Stunning Vistas, Steaming Cauldrons, and an Underwater Monster

The East Fjords of Iceland offer incredible, dramatic vistas and fascinating and quirky stops. This area contains steep-sided fjords, black sand beaches, valleys with flocks of grazing sheep, pastures full of Icelandic horses, and, surprisingly, scores of swans gracefully swimming in the icy waters of glacier lagoons or the cold salt water of the North Atlantic Ocean. Tiny fishing villages nestled between lava fields and the ocean make you feel that you have wandered into a preternatural place.

The rugged East Coast of Iceland on an overcast, misty morning

Austurland (East Iceland) is characterized by small villages, dramatic coast-

lines, narrow fjords, waterfalls and mountains. The scenery is breathtaking.

One of our first stops was the small (population 349) harbor town of Djupivogur, one of the oldest ports in the country. In the 16^th century, German merchants were trading here.  Along the harbor is Eggin I Gledivik, (the Eggs of Merry Bay) a collection of 34 giant granite eggs, each in the correct shape and color, representing 34 native birds. Icelandic artist Sigurdur Gudmundsson (b. 1942), who co-founded Ryykjavik’s Living Art Museum, created the eggs in 2009. Each sits atop a pedestal, and each pedestal has a plaque naming and describing the bird that the egg represents.

The eggs, though differing slightly in appearance, are all close to the
same size except for one. The sculpture honoring the red-throated
diver, official bird of Djúpivogur, is larger than the rest.

Each of these sacks weights 1,000 kilos, or 2,204 pounds, so this pile
represents 66,120 pounds - just over 33 tons of salt, stacked on the
pier, waiting to be shipped.

We continued along the Ring Road, awed by the majesty of the incredible sights. Towering mountains rising up on one side of the road; shear drops-offs to the sea on the other side.  Occasionally, the road would wind its way down to sea level, then just as quickly, climb back to dizzying heights.

Only about 3% of the country's population lives in the rugged East Fjords.
In season, this is a great area to view puffins, but they had all migrated
by the time we visited in September

Our next stop, in the village of Stodvarfjordur, was just for me - - first, because I was in desperate need of a bathroom stop, and secondly, because I like off-beat museums, and Petra’s Stone Collection Museum fit the bill for both needs.  Once I paid the 1,500 ISK ($12) tab for admission, I wasn’t simply going to use the WC and leave. My companions waited in the car as I took a hurried tour of the museum that housed (in their words) "the world’s largest privately-owned stone and mineral collection.”  70% of the museum is stones and minerals from the local area, including cubes of jasper, agate, amethyst, and quartz crystals.  Petra Sveinsdottir, it turns out, was my kind of collector. In addition to rocks and minerals, the museum housed eclectic collections of advertising pens and pencils and (mostly) antique hankies.

Petra Sveninsdottir began collecting unusual stones and minerals
in 1946. In 1974, following the death of her husband, she decided to
open her home as a museum, to share her collection with Icelanders

Initially, all of the stones that Petra found were within walking distance
of her home. Before 1962, roads were so bad and her village so
remote that she could not go far from home to pursue her hobby

Though it welcomed visitors as a museum, the property remained,
first and foremost, Petra's home until her death

Petra passed away in January of 2012. Today, the museum is
operated by her four children

Today, Petra's Stone Collection receives between 20,000 and
30,000 visitors each year, making it the most popular
tourist attraction in East Iceland

Petra's collection of "marked" (advertising and
logo) pens and a matchbook collection

We stopped for lunch in the village of Faskruosfjorour. During the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, this was one of the main Icelandic fishing stations for the French, and the French built a hospital here. The village still shows a great deal of French influence, with street signs written in both Icelandic and French. We enjoyed a delicious hand-made pizza in a small café on the harbor.

Continuing, we drove around small but dramatic fjords all along the coast. The Ring Road hugs the coast at this point, then turns inland around the end of each fjord – sometimes as far as two or three miles inland – before heading back to the sea. These fjords were formed as glaciers receded, leaving deep ravines in the earth. Although they fill with sea water, almost all of them are fed almost constantly with fresh water from the melting snow and ice, cascading down from the mountains.

