Thursday, August 3, 2017

DAY 52 THURS AUGUST 03 SEA DAY: SAILING TO GREENLAND

'When you've seen the world, there's always Greenland' goes the old travellers' saying.

Doing a little digging about Greenland....

Greenland is an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe (specifically Norway and Denmark, the colonial powers, as well as the nearby island of Iceland) for more than a millennium. The majority of its residents are Inuit (89%), whose ancestors began migrating from the Canadian mainland in the 13th century, gradually settling across the island.

Greenland is the world's largest island (Australia, although larger, is generally considered to be a continental landmass rather than an island). Three-quarters of Greenland is covered by the only permanent ice sheet outside Antarctica. With a population of about 56,480 (2013), it is the least densely populated country in the world. Per Wiki.

Greenland is about 81% ice-capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland became an integral part of the Danish Realm in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute centered on stringent fishing quotas. Greenland remains a member of the Overseas Countries and Territories Association of the EU. Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament; the law went into effect the following year. Greenland voted in favor of increased self-rule in November 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in June 2009. Denmark, however, continues to exercise control over several policy areas on behalf of Greenland, including foreign affairs, security, and financial policy in consultation with Greenland's Self-Rule Government. They receive more than $3.4 BILLION IN "AID" (PER BUBBA WELFARE) PER YEAR FROM DENMARK = over $9000 per person. Surely this is a recipe for disaster long term?

Greenland is a little more than 3x the size of Texas.

CIA INFO:
ethnicity: Inuit 88%, Danish and other 12% (2010 est.)

religion:Evangelical Lutheran, traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs

Greenland’s economy depends on exports of shrimp and fish, and on a substantial subsidy from the Danish Government. Fish account for over 90% of its exports, subjecting the economy to fluctuations in world demand. The subsidy from the Danish Government is budgeted to be about $535 million in 2017, more than 50% of government revenues, and 25% of GDP.

The economy is expanding after a period of decline. In 2016 the economy grew 4.6% compared to 1.1% in 2015 and negative growth in the years 2013-14. For 2017 the economy is expected to continue to expand at a more subdued rate. The expansion has been driven by larger quotas for shrimp, the predominant Greenlandic export, and also by increased activity in the construction sector, especially in Nuuk, the capital, where the harbor is being enlarged and a prison is under construction. Private consumption and tourism also are contributing to GDP growth more than in previous years. Tourism in Greenland has grown annually around 20% in 2015 and 2016, largely a result of increasing numbers of cruise lines now operating in Greenland's western and southern waters during the peak summer tourism season.

The public sector, including publicly owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays a dominant role in Greenland's economy. During the last decade the Greenland Home Rule Government pursued conservative fiscal and monetary policies, but public pressure has increased for better schools, health care, and retirement systems. The budget was in deficit in 2014 and 2016, but public debt remains low at about 5% of GDP. The government plans a balanced budget for the 2017–20 period.

Significant challenges face the island, including low levels of qualified labor, geographic dispersion, lack of industry diversification, the long-term sustainability of the public budget, and a declining population due to emigration. Catches in fisheries have been declining in recent years. Hydrocarbon exploration has ceased with declining oil prices and currently only three mines are under development. The island has potential for natural resource exploitation with rare-earth, uranium, and iron ore mineral projects proposed.

Some U tube for your viewing:

https://www.forbes.com/sites
Rare Video Captures June/2017 Megatsunami Hitting Small Greenland Fishing Village

Greenland Is Melting Away - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/27/.../greenland-is-melting-away.html

Greenland Has The World's Highest Suicide Rate, And Teenage Boys ...

www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/.../the-arctic-suicides-its-not-the-dark-that-kills-you

A very wet and chilly sea day.

Pleep says there will be no need for his sunnies today either. Pleep, why did you need to bring 5 pair of sunglasses on your vacay?

Hugh gives us lecture time to learn more about Greenland. What do you know about Greenland? It would be accurate to say Boca's knowledge of Greenland on a 1-10 was a 1 before doing some digging for the trip....QUEEN Margarete of Denmark is their Queen, the have a 3 party coalition led government, the current President Kim Kielsen is 50 years old (a former policemen, then social worker), the vast majority of the indigenous (Inuits) were converted to Lutheran's by the Danes (as opposed to the Alaskan native Americans who were "converted" to Russian Orthodox)

Followed by a wake up coffee for Kilroy. Per Bubs- "like the cafe, good help and good coffee". Amen.

