Photo Log of the September 9, 2007, Visit to Akureyri, Iceland
Map showing GPS track of the Grand Princess (turquoise)
After an overnight passage from Torshavn the ship crossed the Arctic Circle into the Arctic Ocean.  It then sailed south into Eyjafjordur (Eyja Fjord) and sailed 32 nm inland to Akureyri.
Eyja Fjord is the longest fjord in Iceland.  Akureyri is the 2nd city of Iceland, with an area population of 21,000.
 

               

Grand Princess At Akureyri
Note the Icelandic flag.


Akureyri
A view from the ship.

Akureyri is a modern small city, proud of its university and botanic garden.  Fish processing plants have been closed because processing now takes place on board fishing ships.  Today Akureyri produces high tech fishing industry products and medical devices.  Iceland is very prosperous.


Godafoss Falls
We took an excursion to Godafoss Falls and a historic farm.  The Falls are 16 miles east of Akureyri.


Godafoss Falls

The water in the Falls is from glacier melt.
Geologically speaking, Iceland is young, and was formed by volcanic activity where the North American tectonic plate separates from the European plate, a process which is continuing. Iceland uses geothermal hot water for electricity production and domestic heating.  We saw hot water pipelines here and in Reykjavik.


Farmland East of Eyja Fjord
Note the sheep grazing on the grass.  Sheep range freely and have identifying marks.  They are rounded up in September and sorted by the marks.  We saw a roundup in progress.  It was quite a community event, with much celebration.
 


A Farm

Farms in the area produce dairy products, sheep, and potatoes.  I was surprised to learn that Iceland is more than self sufficient in dairy products and has introduced production quotas to prevent over production.  The flat lands are often cultivated to grow potatoes.  The white objects left of the barn are 500 kg rolls of hay wrapped in plastic.
 


Icelandic Ponies
Horses were introduced to Iceland by Viking settlers some 1000 years ago and remain genetically the same to this day.  The importation of horses is prohibited, and Icelandic horses taken out of Iceland are not permitted to return.


Historic Farm and Church
As in most of Scandinavia, the Lutheran church is predominate.  At this farmstead owned by the church, some 40 workers and their families lived in the sod buildings at the left.  The walls are 4 ft thick.  The roofs are live turf.  The cemetery at the church had recent burials.


Grand Princess at Akureyri
A view of the ship and city from across the fjord.


Looking South At the End of  Eyja Fjord
Taken from the ship.  The Akureyri Airport is visible near the center of the photo.  The runway is not long enough for jet airliners.  Turboprop planes are used for commercial flights.


En Route to Reykjavik
Sailing westerly late in the day along the north coast of Iceland after departing the Eyja Fjord.