Iceland: Vigur And Leaving Iceland

Once back in Isafjordur we made our way to shore in the dinghy to find Ken Bower walking down the dock to meet us. Ken is an American photographer who we met in the Faroe Islands who also happened to be on his way to Iceland. We had exchanged emails hoping to cross paths again.

Snow Dragon At Anchor, Vigur

Ken happened to be back in Isafjordur ahead of schedule and was free the following day. Over tea at the Edinborg Bistro we decided to take advantage of the summer weather that had finally arrived in Iceland and sail out to the island of Vigur in the morning. Ken met us at 8am with a large pastry in hand and we had a leisurely breakfast as we motored the two hours to Vigur with no wind and flat seas. 

Vigur And Snorri's Daughter Playing

On shore we met Snorri Salvarsson, the son of Salvar Baldursson who owns the farm on the island. Snorri’s parents are the islands only residents and he explained that his parents had just recently given up sheep and cattle farming and now focus on eiderdown collecting and the tour groups that visit the island. The down keeps them busy with 3,500 eider nests they are kept busy collecting in the summer and cleaning the down in the winter before selling it. They are able to limit how many tourists the tour boats bring to the island which helps keep Vigur’s peaceful atmosphere and the owner’s sanity.

Ken Photographing An Arctic Tern

Arctic Tern

A tour group arrived just as we were sitting down to tea, coffee and cake at the farm’s café. Luckily we noticed that the tour was given sticks with flags to ward off arctic terns and decided to borrow a few sticks for our own walk around the island. It turned out to be the right decision as the terns were quite aggressive especially when we walked near their chicks who were freely roaming.

Arctic Tern Chicks

When we returned from our walk we asked Snorri why dead ravens were being used as scarecrows. He explained that one raven nested on the island and protected it from other ravens who eat the young of other birds. However, this year the raven’s eggs did not hatch and the raven had no incentive protect its territory. Other ravens moved in and attacked the eider and tern nests causing Salvar to have to spend the night defending the nesting birds with a rifle.

Dead Raven Being Uses As A Scarecrow

The wind still had not come up by the afternoon and we motored back to Isafjordur where Ken kindly drove us to the large supermarket outside town so we could do our final provisioning for Greenland. After helping us carry our groceries to the dinghy we said goodbye and extended an invitation for Ken to visit us when we are in Eastern Canada.

Final Provisioning For Greenland 

The Danish ice charts showed we could leave for east Greenland at any point but the wind report indicated we would have more favorable winds if we waited until Saturday to depart. To make the most of our last day in Iceland we had lunch outside at Edinburg Bistro where we had a good view of the fjord and Snow Dragon at anchor. Then we moved Snow Dragon over to the dock and rafted up to Aurora so that we could top up our water tanks and have customs clear us out of Iceland. 

Sigurdur and his crew member Riikka kindly took our lines and they came over for a visit. When Sigurdur heard we were planning on taking our dinghy across the bay to shorten the distance we needed to walk to harvest more wild rhubarb he lent us his car. We returned with a large bag full and gave some to Sigurdur and took the rest of our embarrassing load back to Snow Dragon. After we got our dinghy and motor on deck, the crew of Aurora joined us for wine before we all headed over to a concert with a talented guitarist from Brazil and a fantastic Icelandic Saxophonist.

2am In Isafjordur, Snow Dragon On The Right

We returned to Snow Dragon at 2am, just in time to catch the bright pink sunset. Now after a reasonable night’s sleep there is not much between us and leaving for Ammassalik other than making sure all of our lettuce plants our secure for the crossing. We’ll be tweeting about the passage to Greenland, please check out our twitter page https://twitter.com/SnowDragonII or @SnowDragonII.

For more photos please click on Vigur Album

Iceland: Hiking And Bird Rescue

Sue declined our offer of continuing on to Greenland with us as she did not want to miss the unusual hot summer weather in England. She survived flying out of the dramatic runway in Isafjordur and had a glorious view of Rekjavik from the plane. Halldor left the following day after cooking one last meal for us and commenting on how much humor Sue had brought to the trip. It was a pleasure to have both of them onboard and we miss their company.    

