On the final day of our voyage, we arrived in the idyllic town of Heimaey in the Westman Islands. Heimaey was nearly a modern-day Pompeii, if not for the quick thinking and heroic actions of its inhabitants. It appears to be a quaint and quiet town sitting in the shadow of an old volcano. But this volcano appeared suddenly just a few decades ago, forcing the townsfolk to flee the island for shelter — miraculously only a single person perished in this event. Today, Heimaey showcases its eruptive past while also being home to a plethora of puffins and a garish number of gannets; they also host a microcosmic music festival in the summer.
8/14/2024
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National Geographic Explorer
Grundarfjörður, Iceland
After a comfortable morning with a fascinating presentation by National Geographic Photo Expert Paolo Verzone, we arrived at Grundarfjörður. This small town is perhaps best known for the iconic mountain sitting on its doorstep. Kirkjufell, or Church Mountain, was famously featured on Game of Thrones as Arrowhead Mountain. After lunch, we disembarked National Geographic Explorer to visit either the Berserkjahraun lava field or Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall. Berserkjahraun is an old lava field that is still covered by the mosses that settled it 4000 years ago. On our hike, we were treated to some delicious and healthy blueberries and crowberries. The second group was treated to the lovely sight of Kirkjufellsfoss, or the waterfall of Kirkjufell. As the name implies, it is situated very close to the roots of Kirkjufell Mountain, which certainly made for an impressive backdrop to the waterfall. In the afternoon, both groups were reunited in the beautiful church, Grundarfjarðarkirkja, where we were treated to an amazing concert by one of Iceland’s best-known musicians, Hafdís Huld. After the concert we all returned to the ship where we were expected by Captain Peik Aalto, who gave us a warm farewell before our last dinner aboard National Geographic Explorer for this expedition.
