To Amsterdam and back

Wednesday, June 28, 2017 "Nothing to see there", is the expert advice of our 'Travel guide'. Take a bus and go for a ride around the countryside'. The weather is fine, but we have seen enough sheep and greenery, so we walk up to the tourist  office and get some  tourism advice from the locals. We find a small town  with streets lined with   houses more than hundreds of years old carefully maintained, a big cathedral ricly ecorated from the 1200,. a small cemetery  -we read  the gravestones.  The town had benefited from trade and the church has many plaques and paintings  from various donors.  Across the cathedral there is  an impressive Bishop's House. Then there is the Museum, like the one in Inverness displaying a collection of  local archeological   finds and some original a7 and 18 cent. furniture.  Ther is also a garden  surrounding the museum with  local plants. Even the tourist s...

Sunday, 2nd July, Isafjordjur: Vigur Island  We are told that there is only one family living on the island. They have some help from other  family members  during the tourism season but for the rest of the year  arctic terns, puffins, ducks and other feathered creatures are their only company. As soon as we land we are given sticks to hold above our heads; apparently the arctic terns are very violent  and we need to protect ourselves from their beaks and wings.  True, as they fly above our heads  they  make a loud  buzzing noise and their beaks look threatening . Maybe they inspired Hitchcocks 'Birds'. No neighbours; only arctic terns, ? bird? and some placid puffins; they fly only when windy. There are also the domesticated , very hungry eiderdown producing  geese; and their Mother  We walk, admire the views,  imagine ourselves here (for a holiday only), enjoy some  coffee and cake, ...

Monday, July 3rd, Akureyri and whale watching. We have booked a whale watching trip direct from Akureyri, so we enjoy it without bemoaning the cost. We think we are lucky with the weather because the sun shines; we try to forget that it is freezing.So we rug up and get on the boat (They make rachel wear a safety jacket),  After a while we arrive at a place where the captain (sitting comfortably inside  in a warm cabin on a high chair) stars spotting whales. We see them too but it is hard to take photos., they move so fast Here  are the results of my efforts: a tail..  a spine...  a second  spine..   i hope this is a tail from another whale ...there she blows! We come back to Akureyri frozen but happy. Akureyri is built on a height overlooking the ocean.  is built on heights so most houses have magnificent views of the harbour.  We discover  a bookshop with a coffee shop (serving the most delicious  dr...

Thursday, July 6th, 2017, Bergen I visited Bergen some seven years ago. It was April, but cold and raining.  Today the sun shines . It is busier, there are more tourists and the market where Iate my fish and chips  in a tent is now full of pricy restaurants The stove is huge  the old shops,now 'boutiques'  Houses along the water We take a walking tour which starts at the museum where we are shown a Viking ship. From here we visit the houses of the Hanseatic merchants . The house is quite elegant, with dark wooden furniture  very well kept and huge  stoves . We can see those rich and powerful merchants getting together and making deals that would change the world.  Then we go to the Hanseatic Museum and see how the apprentices lived and worked.  Here the  rooms are smaller, less well kept and not so elegant. Still,  the boys were fed, housed and taught a trade. Some would become very rich.  The shops were they were...

Tuesday, July 4th, Djupivogur This little town?  village? is built on the most beautiful harbour (there are everywhere here0We take a nature Walk guided by Odin (he really looks like the original Vikings).  He talks about flaura (we mustn's step on the moo) points at flowers (introduced! bad! and tries to explain  why this  tiny, isolated place is beloved by many. People must leave to study and learn a way to make a living but come back to raise their family. We  follow him along the country lanes, listen to his stories, learn a bit more about wonderful but strange Icelandic way of life.  stones from long ago Odin the guide  local bird  the harbour the town the Centre of the town In the end, despite my misgivings about 'visiting a country on cruise' we have learned to know Iceland more than I expected. I have seen enough to know that I would like to see more of its mountains and waterfalls and spend more time in the town...

Tuesday-Wednesday, 11th-12th July, 2017; Bruges Ah. Bruges!. Wonderful place!  It  is what people say when  they hear about Bruges. They are right;  Bruges is old, beautiful and unspoiled by modernity. The  city has grown around  the old settlement  without changing it.  So, we walk around the Market Place, climb the tower (not me), admire the view and take a conducted tour. This is probably the best  we had;  we listen with delight to our guide who knows much about the history and culture of Holland and makes it sound  like  Guided by her we walk away from the Markt and discover the Burg,   with the 14h cent  Stadhuis (Town Hall) an newer   Renaisssance 'Landhuis van het Brugse Vrije, that is "liberty of Buges" . Just and administrative building but very impressive. We follow her to the Beguinage, like the one in Amsterdam  built originally for Crusaders' widows.  We walk along  old houses, som...

Sunday, 19 June, 2017; Amsterdam Movenpick City Hotel The hotel is elegant but definitely not central, despite a sign which says '6 minutes of walk to the city centre'. We have no choice and start our holiday with a walk  to the Central Railway Station and from there  along the canal.  it is a long walk but the sun shines, people  -there are lots pf them-smile, there are flowers  all around , so we are happy. We end our walk in an Asian district where we sample some food and meet a local cat (of course). Monday, 20th June, 2017 Amsterdam Time to start our city tour in earnest. At the tourist  bureau we buy tickets for everything Amsterdam has to offer - boat rides along canals, tickets  to museums and food.  We sail along old and beautiful houses, listen to the commentary (Rachel sleeps), and get off at the Rijk Museum to admire paintings. It is good to see them again, they are always enchanting, even for little Rachel. Her favourites thou...

Wednesday, 21 June, 2017. Amsterdam Anne Frank house for Naomi and Rachel and walk along the canal for me. Lunch is at 'Prince', specially recommended for 'the atmosphere', that is . it is in an old pub which has been carefully maintained yet retained its old style; the walls are lined with wooden  panels and there are paintings of the town's mighty Just sandwiches. but who cares about the food. So, Naomi and Rachel climb the  Westerkerk tower (under guidance, they get also some tips about  tourist attractions) and get a view of the tower. Westerkerk  tower The sun still shines, so we go to visit the Cat Bot, where Amsterdam keeps its stray cats. People are encouraged to adopt a cat; for a small donation they get a well cared for cat, complete with vitamins and vaccinations. There are also some permanent residents.  In the night we go for a cruise along the canal. The view is wonderful but the  my camera does not work in the dark Only...