Iceland Vacation, Day 4

Today was another day in the rental cars, continuing our travels eastward to see more Icelandic beauty.

(Click on any photo to enlarge it.)

A reminder: we slept in glass igloos last night! After an overcast night that nevertheless gave us great views of the Northern Lights, this was our morning view to start the day.

Our first stop was Seljalandsfoss, a waterfall that people are able to walk behind on a path that hugs the rocks while the falls cascade outward from the cliff above. This waterfall is meltwater from the glacier Eyjafjallajökull.

This nearby waterfall is Gljúfrabúi. We all brought waterproof gear on this trip, knowing that we'd be spending time near and behind waterfalls.

Icelandic sheep are everywhere! Their fleece is double-coated; click on the photo to see a closer view of the long external coat, which is hardy and waterproof. The finer internal coat is soft and insulating.

This waterfall is Skógafoss, just up the road from Seljalandsfoss. The cascade produces so much spray that at least one rainbow is visible here anytime the sun is out.

I had utter faith in the integrity of my waterproof gear, so I ventured all the way to the base of the waterfall to take it all in: the slippery rocks, the noise of the water, the mists and splashes, and the fresh smell.

After another scenic drive, we arrived at this lighthouse built on a promontory called Dyrhólaey. The geographical formation in the distance ...

... is Reynisdrangar, the basalt sea stacks at the base of the mountain Reynisfjall. That black sand beach is called Renisfjara. Here we're looking eastward from the lighthouse.

Just under the lighthouse is this black arch of lava that gave the peninsula its name: Dyrhólaey means door hill island, and that bigger archway is the door of that name.

This is the view north/northwest from the lighthouse. In the distance you can see the glacier Mýrdalsjökull.

From Dyrhólaey it was a quick drive over to Reynisdrangar to see the enormous basalt sea stacks up close and to watch the huge waves roll up onto the black sands of Renisfjara.

Not coincidentally, our restaurant choice for dinner (in the nearby town of Vík) was the Black Crust Pizzeria. Iceland's black sand beaches are black because they are made from eroded lava that cools rapidly when flowing into the sea and shatters into tiny black fragments that are eroded into sand by the waves and wind on the beaches. Iceland's black crust pizza, however, is black because of the activated charcoal that they add to the dough to achieve the right look! We shared three pizzas: a traditional pepperoni/sausage pizza; an Icelandic cheese pizza with red currant jelly and rose pepper; and a langoustine pizza with truffle cream cheese, arugula, rosemary, chili, and balsamic vinegar.

Not far from Vík is the canyon Fjaðrárgljúfur. A gentle waterfall feeds the river Fjaðrá flowing through the canyon, which dates back about two million years to its glacial formation during the Ice Age.

Tonight we are staying at Landbrot Guesthouse just outside of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Notice the grass-covered roof, a common sight across Iceland. We ate supper at their restaurant (including Viking beer with the meal and skyr mousse with berries for dessert) and spent another night with our cameras to the sky ...

... for more views of the Northern Lights! So beautiful.