Happy Summer Solstice! [Djupivogur > Hofn -- 65mi]

I started off lingering over coffee and mailing a few postcards in the town of Djupivogur, just a couple miles beyond last night's free campsite. The town was still decorated from Icelandic Independence Day celebrations, June 17. [I was in Myvatn for Independence Day and there were no festivities, but it's a big deal most places.] Iceland only gained its independence from Denmark in 1944, so it is still gaining its identity and foundations of a modern Parliamentary democracy.

Each of three sections of town had their own color schemed decorations (yellow, orange, and pink.... I have no idea why, as the national colors are blue, red and white) culled mostly from items they already have on hand. I was told that they hold a big town celebration with goofy antics like a running race when the men must carry theirs wives, etc... too bad I missed it!

yellow part of town- large hay bail

orange part of town, wearing fishermen's jumpsuits

Finally spotted Tom Cruise! [Although mysteriously, he had vanished when I passed by a short time later]

Tom Cruise goes fishing

When I walked out of the grocery store, I discovered I'd picked up a protege:

More scenic riding along the coastline today... most of the actual fjords are behind me now, but the cliffs are still stunning and mystical.

Every so often, seemingly in the middle nowhere are trash collection sites that have dumpsters for recyclables, trash, lumber... and "dead animals" ??? Guess they gotta go somewhere. And no, I did not check inside:

Into the night I passed through another (much shorter) tunnel and popped out to my perfect Solstice campsite- on the edge of the Atlantic ocean, towering black volcanic cliffs behind me and a distant view of Flaajokull glacier, a toe of Vatnajokull, Europe's largest glacial icecap. A happy Solstice indeed!

And guess what? It stayed light all night... again. [From some parts on the north and west of Iceland you can see the sun actually stay up all night... but not down on the southeast coast.]

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A note on coffee: Clearly I mention spending a lot of time drinking coffee... there is coffee everywhere, and it's always delicious! I suppose a country where daylight is a seasonal thing lends itself to developing a serious caffeine addiction. Even tiny villages have a cafe or coffeeshop with tasty, strong, fresh brew. It usually costs 300-400 Krona ($2.25-3.00) for a cup and almost universally includes free refills. Most places are self serve and they don't care how much you drink or how long you stay. It's a great way to whittle away your day and write blog posts [most cafes have free WiFi too] instead of riding a bike. Oh right, is that why I'm here?

I have not seen a single mention of decaf anywhere! Nor have I seen a single can of powdered creamer- it's always actual liquid milk or cream, no individual creamer packs. Even gas stations have good coffee... no watery burnt swill to be found. And-- GASP!!-- I'm even adding sugar to my java occasionally these days, after swearing off that practice a decade ago. Partly to counter the shear volume I'm consuming, and partly because I consistently need quick calories with all the energy I burn on the road.

I'll be forever spoiled by the coffee culture here, but it's probably a good thing for my stomach lining that I'm leaving soon.