2021 Iceland 1

Iceland: Sagas, Waterfalls and Lava Fields 1

A journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip around Iceland from August 29— September 20, 2021. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, (c) 2021.

V. 1 Cover: Islandia 1587 Ortelius SAM 66, 75v 76r Killing of Balder / Odin as Eagle

Iceland: Sagas, Waterfalls and Lava Fields 1 August 29—September 20, 2021 …The mountains look as if they rose straight out of the sea: they are all dark grey, turning indigo in the distance under the half-cloudy sky; but here and there the top of a conical peak will be burned red with the fire, or a snow-covered peak will rise up: at last we see the first of the great glaciers that looks as if it were running into the sea…

—William Morris, Journal of 13 July 1871

Our visit to Iceland was unlike the trips that we have made before. Normally, we seek art and culture, exploring museums, old churches, temples, and monasteries. Few buildings in Iceland date much before the 19th century and older churches, with some notable exceptions, are simple and stark. It is nature—dramatic landscapes and wildlife—that draws the traveler. For us, it was the Iceland’s unique literary tradition—its Eddas and Sagas—that intrigued us. William Morris, the British designer and poet, visited Iceland in 1871 and again in 1873, and was so fascinated by the Sagas that he learned the Icelandic language and produced a series of English translations. He was followed by other Anglo-American Saga-seekers, including artist W. G. Collingwood in 1897 and poet W. H. Auden in 1936. We decided to plan a trip to Iceland, combining our interest in its literary tradition with a desire to experience its unique and challenging landscape. Beginning with a visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies in Reykjavík, arranged with the assistance of a friend, we spent more than three weeks traveling around the country, seeking Sagarelated sites in the course of experiencing the unique beauty of a remarkable land.

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Sunday, August 29—Monday, August 30 En Route to Reykjavík Since we had packed an extra suitcase with a tripod, outdoor jackets, and hiking poles, we decided to forego the train to the airport and took a taxi to O’Hare, leaving home at 3:00pm for our 7:00pm flight to Keflavík. Although there were storms in the Chicago area, we left on time and our six-hour flight arrived fifteen minutes early. Contrary to what we anticipated, passport control was disorganized and chaotic, reminding us more of our arrival in Tashkent than of a Nordic country. Baggage claim had misidentified our flight on the carrousel, resulting in one of our bags being misplaced. After buying a SIM card, visiting the ATM and buying Icelandic vodka, we boarded a bus to the Reykjavík bus terminal and transferred to a smaller van that dropped us off near the Hotel Apotek.

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Formerly the headquarters of a pharmacy company, the building was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson in 1917. As the State Architect of Iceland, he designed many of Iceland´s notable buildings, including the landmark Hallgrímskirkja church. We checked in and left our bags so that we could begin surveying the nearby square and the historic heart of the city until our room was ready. After napping for a couple of hours, we set out again. We started at the neoclassical 1787 Dómkirkjan (Cathedral), one of Reykjavík’s oldest buildings.

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Nearby, the contemporary Ráðhúsið (City Hall) houses municipal offices and an immense relief map of Iceland, enabling us to visualize our route for the next several weeks. We passed the construction site of the new Alþingi (Parliament) on our way to the Landnámssýningin (Settlement Exhibition) at the Reykjavík City Museum on Aðalstræti. The exhibition is built on the ruins of a Viking longhouse from the year 1000 and depicts the life of Iceland’s first settlers, augmented with artifacts from other excavations. Afterwards we joined the queue and ordered hotdogs með öllu (with everything) at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (City’s Best Hotdog), a small stand that gained fame when Bill Clinton stopped there in 2004. There is a joke that the most popular restaurant in Iceland is a hot dog stand.

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We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering up Laugavegur, Reykjavík’s main shopping and dining street, where we watched as children hopscotched along the painted decorations on the pavement. At Einstök, we sampled Ólafsson gin while we chatted with the bartender who once played soccer for Auburn University. Our dinner reservations were at Mat Bar, a small bistro where we ordered the tasting menu. In spite of its fine reviews, we were disappointed in both the service and the meal.

