Zuiderdam Viking Adventure, Isafjordur, Iceland...

It was indeed very cold and windy on the forward deck for our sail into Isafjordur, Iceland. Isafjordur was a tender port today…MSC got the only docking spot with two ships in. We got off early and visited the town. Isafjordur is the largest town in Iceland’s Westfjords region…originally a fishing village it still has strong ties to the fishing industry. It's located at the head of the fjord and surrounded by wonderful scenery. We walked to town along the waterfront and stopped at the Lutheran Church…it was never open for visitors on any of our previous visits…The church was lovely and features a alter backdrop of 749 clay doves made by local residents to illustrate the story of St. Thomas releasing birds. Next, we went to the striking Seamen’s Monument in front of the Cultural Center before heading back to the old town…Isafjordur's Old Town is a well-preserved area of brightly colored historic buildings that were once used as trading posts, homes, and warehouses. This gives tourists a glimpse into the town's past. On our way back to the ship, we stopped at the local bakery/cafe to warm up and spoke with a nice young couple from California who were touring Iceland by camper van. We caught a tender back to the ship and immediately I knew something was wrong…The tender had lost an engine and thrusters making steering very difficult. We floated around in tender number 13 for about 30 minutes before making our way back to the ship…there were only two crew, us three and one other passenger onboard…good thing as our direction was straight ahead…the driver made his first attempt to come alongside the ship’s tender platform and did a superb job. Our stop today in Isafjordur was downright cold but you’re surrounded by rugged beauty, with the bay, mountains, and the scenery making it special. We were back on the ship, safe, warm and encountered no rain…Great day in Iceland!