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.
