Iceland (and some US)- Day 15: Santee, SC to Florida- July 1,2021

 Both my husband K and I were up before 6:30, even though we hadn't set an alarm. Perhaps, we were still on Iceland time.

We went to the front office of the hotel for breakfast, and were disappointed that they did not have the waffles that had been promised in the ad. There was just cold cereal, juice, old bananas, and coffee. So, that didn't take long.

I'd learned the trick for getting our hotel room door open, when the handle seemed to be stuck. I was not going to miss dealing with that. We were on the road at 7:50, with the odometer reading 65,654)

It was just 9:14 (65,733), when we reached the Georgia border. We pulled into the the Georgia Welcome Center at 9:20 (65,735). There were lovely flowers outside. Inside, besides the usual brochures, they had all kinds of things for you to pose in or with, such as a streetcar or a bench with Forrest Gump. A truly fun welcome center!

When we got going again at 9:33, the sky was quite pretty. But, soon, we ran into heavy rain, which turned out to be an off and on phenomena. When we stopped at 10:38 ( 65,808) at a Shell station at Exit 38, it was not raining. Diesel was $3.149 per gallon and car took 12.868 gallons. Since we'd traveled 518.6 miles since the last fill up, the car got a terrific 40.315 miles per gallon. 

I was driving, when we left there at 10:54. By 11:25, we had dark clouds and solid traffic. Within minutes, it was raining again. And in 3 minutes, we crossed the Florida border (65,847). By 11:34, the rain had stopped again.

By 12:30, K was getting hungry. So, we got off I-95 at the exit for the St. Augustine outlet centers and drove west to Sonny's BBQ (65,912). I was not happy with the 12 minute we waited to even be acknowledged in the foyer or the fact  that most people weren't wearing masks. I'd convinced K to bail and he'd gone to use the rest room before we left, when a waitress finally came and took me to a table. K finally found me. I ordered a Coke Zero, a Sweet Carolina, which was pulled pork with cole slaw on top and Carolina sauce, and fries as part of "Make it a Deal" for $12.59. K went for iced tea,  a beef brisket sandwich, and  a baked sweet potato as a "Big Deal", also for $12.59. I do not understand that pricing. Anyway, both were delicious, although mine dripped a lot.

When the waitress came to check on us, K remarked on how many waitresses were working. She said that that was why today was her last day at this restaurant. She couldn't get enough hours here because they had so many waitresses. She was transferring to a different location.

It was 1:39, before I pulled out of the parking lot again. The rain seemed to be over as I drove along. There was still a lot of traffic.

At 2:34 (65,967), we saw yet another BUC-EE's and thought it would be a good for a pit stop. This one was at exit 265 in Daytona. Just like the one we'd visited on the first day of the trip, the parking lot was huge and there were numerous gas pumps. There were also plenty of signs saying no trucks. I've never seen a place that big that didn't want trucks.  We looked around at the food and K was rather happy to see that the bakery had kolaches. They were only $1.37 each and we got pecan pie, apple, strawberry cream cheese, and cherry. I was taken by the fudge and got a mixed four piece box of chocolate and dark chocolate caramel for $13.96. The woman cutting the fudge was a former teacher, who had left out of fear of Covid. Finally, we picked up a bag of Cinnamon Sweet Beaver Nuggets ($1.39) that a friend had recommended. It was 2:58, when I got back behind the wheel. I had to maneuver us around an accident that had obviously occurred when one vehicle decided to cut the other off to get in the parking lot.

 

The drive now was a familiar one and uneventful. We crossed the Seminole County line at 3:29. Unfortunately, the odometer now read an unexciting 66,001. If only it had been one mile sooner!

We knew we needed milk and bread. So, we stopped at Winn Dixie at 3:56 (66,022). Of course, we wound up getting more than that during the 18 minute stop.

At 4:20, I pulled into our driveway. The odometer read 66,023. We'd put 1994 miles on the car on this trip that went through 5 states and the District of Columbia and back. I have no idea how many miles we covered in Iceland in the bus, but we certainly walked a lot of miles. After an 18-month break since our last trip in December, 2019, this was a great way to get back to traveling.

