Hello again, Blogonauts!

What can I say about Iceland's Eastfjords?

Well honestly, I could say quite a bit. Today was about ogling scenery. And as the adage goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words." By my reckoning, I saw enough natural beauty to empty the dictionary…at least the collegiate edition.

I would love to share more actual images from today's leg of the journey, but unfortunately, my ooh-ing and ahh-ing occurred while both hands were planted firmly on the steering wheel. I stopped for occasional photo opps, though, and a sampling of those pics can be found in the Eastfjords photo album.

Here are couple of notes about the road trip itself. This region for all its grandeur, is very sparsely populated. There must be at least a hundred times as many sheep as there are people. One defiant mama ewe today stared me down, mid-roadway, while her lambs clung to her side. I slowed, honked, and watched as he came to her senses and trotted into the adjacent Meadow.

Visible wildlife of any size, though, seems largely limited to birds: gulls, geese, swans, etc. The exception I saw today, however, is reindeer. (Reindeer are essentially the same species as the animals North Americans call caribou.)

In the 18th century the king of Norway decided Iceland would be perfect for raising reindeer. According to Iceland Magazine, most died. Reindeer herds survived only in the eastern portion of the country, and they are now all wild. The current population in Iceland is about 6-7,000.

From a distance, I and about half a dozen other motorists saw 3 of these big fellows resting in a field alongside the road. (As testimony to how unseasonably cold this summer is, June would normally find them grazing in the Iceland's upland meadows, which now remain covered with snow.)

Also during one pit-stop, I snapped a photo of a set of "elf houses," which serve as lawn ornaments for some of Icelandic homes. I make no assumptions about their beliefs in "hidden people."

That's it for today. Tomorrow I explore the south coast before returning to Reykjavik.

Blog to you later!