Left Seattle at about 5 PM, flew for 7 hours, and landed in Reykjavik at 6 AM. I was a little tired, but not much more than I would be after a bad night at work.
Flying in to Reykjavik, I could see the rocky, craggy landscape, interspersed with spots of purple (which I found out later was lupine).
My first task was to rent a car, a somewhat dented but sturdy looking subaru.
Flying in to Reykjavik, I could see the rocky, craggy landscape, interspersed with spots of purple (which I found out later was lupine).
My first task was to rent a car, a somewhat dented but sturdy looking subaru.
First Day!
Just a short distance from the airport, I stopped along a trail and took some photos. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm (by Icelandic standards) and there were wildflowers everywhere.
My plan for today is to reach Fluðir, a small town known for growing tomatoes and other vegetables in greenhouses heated with the ubiquitous geothermal power. In Fluðir, I´ll be meeting up with Steini, a tomato farmer who also owns and breeds Icelandic sheepdog. Ever since I got to know Oslo, Roger and Sue´s icelandic sheepdogs, I´ve been interested in the breed. But no, I´m not coming home with a puppy!
It was a lovely drive ... a few showers on the way, but mostly sunny. It was so beautiful, I had to stop a few times to do a little hiking
It was a lovely drive ... a few showers on the way, but mostly sunny. It was so beautiful, I had to stop a few times to do a little hiking
When I got to Fluðir, I met up with Steini and we had tea and some delicious homemade bread and pastries, with his mom and his seven dogs (six icelandic sheepdogs and one saluki).
Then he showed me one of the greenhouses. His family grows cherry tomatoes. They grow floor to ceiling, sometimes several inches in a day if I understood him correctly, and the plants simply keep growing, droop down, are looped back up, and so on. It looked as though the taller plants, if laid flat, would be easily 20 or 30 feet long! They were, incidentally, delicious.
Then he showed me one of the greenhouses. His family grows cherry tomatoes. They grow floor to ceiling, sometimes several inches in a day if I understood him correctly, and the plants simply keep growing, droop down, are looped back up, and so on. It looked as though the taller plants, if laid flat, would be easily 20 or 30 feet long! They were, incidentally, delicious.
But back to dogs! As it happens, Steini has a new litter of pups, less than a week old. Though they all look dark-colored at this age, Steini tells me that they will all ultimately become tan or red in color.
After admiring the pups and spending some time with the adult dogs, we took three of the adults and went for a hike up a mountain right in Steini´s backyard.
Hiking with Icelandic sheepdogs in Iceland -- fabulous!
After admiring the pups and spending some time with the adult dogs, we took three of the adults and went for a hike up a mountain right in Steini´s backyard.
Hiking with Icelandic sheepdogs in Iceland -- fabulous!
By the time we finished our hike at close to 8 PM (Iceland time), I was actually beginning to feel tired, although my body had completely lost track of what time it was supposed to be. The nearly 24 hour daylight added to the confusion.
After thanking Steini for a wonderful day, I made my way a few miles to the campground where I was planning to stay. Although it had seemed like a good idea at the time, the thought of pitching my tent and getting my sleeping bag unrolled was no longer as appealing ... but fortunately, the campground also had a guesthouse and an empty room, so I happily nestled myself in and went to bed.
After thanking Steini for a wonderful day, I made my way a few miles to the campground where I was planning to stay. Although it had seemed like a good idea at the time, the thought of pitching my tent and getting my sleeping bag unrolled was no longer as appealing ... but fortunately, the campground also had a guesthouse and an empty room, so I happily nestled myself in and went to bed.
