtrip tickets on the Flybus which took them from KEF to downtown Reykjavik in about an hour. Note that Iceland is, for the most part, a cashless society – credit cards are gladly accepted for even small purchases. Ray purchased some Icelandic Krona at an ATM for incidentals but ended up with 70,000 ISK instead of 7,000 ($595 vs $59) so ended up paying cash for most expenses during the trip.  They encountered some significant traffic into Reykjavik which surprised Ray given the population of only 122,000. In town, Ray and Traci checked into the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica where they had reservations. Despite arriving around 9AM, the hotel made their room available within 75 minutes. Given the sunny but cold (high 20s F) weather, Ray and Traci were happy they could change into warmer clothes to begin their exploration. Their room seemed to be small even by European standards but comfortably arranged. Their biggest complaint was the very limited space in the bathroom. One major thing to keep in mind is that even in an American hotel chain like the Hilton, there were no US type electrical outlets – Iceland uses the twin pole design. Since most electronic adapters can convert the voltage, all that is needed is the US prongs to Iceland poles adapter, a very small and light item that fortunately Ray brought with him.

Tired, but ready to explore their new home, Ray and Traci walked to Hallgrimskirkja, a centrally located church with an 8 story clock tower. The travelers admired the architecture and rode the elevator to the top of the tower to get impressive views of Reykjavik on a beautiful clear day. Continuing their journey using Google Maps to guide them, they went to the Harpa which is Reykjavik’s performing arts theater. While the outside glass construction was fairly unremarkable, the inside architecture was quite amazing!

The construction was unique in that the walls were constructed using clear glass geometric blocks creating a honeycomb appearance. The beautiful sunny day bathed visitors in daylight. The Harpa was much smaller than the Sydney Opera House but the architecture was very impressive and worth a visit (free). Walking along the waterfront, they encountered a well-known sculpture called the Sun Voyager.

Based on the frame of a Viking Ship, the creator Jon Gunnar Amason intended it to convey the promise of undiscovered territory. Certainly the water and mountain backdrop highlighted the waterfront sculpture. Ray and Traci walked back along the waterfront to the Settlement Exhibition which is the archaeological excavation of a 10^th century Viking House. Here, they purchased 72 hour Reykjavik City Passes which give access to many of the attractions and serves as a public bus pass. Both attraction entrance fees and bus fares are pricey in Reykjavik so the pass makes a lot of sense for those wanting to do exploration in the city. The travelers made a final stop at the National Museum of Iceland to learn about the country’s history before catching a public bus back to the Hilton. Having very limited sleep from working the night prior and not sleeping on the flight over, Ray needed to take a short nap before seeing one of the trip’s highlights – the Northern Lights.

One of their motivations of traveling to Iceland in the winter was to see the Northern Lights. Ray and Traci have traveled to Alaska many times, but never far enough north and only in the summer months so they have never seen the Aurora Borealis. The natural light display is caused by charged solar wind particles precipitating in Earth’s atmosphere. The problem with Northern Lights viewing is that the solar wind varies and clouds inhibit visibility. A handy iPhone app called Aurora forecasts solar activity around the world. Ray and Traci had to change the date of their Northern Lights tour two times based on weather forecasts. They ended up taking a tour in the evening of their arrival day due to the forecast of favorable clear skies that night. As predicted by accuweather.com, the night was crystal clear. Even from the Hilton hotel, the northern lights were discernable as nightfall approached. Ray and Traci boarded one of the many tour buses headed out of town to dark areas to see the lights. Over a two hour period the aurora faded and intensified, changed shape and size. Using an iPhone X on a tripod and the Northernlights phototherapy app, Ray was able to capture some wonderful pictures of the phenomenon.

Travelers need to know the large amount of luck that needs to happen to have a good Northern Lights sighting. Most of the companies offer to let unsuccessful viewers have complimentary repeat tours if the lights aren’t visible and cancel tours when weather conditions are unfavorable. Happy but exhausted, Ray and Traci were dropped off at the Hilton and ended a very exhausting first day in Iceland.

On the second day, a tour of Iceland’s Golden Circle was booked with the company Go To Joy Iceland using Viator as the booking agent. Many companies offer variations of the Golden Circle, but Ray chose one that used a small bus to minimize crowding and had relatively short visits at the tourist sites. They had an excellent guide named Ian, a music teacher and trombone artist. He wasn’t a native of Iceland, giving him a unique perspective about the culture since he grew up in the UK. The tour included stops at Kerid, a huge volcano crater followed by the waterfall Faxi.

One of the highlights of a visit to Iceland was next, Gullfoss, the celebrated 2 tier waterfall. Viewing and taking photos of the beautiful natural attraction was made more difficult due to forceful winds in cold weather but few seemed deterred given the large crowd sizes. One can only imagine how crowded the site must be in the summer.

