Where the River Meets the Ocean

We're getting down to the final countdown here... I leave Iceland a week from today! We ventured out on our last field trip of the semester on Wednesday (Nov 16) and soaked up every last bit of Icelandic moss, air, and water that we could.

Our day began by driving to the coastal town of Eyrarbakki, just a 40 min. drive or so from Solheimar. It's a very small town, only around 600 people now and is home to Iceland's largest prison (it holds about 120 people and looks like a palace). The town used to be a major port on the southern coast, exporting wool, fish, and meat to Denmark and then going onto the rest of Europe from there. Our first stop was Husið, one of the first timber houses built in Iceland. It was built in 1765 by Danish merchants so they could stay in Iceland over the summer and keep conducting business throughout the year.

Husið

Inside Husið (meaning "The House", pronounced Hoos-ith) was a beautiful museum with furniture, instruments, dishes, games, and photographs that belonged to various families who have lived there. It was lots of fun to explore the house and discover hidden rooms and trapdoors. Next door to Husið was a maritime museum where we learned more about the livelihood and work of the townspeople throughout the centuries.

Ship inside the maritime museum

After the museums, we had a free hour to walk along the beach. It was great to finally be able to see the open ocean and hear waves crashing against the rocks... waves that possibly haven't seen land since leaving the shores of Antarctica. I also found an abandoned coffee shop, bunches of kelp, and lots of other treasures.

 The coffeeshop, alone on the beach

 Fish trap with kelp. Unsuccessful fishing venture?

Loving the designs on the beach!

The church in Eyrarbakki

After the beach walk, we had lunch at a nice restuarant in town. Seafood soup, plenty of fresh bread, and coffee! Mmm! We hopped back in the bus and I immediately fell asleep. Zzz...

I awoke to another beautiful sight: the geothermal springs and waterfalls in a nearby town called Hveragerði. We hopped out of the bus into the rain and starting hiking up into the hills. We passed spouts of geothermal steam, walked in mud up to our ankles, and forded many a river (with piggyback rides from Dusty so we wouldn't get wet! Thanks!). After an hour, we reached our destination of the hot river. Precariously changing into swimsuits behind rocks, we swam happily in the warm water for over an hour. It was such a treat to be swimming outside, in a river, in the middle of November. Only in Iceland!

We quickly hiked back to beat the sunset and gave a nice American hiker a ride back to town. Another great trip in this beautiful country... hard to believe I've already been here 11 weeks and have only one more left! This weekend will wrap up our final school work, projects, and we'll get ready for the Thanksgiving dinner we're hosting on Wednesday night! Wish me luck as I play violin, contra dance, and make stuffing for 100 people! Pictures from that event will be coming soon...