11.08.2019
Hotel Hallormsstaður – Guesthouse Staðarhóll Aðaldalur 296 km
Rise and shine! Early to bed meant early up – even for Mom who usually sleeps until 10:00. But on vacation we do not sleep long – sleep you can at home! The weather looked good out our window – some clouds, but dry and sunny. We packed up the car and walked over to the other building to the breakfast room.
A large hotel had a large restaurant and the breakfast buffet was huge. So many good things on it! There even was Cod liver oil on the buffet! Cod liver oil is a dietary supplement derived from liver of cod fish. As with most fish oils, it contains omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamin A and vitamin D. I did not try it, but I should have … It was probably my only chance to ever do so …
After breakfast check-out was quick and at 07:45 we were on the road. In search of a geocache we drove another 4 km or so to the south along the lake. Lake Lagarfljót – also called Lögurinn – measures 53 km² and is 25 km long, max 2.5 km wide and its greatest depth is 112 m. The River Lagarfljót flows through this lake.
As with the Scottish lake Loch Ness, a cryptid serpent, called Lagarfljótsormurinn by locals, is believed by some to live in the depths of Lagarfljót – we did not see it, but we found the secret box quickly.
Driving back to Egilsstaðir there was still a mix of sun and clouds with strange cloud formations and we spotted a beautiful rainbow over the lake. The Ring Road crossed the Lake/River Lagarfljót near Egilsstaðir and led North for some 25 km before turning sharp West into a glacial river valley. From there on the weather detoriated by the minute …
The Valley Jökuldalur – translating to Glacier Valley – is an impressive valley. It is known for its forceful glacial river that has 3 names – Jökulsá á Brú, Jökulsá á Dal and Jökla – and has forced its way from the highland through the valley for centuries. Part of the Ring Road iwasleading through the lower part of Jökuldalur.
Driving through the valley we passed many agricultural fields and farms – apparently it has the best sheep farms in the country. Many hay bales waited for collection in the fields or were already stored in huge piles near the farm houses. Mom said – Look here they have green bags! Not only white ones anymore!
My theory of the Trio of Sheep solidified more and more while driving through this valley as well …
Descended from the same stock as the Norwegian Spelsau brought to Iceland by the first settlers, Icelandic sheep have been bred for a thousand years in a very harsh environment. Consequently, they are quite efficient herbivores. With the isolation that comes with living on an island, the Icelandic sheep is one of the purest breeds of sheep in the world.
The female sheep is referred to as ewe and the male as ram. Most of the sheep here are white but we often saw ranges of black, grey and brown as well. Sometimes the trios were three-coloured as well!
Icelandic sheep are seasonal breeders, but the rams are considered sexually active all year. The ewes usually give birth to 2 lambs and that is indeed why mostly they are running around in Trios! There you have it.
The weather got more windy, cold and rainy. Nevertheless we stopped at Rjúkandi – one of only a few waterfalls that can be seen directly from the Ring Road – and took a short walk. Ysta Rjúkandi River is a spring fed river flowing into the Jökulsá á Brú. From the parking lot we walked only maybe 100 m along a path and the waterfall was a beautiful sight. It is 93 m high and 11 m wide.
While Mom quickly went back to the car, I crossed the road to find another geocache. It was an easy one hidden in the barrier next to the road. The view towards the big river and the mouth of the smaller river was nice.
Just before the Ring Road was leaving the Valley Jökuldalur there was a huge glacial moraine covering the valley. That was where I had to collect some data for an Earth Cache – we did it right out of the car – taking a photo and surveying the area making – probably wrong – assumptions, but never mind.
From there on the Ring Road cut a path across the stark highlands of the northeast interior. The barren, grey-toned landscape of Háreksstaðaleið seemed like a moonscape desert and was dotted with low hills and small lakes. There were no settlements and very few traffic. The area had always been a difficult place to eke out a living therefore farms here were few and far between.
The Ring Road wound west through Langidalur Valley below the þjóðfell Mountain with the moonscape desert continuing. We stopped at a small viewpoint overlooking the volcanic desert to find a secret box. It had started to rain again and it was stormy and cold. I did brave the weather and went in search, but was not successful. In fact, I gave up after a few minutes and we pushed on.
There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.
