June 2 - Get an early start as it will be another long driving day. We take Highway 1 and its winding course around every headland and fjord across the southeast coast of Iceland. The sun is out and good for photos.
Spend some time on Lækjavik Beach while the weather is still agreeable. For the first time, I see exposures of sedimentary rocks (shales).
Lots of things here to keep Odette busy with her camera. There is a pair of noisy oystercatchers who are obviously trying to distract us from their nest. I expected it to be somewhere in the grass above the sand line, but Odette spots the eggs out in the sand.
From here it is another hour to Höfn. When we arrive at a petrol station to fill up (diesel is about $9/gallon) it is extremely windy. This will become a theme for the rest of the trip. Rather than eating outside at a picnic table, we retreat to the station restaurant with our contraband sandwiches.
Walk around the port area of Höfn, though it isn’t so pleasant in the howling wind. At least it isn’t raining, which would make it impossible to endure.
Go to visit one of the ‘sights’ of Höfn, the famous Universe Sculpture. There is a placard there with information on the sun, along with other things, but the intensity of the wind keeps our visit short. The sun is represented as an orb, with the remainder of the solar system scaled appropriately around it. However, this means that the planets are a great distance away - none of them in the immediate area. Mercury and Venus are down the road, and it the weather were nicer we could walk over and look
The town of Höfn was founded by the merchant Ottó Tuliníus in 1897. The name means ‘harbor’. There is a lot of glacial runoff in the area, hence many sandbanks and islands. Up until 1946, it had only 300 inhabitants. The main industries are listed as fishing and tourism, which could be said for most small towns in Iceland.
Our lodging tonight is one floor of an old farmhouse, just 10 minutes north of town. With creaky floors and old bathroom fittings, it really feels like we are out in the country. And quiet, except for the wind vibrating the walls.