Naturalist Journeys, LLC - Small Group Birding and Natural History Tours

Iceland
July 2001
- Trip Report

I said that Iceland is a place that beckons an uncommon sort of traveler and that was certainly true.  What a wonderful, uncommon group assembled for this journey!  Mostly women, half of our group had the gift of over seventy-five years of full and vibrant lives. Jim Olsen graciously joined us, warned in advance he'd be with a female flock.  He charmed us all and kept things lively. We met in Reykjavik, flying in from 11 states: MI, MD, CA, CT, ID, NM, OH, MA, NY, MT and NJ.  We looked at Iceland through the lens of over 1000 years of cumulative life experience!  Iceland, one of the world's youngest landscapes provided us a rich tapestry to explore.

Explore we did - by road, foot, ferry, small boat, horse and plane. We started along the southern coast with its magnificent waterfalls, glacier-carved valleys and rugged coastline. We ventured out to the Westman Islands, where we were impressed with the power of volcanic explosions and humbled by the strength and endurance of people who live next to such power.  We flew back to Reykjavik, hiked a lonely trail on the Reykjanes Peninsula and soaked in the Blue Lagoon, and then flew on to Akureryi and the Lake Myvatn region. From there we traveled around the Fjords, exploring one of its islands (Hrisey). Few will forget winding around dramatic headlands as we read  morbid Icelandic folk tales.  One could imagine on just such a blustery day the presence of ghosts, elves, trolls and outlaws. We stopped for a picnic in gale force winds, marveling at ground-hugging alpine plants that grew undaunted. We ended our journey in the spectacular Western Fjords, one of the most remote and dramatic landscapes on Earth. Here we were charmed by puffins.

July 14, 2001 Arrival/Reykjavik
We arrived, somewhat sleepy but very excited at the modern Keflavik Airport on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Our bus driver, Binnie, was somewhat nervous to greet us as we later find out were his first tourist group. Since it was a beautiful day, we took advantage of the sun and began our time in the city with a drive past the sculpture museum and a walk in the Botanic Gardens.  Flowers were at the peak of bloom, young Mallard and other ducks were just out of their nests and redwings fed fat babies on the lawn. We were glad to stretch our legs after the long plane ride. We also stopped in town to see ducks and their young at the lake. Tufted Ducks charmed us. Checking into the Guesthouse Holaberg, we rested briefly and then returned to explore the city and to get maps and field guides before starting our venture. We had a delightful dinner at the Lakjarbrekka and returned to try to sleep and reorient our internal clocks. The pluck and flexibility of this group was immediately challenged as we shared bathrooms and small spaces, but all rose to the occasion, letting nothing mar their enthusiasm for seeing Iceland. 

 

July 15, 2001 The Golden Circle

This morning we set out to see some of the better-known natural wonders of Iceland on the Golden Circle route, visiting Thingviller National Park, Geysir, and the magnificent Gullfoss Falls.  To start the day, we walked a trail along the River Ellidaar near our Guesthouse, where the plaintive calls of Golden Plover, Redwing and Whimbrel filled the air.  Several spotted a female merganser, while others looked in detail at the wonderful array of wildflowers: Garden Angelica, Northern Bedstraw, Sweet Cicily, Water Avens and two species of orchids.  Binnie came to pick us up around 10:00, and we drove an hour north to Iceland's most significant historic site at Thingviller, site of the remains of the Old Icelandic Parliament that dates back to 930 A.D.  The park is also holds geologic significance as it lies on an active spreading rift where the plates holding North America and Europe are dividing.  Right out of the bus, in the parking lot, we could see cracks (large and small) created by the Earth's extension.  A small Rowan tree was in bloom over one of the rift cracks filled with water.  We made a loop hike over and through a picturesque gorge, taking in elements of the geologic story and a grand display of flowers. The area was lush and green, with waterfalls that shone in the sun on this beautiful day. By lunchtime rain clouds moved in, breaking up later in the day to show us double rainbows. After lunch at park hotel, we traveled on to the geothermal area famous for Geysir (Grand Geyser), the namesake of all the world's eruptive thermal features.  Much to our surprise, after snickering at two tourists that seemed to be waiting for the long dormant Geysir to erupt - it did!  Not to its previous height, but still erupting - we learned that an earthquake in June of the previous year had awakened this national treasure. Betty Ann got a good laugh and a thumb's up from the tourist she had tried to discourage after Peg told her it wouldn't go!  We all enjoyed regular blasts of its nearby cousin "Strokkur" (the "Churn") that jetted 70 feet or more every 5-7 minutes, providing constant challenge to the photographers in our group. Our final stop was at one of Iceland's most powerful and beautiful waterfalls known as "Gullfoss" or "Golden Falls".  We walked out to the rim of the falls that flow over an erosion-resistant lava flow.  Water descended making a noise like thunder - the spray rising several 100-feet high. We had dinner and drinks thanks to Jim at  Hverageroi, the town known for its geothermal-heated greenhouses en route back to Reykjavik.

