I intended to have Friday as a down time day! Didn’t quite work out that way!! Thought my feet would give up on me from pounding the pavements - which I really hate! And I also, yet again, learnt some very salutary lessons re the currency here, that I had given up trying to work out! What a drastic mistake! [Could have bought new clothes almost for the cost of getting 3 items laundered here @ the hotel!!]
But, I needed to get various ‘jobs’ done, such as posting back yet another parcel. The hotel told me where the PO was, but that I would need a taxi to get there! But my German friend showed me where there was a closer one on his App! Except, it turned out that it had closed! However, on enquiring at the bank, a kind woman offered to take me there in her car! How good is that?
Decided I could easily walk back as it was supposedly downhill, but managed to get hopelessly lost, & was “rescued” by the only person around as he got out of his car & I asked him where I was, & he then took me down & dropped me off @ Greengate (the firm which booked things here for me), which was still not open!
Walked back again to the Info/Tourist Office who rang them & then told me, yes they were there, but I had to get in through the back!!!! So walked back yet again - the 5th time, & eventually found how to get in!
By this time it was too late to get out of town in order to go to Kirkjubøur as I was advised that I wouldn’t be able to do the walking bit in order to link up with the bus timetable to get back. So, decided to walk to see the graveyard & the Natural History Museum (the Historical Museum was way up the hill past where I had been in the morning!!). It looked so simple on the map!
However, met several very nice people who all gave me conflicting info, & I walked miles past where I was wanting to go it turned out (& I do mean miles &all uphill!)!! In the end as I gave up, I asked a woman @ a bus stop, & it was then that I found out that the town buses are FREE, & they come frequently!!! Please read this ACTION & take note!!!
Next lesson in a bad buy!! Do NOT buy take-away here! Not only was there enough to feed a family of four, it was awful, & then when I checked the price…….. Ye gods!!!! No wonder I'm broke!!!
Today, I spent the morning trying to get this blog a bit more up to date before my excursion of this afternoon!
Had a taxi driver/guide who was happy to take me anywhere, & wait whilst I took photos en route to Vestmannabjørgini, as well as impart a great deal of local colour & info.
Norðadalur
We got there just in time to board a very crowded boat - it being Saturday - & we set off to view the famous Bird Cliffs & caves. Managed to stake out a reasonably good position, but nowhere to sit.
It was a wonderous experience, & altho’ we had zoomed past in the “ferry” & flown over by helicopter, nothing was as good as this (despite all the people, some of whom did not seem very interested!) Extraordinary on both counts!
On the way back to the hotel, Ken???? said we would go to see Kirkjubøur, & I’m so glad, as it was fascinating, an 11th century restored church & an older cathederal which is being protected very cleverly in order to “dry out”.
There is also an artifact museum in a man's house he is the 17th generation to live there. My guide took much delight in explaining in graphic detail the weapons used to kill whales, & to inform me (he had pointed out the beach where the slaughter took place) that they had killed I think it was 240 whales in 10 mins recently (This was too much & after being offered whale meat & fermented fish yesterday when I had to whip out my phrase book to say hurriedly "I am a vegetarian"!!!).
It was hard not to voice my disgust & abhorrence, but I had known before I left, that this would probably happen somewhere along the line before I came away, & I managed to keep my cool.
The worse problem was that by this time, I was busting to get back to civilisation literally!!
More to come!!!
What an afternoon!
And he will also drive me tomorrow Eysturoy & the place I really wanted to stay - Gjógv. Trouble is, I feel I should tip him, but have no idea how much, & probably it would clean me out! Wish I could take advice on this one!
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