This morning, the sun rose on Siglufjordur, the Klondyke of the Atlantic! In the 1940s this small town swelled to twelve thousand strong, as fisherman and “herring girls” reaped the bounty of the sea. This northernmost town treated National Geographic Explorer guests to a re-enactment of life during the herring rush before the stock collapsed and the town fell into financial crisis. After a brief accordion prelude, the actors commenced.
Act One: the herring girls quickly sprang into action, processing the fresh herring and packing the catch of the moment into barrels of salt.
“Flyttu per helvitis letingi!, “ she admonished the lazy man working with them.
“Haettu ad reyua vid stelpurnar!,” she continued because the man was more interested in the herring girls than doing the work.
When the processing was complete, the actors performed traditional Icelandic folk songs, after which a spontaneous dockside ball occurred. Of course, no party is complete without refreshments. Explorer guests snacked on smoked, spiced, and pickled herring and raised shot glasses of aquavit in salute to this lovely and spirited town.
While guests listened to a lecture on plate tectonics, Explorer docked in Akureyri, the second-biggest city in Iceland. As guests disembarked, everyone was so thrilled to see an internet hotspot just outside the gangway. Soon, all picnic tables were filled with guests connecting with loved ones back home.
Some guests chose to visit the local museum, while others split into walking or photography tours. Other guests chose to go horseback riding. This particular writer chose to tackle the 90-minute horseback riding option, despite having zero experience riding beyond her preteen years. Thankfully, the local guides were extraordinarily kind and patient, educating the beginners on the proper way to man the reins and giving the more seasoned equestrians the freedom to move at a faster pace. The horses were also quite patient, although several of them took liberal breaks from their trotting to munch on the grass. Still, if there is a scene more idyllic than riding a horse by the seaside with snow-capped mountains in the background, we’d like to see it!
After the walking and equine tours, the guests were given quite a bit of freedom to plan out the remainder of their evening. Several, tuckered out from the long day, chose a quiet evening of reading and sipping tea on the ship. Others leapt at the chance to explore Akureyri, and headed into town solo or in small groups. This writer bee-lined for the local ice cream place and then wandered around the charming, rather hilly city. There were plenty of residents and tourists traversing the streets and popping in and out of the stores and pubs; the number of hands clutching ice cream cones suggested that everybody was taking full advantage of the mild weather! The ship’s crew also basked in the sun with an impromptu game of basketball just off the ship’s deck, proving that they are just as passionate about their “balling” skills as they are about their customer service!
As spectacular as today was, tomorrow is sure to match; any day that features “Game of Thrones tour” as an activity option is bound to please. Until next time!