Iceland (and some US)- Day 14: D.C. to Santee, SC- June 30,2021

While I was kept awake a lot during the night by my hip, my husband K woke at his fairly usual 6 am. He has the craziest body clock.

When I got up at 7:18, he went off to Harris Teeter, a grocery store within walking distance, even though I was willing to find someplace on the road. He got back at 7:55, he had donuts, bananas, juice- and Skyr, Icelandic yogurt that I'd had every morning over there. It was a good breakfast, which cost all of $7.15.

 

We got our luggage organized. Once again, I prepared my smaller suitcase and my carry on so that my large suitcase didn't have to come out of the car until we get home. K had gotten the hotel bill in an email, which would save us some trouble. He called for the car and went downstairs to get a cart. 

On the way out, we stopped on the second floor for the desk so that he could double check that all was okay with our checkout. I wound up having to hold the elevator for him. When a woman tried to get on, I waved her off, saying that she didn't want to get on, because we'd just gotten back from overseas. Did she not read the signs about one family only on the elevator?

Anyway, we were outside waiting at 9:15.  A woman and her daughter came out and after a few minutes, asked us if we were waiting for our car. The valet guy was nowhere to be seen. After 21 minutes, it was finally brought out to us. That was just ridiculous. Obviously, no tip was given there.

At 9:39, with the odometer reading 65,154, we finally left. Theoretically, traffic wouldn't be too bad now. 

Since K was driving, I could take some photos of DC sites. These are the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Air Force Memorial, the last of which we saw at 9:52. As you can see, it was a beautiful start to the day.

   

At 10:20 (65,183), we pulled into the Virginia rest area on 395. I was delighted to see some black-eyed Susans, Maryland's state flower.

K was good to continue driving at 10:33. Traffic was picking up now. By the time we reached Chester, Virginia, which is north of Petersburg, it was 12;10 and my car was thirsty. We found a Shell station, where diesel was $3.0499, thanks to my card. The odometer read 65,290 and the car had gone 486.3 miles on this tank. K put in 12.658 gallons, which meant that even with city driving, the car got 38.418 miles per gallon.

He was finished at 12:14 and we drove 4 minutes down the road to the McDonald's. I got the Crispy Chicken meal and K got a fish sandwich. Thanks to the app, we also got free fries. The bill came to $12. The meal was ordered on the kiosk and the staff stayed behind the plexiglass behind the counter. We found a table away from the few other diners in the building. 

When we left at 1, I was behind the wheel. We crossed the North Carolina border at 1:58 (65,347). Traffic wasn't bad and I was glad to have my choice of stations with my satellite radio. At 4:30 (65,534), I pulled into the South Carolina Welcome Center, which, unfortunately, was undergoing a complete rebuild. They had fancy portable restrooms, which were nice, but my knees didn't like the climb. A double-wide had been made over into the info center. K found a booklet with discounts for hotels. He made a call to the Red Roof Inn in Santee and had no trouble getting a room. 

He took over driving, when we left at 4:42. I dozed, as usual. I woke, when he took the exit for Santee. We've stayed in Red Roof Inns before. So, we know what they look like. I was also looking for the place we used to stay on our drives south from Maryland. I couldn't remember its name, but when we pulled into the hotel drive at 6:09 (65,632), not only did it not look like at Red Roof Inn, but also I realized that this one story place was the motel we used to stay at. I recognized the trees behind it.

We were given room 125, which had a musty smell, when we walked in. But, once we got the air conditioner going it was fine. We got the luggage in and I put our drink bottles in the mini fridge. It was a good thing that K took a shower this morning, because there were only enough thin towels for one.

K started looking into dinner options. He looked up the menu for Clark's Inn, which is right near the interstate. We'd never eaten there, because it was a bit fancier and too expensive with kids. K called and got a reservation and made sure that shorts were okay.

We left the hotel at 6:48 and two minutes later we were at the inn one mile away. We entered through Whimsey, the gift shop and were directed to the main hall for the check-in counter. The business dates to 1946 and the building, which was built in 1971, looks like it would fit in on a plantation.

We were shown to the lovely backroom that was open this evening. We were given a corner table and we left our masks on, until our water came.