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Tuesday, August 31

Reykjavík

It was chilly as we went around the corner for breakfast at Hressingarskálinn, a cozy bakery. When the server brought my porridge and Jake’s smoked lamb, I noticed a delicate little heart tattooed beneath her throat. I told her about my own love of hearts and my enjoyment of finding them throughout the world.

Jake and I retraced our walk on Laugavegur, and entered Gullkúnst Helgu where I purchased a necklace featuring lava beads and Icelandic stones that I had noticed in the window last night. We asked to meet the designer, Helga Jónsdottir, who reticently emerged from the workshop in the back.

We walked along Skólavörðustígur, the “Rainbow Street,” to Hallgrímskirkja, the city’s Lutheran church and one of the tallest structures in Iceland. Although Guðjón Samúelsson's design was commissioned in 1937, construction was not completed until 1986. We took the elevator to the observation deck and enjoyed expansive views over the city and surrounding mountains. In front of the church, the Alexander Stirling Calder statue of Leifur Eiríksson, the “Discoverer of America,” stands as a gift to Iceland from the United States. The sun came out as we walked down through the park to the Listasafn Islands (National Gallery of Iceland). We unfortunately found the collection to be disappointing.

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We walked to the Old Harbour and watched the activity on fishing boats in drydock. As we returned to the old town, we noted the prevalence of electric scooters rather than bicycles, which makes a lot of sense in this city of 123,000.

We stopped to admire the Safnahúsið (Culture House), the former National Library built in 1906 and considered by many to be one of Iceland’s most beautiful buildings. As we had already walked a long way, we debated whether to visit but were very glad that we did. The permanent exhibition displayed outstanding Icelandic art from 1880 to 1950.

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Hildur Hakonardottir Women Fish Workers Bragi Asgeirsson Unembarrassed Lady Jon Engilberts People Returning from Work Olafur A. Olafsson Untitled

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Margret Eliasdottir Head Looking at a Butterfly Jon Thorleifsson Ships in Reykjavik Harbor Thorvaldur Skulson Composition, Harbor Georg Gudni Hauksson Untitled, 2008

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Anna Hallin Women of Power

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Karl Kerulf Einarsson Dunganon Oracles

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At 5:00 we arrived at the Michelin Bib Gourmand-designated Skál! located in an unpretentious food hall. Seated at the counter, we were given an Icelandic gin and Brennivín tasting while conversing with the three young waiters. Our meal included a braised beet salad, cured salmon, baked arctic char, and skyr mousse and rhubarb granite.

Contrary to the previous night’s experience, it was an excellent meal. Near our hotel, we stopped in at the English Pub for a nightcap, and realized that we had walked over 13km already.

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Wednesday, September 1

Reykjavík

We returned to Hressingarskálinn for breakfast, but this time we over-ordered, not realizing that a side order of toast would be a meal in itself, with salad, butter, jam and cheese. At 10:00 we took a taxi to the Þjóðminjasafn Íslands (National Museum of Iceland). The permanent exhibition, Making of a Nation: Heritage and History, provided a chronological exploration of Iceland’s history from Settlement to the present. We were intrigued to see several groups of well-behaved Danish school children being led through the exhibition by Englishspeaking Icelandic guides. Highlights of the collection include the intricately carved Valþjofsstaður door, dating from 1200 and the Eyrarland statue, a tiny bronze seated figure of Þór (Thor) with his hammer Mjölnir, from about 1000. A collection of carved wooden boxes, bed boards, and household items from the 18th and 19th centuries were objects that I particularly appreciated.

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At 12:30, we walked to the campus of the Háskóli Íslands (the University of Iceland) and located the Árnagarður, where the Árni Magnússon Institute is located. We had a 1:00 appointment with Dr. Guðvarður Már Gunnlaugsson, Director of the Manuscript Department that was arranged through my bibliographic connections. After I dialed the department extension, the Director met us and led us through a secured area to a conference room. A most genial man, Guðvarður warmly welcomed us and provided an introduction to the Institute before showing us several treasures from the collection.

