Mona Risk

Cold in Iceland

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Mona Risk

[Click on the pictures to enlarge them]

Christopher Columbus had crossed the Atlantic on a rudimentary sail boat and discovered America, right?

I figured it would be fun to follow in his footsteps–so to speak– and discovered unchartered territories like Iceland and Greenland. Although my idea of crossing the Atlantic involved a comfortable Princess Cruise ship, a summer trip, and several stops in new places.

We started our voyage from Southampton, England, sailed the North Sea, and docked in Bergen, Norway, two days later. Too many clouds darkened the sky, and it was much cooler than I expected for the beginning of September.

Unfortunately, I caught a cold that turned into bronchitis. As usual I carried a stock of preventive medicines. I was able to treat myself and not miss the fun.

Akureyri is the capital of North Iceland, only a short distance from the Arctic Circle, and showed snow-capped mountains in summer.

One of the must-sees of the north is the area around Lake Myvatn known for its bizarre rock formation, of lava origin due to still active volcanoes.

The famous Godafoss is one of Iceland’s most accessible waterfalls. The name means Falls of the Gods. In 1000 A.D. Iceland followed the Norse religion. The chieftain Porgeir meditated for 24 hours on what he had learned from missionaries, then decided that Iceland should become a Christian nation. On his way home, he decided to underscore his decision by throwing his carvings of the old gods into the waterfall, hence the name of Godafoss.

Akureyri is an interesting city with all the comforts of home, Internet everywhere, even in public buses.

Tourism is the major industry.

One third of the world’s volcanoes are in Iceland, but fortunately most of them are of the friendly sort.

We left Akureyri under a stormy sky.

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. Around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with passion.

Posted in Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense | Tagged contemporary romance, cruises, Iceland, Mona Risk, Princess Cruise, romantic suspense, ship, travel, volcano, waterfall | 1 Comment

Melbourne and Sydney

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Mona Risk

While Sydney was established in 1788 as penal colony for convicts by Captain Arthur Philips, Melbourne was founded by settlers and named in honor of Lord Melbourne, Prime Minister of England in 1835.

The discovery of gold in the area caused a bigger gold rush than the California gold rush. With a population of over 3 millions, it is now one of the safest city in the world.

We arrived in Melbourne on a warm summer day brightened by a glorious sunshine and enjoyed the view of sandy beaches from the ship.

An excursion bus gave us a tour of the city. We passed in front of the famous Rod Laver Arena where the Australian Open Tennis Championship was taking place at that time.

The highlight of the tour was the visit of Captain Cook’s Cottage.

Captain Cook’s cottage was built in North Yorkshire, England, and later transported to Melbourne. It is now located in the botanical Fitzroy Gardens. Even the ivy covering the house was transported and planted again next to the house.

Our ship sailed the same night toward Sydney and we anchored two days later in the early morning.

You all have seen a picture of Sydney landmark, the famous Opera House. But this is a unique photo that I will always treasure.

As the ship made its way up the picturesque harbor, we were given the opportunity to glance some breathtaking views.

We had dinner in the downtown, and ambled around the harbor. Since it was just before Valentine Day, several big hearts decorated the place.

On Wednesday we will travel to Iceland. So stay tune for a new cruise that started from England. We crossed the Atlantic through Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland in Canada, and we docked in New York.

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. Around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with passion.

Posted in Contemporary Romance, Uncategorized | Tagged Australia, babies, Captain Cook, cruise, Melbourne, readers, Romance, Sydney, Valentine | 4 Comments

Fjordland and Tasmania

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Mona Risk

While flying to Auckland we passed over the equator and we also crossed the International Date Line. New Zealand is ahead of New York by 18 hours. Many people were confused about the date asking if it was Sunday or Monday or Saturday. To add to the confusion, my Kindle and iPad still showed the eastern time.

I learned to get a quick calculation of the time in New York by adding 6 hours and subtracting a full day. For example if it is 8am Monday in NZ then it is 2pm Sunday in New York.

Heading west, we sailed along the Fjordland National Park that stretches over two hundred kilometers of mountains, called the Southern Alps, and counts fourteen spectacular fjords. The rocky mountains were original glaciers now covered with vegetation where rain forest clings.

A fjord is a narrow arm of the sea bordered by cliffs. The cruise director called everyone on deck to watch the breathtaking scenery.

The ship squeezed in between two mountains. According to a legend, the demi-god Tuterakiwhanoa is said to have carved the rugged landscape from formless rock.

The original inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori dwelt in this region.

Captain Cook discovered the Fjordland in 1773.

Later sealers and whalers settled in the region.

Three days later we docked in Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. Tasmania is a big island located south of Australia and west of New Zealand. It belongs to Australia. Aussies consider it the ideal place for honeymoon.

A bus took us to the top of a mountain for a better view of the panorama.

Unfortunately it was cloudy and chilly that day. Although it was the middle of summer in the southern hemisphere, the temperature fluctuated between 45 0F and 70 oF.

In the afternoon, the sun finally appeared and warmed up the picturesque downtown where many tourists ambled or sat at cafes.

Stay tune for a visit of Melbourne and Sydney.

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. Around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with passion.