Iceland 3/9/2019 - 3/17/2019 |
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Thursday, March 14, 2019 - The Wonders of Snæfellsnes: Day 2The room was still a comfortable temperature when we woke up, even though we had turned the heat off. The down duvet had kept us more than warm enough. It was obviously cold outside, though, as there was a bit of condensation on the floor between the bed and the exterior wall.We each took a nice hot shower and got dressed. Our clothes had mostly dried overnight. Even though the weather had cleared up, we wore our waterproof pants today just to be safe. We had learned our lesson yesterday. We met the group in the dining room for breakfast at 7 a.m. It was a buffet, but with a bit more variety than our usual hotel. There was even a waffle maker with a big bowl full of batter. I happily made myself a waffle, and we enjoyed scrambled eggs, sausage, skyr, cheese, crispbread, rye bread, orange juice, and coffee. The sugar came as individually wrapped cubes. Of course this brought to mind the Icelandic band the Sugarcubes from the late '80's / early '90's. One thing that we had noticed (both here and at the Konsulat in Reykjavik) is that breakfast buffets include a bottle of viscous yellow liquid which is poured into shot glasses and consumed. We hadn't been aware of what it was at first. It turned out to be cod liver oil. Several members of our group tried some this morning. As we ate, we could see the sunrise start to brighten the sky over the ocean. Some folks from our group went out onto the back deck to get some photographs. I opened the door and as soon as my foot made contact with the deck, it slipped out from under me. The surface of the deck, though it looked like it was covered with frost, was covered with an imperceptibly thin layer of ice. I crashed to the ground in the doorway, not hurting anything but my pride. Members of the group helped me up, and I very carefully proceeded onto the deck, shuffling my feet slowly to avoid taking another tumble. The panoramic view of the sunrise was worth it, though! We checked out of the hotel and brought our luggage to the bus. Sölvi helped Craig down an icy ramp at the front door. Members of the group who hadn't gotten a chance to see the Hellnar church yesterday walked over there and took some photos. We got onto the bus and Sölvi drove over to pick them up. Since everything was covered with a very slick layer of ice, Sölvi provided us with mini-crampons which would make the walking much easier. They were basically a metal toe pick which slips over your boot via 2 rubber bands. Simple and effective. Because we hadn't had good visibility at the shore yesterday, Sölvi decided to backtrack a bit this morning so that we could get a better view of the volcanic pillars at Londrangar. Sunrise was the perfect time, as it coincided with their origin story: A troll king and his lady love went down by the shore one night, and sat watching the waves together. They were so enamored with each other that they never noticed the coming of the dawn, and they were turned to stone when the sun rose.The sun shone through a break in the clouds and was reflected in the water. Rock formations resembled a castle jutting out into the water. The roar of the waves was deafening as the surge of water crashed against the basalt columns that make up the jagged cliffs, leaving tracers of foamy spray while retreating from the black sand. Sea birds awakened from their roosting spots on narrow ledges on the cliff face and took to the sky in a cacophony of squawking. From Londrangar, we had a nice view of Snæffelsjökull (Snow Mountain Glacier), which was shining in the morning sunlight. Londrangar Sea birds at Londrangar Next we went to Port Arnarstapi, where there is a nice scenic cliff walk. In fact, when Sölvi had worked for the national park service, he had helped to build the walking path. We began walking at the pier and meandered along the coastline, admiring the natural basalt stone arches which bridge small expanses of sea. We got photos of various members of our group crossing Eystrigja arch and Miðgjá arch. Sölvi asked us what we thought a small boxy structure was for. I thought that it might be a utility shed or a restroom. It actually turned out to be a lighthouse! Birds were roosting on the cliff faces, and the late winter sun was reflecting off the ocean. The waves sprayed white froth as they battered the angular basalt cliffs. Gatklettur arch is particularly photogenic. It is a perfectly shaped arch through which each wave crashes. Next to the arch is a round hole in the rock, and every once in a while, it