Day 12: Excursion to Langanes

At some point, the rain stopps. That’s a good thing. At least the tent isn't soaking wet anymore, and we can air out the mattress a bit.

We explore the Langanes peninsula a second time, driving straight to the viewing platform near the northern gannets. Wonderful. They have striking markings around their beaks and eyes. Some of the large birds glide right overhead.

The gannets share the cliff face with common guillemots and gulls. The guillemots have rather pointed beaks, and their black plumage has a slightly grayish cast. This contrasts with the razorbill – which we only identify later; it is a deeper black and has a beak with fine white markings. A very beautiful bird.

There are a few puffins along the cliffs, too, though most of the birds at the viewpoint have flown off for the day. It still smells pretty strong, though! :-)

We drive all the way to the lighthouse through a landscape of rocks, mosses, lichens, sea thrift, and other tiny flowering plants. It looks like there are blueberries here, too – though presumably later in the season...

And there is an incredible number of birds. Aside from the small, fork-tailed gulls, we manage to spot and identify two others: the small red-necked phalarope with its copper-red neck plumage, and – somewhat surprisingly – the rock ptarmigan. It changes its plumage three times a year, and its mottled coloring provides perfect camouflage. You only catch a glimpse of it when it takes flight. Naturally, this whets our appetite for the days and weeks ahead. :-)

We take it easy for the rest of the day – grabbing a bite to eat and making some coffee – and arrive in town so late that we decide to stay the night.

We go for a swim and have an unhealthy but delicious burger with fries. By the way, it’s great that even small towns in Iceland have swimming facilities. Here in Þórshöfn (population 379), the sports complex consists of a sports hall, a gym, and a small swimming pool (with a 16-meter lane), plus a sauna and a hot tub. You leave your outdoor shoes – and coats or jackets, if you like – in the entrance area. We hand over our phones (and other valuables) at the reception desk. The changing rooms are pretty basic – think school sports facilities – but still, it’s a fantastic amenity!