{"id":498,"date":"2023-06-01T15:04:45","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T22:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wanderingwithme.travel.blog\/2023\/06\/01\/diamonds-floating-to-the-sea\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T03:57:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T03:57:20","slug":"diamonds-floating-to-the-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/?p=498","title":{"rendered":"Diamonds floating to the sea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Fog moved in overnight last night to blanket the lowlands along the ocean shore. Our first stop of the day was at a small glacial lagoon. After a short hike up to see it, we discovered that the fog was so thick you could barely see the lake, let alone the icebergs. We were the only people there so it was a little eerie standing in the quiet fog. In the distance there was a mighty crack like thunder as an iceberg shifted. Or perhaps Iceland has it\u2019s own lochness lurking in the deep\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyway, without much to see there we quickly continued on to our next stop, the diamond beach. This is a popular spot so we wanted to beat the crowds. Even at 8:30 in the morning there was one mini tour bus and a handful of cars in the parking lot. Fortunately there were lots of diamonds &#8211; washed up remains of icebergs &#8211; on the beach so it was easy to get the pictures we wanted. The fog was still heavy so the \u201cdiamonds\u201d didn\u2019t have their signature glint from the sun, but they still were beautiful. We decided we liked this beach much better than the windy, crowded black sand beach near Vik. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"294\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_084932964.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-294\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"303\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_084408778.mp_.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-303\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"299\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_084303936.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-299\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"296\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_085224470.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-296\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"297\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_090055106.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-297\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"295\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_084728545.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-295\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"293\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_084615755.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-293\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"292\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_085046208.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-292\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"291\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_085736471.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-291\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Crossing the road, we headed to the main attraction, the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. Chunks of ice from the glacier float in the lake, slowly melting and being carried downstream toward the ocean. There are lots of boat tours to go out and see the icebergs and glacier up close. However we decided we preferred to take the slow route and hike along the edge of the lake. Getting to the glacier itself is a 10 km hike which we knew was too much for us, so we decided to just go as far as we felt like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The boat launch area was already busy with people taking photos and departing on tours. Yet after walking only fifteen or so minutes we left almost all of the people behind. It was quiet except for the waterfowl singing and the occasional motorboat engine roaring in the distance. We quickly left the fog behind for a glorious blue sky day. I was thankful I had left the down liner for my coat in the car! It was tough going in many spots because the gravel was deep and shifted easily under your feet. At least the ground was flat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We walked to a point with a clear view of the glacier four or five km from the start. There was a large boulder there where we could sit and watch the floating icebergs and the glacier in the distance. It was absolutely worth the work to get there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"298\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094412693.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-298\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"300\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094432595.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-300\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"301\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094447276.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-301\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"304\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_102014684.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-304\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"305\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_100947691.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-305\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"308\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_104000110.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-308\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"307\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_105804421.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-307\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"309\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_105648945.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-309\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"311\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_125534962.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-311\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"313\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_124554866.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-313\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"312\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_115728024.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-312\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When we returned to the parking lot, we were happy to find several food truck style vendors open for lunch because we were certainly hungry. One of them even had a vegan bratwurst made from barley! Mervin had a lobster sandwich with a generous portion of lobster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"310\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_131317193.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-310\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"314\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_131319828.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-314\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From the glacier we travelled onward to the furthest town we will visit on our trip. Hofn is a small town on a peninsula that juts out from the mainland. Actually it feels more like a medium town after crossing through so many other smaller towns. It has multiple gas stations, a grocery store, a school and athletic center with a full track. From a small rise a block from our hostel you can see the entire town, or turn around and see the mountains and glacier stretch as far as you can see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"318\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_174751666.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-318\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"317\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_175046538.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-317\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"315\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_175713349.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-315\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"319\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_175838937.jpg?w=576\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-319\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"316\" src=\"http:\/\/192.168.68.75:8080\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_175146747.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-316\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Tomorrow we will visit a couple more places in the southeastern corner of the country, then we will drive back to spend our last night in Vik. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fog moved in overnight last night to blanket the lowlands along the ocean shore. Our first stop of the day was at a small glacial lagoon. After a short hike up to see it, we discovered that the fog was so thick you could barely see the lake, let alone the icebergs. We were the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-iceland"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094432595-scaled.jpg","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094432595-scaled.jpg",1440,2560,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094432595-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094432595-169x300.jpg",169,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094432595-768x1365.jpg",640,1138,true],"large":["https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094432595-576x1024.jpg",576,1024,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094432595-864x1536.jpg",864,1536,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094432595-1152x2048.jpg",1152,2048,true],"blogarise-slider-full":["https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094432595-1280x720.jpg",1280,720,true],"blogarise-featured":["https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094432595-1024x1820.jpg",1024,1820,true],"blogarise-medium":["https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pxl_20230601_094432595-720x380.jpg",720,380,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Elizabeth Soule","author_link":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/?author=2"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Fog moved in overnight last night to blanket the lowlands along the ocean shore. Our first stop of the day was at a small glacial lagoon. After a short hike up to see it, we discovered that the fog was so thick you could barely see the lake, let alone the icebergs. We were the&hellip;","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wander-with-me.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}