GRUNDARFJORDUR to ISAFJORDUR

This is Total Eclipse of the Sun day.  At noon, here is my view.  

Totally cloudy.  Captain announced that he is trying to find a better spot in the ocean between Iceland and Greenland.

Tours were available for our next two stops, Grundarfjordur and Isafjordur, Iceland, but a typical tour costs from $300 to $500/person to see ..... what?  We have signed up for a $139 bus tour of Nuuk, Greenland.  That might be it.

First Grundarfjordur, located 109 miles northwest of Reykjavik.

• First to come here were French merchants in 1786.
• Is a fishing town.
• Has maybe almost 900 people.
• Herrings draw Orcas to this location.
• Features Mount Kirkufell, and Kirkjufellstoss and Grundarfoss waterfalls. 
• Aurora time?

Isafjordur is 254 miles north of Reykjavik.

• Means ice fjord. located in the northwest corner of Iceland.
• First settled in 9th century, but took until the 16th century to become a trading post for foreign merchants.  Around this time, witch trials were common.
• Coldest area of Ireland.
• Main industry is fishing.
• Population of 2600.  Small and isolated, but has a school of music and hospital.
• Features the annual rock and indie festival Aldrei for eg sudar (means I never went south). Next one on March 26-7, 2027.  Easter weekend.  Free.

On with our cruise.  We arrived in Grundarfjordur.

Lunch featured cuisine of this area.

Windows Cafe is the buffet and Discoveries is the sit-down restaurant.

Lunch with two soups, beer and a margarita.

Dinner started with escargots.

The main dish featured breast of duck, with Prosecco.

Ended with ice cream and cream brulee.

Then went on to see Johhny Bourke in the Cabaret Lounge.  Must have been caused by defects in the WiFi system, but many videos did not process properly.  I'll someday return to replace them.

After dinner dancing and snacks.

Isafjordur from our veranda.

Lunch.

Passing ship.

Went for a walk.  This is a smaller ship, but one lap around my floor takes 550 steps, about a quarter mile, or similar to a standard track.

Went for a walk around the ship.

Well today is the total eclipse of the sun.  We'll be at sea to experience this phenomena.  Will occur later in the afternoon, at around 5:45PM, so I'll report on what see tomorrow.  However, according to Google AI:

The Denmark Strait and ocean areas between Iceland and Greenland on August 12, 2026, typically experience high risks of heavy maritime cloud cover, persistent fog, and cold, windy polar air masses, making clear skies for the National Geographic eclipse path statistically uncertain and challenging. [1, 2]

Marine Weather Factors

Cloud Cover: High probability of low stratiform clouds and marine fog moving off the cold Arctic currents and ice edges.
Visibility: Prone to sea mist and low ceilings that frequently obscure low-horizon or sunset-adjacent celestial events.
Temperature & Wind: Chilly maritime air with brisk winds typical of the high-latitude North Atlantic and Greenland Sea.

Viewing Challenges

Low Sun Angle: The eclipse occurs late in the day as the sun drops lower toward the horizon in these northern latitudes, increasing the risk that low-lying coastal fog or bank clouds will block the view even if holes appear overhead.
Sea Conditions: Choppy or rolling seas make stable optical viewing from a boat or ship difficult without specialized stabilized mounts. [1]

Anyway, there will be NASA feed.  Maybe that will be it.  That's it for now.  On board schedule:

• 10AM (already over)  Andrrew Gregson presented a talk about previous solar eclipses at sea.
• 12:15PM  Pre-eclipse Party with Shore Thing at the Pool Deck.
• 1PM  Pre-eclipse presentation with Lowell Observatory, Cabaret Lounge
• 3PM LIVE NASA feed on the Big Screen, Cabaret Lounge.
• 4:30PM  Eclipse Event, until 7PM, all open decks
• 5:42PM  Eclipse Totality
• 10PM  Here comes the sun, wih Jose, the Den

That's all for now. HOWEVER, IF WE EVER ACTUALLY APPROACH AND SEE TOTALITY, I WILL IMMEDIATELY POST IT.  Around 6PM, my time

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