Glaciers and Other Icy Icelandic Things

Robin's egg  blue glacier

Cod liver oil

Today we loaded up the car, then hit the hotel's dining room for its continental breakfast. There was a delicious and vast array of food, suitable for the timid and the daring. Cereals, eggs, sausages, two kinds of herring and loads of freshly sliced fruit.
I was brave, daring a swig of Icelandic cod liver oil that sat with beckoning shot glasses along side the varied breakfast fare. It was surprisingly good, fresh and light while having zero fish taste. Nice to easily get in one's spring tonic for 2017.

Eldhraund Lava Field

Breakfast over, we headed onto the road to resume the drive past amazing scenery of ice and former fire, such as the Eldhraund lava fields, composed of lava rock overgrown with thick green moss. The field originated with the Lakagígar eruption - of the 'Laki' volcanic system - from the 1700s.

To approach glacier, step one is cross the one lane wooden bridge

Erdhardt Lava Field

 After studying the beautiful lumpy green expanses that covers acres and acres, we drove on, stopping to visit the Svínafellsjökull Glacier located 2 klm from the main road.

Ila photographs the glacier on the drive to face it 'one on one'

Closer...

Closest

The road down to the Svínafellsjökull Glacier had a bold sign, warning the road sucked. But we
gingerly drove down to the glacier and back which made us bold. So we started often veering off the Ring Road to drive out and look at what side treks from the area had to offer.


Waterfalls continued to be discovered, putting on loud & incredible displays of plummeting water.

This poor waterfall had no name, I shall call it... 'Squishy'!

An Icleandic mesa, no doubt stolen from New Mexico

Far off, a bridge was spotted, and and crossing it put one in a parking lot with melting glaciers

Melting glacier field

Crowds in the distance park and view the melting glacier

Iceland Gull sails by

Harbor Ringed Seals swam about

Harbor Ringed Seal 'on the rocks'

The big treat - for us birders - were rafts of Common Eiders, paddling about.

Some Eiders 'on the rocks' too

The glacier area was melting and running into the ocean. The beach was just walking distance away.

It was difficult saying 'bye bye' to the eiders

We hadn't been more than two minutes from the glacier field when I shrieked due to unexpected wildlife - or semi-tame domestic critters? Am still not totally sure.

REIN-DEER-ZEZ!

Like I said, Wow. Was not expecting domestic Reindeer or wild Caribou, whichever they are. The herd wasn't far from some more obviously domesticated sorts.

Yes, more Icelandic Ponies/Horses

We had already picked and booked our hotel for the night, and we began to search for it. Search for one thing in Iceland, and find more of these sorts of things, youngsters in this case.

Second 'hit' of wild caribou or domestic reindeer

Peekaboo!

There was something 'youngish' about these deer

We eventually found our hotel, which it seems is a brand new enterprise, still pretty much under construction. We were a bit worried about it but the room we got was new, and again, clean & comfy. With our luggage all stowed away safely, we took a drive further along to a little coastal town, Höfn. We're in southeastern Iceland, so we've come a long way.
 

The name Höfn means 'Harbor'

Ila might have been a triffle bored - I didn't ask her -  but for me Höfn was AWESOME! That is because the harbor and surrounding fields had many interesting birds.

Another of these beauties - European Golden Plover

Meadow Pipit

a colorful Redwing 

At a marsh next to the harbor, a Common Snipe busily hunted worms and such.


It doesn't seem like a trip to me if I don't see and photograph animals. After enjoying the harbor, the day ended with dinner at Pakkhús, a restaurant. Meals in Iceland are wildly expensive, with a modest meal costing around $40 - $50 or more. On the bright side, wait staff in Iceland are paid full salaries so they do not depend on tipping. In Iceland tipping truly is optional. I wish we had that system in the States.

Ila enjoying dinner after a glacier & waterfall packed day

And now for a final look at today's waterfalls and some ice.