The weather broke a little today and we were able to get out to see some of the outstanding geology all around us. Still, we did not get a full day’s worth of sightseeing in. That is not to say that we haven’t been having a wonderful time, we have. It’s just that we have not been doing much of what I had planned. Who knows, if we don’t see it all, maybe we will just come back some day.
We drove towards the sunrise, on a partially snow/ice covered road. Importantly, visibility was great! We were trying to get to the Icelandic town of Vik. The road east skirts between the tailings of the shield volcanoes and the flats that tilt into the Atlantic Ocean. Craggy and covered with snow, this was dramatic scenery.
Our first destination was Skógafoss, (“foss” means falls, so Skógafoss means the falls at Skógar). Along the way we saw a small herd of Iceland’s famous horses. They are small and if classified by height alone, one would call them ponies. However, because of the Icelandic breed's ability to carry heavy weights, their spirited temperament and their general hardiness, they are considered horses by Icelanders and non-Icelanders alike. Skógafoss is a tremendous waterfall when considering how small Iceland is. It flows as glacial melt (from the Sólheimajökoll) the year round because, while snow is constantly being deposited on the top of it, the bottom of the glacier receives a steady supply of geothermal heat from below. So, the water coming over this falls is very ancient glacial water.
After viewing the falls the weather, as predicted, started taking an ominous turn, so Sandy and I headed back to the Rangá. We did make a stop at a smaller, but still significant, glacial falls, Seljalandsfoss.
Iceland is rightfully proud of their “natural casing” hotdogs. In various lists of the top ten things to eat while in Iceland, their hotdogs are always there. So, even though there was the option of a seriously gourmet meal at the Rangá, today at least, I opted for a hotdog at a road side cafe.
A fun, though shortened, day. It was nice to get back to the Hotel. It was a good day.
The Polar Bear in the Lobby (Huge)
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