Hello all, I haven't checked in in a while. I did finally get to go on a cruise to Iceland, Norway, Faroe and Shetland Islands this summer. On a very large Princess Ship. Did it for the itinerary really. Not bad, the food was a lot better then I expected. But getting 2000 people on and off that boat was a mess. Here are some pictures from Akureyri, Iceland. If there ever was another Shangrila, even with the clouds.

Next cruise is around the Horn on Silverseas.

Click this link, it will start a slide show or pull the photo menu down and pick another destination. About 5 or less minutes per show.


http://www.wnewton.com/slideshow.php?gID=33&

Hi Chip, it's nice to see you again!

Lovely photos of a starkly beautiful landscape, thanks for sharing!

Enchanting! Beautiful photo's. Thanks

Thanks for sharing, Chip! Good to hear from you again!

Chip, great to hear from you. My daughter and I did Norway summer of '05, and pictures are here! I loved Iceland, and those pictures are at the beginning. Did Princess take to you Magdalenen Fjord? http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=67598489603.901847466203.1162010060228&

The cruise went from Southampton to Oslo, Torshaven, Flaam, Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands, 2 stops in Iceland, Glasgow and Dublin.

Iceland is really amazing. I'm tempted to rent a 4WD and spend a month there. A couple of short stops on cruise ship just doesn't do it justice. There are no trees and the whole country is like being above timberline in the Rockies. I never have been that far North before, those 2 last pictures are at 1am crossing the Arctic circle. Pretty neat to see the midnight sun for the first time, wish Princess had better curtains in the room.

jhp, that Kodak website is asking me for a password. I'd love to see your pictures if you could tell me how.

chip, user name is cruise@yahoo.com and password is cc

Olivia, You went to the same places I was. I think you took the picture of that geyser standing in the same place I took my picture. Iceland's great isn't it. Although having 2 cruise ships dispense 4000 people for the same tours is a little overwhelming for the wilderness experience. I think you were on a upper end line and it shows.

Great photos, you do have that eye for landscapes. We didn't get to go through those ice flows and I would like to further up the Norway coast someday. But the Shetland Islands were one of the highlights of that cruise. (Those pictures are on my site) It's on my to do list to go back.

Chip, we embarked in Reykjavik, and got there a day early and rented a car and drove ourselves to the spots we visited. No crowds at all. By the way, check out Ngaire's group cruise for Norway in June of next year. I know it is waitlisted now, but you never know what will happen when the money is due. We loved it so much we're doing it again!

I've learned that to get a great itinerary you really have to reserve 2 years in advance. I might move to New Mexico next summer, but I'll give it some thought. I hate to put any TA through the whole drill and end up canceling.

A friend of mine went through the Baltic on the Navigator or one of Regent's ships and just can't stop talking about about what a treat it was.

Baltics is the next cruise on my list - for 2008 - but then, sometimes something else comes along. I have to say I've never cancelled a cruise yet. Just ended up with an extra trip in. We're looking at doing more land now to do some stock photography work. Chip, New Mexico is awesome! What part? I have friends who just moved to Santa Fe and one building a house near Ghost Ranch

Capitan. I have a friend that just moved there. Ruidoso is a ski, resort town 20 miles away so there is a lot to do. But Capitan is a small ranching town in the foothills. Real Estate dollars go about 3 times as far as it does here in Tucson so I could get a nice little spread there. Plus one could enjoy a real summer for a change and and relatively mild winter. I was there this weekend and saw the whole Milky Way for the first time in a long time.

It's the burial place of the original Smokey the Bear. A bear cub that was rescued in a major fire in the 40's and is now interned there, complete with the Smokey Bear Museum. Plus the whole Billy the Kid saga who lived just down the road.

Chip,
Small world, and all that stuff again...
We lived in Ruidoso when I was a teenager, more years ago than I care to admit. I do know the area. It's beautiful....clean air, clear skys! Some of my family still meet at Bonita Lake every summer! Think you might love living in Capitan!