Driving about sixty miles outside Akureyri through a hilly landscape you arrive at a fractured stretch of countryside marked by rugged volcanic rock with a river flowing through a narrow canyon. Walking a short distance up the canyon rim is an overlook above Godafoss Waterfall. It is one of Iceland’s seven major waterfalls and a popular destination.
Godafoss is the “Waterfall of the Gods”. Named in Icelandic sagas, because in the year 1000 AD, a local chieftain named Thorgeir Thorkelsson converted to Christianity and had his people throw the pagan idols into the waterfall, symbolizing the end of pagan conflict with Christianity in Iceland.
Planning A Cruise? Start By Checking Out The Intentional Travelers Port Guides
Driving about sixty miles outside Akureyri through a hilly landscape you arrive at a fractured stretch of countryside marked by rugged volcanic rock with a river flowing through a narrow canyon. Walking a short distance up the canyon rim is an overlook above Godafoss Waterfall. It is one of Iceland’s seven major waterfalls and a popular destination.
Godafoss is the “Waterfall of the Gods”. Named in Icelandic sagas, because in the year 1000 AD, a local chieftain named Thorgeir Thorkelsson converted to Christianity and had his people throw the pagan idols into the waterfall, symbolizing the end of pagan conflict with Christianity in Iceland.
Cabo San Lucas. Near the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula is one of the country’s most popular resort locations. The above image is of the iconic “Lands End” arch formation at sunset.
Probably one of our favorite Mexican resorts, Cabo and the area around it has a lot to offer from fantastic beaches, magnificent fishing and diving with a reputation for great food and nightlife…
In recent years there’s been a major shift in Northern European cruise departures and port calls away from Amsterdam in the Netherlands. For a city that depends substantially on attracting tourists, it is difficult to understand the decision to reduce cruise passengers in the city. The city is now developing a cruise port much further away from central Amsterdam and also plans to reduce the total number of cruise ships allowed to visit Amsterdam.
Not too far south the port city of Rotterdam is ready and eager to take advantage those Amsterdam changes. While Amsterdam has a reputation that’s focused on its quirky character and history, Rotterdam is a more modern and cosmopolitan city with much to offer a visiter.
Where Your Ship Docks
While Rotterdam is a significant distance inland it is still a major port and the cruise terminal is located in the center of the city on the New Meuse River. This river is a northern tributary of the Rhine River, dividing this city in two. The New Meuse River not only offers stunning views on its trip in from the sea but also serves as a major industrial trans-shipping center.
Most visitors from the cruise terminal will head to the magnificent Erasmus Bridge toward city center only a half hour walk away featuring incredible views of the city from the bridge. There are also numerous water taxis in the area.
Cruising From Rotterdam
The international airport that serves both cities is Schiphol International Airport and it is about half way between these cities. Inside Schiphol is also a train terminal and while there is no direct train from Schiphol to the Cruise Terminal, it is still inexpensive and fast to take a train to Rotterdam Central Station, with trains that literally run every few minutes. Once at Rotterdam Central, you can easily transfer to the cruise terminal by metro (to Wilhelminaplein) or take tram lines 20 and 25 to reach the cruise terminal. For a taxi it is only $6 to $10 for a short ride to the cruise terminal. Unfortunately a taxi from Schiphol International, takes about 50 minutes, with costs ranging from US$180 to $240.
Wheelchair Accessibility
Disembarking – This port provides a modern cruise terminal with built-in provisions for passengers using wheelchairs like ramps and elevators.
City Characteristics – This port has a well developed wheelchair friendly infrastructure. The port area is flat or has few inclines*. Intersection crosswalks have few issues with curbs or other wheelchair obstacles.
*While the Erasmus Bridge has good pedestrian walkways there are steep inclines on the bridge that can be a wheelchair issue.
Transportation
Water Taxi
Rotterdam is a compact city, and walking is a great way to explore its sights and attractions. Many destinations are within a short walking distance of each other and the river.
For longer distances, Rotterdam has an excellent public transport system including metro, trams, and buses. The metro is particularly effective as there are stations conveniently located throughout the city. Another great way to enjoy the city is from the water with water taxis and guided sightseeing cruises, which offer a unique way of taking in Rotterdam’s skyline and harbor. There is a day pass available to use Rotterdam public transportation for under US$20 with information HERE.