Established in 1972, the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, or Árnastofnun as it is commonly called, is an independently funded academic research institute at the University that was established to preserve Iceland’s unique written heritage. The Institute’s Manuscript Department is responsible for a variety of projects involving a collection of Icelandic manuscripts which were repatriated to Iceland from Denmark. The institute’s namesake, Árni Magnússon (1663-1730) dedicated his life to the collection and study of Iceland’s literary history, particularly of early manuscripts, many of which date from the 12th century. After a devastating fire in Copenhagen in 1728 destroyed a major portion of his collection, he willed his remaining possessions to the University of Copenhagen, which was at the time the only university in the Danish kingdom. In 1971, after years of negotiation, the Danish parliament agreed to return a major portion of the Icelandic manuscripts to the people of Iceland. The first two manuscripts, Codex Regius of the Poetic Edda (Konungsbók), and the Codex Flateyensis (Flateyjarbók) were presented that same year. The last manuscripts were finally delivered in 1997.

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When we inquired about the famous Flateyjarbók, Guðvarður told us that it was three years into a restoration project and would therefore not be available for viewing. However, he brought up three significant manuscripts for us to see, pointing out the unique aspects of each. We were joined by Dr. Margaret Cormack, a member of the faculty of the Religious Studies and Theology Department at the University of Iceland and a prolific author.

She shared our enthusiasm as Guðvarður guided us through the manuscripts laid out on the table, adding interesting observations as he turned the pages.

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Egils Saga Skallagrímssonar (AM 162 A fol.), known as the Theta Fragment, it is the oldest known fragment of an Íslendingasaga (family saga). Dating from c.1250, it was written a relatively short time after the saga’s presumed date of origin. The fragment consists of four partly damaged and trimmed leaves and the script appears to be rather old-fashioned (perhaps Norwegian?) according to Guðvarður.

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Eggertsbók (AM 556 b 4to) is a fragmentary manuscript produced in the last quarter of the fifteenth century. The manuscript is bound in two separate parts, now known as 'a' and 'b'. However, it is likely that originally the 'b' section came first. This manuscript is named after its earliest identifiable owner, Eggert Hannesson (c. 1515–1583).

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Melsteð Edda (SÁM 66) was written and illustrated in Iceland in 1766 by Jakob Sigurðsson. The last page of the manuscript lists three names which likely represent the earliest owners of the manuscript: Gísli Gíslason (1797-1758) from Skörð in Reykjahverfi; St. Petersen, who has not been identified; and Magnús Guðmundsson, a farmer at Sandur in Aðaldalur.

Magnús’s daughter, Elín Sigríður Magnúsdóttir, a widow and mother of six children, emigrated to Canada in 1876 and took the manuscript with her. Her son, Jón Frímann, took the surname Melsteð, after their farm near Gimli, Manitoba. The manuscript is thus referred to as Melsteð’s Edda. Later, Jón’s grandson, Kenneth Melsteð, sold the manuscript to Örn Arnar, the Icelandic Consul in Minnesota who made a gift of it to the Ární Magnússon Institute on February 2, 2000. The manuscript contains a beautifully illustrated Snorra Edda and, among other things, a genealogy from Adam (via Odin) to the Catholic Bishop Jón Arason, one of Iceland’s 16th century heroes. Each story of the Edda is whimsically illustrated and it was an extraordinary opportunity for us to be able to page through the book.

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73 r The goat Heiðrún standing on the roof of Valhöll and eating the leaves of Læraðr. This scene is described in Gylfaginning in Snorri's Edda.

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73 v The giant Þjazi, in the form of an eagle, perched on a tree branch, watching Óðin, Loki, and Hœnir, who are sitting on the ground around a large cauldron. This scene is described in The Abduction of Iðunn myth in Skáldskaparmál in Snorri's Edda.

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74 r The cow Auðhumbla releasing Búri from a salty block of ice. This scene is described in a creation myth in Snorri's Edda.

74 v Óðin, disguised as Bölverkr, standing by while Baugi uses an auger named Rati to drill into Hnitbjörg. This scene is from The Mead of Poetry myth in Skáldskaparmál in Snorri's Edda.

75 r Hermóðr riding Sleipnir to Hel to try and obtain the release of Baldr. This scene is from the Death of Baldr myth in Gylfaginning in Snorri's Edda.

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75 v Loki guiding the hand of Höðr to kill Baldr. This scene is from the Death of Baldr myth in Gylfaginning in Snorri's Edda.

