"a dream come true continued" Iceland Travelogue by margaretvn

Thursday we woke up to sunny blue skies again. Breakfast was included today so we did not have to make it today. It was a good breakfast with plenty of choice and good coffee. Then we set off across country over the mountains a grim desert landscape but with its own majestic beauty. There is till quite a bit of snow around. We drove up to the crater of the Krafla volcano; the crater lake was still under a layer of ice. Then we walked through the Namaskard geothermal area. Large boiling mud pools hissing fumeroles and wonderful colours. Myvatn Lake is beautiful although it was very windy in places. We had coffee in a cafe bar near the lake. Then we stopped later at a lovely little sheltered area for our picnic lunch. We had a short walk to look at little volcano craters but we could not finish the complete walk because the earth was too wet from the snow, so we had to turn back.

Skaftafell NP

We checked into our next house at Kaldbakskot which it fantastic. The little chalet looks out over the fjord and snow covered mountains. We went into Husavik and got petrol and shopped for our dinner for the next two nights. When we returned to the house we walked own to the lake but once again we could not complete the walk because of mud. So we returned to the house and made dinner and a cup of coffee. We had record temperatures (for this holiday so far) of 16 degrees today. Friday it was so cold in the night and draughty in the house. I had had to turn off the radiator because the noise of it was keeping me awake and that did not help, plus the quilts covers were satin and so slippery that every time I turn over the thing slipped off the bed. After such a disturbed night it was no wonder that I woke up with a bad headache. It was so windy and bitterly cold this morning and dark clouds over the fjord. We went into Husavik and asked about the whale watching trips. The one for 10.00 was very very doubtful and also the midday one but the one for this evening was more promising. That is very late though. I asked what the weather forecast for tomorrow was and that is better weather so we booked for the 10.00 trip tomorrow. Then we headed along the 87 back towards Myvatn for the day. We stopped for coffee in Reyjahlid again and treated ourselves to a piece of carrot cake. Then we went to the lava labyrinth at Dimmuborgir. That really is an amazing place with the really high piles of lava. There are several walks set out through it and we took the longest. Halfway through we found we could extend it again so we did that. The lava is so high in places and there were also lovely views of the surrounding mountains and volcano craters. We found a lovely sheltered area near the lake for lunch and then we headed home for a cup of tea before going north of Husavik to see if we could see any puffins on the cliffs but there were none. We went on to Asbrygi but they are working on the road and the wind was so fierce that we could not walk into the valley. Asbrygi is a horseshoe shaped canyon with very steep walls. We went back to the house and had a cup of tea on the veranda in the sun, while drinking it we saw a whale in the fjord.

Svartifoss

Saturday it took me get to get to sleep last night, I lost count of the times my quilt slipped off the bed. We slept until just after 8.30 and then had breakfast. We drove to the harbour in Husavik and collected (and paid for) our tickets for the whale watching. The boat left at 10.00 and we were only out in the fjord for a few minutes before we got the first sightings of Humpback whales and then we had Minke. The sea was not too rough and it was not cold, although we had three layers on under our coats. Several times the Humpbacks came close to the boat. So it was a question of who was checking whom out. We also saw puffins on the water. On the way back to the harbour we had warm chocolate milk and cinnamon rolls. It was one of the best perhaps even the best whale watching we have ever done. We looked in the 66 degrees north shop at the harbour and Koos found the jacket he wanted. We drove back to the house and had lunch before returning to Husavik (only a five-minute drive) to go to the Whale museum in the centre. It is a small but compact and very interesting museum. We spent a couple of hours in it. Unfortunately my head started to play up, I think it was because a lot of the texts were a little too high for me and I was constantly bending my neck back. I certainly felt it in my shoulders. We got things for our dinners for tonight, tomorrow and Monday because that is a public holiday. Then we went home for a well-earned cup of tea. I went under the shower; it is lovely and warm but smells terribly of rotten eggs. Warm water straight from the centre of the earth I think. I went to bed with the start of a migraine and slept. Koos spent some time down by the fjord watching the whales.

