BONK!

That was the sound of my head hitting the front of the bus as I caught myself slipping in the slushy ice. The wind was so fierce that it knocked me into the bus just as I stepped out and rounded the corner to take a picture of the spectacular view.

Did you lose your glove? I just saw something white go flying!

I checked my pocket and it was empty! Greta, our tour director, went running towards the incline, and miraculously, she rescued it.

In Iceland there are 130 words for wind, but the most common are:

• Vindur” (vindr in old icelandic): is the most general and common word for wind. 
• “Brúgur”: refers specifically to a strong, gusty wind. 
• “Svart”: can mean “black wind” which is a strong wind from the East that can bring a very cold weather 
• “Eyjan”: is the word for a light wind 

From a car rental website:

“Iceland’s natural beauty is breathtaking, but the unpredictable weather can take you by surprise. One of the biggest factors to be aware of is the wind. Whether you’re driving, hiking, or just soaking in the scenery, the wind can play a huge role in shaping your experience. From strong gusts along the southern coast to winds that can literally push cars off the road, understanding Iceland’s wind patterns is crucial for a safe and enjoyable trip.”

Today we drove to South Coast, where we saw the Eyjafjallajökull volcano which erupted in 2010 and disrupted air travel. Of course we were given a quick lesson on how to pronounce it, “I forgot my yogurt!”

Here are two people from our tour. In the top photo, the man is shown leaning into the wind. Below look at this man’s hair!

Our next stop was at the Skógafoss waterfall. This is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, with a drop of some 60 meters and a width of 25 meters, and we were able to see a rainbow because of the spray.

Our next stop was at the Eyrarbakki Maritime Museum where we could see numerous items from the time when sailors, living on the south coast. rowed out to sea every day. There was a display of a 12-rower boat, built in 1915, which contained no navigation system, but was in service for 90 years without a single loss of life.

Besides the Maritime Museum section, there were also some sod houses on display. Sod was used in place of wood to build houses due to a shortage of lumber here.

Before the trip, I thought it would be a nice idea for people to hear Jennifer Lane sing, as she and her husband Jim, are on this tour. We have been looking for a piano for me to accompany her, and so far we have been unsuccessful. When we entered the museum, however, I spotted a pump organ, and we obtained permission to use it at the end of our visit here.

I decided Henry Purcell’s “Music for a while” would be a good piece to perform — we found the sheet music online and had the hotel print it out for us. Bear in mind, though, that we never had a chance to rehearse it together, and I was sightreading my part! So here’s our impromptu performance at the Eyrarbakki Museum.

We planned to go to Vik for lunch, but our bus started sputtering as we went up the hill. Our bus driver stopped the bus, and tried several times to restart it. Finally we were able to crawl up a small hill to get us over to Reynisfjara, where there is a black sand beach and a restaurant. The plan was to get a bus mechanic there to either fix it or swap out to another bus. Eventually the decision was made to bring in another bus, and our plans were only slightly delayed.

You can see how windy it was at the black sand beach!

Our last stop was at the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. I have to say that the weather today was absolutely spectacular, sunny and clear. I remember coming here in July 2016 and it is gray and rainy.

The day ended with a farewell dinner in the hotel for those people not continuing with a tour extension. The private room was filled with noisy but happy conversation with our new-found friends from the tour, and the meal was scrumptious.

Tomorrow we will check out of this hotel and travel to West Iceland to see the glacier.