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76 r Óðin flying in the form of an eagle while being pursued by the giant Suttungr, who is also in the form of an eagle. Óðin is carrying Skáldskapar mjaðar, i.e. the Mead of Poetry, in his mouth but some of it, which is known as the Rhymster's Share, is falling from his backside to earth. This scene is from the The Mead of Poetry myth.

78 v The wolf Fenrir with Týr's severed hand in his mouth. This scene is from the Binding of Fenrir myth in Gylfaginning in Snorri's Edda.

79 r Loki with his net. This scene is from the Death of Balder myth in Gylfaginning in Snorri's Edda.

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79 v Þórr and the giant Hymir fishing for the serpent Miðgarðsormr. This scene is from Gylfaginning in Snorri's Edda.

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80 r Heimdallr blowing the Gjallarhorn. This scene is from Gylfaginning in Snorri's Edda.

80 v Óðin riding his eight-legged horse Sleipnir as described in Snorri’s Edda.

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In the evening, we had reservations for dinner at Dill, the “first and only” Michelin-starred restaurant in Iceland. Its website announced that it is “inspired by the Icelandic landscape and dedicated to … foraging and sustainability.” We ordered the 18-course tasting menu, with imaginative dishes that were fortunately mostly small bites. Although the food was delicious, the wine parings were surprisingly uninspired.

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Thursday, September 2

to Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar

We were up at 6:00am to check out and by 8:30 we were in a taxi to the

entered the park, we got a sense of its unusual tectonic environment, but it

My Car rental office, located on the second floor of a building in the

was not hiking weather and we decided not to go further, continuing instead

commercial area. We were pleased with the service and with our 2020

to Gullfoss, the “golden waterfall” located in a deep canyon of the Havitá

white Toyota RAV 4 hybrid 4x4. It was starting to rain as we began to drive

River. Donning our rain gear, we climbed to an overlook where we could

the Golden Circle, the popular tourist loop from Reykjavík. The route

see dramatic views of the falls, engulfed in mist. We retraced the road to

consists of three locations in southwest Iceland: Þingvellir National Park, the

Geysir, a spouting hot spring that has been active for more than 10,000

Geysir geothermal area, and Gullfoss waterfall. The rain picked up as we

years. Eruptions can hurl boiling water up to 230 feet in the air. Although it

reached Þingvellir, a UNESCO site and the location of the original Alþing, the

has been known to lie dormant for years at a time, we were fortunate to

annual parliament that met there from the year 930 up until 1798. This was

witness two eruptions within 20 minutes, joining others circling the hole,

the place where medieval Icelanders created their democratic society. As we

cameras aimed and ready.

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Gullfoss

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Geysir

We proceeded to Skálholt, from 1056 to 1785 an episcopal seat and important cultural and political center. In the Middle Ages, Skálholt featured a monastery, a cathedral, and a school. Iceland was Catholic until the Reformation, which ended in blood at Skálholt when the last Catholic bishop, Jón Arason, was beheaded with his two sons in 1550. What remains today is an evangelical Lutheran church that was completed in 1963. We entered a dark sod tunnel under the church that led to a small museum containing the sarcophagus of Páll Jónsson, one of Skálholt’s most powerful bishops who died there in 1211, as well as an intriguing collection of basalt tombstones. We were alone in the church except for the organist. Outside, a group was working in an archaeological excavation related to what was at one time one of the most populated areas in Iceland.

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Skálholt

c.1900 50

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Oddi

A short detour took us to the small village of Oddi, one of Iceland’s primary cultural and learning centers during the Middle Ages. The great historian Snorri Sturluson grew up and was educated there. Although there has been a church at that location since the introduction of Christianity, the present one dates from 1924. One of the adjustments that we have had to make in Iceland is the realization that little evidence of ancient monuments remains.

