The Land of Fire and Ice

 

Here it is day 4 in Iceland.  I woke at sunrise this morning to notice that the sun is not visible.  Cloudy with a chance of rain.  It seems the norm for this time of year (possibly any time of year) so yesterday, a warm and sunny day may have been an exception.  Despite this, it is an enchanted land full of happy and very clean people (they love to bath and swim in the many hot springs and pools throughout Iceland). 

Day one involved a late arrival at Keflavik, a meeting from my Happy Camper representative and a trip to their headquarters with other happy campers.  After being checked out in my cute (the only word that truly describes it) camper, I headed out to find the grocery store, the liquor store (only 2% beer is available in grocery stores) and then headed off to the Blue Lagoon.  No photos are attached of it because it was sunset (pretty) and then dark and I left my camera and phone safely locked away from water damage.  You can look it up and see lots (although not crowded when I was there) of people in very pretty blue water with white masks on their faces lounging about.  That was me!  Lovely!

Then it was a trip in the dark to a campsite not far from the lagoon where I got a crash course in how to assemble, heat water, heat me, and make a bed in the camper.  Success!

I awoke on day two at TEN o’clock to pounding rain on the roof!  It rained on and off for the beginning of the day but tapered off toward afternoon.  After going round Reykjavik I went through the longest tunnel ever – about 7 km!  And came out to the scene of sheep and cows.  Just like that, the city was behind me!  The day and night was spent on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula which is the westernmost outcropping of the country and very beautiful.  Day three continued onSnaefellsnes and after a visit to a fishing village called Stykkisholmun (Stikkish for short) and a long 20+km on a gravel road (considered major thoroughfare), I spent the night at the beginning of the Westfjords.  I love the fjords.

I am driving in a clockwise direction on the ring road at the suggestion of the Andrew from Happy Campers who said the road is washed out in the South “but should be repaired by Sunday”.  Here’s hoping. 

Anyway, enough words.  The photos will show and I will say just that this island is outstandingly beautiful and one week is NOT enough!

 

This and the One Below are in Borgarnes

Cows and Sheep at the End of the Tunnel

A Famous Mountain Called Kirkjufell

Stikkish

Icelandic Horses

Buoardalur

Other photos are along the way and mostly on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.