Today marked our final full day in Iceland. Our trip seemed to fly by (as any good trip does) yet we feel like we have had gotten a great flavor of all that Iceland has to offer. Our timing has been impeccable – due to fast dropping temperatures and brewing storms in the north, many of the roads we travelled on just days ago are impassable.

After waking up to a field of cows this morning and taking a walk on the black sand beach in front of our farm cottage, we had the new experience of taking an Icelandic ferry to the nearby island of Vestmannaeyjabær. The ferry system is largely similar to our ferry system back home, albeit with a few differences, the most distinct of which are the powerful hydraulics used to lift the side ramps so that multiple levels of cars (rather than just one) can fit onto the sides of the ferry. Vestmannaeyjabær is famous for being home to puffin nesting grounds. Puffins have their babies in the hills of the island and after their babies hatch they take flight and make their long journey to the west coast of Africa. The baby puffins can get confused by the surrounding city lights, causing them to become disoriented. Although peak puffin season is July and August, Icelanders have a tradition called “Puffling Tossing” in which they gather baby puffins (called pufflings) who have not quite made it out to sea and assist them by gently tossing them in the air off of the cliffs on the island so that they can start their journey. We saw this tradition in action when a couple brought a rescued puffling and assisted him/her on the journey south. Before catching the ferry back to the mainland, we drove and walked around the town for a flavor of the small fishing village.

Next we visited the powerful waterfall of Seljalandsfoss and the surrounding area. Many visitors took the opportunity to walk a path around the backside of the waterfall, getting windblown and drenched in the process. While we did not take this path, we enjoyed watching the many tourists stumble and splash their way through. Because the sun was shining yet again today, the waterfall welcomed us with a perfectly placed rainbow, adding to its beauty. In the surrounding area we stumbled upon a few other smaller waterfalls (of course lined with sheep) and a unique canyon that offered a window to a waterfall carving the cliffs behind the canyon.

Tonight we are staying in another cottage, this time in the inland small forest of Iceland. After having little breakfast and a light lunch, Jay was especially happy that Stephanie planned a nice dinner at a local restaurant specializing in homemade delicacies and chocolate. Tomorrow we have another busy morning sightseeing before our flight back to Seattle in the evening.