Practicing drone shots for the wedding.

A tour of the ships whack artwork continues....

"I am not feeling it Boca. Abstract deer?"

"This looks like the wall behind my bbq grilled".

"And the message is? What in the hell is this?"

"Three what?"

Even Pleep can't take it.

Now this is the art work Bubs enjoys.

It's either Bubba and Boca arm wrestling for the remote or hands of unity? Yeah, he who controls the remote rules.

Boca also likes a sea day now and then...she gets to watch some movies in her pj's with a little room service. Have you seen, "The Last Word" starring Shirley McClain (83 years old by the way)? Recently released and no box office hit but Boca loved it and watched it 2x. Short summary- Shirley was a successful business lady (owned an AD agency and one might say a bit of a control freak) and is diagnosed with a terminal illness. She wanted to have her obit written before she died so she hired the local newspaper obit writer to do so. Shirley finds out - no one- family, friends, work colleagues- could stand her. She then turns to the obit writer to help her craft an endearing ending and legacy to her life so the writer could write an endearing obit about Shirley. I have long thought about what would Boca's obit say- how did Boca live the DASH? In Naples we have some lengthy (1/2-3/4 of a page) obits- filled with stunning adoration and significant accomplishments of several of the residents. Humbling to say the least.

I think my tomb stone might read "SHE MEANT WELL".
Note to self: BOCA, go for-"SHE DID WELL".

WHAT WILL YOURS SAY?

Another movie Boca enjoyed was "The Gifted". Have you seen this one? A family melodrama dealing with death, divorce, family angst and a very gifted child. "Frank is a single man raising a child prodigy - his spirited young niece Mary, in a coastal town in Florida. Frank's plans for a normal school life for Mary are foiled when the seven-year-old's mathematical abilities come to the attention of Frank's formidable mother, whose plans for her granddaughter threaten to separate Frank and Mary".

Have you ever dealt with a gifted child? Or a special needs child? Why are our families so complex today? How often to you talk to your Mom? Dad? Sister? Brother? Aunts and Uncles? Cousins? In this day and age it is so simple and free to communicate, what is the hesitation? Time zone? Nah. For many folks today, friends are the new family.

No drama in your house, right?

A friend from Texas sent this pic-a baby calf recently born in Texas has a likeness to....a wonderful patriot and supporter of the military, veterans and Fisher Houses- Gene Simmons of Kiss of Course! And my dear pals, Irene and Arnie, were out with him one night and had him call Boca to say hi- knowing our love of the Fisher Houses- I wasn't sure who had too much to drink that night as I bumbled and blathered on in an acknowledgment of his big heart for the Military.

Another dear friend from Scotland sent this:

"You should be able to find Whale bone corset busts in Greenland and Iceland. Local antique shops. One more item for Nick and Alex to fight over!"

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/how-sailors-love-tokens-got-into-womens-underwear/

And another dear pal from Seattle sent this suggestion:

My beloved schnauzers: Molly Kay was Miniature and 14 lbs, very sweet and loyal, she lived 15 years, Then, Jaime Ray, holy crap, she was a tea cup at 10 lbs and a pistol, very happy and very smart. Steve claimed she was a terrorist, she lived 15 years and to this day we grieve her loss: She made us laugh and we cried at her passing and still today.

My suggestion, if you want a sturdy, small dog that is intensely loyal, it is the schnauzer, however, my dad said, when you buy a schnauzer you buy the bark. Molly wasn't a big barker, Jaime was world class, she also could sing " Happy Birthday" in a very high soprano with perfect pitch. Molly liked most people and was very serene, a lady for sure. Jaime was more selective, more curious, clever and always alert and ready for action.

Our Florida friend Dotty's Schnauzer babies: In my next life I want to come back as a Dot Doggie or Bob's Orchid. Is it better to get 2 pooches instead of one?

Boca and Bubs finish off the day in La Veranda with an Italian dinner....he likes to study the menu. Drives Boca and Pleep crazy. How long does it take you to look at a menu and make a decision on what to order?

Cioppino- alora!

Time for bed....still light out! Hey Bubs come on out here- I see an iceberg and yes I know 90% of it is under the water. "Boca, I bet you will see more very soon. You better start thinking about finding some socks for tomorrow. Good night Gracie".

