66'32 degrees!Early morning scene at Vopnafjördur. Many a ship did not survive the rough sea. From the middle of the bay looms the mast of a wreck.
Today's journey leads around the north-eastern part. It is one of the most remote parts of Iceland. Because of the northern position and the constant wind the spring flowers bloom only now at the beginning of August.
There are only three bigger towns in the north east. About 160 to 600 inhabitants live there. The traffic is very sparse. On the whole distance of 250 km I didn't meet more than 20 vehicles in 8 hours. The land is settled rather sparsely; a lot of farms have been abandoned.
Only another 4 kilometers to the Arctic Circle, which is on 66'33 degrees of latitude. There always is a lot of driftwood at the northern coast. It mostly comes from Siberia. First the current from the northpole freezes it into ice floes and drifts it to the south over the Atlantic. Due to the ice and the aging process the wood is sanded to a smooth and round form.
You can get an impression of the fishing village Raufarhöfn from the panoramic picture (93kb).