We awoke to a beautifully sunny day at the Vatnsholt farm. From our room we could see islands and volcanoes very clearly. We could also see what would become a pattern on day 3 - small villages and their churches.
Breakfast was delicious, though there were no croissants for Katie, thus ending her amazing 3-day, 9-croissant streak. We hung out with the staff and owners of the farm as we fed on various meats, cheeses, bread, jam and waffles.
Turns out it was the calf's breakfast time as well. The owner offered to let Katie feed the calf - I thought she was going to jump out of her skin with excitement! The owner prepared a large plastic jug of warmed formula with a nipple on the end. Katie held on for dear life as the calf punched at the jug with its mouth - just as he would to stimulate milk in his mother's teats. When the jug was finished, he wasn't. He chased Katie around, punching her legs and ass when he could catch her. In an effort to relieve Katie, I took the jug and distracted him - so now I was the target of his hungry instincts! He punched at anything his head's level, which made me quite vulnerable. When I was watching him carefully, I could dodge most of his attempts. But when I was distracted by discussion or the menagerie of animals that surrounded us, I was pummeled. The ensuing interplay between me and the calf led to a collection of lude jokes that made us all laugh out loud.
So, the aforementioned menagerie included a raven, a silky blue and white chicken, an arctic fox cub, a nearly hairless dog and a minpin named "Cleopatra" who oversaw the entire bunch as its self-appointed queen... Not to mention the various dogs that we'd met the day before. The most silly part was that there was a sense of respect at each point of the food chain, though Cleo was inordinately interested in the silky chicken - perhaps she had a yen for scrambled eggs. At one point the farm's owner announced, "My raven shit on me, so I will go change my pants." Who could argue with that??
By the time we left, we felt like we'd made many new friends. If you are ever in Iceland, consider staying at the Vatnsholt guesthouse. Perhaps Elvis the goat will dance for you, just as he did on Icelandic national TV - go ahead, look it up on YouTube...
We were on the road again (a la Willie Nelson). Our first stop of the day was Seljalandsfoss waterfall. This is where I noticed that "foss" means "waterfall". We hiked up the side and down the slippery and muddy rocks that led just behind the falls. It was misty and cool, and not for a safety nut. I found it difficult to keep my balance with my camera bag, while my glasses misted over. But the view and thunderous sound were worth it!
From the front, we could see two other falls along the deep-green, grass and moss covered mountain. A drive off the ring road toward Porsmork (that name makes me giggle) provided views of caves and rock arches, as well as a feasting ferret.
Next stop? Skogafoss. If you guessed that this is another set of falls, you are correct! This was a much more intense waterfall in terms of size and volume. The mosses around the falls were stunning yellows, greens and reds. There was a staircase that went to the top, but neither Katie nor I were ready for THAT much walking.
As we rejoined the ring road, we could soon see the ocean to our right and the Eyjafjallajokull glacier to our left. This is the glacier covering one of the many active volcanoes. Specifically, we we driving next to Hekla and Eyjafjallajokull, which was responsible for last year's month long eruption that interrupted European air travel.
This is where this tourist was reminded of the "fire and ice" history of Iceland. A volcano eruption in this region will melt the glacier on top of it, resulting in flash floods. It will spew poisonous gasses, killing nearby sheep. In a coastal area like this, there is also a history of volcanic-earthquake tidal waves that can wipe out an entire village. We are very aware that we are at Mother Nature's mercy here. But, we are equally enchanted by her beauty. I am convinced that this land was the inspiration for Lord of the Rings - all at once lush and barren; soothing and punishing.
We continued along the coast to the rock arch at Dyrholaey. The road quickly became dirt and gravel as we wound out toward the sea and up to the rocky promontory that juts out of the black sand beach on one side of a small bay. Several hundred feet in the air atop the arch, we were afforded views for miles in each direction. This spot is closed each year for the nesting season of puffins.
Reynisfjara was on the other side of the bay. Instead of climbing upward, this time we drove straight out to the beach. This side of the bay gave us a grass-covered mountain, built atop pipe organ-like basalt columns and toothy caves that shimmered with golden flecks. This is a great puffin sighting area - I saw one returning to its nest.
Very hungry from walking, driving and sightseeing, we drove a short distance to Vik (god bless 3-letter town names). At one time last century, Vik was wiped out by a tidal wave. It was rebuilt as a lovely beachside area with views of a hilltop village and its church. The little white church reminded me of a New England schoolhouse, with a red roof. It was situated atop a rolling green hill with purple flowers. We had a great dinner at a small restaurant next to the visitors center and then drove to our accommodations at Steig guesthouse.
Situated at the foot of a mountain, with a view of the ocean, Steig is a quiet spot accessible by dirt road. They have sheep and dogs. Once I heard the lulling sounds of the babbling brook next to our room, I was out cold.