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

DAY 51 WED AUGUST 02 AT SEA enroute to GREENLAND from ICELAND

ON THE WAY TO GREENLAND

SO HOW DID THE NAMES GET SWITCHED?

A glance at the globe might make you wonder why Iceland seems oddly green, while Greenland is covered in ice. Legend says this was intentional—Iceland’s Viking settlers thought the name would discourage over settlement of their verdant island, while nobody cared if people tried to settle the ice-covered Greenland. But the truth is more complicated, and it has to do with both Norse custom and our shifting global climate.

THE FACTS: per National Geographic

Over 80 percent of Greenland is covered in ice, but its grass was probably greener back in the summer of A.D. 982, when Erik the Red first landed in the southwest of the island. Sheep and potato farms still flourish in that same southwestern corner of Greenland, which sits at a more southerly latitude than neighboring Iceland.

Meanwhile, thanks to the Gulf Stream, Iceland’s sea surface temperatures can be about 10ºF (6ºC) warmer than Greenland. The milder climate means summers are intensely green throughout Iceland, even though 11 percent of that country is still covered with permanent ice cap. Vatnajökull is Europe’s largest glacier—a piece of ice the size of Puerto Rico.

The current names come from the Vikings. Norse custom was to name a thing as they saw it. For instance, when he saw wild grapes (blackberries, probably) growing on the shore, Erik the Red’s son, Leif Eríksson, named a portion of Canada “Vinland.” Ice core and mollusk shell data suggests that from A.D. 800 to 1300, southern Greenland was much warmer than it is today. This means that when the Vikings first arrived, the Greenland name would make sense. But by the 14^th century, maximum summer temperatures in Greenland had dropped. Lower temperatures meant fewer crops and more sea ice, forcing the local Norse population to abandon their colonies.

The Icelandic sagas fill in the other half of the switched-name story.

The legends say Naddador was the first Norse explorer to reach Iceland, and he named the country Snæland or “snow land” because it was snowing. Swedish Viking Garðar Svavarosson followed Naddador, and this led to the island being called Garðarshólmur (“Garðar’s Isle”). Alas, Garðar’s Isle was not so kind to its next arrival, a Viking named Flóki Vilgerðarson. Flóki’s daughter drowned en route to Iceland, then all his livestock starved to death as the winter dragged on. Depressed and frustrated, Flóki, the sagas say, climbed a mountain only to see a fjord full of icebergs, which led to the island's new name.

Like the iceberg that struck the Titanic, the spring ice that Flóki saw most likely drifted over from Greenland, but no matter—Flóki’s name stuck fast in the Viking world. Back in Norway, Flóki disparaged Iceland, but one member of his crew named Thorólf spread rumors that the new island was so rich, butter dripped from every blade of grass. Permanent settlement began soon after.

The new population on the island “felt they were part of the Nordic region, but they wanted to maintain a separate identity,” These settlers called themselves Íslendingur, which Guðni says means “a man from Iceland in the court of Norway.”

A century later, Iceland was a growing democracy and the home of Erik the Red, who was banished from the country after killing three people in a feud. He sailed west in search of a new home—and found it. The sagas (in this case Erik the Red’s Saga of the Icelanders) tell the rest of the story in a single sentence:

“In the summer, Erik left to settle in the country he had found, which he called Greenland, as he said people would be attracted there if it had a favorable name.”

Thus, Iceland was named by a sad Viking and Greenland is the slogan of a medieval marketing scheme.

“It is unfortunate that the name Greenland stuck because that is not the name that the natives know it by,” Guðni says. Today’s Greenlanders call their country Kalaallit Nunaat, which simply means “Land of the People” in the Greenlandic Inuit language. So there it is, Greenland is 3/4 covered in ice and was named by a guy who wanted to fool folks into thinking it was warm and green. Thinking about my darling Mom who bought desert land in Arizona and 50 years later was worth less than she paid for it. And Iceland was named by a fellow who thought it was full of ice and wanted to make sure the rest of us thought the same-so nobody would show up.

Per Bubba- it's always about the marketing. And more importantly, has anyone found Boca and Bubba a pooch? Top of to do list when back in Naples.