The tour continued with a stop at Geysir a combination tourist trap and volcanic park complete with a geyser that erupts every few minutes.

The last stop was at Thingvellir, a national park which is located at the junction of the European and North American tectonic plates. Visitors can actually see the earth’s fissures and subsequent development of a high wall which represents the edge of the North American plate. Having completed a long second day, Ray and Traci returned to the hotel for dinner and much needed rest.

Iceland’s remote location presumably makes all imported goods quite expensive. A trip to the supermarket or perusal of menu prices quickly confirms that. According to their guides, Iceland has a comfortable living wages and a 25% sales tax (value added tax) which are built into the cost of goods. Two things that are relatively cheap in Iceland is electricity and heat. Geothermal and hydroelectric sources supply most all of Iceland’s electricity, and power prices are considerably lower than in Europe although pretty much on par with what Seattle residents pay. Geothermal heat is also used to warm pools (seems like there is a public swimming pool on every block in Reykjavik), warm buildings, and to even grow tropical foods like bananas in large greenhouses. It is common to walk past homes (or Ray and Traci’s hotel room) in the winter with windows wide open to disperse excess geothermal heat piped in. It has been estimated that 87% of all structures in Iceland get their heat & hot water from geothermal sources.

Saturday morning proved to be a bit cloudy but still ideal weather for exploring. Ray and Traci walked to the Perlan, just over a mile from the Hilton. The Perlan is a tourist attraction that features a glass dome, observation deck, planetarium, nature exhibits and an ice cave. Ray and Traci toured the artificial ice cave held at a temperature of 14 degrees Fahrenheit with its very low ceilings. After looking at the glacial and volcanic exhibits, they watched a film about the northern lights followed by one on the many natural spectacles in Iceland. After admiring the views on the Perlan’s observation deck, Ray and Traci left to catch a public bus. As they walked to the bus stop they cut through Klambratun Park and decided to stop at one of Reykjavik Art Museums located at the park. Most of the art museums admission fees were included in their Reykjavik City Pass, but the Perlan was not. Two exhibit halls featured works from two Icelandic artists, one modern and the other more classical. After leaving the park, the travelers boarded a public bus headed back downtown. Their destination was the Grotta Island Lighthouse. The lighthouse is surrounded by a black sand beach which serves as a bird nature preserve and is a popular spot to view the northern lights near the city. Rolling waves passed by the lighthouse, and shockingly, two surfers were in presumably very warm dry suits taking advantage of the surf in freezing conditions. Glad that they didn’t want surfing lessons today, Ray and Traci took the bus back to the Hilton for the evening. During their bus ride home they noted two pre-teenage girls conversing in English while texting on their phones. While in America it would be unusual just to see such young children riding a bus downtown unescorted, it was remarkable in Iceland that they were chatting in English. Later in the trip, Ray and Traci learned that children are required to learn English in addition to Icelandic early in school and then a third foreign language in high school. Since texting & video games are often in English, the young adopt it for casual conversations although the older generations still speak Icelandic. Basically, you can visit Iceland and speak English to any resident.

Ray and Traci planned an ambitious tour to the South Coast of Iceland on their final full day. Their South Coast Full Day Tour was conducted by Your Day Tours. Waking up early, they boarded a minibus with former science teacher and tourist guide Steini who drove them 2 hours to the southern tongue of the Myrdalsjokull glacier at Solheimajokull. While both visitors have visited Alaskan glaciers before, the Iceland experience enabled you to walk close enough to the glacier to practically touch it – in fact, tour companies were equipping groups with crampons and ice picks to climb up the glacial ice. Ray and Traci stayed off the glacier and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

Steini described the significant melting going on resulting in retraction of the ice seen in Iceland as well as other glaciers around the world. Next, the minibus brought everyone to the town of Vik, population 300. This picturesque village was framed by beautiful scenery usually seen in some Hollywood fantasy movie. The lunch stop was at a black sand beach at the southern tip of Iceland. The surf was quite rough and variable – all of the guides warned visitors that large waves periodically strike and cause soakings or worse. Sure enough, a few unlucky tourists ended up being drenched despite the warnings. The final two stops were at waterfalls – Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. The sunny day formed a faint rainbow at the Skogafoss waterfall.

Steini treated his guests to a non-alcoholic beer tasting beverage and some smoked lamb before returning them to Reykjavik.

Ray and Traci managed to complete their planned itinerary leaving the final day free which turned out to be a good thing – from the Hilton, they could see snow squalls roll in resulting in near blizzard conditions lasting just a few minutes before relenting. For the first time during their visit, snow was actually visible on the Reykjavik streets. Ray and Traci were very fortunate to have near perfect weather during the bulk of their visit, and one night with crystal clear skies highlighting the northern lights. Their return on the Flybus to the airport was uneventful and after a 7 hour 45 minute flight, Ray and Traci found themselves back in Seattle.