July 16, 2001     The Scenic South Coast
Today, Peg wanted to share some of the highlights of the scenic coast that she had enjoyed on a previous trip to Iceland. After driving over a pass with rather eerie scenery amidst young lava flows, we dropped into a fertile plain where picturesque farms dotted the landscape, blending in with the natural features. Like alpine plants adapted to survive tough conditions, Icelandic farms seem to take on a similar look with few variations.  Each farm held white buildings, red-roofs and fields filled with hay wrapped in plastic resembling giant marshmallows in white and green.  Jim gave up counting bales when he'd reached several thousand. Our first stop was to hike to and through the long-ribbon falls at Seljalandsfoss. The circle route trail took us up a small cliff and behind the waterfall where  Betty B. found water-loving plants clinging to the cliff in the spray.  We all enjoyed watching the acrobatic flight of nesting Northern Fulmars that were abundant throughout the day. At sixty-meter Skogafoss Falls several of our group - Pat, Cathy, Joette, and Mary Jane - hiked to the top.  Peg and others milled about at the scenic bottom of the falls, looking at plants, photographing cows, farms and flowers.  After lunch (local salmon) we visited a fascinating folk museum also at Skoger.  Top of the list here was time spent with the curator Thordur Tomasson, a wonderful Icelandic character with bright eyes, a beautiful singing voice and a spirited love of history.  We wandered through sod houses and various museum exhibits, trying to picture life here before modernization. Continuing on towards the Dyrholaey Cliffs, we encountered our first large numbers of nesting seabirds.  Winds were tremendous, but undaunting to Atlantic Puffins and dark and light phase Parasitic Jaeger that whizzed by the cliffs. We saw lots of female Common Eider and their young in sheltered waters of a wide, sandy bay.  Off shore there was a large rock arch and beautiful sea stacks rising sixty-six meters from the sea.  Just past Vik, in marshy areas adjacent to the town and the sea we got out to watch and listen to a big Arctic Tern colony.  They had large chicks. Watching the adult's constant movement of attending to and feeding the chicks was mesmerizing.  We traveled the Ring Road back to the small town of Hvolsvollur, conveniently near to our airstrip for flights out to the Westman Islands the following morning.  We enjoyed dinner, the hospitality of our hosts, and walking around the small town where local gardeners were busy at 10:00 at night working in broad daylight.  

July 17 and July 18, 2001  Vestmannaeyjar, or the Westman Islands
In the morning, after an extensive breakfast - a plentiful rendition of the breakfast we would see for all our ensuing days -- we drove a short way to Bakki, where we boarded small planes for our flight out to the Westman Islands.  We rode four and five to a plane. The ride was about 15 minutes and it was surprising smooth and delightful.  From the air we could see the island Surtsey, born to this chain in 1963. For the next few days we explored Heimaey, an island and fishing town of 5,000 inhabitants who experienced a violent 1973 volcanic eruption that sent lava right into the town. It is one thing to read of such an event, and another to actually see the flows that surrounded many of buildings all the way to the second floor.  Many homes were lost and buried - we saw corners of windows in a lava cliff bordering town.  Everyone was free this first afternoon to explore the village; the golf course perched on the sea, and the harbor.  Fishing is the main industry of Iceland, and this busy harbor was filled with colorful boats and constant activity.  Fish-packing plants provide employment, and many commented on the obvious prosperity here.  We had a delightful dinner at Café Maria, and in the evening took a tour of the island with a knowledgeable guide, Ali, who gave us a real feel for life in the islands. We saw graphically how the lava nearly closed the harbor, and marveled at gardens in the lava that locals had created to inspire hope among the residents. On the far end of the island, we walked out to a puffin colony, trying to be very careful as the burrows extended way up the hill. We watched them fly and land, walk about on their bright orange feet, and listened to their near-constant chatter.   The next day several of our group climbed the young mountain Eldfell born of that eruption. Views from the top were fantastic and we were lucky with good weather, and a chance to sit at the top and enjoy a picnic lunch. One of the local residents showed us a photo album of the eruption and the ensuing clean-up efforts. After dinner at the Lantera, we made our way back to the airport where we would fly back to Reykjavik.  