Looking forward to coming back to Iceland next week to check out Reykjavik. In the meantime here's two cents worth of opinion:
Iceland is surely a land of epic views with its largely treeless landscapes, clean air and mountainous highlands. Sometimes Boca felt like she could see the curve of the earth. The Icelanders we met are a proud yet somewhat stoic people. Hey what do you expect Pleep? They are a race of people that sought to make a living on a cold, barren island some 1000 plus years ago. Pride and stoicism were necessary to weather the weather. Not very emotive or warm, they are well educated and quite informed. Their culture expects education for all- many have advanced degrees. Known for their liberal mindset - very gay friendly, as an example.

Iceland has one of the lowest populations per square mile in the world- it felt like we were in one jumbo national park filled with exotic unspoiled nature-lots of streams, rivers, waterfalls, glaciers, mountains, and don't forget about the volcanoes. Landscapes are either moss- covered volcanic fields leading to mountains or grass covered fields leading out to sea. Boca likes the no bug climate ...and very few mammals. Boca is truly surprised by the beauty and oh so fresh air.

SO WHAT'S RECENT GOINGS ON IN ICELAND?
FYI: 320,000 folks live here of which 2/3 in reside in metro Reykjavik

annual pop growth is 0.6%

83% Lutheran

94% Norse Celtic

Became a sovereign state in 1918,

38,000 Americans served here in WW2- to keep the Germans out

And how about their recent financial crisis? The new Vikings in banking could do no wrong and personal profits and wealth rolled in but the liabilities were 14x the GDP of Iceland…deposits guaranteed by the government.

2008-2012 Financial Crisis- couldn’t roll over their loans then collapsed. Krona fell by 70%!

Frozen this and that-and we're not talking about the ice=very upset citizens.

FYI

Iceland is a parliamentary republic run by a directly elected president and legislative assembly.

Iceland’s parliament is called Alþingi (pronounced ‘Althingi’), a democratic institution which can trace its history right back to 930 AD and the first Norse settlers.

63 MPs are elected from Icelandic constituencies by proportional representation sit in Alþingi and pass national legislation.

Any political party, or coalition of parties, with 32 MPs can form a majority government. General elections (and, indeed, presidential elections) are held every four years.

From 2009-2013 Ms. Haarde was the Prime Minister…, first woman and lesbian PM.

Ice Save called Ice Slave (the rigorous roll back of spending) and they did pay off the $5 billion IMF loan…Bravo! Maybe Greece will follow suit?

Gunnlaugsson was elected PM in 2013…oops he forgot to tell the people about his many hidden holding companies etc.- he was a creditor of the 3 failed Icelandic banks. Oy vey- do you think the creditors (him) got a good deal? He had to resign.

New election was held again in 2016…Johansson gets elected but due to the "Panama Papers" scandal (how he handled it) he resigns last Oct. 2016.

The people took to the streets. Tear gas fired at crowds protesting- we need new mgt! As previously noted, they did pull out of it but made for some raucous politics.

The new PM (Jan 2017) Bjarni Ben (a Univ of Miami grad by the way) is doing his best to square things up.

The former PM-Gunnlaugsson went to trial- no punishment? Huh? Where is he now? Maybe one of the "hidden people"?

Pleep's favorite is the Pirate Party... a real up and coming force. Seriously. The under 30 crowd chants "crowd sourced constitution".

So who are they? The Pirate Party formed in 2012, in the wake of the collapse of Iceland’s hugely over leveraged banking industry following the 2008 financial crisis. The Party and its motley group of of anarchists, libertarians and Internet activists is led by Birgitta Jonsdottir. The 49-year-old former Wikileaks activists, web programmer and “poetician” has been an MP for different parties since 2009, but decided to help start the party, which part of an international anti-copyright movement that originates in Sweden, because "I’m often crossing paths with nerds as I’m such a nerd myself" she told the Financial Times. It's all about wealth redistribution. Is she channeling Bernie Sanders?

How did these modest hard working people ended up with this s$%& storm? I guess they could say the same about us.

Corruption is a world wide phenomenon and seems to be a never ending freak show in many countries.

FINALLY!
Saw a whale while eating lunch in Prime. Boca doesn't understand why the ship doesn't have food drag along the boat for the whales so we can see lots of them?

And the lady sitting next to me asked her husband, "is our ship made of wood?"

And speaking of someone who has been to MANY countries, our Persian Princess, my pal and wonderful neighbor,Tina the Terrific sends love to all.

Bubs is getting into his crabby zone....I wanna go home. Oy Oy Oy. Have a glass of Caymus and calm down Bubs, or take another nap.

