In Akureyri, we had a morning crew drill. From my emergency station, I was able to see waterfalls in the lush mountains across the water. When we were given shore leave, I set off on a walk with a group of skaters and musicians. It was slightly overcast and the temperature was cool, but the town was still amazing.

Akureyri

We walked along the water until we hit a major crossroad. We turned left onto the road and headed towards the mountains. We crossed a bridge, then took another left on a small highway. Eventually, we ended up across the water from the back of the ship. If I had binoculars, I probably would’ve been able to see friends on the back deck.

There she is!

We stopped at a lookout point and tried to decide where to go next. The road was very slowly winding upwards, so making it to the top of the mountain seemed impossible. We’d already walked for 3 miles, so we decided to take a shortcut. We climbed straight up, through the shrubs, to the top of the next hill.

Waterfall on the way

At the top, we were surprised to find a farm. There were some beautiful Icelandic horses grazing in a field. When they noticed us, they came running towards the fence. I was a little frightened, so I moved back from the fence, but many of my friends stayed close by to pet the horses.

Horses!

Walking back down through the shrubs was slightly more difficult. The grass and rocks were slippery, so I ended up surfing part of the way down. We followed the road back into the main town and set off in search of food. We ended up at a small café advertising free wifi.

Beautiful walk back

I was pleasantly surprised by my meal. My Danish friends had mentioned that open faced smoked fish sandwiches were traditional in Scandinavia, so I took advantage of the smoked salmon open faced sandwich. When asked if I wanted salad with it, I said yes, expecting some mixed greens. I was actually able to pick 3 specialty salads. The beetroot and apple salad, watermelon with coconut, and bulgur salad were delicious! I finished the meal with a beer, and was a very happy girl!

Statue by the water

To end the day, we stopped in a highly recommended bakery for some donuts that I snuck back on the ship with me. They were fantastic. All in all, it was a great day. Good walk, good views, good friends, and good food… Who could ask for anything more?