functions as a blowhole when the sea surges through. This path actually leads all the way to Hellnar (a distance of around 5 km), but we didn't have the time to explore the entire way. Our visit to Arnastapi concluded at the larger-than-life stacked rock statue of Bárður Snæfellsas (by Ragnar Kjartansson), guardian spirit of the area: Bárður Snæfellsas was a half-troll / half-man who is the subject of his own Saga. He left Norway, refusing to pay taxes to King Harald during Settlement times, sailing with 30 men for 50 days before reaching Iceland.The scale of the statue was such that you could be framed by the space between his legs. Angel and Hoi Ming happened to appear in that space just as I was preparing to snap a photo. There was a lovely little cafe near the statue, and we stopped in before heading to our next destination. It is considered courteous to make a purchase at a convnience store or cafe if you would like to use their rest rooms (which always seem to be immaculate). Some folks in the group got coffee or tea. Craig and I opted for a delicious homemade cookie and a bottle of Appelsin, Icelandic orange soda. When everyone was done with their snack, we boarded the bus again. We made a quick stop nearby at Öxl to see the place where Axlar-Bjorn, Iceland's first (and only) serial killer, lived. In the 16th century, he opened his farmhouse to tourists as a guesthouse. If he thought hey were rich, he would murder them with an axe and steal their possessions. When he was apprehended, he was executed. They feared that he would return as a ghost, so they dismembered his body and distributed the pieces in various geographic locations to prevent his body from being able to reassemble itself. Next we went to Buðir, the site of an adorable tiny black church. The first church was built here in 1703. In 1816, the national Lutheran church decommissioned the church at Buðir. A woman named Steinunn Sveinsdottir protested, and received permission to rebuild the church herself in 1848. As a permanent reminder of the fact that the church was rebuilt with private money, the door ring is inscribed with the words "This church was built in 1848 without the support of the spiritual fathers." The church was originally white, but it was difficult to maintain against the weather and salt air. In the 1990's, tar was applied to the exterior to protect it against the elements. The black color was seen as a novelty and the church at Buðir as been the site of many destination weddings ever since. Gay marriage has been legal in Iceland since 2010. With no separation of church and state (Lutheranism is the national religion), this meant that by definition, same sex marriages were sanctioned by the church. Many gay couples have chosen to come to Iceland to be married at the black church of Buðir if they are not able to be married at home. The church was locked, but we were able to peek into the windows. It almost looked as if you were looking into a child's play house version of the church. It had all the usual elements of a church (pews, baptismal font, choir loft, altar), but they were at such a smaller scale. And everything looked like it had just been given a jaunty coat of paint. It was surreal and adorable. Buðir was one of Iceland's major ports in the Middle Ages. Archaeological evidence dates the village to Settlement era. Today there is little here except for the church, its graveyard, and a hotel. Between the church and the sea, the Búðahraun lava field covered with beach grass eventually yields to sand dunes. Beyond the dunes lies a sandy beach speckled with lava rock. Unlike the other beaches we had seen in Iceland thus far, the sand here was not purely black. It was mostly a golden brown color, with white and black particles mixed in. We walked down the beach. There was a lot of seaweed at the water line, and natural jetties of black lava rock protruded into the waves. Then we wandered through the dunes. The surface of the sand was rippled from the wind. We saw a glacier in microcosm: a small patch of snow clung to the leeward side of a sand dune. Then the winds had blown a layer of sand on top of it. This helped to insulate it from the sun, so although the snow around it was gone, it remained. We saw a male ptarmigan on the beach grass. He still had his white winter plumage (including his feathers on his legs and feet) so he was not camouflaged at all. He flew around a bit and chirped (only the males make noise, and it sounds somewhat like a burp). Sölvi teased that we may see seals at our next stop, and while we drove there, he told us a folktale about a seal: A farmer / fisherman who had