We are off for our first day of sightseeing with IceLimo (what a great company!) and what a day it will turn out to be. We are headed to the South part of the Island and before we go far it hits you that this place is different that anywhere else you have been. We are above tree line and volcanos and mountains still have considerable snow patches. Lupin was brought in planted everywhere to assist holding the thin soil, keep the ash from flying around and to give some beauty to boot. Mission accomplished as there are fields of purple flowers everywhere so our timing is perfect.
First stop is a couple hours away and what a surprise as the wind nearly blows us over. And it is a little chilly so more chothes are necessary. But the place is magical. Black sand beach from the ash stretches for miles while rocks clusters lead off shore and a basalt tower rises from the sea. A cave appears and like crinkled reynolds wrap adorning the ceiling and basalt columns shooting a couple hundred feet up the side of the mountain you can understand the creation of mystical creatures like trolls and mermaids and such. One such story is the tale of a fisherman that found seal skins lying on the beach at this place and decided to take one home. Returning he found a naked and beautiful girl crying. Taking her home he soon fell in love, married the girl and started a family. One day the girl found the seal skin and gave into the urge to slip into the skin and slipped into the sea never to return to land again.
It is a strange thing for us, from the middle lattitude, to have our back to the ocean and look across a field at a glacier. But off we go to take a look and we bounce over a dirt road and there it is the tongue of one of the largest glaciers in Europe. Like many glaciers, this one is melting back at a fast pace - about 150 yards from last year but still bigger than 1,000 years ago. Chunks are breaking off and floating down the river. It is such a cool sight but the power is evident and it gouches out the rock before it.
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| Glacier of Sólheimajökull |
It is time to check out some waterfalls and this island has hundreds if not thousands of them to see. The first gives an opportunity to climb straight up a ton of steps that causes a stop or two to take in the view. A platform awaits at the top to look over the top and this is a big falls!
Time for lunch and our guide knows a place that used to house cows but now takes in people to eat cows - or steers actually. Good food and homemade ice cream that was so good Tina actually eat some!
A couple more waterfalls await and they show off in great style. Our guide - wait, did I tell you about our guided? We got a winner here with a great sense of humor, answers our every wish, knows his stuff, answers our questions and hails from Iceland just like his family has since 1600 or before. We are having a great time. Anyway his favorite waterfall is a treat to say the least. The top is visable but the lower half is visable only through a narrow crack in the rock. But our guide leads us through the crack, rock hopping along the creek, soaking wet from the spray but worth it all as we arrive at the base of the falls and look up at least 300 yards toward the top. It is sublime and breathtaking. Still another waterfall awaits just a short walk away and this time we get to walk behind the falls and get wet again. But it is so worth it because it is huge and we look out through the falls and what is this? Our guide pops a bottle of champagne and pours us all a glass! It is July 4th and we celebrate by drinking Champagne behind a waterfall in Iceland. We bring on miniture flags and he plants a couple on the front of the Ford Excursion as we cruise back toward the hotel. More steam rises as we drive along and we learn the entire city is heated by using all the heat associated with the volcanos in the area and that translates into an average electrical and heating bill of $75 for folks.
It has been quite a day and after a very nice dinner and a little Aho wine we head for bed knowing tomorrow will be another wonderful time . Iceland is a hit!
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