Iceland Day 3: Rain, Rain, More Rain and of course Sheep

Skógafoss Waterfall (Leaving as the Crowds Arrive)

Timing is Everything

Skógafoss Waterfall

Day 3 started early as it was going to be a long day including a 35 km track back down Route 1 to see Skógafoss Waterfalls. We wanted to beat the tour crowds arriving in from Reykjavik and other locales. Most start arriving around 10 AM. The weather forecast for the day was not encouraging to say the least. Rain, rain, and more rain; at times heavy.

Skógafoss is one of Iceland’s largest waterfalls, with a height of 60 m (197 ft) and a width of 25 m (82 ft). Skógafoss is on the Skógá River, which is fed from two glaciers: Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. It has a viewing platform and if you have time and the inclination to walk up the 400+ stairs, it has been noted that the view is worth it. 

A waterfall this size produces heavy amounts of spray, so rain gear is a necessity (as easily seen in the photos). We had the misfortune of visiting on the rainiest day of the trip. On sunny days, this beauty produces rainbows and often doubles ones. Oh well, so much to see and so little time. 

Sólheimajökull Glacier

Sólheimajökull Glacier was a quick 12 km drive from Skógafoss along Route 221. Sólheimajökull means “sun home glacier” and is an ice tongue of the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier. Its locale and proximity to Reykjavik make it a popular spot for locals and tourists. Several quick snaps of the glacier from along Route 221 and we resumed our Ring Road trek to Höfn í Hornafirði. 

Sólheimajökull Glacier

Sólheimajökull Glacier

View from Plane Wreck Parking Lot on Route 1

The backtrack to Skógafoss and Sólheimajökull added 75 km to the day's travel

Stjórnarfoss and Foss á Síðu

Our next stop, unplanned as most were, was at Stjórnarfoss Waterfall. This is a small but picturesque two-tiered waterfall along Route 203. It was worth the stop. One couple was returning from the waterfall and two couples stopped for a quick look. They were the only other people at this waterfall. The darkening clouds may have played a factor in their quick-look decision. 

Stjórnarfoss. Love the atmosphere and rock structure at this waterfall.

A mere 13 km further along Route 1 is Foss á Síðu. Just behind a small farm (clearly marked private) is a high thin waterfall. I should no longer be surprised by how many tourists are incapable of common decency and totally ignored the sign to traipse across the private property to take a selfie. 

Foss á Síðu

A highlight from this stop was a friendly dog from the farm playing in the stream, who managed to capture a small fish. Alas, he lost the fish down a crevice. Once over the loss of the fish, he brought a baseball-sized lava rock to play a game of fetch. The lava rock was surprisingly light, and he always brought back the same rock. He was entertaining and sure knew how to work a crowd. Put a smile on my face and when we left, he was onto the next human willing to play with him.

Stjórnarfoss and Foss á Síðu Waterfalls

Foss á Síðu to Höfn í Hornafirði 

Weather Rules the Day

Within 5 minutes of leaving Foss á Síðu, the rains started again, and they were heavy for the remainder of the 200 km drive to our hotel. Driving speeds had to be reduced due to poor visibility. We did a stop at Svínafellsjökull Glacier to take a quick photograph, but the rain was so heavy, walking up the trail was a lost cause. We passed spectacular sights but stopping was impractical due to the heavy rains. Lucky for us, we have seen and hiked on glaciers in western Canada and the United States, so while disappointing it would not have been a new experience. Being from Newfoundland and Labrador, icebergs are an annual photography trip for us. Again, disappointing but this was not a new experience (except for bergy bits on a black volcanic beach) and the weather was beyond our control. The Driver was glad when the day was over as he had driven 400 km that day, more than half in heavy rains while keeping an eye out for sheep.  The weather forecast for the remainder of the trip was looking favourable.

Svínafellsjökull Glacier (the best considering the weather conditions)

Video Clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMkJtQvNJDI

Blogs in my Iceland Series: (to be updated as completed)

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/10/iceland-day-1-reykjanes-peninsula.html

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/10/iceland-day-2-rettir-or-rather-sheep.html

The following websites provide additional information on various topics concerning Iceland:

https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/the-beautiful-skogafoss-waterfall-and-the-legend-of-the-treasure-chest

https://www.icelandtravel.is/attractions/skogafoss/

https://guidetoiceland.is/travel-iceland/drive/solheimajokull

https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/jorunn/waterfalls-and-home-of-dwarfs--elves

Iceland Day 2: Réttir or Rather Sheep, More Sheep and the Tourist Sheepherder

Kerid Crater

Iceland day 2, was the day of heavy rains coupled with recreational tourism that is now associated with the réttir! First, our Frogg Toggs did their job well for their budget price, material, and construction. Now to be honest they were used for short jaunts, not long hiking adventures but managed to keep us dry in the heavy rain outbursts throughout the day. More about réttir later in the post.

