As many of you know, we love to cruise. It’s a great cost-effective way of sampling lots of places. Plus, it’s nice to get on the boat, disconnect for a while and constantly be waking up in new destinations.
This year, we went on a North Sea cruise to the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Scotland, and Norway.
Leaving Harwich–ready for the adventure!
Our first day was a day at sea. We were so thankful for this as it gave us a chance to unwind and get into holiday mode.
Formal night! (Ignore the thumb in the top right corner. A sweet old man took this photo for us!)
Our first stop was Torshavn, Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands are a protectorate of Denmark and Torshavn is the smallest capital city in the world with a population of approximately 20,000 people.
Torshavn: city in a cloud
The buildings on Tinganes (meaning literally Parliament Jetty) are the site of the Faroese Home Rule government and one of the oldest parliament meeting locations in the world. Vikings began meeting here in 825.
Love the grass rooftops!
Next we climbed to a hilltop monument that was surrounded by a farm. This sheep slipped through the fence and tried to eat my shoe!
John trying to defend me from the naughty sheep
Torshavn from the hilltop
Because the winds from the sea are so intense in Torshavn there are very few trees. As a result, the government built this park to provide a nice sheltered green space for the community.
Checking out the park
Our next stop was Reykjavik, Iceland for an overnight stay. The landscape in Iceland is incredible. Vastly different than anywhere we had been before. We started our morning with a long walk from the cruise port into town.
Happy to be in Iceland!
We explored the city of Reykjavik (it felt smaller than we expected) and then settled into a cafe for some coffee to warm up.
Obligatory photo in front of the Hallgrímskirkja Church. The weather was AWFUL!!!!
Not only did we have a chance to visit the smallest capital city in the world (Torshavn) we also had a chance to visit the northern-most. At 64 degrees north of the equator, Reykjavik wins this honor!
Icelandic Parliament
After a rainy morning exploring the city, we headed out to the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal hot springs. Nestled amongst lava fields, the mineral filled water was as relaxing as it was gorgeous. It really is blue!
Warming up!
We loved swimming around and staying warm in the water with the air so chilly. The water is so rich in minerals that you can’t see through it. We also had the chance to put the silica mud on our faces for an unexpected facial!
John was not a fan of the texture…
Scary!!!!
Relaxed! The landscape was amazing!
Gorgeous!
The next morning, we opted to do a “geothermal” tour of the area outside of Reykjavik. It included a stop at a geothermal power plant, a geothermal park, and some gorgeous scenery created by seismic events. The pictures tell the whole story.
Geothermal Power is AWESOME!!!
Reykjavik’s CO2 emissions since adopting geothermal power.
Hot spring at the Geothermal Park
Bread being cooked using the steam/heat from the geothermal park. It was yummy 🙂
Our final stop was a gorgeous view point over a lake. Seriously beautiful.
Rift in the ground
We saw a rainbow!!!!
Simply stunning!
Watching the steam escape
Our next port: Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland! We decided to take a bike ride through the city and into the countryside along the coast. Fortunately, since we have been in the UK for a while now, riding on the left was no problem!
A Shetland pony? Well, at least it’s a pony we found in Shetland.
We found the BIGGEST cows I’ve ever seen. These are supposed to be our scared faces because one kept staring us down..fail.
Peaceful ride.
The Knab
We saw several oil platforms during our trip–this is the closest we got to one. Most were in the middle of the ocean while we were en route.
Oil platform
The next morning, our boat pulled into Geiranger, Norway where we did some exploring of the fjord. But first, we hiked up to the top of a waterfall…
Norway!
A little pre-fjording hike
View of the Geirangerfjord from the top of the waterfall
Next–kayaking in the fjord! After taking a boat taxi to the kayak launching point, we ended up kayaking a total of 10km and seeing three waterfalls. A great way to experience this breathtaking site!
Off we go!
Kayaking selfie!
The water was soooo blue
The first waterfall.
Thankful that a fellow kayaker offered to take this photo!
The Seven Sisters Waterfall from below
Tall waterfall
The Friar
Love being on the water!
Kayaking on the fjord–one of our favourite adventures to date!
Perhaps the most impressive thing that happened that day occurred as we were sailing out of the fjord. The ship’s captain opted to do a 360 degree turn between two waterfalls (the Seven Sisters and the Friar) so that everyone on the ship could get a great view.
Taken from the front of the ship–such an impressive maneuver!
A word about the food on the ship: we ate like royalty. So many delicious dishes served in interesting ways. Below are a few of our top picks:
Lobster Flambé
Sushi Lollipops
Mezze Platter/Box
Build your own cupcakes!
Our final destination before heading back to England was in Bergen, Norway. After so much exploration the previous days, we opted to do a quick walk around the city. Our first stop was the Bergen fish market. We heard it would be expensive, but had no idea how expensive. We saw a plate of fish on sale for 65 Euros!! In a fish market! I think we’ll stick to Billingsgate 😉
Bergen Fish Market
Bryggen–the old wharf in Bergen (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Lots of cute narrow alleyways!
Finally, we headed back to England after a lovely trip.
Final sunset at sea…
Thank so much for reading! Our next adventure will be coming soon!!!
John and CB's Most Excellent Adventure 
What an adventure y’all!! I was thrilled to see all the countries Iceland must have been amazing John, I had cows that big growing up in Alabama!! LOL NOT!!!! thanks for taking the time to share with us So thankful for the two of u! So glad you are having fun!! love u both Mom at the beach!
Thanks Mom at the Beach!!! We miss you so much–come see us!!!! Love you!
So glad to see more pics of y’all’s time w/ Danamal! We always LOVE seeing y’all together! What a beautiful and amazing place! John, you know we r ur official grandparents if y’all decide to increase the family! CB, hopefully u approve! Anyway, thanks for sharing. We are so very proud of you both. We love you so much. Send me your new address. I will send u a much overdue Christmas card starring(of course) Chase! Happy New Year! Mom at the beach
Happy New Year, Mom at the Beach!!! We miss y’all too and of course you know I approve to you all being official grandparents 🙂 Love to you and Dad at the Beach!!!! Hope to see you soon!!!!!
CBC what a wonderful blog – keeps getting better. You two are so much fun to watch in action. I like your yoga britches in Norway:) And JC’s reaction to the mud baths. The meals are heaven on Earth. And how about the fact that the 2 of u kayak like Olympiads. Gitty up. On to your next adventure. Keep us posted. Peace from Sing. MRD
Thanks so much MRD. And thanks for reading! I love keeping up with your adventures as well. Peace from Londontown. CBC