Hólmavík and Drangsnes

Oh dear I have so been neglecting this blog...just really have not had the energy for it. The start to 2013 has not been brilliant for me and this is the first week since halfway through January that I have not been ill. Nothing serious just a myriad of annoying, debilitating illness'  several colds and flu's, a vomiting bug, painful conjunctivitis the worst I have ever had, which once over caused a bout of neuritis which lasted for about 2 weeks and gave me incredible pain in my head...electric like jolts of pain that would last for only 2-4 seconds but at one stage I was getting about 200 of these jolts a day!

I can attribute my grandson Henry as the sharer of most of these contagious illness' since he has started Leikskólar (pre-school) he seems to catch everything going around and of course as any grandmother knows it is absolutely impossible for nanny not to kiss and cuddle her grandson fortunately he did not share his bout of pin worms with me!

I am now reveling in this wonderful wellness feeling which of course has been heightened by its notable absent these last couple of months...it is just so good to feel well...so I will whinge no more about my health.

The weather has been superb of late and apparently March has been the sunniest March in over a decade and even some of the migratory birds have arrived a couple of weeks early. So to make the most of the fine weather on Easter Sunday I travelled with friends to Hólmavík and Drangsnes in the lower eastern part of the westfjords for a little geocaching...really just an excuse to see more of this fabulous country.  

The trail in lime green on the map is the route we drove, in all it was a 560km round trip. We left home at around 10.30am and returned about 11.45pm.

One of the caches was near this cairn which had an amazing view from all angles.

Facing the water was a wonderful vista of the Steingrímsfjörður

with a fab view over Hólmavík

and from behind was the majestic scene of þiðriksvalladalur (valley).

Here are a few more closer views of Hólmavík, such a pretty little town.

The day was a little overcast with blue sky breaking through here and there. There was absolutely no wind all day and it was relatively warm...I was able to get in and out of the car at times without  jacket, gloves hat or scarf.

You can see how still it was in this pic, there is hardly a ripple, other than what is made by the people out fishing in their dinghy.

An island floating in the sky

This is the island of Grímsey* just off the coast from Drangsnes,  a haven for bird life including the Puffin and only a 10 minute boat ride in summer. *Not to be confused with the island Grímsey that straddles the Arctic Circle just north of Dalvik, we did have quite a conversation how a few town names are repeated around Iceland and how confusing that can be for novices like me.

A pic of some sea birds flocking the area, we did also see plenty of eider ducks around Drangsnes but I did not manage to take any photos of these.

On the main street of Drangsnes were 3 public hot tubs with a fabulous view of the fjord, free to use, with the showers just across the road...what a wonderful idea...I think we need some of these in Sauðárkrókur.

I have read that Drangsnes's population is only 72, however there was a good percentage of that 72 in these hot tubs...a little crowded this easter day, so we moved on looking for something a little more private.

We stopped to do a little cache here

where the coastline was very rocky and craggy.

This is not a pic of white beach sand...it is snow

At this same spot there was a huge amount of driftwood which probably floats in from Russia. I could have spent hours here fossicking but my friends were back in the car ready to move on to the next spot.

The time was around 6pm and the next spot was in the Bjarnarfjörður valley...a cache was near the Sorcerers Cottage...the turf hut building in the above photo, the small pool of water in the front of the building was steaming hot, apparently this area is renowned for its abundance of natural geothermal springs. 

This is the view from the cache hide, the cream building is the Laugarhóll Hotel and just in the middle of the pic you can see the amazing geothermal pool. 

The thing I love about caching is that you are so often led to wondrous places like this.  The pool is 25 metres long and was constructed about 70 years ago by farmers in the area.

As far as we could ascertain it is free to use, we met the owner of the hotel briefly as she was going out, we were hoping the restaurant was open...it was not but she said the pool was open till 10pm. We could find no honesty box for a fee and so assumed as the water flows in from natural springs in the area it was free.  Just behind the pool were some well appointed showers and change area.

So we decided to forgo our search for food and spend the time soaking in the pool 32°

and then the rock lined natural hot spring 42°....it was sooo relaxing....definitely a good decision.

Up until yesterday the weather had been beautiful and quite spring-like but at the moment winter is making a visit just to let us know that she is still has not completely moved on.  So in this northern little fishing town at the moment it is snowing.

However it is windless and the snow is gently falling, those big fat soft flakes that are so pretty, most of the snow we have seen this winter has come via blizzards so this makes a a nice change.

Well I am off to take Perla for a walk, she just loves being out in this type of snow weather...I promise to come back and visit soon.

Mývatn and Dimmuborgir

The weather the last few days has been fabulous, sunny, windless with clear blue skies and the light is just magical.  The days are much shorter now, dark by 6.30 in the evening and not light until about 8am...a few weeks ago there was a little window where we had what I would call normal day/night hours...light by 6am and dark by about 7.30pm.

Sunday the weather was stunning, so with geocaching buddies Patricia and Bjarki we headed off to Mývatn to do a few caches and end the day with a soak in the Mývatn nature baths.  Mývatn is about a 2.5hr drive from here, although we did not set of until 1.30 in the afternoon we managed to see quite a bit.

First stop along the way was Goðafoss the waterfall of the gods, a spectacular waterfall and very accessible...as you can see by my photos you can walk to the edge of the cliff to get a good view...at your own risk of course.  Only 3 other people viewing at the same time as me...but I imagine in the peak season it would be quite crowded.

Around the year 1000 Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði made Christianity the official religion of Iceland and it is said that he threw his statues of the Norse gods into this waterfall.

Next was the pseudo craters at Lake Mývatn

The place is stunning and felt quite out of this world

The air was cool and still, with a little ice on the lake surface.

We then headed off to Dimmuborgir where there are unusual lava formations.

You can just make out the lacy lava wall, a natural structure across this ridge,

it looked amazing with the light shining through (this pic does not do it justice)

Here are a couple of close up views

This is the incredible view from one of the caches we found in Dimmuborgir

After stopping for a bite to eat we then headed off to Jarðböðin the nature baths.

picture source

My body felt like it was melting as I soaked in the lagoon, it felt sooo good and as I floated on my back looking at the stars the northern lights also put on a spectacular display...the perfect end to the perfect day!

The Aurora Borealis apparently put on a display around the country as my little camera does not do the lights I thought I would share this video by Olgeir Andresson which was taken on the same night.

A walk through Austurdalur

The 18th of August was International Geocaching Day and to commemorate with the thousands of others around the world we did a slow geocache through the beautiful Austurdalur (east valley).

We parked the car about 3 kms from the cache location as the road was only suitable for 4wd

The arrow points to the car.

   The walk was fairly easy, not many inclines, we just followed the gravel road

and walked pretty much parallel with the winding river through the valley

 The weather was pleasant not too warm or windy.

 the views were breathtaking...I never get tired of this landscape

we walked through a farm

plenty of horses 

and the sheep were scattered in the mountains

The road seemed to follow the same winding pattern of the river

 We always start out together but it does not take long for us to settle into our own pace 

and the walk  becomes a more solitary meditative journey as you breathe in and reflect on the amazing vistas before your eyes.

The cache location was here, near a cable car.  

Patricia wanted to cross the river and walk back to the car from the other side...fortunately you needed someone already on the opposite side to operate the cable car...phew...lucky escape!

Another house that speaks to the hermit in me.

 All in all a pretty spectacular day.