A Busy Trip to Orlando

Ray and Traci made a quick trip to Orlando for a medical conference. Unfortunately, the conference which traditionally was held at a Disney area resort, moved to a location near the Orlando convention center which is much further. After the meeting, Ray and Traci decided to try and visit Disney World and sample some of the attractions created or updated since their last visit.

Disney World during the week of the President’s Day holiday is a very busy place. Crowd calendars such as touringplans.com, ranked the Saturday after President’s day 9 out of 10 and that is not a good thing for visitors trying to experience the most popular rides. Ray and Traci’s prior visits usually had crowds rated under 5/10 so this visit would require significant strategizing. Ray tried to reserve fast passes but they were all taken far in advance for the most popular rides.

Ray rented a car and the couple arrived at Disney’s Animal Kingdom shortly after the 9AM opening. Entering the park using pre-purchased one day park hopper tickets, Ray and Traci immediately traveled to their first target – the new Pandora – The World of Avatar. Ray had seen posted waits of over 3 hours for the headliner attraction – Avatar Flight of Passage. On their visit, the line wait app from touringplans.com had a 144 minute wait predicted. Ray and Traci joined the line and were pleasantly surprised when they boarded the ride 104 minutes later. The futuristic quasi motion simulator thrill ride has patrons sitting bicycle style on an Avatarian Banshee. Considered widely as one of Disney’s most advanced attractions, the silky smooth but exciting experience did not fail to disappoint! While waiting nearly two hours for any attraction was difficult for the two patrons used to off-season crowds, they both enjoyed Disney’s latest and greatest addition. After Flight of Passage, Ray and Traci got in line for the other Avatar attraction – Na’vi Ride Journey. It had a 60 minute wait predicted but Ray and Traci got on after a 40 minute wait. This ride is basically “It’s A Small World After All” boat ride set in an Avatar world. The 3-D holograms and visual effects were quite good but thrill seekers should be aware of its docile nature.

Surviving their long waits at Pandora, Ray and Traci boarded a Disney bus to get into Epcot for their next target, Soar’in Around the World. Soar’in was one of Ray’s favorite rides at both coast’s Disney parks, the updated version visits major sites around the world instead of just California. Fortunately the wait turned out to be just over 30 minutes for Ray and Traci. Riders sit in a simulated hang glider and visit sites such as the Great Wall of China, Eiffel Tower, and the Great Pyramids. The gentle motion contrasts to the much more thrilling Avatar Flight of Passage, but the astounding photography of some of the world’s greatest treasures make Soar’in a must see. Their final ride was the “new” Frozen Ever After Ride. Disney took the tired Maelstrom boat ride in the Norway pavilion at Epcot and basically converted into scenes and characters out of the animated movie Frozen. The actually ride was virtually unchanged from the Maelstrom days, just the décor was different. When Ray and Traci entered the line, the predicted wait was 70 minutes. They were confident that they would not have to wait 70 minutes based on the overestimates for their three previous rides. They were wrong, and it took the whole 70 minutes to get on. While not a ride Ray would want to wait any time for again, Disney showed it is possible to recycle a dated and unpopular attraction with new paint and characters and turn it into a very popular ride.

After a long day of 4 rides in two parks, Ray and Traci returned on the Disney Bus to the Animal Kingdom to pick up their car and drive to the Magic Kingdom. The travelers wanted to see the newest Disney Fireworks show “Happily Ever After.” This show did not disappoint! The computer generated graphics projected onto Cinderella’s castle alone made the show very unique. Adding Disney choreographed fireworks made the spectacle a not to be missed experience. The crowds were tremendous, viewers need to push their way to any spot with a good view of the castle – people started blocking out places over an hour before the show. Ray and Traci were quite exhausted at the end of the day but glad they updated their Disney experience. Ray vowed to only go to the new Star Wars attractions on days ranked 3 or less by touringplans.com

Besides their one day at Disney, Ray and Traci had a chance to dine at notable establishments. Near the Hyatt Hotel, Ray had dinner at the Copper Canyon Grill and he found the BBQ ribs to be exceptional – perfectly prepared with tender meat falling off the bone and flavored with an excellent sauce. When looking for ribs after a busy convention day, look no farther than the Copper Canyon Grill. The second recommendation was Morimoto’s Asia at Disney Springs. Entering the restaurant, it is a beautiful mix of traditional Japanese wood work fused with modern futuristic glass & lighting.

After admiring the décor, Traci had a delicious order of vegetable rolls and Kakuni Pork Bao. Despite initially questioning why a Seattle native should order salmon in Florida, he had the chef’s Red Miso Salmon. His simple conclusion – it was the best tasting salmon he has ever eaten, which means something from someone who loves salmon. If you have the opportunity, don’t miss Morimoto’s Asia!