Thursday, July 19   Reykjavik, the Blue Lagoon, Reykjanes Peninsula
Today Ruth and Megan flew in to meet us and we started our day in an exotic way - with a swim and soak at the fantastic Blue Lagoon, an indoor/outdoor spa artistically set in young lava rock. We floated and paddled about and placed silica mud, thought to have excellent curative powers, on our facesIt was a cold and gray day making the pool very steamy, but we were relaxed and comfortable in the warm waters.  Binnie found us a great restaurant, and after lunch we started birding in earnest at a quiet bay on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Small ponds and lagoons provided good looks at male Common Eider, Red-necked Phalarope (yeah for Betty L, her first!), Dunlin, Ruddy Turnstone, Eurasian Oystercatcher with young, and more. Later that afternoon we returned to Reykjavik, where we had a quick look at the Culture House that featured a current Viking exhibit. Several ran errands for film, books and other necessities and we met back for dinner at a local restaurant with a fantastic salad bar and fresh seafood entrees.  

Friday, July 20    The Bird Cliffs at Hafnaberg / flight to Akureyri. 
After yet another Icelandic-style breakfast, we drove to Hafnaberg, to walk to cliffs of nesting seabirds, including all of Iceland's nesting alcids.  We all enjoyed the 3.5 miles round-trip hike over soft lava gravel in a rather eerie landscape. There was blooming Rock Cress, Wild Thyme and Sea Campion.  Stalks of Lyme Grass waved in the wind, Megan showed us Yorkshire Fog (a grass) and Betty B. was pleased to find Moonwort, one of her favorite ferns. We had excellent looks at Parasitic Jaeger, perched and flying, and Snow Bunting. On this clear day we had great views of the island of Eldey, where the last Great Auks were seen in 1844.  Our flight was earlier than expected, so we had just a brief look at Razorbills, Black-legged Kittiwakes and both species of murres at the cliff before heading back for a quick picnic lunch. We drove to the domestic airport to catch our flight to Akureyri, a lovely city on the north coast of Iceland.  Scenery here was grand, with snow-covered peaks, lush green hillsides and shining waters of the fjord. At the airport we met Bois, our local driver, who spoke excellent English and had a wonderful sense of humor. Throughout the rest of the trip he shared a great deal of knowledge about the landscape and ways of the farms and countryside life.  He was patient with our many photo and plant and bird i.d. stops and enjoyed sharing meals with us.  Our destination today was Lake Myvatn, famous for large numbers of nesting waterfowl.  This was an unusual year, with fairly low numbers of babies, due to late June snows that destroyed many of the eggs and young.  We saw large rafts of adult ducks and had great looks at both species of loon during our stay here.  This afternoon at the Laxa River we stopped for our first views of Harlequin ducks, which may be able to claim the award of world's cutest babies.  Three little ones cowered under their mother as light rain began.  In a quiet cove off the main roaring part of the river, several orphan ducklings were huddled together and our hearts went out pondering their fate. Betty L. commented on the power of the river - so lush and green this arctic realm!  Our hotel had a lovely view of the lake, and the bar and dining room had big windows so we could keep watching the antics of little swirling duck and grebe babies. At cocktail hour a large female Gyrfalcon buzzed through, creating quite a commotion. In the evening, several enjoyed a walk around trails near the lake.  

