Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Natural Hot Water
Yesterday morning we rented a car and went in search of hot springs. Our quest took us along a windy shoreline road with spectacular views and impressive stormy light. It started to rain shortly before pulling into the Heydalur farm where the Galtahryggjarlaug hot spring is located. The farm had a small restaurant in a beautifully converted barn and we stopped for coffee hoping that the rain would pass. Instead it settled in and we eventually ventured back outside and down the track to the pool.
Galtahryggjarlaug
After crossing a small river we found the spring in a meadow, surrounded by buttercups. The pool itself was built up with peat and rocks but otherwise natural. Warm water bubbled up between the pebbles of the gravely bottom and there was a complete absence of sulfur. The water was a delightful quality and the temperature was perfect even in the rain.
Horgshlidarlaug
On the other side of Mijoifjordur is Horgshlidarlaug, a concrete pool fed by thermal water. It would be truly glorious to bathe there on a calm day with its stunning beach front location but the strong winds discouraged us from doing anything more than checking the temperature of the water with our hands.
Before turning around, we checked out the Reykjanes thermal pool which was built in 1927 with a boarding school beside it. The school is now a hotel in an extreme state of disrepair and the coffee was the worst that we have had in Iceland. The wind swept, steaming concrete pool was no temptation.
Reykjanes
After stopping briefly at Isafjordur, to check on how Snow Dragon was faring in the high winds we decided to drive through the three way tunnel, which gives quick access to the west coast. At Sudureyri we drove to where we could see the ocean. Impressive surf was breaking on the rocks from the passing gale and we were glad to be anchored in Isafjordur. At Flateyri we watched a French sailboat struggle to get docked in the wind. The seven people on board were clearly very tired so we did not stop to talk. Though many of the places we visited were accessible by boat, some of them were too shallow for Snow Dragon. It was nice to be able to explore without worrying about depth or weather.
For more photos please click on Natural Hot Water Album.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Sweaters,Torches And Charts
Our sweater collection is growing. We were in town running errands and noticed one of the shops had put out a new selection. Krystina went in not thinking she would find anything and ended up falling in love with a simple back and white one. Bringing her woolly count up to four including one that she bought in Svalbard last summer. Frances also started trying them on and ended up buying a beige one. Her sweater count is confidential.
Another frivolous item that fallowed us home today is a chef's torch. Frances went looking for a propane bottle for her plumbing torch which is used for both repair projects and making crème brûlée. Her quest to find a bottle that would fit a North American torch was unsuccessful. She then went to the hardware store to find a European style torch that would fit the available bottles. One of the women that worked at the store had a feeling that Frances' torch was used for more than just maintenance and once Frances confirmed this. The woman began calling the propane distributors to see if a bottle could be found. Once they established that neither a bottle, torch or adapter could be obtained, Frances went to the kitchen store. Where she was told they did not have any torches. She started to walk down the street when the woman from the kitchen store came running up to her saying that they did have a crème brûlée torch. We will test it this weekend, after all, we need to make sure it works.
On a more serious note, Ocens the company that provides both our satellite email service and weather downloads, emailed to say that they are adding the Danish ice charts to their weather service after we requested them. We only just started using their weather service this year and realized the ice information available was woefully inadequate. When Frances called to complain, they asked what we wanted them to add and said they would see what they could do. It is nice to be dealing with a small company that has time for their customers and is willing to put in the extra effort.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Back In Port
Once again our alarm went off at six, this time to make sure David didn't miss his plane. None of us had gotten to bed before three but a cup of coffee and a pastry at the bakery helped pep us up while we waited for the airport shuttle. After saying goodbye to David, we stopped by the tourist information office to inquire about a few things including where we could buy stainless bolts. They suggested a nearby store and before we left we chatted with a hiker who turned out to be a crew member from Polar Bear, a charter sailboat headed to Jan Mayen and Greenland.
It took two stores to find the bolt and the eye that we were looking for. One had a bolt that was longer than we needed and could be cut, the other had the eye. The new piece of hardware is to secure the anchor so that the chain stopper can be left in place. Currently part of it is removed when the anchor is on deck and held on by a piece of line that is prone to chaffing. Tomorrow the upgrade will be put in place and hopefully will be a better solution.
We returned to the boat and spent the rest of the morning organizing our photos from the past week before Frances finally faded and needed a nap. When she revived we headed back to town and Krystina went to the internet cafe to look at weather, ice charts and to start sorting photos into albums. While Frances picked up the new sweater that she had ordered from Frida, a local knitter. Frida invited Frances back to her house to meet her husband who sailed to Greenland last year. After talking, looking at ice charts and Google Earth photos of Greenland over coffee, she finally joined Krystina at the cafe. It was another of those wonderful gestures of hospitality we have often encountered in Iceland.
Frida Holding The Sweater She Knitted For Frances Last Week
Right now it looks as if the ice on the east coast of Greenland will disipate enough by next week, provided that the strong northeast winds do not push more drift ice down from the north. We are just waiting for a few additional charts and for a low that is creating gale force winds to pass. The rain from the low set in as we were ready to head back. It was a wet dinghy ride but the harbor is well protected from swell and we can barely feel the strong easterly quadrant winds. Tomorrow we hope to add photos to the posts that have been put up over the past week.
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