just come to shore with his catch heard music and laughter. He saw an illuminated cave, with sealskins draped over the rocks. He took a sealskin home, and locked it in a box under his bed. When he returned to the cliff beach, he found that the cave had disappeared. A naked woman was crying on the beach. He offered her his cloak, and she followed him back to the farmI found this story in the book that I had bought yesterday. It states that the folk tale supposedly took place in Myrdalur in the South, with the following introduction: Seals came into existence when the waters of the Red Sea were parted for the children of Israel so that they could pass safely over to the other side; when Pharoah's warriors followed them, the sea closed over them and they were turned into seals. God mericfully allows them to come ashore once a year, shed their sealskin, and make merry in human form until morning.As promised, our next destination was Ytri Tunga, the location of a colony of harbour seals and grey seals. We walked along the beach observing the seals at a distance. We could see the heads of grey seals protruding from the water as they frolicked in the waves. Harbour seals were resting on the rocks. They were regulating their body temperature in what is known as "banana pose", elevating their front and rear flippers. We saw one harbour seal swimming and slapping his flipper on the surface of the water. This is thought to be a form of communication, and another seal approached it as a result. On this beach we also observed the ruddy turnstone, a sandpiper-like bird which was wading in the ocean and looking for food in the sand. Seals at Ytri Tunga Next we stopped at Olkelduvatn mineral spring. Here, the spring water is naturally carbonated by carbon dioxide. We each drank a small bit, which tasted of minerals like iron. It is said to have many health benefits. The spring dates back to 1754. It looked surreal, rust-colored water bubbling forth from the earth. There was a wooden box with a coin slot in the top...honor system for sampling the water. I happened to have a few krona in my purse to contribute (we hadn't exchanged any money as we had read that absolutely everything takes credit cards in Iceland, but I had paid for entrance to the church in Reykjavik with US cash and had received a handful of krona as change). Naturally carbonated mineral spring at Olkelduvatn Sölvi had noticed the French contingent's affinity for Icelandic horses, so he pulled over when we passed a herd which were eating some hay close to the road. We all got out of the bus and approached them cautiously to take pictures from outside the fence. Icelandic horses have their lineage in Norway as they came with the first Norwegian settlers. Though they can be exported, and are popular around the world, horses can not enter Iceland. This means that international competitions can't be held in Iceland since nobody else could come, and Icelanders can't compete elsewhere because they wouldn't be able to bring their horses back home. Sölvi told us on one man who was sure that he had a world champion Icelandic horse, and made a sacrifice to prove it. He brought his horse abroad for the competition, and it won. But then he had to sell his beloved horse. The story has a happy ending, though, as the man visits the horse on a regular basis...in its new home in Hawaii! Two very different volcanic homes for that horse! As we drove, we passed a man with a dog and 4 sheep walking through a field. He was training his dog to herd the sheep, and clearly had his work cut out for him. We stopped once again at the now familiar N1 rest stop in Borgarnes to buy sandwiches for lunch. We bought the same tasty roast beef and pickle from yesterday, this time with an Appelsin orange soda and paprika-flavored potato chips. Some of the group opted for the grocery store next door, and pointed out that it was the only grocery store they have ever been in which sells wool and knitting supplies, as well as knit woolen products. Marie-France had bought a container of lamb jerky, and let us try some. It was delicious! We then continued on to Deildartunguhver, the world's largest thermal spring in terms of output: 48 gallons (180 liters) per second! Hot springs in Reykjavik had long been used for laundry, but it wasn't until 1930 that they first used geothermal energy to heat a swimming pool and a school. Today 85% of heat in Iceland comes from geothermal sources such as this spring, and 80% of power comes from hydroelectric (first used in 1904). The water is 212° Fahrenheit here (100° Celsius). It is piped to other communities via 74 km of pipe. The