Kerid Crater

Faxi Waterfall on Tungufljót River

Our first stop was the Kerid Crater located in a geologically active part of Iceland known as Grimsnes. The caldera’s scarlet slopes (sounds so much sexier than plain red) are composed of loose shag dispersed among sections of green vegetation that culminates in a glittering azure basin whose levels are determined by the water table (or zone of saturation). The Kerid Crater is estimated to be around 6,500 years old. Its vibrant red slopes (I am sticking to the sexy scarlet term) are a clear sign of its geological youth, as iron deposits in the rock have not yet blackened. 

Due to the heavy rainfall during our visit to Kerid Crater, we were limited to enjoying its beauty from above and not hiking around or down into it. That lovely scarlet sediment gets very slippery when wet. Yikes, I keep up with this geology jargon, and my geologist and geological engineering colleagues and friends may think I have come over to the dark side. Yeah no! This was one of the few natural attractions we had to pay a nominal fee to view. Well worth it!

Faxi Waterfall (Vatnsleysufoss)

Our second stop was Faxi Waterfall (Fossin Faxi or Vatnsleysufoss). The waterfall is small in Icelandic terms at 80 m (262 ft) wide and 7 m (23 ft) high. It has 2 parking lots you pay to enter as well as a campground and seasonal restaurant on site. The good news was that there were only 2 other couples there at the time, one eating lunch at their camper van and the other visiting the waterfalls. So, we had the falls to ourselves to enjoy. There is a fish ladder as the Tungufljót River is a popular salmon fishing locale. The only salmon I saw trying to navigate a waterfall while in Iceland was at Reykjafoss Waterfall in Hveragerði. 

Faxi Waterfall on Tungufljót River

Faxi Waterfall on Tungufljót River, near Fish Ladder

Strokkur Geysir

Next up was a stop at Strokkur Geysir (the churn) which sprouts hot water as high as 30 meters (100 ft) into the air every few minutes (right on schedule). This is one of the major stops for the golden circle tours and the place where we saw the most people on our 8-day trip to Iceland. The photo below was taken before several tour buses arrived and we skedaddled quickly thereafter.

Strukkor Geysir before the Hordes Arrived

Strokkur Geysir in action

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss (Golden Falls) is one of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls, located in the Hvítá River Canyon in Southwest Iceland. This is also one of the stops on Iceland's golden circle tours. The waters of the Hvítá River originate from the glacier Langjökull. The first cascade is 11 meters tall (36 feet), whilst the second cascade is 21 meters (69 feet). This picture is taken just up from the handicapped parking lot and is one of the better spots to capture Gullfoss when the tour buses are on site.

Gullfoss Waterfall

Day 2 Route 

Réttir

Professional Sheepherder

The route for day 2 is attached with the circle on the route map below Flúðir (along route 30) was where we encountered the Réttir. Travelling Iceland and the Faroe Islands, we were expecting to encounter sheep in fields, on the roads, and in significant numbers. So, when we came upon the first réttir, it was interesting and a delay of less the 5 minutes was no bigger. We realized very quickly that tourist "sheepherders" must be part of the mix. I had to google that as some of the riders (aka sheepherders) seemed inexperienced and ineffective. The professional sheepherders quickly rounded up strays and move traffic along in an orderly fashion, protecting everyone including the sheep.   

Well Behaved Sheep

Fifteen to twenty minutes later we ran into our second Réttir and that is where the fun began as did the string of four-letter words. The drive from Flúðir to Vik is 89.5 mi (144 km) and should take approximately 2 hrs under normal traffic conditions. Add in a delay of at least 1.5 hours and well no surprise that there were some four-letter words uttered. The delay was so long, and we hardly moved that we incorrectly assumed there was a major traffic incident. Nope, just a larger group of tourist sheepherders (~12) coupled with professional sheepherders who had less experience (I am assuming) dealing with the tourist version than the first group we encountered. After 5 vehicles, locales I presumed, and 2 vehicles in front of us moved out and passed in the other lane, we followed suit. Confusing the issue was only 6-7 cars drove down the road from the opposite direction including a police car. When we finally pulled out, we passed 8 cars to find all the sheep gazing quietly on the side of the road as per the pictures (that were taken while we were stopped), the professional sheepherders (maybe 3) working hard while the tourists' version were on the road (all on the correct side but blocking traffic) along with the horses they were riding; eating, drinking and having a jolly good time.  

