Iceland Day 10 – Húsavík Day 1

Thursday September 4, Siglufjörður to Húsavík

Just about halfway into our trip to Iceland and continuing our explorations of North Iceland, today we wound our way from Siglufjörður to the picturesque village that is the center of Icelandic whale watching tours, Húsavík, a nominal drive of just two hours. Naturally, we stopped at several sights along the way, picking and choosing from the list of sights that I had assembled back in Oregon.

In a rarity, I got fine night of sleep. Yet again, morning in Siglufjörður dawned gloomy and rainy. There seems to be little respite from the rain: the forecast shows rain for our whale watching trip tomorrow. Fortunately, the skies cleared a bit by 0900 and we got to see a bit of Siglufjörður on our way out of town. It seems a town that we would like to stay in and explore for another day, but Húsavík calls.

Today's big goals were to see the massive Goðafoss, the Lake Mývatn area, and then continue on into Húsavík. On the way to Goðafoss, I wanted to stop at Mígandifoss Viewpoint to see a waterfall falling directly into the ocean, the Eyjafjörður if not the actual North Atlantic. The fog was intense on leaving Siglufjörður, offering slim prospects of seeing this pencil thin waterfall tumbling down from on high.

In a stroke of good fortune, just as we descended the hill before the waterfall, we dropped below the clouds for long enough to shoot a photo or two. I was also able to capture a wonderful photo of a fishing vessel out on the Eyjafjörður, just barely visible in the fog, with the mountains on the other side of the fjord rising above the clouds.

Mígandifoss

Fishing Vessel in the Fog on Eyjafjörður

Roadside Heather, Beitilyng, Calluna vulgaris 

Still Life with Reindeer Moss, Hreindýramosi, Cladonia rangiferina

Soon enough, we found ourselves at the foot of the Eyjafjörður in Akureyri, one of the largest cities in Iceland and the so-called Capital of North Iceland. I have heard that it is a pretty town and photos on the internet seem to bear that out, but it did not really fit our agenda. In retrospect, we could possibly have skipped staying in Húsavík but there is little use in second guessing.

In a Country That Favors Roundabouts, Traffic Signals are Rare
How Fun is This Traffic Signal in Akureyri?

Exiting Akureyri, the ring road, Route 1, takes the Vaðlaheiðargöng toll tunnel which is no doubt a life-saver when crossing the mountains in bad weather. As we were leaving Akureyri, the sun came out and the afternoon became delightful, so I opted for skipping the toll tunnel by taking Routes 83 and 84 around and over the mountains. In good weather, it is a gorgeous drive that adds only 10 minutes to the trip, a detour well worth taking.

Just before Goðafoss, the ring road was undergoing construction with signaled one-way alternating traffic. As we drove up to the red light with bulldozers working on the long stretch of gravel road ahead of us, we passed a guy on a recumbent bicycle. After waiting our turn, we left him struggling along the newly dozed dirt road that was barely wide enough for one car. He would pull up to Goðafoss just as we were leaving, having spent 45 minutes or so walking both banks. I admire his stamina and determination.

Goðafoss, so-called waterfall of the gods, is a powerful and breathtaking horseshoe-shaped fall in Northern Iceland that sits just off the ring road, so avoiding scads of visitors is not in the cards. Despite the legions of tourists, it is well worth taking the time to walk the trails on both sides of the Skjálfandafljót ("trembling rapids") river. If I had to choose between Goðafoss and North Iceland's other iconic waterfall, Dettifoss, I would take Goðafoss every time. We had sufficient time in our schedule visit both.

Seal-Shaped Lava Formation Along the Skjálfandafljót

Two of Iceland's Fall Berries, European Bilberry (red leaves)
and Crowberry (unripe green berries)
European Bilberry, Aðalbláber, Vaccinium myrtillus
Crowberry, Krækilyng, Empetrum nigrum 

Can You Feel the Power?

The Trail Along the River Crosses on This Bridge

Look at the Goðafoss Spray in the Distance

A Violent Torrent: Lot of Water in a Narrow Gorge

From the superb Goðafoss, we continued our journey eastward to the Lake Mývatn area stopping first at a scenic viewpoint on the Laxá, the Salmon River, an outflow of the beautiful Mývatn. This is a river long known for its fishing, Atlantic Salmon and Brown Trout especially. It is also known for its abundant bird life and is part of a nature preserve. Firsthand experience tells me that it should also be known for another inhabitant of a particularly annoying sort.

That pest is commemorated in the name, Mývatn, which means "Midge Lake." At the viewpoint, I stepped out of the car into a veritable swarm of the little bastards. Although they do not bite, they are irritating in the extreme. Braving the midges and with Ann opting to remain in the car (she does not do bugs of any sort), I went for as long a walk as I could bear, about three minutes. I found this viewpoint offered zero bang for the midge torture.

Swift Current of Famed Salmon Fishing River Laxá

Pair of Ring-necked Ducks

Water Avens, Fjalldalafífill, Geum rivale

At this point, it was time to relocate to the Mývatn and Laxá Nature Reserve visitor center which offers three things: outstanding views out over the lake, the Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters behind the building, and a gas station across the street. Needing diesel for the car, I pulled in and hopped out to fill up the tank. I learned immediately that I did not know from midges. The trifling number of midges at the Laxárdalur viewpoint where we just were was nothing compared to the black swarm invading my mouth, eyes, and nose while I filled the car. Fortunately, touchless payment is quick, gas tanks are small, and Icelandic pumps fill at many times the rate of American pumps.