We had planned only to spend a couple of days in Isafjordur before setting of for East Greenland but the ice charts showed ice was still blocking a good portion of the coast including Ammassalik, our intended destination. Since we will see a lot of Greenland when we sail West Greenland next summer and love the area around Isafjordur, we decided to give the ice another week to breakup. In the meantime, we enjoyed a few days of carefree hiking in Jokilfjordur before arriving in polar bear country.

Dolphins On the Way To Jokilfjordur

After a peaceful night’s sleep at Grunnavik, a spectacular open bay with little protection near the mouth of Jokilfjordur. We woke up to erratic 30+ knot gusts funneled by the mountains. The anchorage had excellent holding and we were able to go for our 5 hour hike as planned after Frances spent the morning making rhubarb jam from the rhubarb she picked in Isafjordur. The ‘trails’ marked on the map are just a suggestion of a route and except for an old horse riding track we walked across flower filled hillsides. The last part of the hike followed a spectacular cliff edge with sweeping views across the fjord. 

Frances With The Rhubarb She Harvested

 Grunnavik

In the morning we moved across to Hesteyrarfjordur where we have fond memories of visiting the café at Hesteyri with out friend David who joined us during our first trip to Isafjordur. After a brief walk, we returned to the café for tea just as the passengers of a cruise ship were being ferried back to Isafjordur. It turned that the cruise ship had been unable to stop in Greenland due to heavy ice and had to continue directly to Iceland, its next destination. 

Krystina Walking, Hesteyri

Cafe, Hesteyri

We decided to move up to the head of the fjord for the night. Before we could decide whether or not to set off on an evening hike, Frances saw a bird struggling on its back in the water. The bird appeared to be tangled in fishing line and we dinghying over with a knife, a pair of gloves and a dish towel hoping to cut it free.

Guillemont

On closer examination we realized it wasn’t tangled and appeared to have an injured wing or leg which was making it lopsided and unable to float on its front. Krystina picked up the struggling guillemot and we brought it back to Snow Dragon for closer examination. When we couldn’t find an obvious injury, we took it to shore hoping it just needed to rest. Krystina placed the guillemot on the grass but all it did was lay on its right side and clean its feathers so we brought it back to Snow Dragon to keep it safe from predators. Not having any boxes on board we decided the best place to store an injured guillemot was in our shower with a towel for it to lay and a bowl of fresh and one of salt water for it to drink. We knew guillemots ate fish but we did not have any on board.

Guillemont In Snow Dragon's Shower

When the neighboring boat turned out to be out of sardines and the guillemot was clearly not interested in the lamb’s liver pate we offered, we decided to pull anchor and head back in Isafjordur where we knew we could easily buy fish and maybe find someone to care for the guillemot. On the way out of the fjord we spotted Aurora anchored near Hesteyri. Sigurdur, Aurora’s skipper, invited us over for a glass of wine with the French film team he had on board and gave us fish for our new passenger. He also explained how to properly prepare a guillemot should we decide to eat it.

Aurora At Anchor And With Snow Dragon, Hesteyri

In the morning, the guillemot looked less lopsided and had no problem flapping both wings when Frances sprinkled him with water. We decided to take guillemot to shore and put him in shallow water. After a few encouraging words in Icelandic from Sigurdur, the guillemot swam away now only slightly lopsided and we returned to Isafjordur without a guillemot in our shower. For more photos please click on Jokilfjordur Album

       

Iceland: Sue's Journal Part III

July 13^th

A quiet morning, got up late. The plan was we would leave for our voyage after 4pm when the wind would be favorable. Halldor would join us then. Frances has invited him to come with us to Isafjordur. However, how he will return home is unknown. He has been searching for one of his four motor bikes but to no avail.

