Iceland, Day 8

tufted farmlands of southern Iceland

After a windy night in Selfoss, we awaken to perhaps a little less wind, rainy, cold.

Weather is Gray

Cold in southern Iceland

Our drive is along the south of Iceland, the lowlands. This area used to be underwater, so the soil mixes seaweed and volcanic ash. As the weather in winter changes from freezing to not-freezing, working the land into little tufts of volcanic rock and soil, making level farming difficult for machinery.

South Iceland farmhouse

Glacier along southern Iceland

Farmers grow oats and barley grain for livestock in the plots that they can maintain level. The advantage to farming here, is that the cool weather prevents insects and the need for pesticides, but fertilizer must be imported for obtaining a decent yield. The average farmer gets 2/3 of his income from government subsidies, as the costs are high, and the
growing season short.

Westman Islands, 7 miles away

Lava or flood plane off glacier

The lowlands do not stretch inland very far before mountains. On our cloudy day, the view is spectacular! The wind, though, is stirring up some ash from the 2010 volcanic eruptions, so we occasionally see a gray-like mist in the distance. In that year, there was an eruption called a "tourist eruption", somewhat benign but spectacular for tourism over 3 weeks. But THEN the big eruption from under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier sent debris into the air, causing major disruptions to airline service in Europe. It also caused melting from within the glacier, which turned into flooding into the lowlands. Lava flows and water rushed to the ocean, and we drove over some of the rebuilt areas.

Lava and flood channel from glacier

Farm on lowland under glacier

Not too far off the coast we can see the Westman Islands group. Several islands about 7 miles off Iceland, they have 4400 residents and the largest fishing port of Iceland. Interestingly, the south coast of the large island of Iceland has no ports, the land here is flat without deep harbors. The youngest Westman Island was created 39 years ago in a volcanic eruption. It has remained uninhabited and protected for study purposes, to see how life naturally evolves.

Farm in south Iceland
with glacier in background

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Solheimajokull glacier

Our first stop is going to be Solheimajokull glacier below Katla mountain. We see hints of it along our drive, it creeps down toward the coast, almost sea level. The glaciers are from the Ice Age, mixed with volcanic eruptions and new layers. Water runs from underneath them, cold rivers to the sea.

Approaching our glacier walk

I am going on my first GLACIER WALK! It is still cold, rainy, windy, and putting on the special cleats over shoes was the first challenge. Learning "The Walk" was fun...feet wide apart and stomp feet down flat as possible, so you get a grip on the ice without tearing your pants.

Solheimajokull glacier, ice and ash

Marcea with her ice ax

River running from under the glacier

I get the hang of it, and celebrate looking like the Ice Trekker with ice ax in hand. The glacier is mixed with lots of volcanic rocks and ash. Just under the top ice layer you can see little rivulets of clear water. And then big deep holes.  And tunnels.  And water rushing down deep holes and tunnels.  We climb a bit, and get a nice view to see how far we've come, a look upward to where we are not going.  Luckily, this isn't a "climbing"
expedition, and we turn back in time for lunch.

Glacier, ice and ash on a
gray day

Marcea and her crampons

On the ice, looking down a
hole

Tunnel in the glacier...
there's more under us that
we will never see

From the glacier, looking
back toward our bus in the
distance

We look up the glacier, not climbing
much further now



Just under the top ice,
you can see a miraculous
world of clear water moving

Leaving the glacier and looking back

Black lava rock beach

Driving away, more views of the glacier.  Our lunch was at a local family hotel/jeep tour/restaurant. After delicious fish and warming up from the cold ice...we leave on a jeep tour of the beach area. The clouds begin to lift and the rain disappears!

Ejafjallajokull from the coast

Lighthouseat Dyrholaey

We explore the Dyrholaey peninsula, starting with a tall outcropping onto which we drive. Phenomenal views!  But the WIND...it can nearly pick you up and toss you off the cliff. It is gusting, so we stay clear of the edge (mom will be glad to hear this).  Below we see a wide black lava beach to the west (on the right, I think we're looking south). In the distance, Eyjafjallajokll still looms, but we can see more of it now!  A lighthouse stands strong up here.

Look what lava rocks form!

Lava rocks at see

Walking further out, we see rugged lava formations, home to lots of birds. This place usually has puffins nesting, but they left a few weeks ago, leaving many of our fellow travelers disappointed. But I don't care...it's the dramatic beauty of the landscape that blows me away, as does the wind!

View in southern Iceland

Marcea on lava rock beach

Jim looking for "just the right rock"

Basalt columns of cliff

To the east is another wide black lava beach. Driving on this, our jeep driver enjoys some spinning in the pooling water. Yep, great fun, he's a young guy who grew up on his family farm here on the coast.  The beach has tons of flat black lava rocks which Jim enjoys gathering, the surf is rough, and we are warned of rogue waves that carried away inattentive tourists.  Walking just around one hill that has intriguing basalt columns, is a fabulous carved out cave, where the lava formations are naturally artistic.

Footsteps in lava rocks

Carved out under the cliff

Iceland formations

More views include a rather phallic-looking lava rock past the surfline.  Our guide tells us that Russell Crowe and Tom Cruise have been filming here recently...so we'll look for these scenes in film someday.

Jim on an Iceland beach walk

Marcea's shadow

Looking toward Vik

Back in the jeep, we head up to the top of another outcropping. This time, we start out in a little town of Vik, taking a steep and narrow path winding up the side.  The wind miraculously has subsided, and so we relish the views with blue sky in the background. Up here, we enjoy views of the same rocks seen from the beach below, as well as Vik. And one more look at Eyjafjallajokull now that all the clouds are gone!

Black lava beach

Speaks for itself

Eyjafjallajokull

Leaving Vik at the end of our jeep ride, it's back on the bus and heading toward Selfoss in the west.  We pass a sunny view of our glacier...imagine that just a few hours ago we walked in wind and rain on this...constant confirmation that the weather is truly changeable in Iceland.

passing "our" glacier again in the SUN

Skogafoss

Skogafoss is just off the road, waterfall is 200 feet high. We enjoy late afternoon views that include a rainbow!  Just before we leave, we watch a little plan swooping down and up on the fields that stretch to the ocean. He has a little fun with us, diving down toward the bus and pulling up. At least, we think it's in fun.

Rainbow in Skogafoss

Farm under glacier

Just Plane Fun

Seljafalandsfoss

Just a little way farther, more water is pouring off the Eyjafjallajokull glacier, into the farmland valley and Markarfljor riverbed.  Seljalandsfoss, located on the Seljalan farm, has wispy flows of water that seem to blow like ribbons as the wind direction changes. Then of course, flowing water creates its own wind, so the entire thing is fascinating. Visitors can walk behind the falls...and Snorri gets sopping wet with one of the direction changes. 

Rainbow in Seljalandsfoss

Yet again, we are treated to rainbows...two of them...in the late afternoon sun!

Walking behind a falls and a rainbow

Seljalandsfoss

Selfoss and Olfusa River, in the sun

Today is done, with one more photo of the Olfusa River outside our Selfoss hotel room...this time in clear sky. Jim and I have one of our best dinners tonight on our own...monkfish wrapped in bacon.

Monkfish is just another of the fish found off Iceland coasts and in the rivers that we have enjoyed...including cod, salmon, trout, wolf-fish, and Arctic char.