I had already decided on the Low Country Stir Fry for $23. It seemed wrong to not have a Low Country meal, even if it was oddly made into a stir fry. K, of course, got the Calabash Seafood Platter for $26. My meal was delicious, with plenty of shrimp, chicken, kielbasa, and vegetables. K really enjoyed his flounder, scallops, and shrimp. The Parmesan grits that came with it were a real treat.

After dinner, we strolled through the shop, which covered several rooms. I found some gifts, as well as a tea towel that had been missed in quality control. The word "Christmas" was incomplete. I gave it to the woman at the counter. I overheard a customer say something about the Eastern Shore and I snapped to. I asked her if she was from Maryland. Not only were they, but they were originally from Baltimore and had lived in  Fallston, Harford County, where I'd lived from ages 9-22. We had quite a nice chat. Later I realized that I should have asked her name, because a family member might have known her.

We left at 8:03. On the way back to the hotel, K noticed Smith's, which he said we'd visited back in the day and he wanted to stop now. I honestly don't remember the place. It seems to have started as a gas station with a convenience store that just got bigger. There was an ice cream shop next to it now. Inside, there was mixture of things. There was a large section of fireworks. There were gift items, clothes, preserves, nuts, fudge, candy, toiletries, and more. Basically, it is a modern day general store. We found some preserves, strawberry cider, and such to take home with us. 

We got to the hotel at 8:20 (65,654). There was no point checking the phone for steps or distance walked today.

Iceland (and some US)- Day 13: Flight back to D.C. - June 29,2021

 My last night in Iceland was a rough one, thanks to my knees being truly angry with me. When my husband K and I woke before the alarm at 7:30, it was a grey day. Our daughter J came to our room at 8:30 to go down to the basement for the last time for breakfast. We were in no rush. Our pick up time wasn't until 10:30. As we waited for the elevator afterwards, I realized I had never photographed the random rock design on the wall down there.

When we'd been setting up the return trip on the Fly-bus at the bus station the other day, the woman had taken down both my email and J's. We were both supposed to get an email with the vouchers, although we already had some. Anyway, it only went to one of us with vouchers attached, but at least we got it.

We washed up and did the last packing and room check. We'd agreed to go downstairs about 10 to check out and wait. The check out was easy and we dropped the keys in the basket that was there. K kept watch on the giant glass door area and I had a seat on one of the seats in the lobby. 

At 10:27, we decided to outside to wait and the bus showed up immediately. I noticed that the sky was clearing. I checked the Weather Channel app and it said it was 59°, felt like 57°.  There was another stop or two before we reached the bus terminal at 10:50. K and J saw to getting the larger luggage out from under the bus and we walked through the terminal one last time to board the bus on the other side. It departed at 11:52.

As we drove through the municipality of Hafnarfjörður along route 41, there was a good view across the lava field to the mountains inland.

However, less than 15 minutes later as we headed west and neared route 43 in Sveitarfélagið Vogar, the scene was totally different. I'm fairly certain this kept us from seeing the plume from the volcano again.

At 11:50, Keflavík Airport came into view and we could see Rainbow by Rúrí.

For an international airport, this one is rather small. So, the bus made just one stop to let everyone off at 11:52. It was too early for us to check in. We were here so early to allow me time to deal with paperwork with Tax Free and Global Blue, which were to give me back some of the VAT I'd paid in some stores, once I hit the minimum 60 kr purchase. We also wanted time for lunch and shopping in the Duty Free store.

It wasn't hard to find where I had to go and it turned out that one counter dealt with both company's paperwork. There was only one person ahead of me. The young man behind the counter went through the papers carefully and found a spot where I needed to fill in my credit card number, even though it has said I didn't need to. He never asked to see the things I'd purchased, which was good, but, then again, I had gone through the trouble of making sure they were all together in my carry on. I was finished with him at 12.

We then went to find some place to park ourselves for a while, since a sign said we couldn't check in until 2. We found a seating area and plopped. We tried the self-check in that we saw, but they didn't work for us. We couldn't eat, because all the food places were on the other side of security. So, we read or walked around. The restroom was downstairs and the elevator was near the Tax Free and Global Blue counter and there were a lot of people there now. I changed into my shorts and put my jeans into the suitcase to be checked.