Saturday, July 21   Myvatn Area
We had the full day to explore the Lake Myvatn area.  Our first stop was a lovely overlook on the lake, a quiet cove just filled with Barrow's Goldeneye.  Among them we also found Common Scoter, Slavonian Grebe, Common Merganser and a number of other species. It was a partly sunny day and we enjoyed a walk at some unusual lava features at Dimmuborgir. Here Megan spotted a Merlin, and we got stunning views in the scope of a male perched on a lava pinnacle.  On this east side of the lake, birches predominate and we enjoyed the walk in this diminutive forest. Later we would learn one of Bois' jokes "what do you do if you are lost in an Icelandic forest?  Stand up."   Jim talked us into coffee and donuts mid-morning, and in the small village at the end of the lake we found a delightful café.  Here we tried the special bread of the area - a dense loaf cooked in vents of geothermal steam.  Later Bois showed us the ovens.  In 1974, the Parliament granted nature reserve status to 440,000 hectares around the lake, and it is in this conservation area that we enjoyed one of Megan's wonderful picnic lunches.  Somehow here, close to the Arctic Circle, she whipped up exotic combinations of chicken salad with fresh fruits and vegetables.  We walked as she prepared our meal and found Redshank sitting boldly on fence posts and phone wires, a Common Loon with young, our first Oldsquaw, several Dunlin and lots of Red-necked Phalaropes. This corner of the lake held scores of Eurasian Wigeon with young, and we were lucky to see Whooper Swans with cygnets.  We took an afternoon break at our hotel, venturing out in the late afternoon to see the colorful mudpots and fumeroles at Namaskard. The Myvatn area is one of the most geologically active areas on earth. Evidence is here in many forms - from mud-pots to hot springs. Here we were once again at the meeting zone of two plates on the spreading Mid-Atlantic rift.  We walked the trails, inhaling sulfur smells and feeling the heat of Earth's features.  After dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed the chance to try out the gentle-natured, smooth-gaited Icelandic horses on an evening ride at a nearby farm. A delightful couple took us out - they looked like they had rarely stepped out of the saddle in their entire lives and were rightfully proud of their well-mannered herd. The horses held excellent gait, and many enjoyed the smooth movements of the tolt.  Betty B. was to leave us in the morning. We would miss our "Bending- over Betty" and her keen eye for the flowers for the rest of the trip.  

Sunday, July 22   Myvatn Area
We woke to the first significant rain on our trip in Iceland.  True to Janet's claims of bringing good weather, the clouds parted for the two-hour horseback ride for the more experienced riders. While Joette, Janet and Peg tolted along the Laxa River and adjacent rolling tundra hills, several joined Megan for a morning outing to look for birds along the lakeshore. They found a mother Slavonian Grebe with her young close by, and got excellent looks at Common Snipe, including an aerial display. White Wagtail were everywhere - a lovely species to be a common bird!  Due to rains we opted for a restaurant lunch, returning to the place where we had enjoyed coffee and donuts earlier.  Circling the lake gave us another chance to see Oldsquaw and Common Loon and in the afternoon and for another stop at the Laxa River where the ducks put on quite a show. We then headed back to Akureyri stopping at nearby Godafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods. Again, we were impressed with the lack of boundaries so common in our national parks - you could walk right out to the very edge of the falls to feel the spray and mist. We also stopped at Vaglaskogur, a birch woodland to look for the endemic islandicus Winter Wren and islandica Common Redpoll.  Flocks repeated dashed about in the tall vegetation, but we got quick glimpses only. On a wooded trail we found a rare yellow wildflower new to us - the Small Cow-Wheat.  We reached Akureyri, a city of about 15,000 people, in the late afternoon.  This was a free night, and though it was Sunday and many shops were closed that did not stop our diligent shoppers.  Many gathered for a cocktail party in dorm rooms at the Hotel Edda, a chain of hotels in Iceland that utilizes facilities that are schools during the academic year.  It seemed like we were in college again with  laughter ringing through the halls. As they say "a good time was had by all".

