Expected weather: Hi 48F, Showers

Seas: Calm

Population: 509 / 352,721

This is an even smaller place than yesterday, so tendering again and we selected the Viking optional full-day “FJALLSÁRLÓN ICE LAGOON BY ZODIAC” excursion. This is one of the few times where I was convinced that the hours on the bus would be worth it by folks who’d taken this excursion on the other Iceland itineraries which Viking has done the past few years. And, boy, were they ever right!

But first, we had another decent night sailing and sleeping as we made our way down the East Coast of Iceland approximately 86 nautical miles. A quick word about Djúpivogur, it is known for the art installation, the Eggs of Merry Bay, 34 large, polished rocks representing the various bird species that nest nearby. Djúpivogur has been a trading center on Iceland’s east coast since the 16^th century and the town has adopted a slower pace of life called “cittaslow”.  

We did a quick breakfast in the World Café and headed to the Theater to meet for our 7:55am departure. The tender was a little bumpy but not terrible. We boarded the bus and headed south along the coast. The scenery is spectacular on the 2.5-hour bus ride each way. Depending on which side of the bus you sit on you view the mountains and glaciers going and the ocean coming back or vice versa. Then you reach the Vatnajökull ice cap and its glacier-fed lagoons – wow! We passed by the larger Jökulsárlón (Glacier Lagoon) and a short distance later reached Fjallsárlón (Mountain Lagoon) where we changed into some serious waterproof jackets and pants (for those who needed them) for our zodiac ride on the lagoon around the icebergs and approached the glacier as close as our zodiac guide dared in case of calving. We had about a 45 minute tour of the lagoon, getting up close to these interesting features while our guide did an excellent job of explaining glacial movements and other tidbits such as if you gave everyone on earth 1 square meter (11 square feet) of space on the Vatnajökull ice cap there would be room leftover. This glacier is the second largest in Europe – currently over 3000 square miles and up to 1250 feet thick and covers 8% of Iceland. Approximately 100 years ago, it covered 11%, that’s how much it has receded in a century.

Pictures from Fjallsárlón Zodiac Ride

Yes, it was as cold as it looks due to very gusty winds – we are guessing up to 40mph at times. The jackets they provided were quite warm and the waterproof ski pants I bought for this trip did their job in keeping me dry and warm!

Pictures from Bus between Djúpivogur and Fjallsárlón

Our local guide on the trip, Thorstein (Thor’s Stone), provided a plethora of information about Iceland’s history, economics, agriculture, sports, and government.

Lucky Again

As we were finishing our lunch at the glacier lagoon following our boat tour, our guide informed us that we needed to get back as the winds had picked up and Viking Saturn’s captain had halted tender operations at 11am. They were waiting to get all the early morning excursions back and onboard. So, we quickly made our way back to the bus. We did have one brief “comfort stop” on the return trip and we arrived back around 4pm. The winds had calmed quite a bit from earlier and our tender ride back to the ship wasn’t too bad. I feel lucky that we had an early excursion as many people were unable to go ashore for their excursions today. Of course, Viking issued refunds for those.

Eating Again

It seems like every time we turn around it’s time to eat! Tonight was lobster thermidor night in the The Restaurant and it was quite popular. It was also Grand Marnier Soufflé night. As much as I liked the Chocolate Soufflé with Bailey’s from the other night, this one was pretty delicious as well – I may have to just declare a tie!

Unfortunately, Sasha’s performance times this evening didn’t match up well with our dining and sleep schedule. I will make sure though to attend tomorrow night on our final evening!