Fog and sunshine

 July 10: 

Having stayed up well past midnight to see the sunset, we awoke at 5:30 in hopes of viewing a famous waterfall (Dynjandi, or thundering falls) but there was such thick fog that we couldn’t even see the sides of the fjord. We could hear the waterfall, which made it a bit of a strange experience. Shortly after we arrived the sun began to break through the fog.  Optimism began to spread, the ledge at the top of the right side of the fjord became visible.  Optimism grew. The fog suddenly thickened. So much for optimism.

Later in the morning, and many miles to the south, the fog cleared in time for us to see the Latrabjarg bird cliffs. This is a protected area, so the ship had to stay a mile off shore, which somewhat obscured appreciation that these cliffs are twice as high as the Cliffs of Moher and over a kilometer long... the largest bird cliffs in Europe. The sound of the nesting birds was near deafening. 

In the afternoon we went ashore at Flatey Island, a community with 12 residents in winter but larger in summer with vacationers. We observed another puffin colony, got dive bombed by terns, and enjoyed the well-preserved early 19th century buildings. Flatey has been used as a movie set because it is so lovely. The church ceiling is painted with a beautiful mural about the history of the town, including the establishment of a tiny library (still standing and preserved) in 1864. Flatey was the original home of one of the most important medieval manuscripts of Icelandic sagas.

Pictured: Flatey Island houses, church, mural, library