Day 90: Akureyri to Lake Myvatn - Sun 3 Aug

Day 90: Akureyri to Lake Myvatn - Sun 3 Aug

Crikey, a HOT morning - needed air conditioning by time we got underway!! Akureyri is such a pretty town, prettier than Reykjavik. Cruise ships in port certainly make a city look exotic. 

 
Turned towards Lake Myvatn, only 100 kms drive this morning. Stopped at the pretty, and powerful, Godafoss Falls – and what a nice change, one of the easiest to walk to! It is said the lawspeaker Porgeir Ljosvetningogodi threw all his Norse statues into these falls after converting to Christianity. 

 

His and Hers - Icelandic style

Darker clouds rolling in (tourist T-shirts say weather changes every 5 minutes). Turned to go around eastern shore of lake (named accurately for its midges!!) to Skutustadir Pseudo-Craters, formed by massive overheated steam eruptions (not lava for a change). The green banks were rich in bird/ duck life around lake with its striking tuff-ring volcano. 

 

Slavonian Grebe

Stopped at Hofoi lava stacks, some standing in the water. 

 










Next was Dimmuborgir lava field, with its cave mouths, and grotesque holes in lava stacks.  We laughed to read about 13 Yule lads, local “vicious” trolls who come down from the mountains for their annual bath, one troll a night in the thirteen days before Christmas. Each leaves a gift for the good children in their best shoe, or a raw potato for the not-so-good! 

Mother Grylan eats a stew of naughty children

Lads include Spoon Licker, Sausage Stealer, Door Slammer

Examined impressive Hverfjall tephra (volcanic material) cone/ tuff ring volcano, following rough corrugations on track – apparently part of Kafla fissure swarm. 














Next was Grjotagja caves with hot springs, extensive fissures running throughout. 

Stopped at Hverarond geothermal area - blue lagoons, Namaskard/ Hverir solfataras, mud pools, boiling water pools, heavy with sulphur emissions (people wheezing, coughing and covering mouths and noses). Stopped to feel temperature of a shower standing solitary on side of road (sadly "no camping" in case travelers are tempted!). 

 

Walked up side of Viti crater, peering into its blue lake, and looked out towards Krafla volcano, getting up close to the lava "road" it produced. 





















Pulled off side of ring road east of Lake Myvatn for night, far enough away not to be affected by sulphur fumes. 

Day 89: Blonduos to Akureyri - Sat 2 Aug

Day 89: Blonduos to Akureyri - Sat 2 Aug

Another day of glorious weather. Off to Siglufjordur's Herring Festival and Herring Era museum at the old salting station and re-creation of fish beheading and salting of the "silver of sea" by the herring girls. Gorgeous drive along fjord. 

 

  







 
 












Through one way tunnel (Iceland's first) with its passing bays and massive steel doors, noting avalanche deflection system. 

Imbibed atmosphere of Herring Festival, excellent set of buildings in museum, boarded oak fishing boat, peered down hold, stepped up into captains cabin and down steep staircase to impossibly narrow scullery, and pirouette to take in coal stove and berths. Tools, media, meal and oil factory and packing warehouses - was 33% of Iceland's income until the Norwegian-Icelandic herring stock dried up in 1970. 

 










Excellent demonstration/show of herring girls coming out of their dorms riding and singing on back of truck to work, then slicing, salting, barreling, singing, dancing - all to glorious snow mountain backdrop and sparkly blue harbour full of modern day fishing vessels. 

 

























Even seafood-avoider GirlRob enjoyed herring smorgasbord lunch, with tastings cooked in wine or garlic or coconut or mustard...with sliced boiled egg, dark bread and fish mash (latter definitely not so yummy).

Finally departed towards Akureyri, long tunnels the only way to get out of this narrow fjord. People were stopped on side of mountain roads picking what looked like blueberries. Passed horses for rent. Dalvik had big red boats in harbour. Pulled in for fuel at Akureyri and got a huge tub of ice cream when ordered a thickshake - on top of the herring smorgasbord it became dinner!

 

 










Final stop for day was the Arctic Botanic Gardens, which obligingly stayed open late during Summer. Could not believe the masses and varieties of flowers - would love to have found a guide to explain whether they all died in winter and were replanted, or survived dormantly.... 

 

 













Too much agricultural land for free camping, so chose Hamrar campgrounds in hills over the one in town - both crowded, but it was nicer up high with a view. Brief showers in evening - always glad we are not tenting like many Europeans choose.

Day 88: Patrekfjordur to Blonduos - Fri 1 Aug

Day 88: Patrekfjordur to Blonduos - Fri 1 Aug

Goodness it’s the last month of the northern summer already - how time has flown this trip! The remaining ice is starting to break up- didn't think we would see streams running dry but have noticed some in the last couple of days. Crisp clear morning without wind, a pleasurable 5º. Decided to depart Western Fjords a little longer way around to minimise retracing our steps, aiming for Blonduos and caravan park with washing machine today. Bit of a rush because BoyRob wants to fit in Herring Festival in village of Siglufjordur - their Herring Era Museum stages a re-enactment of old times, every Saturday in summer.

 










On road to Bildudalur, first lake almost black in mountain’s shadow - colours in this landscape ever changing. Plenty of birdlife to thrill the photographer (have seen Common Redshank, Coot, Atlantic Puffin, Arctic Tern, Great black-backed gull, black-headed gull, Whimbrel, Raven, White Wagtail, Black Tailed Godwit, Common Snipe, Dunlin, Common Guillemot); as well as ducks and geese (Whooper Swans, Mallards, Greater Scaup, Common Eider, Greylag Geese).

 

Passed a natural ampitheatre with a great view. Drove through ravines of Flokalundur Nature Reserve to rejoin original road. 

Camped at Blonduos, funny to see kids playing in black sand in sandbox. BoyRob cleaned out lower boxes drying contents wet yet again from stream crossings, GirlRob did hair and clothes washing (in sulphur-smelling bore water), interminable standing wait by dryer which switched itself off every 5 mins. Long long evening getting two loads dry (but cheered up by BoyRob’s steak and vegetable fritter dinner).