The cruise port in Reykjavik was a short walk from my hotel. As I turned the corner, there was the ship – the MS Fridtjof Nansen.

This was an expedition and different from what I experienced with Hurtigruten in Norway.

One of the first differences was that I received an official Hurtigruten parka when going through the onboard process.

After settling in my cabin, I began exploring the ship.

The walking deck at the top of the ship was spectacular and provided excellent views of the city.

Deck 10 had a beautiful lounge as well as a swimming pool, two hot tubs, and a spa.

This was an excellent way to start this expedition.

And then, came all the amazing food choices!

The food on Hurtigruten – just as it was in Norway – was amazing! Breakfast and lunch were buffet meals with so many high quality choices. Dinner was served with the same attention to detail as a high end restaurant. Cookies and other sweets were always available in the lounge. And ice cream was always on the menu! For those of you that know me, this is a very important feature!

At 8pm, our ship set sail. The midnight sun was in full force, and I enjoyed the sunlight as I took this video of our ship leaving Reykjavik.

Our first stop on this adventure was Stykkisholmur. At each stop we had an opportunity to explore the town on our own or through one of the scheduled expeditions.

During lunch one day in Reykjavik, I met three women at one of the local restaurants. They were traveling together on a women’s adventure as mother, daughter, and daughter-in-law. Julie and her daughter, Katie, are from Gig Harbor, Washington. Her daughter-in-law, Lindsey is from northern California, outside of San Francisco. During our conversation at the restaurant, we realized that we would all be traveling on the same ship. Stykkisholmur was the first stop of our adventure. Announcements were made throughout the ship to board the tender boats according to assigned groups. As I entered the tender, I heard my name called. When I turned, there were my new friends – Julie, Katie, and Lindsey.

These women were headed for one of the scheduled expeditions. I wanted to explore this town on my own. During my exploration, I met two other women. Karen is from southern California and her traveling partner, Susan, is from Iowa. They both traveled together the year before to Galapagos Island with Hurtigruten.

In this town was a beautiful red lighthouse that was perched high on a cliff. I knew the views would be spectacular and so I headed to the top. It was there that I met Karen and Susan. The views were amazing, and I was grateful to have someone take my picture in front of the lighthouse.

Stykkisholmur is a fishing village located in the western part of Iceland. One of its attractions is their local church. This church had an interesting design similar to the one in Reykjavik. The church was designed by architect Jon Haraldsson. The beautiful painting above the altar was created by Kristin Gunnlaugsdottir.

The next day, we visited ***Patreksfjordur*** with a population of around 780 people. Once on land, we traveled by bus to the cliffs and beach area. It was very windy and bitterly cold. I could not imagine what it would be like in the dead of winter.

Although the weather didn’t seem to bother these two!

On Day 3 of this adventure, we visited a ***Sheep Farming Museum*** near the village of ***Holmavik.*** The museum was very interesting. Connected to the museum was a small coffee shop. The owner prepared a special rhubarb cake that was shared by all visitors.

It was another cold, brisk day. I was grateful for the layers of clothing and my woolen socks!

In the town of Holmavik, I visited a small Lutheran church on a hill with beautiful views. To my surprise, as I entered the church, the choir was singing. I am happy to share this experience with all of you. This was truly beautiful.

That afternoon, as we were headed toward the Arctic circle, we were told that we would experience rough seas. Boy, they weren’t kidding! This was my view from my cabin window.

There were two things I really wanted to see in Iceland. The first was the Gullfoss Waterfalls. These falls were spectacular. The snow-capped mountains around the falls made the experience magical.

The next attraction on my list was the geothermal mud pools located in Hverir. Namafjall is a volcanic mountain. At the foot of this mountain are a variety of hot springs. This is also where mud pools and mud pots are found boiling with energy.

We are halfway through this adventure.

Stay tuned for a special baptism ceremony and my fun expedition to the water caves in Iceland.

By now you may know that my latest book is available on Amazon. This book features the life story of Father Pedro Camilo Simoes, SAC. I had so much fun writing this book with Father Camilo. I know you will enjoy reading about his adventures. Click on the button below to order your copy today! After you read this fun book - don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon!

Thank you and God Bless!

Divine Threads: My Journey of Faith and Blessings

By Simoes SAC, Pedro Camilo, Mercado, Denise

Buy on Amazon