See This Fjord or...See The Other!

In Norse mythology, Valhalla is an enormous, majestic hall of the god Odin. There are many majestic places in the world with captivating scenery. I am fascinated with the big mountain ranges of the Andes and the Himalayas. I am equally fascinated with the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas. Personally, I have always been torn between the mountains and the sea. If I had to choose one over the other, which would I prefer? The answer is both! The places that captivate me the most are where the mountains meet the sea. Elevated land interacting with blue water is the place for me. There are a variety of places on the planet with the mountain-sea combo. However, there is one more criteria that needs to be met. There has to be a valley that has been sculpted out in between the mountains that has filled in with sea water. These are unique places called fjords. They are a submerged glaciated valley! They are a Valhalla, the majestic hall! They are spectacular no matter how you look at them. From the top of the mountain, or the top of the sea, they rise beautifully above thee. Unique locations around the world contain fjords. There are 5 locations that contain the most spectacular fjords of all. Alaska, New Zealand, Chile, Norway and Iceland. Alaska and Chile have what is called an inside passage, a narrow sea strait which passes through mountains that contain side fjords. New Zealand has the awesome Milford Sound. Norway has one fjord after another, after another. Yet, once again, it is Iceland that has the most captivating fjords of all. There is an intangible combination of changing weather, cloud formations, and scenery that put the icing on the cake(or the land) in Iceland. It's is difficult to describe. It is a feeling you get from no other place where mountain meets sea. The entire circumference of the island is mountains and volcanoes meeting the sea. This gives rise to numerous areas where fjords exist. There are 109 total fjords in Iceland! The West Fjords are where half the fjords exist. The other half is on the eastern end of the island. While I am enamored with all the fjords I saw in the land of ice, there is one that stands out: Seyeisfj?reur. This fjord has mountain walls of emerald green, and waters of deep blue. It is about 10 miles long with waterfalls spilling down the mountain into the sea. The day we arrived was rainy and foggy. The following morning was the only cloudless day we spent in Iceland. Deep blue skies with cool, fresh Arctic air permeating everything. We rode some old bicycles down the road that parallels the fjord where a hoard of Arctic Terns followed us to make sure we stayed away from their nests. They were ready for combat. They are the most aggressive bird I have ever encountered. Do not turn your back on a Tern! The day was so fabulous we biked, hiked to waterfalls, had a picnic on the shore, then hiked some more, and biked some more until late in the evening. The land of the midnight sun was still glowing after midnight, so I took another spin on the bike. Then I took another walk at 3 am. I could not let such a perfect day go gently into the night, well, because there is no night! This was a concerted, maximized effort to enjoy every moment of this Icelandic gift to the planet. This was one of those days your senses are heightened to the highest level. After all was said and done, we moved on to the next fjord. Somehow Seyeisfj?reur managed to stay lodged in the forefront of my mind. Partly because of the spectacular scenery, and partly because I still could not pronounce the name of the town. Icelandic is a unique language with special letters and pronunciations. Evidently, it sounds just like the place its located in. See-This-Fjord-Or. The Icelandic Tourism Office should tell visitors this. See this fjord because it is a must see fjord, then you can see the other fjords. Perhaps you will have a different fjord that is your favorite. You won't know until you travel the back roads of Iceland. It is truly a magical place. It is Valhalla! In 1973, Led Zeppelin sang of their experiences in Reykjavik in the "Immigrant Song".

"We come from the land of the ice and snow/From the midnight sun, where the hot springs flow...

The hammer of the gods/W'ell drive our ships to new lands/To fight the horde and sing, and cry/Valhalla, I am coming...