Into the east (of Iceland)
Iceberg boat ride by the glacier
5/27/23
The weather has been dynamic, vicious, brutal, and at times quite comfortable. The problem is, you never know which you’ll have. It will be comfortable, calm, and sunny….. just to have a driving rain and howling wind. All in a 15 minute window.
We seem to be incredibly lucky though. Many of the activities we wanted to do seem to have fallen in a magical time window where the weather is good. If only for a little while. We take our wins where we get them.
The weather has been dynamic, vicious, brutal, and at times quite comfortable. The problem is, you never know which you’ll have. It will be comfortable, calm, and sunny….. just to have a driving rain and howling wind. All in a 15 minute window.
We seem to be incredibly lucky though. Many of the activities we wanted to do seem to have fallen in a magical time window where the weather is good. If only for a little while. We take our wins where we get them.
Laurie eating glacier ice
We planned a rigid inflatable tour of the glacier lagoon, and were called the day before. They moved our time from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on their prediction that the weather would be a bit better then. We spent the morning driving route 1 towards our glacier trip battling gusting wings that would make a boat trip quite unpleasant.
We arrive a little before 2:30. The wind lays down, it’s much calmer and sunny! The staff suits us up in PFD’s (personal flotation devices) and heavy coats that also function as a flotation device. We walk around a quarter of a mile to the boats in the best weather we’ve seen so far.
We arrive a little before 2:30. The wind lays down, it’s much calmer and sunny! The staff suits us up in PFD’s (personal flotation devices) and heavy coats that also function as a flotation device. We walk around a quarter of a mile to the boats in the best weather we’ve seen so far.
Boat and people for scale. They're BIG!
Our boat pilot was named Piotr, and was from Poland. He gave a great tour and we saw icebergs that have calved (fell off of) from the glacier, and we floated fairly close to the main glacier. We were told that it is dangerous to go closer as when the glacier calves it can swamp you.
Vivid blue color in the icebergs
Piotr also mentioned something I had never thought of. Sometimes glaciers calve underwater. Like an ice cube floats up in your drink, the calved iceberg will do the same and could come up underneath the boat. This could capsize or even sink a boat.
Weather warning posted at the iceberg lagoon
After coming back to land, we venture down the way to the second iceberg lagoon and the diamond beach. When these chunks fall away, the water carries them out to sea, and often the waves wash them back up on the beach. They take amazing shapes and forms. Some of the more beautiful ones are blue, where thousands of years of force has pushed all air out of the ice.
Eventually we head east towards our stop for the night, the Viking Cafe at Stokksnes. This is a hotel made of recycled shipping containers, at the base of a huge mountain, right by the sea. We spend the evening taking photos, and I actually get to fly the drone at the lighthouse, a goal for this trip.
Eventually we head east towards our stop for the night, the Viking Cafe at Stokksnes. This is a hotel made of recycled shipping containers, at the base of a huge mountain, right by the sea. We spend the evening taking photos, and I actually get to fly the drone at the lighthouse, a goal for this trip.
Drone flight #1
I was concerned about whether I would be able to fly due to the severe winds. As we arrived, the wind laid down and I was able to launch. It stayed calm but as I was nearing the end of the flight it picked back up. In just a few minutes it went from 10-15 mph winds to 30 plus. Things change quick around here.
The iceberg boat tour at the glacier was incredible as the photos will show. This is a bucket list thing….I would never have imagined doing this as a child. Or flying a drone on a cape overlooking the north Atlantic……… in Iceland. I’m amazed where my life has led me. I have been lucky to go so far.
The iceberg boat tour at the glacier was incredible as the photos will show. This is a bucket list thing….I would never have imagined doing this as a child. Or flying a drone on a cape overlooking the north Atlantic……… in Iceland. I’m amazed where my life has led me. I have been lucky to go so far.
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5/28/23
Drone flight #2, Hvalnes
We rise this morning, have breakfast at the hotel, and head northeast on route 1. Our stop for the night is a place called Egilsstaðir, a word I cut and pasted as my keyboard does not have those letters. For the record, I can’t pronounce it either.
The east is much different. While there are still tourists like ourselves, the numbers have dwindled significantly from what we had seen in places like Vik. At present we are pretty much as far from the capitol as you can get and still be in the country. Consequently, fewer people and fewer visitors.
The east is much different. While there are still tourists like ourselves, the numbers have dwindled significantly from what we had seen in places like Vik. At present we are pretty much as far from the capitol as you can get and still be in the country. Consequently, fewer people and fewer visitors.