Billy Connolly
Soon we reached Vegaskarð – Road Pass – a mountain pass between Víðidalur valley, Möðrudalur and Möðrudalsöræfi wilderness. The Ring Road runs through the pass roughly midway between Egilsstaðir and Akureyri. The outside temperature showed now only 3°C …
… And yes … I was speeding again and taking photos at the same time … But the road was almost totally straight and there was next to no traffic … and up here there were no sheep to unexpectedly cross the road either …
The road turned north and some kilometers later crossed the bridge over Jökulsá á Fjöllum River. Of course there was a geocache hidden near the bridge and I had to go find it. It was an easy find since it was hidden under a corner of that hut – but the wind and rain was just horrible.
The Jökulsá á Fjöllum – glacial river in the mountains – is with 206 km the 2nd longest river in Iceland. Its source is the Vatnajökull glacier – yes, we were now at the North of Vatnajökull glacier – a few days ago we skirted its Southern side – We had reach North Iceland!
The river forms the eastern boundary of Ódáðahraun, an extensive lava field. Jökulsá á Fjöllum streams over the waterfalls Selfoss, Dettifoss, and Hafragilsfoss, the 2nd of which is the most powerful waterfall in Europe. None of these we visited, however, because our mission today had another focus – Whale Watching off Húsavík! So no detours – other than some stops for geocaches and a warm bath – were in the plan. The river below this bridge was mighty, though! It was very impressive even in the grey weather.
The next 30 km or so the Ring Road led more or less straight west skirting Ódáðahraun – with a total area of somewhat between 4000 and 6000 km², depending on the source you ask, the most extensive lava field in Iceland. It is consisting of relatively young and rough lava. The area is dry with little to no vegetation and is considered part of Vatnajökull National Park.
On some of the routes in Iceland, there are not many natural wonders like waterfalls, hot springs or lagoons, but mountains and valleys which make these routes quite scenic. They are first and foremost pleasant drives and any stop made is to view spectacular surroundings rather than a particular place.
Our next objective was the Mývatn Nature Bath, but shortly before we reached the lake area, we made another stop – at the large geothermal field of Námafjall known as Hverir. We could see the steam coming off the pink-orange mountain ridge from afar and soon we could smell it – the smell of rotten egg was in the air long before we reached the site!
Hverir is a unique wasteland in which pools of boiling mud, hot springs and hissing chimneys give life to a desolate Mars-like scenery. Not that we have ever been to Mars – or wanted to go there – but it definitely looked like Mars in our imagination.
In spite of the miserable weather – the worst was the cold rainy wind – the area glowed in pinky-orange. We bundled up once more and took a short walk around the very muddy paths past bubbling grey puddles and the ethereal steam hissing noicily from the conical fumaroles.
The soil in the area has little vegetation due to the acidity caused by these geothermal processes. The ground was filled with sulphur crystals of many different colours. This sulphur gives the area an overwhelming smell of rotten eggs.
A fumarole – the word ultimately comes from the Latin fumus – smoke – is an opening in a planets crust which emits steam and gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen sulfide. The steam forms when superheated water condenses as its pressure drops when it emerges from the ground. The name solfatara – from the Italian solfo – sulfur – is given to fumaroles that emit sulfurous gases.
Fumaroles may occur along tiny cracks, along long fissure or in chaotic clusters or fields. They also occur on the surface of lava or pyroclastic flows. A fumarole field like here is an area of thermal springs and gas vents where shallow magma or hot igneous rocks release gases or interact with groundwater.
Because of the rainy cold wind and the mud we did not take a very long walk around the area. Afterwards we look as if we had been in a mud battle … But we collected data for an Earth Cache and I also found an actual cache just near the parking lot. Even with so many tourist around it was fairly easy to locate. Sometimes it is easier to find a secret box in plain sight.
Back on the road it was only a short hop over Námaskarð pass into Mývatn. The view from the pass towards the Mývatn Geothermal Area, the Blue Lake and the Bjarnarflag Geothermal Power Station was despite of the weather fantastic.
The plant was built in 1969 and was the first of its kind in Iceland. It generates 3 MW using the steam from the geothermal area near Námafjall Mountain. In addition to generating 18 GWh of electricity annually, Bjarnarflag provides steam for the local district heating system and industrial use as well as geothermal water for the nature baths at Lake Mývatn.
