Ring Road Day 7-Selfoss to Reykjavik...

Late last night, we added Icelandic pony riding to our plans for the morning. I am not a horse person so I was apprehensive about the prospects. Nevertheless John, Kim and I met after breakfast and headed to the barn. Will chose to go jogging instead.

At the barn, three ponies had been selected to "match" our abilities. John climbed on a spirited white pony (he grew up with horses), Kim had a fine looking tan pony (she has had riding lessons) and me, I have no experience, my pony is an easy going 22 year old who, as it turns out, has a gas problem :-) So help me, the 5 year old in me couldn't help but laugh every time he let one rip!

With a guide in the lead, we are off on our ponies, bouncing in the direction John and I walked last night. I clutched the reigns, struggling with my fears and and discomfort. The ponies walked for some minutes as we adjusted to our new ride, then the guide asked if we were comfortable going faster. John and Kim were ready to go...so we did. Our ponies broke into a trot and then into the beautiful gait that is so characteristic to Icelandic ponies, the Tolt gait.

I learned that a slight change to my saddle position and pushing my feet forward will result in an almost smooth ride. I learned that my personal fear of stumbling on rough ground does not translate to my pony having the same problem. I also learned that I will never really be a horse person. All in all, it was a good experience but not something I will likely repeat in the near future!
We rode for a little over an hour. John and I wanted to burn our clothes when we climbed off the ponies. Instead we wrapped them up in plastic bags and wondered if they would make it home without smelling up everything we owned. Back in the car, we were off in the direction of our next stop, Pingvellir National Park and in search of a gas station.

I mentioned that food is one of our biggest expenses. I don't think I mentioned that our second biggest expense is gas. Gas is available mostly at N1 stores, which are comparable to our combo gas station, convenience and fast food stores. N1's are scattered across Iceland and accept debit cards, credit cards and krona...but they didn't take our US credit cards. We ended up buying Innkorts, prepaid gas cards available in 5.000 kr or 10.000 kr (roughly $50 or $100 US). We balked at this amount for our first gas purchase, but figured we could use it at other N1 stations. Ha, a half tank top off for our Kia Sorento cost $50. We never let the car get close to empty, I think we would have cried at a $100 fill-up.

On the other hand, the food at N1 stations is very affordable. We figured this gas stop would be our last chance to try the famous Icelandic hot dog so we did. Hello hot dog, why didn't we try you sooner! The dogs have lamb as an added ingredient and are lower in fat than their American counterpart. A string of sweet, brown mustard and maybe s spoonful of chopped onions are perfect toppings. For approximately $1 US, this is the best deal in the country!

Finally we are on the road to Pingvellir (Parliament plains) National Park, our big stop for the day. Pingvellir is the single most important historic site in Iceland, the place where Althing (Alping), the legislative body that represents all of Iceland, was held annually in an open-air assembly between 930 AD and 1798 AD. The plains and surrounding area were designated as a national park in 1928 and added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004.

Like just about everything else in Iceland, a ton of history is attached to historic site. If you are interested in learning more, I have attached the official website. http://www.thingvellir.is/english/history/

Pingvellir is also known for its volcanic activity. A boardwalk (above and below) is built in the Almannagja fault. Volcanic rocks rise on both sides.

Oxararfoss cascades though a crack in the impressive lava walls to the floor of the fault. The falls are part of the Oxara River, which winds through Pingvellir National Park.

A view of the plains and Oxara River from the Almannagja fault.

A flag of Iceland has been placed on the likely spot where the law-speaker of the Althing stood, facing the rocks, and recited the laws of the land.

A church has been located on this site since 930 AD. The current church dates back to the 1850's. A parsonage and graveyard are located next to the church.

Exploring Pingvellir occupied most of our afternoon so we had to hurry toward Reykjvavik to see the last two sites on our list, the Blue Lagoon and VikingWorld Museum.

With more than 300,000 international visitors annually, The Blue Lagoon is probably Iceland's best known attraction. Svartsengi, a nearby geothermal plant, pumps pressurized water from underground, runs it through steam turbines to generate electricity, then pipes the hot runoff into a Lagoon that has been carved into of a lava field. The water is very rich in silica and sulfur and said to have relaxing and medicinal properties. Average water temperature is 104 degrees F.

The parking lot for the Blue Lagoon was packed with cars and tourist buses. Unfortunately, we did not have time to partake in the waters but enjoyed the viewing deck and walking around.