At 1:50, we decided to go get in line. There were several employees waiting with papers for each person to sign attesting to having tested Covid free within the last 72 hours. Then, when we got to the counter, we had to turn the paper in and show the QR code on our phone from the email we'd received with the negative result. She said that we might have to show it again, when we got to the states. Then, it was the regular show your passport, get the boarding pass, hand over the luggage. She saw my carry on and asked if I wanted to check it. When I said that I didn't because it had my CPAP machine, she agreed that I shouldn't.

Next up was security, where we didn't have to take off our shoes. At border patrol, he opened up to the exact page, where my entrance stamp was. Now, all 4 of my Iceland stamps are on the same two pages.

You actually are forced to walk through Duty Free to get to the rest of the airport. We took our time to decide what chocolates we wanted. They had the dark Lava that I'd bought in town and I got myself another and one as a gift for the neighbors who got our packages, while we were gone. We found some deals on chocolate bars, as well as lotion made in Iceland, that we found over in cosmetics. What really surprised us was that along with the Iceland products, which they are known for, and French products, there were things from Bath and Body Works and on sale at that. One of those stores is in our mall and I buy from them online frequently. Why in the world were they here? 

There were several checkouts and we had our own bag. So, that didn't take terribly long. We saw this wonderful stained glass piece over a door by Leifur Breiðfjörð called Yearning for Flight.

As we walked through the terminal, it wasn't very crowded and most of the stores were closed. Good thing we'd stopped in Duty Free.

There was another stained glass by Leifur called Ikarus down here.

It was finally time for lunch. The only place open was one that had pre-made sandwiches and such.  J got herself a Club California, which appeared on her receipt as Kalifornia Avokad, for 2,398 kr and Coke for 399. She got herself a Smoked Lamb sandwich for dinner for 899 kr. She thought that we'd need a  bag to carry our dinner onto the plane, so she paid 39 kr for one. I got chips for the 3 of us, because there was a special price for 3-1497 kr. I got a Coke Zero to share with K for 399. His lunch would be Smoked Salmon sandwich for 199 kr., while mine was a Ham, Brie, & Cranberry (Baguette Sveitask) for 199 kr. I got a chocolate croissant for 499 kr. I also got us 2 Smoked Lamb sandwiches for dinner. We thought those would hold up best unrefrigerated for a while. 

We took our trays to a table that was a bit away from other occupied tables. Unfortunately, some workers chose now to open the outside wall to work on it. It was way too cold for the shorts I was wearing. We had a relaxing lunch that we enjoyed.

It was after 3 and we had some time to kill before our flight. We found a bookshop that had a lot of books in English, but also ones such as one in German on the geology of Iceland. I was sorely tempted by that one. I did pick up one in English on Icelandic folklore and told K he'd be giving it to me in the future. I also got a lovely small bowl that had been made in Iceland.

We decided to mosey toward our gate area, when we saw a sign that they were boarding. We'd misread the boarding passes. We made quick restroom stops, when we saw how long the line was at the gate. I saw this great sign, when I came out. We'd been carrying bottles that we refilled all the time we were here.

We got in line at Gate D21. I stepped out quickly and got a shot of our plane.

We took a selfie in line and posted to Facebook that we were coming home, as we inched up to the passport and ticket check. We were checked at 4:18. The gates here are behind wooden doors. Inside, I was happy to see that besides the stairs, there was an escalator. 

By 4:30, we were settled into 17 DEF, which were all together in the center of the plane. That is not what we had chosen and I was not happy. It turned out that there was a change of equipment, that is a bigger plane. We realized that they must have more people coming back on the flight out of DC. Since there were so many empty seats, the flight attendant told us we could move. J chose 15 A, which gave her 2 seats and the window. K and I took 15 F & G, which gave us the same. We tossed our coats into the empty middle row seats. 

The plane was moving by 4:45 and took off about 2 minutes later (small airport).  I settled in to watch Going in Style, which I enjoyed.

