We wound our way along narrow gravel/dirt roads hugging precipitous cliffs as we drove towards Latrabjarg, the western most point of Europe. At one pass along the way we came across a rather foreboding looking statue. It seems that it has long been a tradition for road construction workers to erect a monument on completing a difficult stretch of road. This one, called Kleifabui, ‘inhabitant of Kleif’, watches over those who travel the road. The towering cliffs on this headland are striated with layers of lava built up over 13-14 million years ago; it is the oldest geological strata in Iceland, the newest country in the world. Layer upon layer of lava piled on top of each other in repeated volcanic eruptions. Between those layers are recovered soil on which vegetation grew resulting in repeating red striations and which when eroded over time has created ideal nesting shelves for the birds.
 |
| Gardar, the oldest steel ship in Iceland. Built in 1912 and beached here 1981 |
 |
| I spent a very long time watching and photographing these adorable birds |
But we had to drive passed the next fjord to get to our night's accommodation in Patreksfjordur so we reluctantly climbed back into the car. Unfortunately on the way back we drove over a sharp rock and then heard that ominous ‘flap flap flap’ sound of a flat tyre and our hearts sank. Half hour later Lindsay had it changed and we arrived at our hotel in Patreksfjordur rather late but we had made it with no further mishap. In spite of that minor setback it had been a truly wonder-filled day.
No comments:
Post a Comment