Last stop before hotel check in, VikingWorld. The museum houses the Icelander, a replica of a Viking longship. In 2000, the ship made a historic journey from Norway to Iceland to Greenland to America to celebrate the millennium of Leif Erickson's journey to the New World.

Finally we arrived in Reykjavik and the lobby of the Hilton Nordica. Our seven day tour of Iceland was over. Good news, the hotel is sold out and we have been upgraded to the executive floor. Nice room, great bathroom and beautiful bay view from the 9th floor. We didn't have much time to enjoy the room, Raykjavik was waiting to be explored.

Will, Kim, John and I drove downtown together but decided to go our separate ways again for dinner. John and I had a fish and chips place in mind, Will and Kim had vegetarian food on their minds. Although we had to walk up and down the street several times to find Icelandic Fish and Chips, it was so worth the effort. The organic bistro serves this very traditional dish with a healthy twist, spelt and barley fish crust and roasted potatoes. We added a side salad with locally grown greens and left the bistro just full enough. Delicious!

We spent a little time walking the streets near the waterfront. Most stores were closed but restaurant and bars were busy!

On the drive home, we were lucky enough to stumble across this incredible Viking ship sculpture by Jon Gonnar Arnason. A combination of ocean, mountains and sunset provided an incredible photographic opportunity.

Sunset from our 9th floor window.

Ring Road Day 6-Varmahlio to Selfoss...

Today is the 6th and next to last day on our tour. We are driving through the highlands through the heart of western Iceland. There will be little to stop and see on the way, mostly rocks and mountains. We left our guesthouse just before 9:00 AM under a promising sky, maybe no rain today.

At first we pass through lush landscape but when we turn onto 35, (Kjolur highland road), the road turns to gravel and the landscape becomes rugged. Driving anything less than a 4 wheel drive would have been difficult!

Cold winds blow into the back of our car so we constantly pass through the dust we just kicked up. As the morning progresses, the sun warms the car, the temperature reaches 20 C and we are sweating. Was it just yesterday we wished for warmer weather? The car has no air conditioning and with the wind and dust, we can't roll down the windows. Road conditions keep our speed below 50 km.

A car kicking up dust in front of us

Steep snow and glacier covered mountains rise to the east and west, breaking up the starkness of the land. We pass a runner with a small backpack (no support vehicle in sight) and a bicyclist pulling a gear trailer. We cringe as we pass, knowing each is forced to eat our dust.The road is not wide enough for two cars much less the tourist buses that blow by us at top speed so John pulls the car to the side of the road more frequently than we would have expected in the backcountry. We are neither in a hurry or feeling particularly aggressive so we don't mind. One stop required the opening and closing of a gate. Property boundaries we think.

Will closing the gate

Our car showing the effects of hours driving through the dust

173 km after turning onto Highway 35, we finally hit pavement again. We have been traveling on gravel for 5 1/2 hours. Just down the paved road, we turn into the parking lot for Gullfoss (Golden Falls), one of the most beautiful and best known waterfalls in Iceland. Two cascades (32 meters) make up Gullfoss followed by a long , steep walled canyon. Gullfoss makes up one point of the Golden Triangle (Gullfoss, Geysir geyser and Thingvellir national park), the most visited tourist sites outside of Reykjavik.

After the falls, we move on to an equally impressive site, Geysir . One of the most famous spouting hot water springs, Geysir is the source of the English work "geyser". Geysir is believed to have first spouted in the 13th century but stopped at the beginning of the 20th century when it was found to be mostly blocked. It is believed that tourists trying to activate the geyser, threw rocks and turf in the spring. Geysir was reawakened in 1935 but spouts only infrequently (sometimes to 60 m high).

Several hot water springs are close to Geysir, including Stokkur which spouts with great frequency (every 5-10 minutes)...

Our last stop before wrapping up the day is Skalholt, a farm, a church and the seat of bishops between 1056-1796. Skalhot is the site of the beheading of the last Catholic bishop, Jon Arason, along with 2 of his sons (1550). The area southwest of the church is in the process of an archaeology dig to uncover the old structures and to discover a bit about the culture.

The current cathedral is relatively new and is decorated with important works by Icelandic artists including incredible stained glass windows.

We located our guest house for the night after some effort. Hestakrain (farm # 684) is located in southwest Iceland with a Selfoss address. We are a little confused over the address and we expect the guest house to be in Selfoss but it turns out that the name Selfoss covers a region and our lodging is 18 km outside of town. We should have known this, with the exception of the hotel at Lake Myvatn, all of our lodging has been located in the countryside.