water reaches Akranes in 24 hours, and by then it is 163° F (73° C). The North Atlantic Current and Irminger Current moderate the island's temperature, making it warmer than other areas of similar latitude. It was surreal the way the sulfurous white steam rose from the boiling bubbling water pools. There was another tour group was here, and they appeared to be hearing impaired. Their guide was explaining the site to them via sign language. It is very important to Craig that we continue to travel despite his disability, and it always makes us happy to see others doing the same. Our last official stop of the tour was Hraunfossar (Lava Falls). This was unlike any waterfall we have seen before. Glacial melt water flows beneath the solidified Hallmundarhraun lava field (from a volcanic eruption circa 800 AD), and emerges from the face of the rock cliffs over the course of a kilometer. The water forms beautiful waterfalls, gorges, and turquoise pools as it tumbles into the Hvita (White) River. It was a humbling sight. Hraunfossar Also at this site is Barnafoss (Children's Falls). There is a folk tale associated with this waterfall: A mother had gone to church, and her two boys had stayed home. They later decided to meet everyone at church. They tried crossing the stone arch over this waterfall but suffered from vertigo and fell in to their deaths. The mother was so distraught that she ordered that the stone arch be destroyed so that nobody could cross it again.The water in the gorge below the falls was agitating like a washing machine, and it was easy to imagine a tragic fate befalling anyone who might find themselves submerged. We couldn't help but notice a common theme in these folktales...failure to go to church often had dire consequences. We'll just leave that there. After fully enjoying the natural wonders here, Sölvi gathered us together in the parking lot. He explained that this had been the last stop specified on the itinerary. We could head back to Reykjavik from here. But he couldn't help but notice how many "oohs" and "ahhs" emanated from the bus every time we passed Icelandic horses. "I don't know who was making those noises," he joked, but it was obvious that most of the group was captivated by these creatures. He said that he knew of a stable nearby which gives tours. He had called them and they had availability if we wanted to visit this afternoon. We would need to pay our own (nominal) entrance charge, and it would mean that we would return to Reykjavik a bit later than originally scheduled. We had actually pre-purchased tickets to the Icelandic Symphony at Harpa tonight, which started at 7:30 p.m. We had known that there was a strong possibility that we would arrive in town too late to make the show, but the tickert prices were reasonable enough that it was a gamble we were willing to take. We didn't even mention this to the group. We wanted them to make the decision, and we would go along with whatever they chose. We certainly didn't want to cause the group to miss out on an additional activity that interested them (and us) just because we had made additional plans. Everyone wanted to visit the horses, so we decided to forfeit the symphony in exchange for a cultural / animal experience. When we pulled up into the driveway at Sturlureykir Horse Farm, two dogs ran out to greet us, a female border collie and a large male border collie / Lab mix. They were followed by the patriarch of the farm. We went inside and an adorable border collie puppy rubbed against our legs and jumped up gently to be pet. It was so cute! We took a seat and a young woman gave us an introduction to the farm and its history. This family farm dates back to 1864, and they have over 50 Icelandic horses which have been born and raised on the property. She told us that some people think that Icelanders are cruel for leaving the horses outside, but the horses are made for it. Their coats are so warm that the farmers often shave under their manes and bellies in the summer to prevent them from overheating. One thing that makes Icelandic horses special is that they are capable of 5 gaits. In addition to the three standard gaits (walk, trot, canter/gallop), the Icelandic also has the tölt (a smooth run during which the rider barely moves) and flugskeið (flying pace). At this gait, an Icelandic horse can reach 30 miles per hour over short distances. We were able to see these gaits on the TV, which was playing various Icelandic horse competitions. Many medals and trophies won by the horses from this farm were on display around the room. She led us out to the stables, where we were allowed to pet the horses. They