We all loved the eastern fjords and wonderful hikes we had in Seydisfjordur.

8/28/16 – Seydisfjordur

 On our drive to one of the easternmost towns in Iceland, we expanded on our list of descriptors for the landscape: vast, stark, barren, patches of brilliant green surrounded by black and hints of yellow, sprinkled with cairns. The temperature dropped to 4^oC (39^oF). It rained along the way and the fog was thick, obscuring the view, as we descended down into town.

The skies remained grey, but the rain subsided shortly after arrival, so we took a lovely hike to a couple of the numerous waterfalls surrounding this small port town. We enjoyed a beer at the bistro and then checked into Hótel Snæfell, an old building with a difficult to open entry door. Ingrid and I shared the smallest hotel room I’ve ever been in, fortunately on the third floor so we couldn’t hear anyone above us. We had to step out of each other’s way to navigate the small space between our twin beds.

We returned to the bistro for dinner; I split a small pizza and veggie lasagna with Ingrid. We were excited by the small salad that was included; fresh vegetables seem to be rare here. We’ve learned to ask what vegetables are included when indicated on a menu; they might be something as simple as onions in the sauce.

8/29/16 – Waterfall Lane

This breakfast included a welcome surprise from the usual: hummus and an olive tapenade. It was cloudy, but not raining, so we split up and wandered around town for a while before hiking up to Tvisongur, a sound installation on the hillside above town. The five chambers echoed nicely. It was dry enough to eat outdoors at a picnic table. The two vegetarians, Ingrid and Ginny, ordered take-out veggie burgers, while Amy and I munched on items gathered from breakfast and the grocery store.

Slowly the sun came out and in the afternoon we were blessed with beautiful weather for our hike up waterfall lane, obviously named after the countless waterfalls encountered along the way. The only downside was the loss of my prescription glasses. I switched to sunglasses mid-hike and the case must have fallen out of my pack afterwards. Fortunately I had a spare pair in my suitcase and purchased trip insurance.

We hiked directly to the bar and I had another good Porter. After a quick shower, we walked over to dinner, at Hótel Aldan, one of only three places serving food. The cod fish was good, though expensive and a bit bland (a common occurrence in Iceland).

8/30/16 – Lots of Driving

We departed Seydisfjordur under cloudy skies with only slightly more visibility than when we arrived. It was a long day on the road with several stops to stretch our legs and take pics of sheep and other sights. We stopped at a Vinbudin in Djupivogur where we each bought a bottle of wine for less than we’ve been paying for a glass. These stores are the only place to buy alcohol, besides restaurants, and they often have short hours, e.g. 16:00-18:00. The highlight of our day, or should I say the hot spot of our day, was the hot tubs in Hoffel, where we soaked a bit before continuing on to Skaftafell.