Skaftafellsjokul

Sunday. I woke up just after 4.00 with still a very bad headache, took more pills and slept until 8.00. Then we had breakfast, packed up our things, tidied the house and were on our way. We took the 1 to Godafoss and stopped there. We parked the car at the restaurant and walked through the canyon to the waterfall. The falls are only 12 metres high but they are so beautiful that you know why they are called Godafoss or waterfall of the gods. Actually it is said that the leader Porgeir Porkelsson threw the statues of the pagan gods into the water in 1000 because in the yearly meeting of the Alping it had been when it had been decided that Iceland was to be a Christian country. We walked back to the car park and then over the bridge and up to the falls on the other side. Both views are lovely so it is well worth walking along both sides of the canyon. We had a cup of coffee in the restaurant and a look in the shop before moving on to Akureyri. The views were lovely all the way. We stopped to have a look around the centre of Akureyri but only the tourist shops were open because it was Sunday. It is the largest town we have been in since we arrived with a population of 2600. We headed out of town still on the 1 to Varmahlid where we had a house for the next two nights. We stopped at the local supermarket just before we got to the house and bought some milk. The house is lovely and bigger than the one we had in Husavik, there are five houses in the park and they are situated on a hill above the village of Varmahlid. We had a cup of tea and settled in. Today we had a new temperature record 17 degrees ok it was only for a few minutes but we had a record.

Dverghamrar

Monday. It really stormed in the night and it was still cloudy when we set off exploring this morning. We headed north along the Skagafjordur. The scenery was lovely and there was no wind. We stopped at Grof to see the Grarkirkja, which is a tiny turf church from the end of the 17th century. The churchyard round it is circular. It was lovely although you have to enter almost on your knees to make sure you do not hit your head on the rafters. Then we drove further to the end of the road at Siglufjordur. It is a fishing village with nothing very special but the drive there is wonderful. You go through a one-lane tunnel, which is almost a kilometre long. In the tunnel are passing lanes. We then headed back along the same road stopping at a lovely viewpoint for a picnic lunch. As we had a new temperature record (18 degrees) it was pleasant to sit out for lunch. We crossed the fjord and took the road to Saudarkrokur and then heed to Glaumbaer where we stopped. Glaumbaer is a little church and a turf farm, which dates from the 18th century. The farm was actually in use as a farm until 1947. It is now a museum and it was very interesting. We had coffee and cake in the restaurant there. The waitresses were in costume and the restaurant was an old house. We had cake and coffee cost 1300 Kr which is 15 euros. Then we headed back to Varmahlid and got things for dinner. When we left Glaumbaer we could see the bad weather coming over the mountain but we were indoors before the wind got up.

Jokulsarlon

Tuesday we were up just after 8.00 and had breakfast. Koos' porridge was frozen; the fridge was so cold. We packed the car and were off, we went into Varmahlid and got petrol and then got onto the 1 again. We were actually heading towards Reykjavik to start with. In the night it had been stormy and rainy and it was cold and very cloudy when we set off. We stopped at Blonduos for a cup of coffee. It was a nice road restaurant and it had good coffee. It was actually the cheapest coffee we had had 150 Kr with free refill. Then we went on to Grabrok crater, which are actually three craters. Koos climbed up to the top of the crater, but I gave up about a third of the way up because of the bitingly cold wind. We then headed to Deildartunguhver, which is Iceland and Europe’s largest hot water spring. It is big and produces 200 litres of boiling water per second. We bought some Iceland tomatoes grown in the greenhouses next to the spring. We then followed the road 518 to the Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls.

Namaskard

They are beautiful and they spring out of lava fields. While we were there it started to rain heavily and it was cold. We drove on to Borganes were we got things for our dinner and lunch tomorrow because the house is in the middle of nowhere. Then we went to the house, which is bigger and older than the others we have had and settled in for the evening. Raining very heavily and grey skies. The (very) old radiators did not work but luckily there were also two electric ones (one in the main room and one in the shower room. We re arranged the furniture so we could sit safely as the base of the settee was loose. Luckily the two chairs were fine; this is not the best house we have had. We spent some time watching wild birds from the window.
Wednesday 7th of June. We woke up to rain and grey skies, and it was windy. We had breakfast and a cup of tea before going out for the day. Even though the skies were dark and it was raining heavily we decided to go to Olafsvik and then around to Stykkisholmur. We could not see the Snaefellsjokull at all because of the weather. The last little bit of the road into Olafsvik was high through the mountain and of course just that part of the road was not tarmac. We stopped in Olafsvik for coffee and spent a little while bird watching from the protection of the car. Actually in Olafsvik the weather was a little better.

by Husavik

I saw a rainbow along the water, which I have never seen before. We then went on to Stykkisholmur stopping on the way for our picnic lunch. That was of course eaten in the car because of the rain. We drove into Stykkisholmur and looked in the tourist information office/shop. I bought a thin merino wool jumper from 66 degrees North. Then we headed back to the house and a cup of tea. Not dry for a moment during the day but late in the evening it cleared up and the sun came out. We spent ages this evening watching two Redwings building their nest, which was just outside with the bedroom window, they are beautiful little birds. We also spent time watching a water snip eating in front of the living room window, he became affectionately known as Snipje, our snip.