Iceland: Land of The Midnight Sun Part 2 of 4: Vik To Hof

ICE ANNIVERSARY
The three year wedding anniversary is traditionally leather, but Scott and I are not ones to really follow tradition; this year we celebrated our wedded bliss by spending time in glaciers and icebergs.  These ice formations did not cool our passion though!!

On our 2nd day on the road we made a point to frolic on the black sand beach in Vik. We were the only two people for miles around at 9:00 am.  The black sand, the dark water, white frothy surf and a grey sky created this mystical atmosphere.  Behind us were these green hills, spotted with houses from the small village- population approx 320.  I truly believe this is where my writer's soul needs to dwell.  It was my favorite of all the towns and villages.















Scott really wanted to hike today so we decided on a hike in Vik up past the church in this grassy hill area.  In a field of green and sunshine yellow buttercups we trekked up this hill to over look the village.  I think Scott just wanted to check out the family of sheep munching on grass on the side of the hill.  After photo ops we clambered down and headed on our adventures for the day.

The hill we climbed

The drive from Vik to Hofn is the most diverse I have ever witnessed and of course the pictures never do it justice.  You go from farm land to black lava rock, to black sandy dessert, to glacier, to white lava rock fields and back to farm land.  As we drove along we spotted strange rock formations in a field, so like most people traveling in Iceland we pulled over.  There are so many pullover places to rest and take pictures it seems endless.  What we found was a place called "Lucky Rock Towers" created by a farmer years ago.  In the information we read that we are supposed to add a rock to a tower to ensure good luck; of course we did.

Lucky Rock Towers

Glacier

Our next stop was tailgate pizza time.  We had leftover pizza from the night before and thought the view of Vatnajokull glacier was the perfect backdrop for our lunch. Lots of other tourists thought so too, hence the tailgate for us.  We had brought a blanket from home thinking we'd have picnics on our drives, but there weren't really any grassy patches, just lots of rocks and no trees.

Once our pit stop was over we headed back to where we spied many cars veer off the main path on to a gravel road.  At the end of the road was the tongue of the glacier.  I was gobsmacked to say the least when we got close.  Again the pictures cannot possibly show the greatness of this place.  I feel so blessed that I got to share this with my husband, especially on our anniversary.

Vatnajokull Glacier

Jokulsarlon

Then we headed to our next destination- Jokulsarlon.  Here we had pre-arranged a zodiac tour of the icebergs in this tidal lake.  It had been my dream to see icebergs up close and this trip did not disappoint.  In a group of ten we boarded a zodiac and zoomed through icy- blue water, zigzagging in and out of the icebergs to the glacier that feeds it.  Our guide explained how icebergs came to be.

Some interesting facts were the blue in the ice comes from the sun being stored in the glacier and once the ice hits the water the blue fades away, over time.  In about 40-60 years, if the rate of melting continues, this glacier and icebergs will not exist. So I'm so glad I was able to witness this phenomenon in person.  Out of sheer luck there was a seal laying on an iceberg, which was so cool to see.  On our way back to the shore we took our time meandering through the uniquely shaped bergs, snapping shots along the way.

Just another 30 mins and we were in the town of Hofn.  Most famous for its lobster.  That night we dined on the biggest feast of lobster tails.  If you ever find yourself in Hofn I'd suggest making a reservation at Pakkus.  I'll never forget the dinner and hospitality of the staff.

That night we stayed at Dyjandi Farmhouse.  I was most excited about staying here but not as thrilled as our hostess Olga.  She had been awaiting my arrival.  It seems as though Olga thought my name was Morgan Freeman, like the actor.  She knew it wouldn't be him, but thought that someone with his name was just as exciting.  I didn't have the heart to correct her, so for the rest of night there I was known as Morgan.  This picturesque horse farm over looked the ocean.  The room was comfortable and we got our breakfast in bed.  This was the largest of the breakfasts we had- eggs, bread-pudding, toast and jams, cheeses, crackers, coffee, juice and of course skyr ( a thick yogurt that seems to be eaten at any time of day and in every flavor you can imagine).  Needless to say we didn't really need lunch that day.

This was the perfect day and the perfect way to spend my anniversary with the man of my dreams.