Hestakrain is a stable converted to a guest house. Our rooms are about average for the trip although this farm is listed as a Category IV (highest on the list) by Icelandic Farm Holidays.

John and I decide to stay at the guest house for another delicious dinner of Arctic Char, while Will and Kim choose to drive 1.5 hours (for lobster). After dinner, we are not sleepy so we walk for several miles, talking about the many places we have visited on this trip and enjoying the sunset. All in all, it was a very pleasant last night on the road.

Ring Road Day 5-Myvatn to Varmahlio...

After another large European breakfast, we are back on the road. Day 5 began on the northern shores of lake Myvatn where we gazed at the very indented shoreline, lava rocks and pseudo-craters. Rich plant life abounds.
Today is all about lava and geothermal. Dimmuborgir (dark crags) is our first stop. In Icelandic folklore, Dimmuborgir is believed to connect earth with the infernal regions (the gates of hell) and is home to elves and trolls. In reality, Dimmuborgir is an incredible lava landscape with unusual formations, columns, caves and arches. Dominating the scenery is an enormous arch, Kirkjan (the church). The entire area was once a lava lake.

According to the guide provided by Icelandic Farm Holidays, we were about 1/2 day behind schedule visiting sites so we hurry on to Hverfjall. Hverfjall is a round crater about 140 meters deep, 420 meters high and 1,300 meters in diameter. It is said to be one of the largest such craters in the world. Scientists estimate Hverfjall last erupted in 2500 BP and if I understand the mathematics of BP (before present), the crater last erupted in 550 BC (before Christ).

A well worn path leads to the crater rim! It is worth noting that in 1968, Neil Armstrong trained for the first moon landing in a nearby area.

Our first glimpse into the interior of the crater was amazing! Postcard from the rim... Can you tell the wind is about to blow us off the crater?Looking just south from the crater rim, we see steam rising from nearby geothermal pools. This area is called Namafjall.

A pool in front of the crater.

As we leave the lake area, Hverir is on our right. With stinking steam vents and boiling mud pits, Hverir is a mass of geothermal activity. The topography is other worldly.

Steam vents. This hissing and crackling is surprisingly loud!!

Bubbling mud pits... "Double, double, toil and trouble, the cauldron will bubble" (Macbeth)

Hverir is surreal, how many ways can I say that?!! Although paths meandered around the steaming, bubbling ground, the area was noticeably lacking barriers to keep tourist from sticking their hands or feet in the wrong place.

Grjotagia, a rift (or fissure) lies south of the steam vents. Grjotagia was once a popular soaking place but additional disturbances in the 1970's caused the water to be too hot for bathing.

Once again lunch was bread and cheese in our laps.

Another stunning waterfall on the side of the road, Godafoss (Gooafoss), falls of the gods. While not the tallest of falls, Godafoss is considered one of Iceland's finest. According to the Icelandic Sagas, Porgeir of Ljosavagn threw his statues of the gods into the falls when Iceland converted to Christianity in 1000. You will have to read about Porgeir of Ljosavagn.

River just below the falls.

Finally Akureyri comes into view. Akureyri, population 17,000, is considered the capital of Northern Iceland and the 4th largest town. Located on Eyjafjordour, one of Iceland's longest fjords, Akureyri is a center for trading, commerce and fishing. It is a very picturesque, clean city.

We stopped to walk around town. It is dinner time and after checking the menus at several restaurants, we decided on Greifinn. John ordered lamb chops, which he said were excellent. Kim and I ordered fish hash, a mix of fish, potatoes, cheese and other ingredients. Both are traditional Icelandic foods.

Farms, mountains, clouds and lakes fly by our car windows, as we returned to Highway 1. We are still a couple of hours away from our night's lodging.Finally, after a few wrong turns, we arrived at Steinsstaoir (Farm # 320) a guesthouse in the Varmahlio area (northwest Iceland). Our arrival time was just after 9:00 PM. Steinsstaoir is a recently renovated school house and we find it the most charming of our accommodations. While tired, the sky is still bright and we have trouble winding down so John and I walk around the property and take photos of the sunset.

We found art to be a major focal point in every guesthouse we stayed. Some featured photograph, other paintings, all portrayed something about Iceland.

Sunset... scenery around our guesthouse.