A Rétt or Sorting Cages

Fall roundup of the free-ranging sheep is undoubtedly a large undertaking requiring a lot of labour. They use ATVs, horses, or on foot with trusted sheepdogs to fetch sheep. Say what! I saw two dogs the whole time in Iceland, not on the Réttir, and thought they needed to visit Scotland to see Shelties in action. 

The rounded-up sheep are sorted at rétts, circular pens with divided sections to separate each farmer’s herd from one another. On the lighter side, while stuck in our Réttir traffic jam, we observed two sheep running away from the boondoggle ahead of us. Who knew they could run that fast! No one was trying to catch them but all I could think was FREEDOM! 

My thoughts on the recreational tourism associated with the Réttir are diametrically opposite.  Kudos to Icelanders for offering this cultural experience to those of us who visit your beautiful country. Farming/cultivation is arduous work, underpaid, and underappreciated while needing all the assistance it can get. But you can and must do better.  I experienced 2 types of Réttirs, one that left me appreciative and in awe of Icelandic ingenuity while the other left me feeling like I was an invisible bystander at a tailgate party.  One person tasked with traffic control would have made a world of difference for the drivers stuck in the traffic jam.   

This was the effective end to our day, as we still had a 2-hour drive to the hotel, and less than 30 minutes later, torrential rains arrived. Day 2 was complete and the delay coupled with the rain knocked a few items off our list but still overall a good day. 

Video Clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZTBopZzEVI

Blogs in my Iceland Series: (to be updated as completed)

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/10/iceland-day-1-reykjanes-peninsula.html

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/10/iceland-day-3-rain-rain-more-rain-and.html

The following websites provide additional information on various topics concerning Iceland:

https://www.reykjavikcars.com/blog/icelandic-culture/rettir-iceland

https://guidetoiceland.is/travel-iceland/drive/gullfoss

https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/the-extraordinary-geysir-geothermal-area-strokkur-and-all-the-other-hot-pots-in-south-iceland

https://guidetoiceland.is/best-of-iceland/top-9-detours-on-the-golden-circle

https://guidetoiceland.is/travel-iceland/drive/golden-circle

Iceland Day 1: Reykjanes Peninsula

Somewhere Along Route 42

Iceland is a vast volcanic laboratory where geysers gush, mud pots and hot springs burb and bubble, ice-covered volcanoes rumble, glaciers sculpt the land with the precision of Michelangelo and waterfalls are around every corner. Estimates put it about 10,000 waterfalls in Iceland, so around every corner is not an exaggeration. A geologist's wet dream, a photographer's muse and a hikers' paradise all rolled into one tiny island atop the world.

Our trip was an eight-day self-guided driving tour along the ring road. However, even the best-laid plans of mice and men can be laid low by a rental car queue (2.5 hours). Two and half hours waiting to get the rental car had not been factored into the plan. So, plans changed, adjustments were made, and the adventure began.

Day 1 Route

Garðskagi

The first stop was Garðskagi where you find you can find two lighthouses; the older one which is one of the first lighthouses built in 1897 and a new lighthouse was built in 1944. Plus add an old fishing vessel for a nice quick stop.

Garður Old Lighthouse 1897

Garðskagaviti 1944

Hólmsteinn GK 20 Fishing Boat

Hvalsneskirkja

Hvalsneskirkja Church in Hvalsnes is a beautifully preserved church with an adjacent graveyard dating back to 1887. The church is built from carved stone.

Hvalsneskirkja Church 1887

Stafnesviti

The small picturesque lighthouse Stafnesviti is located at Stafnes in the Reykjanes peninsula. Built-in 1925 of concrete Stafnesviti stands 11.5 m tall and is a lovely orange.

Stafnesviti 1925

Stóra-Eldborg next to Mt. Geitahlíð

Stóra-Eldborg a small Holocene volcano in Iceland, on Reykjanes peninsula. It is 50 metres high, with a 30 m deep crater. It is the largest of five cones which formed in an eruption in a fissure in and around Mt. Geitahlíð. Its actual age is unknown but estimates based on a variety of geological observations and characteristics, it may be 7000-8000 years old.

