waterfalls, waterfalls, and then some canals.

So yesterday, Jen and I decided to rent the car for one more day.  We figured we could cover much more ground this way, and boy were we right!  Setting off at about 10am, south down the HW1, looking for the two waterfalls which had eluded us the day before.  After about an hour and a half, mountains began to appear again, and one had a ribbon of white down its side.  Starting to get excited, we pressed onward to see an incredible waterfall experience.  Seljalandsfoss was not only large and stunning, but it also contains a pathway were you can walk behind the falls, and a trail to the base of the pool from behind.  Despite the chill to the air, the was no lack of romping around.  Finally we decided we should press onward.

The next fall was maybe 20 minutes away.  Skogafoss is considered to be Iceland's most incredible waterfall, and I was not disappointed.  With a black sand beach around its base, we were able to creep very close to the bottom, only stopping because we were drenched from the spray.  Then, as we were walking back to the car, we realized there was a path to the top.  So of course we decided it was time to head up!  Stopping at a lookout point 3/4 up, a really nice man from Alberta offered to take my picture.  We got talking and he gave us his card to look up the photos later.  It's amazing how many wonderful people you meet while traveling.  After deciding my life wasn't worth climbing around a rickety point for a better photo, we continued to the top where we could look down over the falls from above.  I definitely prefered the midpoint better for the view though.

We climbed down at about the same time as Richard, our new friend from Canada.  He and his wife told us about a couple of wonderful places, we may have otherwise missed.  Derholeay was a little road out of nowhere which provided excellent views of the black sand beaches.  While incredibly windy, it was worth the cold.  I could even lean into the wind and it would hold me upright at times.  Then we drove up higher to the lighthouse (another turn we would have missed if not for them), and had an even better view of the cliffs hollowed out by the sea.  It was a steep road for our little car, but we made it safely by taking our time (and thanking the gravel insurance we had paid for).

Then, still not quite done with our day, we continued for a short stint through Vik, and then to the ferry point for Vestmannaeyjar islands.  Plus stopping along the way for view points of the glaciers Myrdalsjokull and Eyjafjallajokull.  I still can't pronounce either of those despite my many attempts to learn.  All in all it was a pretty incredible day trip.

Once we got back to the hostel and dropped off the car, we decided it was time to go get some dinner.  We decided on the Islandia Barinn (the Icelandic Bar) because we heard they had reindeer and that it was delicious.  The conclusion?  Yes, rudolph tastes wonderful.  I encourage trying it if you get the chance.  The foal is still my favorite though.  Then we finished off with desert and coffee at Cafe Paris before going to pack our stuff.  The shuttle was coming to pick us up at 4:30 in the morning, and it was already quite late.

Somehow we got our stuff together, and eventually got some (very little) sleep before waking up to head out again.  I think we both slept most of the trip to Amsterdam, though I was awake when we flew directly over Edinburgh.  Sadly, it was too cloudy to see the city, so I wasn't able to wave to my friends below.

We quickly learned that the train from the airport to the city was valid on our Eurorail passes, so we are officially verified and running on that front now.  We got to our hostel in a lovely part of the city. Close to all the museums, but off the main drag so it is quiet and cosy.  We only stopped in long enough to ditch our bags though, before turning back around.  We walked all over the city.  While looking for the Anne Frank House, we found a cheese museum (free, score!) that had lots of demos.  They had a farm cheese that was mixed with truffle.  To quote my mom, yummo!

Shortly after this we found the Anne Frank house and stopped to pay respects to this memorial.  We didn't go in as we can't afford the costs of museums here, but we took some time from outside before continuing on our way.

Following the canals provided delightful people watching and scenery gazing.  We found a nice little restaurant and were hit by the extreme difference in price from Iceland.  What a pleasant shock when we got the bill!

Were only here the two nights, so we will have to make the most of tomorrow.  Our agenda at this point is the Red Light District, renting bikes, and anything else that catches our eye along the way!