Monday 2 June 2014

A Grand Day Out

It is a particularly beautiful morning, blue skies over flat-calm waters, as we drop anchor outside Djúpivogur on Iceland’s eastern coast. So it strikes us a little odd in the beginning that the scenic flight excursion is canceled by the pilots because of fog.
But not much longer and we see that they were perfectly right, a tight blanket of mist is rolling in from the sea and within minutes Fram has disappeared in the white layer. This is Iceland…
Just after the Polar Cirkel Boats bring the many guests ashore who have signed up for the long overland excursion the three buses are taking off along the eastern shores of this great island. And it is a trip through a land full of wonders, vast landscapes, endless plains framed by huge mountains. And on top of these mountains the weather even allows us to spot Europe’s largest glacier, the Vatnajökull, who sits majestically in the distance, communicating with the rest of “his” island by long and impressive ice lobes and enormous amounts of water which brings enough sediment down into the plains to convert them into one wet and swampy labyrinth. And in this stricken place lies Jokulsarlon, the lagoon. *The* lagoon, one might add, as it is so picturesque and dramatic that it was chosen as location for many a movie.
We take a boat ride in this frozen dreamland, touch ice, taste it, take pictures of it. Still this world is not too cold for animals, the lucky ones even spotted a little harbor seal in the water.
Not everybody knows that Iceland has a pretty large population of reindeer. We can prove it as of today, for we spot some peacefully grazing in the early summer weather.
Höfn is probably one of villages with the best views in the world, and we get to see that one, too.
The lunch stop on the way back provides some typical Icelandic dishes in a well-known restaurant.
Tired but happy everybody returns in the late afternoon, sharing stories with those who took it slow today and enjoyed the calm and friendly atmosphere of Djupivogur.

Ready to weigh the anchor, and we sail into the evening.