About 2 hours later, I took advantage of K being in the restroom to slide over and take photos out the window. My clever phone told me that these two photos are of the National Park of Greenland. I found that fact exciting.

These two are of the Davis Strait. I don't know if the spots are boats or icebergs.

When he got back, we decided that we ought to eat dinner. The sandwich was okay, but both J and I found that we were tasting the smoke for the rest of the day.

The flight was quieter and less bumpy than the one going over. I did not find that the attendants were terribly attentive. They'd walk by saying "water?", but they were facing the wrong way and didn't hear me say yes. I couldn't find anything else worth fighting my earphones in order to watch. So, I listened to some music, read, and  dozed.

At 6:54 pm EDT, we landed at Dulles International. They had us in the terminal at 7:03, but we then had to get into special shuttles. We boarded one at 7:07 and J found a seat for me, while she and K stood. I was not thrilled by how many people they packed in there, but at least we were all masked, as we had been since we'd entered Keflavík airport, other than eating. (Well, we'd put on our masks before boarding the Fly Bus.)

The shuttle delivered us to Customs and Border Patrol. Thanks to the three of us having Global Entry, we were through there by 7:20- before the flight crew. My border agent was quite pleasant. He asked about alcohol, but I had none. K was not asked, but he still had the Jack Daniels bottle, albeit unopened, that he'd gotten the day we arrived in Iceland.

Our luggage did not take terribly long to come out. When we exited the baggage claim area, we discovered there were multiple food places on this level of the main terminal. We wished we had known, when we were leaving.

When we walked out of the terminal, the heat hit us like a wall. I was truly glad I was not wearing long pants. We found my car fairly easily and loaded up quickly.

Exiting the garage was a bit harder due to a bit of difficulty paying the $96 fee. But, eventually, it took the credit card and we left at 7:53, with the odometer reading 65,121 miles.

At 7:58, we were on the highway and still could find no way to avoid the toll road. So, at 8:04, we drove through, unable to pay the $1.50 in coins. However, as I said the other day, it read my EPass and charged it.

Traffic wasn't bad and we reached J's apartment building at 8:50 (65,153). She took her luggage upstairs, while we waited by the side of her building at the car. She came back down with all the things she'd kept up there for us while we were gone. Very long hugs good-bye followed, since we won't be together again until Christmas, when she comes home.

We left for our hotel at 8:58. We were staying at the same Courtyard by Marriott. We arrived at 9:06 (65,154). When we'd unloaded all of our stuff and got upstairs, we discovered we were in the room next to the one we'd been in before the trip. This one was smaller, but fine.

My phone said I'd walked 5,661 steps for a total of 1.9 miles today. I was surprised that it was that much. 

Our bodies said that it was after 1, but we stayed up as long as possible to try to get back into this time zone faster. We've got two days of driving ahead of us.

Iceland (and some US)- Day 12: South Coast and Glacial Lagoon - June 28,2021

 Today was to be a long day. So, my husband K and I had to be up at 6 to be all packed up and washed up before breakfast.

At 6:50, we went next door to our daughter J's room to go down to breakfast with her. We had our usual filling breakfast, before going up to the first floor to wait for the bus at 7:25. 

He took longer to get here than usual, which threw us off. When he did come at 7:50, it was not in a regular bus, but rather a smaller bus.  It was lightly raining as we set off.

We did not go to the bus station, but rather made other stops before pulling up along a curb downtown at 8. We were told our bus was the big one behind us. We realized that this difference must be because today's tour was with Grayline, whereas all of our others were Reykjavik Excursions. 

The bus departed on the South Coast and Glacial Lagoon tour at 8:05. Our tour guide was Lorenzo and I have no idea what the name of the driver was. And, during the whole 13 and half hours of the tour, I never heard it. There were less than 15 people on the tour and yet we had a full-size bus.

Like other guides, this one talked whenever we were on the bus. We learned that all the sheep run free in the summer and get collected back to their respective farms in the fall. The The farmers trust each other and there is no theft. 40% of the economy depends on tourism. So, the loss of it must have hurt them badly.