Tomas, The Owner Of The Harbour Cafe

Krystina spent a lot of time in the Harbour Café catching up the blog so I read and drank coffee. Eventually we left at some time after 6.30pm for an overnight sail. The Harbour Café owner hoisted the American flag in honor of Snow Dragon and dipped it as we left (After rushing along the quay with a pack of beer, as a parting gift!)

The Harbour Cafe Flying The American Flag

Sue At The Wheel While Talking On Her Mobile

At first, all went well as we motored out of the fjord, I was given the wheel and instructed to steer, which was manageable, but once out at sea with the sails hoisted it was a much more complicated operation. After another hour, I decided that I wouldn’t be eating super. Shortly afterwards I was sick. I was beautifully looked after and I spent the rest of the night on the settee in the pilothouse. John rang at about 11pm and I was promptly sick again! Frances gave me a pill and hot water bottle, and I slept in my clothes including fleece under a blanket and a duvet. It was quite rough. Halldor was heroic and kept watch all night, while Krystina slept. Frances had short snatches of sleep under the chart table. Early in the morning we moved into calmer waters and at 8.30 I was able to sit up and join the others for breakfast.

Sue Asleep And Halldor Relaxing While Underway

14^th July

After breakfast Halldor and I retreated to our cabins, but got up in time for lunch at 2pm. It had been raining since early morning and visibility was very poor when we entered this fjord, but by the time I got up the sun was shining and the views of the hills and the waterfall above us where stunning.

Snow Dragon Comming Into Djupavik Photo Taken By Claus

Photos From Ehibition

We are anchored in Rekjarfjordur at a little settlement called Djupavik. It was a herring station for twenty years from the 1930’s. There is a lot of industrial archaeology here, including a wrecked ship, which was deliberately grounded when the station was being built as accommodation for the workers. It feels very remote and northern here, but there is a good dirt road and quite a few visitors driving along it-it being Sunday. There was a photographic exhibition in the herring processing factory which we visited. It is an amazing building, especially the round tanks which Frances and Halldor crawled into. The acoustic was astounding!

For Video Of Frances Testing The Acoustic

There is a lovely hotel where Krystina made use of the wifi all afternoon, while Frances walked up to the waterfall. I drank coffee, sent some emails and mooched about. At 7.30 Frances brought Halldor and me back to Snow Dragon in the dinghy to start supper. Halldor is a wonder-he had brought a chicken which he prepared and he spring-cleaned the galley at the same time. 

15^th July A closed in day and wet at times. Krystina brought me tea and a sea-sick pill at 8.30am. We set off at 10 for the short journey to Krossnes in Nordurfjordur, where Frances wanted to visit a hot spring. Although not far away, it took four hours to get there because a certain amount of tacking had to take place. Not much to look at (because the coastline was shrouded in mist), except the ever-present fulmars, a tystie, a puffin and a small flock of Icelandic gulls flying past in determined formation. 

We arrived at 2pm and I promptly fell asleep. I woke at 3 o’clock for lunch and then slept again until 6pm. Frances and Halldor had set off at 4 o’clock to find the thermal spring. They didn’t return until 8 o’clock having spent  1 1/2 hours wallowing in the warm bath on the shore with sundry other people. The bath was a 45 min walk form the pier. When Krystina went to fetch them, there was an extra person in the dinghy! Frances had acquired a 26 year old fisherman called Totti, who it appeared was a cousin of Halldor’s. He joined us for supper of Halldor’s spicy chicken soup and cheese. There was animated discussion of world affairs and the state of the Icelandic fishing industry.

16^th July

Sue's Journal

I survived the waves yesterday and again today. A similar start to yesterday. We left Krossnes at 10am. The cloud was low, but hints of brightness, indicating that the day might improve. I sat outside watching the green cliffs drift by for an hour, at which point fog descended and I retreated inside, where I remained for the rest of the day reading and sleeping in the deteriorating weather. We didn’t reach our destination in Hornvik until 8.30 pm. At some point a fast moving zodiac approached with six brightly clad, official looking men on board. Krystina fended them off, with the help of some Icelandic from Halldor, and they disappeared into the gloom, having checked us out!