DAY 50 TUES AUGUST 01 ISAFJORDUR, ICELAND

Shaped like an outstretched paw, the westernmost point of Iceland is characterized by tiny communities, threaded together by dirt roads throughout the broad mountains. Talk about scenic! We anchor in Isafjordur, the regions capital, with 2600 folks living here. Between 1920 and 2013 the population of the region halved- from 13,397 to 7,129 and the decline continues. They say in winter, this is one of the harshest environments in Iceland. With no fertile lowlands the people look to the sea for their livelihood. Land travel is difficult and dangerous-the steep mountain slopes constantly threaten the villages and hamlets with snow avalanches or mud slides. In fact one of the local villages (formerly a whaling station) c 1900 had 23 of the 70 houses destroyed in a 1995 avalanche. The village, afterwards, was rebuilt in a safer area. Good thinking. And no Pleep, we are glad neither happened today. Many beautiful and dramatic fjords. Good spot for you hikers.

or the DC area- which could use some Troll or Sorcery. Don't even get Boca started about what has been going on in DC- triple oy vey. Please pray for General Kelly that he can bring some order and sanity to the West Wing and stop the revolving door- starting with the correct selection process.

As Father Philemon stated "relax and enjoy your vacation" and I responded, "Father, when you are retired everyday is a vacation"- and I have the waistline to prove it....

We sail by the fjords toward Isafjordur or as Bubba called it "ican'tafordithere"

Beautiful sunshine and cool air. Amen.

From our balcony we watch the tenders start taking the troops to town.

Ísafjörður meaning ice fjord or fjord of ice, is a town in the northwest of Iceland. It is the seat of Ísafjarðarbær municipality. Ísafjörður is the largest town in the peninsula of Vestfirðir (Westfjords) and the seat of the Ísafjarðarbær municipality, which includes the nearby Hnífsdalur, Flateyri, Suðureyri, and Þingeyri. It is located on a spit of sand in Skutulsfjörður, a fjord which meets the waters of the larger Ísafjarðardjúp.

And for you birders- yup, literally millions of breeding sea birds. Check out the bird cliffs of Hornsbjarg, the nesting ground for tens of thousands of pairs of noisy guillemots, Brunnich’s guillemots, razorbills, muffins, kittiwakes and fulmars- learned this from the Bird Bingo Sherryanne sent Pleep. We heard that in spring daring Icelanders lower themselves on ropes down the cliff faces and collect the prized guillemots’ eggs. Because?

Pleep joined a trekking group for the morning.

A plentiful supply of driftwood for you driftwood collectors is available. Besides seal-hunting coastal farmers of the West Fjords have always harvested something else from the sea- driftwood. These benefits are unevenly distributed as some farms have better driftwood beaches than others. Remember not many trees in these parts- timber was imported in the past! Dealing in wood was profitable for local inhabitants and many of them were also known as skilled craftsmen making useful items such as tubs and barrels. Driftwood is still collected here but today mainly used for fence posts- sold all over Iceland.

Yes Yes! Another church!

These fine young folks sang for us.

Pulpit up on top. They have a female pastor. The young folks do believe but don't attend church much- yes to holidays, weddings and funerals. Sounds familiar. Hey what are those two curtains for? Confession in a Lutheran church?

No, the pastor enters the one on the right to get to the alter via her closet and the other hides the steps up to the pulpit to preach. The church was quite charming- all hand painted with no stencils. There is a couple in Iceland who travel the country to paint the churches- their version of Iconography?

And there it is, requisite cemetery next to the church. Not a bad spot to be laid to rest. Did you decide what to do with yourself when you die? In ground? Above ground? Cremation? Have you signed a living will? Have you taken care of your business?

We learned under this rough and rocky mountain environment, an independent and in many ways strange, local culture has developed rich with tales of monsters, ghosts and evil spirits. More of the land of the hidden people and trolls? They do have a Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft which brings to life some of the darker aspects of living in such small and isolated communities.

The hidden people or huldufólk are part of folklore in Iceland and in the Faroe Islands. The term huldufólk means huldu- pertaining to what is hidden, and -fólk meaning people or folk. They are considered to be kind of human like elves in Icelandic and Faroese folklore. It is not uncommon that construction projects in Iceland are altered to prevent damaging the rocks and cliffs where they are believed to dwell. The term huldufolk is believed to have been taken as a synonym of álfar (elves) in 19th century Icelandic folklore. Our guide contends that huldufólk originates as a euphemism to avoid calling the elves by their real name. It is unknown if elves and/or huldufolk are the same kind of supernatural beings, and opinions differ on the matter.