We stopped at the same Hliðarendi gas station and convenience store as yesterday at 9:31. I was grateful for the stop, because, just like yesterday, my hips were feeling crampy. It felt good to stretch. I bought coffee for K and chocolate for me for 1064 kr. Then, I went outside and took photos of nearby horses. I'm not willing to ride them, but I am impressed with what all Icelandic horses can do. K, meanwhile, was chatting with the guide and learned that he'd been rehired just last week as a freelance guide, which was better than no job. He also learned he had some vaccine hesitancy due to a friend who was an epidemiologist and who said it had problems. So, K tried to convince him to get the shot.

We were on the road again at 9:55, but only for 15 minutes. We were back at Sejalandsfoss. When the Lorenzo heard us say that we'd been here yesterday, he recommended that we continue down the cliff to see Gljúfrabúl, which means "Canyon Dweller". K was concerned that we would not have enough time to travel the less than 2 kilometers round trip, visit the waterfall and make it back by the 10:50 deadline. I was confident we could and we set off. Actually, I didn't think those who wanted to go up and behind Sejalandsfoss could get it done in time.

We had a new view of that waterfall as we crossed a footbridge over the stream carrying its water. We had to work our way around some folks doing a private photo shoot there.

It really was a pleasant walk, in spite of the clouds. There were other waterfalls and lovely flowers. The water we passed was crystal clear. In the distance, we could see campers. We passed a sign pointing the way to the falls we were seeking.

When we got to the end of the path, there was a cleft in the cliff from top to bottom, 131 feet tall. At the top, you could see a bit of spray, which was the only visual hint that anything much was here. At the bottom, it was relatively dark. However, you could hear falling water.

See those dry rocks next to the running water in the first photo? They shouldn't have been there. I've read, that to access the waterfall, you have to wade through water. I also saw a photo online of the entire expanse from greenery on the left to greenery on the right full of water. We however, were able to enter and stand on some wet rocks to take photos. We couldn't go too far in, if we didn't want to get wet, plus there was that time problem. But, oh, the delight awaiting you inside! It was just so awesome! Water from the Gljúfra River above makes this dramatic fall just off of the Ring Road (route 1).

We had warned a couple of people from our group that climbing up to go behind the other falls would take a fair amount of time. Suddenly, we saw them here and they said that they'd decided we were right and came to see this one.

When we turned to walk back, we were treated to this great view of the ancient former sea cliff which is now green and has so many waterfalls. 

We did not dawdle on our way back. When we reached the bridge, the photo shoot was over and we had enough time for a couple of selfies. We made it back on time and even had to wait for a couple of others before we could leave at 10:52.

As we drove through Skaftárhreppur, which is the second largest region in the country, the sun came out. It made for beautiful pictures of the ice cap far above a farm. It also made the lake we passed absolutely glisten.

By 11:40, we were in Vik for the second day in a row. Today, we were taken just a bit past the gas station and directed to go in the Lava Café. It was a cafeteria setup. We got a Lambwich for 1590 kr., a Vegetarian Viking for 1230 kr., a Rusty Kispelt (had bacon) for 1210 kr, a Pepsi and a Pepsi Max for 470 kr each, and a piece of chocolate cake for 950 kr. ( I had to break down and drink Pepsi Max, if I wanted a cola today. These people just don't stock Coke enough!) We took our trays to a table away from other people, just to continue to be careful. The sandwiches and cake were good and we were ready to leave at 12:30.

We were on a tight schedule, because we had a reservation at the next stop, and we still had a ways to go to get there.

Our view out the windows really varied. I was on the ocean side of the bus. The scene outside ranged from lush to desolate. Lorenzo reminded us that not all deserts have sand.

At 2:36, we crossed the bridge over the outlet of Jökulsárlón (the Glacial Lagoon). What a beautiful sight!

The lagoon is the most famous glacial lagoon in Iceland. The lagoon formed around 1935 filling with the meltwater and icebergs from the glacier Breiðamerkurjökull, which is a tongue of the largest ice cap/ glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull. Like everywhere else, climate change is affecting the glacier, which is melting faster. They actually expect it to turn into a deep fjord in the not too distant future. The lagoon has been in a couple of Bond movies, as well as a Batman.