Breakfast was delicious, though there were no croissants for Katie, thus ending her amazing 3-day, 9-croissant streak. We hung out with the staff and owners of the farm as we fed on various meats, cheeses, bread, jam and waffles.
Turns out it was the calf's breakfast time as well. The owner offered to let Katie feed the calf - I thought she was going to jump out of her skin with excitement! The owner prepared a large plastic jug of warmed formula with a nipple on the end. Katie held on for dear life as the calf punched at the jug with its mouth - just as he would to stimulate milk in his mother's teats. When the jug was finished, he wasn't. He chased Katie around, punching her legs and ass when he could catch her. In an effort to relieve Katie, I took the jug and distracted him - so now I was the target of his hungry instincts! He punched at anything his head's level, which made me quite vulnerable. When I was watching him carefully, I could dodge most of his attempts. But when I was distracted by discussion or the menagerie of animals that surrounded us, I was pummeled. The ensuing interplay between me and the calf led to a collection of lude jokes that made us all laugh out loud.
So, the aforementioned menagerie included a raven, a silky blue and white chicken, an arctic fox cub, a nearly hairless dog and a minpin named "Cleopatra" who oversaw the entire bunch as its self-appointed queen... Not to mention the various dogs that we'd met the day before. The most silly part was that there was a sense of respect at each point of the food chain, though Cleo was inordinately interested in the silky chicken - perhaps she had a yen for scrambled eggs. At one point the farm's owner announced, "My raven shit on me, so I will go change my pants." Who could argue with that??
By the time we left, we felt like we'd made many new friends. If you are ever in Iceland, consider staying at the Vatnsholt guesthouse. Perhaps Elvis the goat will dance for you, just as he did on Icelandic national TV - go ahead, look it up on YouTube...
We were on the road again (a la Willie Nelson). Our first stop of the day was Seljalandsfoss waterfall. This is where I noticed that "foss" means "waterfall". We hiked up the side and down the slippery and muddy rocks that led just behind the falls. It was misty and cool, and not for a safety nut. I found it difficult to keep my balance with my camera bag, while my glasses misted over. But the view and thunderous sound were worth it!
From the front, we could see two other falls along the deep-green, grass and moss covered mountain. A drive off the ring road toward Porsmork (that name makes me giggle) provided views of caves and rock arches, as well as a feasting ferret.
Next stop? Skogafoss. If you guessed that this is another set of falls, you are correct! This was a much more intense waterfall in terms of size and volume. The mosses around the falls were stunning yellows, greens and reds. There was a staircase that went to the top, but neither Katie nor I were ready for THAT much walking.
As we rejoined the ring road, we could soon see the ocean to our right and the Eyjafjallajokull glacier to our left. This is the glacier covering one of the many active volcanoes. Specifically, we we driving next to Hekla and Eyjafjallajokull, which was responsible for last year's month long eruption that interrupted European air travel.
This is where this tourist was reminded of the "fire and ice" history of Iceland. A volcano eruption in this region will melt the glacier on top of it, resulting in flash floods. It will spew poisonous gasses, killing nearby sheep. In a coastal area like this, there is also a history of volcanic-earthquake tidal waves that can wipe out an entire village. We are very aware that we are at Mother Nature's mercy here. But, we are equally enchanted by her beauty. I am convinced that this land was the inspiration for Lord of the Rings - all at once lush and barren; soothing and punishing.
We continued along the coast to the rock arch at Dyrholaey. The road quickly became dirt and gravel as we wound out toward the sea and up to the rocky promontory that juts out of the black sand beach on one side of a small bay. Several hundred feet in the air atop the arch, we were afforded views for miles in each direction. This spot is closed each year for the nesting season of puffins.
Reynisfjara was on the other side of the bay. Instead of climbing upward, this time we drove straight out to the beach. This side of the bay gave us a grass-covered mountain, built atop pipe organ-like basalt columns and toothy caves that shimmered with golden flecks. This is a great puffin sighting area - I saw one returning to its nest.
Very hungry from walking, driving and sightseeing, we drove a short distance to Vik (god bless 3-letter town names). At one time last century, Vik was wiped out by a tidal wave. It was rebuilt as a lovely beachside area with views of a hilltop village and its church. The little white church reminded me of a New England schoolhouse, with a red roof. It was situated atop a rolling green hill with purple flowers. We had a great dinner at a small restaurant next to the visitors center and then drove to our accommodations at Steig guesthouse.
Situated at the foot of a mountain, with a view of the ocean, Steig is a quiet spot accessible by dirt road. They have sheep and dogs. Once I heard the lulling sounds of the babbling brook next to our room, I was out cold.
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