Currency
The Euro became the official currency of the Netherlands in 2002 with exchange rates near even with the US Dollar. ATMs are common and major credit cards are accepted.
Tipping
Tipping in Rotterdam follows a general tipping culture similar to many European countries. Tipping is appreciated but not mandatory. If service charges are included in your bill, rounding up or leaving small change is customary. In restaurants, leaving between 5-10% of the bill is a common practice if you are satisfied with the service. Tipping tour guides is usually based on the tour cost with a few dollars being a minimum. For taxi drivers or service staff, rounding up the fare or leaving a small tip is often sufficient.
Attractions
Rotterdam is known for its amazing modern architecture, with landmarks such as the Cube Houses and the Erasmus Bridge highlighting the city’s innovative design. It is the largest port in Europe with a Spido Tour, which takes you around impressive container ports and notable landmarks like Hotel New York. Cultural attractions are numerous with museums including the Kunsthal and Boijmans Van Beuningen, showcasing both contemporary and classic art.
The Maritime Museum-Harbor
The Maritime Museum-Harbor is only a short walk from the Erasmus Bridge providing a great perspective on the city’s history. Find more HERE.
Markthal (Food Market Hall) in Rotterdam has become a must-visit for locals and visitors. Unlike most city markets in Europe, Markthal is more a collection of diverse eateries than a market
Surf Rotterdam – Officially RiF010 – located a block from Markthal it is a waterway where the water is engineered to release waves on a regular basis allowing surfers to catch a wave in downtown Rotterdam. Fun to watch even if you don’t surf.
The Athen’s Acropolis is an amazing place with “The Porch Of The Maidens” being a frequent subject for photographs. The porch sits at the rear of the detailed Erechtheion that was constructed around 315 BC. The maidens are facing the Parthenon, and were given the name ‘Caryatids’, after the young women from the village of Karyes in Laconia in the Peloponnese.
The architectural and cultural significance of the Porch of the Maidens as written about at the time, was to reflect the ancient Greeks ideals of beauty, virtue, and protection, as it was believed that the closed nature of the porch was to symbolize the maidens’ virginity.
We’re Judi and Dennis and we are The Intentional Travelers. If we aren’t traveling we try and stay busy as much as possible. I devote time to this website (probably more than I should) and working with my photographs and graphics. Judi spends a fair amount of time planning our future trips, but as a side hustle she works on a few crafts with the ornaments featured here being her favorite.
She’s been doing them for years and has really perfected the process. The ornaments are made from blown out eggs covered with decorative papers, coated with acrylic and finished with a bead cap. Her ornaments are for sale in her Etsy shop HERE and should you want to purchase one be sure and use the links located on each photo (it eliminates some Etsy add-on charges). These hand made ornaments have a five star rating and make great gifts and become cherished family Christmas heirlooms.
They’re only $12.95 plus shipping and include a gift box.
Featured here is a special design for Christmas 2024. It is part of a new process of creating graphics specifically for my egg decorating. This handmade Nativity ornament is based on “La Nativita” by the famous Italian Painter Guido Borelli. To select this egg ornament please click the photo.
This beautiful, hand decorated real egg ornament features a classic winter scene highlighted by a white ribbon for hanging and a silver bead cap. It will make a wonderful addition to any ornament collection. To select this egg ornament please click on the photograph.
This classic holly egg ornament with sparkling foil accents is an all time favorite. Real egg decoupaged and finished with a bead cap and string for hanging. Ready for tree trimming. To select this egg ornament please click on the image**
This creamy custom snowflake graphic on shades of deep blue makes this the perfect Christmas ornament. A real egg is decoupaged and finished with a bead cap and ribbon for hanging. It is ready to decorate any tree or ornament stand. To choose this egg ornament please click on this image**
For our Winter Garden friends this beautiful wrap-around Christmas scene features downtown Winter Garden, Florida. These hand decorated ornaments made from real eggs are unique creations sure to become a cherished gift and a new family Christmas heirloom. To select this egg ornament please click on the photo**
To browse the current ornament collection in my Etsy Store, please click HERE
If you’d like to visit my website and learn more about how I make my egg ornaments, click HERE.**
**PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to purchase an ornament, please link by clicking the individual images. It is the only way for me to get full credit for the sale at Etsy and avoid their additional advertising charges on orders.
Happy Holidays and thanks for taking a moment to view my eggs creations! Judi (The Intentional Traveler)
The Intentional Travelers 