Lorenzo warned us about the arctic terns that were in nesting season. They've been known to attack people. Much safer are the seals in the lagoon. They like to breed and eat here, because the opening is too shallow for a killer whale to enter.

We parked at 2:40, which gave us time to use the restroom, look around at the land view, and stop in the shop to buy 3 postcards and a key ring for 1535 kr.

I have to say that the views were incredible. The mountain with the glacier was in a bit of a haze, which really added to the atmosphere.

Recognizing that our group wouldn't be the only ones taking this tour, and wanting to make sure we got good seats, we were waiting by our amphibious craft by 3. Sure enough, the line got bigger in no time.

When we boarded around 3:05, we were each handed a thick life jacket. It was none too easy to strap it over my big coat, but I managed. The seats were all around three of the sides of the back of the boat. Seats were even created by dropping a plank in front of the gangway. K and I wound up at the edge of that and J was on the opposite side. We were moving by 3:12.

Our guide was from Spain and he was heavy on the jokes. He told us that they could not sail close to the icebergs in the lagoon, because they never knew, when they'd flip over. Ice comes in three colors: clear; blue; and white. The white, in fact, forms when the ice melts and refreezes. Any black that we see is from a past volcanic eruption, as we learned yesterday. The lagoon is 200-300 m deep and 25 km long

It is incredibly hard to choose just a few pictures to put in this blog. Everything just looks so amazing and almost otherworldly.

The lines on this mountain were formed by the glacier scraping along it. How cool is that?!

At one point a guy came speeding up to the boat on a sort of jet ski. He handed the guide a hunk of ice he'd just taken off of the glacier. We all got to hold it. The look of pure joy on J's face was priceless.

We saw birds on the surface of the water that looked like ducks. These fellows found a great perch on this berg.

Remember the bridge we'd crossed over? The water flowing under that was from the lagoon. The icebergs float around carried by currents, wide and tides.When the icebergs get small enough, they float out through that channel to the ocean.

At 3:45, we were back on land, and per Lorenzo's directions, we set off to hike down to the Diamond Beach. Along the way, we passed signs with lots of good info. We were walking along the channel and had a great view of a seal playing near an iceberg. I managed to get video of him.

By 4, we'd reached the Diamond Beach. Now this was a black sand beach! Literally. Unlike yesterday, this was sand and it was black. And it was beautiful. It absolutely glistened. Today, I'd remembered my Ziplock bag and spoon. So, it was easy to scoop some up for my collection of beach sands.

Now, there were plenty of rocks closer to the shoreline, but they were bigger. Closer to the shoreline you could see why this is the Diamond Beach. Small icebergs that were pushed ashore by the breakers offshore glistened in the sunlight like diamonds. It was quite a sight.

The photo below is of the spot where the channel meets the ocean. It would have been more dramatic, had an iceberg been coming through at that point, but it is what it is.

We now had less than 15 minutes to get back up to the bus. However, this shot looking up the channel to the glacier could not be missed. It just looked so awesome and the flying bird was a nice touch. I snapped it as we came out from under the bridge.

We were back at the bus at 4:18- two minutes to spare! 

At 5, we came upon this beautiful scene of the vast expanse of Alaska lupine with the snow-covered mountain in the distance.

Five minutes later we stopped to see the twisted metal from one of the bridges that was destroyed by a glacial flood after an eruption of a volcano. It would have been nice if people had not felt the necessity to graffiti it. There were helpful signs that explained what had happened. And, way across the way, we could see two glaciers.

This whole bit of the possibility of the Ring Road (route 1) being wiped out in this region would really make me leery of living down here. Of course, the whole isolation thing would be off-putting, too. But, boy, is it beautiful down here.

There was a helpful sign that told what the various features were on the mountains (yes, plural, even though it looks just like it's only one) to the right of the glacier on the right. It turns out that we were looking at the tallest point in Iceland- Hvannadalshnúkur. I've read it described as pyramidal, but it looks like a dome to me.

At 5:15, we continued our westward journey. At 6:12, I saw the most amazing cloud and got its picture. I swear, it is impossible to take a bad picture here!

