This day breaks cloudy, and we are now into the harbor that is Isafjordour. In Icelandic, the name means Ice Fjord, as it used to freeze over in the early 900 era when it was first discovered by the Vikings. We have good news and bad news all morning. Good news, the Captain was able to edge the ship to the dock so we do not have to tender on and off the ship via small boats.
Bad news, the weather is such that a number of shore excursions have to be cancelled. Good news, our excursion to Vigur Island is a go. Bad news, they add two additional departures to Vigur Island to accommodate those passengers that were cancelled from other excursions. Good news, we can get on the first departure to the island. Bad news, we walk to the small boat along the dock in sleet and rain, with the wind whipping at us.
Good news, the boat we are taking on the 45 minute trip to the island is enclosed. Bad news, as we motor out from the harbor to the fjord, the seas kick up and it is a fairly rough ride. Good news, we reach the island and the sun comes out.
Vigur Island is a small island in the middle of the fjord. It is owned and occupied by a couple who raise some sheep and handle a little tourist business. It is the smallest post office known to exist, only two people. It is also home to nearly 100,000 puffins nesting this time of year, also Arctic terns and eider duck. There are no trees, so the puffins dig small little holes in the ground in which to lay their eggs and hatch the young.
In addition to the puffin population, there is a seal colony off the island and they are very curious to watch the humans, especially those with colorful jackets. They slip into the water from the rocks, and their heads pop up off shore to look at us, then dip back down.
The Island is lovely and we hike around, spotting puffins, and admiring the views back to the mainland. Then we enter a small meeting hall and are served coffee, tea and homemade cakes. Very enjoyable. We also learn about the eider down business, how it is collected and cleaned. We are shown a handful of compressed eider down, that, when released from the hand, expands into a ball a foot in diameter. The entire thing weighs less than an ounce. Amazing.
After a few hours, we are back in our boat to head back to town and the ship. The sea is a little calmer, or maybe we are getting better at this seafaring stuff! We return to the ship in the early afternoon, have a quick lunch and then sit in one of the lounges reading and relaxing. We eventually are able to buy additional Internet time, which is why you probably received two letters from us today.
Dinner this evening was Scandinavian themed, with Norwegian salmon, Swedish meatballs and the like on the menu. The food was some of the best of the trip. Early to bed as we depart for Reykjavik for a two day stay.
