While we were staying in Húsavík, we had a wish for a bath in the fjord – perhaps we could actually see puffins or other interesting elements of Iceland’s fauna. So we took a stroll northwards along the sea, past a dead end by the local motorcycle club, past the GeoSea spa and towards the silicon factory outside the city. We had to walk across old fences and such, but eventually we found a way down to the shore – before we reached PCC BakkiSilicon.
This day we brought wetsuits, the idea was to swim a bit and not just dip for a few minutes. It was very low tide when we arrived. All the seaweed was dry, and the kelp forest was sticking up everywhere.
There was a bit of a struggle to pass the kelp, and while we were working on it, an air raid started – by fulmars! Suddenly, a steady stream of birds swooped straight above our heads, we could almost grab them. The fulmars released their torpedoes, but the target hits were poor, and fortunately we got away without poo on our heads. A splendid experience!
Back on land, we observed steam on the shore. Steam? Here? Why? Knut went over and checked. Yes, it was a hot spring! On the shore, completely anonymous, surrounded by snow-covered mountains and a big, cold fjord. An absolutely perfect place for cold water swimming – as you can easily warm your toes afterwards. Iceland Niceland – what a country!
