Arrival Day Seydisfjördur

...and yet, there it is, the inner restlessness :-)

So at around 03:00 in the night, nothing can hold me back in my cabin; there are still quite a few nautical miles to cover, but I simply must get on deck!

Completely beautiful, NO people around, no soul on deck, and in the horizon it shimmers silver - I enjoy the thumping of the diesel generators, the crashing of waves against the hull, and I let my thoughts drift. Then I set to work trying to capture the mood, the foaming waves, the silver-blue strip on the horizon, the greenish shimmering binoculars at the railing, the illuminated helicopter deck, and the lit, empty Laterna Magica on Deck 10.

I make my way back to my cabin to grab another hour or two of sleep.

Around 06:00 we pack our last items together, brew ourselves an instant coffee, and head to the deck to catch a glimpse of the slowly emerging coastline. The majestic heights of the East Fjords rise slowly, mostly covered in snow - small orange lighthouses seem close enough to reach, as we enter the fjord of Seydisfjördur, the instruction to disembark sounds from the ship's loudspeakers - about an hour until the car decks are opened - we can already see the little colorful houses at the end of the fjord and wait for the docking maneuver so we can snag one of the elevators to Deck 4 with our manageable luggage. We get on, stop at every floor, and pick up a young woman, heading to Deck 5, thinking the ride over Deck 4A will take us to our goal, Deck 4 - but no such luck, it's non-stop up to Deck 8...

Once again, the whole thing, we say 'Good day' politely on every floor and go back up to Deck 5 ...

So again, we pass the waiting guests and head down to Deck 5, quickly exiting the elevator and making our way down the Staircase F to Deck 4.

It looks quite organized; in front and behind us there is only one car and a van left. Next to our trailer, the motorcyclists are tending to their machines, and a loading master coordinates and directs the vehicles with calm routine backward until they can turn around and exit the deck via the ramp. Some arrive a bit later to their vehicles, but everyone remains quite composed.

Now it’s our turn, about 5 meters back, a 180-degree turn, and off the ramp onto the island.

The customs officers are waiting, most drivers are waved through, but we catch the interest of a customs officer, who immediately raises a stop sign, asking where we are headed, the reason for our stay, and what items we have onboard or in the trailer. We suspected it, pulling out our folder with the inventory and packing lists, referring to the numbered boxes and the proper registration of all vehicles using the E9 form - that was too much for the seasoned customs officer, and he waves us through.

WE HAVE ARRIVED...

Leaving the customs area behind us, we head straight to a Kjörbudin and grab a few pieces, some fresh bread, and a bit of fresh milk, then to the parking lot in front of our apartment for the night. We leave the trailer parked and bridge the time until check-in in the afternoon with a trip to a small waterfall. There we discover a hiking path above the small, picturesque village and follow the trail through moss, small larch clusters, and lupines. Now it goes steeply uphill, and we search for a cozy rock for a short break before descending back into the village, passing charming houses directly on the Rainbow Path to the church. At the parking lot, the circle completes, and we start with the small Jeep on our planned tour along the southern fjord shores, toward the North Atlantic - at the front, almost at the tip, there's a small cafe. Even though it may still be closed, there are, at least according to Google Earth ;-), inviting benches and tables for our obligatory coffee.

At the first ford, we quickly agree on a Plan B; too great is the respect for the hard-to-determine water depth, and the waders are still not at hand.

Plan B: right here next to the ford, we take our break and enjoy nature and our coffee - ARRIVED :-)

On the way back, after about 300m, we find ourselves next to a parked 4x4 and set out on foot toward the fjord. We are rewarded with bubbling surf, wonderful tiny flowers, lichens that shimmer gold, silver, and in countless other shades on the stones. Our steps bounce on the soft ground, and we would have loved to walk all the way to the cafe, but that would be too much for today.

We turn back and head back to the little hotel. There, we are pleasantly surprised. Contrary to some criticism on the internet, we find ourselves in a very tastefully decorated house, the room is small but cozy, sparkling clean, and pleasant. The bed rests on old, shiny floorboards, the mattresses turned out to be very comfortable, and the 'common room,' equipped with a full kitchenette, a stocked freezer, and an honesty bar with electronic payment options left no wishes unfulfilled for us.

https://youtu.be/Bw-_ynB1C7s?feature=shared