Crossroads

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Midsummer. The longest day of the year. Not widely celebrated, except for in the Nordic countries. What turned out to be a great way to celebrate it was in northern Iceland. Starting with a bath in the hot springs near Myvatn, followed by a short sauna session. Thereafter a trip to one of the mightiest waterfalls on the island - Detifoss. A not so well known dirt road with a landscape that might as well have been the moon (and indeed, the astronauts did actually train for their missions to the moon here) leads up to this impressive waterfall. The roar from the amount of water falling over the edge is deafening, but at the same time extremely peaceful. Midnight is closing in. Icelandic tradition bids that we are supposed to sit in the middle of a crossroad, make a wish, and then roll around naked in the dirt. Tasks completed guarantees the wish to come true. Our interpretation of this tradition is very liberal, but we do our best to sit on the road and roll around in the grass. After a little picnic, it’s time to turn back to Husavik. This far north, the sun doesn’t set. Constant daylight. We pass a fjord. Our local friend and guide spots activity down in the water. Whales. Whales being my greatest source of fascination, I very eagerly ask - command - him to pull over. With what must have been a world record in jumping out of a moving car on the top of a rock, within seconds I’m at the edge, overlooking the bay. The big ones are down there. Very easy to spot, as they blow the water out in the air as they come up for air. If it was only me, I could have stood there four hours and hours, watching these giants at a distance. With the notion that the day after we’re going whale watching on a boat, I agree to return to the car. The moment is over much too fast. Too excited to even take a single photo, although that would have taken my attention away from the bay anyway. So amazingly impressive, a sight that will forever stay in memory as the highlight of the highlights. Definitely in my hall of fame of nature scenes.

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