Monday, July 23   Akureyri / Hrisey
In the morning we walked in the Botanic Gardens, to Helene's great delight, a few hundred yards from our hotel. Rows and rows of colorful poppies, lupine, lilies and more decorated the garden hillsides.  We got wonderful looks at Winter Wren and Redpoll, and a very tame young Redwing nearly landed on Peg's shoe. After breakfast we drove a beautiful route along a fjord with snow-capped peaks to meet the ferry for our 15-minute ride over to Hrisey, a small island in the Eyjafjordur.  It was fun to look around the small village there, now in transition from a fishing economy to tourism.  The fish-drying racks stood empty on the hillsides, sad looking despite being decked with wildflowers.  We walked up the hill past lovely gardens to a reserve where we could look for nesting Common Gull and Rock Ptarmigan. Megan set up her scope in the center with a clear view of the hillside, and was ready to zoom in when Mary Jane said, "I see one".   Rock Ptarmigan with four chicks - a great find.  Arctic Terns and Common Gulls were numerous and we also had good looks at Northern Wheatear and Snow Bunting once again. Baby Whimbrels calling and trying to navigate the road were a bit hit. After a picnic lunch we visited a sweater and wool outlet where several enjoyed shopping before leaving town.  From here we had quite a drive westward, circling rugged peninsulas that jut out into the Arctic Ocean.  Peg entertained us with Icelandic folk tales, one grimmer than the next, until the mood of the day and the rain merged to make us believe them all!  We enjoyed a rest at a travel center with wonderful handicrafts, different than others we had seen. Our accommodations were again in the local school.  It caused quite a hoot to the ladies in their pajamas when a bare-chested male walked into the common bathroom.  Once again the pluck and flexibility of this group shone true - Iceland is European, and when in Rome.  Before dinner several of our group enjoyed a soak in a local geothermal pool in the nearby town.  Cathy interviewed two local girls at the desk about life and the economics of the area - a great chance to gain insight into how teenagers feel about life in this remote location.  We often saw people riding horses through the rugged landscape. Displaying the smooth gait of the tolt, wind in their hair, these ponies played a significant role in Iceland's long and colorful history. Dinner held a bit of an adventure when smoke poured from the kitchen and the staff came out to open the windows.  The casualty was Bois' lamb steak.  

Tuesday, July 24    Northwestern Fjords / Patricksfjordur
We rose early today to get a good start on the long journey into the remote fjords of the Northwest - the most rugged landscape and the oldest rock of Iceland. Several of us walked early in the morning, listening to calling Red-throated Loons and singing Meadow Pipit. Some orphan sheep were eager for food, and quickly adopted Joette, Mary Jane and Lynn.  Our driving route held striking scenery.  Glaciers and the sea have carved the coast into a convoluted pattern of fjords and headlands. At a rest stop Lynn was the first to try the Icelandic hot dog.  Not bad for 10:30 in the morning!  This wild area still holds a small population of White-tailed Eagles, whose numbers were drastically reduced by eider farmers in the twentieth century. We had our eyes peeled for these and for Gyrfalcon, the national bird of Iceland, which also nests in the area.  Rounding a bend in a fjord, Peg saw a group of ducks blow into the sky and yelled STOP.  There we saw the eagle, working low on the water, and watched it as it disappeared several minutes later above the high cliffs of the fjord.  We also saw huge flocks of wild Whooper Swans - 48 in one group on a wind-swept, white-capped part of the fjord.  Our seaside picnic lunch took place in gale force winds on the northern edge of Breidafjordur and we took refuge behind the bus.  Lynn pointed out diminutive arctic poppies, and Joette found our first Harbor Seal.  It hauled out on a rocky outcrop, laying on its side waving its flippers and putting on quite a show.  There were more Common Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Glaucous Gull, Common Ringed Plover, and a good number of Eurasian Oystercatchers. Iron-rich red bands were obvious in these older basalt cliffs, and we began to spot characteristic dikes running at odd angles to the basalt at several locations along the way.  We took a break at Flokalundur where we would catch the ferry in a few days.  It was low tide, and we had good looks at several waders.  From here we continued on past magnificent scenery.  We crossed a high pass, where we encountered road construction and a statue we christened "the wrapped man".  Dropping down to the next fjord we saw ponds used for salmon rearing and small white flags of an eider down farm.  Continuing on to Patricksfjorder, one of the westernmost settlements of Europe, we settled into our accommodations with a fantastic view of the fjord.  After dinner at a local restaurant, several enjoyed a chance to walk around and explore the town and harbor.  

