Greenland’s fjords were so spectacular it was sad to leave. Now that’s a sentence I never thought I would write. But we had to get back to civilization eventually, if nothing else before the sea ice closes in. And while Iceland may not have massive mountains and icebergs, it has plenty of its own kind of scenic beauty.

Our first stop on this leg of the adventure was Akureyri, the so called Capital of the North. A pretty town at the mouth of Iceland’s longest fjord, it features quirky touches like heart shaped stop lights.

From there we headed over the mountains towards Lake Myvatn to the Dimmuborgir lava labyrinth, towering columns of lava forming a fantasy of shapes, arches and caves.

Lake Myvatn, surrounded by lava formations, with one of the volcanos which formed them in the background is a lovely sight. Next we explored the bubbling mud pots and fumeroles of one of Iceland’s many geothermal areas before partaking in the local custom of lounging in a natural hot water spring. The day’s final stop was the mighty Godafoss waterfall, where the Skjalfandafljot River falls from a height of 36 feet over a breadth of 100 feet.

Above, formations in the Dimmuborgir lava labyrinth, where Iceland’s “Yule Lads” are believed to hide out around Christmas time.

At the lovely little town of Seydisfjordur, we explored the graceful buildings and enjoyed the, quirky, colorful commercial area.

We also had a chance to drive out to one of the country’s most remote areas- to Skalanes Nature Center. It was a beautiful drive and a chance to hike out to the cliffs to sea thousands of nesting sea birds.

Our last stop in Iceland, turned out to be one of our favorites. Rough weather caused us to skip a proposed stop at Papey Island, so we cruised on to arrive early in Heimaey, Westman Islands.

In January of 1973, the Eldfell volcano erupted after 5,000 years of inactivity. The island’s fishing fleet was able to evacuate the population of nearly 5,000. But with fishing being the main source of income on the island, that livelihood was in jeopardy as the lava flow threated to close off the harbor. A few determined volunteers attempted what had never been tried before, pump sea water on the lava to cool and divert the flow. Over the 6 months the volcano erupted, with the assistance of pumps borrowed from the US Navy, they succeeded. The fascinating Eldheimar museum (shown below) built around the remains of some of the houses, tells the story of that traumatic day and the events that followed.

Heimaey and the Westman Islands are also beautiful. Green grass atop sheer cliffs dotted with sheep who seem to be preparing to cliff dive into the water below.

And puffins! 60% of all Atlantic Puffins can be found in Iceland in the summer months when they come ashore to breed. The Westman Islands hosts the largest colony anywhere in the world so, we had a good shot to see some before they head out to sea for the winter. And while we didn’t see the Northern Lights or whales, we did see puffins! . After hatching, baby puffins (pufflings) grow from the nest and when ready to take their place out at sea they follow the light of the moon down to the sea. Town lights confuse them and they end up wandering about in town. If you were out after dark you might see people around with a box and flashlights frantically chasing the small critters down, then transporting them to a safe place to launch into the sea. It’s a popular and necessary activity during puffling season, our tour guide brought one for us to see.

More photos of Heimaey

Photos from top left: Zodiac heading into cave, ropes used to climb cliffs for puffin hunting, replica of viking structure, view out to see from harbor with volcanic debris on right, cliffs from the sea, elephant rock.

And then it was back to Reykjavik and another fun (not) visit to Newark airport. Interesting that it’s abbreviation is EWR, three letters you need to spell sewer. Just an observation….

Thanks for sharing our adventure. Next one comes up later this month when we fly to Buenos Aries to begin what we hope will be the twice cancelled trip to The Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and Antarctica. Fingers crossed everyone!