Lots of sea birds flying round the boat. It was disappointing not to see the dramatic cliffs at Hornvik, where they nest.

Krystina prepared supper on a cold and gloomy night (6C), but it was snug on board. It rained hard at times and we felt sorry for the people camping at this wild and lonely place. There is one, lone farmhouse.

At 11pm the decision was taken not to stay, but to sail on overnight to Isafjordur 36 miles away. We left in the fog at midnight.

17^th July

It was a lively night’s sailing. We all stayed up, dozing from time to time. Frances had the best night’s sleep under the chart table, apart from having to replenish hydraulic fluid in the autopilot in the early hours. Halldor kept watch most of the time. Again I managed to survive the waves! We entered the fjord at 7.30 am, where it was calm enough for Krystina to prepare breakfast-eggy bread etc.

We finally anchored in the harbour at 10am. On approaching the harbour we passed the runway!!!

The cliffs around here are extremely colorful-red rock, brilliant green grass and moss and blue-green lupines.

By lunch time we had all showered and gone ashore. Halldor slept. We made for the harbour café (Edinborg Bistro) so that Krystina could work on the computer. She and Frances shared a lamb burger. I had a bowl of superb sea-food soup. This is the second harbour café of high standard-why can’t we do this in Britain? The harbour has a high number of arctic terns fishing and hovering like butterflies behind the Snow Dragon.

Frances and I went for a wander around the town, but I DID NOT buy an Icelandic sweater. Frances succumbed to a beautiful hand-made glass wall light! The weather was improving all the time and eventually the sun emerged and the cloud lifted from the tops of the mountains. By the time we returned to the café it was warm enough to sit outside.

Isafjordur At Midnight

Isafjordur is a lovely little town, but it is rather hemmed in by two walls of rock on either side of the fjord. There has been a lot of investment here with many new buildings including hospital, school and sports centre. There has been a big effort to promote tourism in this beautiful area, even though it is eight hours by road from Reykjavik. There are several large trawlers in the harbour. Frances, Halldor and I returned to Snow Dragon at 5.30 to prepare supper.

I fly out of here tomorrow-and I’ve seen the runway-oh dear!!

For more photos please click on Sue's Journal Past III Album

For more photos from Clause http://www.claus-in-iceland.com/

Iceland: Sue's Journal Part II

10^th of July

An overcast day. After tidying the apartment we left at 9.15 am to drive to Akureyri a 250 mile journey. We had to be there by 5.30pm to drop off the hire car. The road is single carriageway but well surfaced and engineered all the way. Krystina and Frances shared the driving. We turned off the main road shortly after Borgarnes to visit an old thermal bath (Snorri’s) because Frances has turned into a thermal bath ‘anorak’ since purchasing the book ‘Thermal Pools In Iceland’. 

Frances would like to point out that her enthusiasm for hot springs goes back to 1972 when she first discovered them in Canada and has sought them out in many places including New Calidonia, New Zealand, Svalbard and Greenland.

Sue, Deildartunguhver Hot Spring

I think that Snorri’s bath (Snorri being of significance in medieval Icelandic history) turned out to be rather farther away than Frances had anticipated! However, it took us up a lovely valley, off the beaten track. Eventually we found it, and Frances was somewhat disappointed. The situation was saved by her just happening to notice that there were some thermal springs just along the road. We were very glad that we turned in, as these are the best hot springs in Europe! Boiling water spurting out of rocks in several places. Very dramatic. The hot water is piped to three towns-one is 74km away. This important place is hardly signed-posted. We bought some tomatoes form the near-by hothouses. A lady was selling craft from an old bus and Frances nearly bought another Icelandic sweater. Krystina bought some geo-thermally baked rye bread, which is reputed to be very good.

River Near Reykholt

Someone suggested that we take a short-cut (along the gravel road) to the main road. At first all went well, and I was enjoying being in real Iceland. After several miles, though, the surface deteriorated and having arrived in a very rural farmyard and enquired of the young man there, were advised that a Toyota Yaris was not adequate for the job, and without a four-wheel drive we should retrace our steps. By the time we arrived back at the main road we were a little behind schedule!

