First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Though this is a year for which we're both looking ahead (as in Astrid and me both having cataract surgeries a week apart on January 25 and February 2!), I'm starting off the year here by going back to Iceland from last May, not wanting it to drop off the radar into a Black Hole.
This 7th day of our trip on May 12 (see overview here) is a good smattering of Iceland, if that's all you see, showing both the highlands and the fjords, with both mountains and valleys.
[credit: Capture the Atlas]
We started the day at Egilsstaðir (upper red arrow) and drove south to Höfn (lower arrow).
We had just gone through our only day of snow the day before,
still lingering on the ground as we started this day, on May 12th!
still lingering on the ground as we started this day, on May 12th!
As you can see, we're still in the highlands.
It feels sacrilegious to say this became almost monotonous. Maybe hypnotic is a better word.
We spent hours driving through terrain like this throughout Iceland.
But soon we descended to the eastern fjords and found signs of life.
Can you imagine living in that kind of "solitude?"
We had been so excited about seeing Icelandic harbors
but had no idea they would also look isolated and barren like this.
Another look at the fjord area, with the valleys...
...all the while, looking back up at the mountains, from the valleys below.
And yes, all those formations are of volcanic ash over the years.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
when we stopped at a sheep farm by the side of the road.
It was totally unexpected but when they saw us, the father-son duo (this being the son)
invited us into their barn to check it all out: 500 sheep in total.
And, according to the father, he (the father) knew the names of them all!
There were two lambs that had just been born that morning, already standing up and walking.
I wished I had asked what their names were!
We really got our education that day, especially about why some horns have to be cut.
If they aren't cut, they can bore into the jaw, making it impossible for the sheep to eat.
If they can't eat, of course, they die.
All that blood--did you know??--but apparently the pain lasts only 10 minutes.
[video credit: Astrid Wijdekop]
As you can imagine, this was the highlight of our day.
Did you notice (hear!) the road in the video?
How ingenious that the sheep can walk under it to the pasture beyond!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
After the sheep, we headed to our destination town for our overnight in Höfn,
the second largest fishing port of SE Iceland, population ca. 2500.
By then it was late afternoon, after the catch of the day.
Believe it or not, these were the remains still caught in that flat net all spread out.
Overlooking that harbor was this Íshúsið Pizzeria, with lobster pizza as their specialty.
Their lobster is actually langoustine, or Norway lobster, smaller than our American lobster.
Hands down, it was the absolute best pizza I have ever eaten. OMG.
What a way to end that incredible day!
