The Hubbard Glacier...

Monday August 19. Brilliant sun. 18C.

Today is a cruising day or, a Sea Day, which I love and Fellette does not mind. We seem to have been so darn busy and never have time to just plain relax. I feel that relaxing in our cabin is a waste of time. However, as the cruise goes on, I seem to be learning the 'Art of Relaxing' that seems to have evaded my life for the last half century! Fellette is a master at it and can while away time with her books or puzzles. Not so much for Doug, but he is trying!

The ship went into and lingered for a couple of hours in  what looks like the end of a channel where The Hubbard Glacier meets the sea. They say it is six miles long and in some places 400 feet high. Distance is hard to judge over expanses of open water.

    Reportedly, the ice now breaking off and into the sea is about 400 years old. That old Glacier is slowly inching to the sea by gravity, a slight slope and a stream below of melting glacier water. Amazing.

    It was only slightly chilly outside and when in the shade, the rest of the day was like a good spring day.

We attended a few talks today that made the day pass in a very pleasant way. As we take our time to get acquainted with the ship we have become aware that the whole ship is a library, there is no specific 'Library Room' but endless cozy places to sit, relax, chat or doze, and a book shelf is usually within sight or just above you. It makes for a very comfortable experience. 

For dinner we went to an alternative dining room today, an Italian Restaurant, 'Manfreidi's where we were at a cozy table for two. The reason that the dining and eating places on the ship never seem to be crowded is because there are a total of eight locations, [including room service] where one can eat dinner tonight, all at no extra charge. It was a great end to a good day. Nice cross-table chat with a couple from Kentucky.

I read somewhere that Viking Ocean Cruises Target Market is: 

                                 "Mature couples with curious minds."                                 

[I must say that most of them seemed to have learned how to relax!

The first Bergie-Bits were seen as we made our way up the the glacier.

We had morning coffee up front sitting on reindeer skins 

in a very elegant lounge waiting to see the glacier..

A functioning telescope for those wanting to use it.

The crowds were inside and outside then gradually dispersed.

You can only watch a glacier for so long!

Guess who?

Endless floating ice, very slowly melting. We did see some hunks fll of but nothing gigantic.

Time to have breakfast Honey!

Size and distance is very hard to judge out to sea, but that face is a few hundred feet tall. You can tell by how long something takes to hit the water, like slow motion. 

This was our first dressy-up night, felt good!