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Returning to the main road, we continued to Keldur, a turf farm that is said to

houses huddled together. I was surprised that the door to the church was

be the oldest in Iceland. One of the major characters in Njáls saga, Ingjaldur

unlocked. I stepped inside to find a brightly painted nave, reminiscent of those

Höskuldsson, lived at Keldur from 974 to c.1000. The farm has been rebuilt

we’d seen in Romania. The altarpiece was a folk-art depiction of the Last

over the years and was occupied until 1946. When we arrived, we found the

Supper, surrounded by a carved wooden frame. Bibles and hymn books were

gate locked and no one around. It was obvious that the site was closed for the

strewn on the altar with half-burnt candles, suggesting that the church remained

season. I managed to scale a stone wall to access the church and a series of turf

in use past the season’s end. As I savored a quiet moment, I heard Jake calling.

houses. The houses were firmly locked and grass had grown up around the

He was becoming concerned about me after I’d disappeared over the wall.

walkway. It was eerily silent. Across a moted field of lush green, I saw other sod

Besides, we had a ferry to catch.

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Keldur

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We drove to Landeyjahöfn where we were scheduled to take the Vestmannaeyjar Ferry to Heimaey at 5:15pm. The crossing aboard the MV Herjólfur took us along the small, uninhabited Westman Islands, shrouded in clouds. We arrived at Heimaey at 6:10, but were delayed when we could not find our car. We might have roamed the lanes for hours but a woman rolled down her car window and informed us that the cars were on two levels. My birthday dinner was at Gott (meaning “good,” not “God”), a lively restaurant featuring a fusion menu with local ingredients. Afterwards we walked around the corner to The Brothers Brewery where we chose local beers from a colorful chart on the wall.

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Friday, September 3

to Hrifunes

The hotel breakfast buffet opened at 7:00 and we came down soon after that. I admit that Covid-19 has sensitized me to germs and I had to steel myself as I watched people come in wearing the required masks incorrectly or forgetting them entirely if they returned for seconds, forgoing hand sanitizer as we all touched the same serving tools, and changing their minds after picking something up. Since the museum did not open until 11:00 and our RIB safari was later, we had plenty of time to drive around the island. A golf course was nestled under emerald cliffs overlooking the coast. When I sent a picture of it to our family, Mike commented, “Now that’s a green.”

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Heimaey

Ascending a one-way road past the airport, we encountered sheep and expansive views. We took every road where we could turn, passing two volcanos, the inactive Helgafell, and Eldfell, which last erupted on January 23, 1973. It was sobering to drive through the Eldfellshraun lava flow and see where it nearly abuts the town. A replica stave church stands in the pretty Skansinn, or fort area, of the harbor; black moss-covered lava created a dramatic backdrop. Completed in 2000, the church was a gift from Norway to commemorate the millennial anniversary of Iceland’s conversion to Christianity.

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Skansinn

Just before noon, we were at the Ribsafari outfitters for our tour aboard a

in the cliffs of the surrounding islands. Our guide pointed out interesting

Rigid Inflatable Boat. We were directed to put on bulky yellow jumpsuits

rock formations and birds (including a few remaining puffins), and

that covered us head to toe. The eleven participants gathered to hear the

explained how sheep are hoisted up the cliffs with ropes to graze year-

safety instructions and learn the proper technique for boarding the boat

round on the uninhabited islands. They are provided with a source of

and straddling the high saddle seats that enabled secure sitting or standing.

water but otherwise live self-sufficiently until they are brought back to the

With music blasting from the pilot’s Spotify list, off we went, racing through

mainland for shearing or slaughter. Since they often eat guano, the ones

a series of “S” turns at full throttle, kicking up an impressive spray.

destined for slaughter are put out to eat grass for a period of time to clean

Eventually, we slowed and pulled into a number of caves and indentations

out their digestive systems.

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Off the Landeyjar, at no great distance on the map, but isolated by a stormy sea and long lines of breakers on a harborless coast, the crags of the Westman islands rise abruptly from the water line: fantastic pinnacles swarming with the fulmar and other sea-fowl.

—W. G. Collingwood, 1899

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Energized by the ride and the pilot’s music, we turned in our jumpsuits and headed to the Eldheimar Museum, built around the remains of one of the homes covered by ash during the volcanic eruption of 1973. With the aid of audio guides, we followed the history of events before, during, and after the eruption. The entire population of Heimaey, over 5000 people, was forced to evacuate on a moment’s notice in the middle of the night. We learned that more than 400 houses were buried, giving the island the nickname “Pompeii of the North.” The museum also has a section devoted to Surtsey, a new island that emerged from the ocean south of Heimaey in 1963. Since its birth, only scientists have been allowed there in order to monitor developing ecosystems.

