Hot Pots

Thursday, June 18

After a relaxing morning and a breakfast of fruit and sweet, nutmeg bread, we hit the road. Most of the drive took place along the coast of the Western Fjord (pronounced fee-ord) region. A couple of very small fishing towns (no stop light status) would appear here and there, and our first stop was in one called Holmavik. No matter how big or small the town, each one contains a church....the stereotypical kind with a steeple. A short climb led us to Holmavik's church which provided beautiful views of the fishing village and snowcapped mountains behind. Lunch took place in a small cafe here where Stephen and I ordered and shared whale meat and cod chin. I wasn't really a fan of the cod chin which had a squishier, slimier texture (similar to calamari), but I did enjoy the whale meat. It was marinated and tasted more like meat, maybe a bit softer, than anything else. 

Whale meat:

Cod chin: :)

   Our next stop was, in my opinion, amazing. As soon as we entered the next town, called Drangses (pronounced drown-sees), we noticed a few hot pots sitting along the side of the road with a view of the fjord (an inlet of the ocean). They were too good to resist, so we parked, showered, changed, and ended up sharing a pot with an older and very friendly couple from England. Such a relaxing and unique experience.

   The next stop was not an official stop, but rather a spontaneous "let's pull over!" Along the shore was piles of driftwood and fishing net, most of which had drifted over from Siberia (there really aren't many trees here in Iceland). Scattered on the ground was a treasure trove of the perfect skipping rocks which we immediately put to good use. Stephen threw some of the best skips I've seen. An interesting rock column protruded from the water just close enough for us to get to if we used the right stepping stones. As soon as Stephen climbed to the top (the only one brave enough to do so), cameras shot off and his inner-model took over. Ok...that may have been slightly exaggerated. But we did get some pretty epic shots. :)

~with the nice camera so have to save those for later~

   Our main stop for the day was Djupuvik (dg-yew-pu-vik). A large, abandoned fish factory and rusted ship overshadow the few buildings that make up this small village. We later learned that the man who had owned the fish factory had kept the ship there as his home. Next to the factory was a small hostel where we parked and met our new friend Claus. He is originally from Germany, but has been working in this small village for the last seven years. We also learned that he is a photographer and most of his work was displayed in the art gallery that now occupies the abandoned factory. Although seemingly shy and awkward, he had an endearing way about him. He was extremely helpful, friendly, funny, and kind. 

   On our way to find the photo gallery, we took the liberty of exploring the factory just a little. Stephen was joking around and poked his head into a small opening of a tall, giant, concrete, cylindrical water tank. But then he went fully inside, so we peaked our heads in and it was mostly empty but for a shallow layer of water. It also echoed magnificently, so once Stephen started singing just to experiment, we all chimed in and gave ourselves such a fun concert. It reminded me of singing in a Cathedral, but even better. 

   We perused the photo gallery inside the factory, Stephen played with the very friendly, excitable sheep dog, and we had a dinner of fresh fish and vegetables. Just as we were finishing, Claus rushed over to tell us that we needed to go to one of the water tanks to listen to a saxophone "concert." The kitchen cook routinely plays her saxophone for anyone who is interested. A funny sight came when we reached the tank. The opening to get inside is big enough for people to climb in, and being young, it was easier for us to just slide through. However, there was a crowd of older people waiting to go inside, and it was pure comedy to watch one of the men help them in. He would let them put their feet in, but then hold their head from beneath and with the other hand push them in. It's hard to explain, but even they were cracking up, because it looked as if he was just shoving them in one by one. Once inside, the saxophone concert began. Musically speaking, the tunes were simple ones, but the unique atmosphere and haunting echoes gave depth and eloquence to the melodies. Unfortunately, we had to leave early due to our long drive, but we made sure to say goodbye to Claus and thank him for his kindness and generosity. It was nearly midnight when we reached Broddanes, our night's stay, but you would have never guessed by looking at the light outside.