By Jackie Sheckler Finch

Imagine Iceland without horses, those beautiful short husky creatures that look so striking on the country’s landscape.

That’s the way it was until the Vikings came more than 1,000 years ago and brought  Nordic horses with them. Although they are smaller than most horses, I learned shortly after arriving in Iceland not to call them ponies. Read more...

Today I walked on a glacier. I’ve seen many glaciers in my travels but I’ve never set foot on one. This was quite an adventure.

The glacier I visited is one of the most famous sites in Iceland primarily because it was featured in the novel “Journey to the Center of the Earth” by Jules Verne in which the entrance to the mysterious interior of our planet is located on Snaefellsjökull. Read more...

SANTORINI, Greece – Could this actually be the fabled Atlantis? Some people think it is and some research does support that belief.

However, others believe the mysterious Atlantis never really existed. That it was a make-believe place used by the early Greek philosopher Plato to teach a lesson in humility. Read more...

HEIDELBERG, Germany – Love will find a way. On today’s shore excursion, I learned about the famous Heidelberg Student Kiss and even got to enjoy one.

The story goes that the Heidelberg Student Kiss is both a confection and a bit of fascinating history from the 1800s. Read more...

COLOGNE, Germany  – Napoleon Bonaparte loved Eau de Cologne so much that he ordered 50 bottles a month. The famous emperor used the fragrant water extravagantly and supposedly had special boots designed where he could stash an emergency bottle of cologne. Read more...

Imagine Iceland without horses, those beautiful short husky creatures that look so striking on the country’s landscape.

That’s the way it was until the Vikings came more than 1,000 years ago and brought Nordic horses with them. Although they are smaller than most horses, I learned shortly after arriving in Iceland not to call them ponies. Read more...

MILOS, Greece – It gave me shivers just to be standing here. Tucked into a hillside on the Greek isle of Milos are the graves of early Christians. These catacombs are from the 1^st century AD. It is mind boggling to consider what took place here and how long ago it happened. Read more...

Ever peruse a cruise ship menu and have a difficult time choosing what to order? Do you look around at other diners to see what they may be eating?

Iceland ProCruises has a helpful way to make choosing a bit easier on its cruise ship, the Ocean Diamond. Several of the evening’s menu offerings are placed on a decorative front table as passengers enter the ship’s dining room. Seeing the beautifully presented dishes can sometimes make or break a menu choice. Read more...

If Iceland is on your list as a “must-see” destination, the adventure has become even more enticing. The first Icelandic-owned expedition cruise line is now offering circumnavigation cruises of the spectacular country.

Iceland ProCruises set sail June 2015 on its 224-passenger, 105-crew super yacht Ocean Diamond. The 10-day cruises from the capital city of Reykjavik will be offered through Aug 6 in 2015 and from May 24 to Sept. 2 in 2016. Read more...

Carved into stone, the drawing of a footprint may be the first public billboard advertisement ever recorded in history.

“It pointed the way to the local brothel,” guide Bulent Yurttas said, leading us around the ancient city of Ephesus. The dots on the stone represent the number of prostitutes in the brothel and the heart carving means the women are eager for love. Read more...