Puffin roost above; sea cave below
We have come to our final day at sea on the Viking Mars. We’ve spent it anchored in the beautiful cove pictured above, in the Westman Islands. The weather has turned from rainy and cold to perfect: warm sunshine and temperatures in the 50s. Our current location is indescribably beautiful. There are thousands of bird flying around, including puffins nesting on the grassy upper parts of the mountain; there are sheep grazing on the very steep hillsides, and we are floating here taking it all in. What a treat. As I write this (overlooking the scene above) we have just about circumnavigated the island of Iceland. Tonight we will sail along the southern coast of Iceland and end our journey where we started: Rekyjavik.
We’ve seen many wonderful things in the past week. The mountains, the lava fields, the glaciers, the rivers and waterfalls. The sheep and puffins and Icelandic horses. I would encourage everyone to go see Iceland. It is a totally unique place. The very picturesque village houses with their corrugated steel sidings and functional Icelandic architecture. The natural beauty here rivals anywhere I’ve ever travelled. And seeing Iceland by ship is certainly a great option. Car travel is a bit difficult here due to all of the fjords, glaciers and volcanic natural obstacles. It can take a few hours to go from a place that is just a few miles away as a the crow flies. No matter how you decide to see Iceland, I would really recommend going.
Unlike yesterday when I didn’t do much of anything, today we went ashore and got to see the little town of Vestmannaeyjar, which has a prosperous fishing industry along with a huge colony of seabirds, especially puffins. We took a walk around town. Here’s a nice looking Icelandic residence:
Here’s another:
Some people may remember that in 1973 there was a huge volcanic eruption on this island that destroyed many homes and buildings. We were able to take a walk in the area known as Hraunskógur (the Lava Woods). In this area, volunteers each year plant new trees in the lava fields covering the area destroyed by the 1973 earthquake. As a result of this effort (since the year 2000) the lava is starting to be covered by trees and shrubs. Have a look:
But for the planting of new trees, this area would still be just lava.
Here’s a photo of a nature photographer documenting the progress of the planting program:
Here are the results:
Flower with bee
Bill went on a hike this morning on the island and several nice photos of his adventure:
From the summit of the volcano
Here are a couple of photos that Cath took while on the island:
Our ship in the distance hiding behind a lava field.
A local cafe.
Here are some photos of our departure from the island:
*This looks like a close call but is an optical illusion. *
Massive rock
Here’s the same cliff from another angle:
Tomorrow we will board our Alaska Airlines flight from Reykjavik to Seattle and then on to LAX. Thanks to our faithful readers who have followed along with us on this trip. It has been a really great trip, and we’ve enjoyed sharing it with you.
Until the next adventure!