However, when we arrived at a lava bed and a couple of extinct volcanic cones we found time for a short walk and a snack. We also had a mid-afternoon coffee stop. The views were constantly changing, but always spectacular. Below the dark volcanic mountains with their huge scree slopes there are lush green pastures. Much haymaking is taking place-or rather haylage-the bales being wrapped in plastic. This country is much more colorful and much less inhospitable than I had anticipated. So many wildflowers.

Frances was driving and she suddenly woke up to the fact that we had another 118km to cover before dropping off the car before 5.30 and catching the bus at 5.45 to Siglufjordur!! No time for photographing now or checking out the possible Slavonian Grebes-or adhering to the 90km/h speed limit! We made it-just-Frances ejected Krystina and me with the luggage, while she went on to the airport to leave the car. She returned in someone’s car a minute before the bus was due. Phew! On checking the bus timetable she discovered that she had read it wrongly and the bus wasn’t due until 7.42pm!! We were able to sit, have a quiet coffee and cake in the lovely civic center overlooking the fjord adjacent to the bus stop. 

We were the only passengers on the bus, it was a beautiful journey for 1 ½ hours along the side of the fjord in the evening sunlight. We had an informative conversation with the bus driver. We arrived at Siglfujordur at 9pm. It was the center of the herring industry throughout the 20^th century until its collapse. Now it is a small quiet fishing town clinging to the bottom of a cliff above the harbour. The construction of three tunnels (one is 7km long) has cut the journey time form Akureyri from 3 hours to just over 1 hour, so it is much more accessible.

Brunch At Johanna's

11^th July

A slow start and a wet day. After calling at the baker’s we went to Johanna’s for brunch at midday. She is staying at her sister’s house, prior to going out to her family house on Flatey. Whilst she is there, she will catch and skin puffins! Every second year she collects eider down form about 500 nests, which she sells to the Japanese. In the afternoon Frances returned to Snow Dragon to complete re-upholstering her seat, and I went with Krystina to the herring museum-which is excellent. Afterwards, it was back to Johanna’s for coffee and pastries and Frances and Johanna sat in the hot tub in the rain, drinking wine. Krystina and I had more sense! Then it was off to a dinner party. Non-stop socializing here! Eight of us had dinner in Halldor and Steinunn’s apartment above her dress shop. A lovely meal, including what could have been horse! It was after 12.30 when we left in daylight with a redwing calling on the roof. Their dog, a Chihuahua usually suspicious of strangers, is in love with me!

 Johaana After A Successful Puffin Hunt

Frances And Johanna Enjoying The Hot Tub In The Rain

Dinner At Halldor's

12^th July

After a shower and hair wash (not a quick process) and breakfast at 10am. I was able to read my book for a while. Frances was working on the engine and Krystina busy with the Snow Dragon blog. Then to the supermarket and back before 1.30 when Johanna and Halldor’s 17 year old daughter Kristin were arriving to go for a sail, with a possibility of seeing whales. We motored out the mouth of the fjord eating lunch on the way and then the sails were hoisted. The cliffs here remind me of those in the N.W. of Skye around Uig. We were accompanied all the way by fulmars. We also saw guillemots, razor bills, puffins and terns. The breeze was light and the sea clam, as we floated gently along at 5 ½ mph.

Sue, Kristin And Johanna

Then I spotted some whales blowing on the horizon, so we headed in that direction. Gradually a group of 6+ moved towards us, followed by a similar sized group. A couple of them surfaced close to the boat. We saw one farther off smacking the water with its tail and rolling on its side. We watched them for more than an hour during which time two small whales crossed in front of Snow Dragon. What and exciting afternoon-and it was free! It was getting chili so Krystina made hot chocolate. Marvelous service on this boat! 