Lagarfljot is a river originating in the mountainous center of the island, about 140 km (87 miles) long, carrying glacial run-off. The center section of this river forms Lake Logurinn, with depths of 90 to 112 meters (295 to 368 feet). The milky-colored Lake Logurinn is said to be the home of the monster Lagurfljotsormurin (Lagarfljot worm), Iceland’s version of the Loch Ness Monster.

Seydisfjordur is a small port where ferries from Europe land after sailing 1,575 Km (980 miles) from Denmark to Iceland, with an intermediate stop at the Faroe Islands. The harbor is a beautiful setting, surrounded on three sides by dormant volcanoes with cascading waterfalls rushing down to the sea.

The drive along the East Coast is spectacular, with sheer cliffs and gleaming sea views. Everywhere, Icelanders attempt to keep things as natural as possible, and that includes foregoing guardrails. Most of the Ring Road in this area is paved, with only one gravel section, and most of it has no shoulders. Although I gasped at the beauty of the scenery (or more likely at the drop-offs), I have very few pictures of this area because I was trying to keep myself and my camera out of the way so Mike, who was driving that day, could judge where the edge of the road was. Along the route there was a 6 Km (3.5 mile) tunnel hewn out of a mountain, and the road through the tunnel was a single-lane. Every kilometer there was a pull-off, equipped with a fire extinguisher and a phone in the event of a breakdown or crash.

In the early 1900's Seydisfjordur was the site of several
technological "firsts" including Iceland's first telegraph station 

Although modern Iceland has never been at war, and does not have an
army,Reydarfjordur in East Iceland served as an Allied base during WWII

The following day we continued further north toward Lake Myvatn. Our first stop was Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall. Four hundred cubic meters (17,700 cubic feet) of water thunder over Dettifoss each second. The falls themselves are astounding, but the entire terrain is equally amazing. Mile upon mile of volcanic debris rolling, splitting, heaving; large, angular boulders and small gravel-sized chips of lava; areas completely devoid of vegetation adjoining areas of almost neon-green alge; what vegetation there is was tinted with yellow and orange signaling the coming of fall.

The gravel road on the east side of the river leading to Dettifoss closes in
early fall and does not reopen until late May or early June. The new
paved road on the west bank is closed from January until April

Dettifoss, the larger of the two falls, is 45 meters (148 feet)
high and 100 meters (328 feet) wide

Dettifoss is located in Vatnajokull National Park, one of three national
parks in Iceland.  Vatnajokull National Park encompasses 14% of all
of the land in the country.

The smaller waterfall located just up-river from Dettifoss is Selfoss.
They are located on Jökulsá á Fjöllum, the second-longest river in
Iceland, which empties into the Greenland Sea.

Contrary to what might be expected, Iceland's closest neighboring country
is Scotland (805 Km - 500 miles), not Greenland (1,235 Km - 765 miles )

Dettifoss was seen in the opening scene of Ridley Scott's science
fiction blockbuster Prometheus (2012). Set near the end of the 21st
century, the story focuses on the crew of the spaceship Prometheus

There is not a lot of vegetation in the lava field, and what was there
had already turned to fall colors by September 9th

Arriving at the Myvatn area, we visited the Krafla Caldera. By definition, a “caldera” is a large volcanic crater, especially one formed by a major eruption leading to the collapse of the mouth of the volcano. The caldera is ringed by mountains, remnants of the volcano that were left standing following its eruption. The caldera is 10 Km (6.2 miles) in diameter, and the tallest of the peaks surrounding it rises 818 meters (2,684 feet – about a half-mile), affording incredible views of the caldera floor and nearby Lake Myvatn. This is an active geothermal area with bubbling mud springs and steaming fumaroles, the air pungent with the smell of sulfur. From the tall peak, one can look down and get a great view of the Krafla Geothermal Power Station that supplies power for a substantial portion of the country. A small explosion crater at the top of the 818 meter peak, called the Viti Crater, contains eerie blue-tinted water that Mike says is reminiscent of water used as coolant in nuclear reactors. This crater is comparatively “young”, formed during eruptions in the 1720's.