How about the elusive arctic fox? Once hunted for its fur, the creature is still culled around the county to protect livestock and is now a protected species in the West Fjords region.

And what about the "red fox" not indigenous....someone smuggled one in....because? To hunt it?

More touring around...hey wait, check out those two grassy roofs Bub.

Ok, I'm on it.

Boca takes a look at one of the grass roof "houses". The original turf houses constructed by the original settlers of Iceland (from the west coast of Norway) were based on Viking longhouses . The exterior turf walls were lined internally with a wooden frame, which was then panelled, with the roof resting on two rows of pillars dividing the internal space. The main room of the house was known as the skáli, consisting of a central open hearth and two raised platforms, known as set. Similar designs of longhouse have been found across Scandinavia, the Faroes and the Scottish isles, as well as Greenland.

This is how they lived? Yup.

Bubs checks out the fishing boat and fisher woman.

Yes, Bubba, these are my special fishing shoes.

And these are the special 2 thumb mittens. Huh? Yes, for rowing- so when you wear out one side you reverse the mitten (as you have an extra thumb) to row with a fresh part of the mitten. Who'da thunk it?

Yes Bubs you need at least a couple pair of them!

For the love of God Bubs, do not use the port o potty! Way too close to the edge of the cliff for your use. I know there is a reason they put them on the edge strapped to the plastic garbage can...

Next stop the Museum of Fishing...

The ladies did the salting of the fish back in the day.

Shark meat and who knows what that is- and the shark did taste like ammonia. Even Boca had to spit it out. You couldn't eat the whatever for fear of chipping your veneers- the consistency of wood. Maybe it's gourmet driftwood?

Come on Boca, chase it down with a little...Brennivin. Icelandic's answer to Serbian Rakia?
Beer was not allowed here until 1989- seriously.
Brennivín is a clear, unsweetened schnapps that is considered to be Iceland's signature distilled beverage. It is a popular Icelandic liquor and special-occasion alcohol shot, and the traditional drink for the mid-winter feast of Þorrablót. It is made from fermented grain or potato mash and flavoured with caraway, and for this reason can be considered an aquavit. The steeping of herbs in alcohol to create schnapps is a long-held folk tradition in Nordic countries. Brennivín has a taste similar to vodka or Scandinavian akvavit. It is typically bottled at 75 or 80 proof. Pleep had to have a few to decide if he liked it.

Yeah, get one to go Bubs.

Now that's a bright light house...maybe a fellow Texas Ex lives around here?

Let's take a hike up to the waterfall Bubs.

Our guide suggested, "why not just take a few pics down here Mrs. Boca. Your open toe shoes are the talk of the town."

A taped up phone case- these folks are really into recycling. Impressive,,

Super selfie...am I getting better at it Bubs?

What? Yup a round of golf in Isafjordur completes the day for the Pleepmeister,

Don't worry Bubs, you don't have to pay for the golf...he is a guest.

The is the most westerly place in Europe and Boca and Bubs enjoyed a beautiful sunny day (they say it is rare) in stunning Iceland.

Some interesting road signs: Make sure you get enough sleep in the 24 hour daylight.

Don't run the sheep over!

And more of the cube houses and buildings....called "functionalist architecture".

Bank failure....they have paid back their $5Billion loan to the international bank. They are back on track and on the up swing...and yes it is very expensive to live here. Must do a little more digging on this....

Regent Mid Cruise Survey

Boca was a bit taken aback when she went to the computer room (biz office) to ask the IT whiz about her Internet connection, only to find the Boca and Bubba mid cruise survey plastered in jumbo size filling the full computer screen. Oy. Never a thought this would be publicized for all "managers" throughout the ship to see. Bubs was in a discerning (aka complaining) mood to share his two cents. And Boca fanned the fire for him to elaborate with details and insisted we sign our name-although there was not a space for your name. Guessing it won't be ignored- will we be poisoned slowly or fawned over? Will advise.

Pleep reminded us he is quite the dog sledder and wants to make sure he has another opportunity to show off his prowess during this venture. Pleep you will have to come back in the winter when the snow is plentiful, at this time we just have snow capped mountains. But how about over in Greenland?