Surtsey was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.

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Although we arrived early for the 4:00pm ferry back to the mainland, we

walked out on the black sand beach to the Hálsanefshellir sea cave and the

were among the last to load; at one point we were concerned that we’d be

Garðar cliff, composed of dark basalt columns that resemble organ pipes.

left behind. The boat was far more crowded than it was on the trip over.

The bizarre rock pillars are rumored to be petrified trolls that were caught

This time, we were the first to disembark, indicating that last on, first off was

outside at sunrise and frozen in time. I left with a handful of the jet-black

the rule. The sun came out as we returned to Route 1 and continued east

sand to take home. We had a 50km drive to the Hrifunes Guesthouse,

along a steep escarpment tempered by numerous waterfalls, passing white

arriving just five minutes before dinner. Although we missed cocktail hour

farm buildings with red roofs. Sheep and white plastic-wrapped hay bales

and the opportunity to get acquainted with fellow diners, both American

dotted the fields. We stopped at Skógafoss waterfall: at 200 feet, it is one of

and Icelandic, everyone welcomed the latecomers. Jake later commented

Iceland’s highest. An ascending hairpin road brought us to Dyrhólaey

that he had noticed that the Icelanders we’d met who were fluent in English

promontory, not far from the village of Vík., We were too late in the season

seemed to speak with American accents. Our host, Hadda Gísladóttir,

for the puffins and fog descended as we got higher, obscuring views of the

described each of the dishes she had prepared for us. After setting a bowl of

lava arch standing in the sea. But to the east, we had excellent views of the

fish soup at each of our places, she invited us to serve ourselves from

Reynisdrangar basalt sea stacks and the Reynisfjara black sand beach spread

numerous steaming pots and platters. We spent an agreeable evening

below. Returning to the main road, we drove to Reynisfjara. Passing several

around the communal table among new friends, enjoying Icelandic

ominously illustrated signs warning visitors of “deadly sneaker waves,” we

hospitality.

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Skógafoss

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Reynisdrangar

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Reynisfjara

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Reynisfjara

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Saturday, September 4

to Freysnes

We were the first guests at breakfast and were on the road by 9:30. It was

years ago by progressive glacier erosion. A waterfall flows down the western

foggy as we turned off Rt. 1 onto F206, the rutted gravel Laki road to the

side of the canyon and is visible from a platform a short distance from the

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, crossing a series of one-way bridges. As we

road. Back on the main road, we stopped to admire Foss á Síðu, a waterfall

approached the site on foot, we encountered two couples whom we’d met

that breaks over the surrounding rock formations in a particularly interesting

at the inn last night. The Icelandic guest told us that his family had owned the

way. Opposite the waterfall are the Dverghamrar or Dwarf Cliffs, formations

land in this area for generations. And what land it was! The canyon, said to be

created by columnar basalt that are said to be the home of a race of Light

one of the loveliest sites in Iceland, has steep rocky walls covered with deep

Elves. People have reported hearing singing or bells ringing within these

green moss. The Fjaðrá river that passes though it was formed two million

formations and, silently walking near them, I could imagine it too.

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Fjaðrargljufur

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Foss á Síðu

Dverghamrar

Our drive to Skaftafell took us from moss-covered lava rock to an arctic desert of smooth gravel to silver streams of glacial run-off that braided through black sand. The weather was as variable as the landscape as we encountered fog, spots of sunlight, drizzle, and patches of blue. Once we reached Freysnes, we turned off at the airstrip to talk to the Atlantsflug representative about a flightseeing trip later this afternoon, but he did not recommend flying under the present conditions and suggested that we come back tomorrow.