The Viti Crater is approximately 30 meters (99 feet) in diameter.
"Viti" means Hell in Icelandic

The Krafla Geothermal Power Plant is the largest in Iceland.
Steam from thirty-three bore-holes drives two 30 MW turbines,
capable of producing 500 GWh of electricity annually

Test boring began in 1974, and the first turbine went on-line in 1977.
Additional bore holes and the installation of a second 30 MW turbine in 1997
doubled the capacity of the plant to today's 500 GWh annual production

Hverir is a geothermal area with boiling mud pots and steaming fumaroles

The rotten-egg smell of hydrogen sulphide is not overpowering
here, but it is definitely noticable

A steaming fumarole in the Hverir geothermal area

Not knowing how solid the surface was, we chose not to walk out near
the hot springs, which can reach boiling temperatures of 100 C (212 F)

The silver-looking body of water right at the horizon is Lake Myvatn.
The blue water is a geothermal pool

This area was once exploited by the King of Denmark

for sulfur to be used in the production of gunpowder

We had two days in the Lake Myvatn area, a rare treat after moving to a new location and lodging every day. The extra day and night also gave us a chance to more fully explore the area, including a drive around Lake Myvatn, a shallow eutrophic lake with an abundance of aquatic plants in the midst of a volatile volcanic area.  We visited Skatustaoir to view the “pseudo-craters.” These landforms resemble true volcanic craters, but they are not actual vents from which lava has erupted. They are characterized by the absence of any magma conduit which connects below the surface. 

Lake Myvatn

Psuedo-craters at Lake Myvatn, near the village of  Reykjahlid

Pseudo craters are formed when lava flows over wet ground and
pushes the ground down. This causes a lot of steam to be trapped
under the weight of the lava which then causes a lot of pressure.

Swans on lake Myvatn . These are Whooper (pronounced "hooper")
Swans, the only type in Iceland. It is the counterpart of the
North American Trumpeter Swan

Lake Myvatn is thought to host more species of
ducks than anywhere else in the world

Locals disagree on the spelling of Hverfjall, and it can either be called
Hverfjall or Hverfell. Both have the same meaning: Crater Mountain. 

Dimmuborgir - the Dark Fortress - consists of huge lava rock formations
that make you feel as though you have stepped into a fairy-tale world

A beautiful view of Lake Myvatn with the volcanic
Crater Mountain, Hverfjall, in the distance

In order to keep the breed pure, no horses can be brought into Iceland,
and if an Icelandic horse ever leaves the country, he cannot return

We watched this dog work one morning. He was not herding his
sheep, but went from group to group, checking to verify that
all of them were OK and were where they were supposed to be

Lake Myvatn is the fourth-largest lake in Iceland, at 9.5 Km
(6 miles) long and 6.5 Km (4 miles) wide

We drove over the top of another dormant volcano, characterized by a very large plateau on the top, but with very steep roads leading up and down the sides, to visit the pretty little fishing village of Husavik. Situated on Skjalfandi Bay and noted for its whale-watching tours, the town has spectacular views of the Kinnarfjall mountain range, which includes that volcano over which we drove to get there. 

This is road no. F26, going to Husavik, on Sept. 10. Mike checked on Oct. 23
(six weeks later) and it is listed as "snow covered and extremely slippery"

Coming down off of the mountain into Husavik

When the sheep are brought down from the mountains in the fall,
they are all herded into the center ring, then separated out into
the pie-shaped pens according to who owns each sheep

The Lutheran church on the Husavik waterfront was built
in 1907 with wood imported from Norway

Husavik is the whale-watching capital of Iceland - some say the best in all
of Europe.  Species most often spotted are Minke and Humpback, with
occasional Orca and Blue Whales

Upon our return to Myvatn from Husavik, Adie and I took time to visit and enjoy the Myvatn Nature Baths. The baths are far less crowded than - and about half the price of – the world-renowned Blue Lagoon. The water temperature is maintained between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius (100 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit), cooled from its natural, out-of-the-earth temperature of 55.4 C (130 degrees F). An afternoon in the thermal baths was on Adie’s “must do” list, and I joined her, discovering that it was a marvelous experience.

