7-6-2015: Lava, Lakes and Wine

 

 

Our guide, Gylfie is awesome and he notes that we had scheduled a trip to a museum, but he also notes we like to hike and see local spots. So, "Suggestion" he says, "Our museum has a great Viking Ship but you are going to Norway and will see Viking Boats so how "bout you skip the museum and we take a hike". We trust and say, "Take us brother, we believe"

Turns out our gut was right and we have a great day in a National Park visited by few and not far from the City. Note this - a beauty of this City is the fact that 30 minutes takes you from City to isolated wilderness. So cool! Iceland is Volcanos and their evidence is everywhere.

First stop of the day is in an industrial area with "Do not trespass signs", We are thinking...where is Gylfie taking us? The fish hanging place by golly. These Iceland folks show respect to animals by letting nothing go to waste - fish for instance. Filets go to Iceland stomachs and most visitors. The rest of the fish they hang in the air to dry. Yep, smells like fish left out to dry. The skin is saved and put into use making purses and wallets and such - really, I am not kidding - we saw them. The rest of meat is made into fish jerky or chips. Sorry, did not try any of those - they must keep them for themselves! Bones? Maybe for fertilizer in the thin soil. And ain't nobody talking 'bout the fish eyes and I ain't asking.

As we drive along horses.....little short horses with long tails and oh so cute. They are Islandic horses, not your common quarter horse or wild mustang. These are home grown and only grown here in Iceland. The short legs must help with something that Darwin thought important - closer to the short grass in the winter? Easier to stay upright in the strong wind? Short legs to maintain warmth when winter arrives. Can't say but they sure are cute.

Our day takes us to lava covered fields where a kind of moss has grown over making the field appear as a soft lumpy meadow. The lava is sharp but the moss covering softens the rock and it is powerful and soft at the same time. But Iceland is also steam from volcanos and it is everywhere. We see clouds of steam and a plant for capturing and processing the hot steam and water and shipping it to the City. There is such an abundance that they send hot water for heating all the homes and businesses and still have enough left to heat the sidewalks and areas to keep off the ice and snow. Not a sign of pollution of any kind except for cars in this country.

 

We stop the car, scramble to the top of a hill for a great view. But the climb is not that easy as the tuft grass is more than difficult the climb and sometimes we resemble sheep as we move up the hill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of sheep, we see lots and you just want to take one home. Short little legs, they grow only here and even the girls have horns. We stop and a male starts running to us as us to protect his flock acting very aggressive.

Turns out they were all interested in a free lunch and when offered any crackers we had, they were very happy to share the valley with us. We take a short walk to a lake - clear, full of arctic trout and other fish I am sure. Not one around but at the end of the lake is one small cabin. One cabin, one lake, no people - good lord, sign me up! I wanted to stay, stay stay. We just roamed about in this beautiful area and headed back to town.

We stop by a place where the rocks are constantly being reclaimed by the sea. An ever changing landscape by an old lighthouse. The lighthouse master says after a huge part of a rock is reclaimed, I've relandscaped again.

Our guide notes folks, no doubt from another land, on top of a cliff that drops straight to the sea. Look closer you see a split in the cliff like it had been cut by a knife as if it were cheese. "Well", says our guide,"I would not climb on that because it will soon, maybe today, maybe in 10 years, drop off into the sea and people standing there will get a last thrill". We take the advise and wave to the people on the cliff.

 

 

Tonight we are invited to our German friends apartment they rented, for dinner. We bought a bunch of food at local markets, have some Aho wine left and a new hotel without a bar and life is good. Great dinner with friends, great discussion of the world and a nice walk home.

What a great day and another awaits tomorrow.