were magnificent, and on the whole quite friendly. There was one particular horse who refused to play along, presenting his back side whenever anyone tried to pet him or take a photo. He knew exactly what he was doing; as soon as we exited the stable we could see that he turned around, facing forward once again. In contrast, one male in particular really enjoyed attention, and stuck his head out to be pet when people were petting the horses in the neighboring stalls. Our host then led us back outside to show us the family's private hot spring. This natural resource is used for water and heat on the property. They even use the hot spring to cook Icelandic rye bread (Rúgbrauð)! They put the rye bread dough into milk cartons and bake it in the steam, resulting in hverabrauð (hot spring bread). We then went into the second stable and socialized with those horses. The border collie puppy emerged from this stable with a horseshoe and sat down to chew on it. This was no soft puppy chewing on a squeaky toy! A sociable horse was brought outside to pose with each of us for photos. After our tour of the farm, we went back inside for refreshments. We chose hot chocolate with marshmallows (they also had coffee). And we also got to taste the hot spring rye bread. It was delicious - so moist! It immediately reminded us of the taste and consistency of B&M brown bread in a can, a New England staple traditionally eaten with Boston baked beans. [In fact, after returning home, we researched "New England" or "Boston" brown bread. It actually dates back to colonial America, when people didn't have access to ovens to bake bread. Instead, they would put the ingredients (often including rye and molasses) into a metal cylinder and steam it over a fire. We found it ironic that it took an experience in Iceland to teach us about a tradition in our own home. We had always wondered why the B&M brown bread that we had eaten in our youth had come in a can...now it all makes sense. That was the method for cooking it!] We enjoyed socializing with the dogs. The border collies really liked Craig, and the owners joked that the female would never let him leave now that he was showing her so much attention. They explained that their large border collie Lab mix likes to sing. Whenever their neighbor practices the accordion, he howls along. To demonstrate, they played us an accordion song on their phone and he dutifully sang for us. It reminded Craig of Seamus the dog who sang with Pink Floyd. Singing Dog at Sturlureykir Horse Farm This was such a fun unexpected stop. The animals were lovely and so was the hospitality. It gave us a nice opportunity to explore a bit more of rural Icelandic culture. Thank you, Sölvi, for this extra treat! Then we headed back to the city, stopping to take a picture of the skyline off in the distance as we approached. Hallgrimskirkja's unique outline was unmistakable, dominating the skyline. As we drove the last few kilometers, Sölvi recounted all of the activities we had experienced together over the past 2 days. It was amazing just how many things we had experienced:
We said our goodbyes to the group and to Sölvi, and were dropped off at Bus Stop 3. We arrived back at out hotel room at 7:30 p.m. We were tired, and now that we were back to a reliable wi-fi connection, I had some posting to do (see long list of activities above!). So much had happened since we left Reykjavik yesterday morning, and I needed to capture all of the details and impressions. We decided to just have a quick meal, so we went next door to Baejarins Beztu Pylsur and each got two hot dogs with everything and a Fanta. It has been an amazing 2 days and we are so grateful! Thank you so much, Sölvi, for everything! And thanks to our amazing group: Delphine, Marie, Marie-France, Angel, Hoi Ming, Patricia, and Francois! It has been a pleasure! Londrangar Port Arnarstapi Black Church at Buðir Seal Colony at Ytri Tunga Hraunfossar, Barnafoss |
 View from breakfast at Fosshotel Hellnar  Londrangar  Londrangar  Snæffelsjökull  Port Arnarstapi  Delphine and Marie on Miðgjá arch, Arnarstapi  Gatklettur, Arnarstapi  Arnarstapi  Angel and Hoi Ming at the Statue of Bárður Snæfellsas  Black Church and Graveyard at Buðir  Black Church at Buðir, Interior  Sand Dunes, Buðir  Sand Dunes, Buðir  Beach Selfie at Buðir  Deildartunguhver  Hraunfossar  Barnafoss  Making Friends with an Icelandic Horse at Sturlureykir Horse Farm  Hot spring at Sturlureykir Horse Farm See all photos from March 14 |
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 Port Arnarstapi  Hraunfossar | ||
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