Humpback Whales And Guillemots 

It was a dash to shore and busyness as there was to be dinner for 8 on board. I had met the Freds in Tromso, they had been moored in an adjacent boat. They arrived in Akureyri this afternoon from Norway. Krystina had sent them a text message saying that if they cleared customs in time, they could catch the 4.30pm bus and come for dinner and that Johanna would give them a lift back as she had to meet her 15 year old daughter from the Rekjavik bus. So that’s what happened. A merry evening.

Frances, Sigridur, Fredo, Fred, Anselme, Krystina

At 10pm everyone left. Frances and Krystina went to a Leonard Cohen tribute concert which was just beginning. I opted to stay behind and have some quiet time and catch up with this journal. I managed to complete most of the washing up before going to bed at 12.30 am, just before Frances and Krystina returned.

For more photos please click on Sue's Journal Part II Album

Iceland: Sue's Journal Part I

Krystina returned from England with our friend Sue who was bravely joining us for her first sailing trip on Snow Dragon. Though she has been on Snow Dragon previously, including joining us in Tromso, Norway in the middle of winter. She has always favored visiting us when we aren’t moving. This time she surprised us by accepting our invitation to come to Iceland and sail with us from Siglufjordur to Isafjordur. To give our blog readers a different perspective, Sue has kindly allowed us to post her travel journal.  

Sue Relaxing At Bill And Sarah's Hotel

8^th July

Krystina came at 8.15 for Gatwick. A long wait at the bagdropp and necessity to purchase wine meant a scoot to the gate. Over Scotland we entered cloud and I couldn’t see anything until we were practically on the runway at Keflavik. It was grey and cool after the heat of the U.K. We caught the airport bus and Frances met us at the bust station in Reykjavik. Whilst on the bus I sent an email using the bus wifi! We went with Bill and Sarah in their rental car to the apartment that we will be using for two nights. It belongs to Johanna, a friend of Frances and Krystina who they met on Flatey collecting eider down! After much trudging on tied legs we found one of the places recommended to Bill for supper. And had a lovely meal at The Sjavargrillid (Seafood Grill).

Cured salmon and smoked Artic char

Salad with beetroot & feta

Pasta with Langoustines and prawns in creamy tomato sauce (Yum)

Crème brûlée with ice cream and sorrel sorbet with fresh sorrel leaves.

We were returned home by Bill and Sarah. Bed at 11.35pm-exhausted. A wonderful night’s sleep, under a Manchester United duvet!

9^th July

Krystina brought me tea at 8am. I showered using geothermal heated water! Bill and Sarah collected us at 9.15 for an excursion. Clear blue skies. I’m pleased they wanted to “do” the Golden Circle. We started at the far end at the Gullfoss Waterfall-very impressive, plunging into its gorge. I was surprised by the number of wild flowers including some alpine meadows. The mosses and lichens covering the sides of the mountains provide an array of greens making a colorful backdrop. There were many tour buses, but it was warm and sunny enough to get away form the crowds and sit on the edge of the gorge in tee shirts, and eat our picnic. We found orchids and meadows full of color.

Gullfoss Waterfall And Sue Photographing Orchids  

We went on to Geysir (which gives its name to geysers) to watch the geyser, which spouted spectacularly every five minutes. There were snipe and whimbrel. We continued on to Thingvellir which is a very significant place. It is where the North American plate and the Eurasion plate meet along the fault line, which is pushing apart by 1.5cm each year. It also has historical Viking significance. It is where the chieftains were obliged to meet each year for the annual “Althing”. When Iceland became independent, it is where the declaration was read.

Finally we ended up at Slippbarinn, Bill and Sarah’s hotel, where we had dinner. Fish stew followed by a concoction of meringue, white chocolate ice cream, berries and caramel. Very good.

 At 9.30pm, after saying ‘Good-bye’ to Bill and Sarah, who had an early flight to Boston in the morning, we called at the new concert hall, ‘the glass box’ on the harbourside. We wandered inside one of the world’s most amazing modern buildings. What a wonderful construction!

Inside The Harpa

For more photos please click on Sue's Journal Part I Album