Djùpivogur, Iceland

Djùpivogur, Iceland

On August 3^rd I took a tender boat from the cruise ship into Djùpivogur’s quaint harbor. Located on the southeastern coast of Iceland, its main industry is fishing and it is also known as one of the best areas for bird watching in the country. Rumor has it that Irish monks and hermits came to the nearby island of Papey even before the Norwegians settled in Iceland.

This particular summer day was overcast and chilly, but that did not stop 5 adventurous dancers and singers from hiking to the outskirts of town. When we ventured off the road into the cliffs, the ground was either rocky or squishy with moss. The colors of the earth were bright green and grey with lots of flowers sprouting here and there. We hardly saw any people as we walked around and the only animals we saw were sea birds.

"The Eggs of Merry Bay" is a new installation of artwork by the Icelander, Sigurdur Gudmundsson. Each of the 34 eggs represents a local species; we are perched atop the red-throated diver’s egg. Knowing there were at least 34 different kind of birds to recognize, my knowledge of birds proved disappointing when I could only recognize ducks and sea gulls (which looked no different from the ones in a shopping mall parking lot). I was unfortunately not able to get to the Island of Papey, where 30,000 puffin pairs breed each year.

Other pictures: the stars painted on the ceiling of a tiny church, a red house that reminded me of home, Icelandic yarn sold in the supermarket (I even saw a young man picking some out for himself!), puffins by a local artist, a picture of the town,a description of “The Beings on the Cliff” - hidden people, and a whale skeleton.

Sorry for not getting this post up last night as promised; the internet connection in the English Channel was pathetic! After a refresher viewing of “Braveheart” I am ready for Scotland.