Blogs from East, Iceland, Europe

THU, 29 SEP 2022 – Day 4: East Fjords/Modrudalur Valley - Start the day by returning to the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. Cruise between jagged icebergs in an included boat tour. Then take a scenic drive along the rugged coast of the East Fjords. Enjoy spectacular views of high mountains, deep fjords, spectacular waterfalls, glaciers and quaint fishing villages. Make stops along the way at small but notable towns like Djupivogur, which became a member of the cittaslow movement in 2013 and is aiming to be the Happiest Town in Iceland, and drop by Egilsstadir, home to the mythic Lagarfljot Wyrm. Continue along mountain roads into the highland to the farm village of Modrudalur. At 469 metres (1539 feet) above sea level, Modrudalur is the highest inhabited place in Iceland, and snow can be seen almost year-round. ... read more

On our way to our hotel last night we stopped for fuel and our driver, Omar told us to go out by the house in the back. There we were buzzed hundred of birds who were protecting their nests. It looked like something out of Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds. Arriving at our hotel for the night we spotted a nearby church and a few of us went to explore. It was a Earthen structure covered by soil and grass. I read that when wood has hard to come by they started using this method for some homes. They are very energy efficient. Renee and her new friend Zack decided to climb to the top of the mountain behind the hotel, you can see the top of it behind the church in one of the pictures. ... read more

It’s 4am and it’s raining again. It’s quite nice hearing it beating on the van…but not so nice when I need a dash to the loo block! We are staying in camp for a rest day today. The camp is right in the centre of town so the three things of interest, which we reckon will take all of five minutes, are all easily walkable. Taking advantage of the camp kitchen, we indulge in a full English breakfast courtesy of Ian…bacon, eggs, tomatoes, beans and fried bread. Yum. It’s stopped raining though the air is generally damp and the cloud is low. I’m glad we don’t have to drive over that mountain pass today! Tomorrow is set to be fair though anything can happen in an instant weather wise here. Our first stop is the ‘Avalanche ... read more

We awake to rain drumming on the van. I suppose that (apart from day 2) we’ve been very lucky with the weather so far. Today we have not got far to go and have made good progress so we can take it easy. So far there has been no sign of anyone taking payment at the campsite…a little worrying as Iceland seems to be full of hidden cameras, snapping your number plate and waiting to slap you with a hefty fine if you don’t work our which website to visit or app to download in order to pay! Until now this has only applied to various carparks or national park areas that we have driven in to. Most campsites have been fairly unsophisticated…ie someone drives in between 7-8pm, collects payment and issues ticket for windscreen. Perhaps ... read more

Das Städtchen Husavik ist bekannt für die tollen Walbeobachtungsmöglichkeiten. Wir sind zunächst im wirklich tollen Walmuseum gewesen (Highlights: tolle Skelette und einen Film, der die beeindruckende Intelligenz und Kreativität von Walen zeigt) und haben anschließend eine Whale Watching Tour gemacht. Wir haben so einige Delphine und ein paar Minkwale (10m lang) gesehen; leider keine Buckelwale, obwohl die hier sehr häufig sind. Aber wir wollen uns mal nicht beschweren, die Minkwale waren auch schön zu beobachten. Nach einem erholsamen Intermezzo in einem Thermalbad ging es weiter ins Vesturdalur mit seiner Schlucht und bizarren Felsen und Klippen, wo wir etwas gewandert sind. Nach dem einsamen Norden haben wir uns mit dem ebenso einsamen Osten beschäftigt. Die Halbinsel Raudanes hat schöne Basaltfelsen, die sich super zum Nisten anbieten und auch viele Papageientaucher anziehen. D... read more