Iceland Continues Eggs sculptures, Rocks, Puffins

Our journey now continues to the east coast of Iceland.  Today was filled with more driving time than we’d had so far.

Our first stop was Stokksnes about 20 minutes from Hofn.

We stopped at the Viking Café to tour the property and get multiple views of the mighty Vestrahorn mountain.  This is a magical area with beautiful black sand beaches and lava dunes and views of mighty waves from the Atlantic Ocean crashing on the rocky shore.  This was our opportunity to get the binoculars out and enjoy watching seals sunning themselves on rocks in the distance.  The beautiful Vestrahorn was shrouded in clouds most of the time we were there but in some ways that added to the appeal of the area.  Exploring the trails and beaches and dunes was a great start to the morning.

The Viking Café property is also home to a photogenic Viking village film set.  The set was built in 2009 by Icelandic film director Baltasar Kormakúr.  Unfortunately he has not used it for filming but it is a lot of fun to explore.  Of course the most fun for me was finally getting to pet and Icelandic horse! 

There were several near the village and true to their nature they happily visited with tourists.

After an enjoyable time exploring the lands of the Viking Café it was time to start our driving.  We jumped back on the Ring Road and headed east.

We entered our first tunnel on the road today.  We drove for approximately an hour and twenty minutes to Djúpivogur.  This was an adorable village in the southernmost district of the east.  This fishing village is one of the oldest ports in the country and has a history of trading since 1589.  One of the standout landmarks of this town is Eggin í Gleðivík.  This is an outdoor sculpture by Sigurður Guðmundsson consisting of 34 eggs of different bird species.

There was a quirky art studio/shop that we enjoyed but my favorite stop here was the Icelandic Rock and mineral Shop.  As we drove to the end of the warehouse and got out of our car to go in we saw a man sitting in his car with his Yorkie (Scooby).  When he realized we were headed to his shop he hopped out, leaving Scooby behind, and came in to help us. 

I found some rocks and lava to purchase and Jeff and I both picked up a piece of jasper that caught our attention.  For whatever reason we talked ourselves out of purchasing it.  He asked if we would like to visit his rock museum and as I looked at the stairs we would need to climb I said no, thank you then looked at the disappointment in his face and felt slightly guilty for saying no.  We drove around the little town and then both of us decided we should go back for that piece of jasper.  Once again we found the proprietor in his car with his dog.  He hopped out and then he realized it was us.  He seemed quite confused that we had returned as we explained there was a rock we must have.  We purchased our rock and he excitedly took us into a back area of his shop to show us many other beautiful specimens that he had collected.  He explained how he goes to the glacier and various areas to collect these beauties and then cleans them and polishes them.  I knew I would treasure these souvenirs.

Reluctantly it was time to get back in the car for another hour and twenty minute to drive to our next destination Egilsstaðir.  This is where our hotel would be for the night.  Initially we struggled to find our hotel as it was actually a little bit southwest of town.  Fortunately when we arrived someone was home as the no one was available at the check in building and no instructions for check in had been left. 

After getting unloaded it was time to find some dinner.  We ate at Salt (saltbistro.is).  It was really good.  Such a hard choice but we both ended up with a chicken tandoori – me with a burger and Jeff with a plate.

Now was time to decide where we were going to go with our night.  Honestly Jeff and I were both is some pain from our previous days’ activities.  We had been pushing ourselves hard and soreness and some aches and pains had managed to creep in. Our planned itinerary had us going on a hike to see two waterfalls Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss.  This looked like another beautiful area and sounded wonderful but the part about the difficult upward climb was making me cringe.  I was really feeling that I did not have many body parts that were not hurting.

I had an alternative to propose.  When we were in Scotland the previous year we had the joy of seeing puffins.  The Scots actually tell of a psychological treatment called Puffin Therapy.  They say that spending time in nature and communing with these birds have such a positive psychological effect on people that they leave the puffins calm and relaxed.  I 100% felt that last year and my daughter uses the puffins in meditation now as a focal point to take her back there.  So knowing I have an opportunity to see puffins in Iceland I did not want to miss this opportunity.  I had been plotting a route to Borgarfjörður Eystr all day because I really thought this was exactly what my body needed.  It would be a drive just over an hour one way and it was  7 PM when we left but that was one of the benefits of travelling in May.  It wouldn’t be getting dark anytime soon.

So Jeff agreed to the puffins and off we went. I will tell you now that the drive alone was worth it.  We found ourselves on gravel roads traveling through a gorgeous mountain pass.  No pictures could do this justice.  As we approached our destination it appeared we were visiting a village at the edge of the world.  I so wish we had actually spent the night in this remote location. 

Our first stop was the Hairy House.  This was the most photogenic turf house I saw during our travels. This is a private home with a great deal of character.  Next to it was the church which was very photogenic as well.  As we headed towards Hafnarhólmi I excitedly pointed out Elf Rock where many people believe the queen of the Icelandic elves lives.

I could barely contain my excitement as we got closer to the cliffs were the puffins would be.

When we arrived I realized I hadn’t taken into consideration that some times of day are better than others to view the birds.  They build their nests into the cliff so they are not always out in high numbers.  But I had no need to worry.  We hit the mother lode! 

This made my Scotland experience pale in comparison and that is still one of my favorite days ever.  It was amazing how quickly I forgot my aches and pains and headed up that staircase.  There were maybe 10 other people there at the same time as us and all of us spoke only if needed and even then in whispers.  There were literally thousands of birds there.  And they were so close I probably could have touched one if I really had wanted to.  What is it about these funny little birds that emit such a magical change in a human’s psyche just by being in proximity to them?  The birds were starting to retire to their nests when Jeff finally pulled me away.  As we descended the stairs and left the puffins behind my whole being felt recharged and peaceful.

I had also read about a spa in this tiny town so we found that and grabbed our suits thinking a soak would be nice.  It was actually part of a guesthouse and while our guidebook said we could pay to use it we could not find anyone to ask.  We felt awkward using the facilities so we decided to pass on that.

We were excited for our drive back because we knew what beauty awaited us and Jeff already had plans to stop at an overlook for photos. 

Our favorite stop though was at the pea green solar powered vending machine in the middle of nowhere.  A local eccentric built this hut that powers a solar powered vending machine.  We were excited to get a drink or snack but unfortunately it only took coins that we did not have.  But we signed the guestbook and enjoying exploring this example of interesting ingenuity.

We arrived back at our cottage after 11 PM.  We enjoyed a glass of wine and then headed to bed a little after midnight.