A chair, bolted to a rock, in the middle of nowhere
(everyone stops)
Icelandic is one of the most difficult languages in the world. While everyone here (and I do mean everyone) speaks english, we still use google translate to read some signs, labels on food, and other things as needed. The only problem comes when you have to read a road sign in Icelandic while driving, but that’s very seldom a problem as most signs are pictographs.
We take our time and stop periodically to photograph beautiful landscapes. I had another goal to fly my drone at a lighthouse called Hvalnes. As with times before, the wind laid as we arrived. I launched, flew long enough to do some amazing photography and videos…..and the wind picked up.
We take our time and stop periodically to photograph beautiful landscapes. I had another goal to fly my drone at a lighthouse called Hvalnes. As with times before, the wind laid as we arrived. I launched, flew long enough to do some amazing photography and videos…..and the wind picked up.
Djúpivogur Harbor
I land the drone on the roof of our car. We pack all the parts up and head north. We stop in a small town that has a sports car museum, the only one in Iceland. We find that it closed 6 days prior and is in the process of moving to another town. Not the end of the world.
We arrive to our destination, and check into our guest house. I had few choices in this town and this isn’t terrible, but it is very basic. 4 rooms with two shared baths, and a constant stream of people into the bathrooms. It is clean, very well taken care of but as mentioned previously, basic. And as Iceland goes, a huge bargain at an unheard of $108/night.
Goodnight all. Laurie wrote a bit which follows my stuff. See you in the next post.
We arrive to our destination, and check into our guest house. I had few choices in this town and this isn’t terrible, but it is very basic. 4 rooms with two shared baths, and a constant stream of people into the bathrooms. It is clean, very well taken care of but as mentioned previously, basic. And as Iceland goes, a huge bargain at an unheard of $108/night.
Goodnight all. Laurie wrote a bit which follows my stuff. See you in the next post.
Laurie's experiences
Post boat ride
Well as Bill said, things don’t always go as planned. We made it here which was a relief but disappointed about not getting to the Westman Island. I was very much looking forward to spending 2 days there, hiking and watching puffins. But so be it.
Stokksnas light
Weather here is a huge factor in what one can, or can not, do. Even in the spring without snow, the roads close due to high winds. We were somewhat warned in some video blogs about the wind. I have never experienced such consistent driving winds. It is almost as if the island is testing the humans to see how hardy they are. I can’t imagine camping in this weather.
Ice on Diamond Beach
Iceland apparently has no prehistory. According to one source, Ingólfr Arnarson came from Norway around 870 BCE. He established a settlement and people came from Norway and British Isles. They built sod houses because there are very few trees on the island and the only wood available was from driftwood. I will not go into the rest of Iceland’s history but it is pretty interesting. The international airport now in Keflavik was a US military base and we saw an old NATO radar station where we stayed last night outside of Hofn.
Scattered throughout the island nestled at the base of towering mountains, or out in seemingly random tundra areas, are dwellings and farms. Some are quite large and seem to be mostly sheep farms. There are actually more sheep in Iceland than people. I can’t help but wonder what life must be like in these desolate, isolated homesteads.
Scattered throughout the island nestled at the base of towering mountains, or out in seemingly random tundra areas, are dwellings and farms. Some are quite large and seem to be mostly sheep farms. There are actually more sheep in Iceland than people. I can’t help but wonder what life must be like in these desolate, isolated homesteads.
Bill flying the drone
It is spring here and the weather is questionable at best. I can’t imagine what winter would be like with the wind howling, driving snow like a living creature determined to flatten everything in its path. The sheep seem happy enough and are very fluffy. I’m sure they will have to give up their winter coats soon enough. And of course the lambs are adorable.
The island is basically one geological hot zone. Volcanos, glaciers, glacial floods are part of the reality of life here. Down in some of the river valleys there seems to be more fertile soil and we saw farmers tilling what looked like pretty rich soil. But for much of the island, there is little soil since it is all lava fields, lava mountains, black sand beaches or glacial plains.
The island is basically one geological hot zone. Volcanos, glaciers, glacial floods are part of the reality of life here. Down in some of the river valleys there seems to be more fertile soil and we saw farmers tilling what looked like pretty rich soil. But for much of the island, there is little soil since it is all lava fields, lava mountains, black sand beaches or glacial plains.
Diamond Beach
There is a special type of moss that grows on the lava creating great expanses of green lumps that look like sleeping trolls. It never ceases to amaze me that, left alone, our natural world can show us how to live in harmony with any environment. These plants and animals that have adapted to such harsh conditions have so much to teach us.