Krýsuvík Geothermal Area 

Located in the middle of a fissure on the mid-Atlantic ridge, Seltún Hot Springs is a geothermal hot spring system in Krýsuvík volcanic area. The hot springs area contains solfataras, bubbling mud pools, fumaroles, hot springs, and warm springs. The sediments brought up by hots pools range in colour from red, orange, and green, creating a kaleidoscope of colour. The high sulphur content of the springs gives them a characteristic yellow-orange colour. The kaolinite clay mud pits are high in silica and alumina. The blue clay mud pits are saturated with pyrite. You will immediately notice the overwhelming stink of sulphur.

Seltún Hot Springs Area

Seltún Hot Springs Area

Seltún Hot Springs Area

Seltún Hot Springs Area

Seltún Hot Springs Area

Seltún Hot Springs Area

Grænavatn Lake

Grænavatn Lake "Green Lake" is an explosion crater created by volcanic eruptions. Grænavatn Lake is 46-meters deep with green water due to the amount of sulphur, deep depth, thermal algae and crystals that absorb the sunlight.  

Grænavatn Lake

Kleifarvatn Lake

Kleifarvatn Lake is the largest lake in the Reykjanes Peninsula with the unique feature being that it has no visible surface drainage. The water level of the lake changes with the level of groundwater coming from the porous lava rock around it. Kleifarvatn lies on the fissure zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and is near the geothermal area of Seltún. 

Kleifarvatn Lake (North View)

Kleifarvatn Lake (south view)

This was the point when we looked at the time, and the distance to the hotel, and decided to call it a day and drive to the hotel (Hótel Örk, Hveragerði).  After checking in and dinner, a walk around the town was in order.  Though later in the evening, we found our first waterfall to photograph in the Botanical Garden in Hveragerði. Reykjafoss is a small waterfall on the river Varmá, in Hveragerði, Suðvesturland, Iceland.

Reykjafoss Waterfall, Hveragerði

To Finish the day, a bit of Icelandic street art along the walk to Reykjafoss Waterfall in Hveragerði.  

Enroute to Reykjafoss Waterfall just off of Breiðamörk

Enroute to Reykjafoss Waterfall just off of Breiðamörk

Video clip from Day 1:

Video Taken along Route 42

Blogs in my Iceland Series: (to be updated as completed)

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/10/iceland-day-2-rettir-or-rather-sheep.html

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/10/iceland-day-3-rain-rain-more-rain-and.html

Retirement Celebration: A Visit to the Land of Fire and Ice, Sheep Islands with a Helping of Auld Reekie.

Gufufoss Waterfall, Seyðisfjörður Village, Iceland

May 2020 was supposed to be the preretirement celebration trip for my husband who planned to retire in December 2020. Our visit to Iceland "the Land of Fire and Ice", the Faroes Islands "Sheep Islands" and Edinburgh "Auld Reekie" had been booked. Covid 19 (or specifically severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)) put the kibosh to travel plans as well as his planned retirement.

Fast-forward to April 2022 and we decide to book and plan his retirement celebration for September 2022 when he would be officially retiring. We were not overly concerned about Covid because we had been through 2 years of dealing with it successfully while travelling within Canada. Summer 2022 or rather; if luggage could talk, what stories would they tell arrived. Add in the reported long queues, flight delays and cancellations and it is safe to say I was seriously questioning our sanity to travel this September.

Funningsfjørður, Faroe Islands

We could not do carry-on only as we needed to pack for warm, cold, and wet weather plus camera gear. We planned to use laundry services and did. The surprise (due to my lack of research) was laundry services at hotels are not self-serve in Iceland but are for a moderate fee. Fees do vary between hotels. I learnt I can wear clothes for several days if required. My friends are having a good laugh at this.

It is now October, and we are back home. We travelled through 4 countries via 8 flights arriving early or within 20 minutes of the scheduled time along with our one medium-sized checked luggage. We did not fly through Toronto Pearson or Montreal Trudeau International Airports. We travelled through Halifax Stanfield International Airport which is always a good plan when travelling to Europe from Atlantic Canada. Most of our flights were early morning or midday flights which helped us avoid the travel chaos. 

In all my travels over the last 15 years, I have never passed through customs in Europe as fast as I did at Heathrow (all 4 times). Around 5-7 minutes each time; shocked and pleasantly surprised. The only queues we encountered were at Hertz Car rental in Keflavík International Airport (about 2.5 hours for 20-25 rentals) and for security clearance at Halifax Stanfield International Airport (about 1 hour).

The Great Hall, Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Next up is the processing of photos and accompanying blogs about this amazing trip.

Blogs in my Iceland Series: (to be updated as completed)
https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/10/iceland-day-1-reykjanes-peninsula.html

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/10/iceland-day-2-rettir-or-rather-sheep.html