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We had just enough time to check into the Hotel Skaftafell before we assembled at the gas station across from the hotel for our scheduled glacier tour. We met Siggy, our guide, and the other five members of our group: three siblings from Rendsburg, Germany and a couple from Santa Monica. As Siggy was taking our tickets, the wind blew a stray piece of paper out of his hand. While most people would probably have said, “Oh well” and let it go, he took off after it and determinedly retrieved it, demonstrating a reason why there appears to be no litter in Iceland. He fitted us with over-the-ankle boots and equipped each of us with a pair of crampons (in Icelandic, the word for crampon is mannbroddur or “man-spike”), a safety harness, an ice axe and a helmet. At 2:15 we loaded into a super jeep with oversized wheels for the 20-minute drive to the Skaftafellsjökull glacier, an outlet of the UNESCO-designated Vatnajökull National Park. The last part of the trip was over very rough terrain, necessitating the jeep. After disembarking, we walked further down the glacial stream and over a narrow 40-foot bridge that accommodated no more than two people at a time. We proceeded to the terminal moraine and began a steep zigzag ascent. At the edge of the ice, we strapped on our crampons with Siggy’s assistance. I am not sure what I was expecting, but stepping out on the ice in those devices was not it.

They were much larger and bulkier than I had imagined and I tried to keep Siggy’s admonition to keep a wide stance in mind. However, the experience of walking up a glistening hill of ice was so foreign to me that I must have unthinkingly placed my feet too close together. The next thing I knew, I was sprawled on the ice. After being pulled to my feet, I gamely ventured on, this time even more gingerly than before. We spent an hour on the glacier, listening as Siggy explained the various types of glacial ice and showed us how water continues to move beneath it. He also pointed out the strange little moss balls, nicknamed “glacier mice” that form when airborne moss spores gain a foothold on a small rock or similar debris. Over time, the growing moss forms an oval ball. Entire communities of tiny creatures develop and thrive inside these tangled balls of greenery. We returned to the moraine, took off our crampons, and hiked down to the jeep. Soon we were back at the hotel where I collapsed into a hot shower while Jake made cocktails using the Campari we brought from home, vodka we bought at the airport, orange Fanta he located in the reception area, and ice he finagled from someone in the admin office. Our dinner later in the hotel dining room was served piping hot, unlike most of our meals in Iceland, and my spicy vegan curry was somehow exactly what I needed.

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Skaftafellsjökull

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Sunday, September 5

to Höfn

It stormed all night and was still raining when we got up. We checked back with Atlantsflug, and sadly confirmed that a flightseeing tour was not going to work out. Instead, we drove to Skaftafell Nature Reserve where we hiked to the Svartifoss waterfall. The trail was supposed to be easy, but we found it quite steep in places. Our hiking sticks were invaluable. I made particularly good use of them as I negotiated the muddy, rocky trail at the end, where the view of the falls, surrounded by basalt columns on both sides, was impressive. We were glad that we had the appropriate clothing, as the weather changed from rain to drizzle to overcast to hard rain and back again. We are finding that this changeable weather is to be expected.

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Svartifoss

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As we proceeded east on Route 1, the sky began to clear. We pulled off on a gravel road to photograph a series of rainbows over the Breiðamerkurjökull, an outlet glacier that is the only place in Iceland where a glacier meets the sea. We were alone as we marveled at the spectacular view of Jökulsárlón lagoon and the icebergs that have calved from the glacier’s edge. Once we reached the main parking lot for the Jökulsárlón, we encountered busses and crowds of people gearing up for duck tours (on amphibious military vehicles) around the icebergs. On the opposite side of the road, we walked out on Diamond Beach, a black sand beach where iceberg chunks wash up to the shore, sending up satisfying sprays of water as the waves hit them.

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Breiðamerkurjökull

Jökulsárlón

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Diamond Beach

At 4:00 we reached Höfn (pop. 2,462) and checked into the Milk Factory, a stylish guesthouse that retains touches of its former existence with milk bottle vases and workers’ white aprons and boots. The skies had cleared to a brilliant blue, suggesting that we might be lucky enough to see the northern lights tonight. We drove to the harbor of this fishing port, surrounded on three sides by the sea. We hoped to have an early dinner at the Pakkhús, a Michelin Bib known for its seafood—particularly langoustines. The building was constructed in 1932 as a warehouse, using scrap wood. The stamps on the walls tell its history. Arriving at 5:00, we had no problem being seated by the window where we ordered a couple of beers. It was perfect timing, for the place filled up immediately. By the time we ordered our langoustines, there were groups waiting to be seated.

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A journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip around Iceland from August 29 —September 20, 2021. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, (c) 2021. V. 1