Roaring and magnificent Dynjandi, the thundering waterfall known as the Jewel of the Westfjords, plunges more than 100 meters from a high cliff. Here in the glacially carved Westfjords, a large contingent of us hiked a few miles, following the edge of the fjord where towering cliffs loomed above, before reaching the waterfall. Many colorful wildflowers and tundra plants—lady’s mantle, meadow buttercups, common cottongrass, wild geraniums, bilberries, bog bilberries, crowberries, and dwarf birch—grew along our path.
In the afternoon, we visited Vigur Island, where families have farmed for generations, raising sheep and cattle, and growing rhubarb. Here, we walked along a mowed path that wove through an Arctic tern nesting area. The area was vigorously defended by the tern parents. The major industry on this remote island is the harvesting of valuable eiderdown which is collected from the thousands of common eider nests that are protected here.
