Our morning view from Bolti was gorgeous. The sun was out (no surprise). But this time it brought a beautiful blue sky.
We grabbed breakfast at the visitors center and were on our way. The first stop was a lagoon about which the Fulbright scholar had told us. It was a desolate, bumpy road out to a quiet lagoon with icebergs in it. We hiked carefully down to the shore, as the hills were covered in brittle volcanic rock. We've learned to count on some sliding with each step. Only one other person was at the base.
We then headed to the more famous lagoon at Jokulsarlon. It was otherworldly. Huge icebergs floated lazily, then broke apart, causing waves - I actually caught this on video and had to scamper up the hill to avoid getting soggy shoes from the waves. We saw a few seals and lots of different kinds of birds, including a skua - a large, aggressive hunter.
We then followed the scholar's advice and drove to the beach. This black sand beach is at the mouth of the lagoon, where it empties into the ocean. The exiting icebergs get pushed back onto the shore, where you can touch them. It was amazing!
We left that site and drove the 370 kilometer trek to Seydisfjordur. Along the way, we saw stunning mountains, lakes, wild reindeer and LOTS of sheep. The last part is hard for Katie, who wants to snuggle all animals. Sheep in Iceland ALWAYS run away... ALWAYS. But this doesn't stop her from trying.
We had lunch in Hofn (pronounced like a hiccup). It is famous for its lobster and I can attest to why that is - sweet, tender and delicious!
The last leg of the trip was the most spooky. We had already scaled steep mountains on gravel roads during the preceding kilometers - an anxiety-producing feat for the driver. But this was another story entirely. We climbed to the top of the mountain in a pea-soup fog. There were feet of snow all around. I pulled off the road to play in the snow and had to use 4 wheel drive to get back on the road. As we descended, we had about 25-50 feet of visibility. It was white with snow or fog all around us. We would hear rushing water and then a waterfall would appear. There were many waterfalls. Kevin told us there would be.
The fog finally lifted. We arrived in town - the most lovely little fishing village with multicolored wooden houses and a charming baby blue church. We'd reserved a room by phone during lunch. The desk attendant at Hotel Aldan was very friendly and funny. She recommended a bistro down the street and warned us (sarcastically) about the woman working there.
Bistro Skaftfell is in the basement of an old building, has an adjoining gallery and epitomizes the bohemian culture of Seydisfjordur. The woman working there was, in spirit, the twin of our good friend, Asia Kepka - full of energy and confidence. We had great food, joked with the Icelandic Asia, and left with full bellies.
Our hotel room was cozy and had a spectacular view of the lagoon, some waterfalls and the kayaks that we reserved for the morning.
We drifted off to sleep once more in broad daylight.
We grabbed breakfast at the visitors center and were on our way. The first stop was a lagoon about which the Fulbright scholar had told us. It was a desolate, bumpy road out to a quiet lagoon with icebergs in it. We hiked carefully down to the shore, as the hills were covered in brittle volcanic rock. We've learned to count on some sliding with each step. Only one other person was at the base.
We then headed to the more famous lagoon at Jokulsarlon. It was otherworldly. Huge icebergs floated lazily, then broke apart, causing waves - I actually caught this on video and had to scamper up the hill to avoid getting soggy shoes from the waves. We saw a few seals and lots of different kinds of birds, including a skua - a large, aggressive hunter.
We then followed the scholar's advice and drove to the beach. This black sand beach is at the mouth of the lagoon, where it empties into the ocean. The exiting icebergs get pushed back onto the shore, where you can touch them. It was amazing!
We left that site and drove the 370 kilometer trek to Seydisfjordur. Along the way, we saw stunning mountains, lakes, wild reindeer and LOTS of sheep. The last part is hard for Katie, who wants to snuggle all animals. Sheep in Iceland ALWAYS run away... ALWAYS. But this doesn't stop her from trying.
We had lunch in Hofn (pronounced like a hiccup). It is famous for its lobster and I can attest to why that is - sweet, tender and delicious!
The last leg of the trip was the most spooky. We had already scaled steep mountains on gravel roads during the preceding kilometers - an anxiety-producing feat for the driver. But this was another story entirely. We climbed to the top of the mountain in a pea-soup fog. There were feet of snow all around. I pulled off the road to play in the snow and had to use 4 wheel drive to get back on the road. As we descended, we had about 25-50 feet of visibility. It was white with snow or fog all around us. We would hear rushing water and then a waterfall would appear. There were many waterfalls. Kevin told us there would be.
The fog finally lifted. We arrived in town - the most lovely little fishing village with multicolored wooden houses and a charming baby blue church. We'd reserved a room by phone during lunch. The desk attendant at Hotel Aldan was very friendly and funny. She recommended a bistro down the street and warned us (sarcastically) about the woman working there.
Bistro Skaftfell is in the basement of an old building, has an adjoining gallery and epitomizes the bohemian culture of Seydisfjordur. The woman working there was, in spirit, the twin of our good friend, Asia Kepka - full of energy and confidence. We had great food, joked with the Icelandic Asia, and left with full bellies.
Our hotel room was cozy and had a spectacular view of the lagoon, some waterfalls and the kayaks that we reserved for the morning.
We drifted off to sleep once more in broad daylight.
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