TO THE GLACIERS!!

 Our Last Few Days In Reykjavik: 



 

After getting off the Viking Cruise we spent a few days in Reykjavik. Here we revisited many old haunts and purchasing gifts and we did get a Hot Dog or two and had a couple swims. 

We love the city pools and have gotten in on a couple water aerobics classes. We replenished our bus passes and licorice stores. 

On Tuesday we to take a Glacier Lagoon Tour. It was a very long worthwhile day, so here goes. 

It was an early start as we were asked to be at the bus stop at 0730. Well the driver was a bit late due to traffic. No worries, and soon we were driving along the scenic South Coast. Here we passed lava fields, waterfalls, pastures and mountains.

This was a small group tour of 15 people, all were good about being on time at stops. We traveled in a Mercedes extended van, rather comfortable as it would accommodate 20 passengers.

Our Guide was named Gummi for short for a very long Icelandic name.

The restroom breaks were perfectly timed.  Snacks were available to purchase at these stops.

Our first official stop was overlooking the town of Vik where we could see the Sea Stacks. Legend has it that the stacks are trolls turned into stone while playing in the sea. Here you also see the Black Sand Beach. To be very honest, all the beaches in Iceland are black Sand. 

Continuing on our next stop was at Fjadrargljufur canyon. Here the fast moving glacier water has cut this rather scenic canyon and the walk to the view points was well worth the view. 

My real desire on this trip was the Jokulsarlon Area. Here we find Diamond Beach and the Glacier Lagoon. 

First was Diamond Beach. Here the beach is adorned with pieces of the glacier which had been washed out to sea and brought back to the beach by tidal action. The pieces that return are often pieces which have been polished and are crystal clear. The skies were overcast and a clear sunny day would make them even more amazing. 

Then we visited the Glacier Lagoon and took a ride on a DUCK amongst the icebergs which had calved off the glacier. There were a good number of harbor seals swimming about looking for fish arriving in the inbound tide. 

I must let you know this is a very very very very long drive from Reykjavik. I knew it would be a long day from the start, and it sure was. 

Time to start the trek back to Reykjavik with a few stops yet to make. 

We made a stop in Hof to see one of the last remaining turf churches. I thought it was very kewl as well as the graveyards next to the church. The graves appear small by todays standards and can make one think of Hobbits. Simply the early settlers of this are were small of stature, but long on grit to endure. The lifestyle was good to many as several were centenarians.

It was getting rather duskish  as we continued on. Our guide and driver needed a mandatory 45 min break and fuel. We made this stop in Vik at a travel center with several restaurants, convenience store, and the obligatory ICE WARE shop :) 

Back on the road with one more stop to go. The waterfalls at Seljalandfoss. I was surprised the falls were illuminated and it was fun to make photos after dark. 

Now back on the bus and headed to Reykjavik. We finally arrived at our hotel at 0015 hrs, ready to crash and get some sleep.

This tour was definitely worth it. Gummi gave a great narratives which helped pass the drive time. A wealth of information was provided. I was glad I did not have to drive. 

So, here we are at the airport ready to head home, get The Boys, prepare for AIBF etc etc. We will be back here in May of 2025 before we sail to Svalbard. That said we are thinking about an August 2026 return for the eclipse. 


A Return to Heimaey:

 A Return to Heimaey:

 

We had been to Heimaey about 4 weeks earlier on our Hurtigruten voyage and were glad to return. 

Another beautiful day, we can not believe how great the weather has been. This has not been the Iceland weather we are used to. We have experienced warm sunny weather. 

 

After anchoring, we tendered into port. Here we started our walking tour, visiting the main district of Heimaey. We returned to the Bonus store and found some different licorice and I found a nice bennie adorned with the Bonus pig. 

Then we visited the gas station and got a hot dog and had a nice chat with the owner. 



Back to the dock and met up for a bus shore excursion. This was a bus ride about the city with a very good narrative. The guide had a puffing ( baby puffin). The pufflings take to the sea after hatching, but easily confuse city lights for stars and end up in town. Volunteers head out with cardboard boxes during the night to search for confused pufflings. They are taken to the Sea life Trust, to be weighed and examined. Once they are deemed healthy they are released to the sea. 

This year the pufflings are reported to be rather healthy and heavier than the past year.

Basically we had a bus tour around Heimaey and witnessed some Sprangan.   

In early days, the men of the Westman Islands would swing from ropes climbing the cliffs to collect sea bird eggs.  Suitable places on Heimaey were found to train for the rope swinging used when gathering eggs. There is one place in particular near the western harbor that has the conditions needed to teach the different techniques used when hanging from the face of the cliffs on ropes.That is called Sprangan.

 

                                     ELEPHANT ROCK

                                      Ieclandic Horse

This cat guards the entrance to the museum. By petting this cat any future eruption in the area are delayed by 10 years.

 Amazing ot see this house that was unearther from under the volcanic ash.

Our first and only stop was at Eldheimar, a museum of the 1973 volcanic eruption.
 
The Icelandic eruption in Heimaey 1973 buried around four hundreds of houses. Archaeologists have been uncovering what remained of the buildings, giving the island the nickname “Pompeii of the North”. An entire museum, Eldheimar, has been built around the remains of one of the homes. It’s totally worth seeing the museum and to get closer to the history of Heimaey.

Then a shuttle bus took us back to the ship where we started our packing and had a quick dinner.