On that note, they seem to be very ecologically minded here. There are recycling bins everywhere and it is no problem asking to get water bottles filled. There are continuous signs with pleas to respect the fragility of the environment as these plants have a tenuous hold on life. There are dune grasses that grow in the black sand but are not very robust. Again, I truly hope that greed does not outstrip their sensibility in preserving this unique ecosystem.
On that note, they seem to be very ecologically minded here. There are recycling bins everywhere and it is no problem asking to get water bottles filled. There are continuous signs with pleas to respect the fragility of the environment as these plants have a tenuous hold on life. There are dune grasses that grow in the black sand but are not very robust. Again, I truly hope that greed does not outstrip their sensibility in preserving this unique ecosystem.
Stokksnas point surf
They are also vegan friendly and most restaurants have vegan options as well as gluten free. Trying to find less salty foods has proved to be a challenge. And they do like their sweets. Lots of tasty baked goods, ice cream and many, many varieties of black licorice. And it is also very LGBQT friendly. Much more tolerant than our home.
It seems that many of the younger service people are from other countries. Our guide on the glacial raft was from Poland. English is the common language. Icelandic developed from a dialect of northern Norwegian. Names of places are long and have lots of letters we don’t have.
It seems that many of the younger service people are from other countries. Our guide on the glacial raft was from Poland. English is the common language. Icelandic developed from a dialect of northern Norwegian. Names of places are long and have lots of letters we don’t have.
The glacier
The service people have been very friendly and helpful. Some of the general population not as much. Like in any tourist area, there is probably some resentment toward all these foreigners invading their country. On the other hand, some seem to have jumped on the bandwagon and are making as much money as they can. Can’t really blame them.
Iceland is, as we expected, quite expensive. Accommodations are high and eating out is expensive, especially if you want any alcoholic beverages. A beer averages about $9. Our meals have run about $50-$65. We have only been eating out about once a day. Grocery items vary but are not as high as we anticipated. Chicken is expensive here whereas at home it is a cheaper protein. Lamb is a common meat and less expensive than in the USA.
Iceland is, as we expected, quite expensive. Accommodations are high and eating out is expensive, especially if you want any alcoholic beverages. A beer averages about $9. Our meals have run about $50-$65. We have only been eating out about once a day. Grocery items vary but are not as high as we anticipated. Chicken is expensive here whereas at home it is a cheaper protein. Lamb is a common meat and less expensive than in the USA.
Mountain near Hvalnes
This is an absolutely gorgeous place. Every kind of landscape from glaciers and black sand beaches to mountains rising up from the remnants of volcanoes. It would be lovely to have enough time to wait out the bad weather but since we don’t have that luxury, we press on. I thought Maine had some pretty rough weather. I was mistaken.
We have had a few respites from the wind and rain which were lovely. Notably when we went out on the boat into the glacial lagoon and that day was mostly sunny and mild which was lovely. There’s a reason mid June to the end of July are peak season here. But we don’t like being around crowds so we have put up with crappy weather before.
We have had a few respites from the wind and rain which were lovely. Notably when we went out on the boat into the glacial lagoon and that day was mostly sunny and mild which was lovely. There’s a reason mid June to the end of July are peak season here. But we don’t like being around crowds so we have put up with crappy weather before.
Fierce surf on a black sand beach that goes for miles
There is something magical about the fog rolling in and out, alternately hiding and revealing. An easy metaphor for how we can hide and reveal ourselves from ourselves and from others.
Soup is a very traditional food here and it has been excellent. Much different than the nasty glop in Portugal (no offense to anyone) which was a great disappointment. Fish is the other specialty here. Gotta say it - the fish of fish and chips is better here than in England, but the chips are better in England. There is nothing like freshly caught fish. Veggies not so much. Most are imported except tomatoes, sweet red peppers and cucumbers that are grown here in greenhouses.
The southern coast has been spectacular and we leave it tomorrow to head more north and then west. We shall see what that brings. Maybe better weather?
Soup is a very traditional food here and it has been excellent. Much different than the nasty glop in Portugal (no offense to anyone) which was a great disappointment. Fish is the other specialty here. Gotta say it - the fish of fish and chips is better here than in England, but the chips are better in England. There is nothing like freshly caught fish. Veggies not so much. Most are imported except tomatoes, sweet red peppers and cucumbers that are grown here in greenhouses.
The southern coast has been spectacular and we leave it tomorrow to head more north and then west. We shall see what that brings. Maybe better weather?