Wednesday, July 25    Latrabjarg Bird Cliffs
Perhaps the highlight of our journey was experienced today at the unbelievably dramatic Latrabjarg bird cliffs, where Atlantic Puffins, Common and Thick-billed Murres, Northern Fulmars, and Black-legged Kittiwakes nest in numbers beyond the imagination.  They segment out according to steepness and height of the cliffs, clinging often to ledges barely large enough for to hold them.  We had plenty of time to study seabirds of all sorts including some very obliging puffins.  We were surprised to find other cars and buses at the trailhead, including a photo safari that called itself "Ultimate Puffins". Megan spotted gray seals bobbing in the surf below us, and although we looked, we did not find whales visible in the choppy seas.  These cliffs reach from 40-500 meters in height, and extend for 12 kilometers.  We walked up to the cliffs gaining a fantastic sense of wilderness. When we sat long in any spot the puffins and razorbills just continued their activities, oblivious to the company.  Cameras clicked as they walked about, preened, walked in and out of burrows and through the white flowers of Sea Mayfair in bloom.  Near the parking lot is the westernmost lighthouse of Europe.  We were blessed with a calm and clear day, and had magnificent views of Snaefellsjokull, the glacier at the end of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, made famous by Jules Verne in his book Journey to the Center of the Earth. The glacier was positioned just off of the seabird cliffs, so in one view you could take in contstant whirling seabird activity and the solemn grandeur of a quiet glacier-covered volcano.  Megan asked us our impressions of a seabird cliff and we found it hard to articulate: on one level it was the incessant motion, the sounds, the smells; and on another level it was a story -- a baby murre alone, likely fallen from the nest.  A football-sized fat Fulmar chick waiting patiently for food, busy kittiwakes calling and calling, preening and prodding their young, the ocean, churning below.  Puffins returning with fish stacked 10 strong across their bill. Betty L., Mary Kay, Pat, and Betty Ann took a long walk around the bay where they watched Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, baby Eider and Arctic Tern.  Others lingered on the cliffs to photograph puffins, and more puffins, and more puffins.  Lynn said "now that's the way to see a life bird!" It was an idyllic day, literally at the end of the world, enjoyed by all.  

Thursday, July 26    Ferry to Stykkisholmur
Somehow we were blessed with yet another sunny day and calm seas for our ferry crossing.  We spent the morning driving back to Flokalunder birding and taking photos of picturesque farms en route. We enjoyed a walk near Flokalunder - especially the cloud of Eurasian Oystercatchers put up by Cathy who had wandered off for a view. Late morning we boarded the ferry 'Baldur' for a three-hour trip across a large expanse of sea called the Breidafjordur. We had seen our route from our lunch stop in days previous. Our stop at Flatey Island, once the center of scholarship in medieval Iceland, was too brief to get off the ferry, but we could sense the island's long isolation. Underway, we enjoyed good views of European Shag, Great Cormorant, and many, many puffins. In the late afternoon we arrived in the charming, seaside-city of Stykkisholmur on the north side of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.  Cathy went exploring and found the local geothermal pools alive with activity.  Many chose to walk up Helgafell (Holy Mountain). Here, we first visited the grave of Gudrun Osvifursdottir, "the most beautiful woman in Iceland" dated 1003. Her sad tale is told in the Laxdaela Saga, from which Megan read a section about her dreams.  We walked up the 73-meter mountain, in silence not looking back placing our wishes at the top, as is the custom.  As we turned to walk down, an immature White-tailed Eagle sailed close by over our heads - wings spread to reveal all the beautiful plumage detail.  As Ruth said, it was a magic moment and a fitting way to end the trip.  

Friday July 27   Islands of the Briedafjordur; flights home
This morning our luck with the weather ended.  We had a very blustery but still beautiful boat ride through islands of the southeastern Breidafjordur. Our captain was excellent, taking us close to nesting European Shag and Black-legged Kittiwake. We saw organ pipe columns of basaltic rock, and the cove that sheltered Eric the Red in his outlaw days. They dredged a small patch of the sea to show us the abundant life, and here in the clean arctic waters we could try fresh scallops and sea urchin (to add to the list of other exotic foods eaten on the trip). As we got off the boat, the rains came in quickly and we parted from our Iceland adventure very thankful for the good weather that was with us for the journey.  In Keflavik our flock scattered to the temptation of duty-free shopping, filling lists of gifts for loved ones as they headed home.  Betsy found some precious stuffed animals, and Joette modeled a great puffin hat. Soon, we were homeward bound.  It was no small accomplishment to have navigated the wilds of Iceland, and we enjoyed every minute of the adventure.

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