Djúpivogur

 

 

 Today we find ourselves in Djúpivogur a small town located on the eastern coast of Iceland, near the mouth of the Berufjörður fjord. It has a population of around 600 people and is known for its beautiful natural surroundings and rich cultural history.

The town gets its name from the "deep cove" that provides excellent natural harbor conditions. It was founded in the 16th century as a trading post and today, the harbor is centered around fishing and welcoming visitors.  

Here we anchored and tendered into shore.

 

 Our  excursion was a walking tour which we extended, as you will soon discover. 

Our first stop was a Rock Shop displaying many interesting stones the owner had collected over the years. 

We walked along learning about life in this small town. The main industry here is now fish farming. Prior to this, fishing and the collection of fish oil. So much oil was collected it was stored in massive tanks. Here a local musician invited us inside of the tank and sang a couple local songs. 

Next we walked down to the shore to Eggin í Gleðivík or 'The Eggs of Merry Bay' are one of the most notable is the outdoor art installations in Djúpivogur, consisting of enlarged replicas of 34 eggs of bird species that nest in the area. They are made of highly polished granite and were made in China. Rather interesting to see. 



We then walked back to town where we separated from the tour. Our quest was the local swimming pool, just a short distance away. 

Surprisingly we were the only people there, so we had a private pool party. All of the pools here were inside and provided us with a nice warm soak.

 

 

We next made our way back to the harbor area and had a hotdog along the way, then a gift shop where nothing was purchased. 

I was impressed with some of the local children being rather industrious. As we arrived at the harbor I had noticed a young lad setting up a table to display his wares. He was selling painted rocks. I told I would be stopping by upon our return and stop we did. We purchased a few stones painted with the Iceland flag. Then Lynn notice an other young girl selling local interesting rocks, and purchased a couple.

 

 

Back to the ship for a bit of lunch and Lynn did a load of laundry. 



Seydisfjördur day in a nice small town.

 Seydisfjördur 081424



Today we are sailing to Seydisfjördur.

No Overnight camping in the cities, must go to a camp ground.

There are 650 residents who live here in Seydisfjördur. Sadly I must report there is no hot dog stand here. 


 

 

  This is a new port of call for us. Our research indicates Seydisfjördur traces its origins to the early days of Viking settlements. Though the town is tiny, it boasts an impressive history. It hosted the world’s first modern whaling station and pioneered international communications when it welcomed the first telegraph cable, linking Iceland to Europe.

While we felt the ship rock during the night yet the seas appear calm. Skies are partially cloudy here at 0332 hrs. 

Seydisfjördur is where some scenes from the most recent film “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” were filmed. Will see if we can recognize some. 

BLUE CHURCH AND A RAINBOW ROAD. This is the First Rainbow Road in Iceland.

We had an enjoyable walking tour around this small town. Seydisfjördur was once occupied by British and US troops as here was the first telecommunication cable from Europe was. Installed. 

Interesting many of the houses here were pre fabricated and sent here from Norway. Maybe the inspiration for IKEA. 

Our walk ended at the Community Center where we received samples of Icelandic food, lamb and fish and a Happy Marriage Cake. 

Music entertainment was provided by Bjort Sigfinnsdottir and Jon Hilmar Karason. Very talented duo and we purchased one of their CD’s.

There were some local artists pieces available and I got a Bonus Bag Poster and chatted with the artist.

We then hiked back to the ship via the waterfall. 

Dinner tonight will be a BBQ and there is a symphony concert being streamed for us. We are taking a pass on the dance party.  

Akureyri kinda day:

 081324

Akureyri kinda day:

You know you are in 

Akureyri when you see the stop lights. These lights were changed to a heart to give the people hope during their difficult financial times.

I was up early having coffee and editing photos, then breakfast at the World Cafe. Then gathered things together for the day. The morning started with troll weather but soon the sun was shinning.

 

Akureyri is a city at the base of Eyjafjörður Fjord in northern Iceland. In the center, the 1940 Akureyri Church has stained-glass windows portraying scenes from Icelandic Christian history. There are views of the fjord from the forecourt. Nearby, the Akureyri Art Museum displays contemporary art from Iceland and farther afield. To the south are the Botanical Gardens, with specimens from across Iceland.

We took an excursion to the Akureyri Botanical Gardens. It is amazing how lush and diverse the collection is considering we are just 23 km from the Arctic Circle.

We parted with the tour group at the Botanical Gardens and walked to the  Akureyri City Pool. This is a very nice pool. They have several temperature gradient hot pools, very nice water massage jets, a kewl looking kids pool area and two water slides. 

After our swim we had hoped the Viking Hot Dog stand would be open but, alas, it wasn’t. Worry not, I know where there is another place for hot dogs. 
 
We next walked to the church and noted there was a funeral in progress so we did not go inside. 



We continued on the the city center where I knew of a hot dog stand. As a connoisseur of the Icelandic Hot Dog I must tell you there is a slight difference here as they add an additional sauce. The added sauce is a cocktail sauce.

Our walking tour continued back to the ship where we dropped our backpacks and and hung our swim suits out to dry. 

We may have to search out a bowl of gelato. A Strawberry find was excellent.  

I then caught up on my writing and photo editing. 

We later attended a very informative lecture about the Vikings. 

Dinner and then bed. 

Tonight we are feeling a bit of rocking but the seas are relative calm.  



Akureyri Photo Dump:

 

 

 

                                  The Pool 

                                        Check out these really KEWL trash cans