 In October, admission to the Blue Lagoon is $94 (standard) or $118
(premium).  Myvatn Nature Baths charges $36 for adults or $24 for seniors.  
(Photo courtesy of Adrienne Cooper)

Leaving Myvatn, we continued west, still in the massive Vatnajokull National Park. Located in this area are the Hljooaklettar (“echo rocks”), a collection of basalt columns scattered in random directions and piles to create unique formations and arched caves that create eerie echoes and reverberations. 

Another magnificent waterfall found in this region is Godafoss. What makes it unique is a horseshoe-shaped rock formation in the middle of the river at the top of the falls, dividing the flow into two separate horseshoe-shaped falls.  Godafoss is sometimes nicknamed “waterfall of the gods.” Legend has it that when Iceland converted to Christianity in 1000 A.D. idols of Norse gods were destroyed by throwing them into these falls.

While not the biggest at 12 meters (40 feet) high and 30
meters (99 feet) wide, Godafoss is nonetheless one
of the more spectacular waterfalls in Iceland 

 Like most of the rivers in Iceland, the Skjálfandafljót River is
glacier-fed. The milky-white / green color is the result of sediment
washed down the mountain as the water runs off the glacier

Spot the bird in this photo. It is the Hrossagaukur or Common Snipe. It
is very shy and does a good job of concealing itself close to the ground

The city of Akureyri is situated at the innermost end of Eyjafjordur fjord. It is the unofficial capital of northern Iceland and is the largest city outside of the Southwest region (Reykjavik and surrounding cities and towns) in the entire country, with a whopping population of around 18,000 inhabitants.

The harbor at Akureyri on an overcast day

We saw Cunard Lines' MS Queen Elizabeth in port in Akureyri on Sept. 11. 
She was on day 6 of a 14-day cruise from Southampton. She still had stops
to make in Reykjavik, Greenock (Scotland) and Dublin before returning home

A view of some of the residential areas of Akureri from the quay

Travelers used to be advised to “pack fewer clothes and more money.” While packing lighter is always a good idea, carrying more cash isn’t really necessary.  Iceland is essentially a cashless society, and almost all purchases, from fuel to meals, postcards to candy bars, are typically made with a credit card. So, the savvy traveler makes sure his or her credit card does not charge foreign transaction fees. Meals are very expensive; a bottle of beer in a restaurant runs 1,500 to 1,800 ISK ($12 to $14.50) and, like in much of Europe, Iceland still has a few public bathrooms that charge a fee, although most that we encountered did not. And, incredibly, one that we encountered in the Lake Myvatn area lets you use either cash or credit card. A credit card reader, much like an ATM, dispenses a bar-coded card, which you then feed into a turnstile, like getting on the subway, to get into the WC.

Modern technology - bathrooms that you can charge on
your credit card. This ain't your grandparent's outhouse

True Icelandic souvenirs are pretty much limited to beautiful hand-knit sweaters and other woolen products, exotic salts, and books. Books are the most popular Christmas gift in Iceland, too, and the Icelanders are vociferous readers. According to a study conducted in 2013, 50% read eight or more books per year, and a staggering 93% read at least one book a year. Moreover, one in ten Icelanders will write and publish one or more books in his or her lifetime. Reykjavik has been named a UNESCO City of Literature, one of only five cities in the world to be so designated.   

Kolufoss Falls. We are standing on a bridge over the canyon through 
which the water flows

Looking downstream from the falls, as the water rushes through
Kolugljufur Canyon, 21 Km (13 miles) from Laugarbakki

A pastoral scene taken from our hotel in Laugarbakki. This morning, we 
leave the Ring Road and begin our journey to the West Fjords.  We are 
only 191 Km (120 miles) from Reykjavik at this point

Dinner at the Sjavarborg Restaurant in Hvammstangi,on the last night 
before leaving the Ring Road on our trek to the West Fjords

In the end, though, the best and longest-lasting souvenirs are the memories and the experiences, which we had in abundance, and which make for great Road Stories.

In the last blog, we posted a picture of our car when it was clean. It would
get a LOT dirtier than this once when we reached the gravel roads of the
West Fjords.  Stay Tuned!