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!
Geweldig wat een mooie reis en dag was dit weer. Genoten van het ruige van het landschap en het tegengestelde de lammetjes. Die rode huizen in dat isolatie land is steeds prachtig om te zien.
ReplyDeleteFijn weekend
Bedankt, Marjolein. It feels like the "second blessing" to go back and remember what we experienced on that trip!
DeleteHé...ik had toch iets gepost, maar zonder afzender, hij pakte de url weer niet.
ReplyDeleteMvdfotokraam
I'm so sorry your URL doesn't work, Marjolein, but I did know it was you! Bedankt, nog een keer!
DeleteI want that pizza RIGHT NOW! All the photos are gorgeous, what a trip. It really is something how the lack of trees makes it feel isolated. Reminds me of the Shetlands.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about that pizza, Ruth. In fact, I'd love it if someone could replicate it. I wonder if they'd give the recipe away, though since we know the ingredients, it probably wouldn't be hard to make? But, yes, you make an important comment about the lack of trees. We often mentioned it as we drove around the island. It truly DOES make the place look more isolated. BTW, those electrical power lines that are all over the place are the subject of an Icelandic movie we absolutely love and recommend: "Woman at War." Please watch it if you can find it.
DeleteLoved the video. I can see how the sheep were a highlight…and the pizza!
ReplyDeleteExactly, Marie. We're on the same page. :)
DeleteMy thoughts will be with both of you as you go thru cataract surgery. I’m looking forward to hearing afterward that you have both passed thru the procedure flawlessly and are enjoying your new-found vision and light.
ReplyDeleteTed
Many thanks, Ted, for your best wishes for our cataract surgeries. I know you had severe challenges with your eyes and do hope they're by now "as good as new." My surgeon says mine are an easy case, with each eye taking about 10 minutes (both of us are having both eyes done at the same time during our separate surgeries, something they're doing here regularly with success). However, while my actual vision may be greatly helped, my double vision, and the need for prisms, will apparently not be changed. We'll see! HA!
DeleteAfter seeing the images again, Iceland is such a wonderful country and I am glad we did see some snow. You kind of expect that. The pictures show that we saw a lot and we did a lot of driving and it took us to the most beautiful places. The sheep farm was a highlight of the vacation!! Thank you for making this post and not letting this trip going into a black hole. IHVJ.
ReplyDeleteYou're always my biggest and best Fan Club, Astrid, for which I thank you. So glad we have so many memories together, especially of this trip.
DeleteIceland really looks wild. Some of your photos look similar to some roads in Newfoundland, but without the snow as I went there in summer. My son-in-law went to Iceland for a week a couple months ago and he wants to go back – loved it (went on a mountain bike trip.) What a treat to visit with all these sweet lambs – and he knows all 50 names! How about that, I can’t remember my neighbors’ names…. It’s 8 pm here and I thought I’d just eat an orange for dinner as I was not hungry – well, that is, until I saw your pizza. Now I am going to close the laptop and rummage in the kitchen for something more substantive!
ReplyDeleteHAHA, Vagabonde! Isn't it fun when we're inspired to "do something different" just because of visiting each other's blogs! I love it.
DeleteHey gals! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteLoved going through this update…brought back so many wonderful memories of our trip!
How are you both doing with the cataract surgeries? I know you were at different times…just let me know if that’s happened yet and how things are going!
Big hugs!
Robin
Memories, indeed, Robin, that I'm so glad we could share! Thank you. Astrid's surgery on both eyes is tomorrow, Jan. 25, and mine is a week later, Thursday, Feb. 2. We're both expecting nothing but the best!
DeleteI think we are so used to seeing our crowded environments that these landscapes look barren. But so beautiful. And that pizza looks DIVINE.
ReplyDeleteI hate that I don't get comments in my email when they are written, Susan, which is to say I'm seeing this only now. But, yes, Iceland was an experience I'll never forget, sometimes precisely because it seemed so barren. When you discover that Iceland is 39,600 sq. mi. but with a population of circa only 372,520, you realize how it IS so barren. Thank you for commenting, btw!
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