Iceland, Pt. 7

Our plan for the day was to drive straight through from Hella to Jökulsárlón, which was a good decision because the weather was abysmal, though I still enjoyed driving through the misty lava fields on the way.

The weather – and our spirits – lifted as we approached Vatnajökull. We hadn’t planned to make any stops, but couldn’t resist enjoying the view for a few minutes at a turn-off. Here there was an informational sign about a glacial flood that had wiped out the bridges on Route 1 in this area. Indeed, large twisted beams remained as a reminder of the devastation.

Jökulsárlón

We finally made it to Jökulsárlón and right away we saw seals cavorting and diving for food. This was a really cool surprise, beautiful icebergs and deep blue water aside. It was almost overwhelming after being cooped up in the car. I could have stayed there for a long time enjoying the scenery and watching the seals.

We snacked on kleinur (Icelandic twisted donut) before checking out Fjallsárlón. I liked the shape of this glacier and it looked very blue and icy, unlike Sólheimajökull which had scraped up a good amount of dirt and was striated with ash. We got a nice warm burst of sunshine here.

Skaftafell

Having seen much of the landscape from a distance – and, unlike many other tourists we saw, trying to be respectful of Icelandic ecology by not tramping around everywhere – it was great to be on a sanctioned trail among the vegetation. We took the out-and-back trial to Svartifoss, which afforded wonderful views to the south.

Vatnajökull National Park was established fairly recently – 2008 – and Svartifoss resides within. The word ‘cathedral’ immediately came to mind when we saw Svartifoss. The waterfall descends over a concave shell of basalt columns. I managed to secure a nice little spot to practice some long exposures.

Fjaðrárgljúfur

We had a long drive back to Hotel Rangá ahead of us but the major thing we wanted to see before sunset was the canyon Fjaðrárgljúfur (which I can only pronounce if I take it really slow… fee-yath-rawr-glyu-fer(!)). So we started back down the Ring Road, enjoying the scenery that had been obscured by fog and rain on the way out. We stopped to see Foss á Síðu, but the path was closed. It was okay… I think we may have been experiencing waterfall fatigue anyhow!

Fjaðrárgljúfur, on the other hand, was unlike anything we’d seen up to that point. We walked a little ways along its 2km length, which revealed a waterfall in the distance that feeds the river far below. The canyon itself is composed of such interesting shapes – pinnacles, blades, etc. Just an awe-inspiring place, and a great note to end the day on. As we walked out, a group of sheep observed us. What are they planning???

We got ready for our complimentary honeymoon dinner immediately upon returning to the hotel. Our favorite was the creamy langoustine soup, and I must have eaten 15 pieces of their fresh-baked bread (which came with flaked salt, pepper, olive oil, and fresh butter).