Across the street at the visitor center, I rummaged in my suitcase and retrieved my bug net. With it on my head, I had a trouble-free wander about the lake and the adjacent Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters. Ann waited behind as I took a quick look-see.

Mývatn

Two Pseudocraters

The Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters are a rare and interesting geologic phenomenon. Although they resemble volcanic craters, they have or had no connection to underlying magma so they are not vents from which lava has erupted. However, they are volcanic in origin. When a thin layer of lava overflows a wetland, bog, or ice, the water flashes to steam, erupting and blasting out a crater.

The whole of the Mývatn area is actively volcanic and parts remind us of both Central Oregon and Yellowstone back in the States. As we drove the short distance to our next stop, the beautiful sunshine disappeared as a squall that we had been watching on the horizon behind us rushed in. By the time we parked at the Dimmuborgir Lava Field, the storm started pelting rain sideways on the stiff wind.

Between showers, we took a brief walk in this lava field. We did not find it terribly interesting because we have Newberry National Volcanic Monument in our back yard. If we did not see lava formations constantly, it would have held more appeal. In any case, this lava field is 1000 years older than ours which explains the birch trees in the lava where our flows are still mainly bare.

Dimmuborgir Lava Field

The rain squalls quashed a few of our plans, especially those that involved walks of more than a few hundred meters. We decided next to visit the nearby Hverir Geothermal Area. After our GPS took us to the wrong location in the right neighborhood, we finally arrived in the pouring rain to a muddy parking lot reeking of sulfur and jammed with tour buses. Steam from fumaroles dominated the bare ground near the parking lot; bare hills reminiscent of Death Valley framed the area. In the pouring rain, I wandered as Ann stayed in the car. I found Hverir much less interesting than Yellowstone.

Sulfur-Encrusted Fumarole

Boiling Mud Pit

This Could Be Death Valley, No?

Steam from Fumaroles Reeks of Sulfur

Lady’s Bedstraw, Gulmaðra, Galium verum

In the pouring rain, we gave up on the rest of our sightseeing itinerary for the day in favor of driving to Húsavík and sampling a beer at Húsavík Ől before checking in to our apartment. The road from Mývatn to Húsavík is largely straight as an arrow through gently rolling sparsely vegetated high pumice plains, such that the road seems nothing but a series of blind hills followed by descents.

We arrived at Húsavík Ől brewpub to find no parking, little charm, and a young woman from Chicago behind the counter. The brewery had seven beers on tap, but of those, three were guest beers including the only drinkable sounding ones. After one and done in the forlorn space, we asked the bartender for a recommended restaurant. She mentioned Naustið to us and I booked a table, fortunately, because they were jammed later and not taking walk-ins.

On the way to the brewpub, we drove past the handsome building containing our apartment, so locating it was a non-issue, not really that locating anything in such a tiny town would be problematic. The apartment itself was handsomely appointed and comfortable, but located on the main street, it was noisy during work hours with both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. On the harbor side of the building, we heard the constant beeping of the forklifts loading pallets of seafood onto trucks.

Sights on the Way to Dinner

After warm showers (or rather, scalding hot showers), we dressed for dinner. How nice to be out of travel clothes, if only to put on jeans and a pullover. Naustið, the "boathouse," occupies a yellow frame house mere blocks from the apartment and an easy walk once the rain stopped just before dusk. We walked up the flight of stairs to the front door and once inside saw employees scrambling to serve the full restaurant.

After a short wait, we were seated in the cute dining room. Good wine is a stretch in Iceland and most restaurants have extremely curtailed lists. Naustið is no exception. We had been having decent luck with Grüner Veltliner for quality, relative value, and reasonable pairing with seafood so we ordered another, this from Weingut Frank.

Appetizers: Wolffish Cheeks in Tarragon Cream, Cod Croquettes

Plokkfiskur: an Icelandic Brandade de Morue

Grilled Langa, Blue Ling

Our meal was good not exceptional, but it exceeded our expectations for a random recommendation from a young person with an unknown palate. For my first go at Ling/Langa, I found it lean, firm, denser, more flavorful, and a better fish than our unrelated Lingcod. It stood up to grilling well. Ann and I both remarked that we found it odd that in a restaurant that bills itself on its signage as a seafood restaurant, most patrons were ordering smash burgers. My experience ordering meat in a seafood restaurant has always proved disappointing. It also struck us as odd that everyone was tucking into their burgers with a knife and fork, but that is the European way.

After dinner, I grabbed a camera, wandered down to the harbor, and shot twilight photos for a few minutes.

We Will Revisit the 1965 Herring Boat Náttfari Tomorrow

Our Apartment

Just before bed, I checked the forecast for tomorrow. It had stopped raining and so I was hopeful for decent weather before our sail out onto the bay to look for whales. The forecast, contrary to my hope, called for rain during our trip. As the traffic died down on the street outside our bedroom window, I drifted off, day 10 of our trip in the books.