We pulled back into Vik at 6:43. We've been here so much, I wish we'd had time to explore it. The Lava Café was now closed, but the Ice Cave, which had been closed earlier, was now open. Basically, it was a much bigger cafeteria, but nicer looking. We did not slide along a counter, but rather just ordered at the register. J and I both ordered Lamb Soup for the last time and he just dished it and handed us it and a plate with bread and butter. They cost 2190 kr each. I needed caffeine and broke down and got a Pepsi Max again for 420 kr. I was shocked to receive a cup to fill myself at a dispenser. I haven't seen this the whole trip. K and J had water. K ordered fish and chips for 2350 kr and had to go back and get them, when they were ready. I somehow failed to get a photo of his meal, probably because I was already eating.

Before we left, I checked the weather. It was a surprisingly high 59°, but felt like 57°. Although, I was surprised, because it seemed nippy to me. It was still mostly sunny.

We were on the road at 7:30 and saw some really beautiful scenery as we motored along.

We even saw a truly rare sight- an intersection.

This shot captured color on the mountain, a bit of waterfall, and those beautiful purple Alaska lupine.

It was 8:02, when we pulled into the Skogafoss parking lot, which we'd visited yesterday. However, it was nice to see the falls in a different light. Not only that, but there were now campers there cooking on cook stoves. And, we noticed that they and the farm sort of experience  a twilight, due to the mountain directly to the west. My photos had a different vantage point, because J and I had taken advantage of the restroom near the entrance to the parking lot.

As we walked down to take a bit of a closer look at the falls, we noticed a couple taking photos by the stream coming off the falls. They caught my eye, because the woman was wearing a spaghetti strap white dress with bright colors. I watched her cup her stomach and realized they were taking pregnancy photos. It seemed way too cold to be doing that, but I bet the photos looked great.

We were back on the bus and on the road by 8:30. The guide was quiet now and we either dozed or looked at scenery. We passed the occasional-very occasional community and got a quick look at the homes.

The Ring Road does go over a ridge to get to Reykjavik. So, there are some broad switchbacks.

As we climbed, I could see the valley behind us. There was a hint of color in the sky, even though sunset was a couple of hours away. I could also see some geothermal venting on a hillside. Whether that was just natural or part of a power supply, I couldn't say.

I had stayed awake all during this drive back, unlike many of the others, who had scattered themselves around the bus. (Even K and I had taken separate seats ages ago, when it became clear there was room to do so). I don't know if I just wasn't tired, or if it was simply that I knew I was unlikely to ever be here again and this place fascinated me. It is called the Land of Fire and Ice. While we didn't see the Fire directly, we saw the plume from the volcano, when we arrived, although not since, and plenty of signs of what the Fire has done and continues to do. We did see plenty of the Ice. Iceland lives up to its nickname.

When we were dropped off at Hotel Klettur at 10:30 pm, K gave the driver 1500 kr as a tip and he seemed surprised. He also gave the guide a tip of 3000 kr. 

When we got upstairs, J did something that we had not thought to do the entire time we were here. Our room was at the end of the hall on the left. However, the hall continued past us and turned left. J decided to see what was over there. We decided to go, too. Around the corner above a stair and the visible floor below, there was stenciling on the wall about the beach near Vik.

There were rooms that obviously belonged to the windows across from ours. And there were windows that looked out toward the ocean. I'd been in the lobby one day, when a woman checked in and wanted a room with an ocean view. I've been thinking that was crazy, because I couldn't see how a room had an ocean view. But, now I could see that down at the end of this hall, rooms would be able to see the ocean as we were seeing. They'd also be able to see Foss Hotel, which we've seen several times and now know it means Waterfall Hotel.

Rain was expected and the clouds confirmed it. As we headed back to our rooms,we discovered more stenciling.

We said good night to J and went in our room to pack some more. Since sunset was due at 11:59, and K and I were still up, we went back around the corner to check it out. This was the closest to darkness we've seen the entire time we've been here, not to mention the most lights.

Before going to bed, I checked my phone for the day's stats. It said, I'd walked 9,695 steps for a total of 3.6 miles and climbed 4 floors, but that is doubtful. Tomorrow will be far less.