(readers note: I changed the format, so the pictures follow the relevant paragraphs. Be sure to read all the way to the end. Click on any picture to see all the pictures in full size)
We planned this trip so we could experience the midnight sun,
the time of year where it’s light 24 hours a day. For example, today the sun will dip below the
horizon at 5 minutes after midnight, then rise again 1:47am. It’s been strange adapting to a place that’s
never dark, waking in the middle of the night and not knowing if it’s 3am or
3pm because they look exactly the same. It’s
also Islandic Summer, with temperatures usually in the high 50s, calm winds and
blue skys. So far this trip has been
cold and rainy, but today we realized that summer here is beautiful. And only lasts for 5 hours.
We take advantage of this summer day by hopping the ferry to
the Westman Islands, a chain of 16 islands off the southwest coast of the
country. At about 5 square miles, Heimaey
is by far the largest of these islands and the only populated one, a town of 4300
inhabitants. It’s an island fishing
village built on a volcano, with all the other commerce of the town as support
of the one industry. Given the harsh
environment and isolation, I was expecting a rough-and-tumble kind of place,
but like the rest of Iceland it seems to fight the elements with civility and ingenuity. For example, you make your own fun here. Our tour starts with a visit to the training cliff,
where dozens of local kids under 10 are being taught Spranga, a local hybrid sport
of rope climbing, rappelling and rope swing.
There are 2 goals in this sport: 1) climb hundreds of feet up sheer rock
faces on the adjacent islands to steal bird eggs and 2) not to die. Our guide is 6’2”, 250lbs, grabs the long rope
and adroitly climbs up 50 feet in a split-second. Pushing off, he swings left in a graceful arc
and lands expertly on a 10-inch-wide rock shelf on the far other side of the cliff. Lining himself up, his next leap is a
breathtaking headfirst with a full flip and 2-and-a-half rotations, landing
back where he started. We understand instantly
that he’s a local, proud to show off his unique town.
We drive in search of Puffin, the adorable black and white birds with colorful beaks. To get to our vantage point, we walk through fields of local sheep, friendly types who happily follow and bleat and approach us for snacks of stale bread our guide brings along. The gulls and ducks are plentiful, but the puffins are harder to find. When we do see them they are whizzing by, headed out to sea to bring fish back to the nest. We didn’t expect something that cute to be that fast. At the top of the mountain we stop at the windiest place in Europe, but today is summer in Iceland, and it’s warm and calm and sunny. Next is the ash fields, the newest 30% of the island created by the months long 1973 volcano eruption. Our guide tells us about when he, his family and the entire island were evacuated for 5 months. Really interesting hearing history from someone who lived it. Our final stop is the animal sanctuary, where we get up close with a rescued Puffin (awwwwww!) and a pair of rescued Beluga whales (ohhhhhhh!)
Sometime during the 45-minute ferry ride back, summer comes to an abrupt end. It’s colder and windy on the mainland now. We stop to check out Skagafoss, the 160-foot-tall waterfall near our hotel. The Stairmaster at our gym did not prepare us for the steep winding steps to the top, and we’re both panting by the time we get there. Totally worth the effort as this vantage point offers views of the feeder river, the top of the falls and a panoramic all the way to the sea. It’s a gorgeous landscape in a series of gorgeous landscapes. Hedding east, we stop at Dyrholaey, the massive natural arch and nearby lighthouse. We turn off of Route 1, the two-lane ring highway around the country, and go a few clicks on a typical unpaved road of crushed lava rock. At the end of the road we drive the narrow switchbacks up the side of the mountain. With every turn, it feels like we’re just going to drive off the side of the earth. At the top, the wind is a constant 50mph and we hold onto each other to not be blown away. We enjoy the sites despite the weather, but with the winds this fierce and the rains starting, it’s not safe to walk across the top of the arch, so we make due with some good pictures.
The next “big town” east is Vik, the southernmost village in Iceland sporting a population of 300. Despite the population, the town is the hub for commerce for 50 miles in either direction, featuring 2 gas stations, a proper supermarket, a scattering of businesses and a handful of very nice restaurants. We choose The Soup Company, a vibey café that also hosts a live lava show. We order the signature Lava Soup, a bright red beef goulash in a bread bowl, and traditional Icelandic Meat Soup. Mandy says this is the north Atlantic version of Jewish chicken soup, good for the soul and perfect to warm the weathered traveler. It’s getting late (but not dark) and we head back to the Umi. The lobby bar is vibey, the remnants of two big parties in the restaurant tonight. We take the corner table next to the big windows overlooking the dormant volcano for a daylight nightcap, the expertly mixed cocktails finally winding us down from our long day.
Fascinating thus far! Looks like you are on a different planet. We
ReplyDeletewere in Brigantine for a couple of days so I just got to read your blog. What an experience. Keep writing and taking pictures. You have my full attention.