The Westernmost Point of the Vesterland Peninsula of Iceland
Late in the evening of 12 August 2018 as our ship, M.S. Koningsdam, steams from Reykjavik to our next day’s destination of Ísafjörður.
Skutulsfjöður #1
Very early in the morning as we have entered the inlet known as Skutulsfjödur on our way to the city of Isafjordur, our port for the day. Skutulsfjödur is a branch of the inlet from the sea known as Ísafiarðardjúp. The cliff on our starboard side begins to reveal itself.
Skutulsfjödur #2
Now a little bit more of the ridge top as the stratus deck thins.
Skutulsfjödur #3
Just a few minutes later.
Skutulsfjödur #4
A close up of the left end of the previous image. I frequently like a longer view and closer view of the same scene. I find the crags on the far right compelling.
Skutulsfjödur #5
Summer morning in the Arctic. The geological formations are are identical in shape to those throughout the American Great Basin and very specifically Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. I will never forget the first time I saw such formations in the reddish brown Moenkopi sandstone just outside of Bicknell, Utah and was heading west on the then recently paved Highway 24 toward Torrey on the western edge of Capitol Reef. That was during the summer of 1973, and the memory continues to stir profound wonder in me to this day. What a joy to encounter the formations again in a radically different environment.
Skutulsfjödur #6
Looking more north, or astern. I was taken by the contrast of the grayish basaltic peak to the right with the more colorful cliffs to the left. Notice how the bow wake of the ship on the extreme right and the cirrus at the extreme top of the nicely balance to the scene. I am in awe of the potpourri of shapes, colors, textures and substances laid out before us.
Skutulsfjödur #7
A closeup of the volcanic outcrop from the previous scene. The mesas in the left of the photo are absolutely reminiscent of the the north and south Caineville Mesas just outside Capitol Reef National Park. Volcanism is apparently volcanism regardless of its location on Earth, the Moon, Mars, or presumably elsewhere inside or outside the solar system.
Skutulsfjödur #8: Village of Hnífsdalur
I am taking a stab (pun intended) that the first four letters of Hnífsdalur constitute the Icelandic word for knife. The sharp descending ridge line to the far left could be the knife edge. I am fortunate to have visited several countries in North and Central America as well as western Europe and to have been familiar with all the languages of those countries. I apologize to the people of Iceland that I did not make some acquaintance with the Icelandic language before this trip. Proficiency in the language of a people is essential in gaining a modicum of understanding of a culture. I pledge to acquire a rudimentary proficiency in Icelandic in the next few months.
Suðureyri #1
Suðureyri is a very small fishing village consisting of this harbor, some homes, churches, a restaurant and a fish factory. The fish factory is to the far left. We toured the fish factory which required us to wear clean white lab jackets and caps. The workers were young women, many from eastern Europe and Thailand. The factory was an absolute model of cleanliness and professionalism. The fish moved on a conveyor belt and the workers expertly filleted them. No fish odor could be detected because fresh fish has no odor of its own. When the off-putting fishy smell is detected, it is from bacteria which feed on dead fish to discourage other life forms from consuming their dinner. Those bacteria do not live in this factory. Later we were able to sample some cooked fish from this factory: It was wonderful! A five-kilometer tunnel along with its two-lane highway goes through a mountain from Ísafjörður to Suðureyri. In the middle of the tunnel is a T-intersection complete with a stop sign and a road to another town.
Suðureyri #2
I absolutely love working boats.
Suðureyri #3
More fishing boats in the Suðureyri Harbor. This image is my personal favorite in this gallery: The purity of the red and blue is just beautiful and paradoxically out of the character with Icelanders who themselves rarely if ever attract attention to their persons . But here are these magnificent boats and a testimony to Icelandic community pride.
Suðureyri #4
A typical street scene.
Suðureyri #5
Our guide was perhaps 28 years old and had a masters degree in one of the sciences, perhaps ichthyology. Her day job was public relations for the fish factory, and I believe I heard her say that this was her house. As was typical of the Icelanders with whom I had the privilege of interacting, she was very educated, capable and and both a citizen of Iceland and of the world. She had no interest in attracting attention to her herself or standing out in anyway. No wonder Icelanders are among the happiest people in the world.
Suðureyri #6
This is looking due west from close to fish factory in
Suðureyri along the inlet known as Súgandafjörður. This is 66.13 degrees north, just 30 miles/48 kilometers south of the the Arctic Circle. The ship did cross the Arctic Circle on the way to Ísafjörður the night before this excursion, and we received certificates to note the occasion. I will always have life enhancing memories of the western fjord region of Iceland.