Iceland and Greenland

[swallows22]

G'day!

 

Have done the Antarctic. Now want to go the other way. Have a cruise booked for the Baltic, which includes the Baltic states as well as St. Petersburg. Living in Sydney, do not think I will ever get back that way.

 

My question-should I include Iceland and Greenland? Do not know any thing about them, but am intrigued. And am researching.

 

Just wondering if anybody has first hand experience. Not looking for escorts. Just an enjoyable visit.

 

Thanks and cheers!

[justaguy]

Iceland is fun. I've spent a quite a few hours there in planned long layovers during flights to Europe.

[Steven_Draker]

Just make sure your visit to Iceland is in June/July/August.

[+ beethoven]

I liked Iceland, but not as much as I thought I would. Rekyavik, the capital, is small, but has wonderful restaurants.

It's a volcanic island, and not much scenery. You can drive around the island in a short time. Some "quaint" fishing villages, but not as quaint as Mediterranean countries. The tourist visits to the Parliament building and explanation of their government is interesting. They have the oldest parliament in the world, as I recall.

Our trip to Iceland offered a two-day excursion to Greenland, and I'm sorry I didn't take it, as all the people on our trip who had gone to Greenland absolutely loved it.

I'm sure you would enjoy a visit to both of these island countries, but I think that the highlight of your trip will be St Petersburg and the Baltic countries.

[+ WilliamM]

G'day!

 

Have done the Antarctic. Now want to go the other way. Have a cruise booked for the Baltic, which includes the Baltic states as well as St. Petersburg. Living in Sydney, do not think I will ever get back that way.

 

My question-should I include Iceland and Greenland? Do not know any thing about them, but am intrigued. And am researching.

 

Just wondering if anybody has first hand experience. Not looking for escorts. Just an enjoyable visit.

 

I have been to Iceland and Greenland. Not sure where your cruise is starting or ending, but almost every stop on a Baltic cruise is more interesting that Iceland and Greenland. I particularly liked Stockholm and St. Petersburg; a day or two in either city is not nearly enough time.. I suggest you arrive early, or stay several days longer before or after the cruise starts and really get to see things in detail.

[Doe Be Doe]

What does one do or see on a trip to Greenland?

[+ WilliamM]

What does one do or see on a trip to Greenland?

 

See a great deal of snow and ice. To be fair, I went on my own in the spring, not the summer. I was writing a novel, and knew very quickly Greenland was not interesting enough as the setting for the book.

[+ Charlie]

Just make sure your visit to Iceland is in June/July/August.[/color]

 

And prepare to go to bed at midnight in bright sun, but it will be cold anyway.

 

If you like urban stimulation and great art/architecture, Iceland is not the place to go. However, if you enjoy exotic scenery, meals that are all white (fish, potatoes and turnips), very expensive imports (like a cup of coffee), riding an Icelandic horse across barren land to see stunning waterfalls and Arctic lava flows, etc., then there is no place better than Iceland. I haven't been there in 30 years, so it might have changed, but I loved my three visits. The sex scene there was very small and closeted then, and since the population hasn't grown much, I assume it still is mostly friends getting together at their homes. I did manage to pick up a cute guy once in the lobby of the Hotel Loftleider, for a quickie.

[BgMstr4u]

If you are into literature, the Icelandic sagas are among the treasures of world culture. Modern icelanders can still understand the language they were written in 1,000 years ago or so. The sagas are set in locales which in some cases stiil exist, including, I believe, the greatest, Njal's Saga. Doubtless there are tours structured around the sagas. In any case, the sagas are great reading in preparation for the Nordic cold country.

 

Here is a description of such a tour, in case it might interest you or others:

http://sagasteads.blogspot.com/2011/07/njals-saga.html

[rguer]

And prepare to go to bed at midnight in bright sun, but it will be cold anyway.

 

If you like urban stimulation and great art/architecture, Iceland is not the place to go. However, if you enjoy exotic scenery, meals that are all white (fish, potatoes and turnips), very expensive imports (like a cup of coffee), riding an Icelandic horse across barren land to see stunning waterfalls and Arctic lava flows, etc., then there is no place better than Iceland. I haven't been there in 30 years, so it might have changed, but I loved my three visits. The sex scene there was very small and closeted then, and since the population hasn't grown much, I assume it still is mostly friends getting together at their homes. I did manage to pick up a cute guy once in the lobby of the Hotel Loftleider, for a quickie.

 

http://www.gayice.is/

[+ Charlie]

http://www.gayice.is/

 

Hmmm....it looks like things have changed there.

[LBCABob]

Blue Lagoon Spa

 

Was there in Sept on TA cruise that overnighted in Reykjavik. Took 8 hour "Golden Circle" bus tour to see the area, geysers, waterfalls - was OK, glad I did it, not worth doing again. Went to well-known http://www.BlueLagoon.com next morning (booked everything on their website) and had "in water" massage from a burly Irish guy - was better than I expected, enjoyed the facility, volcanic-heated water not as hot as I like, would repeat if had opportunity (e.g. long layover between flights). Only saw the city from bus ride, perhaps would have preferred a tour of it rather than generally barren countryside. Other passengers wanted to see "Northern Lights" but 1 AM bus ride required and no guarantee Mother Nature would cooperate (no refunds if lights are a no-show).