Despite the weather – or maybe because of the weather – we were set to have a hot bath again. It has been days since we were floating in a geothermal pool … The Jarðböðin við Mývatn – Mývatn Nature Baths get stunning reviews and are similar to the famous Blue Lagoon, but less expensive and less hyped. They are a set of geothermally heated pools and steam baths approx 2 km east of the village of Reykjahlíð just off the Ring Road. We did not book ahead, but it was no problem to get in – however, it was packed!
I found this list of dumbest things to do in Iceland and #21 states: Not going to a swimming pool because it is too cold outside. They say, all the swimming pools in Iceland are heated – the vast majority geothermally. With so many hot springs and therefore a wealth of naturally warm water, it is no wonder that the national winter tradition of warming up in the pool is still thriving. Not that it was winter, but … it was cold today! We needed that warm bath!
We paid ISK 9450 for me, the senior and one towel and found a couple of empty lockers in a corner. I did not dare take mobile phone or camera in, because it was raining and the guy at reception had warned us to take silver jewelry off and also leave our spectacles behind since the minerals in the water might leave marks on them. After the required washing ceremony we quickly went outside and in the balmy warm pool. We should have left the towels in a shelf inside, but of course did not think about it. So when I realized they were of course getting wet in the rain … I ran out again and stuffed them on a chair under a table where they actually stayed fairly dry.
The Mývatn Nature Baths are centred around a large lagoon, which has a temperature of about 36° to 40° C. The water here is packed with minerals, particularly sulphur, which is said to be good for respiratory and skin problems. It had a milky turquoise blue colour and a somewhat soapy feel to it. It was the first time for us in this kind of water. The times we went bathin before ,the water was clear and war without the minerals. The lagoon was maybe belly deep and we kind of swam-walked only keeping the head out of the water around, always searching for the hottest spots. Whenever we found one, we would linger for a while and then move on to the next spot.
There were also waterfall showers – I could sit underneath there and have the hot water massage my back and shoulder for hours … Unfortunately, people actually lined up for those waterfalls ….
The water was steaming in the cold air and we could hardly see across the lagoon at times. Every now and then we would stand up for a few seconds to cool down in the air, but it was much nicer just to float in the warm water and have the rainy drizzle cool our heads.
We spent approx 1 hr in the lagoon before I tried out the hot tub. It was very shallow with no steps – noting for Mom. But it was very hot and I sat for a few minutes while Mom stayed in the lagoon. In the end we also tried the steam bath hut which sits directly on top of churning geothermal waters. The temperature in there was close to 50° C and humidity was near 100%. I am not for sauna at all and we stayed not even a minute, it was too hot.
Cozy warm, showered and bundled up again in our multi layers and bob cap, we got back in the car. We still had time until we had to be in Húsavík for our Whale Watching Tour. I collected some data from the info board in front of Jarðböðin við Mývatn – Mývatn Nature Baths for an Earth Cache before we left.
The Mývatn Region is one of the most diverse in Iceland and in parts unbelievably dramatic and steeped in folklore. It is no wonder that multiple spots around here were used in Game of Thrones as the settings. Again … not that I have ever seen even part of an episode of Game of Thrones …
We took a short detour to find one more geocache. It was located near Grjótagjá – a small lava cave near Lake Mývatn with a thermal spring inside. In early 18th century the outlaw Jón Markússon lived there and used the cave for bathing. Until the 1970s Grjótagjá was a popular bathing site. But during the eruptions from 1975 to 1984 the temperature of the water rose to more than 50 °C. There were so many people at the narrow entrance of the cave, that I could not even get in to have a quick look …
Instead I went in search of the secret box, while Mom stayed warm in the car. I saw another guy searching … and not finding the box, but I was not in the mood to join him. So while I waited for him to give up and disappear, I walked up a path to look at the fissures – huge cracks in the crust of the earth – around here. Once the air was clear, I went searching and quickly found the cache. Why did the other guy not find it? I do not know … It was relatively easy …
We did not have time to actually look at Lake Mývatn, only drove past it and in the village of Reykjahlíð we left the Ring Road and turned North towards Húsavík and the coast. The weather seemed to get more and more grey, windy and rainy the closer we came to the coast. Even though Mom kept saying we have to hurry to get there in time, I stopped for one more quick geocache near a viewpoint over the moonscape like surroundings with little vegetation.
The road seemed paved very recently – our map still stated a gravel track here. In a nearly straight line it crossed the lava field and eventually reached the coast. The closer we got to Húsavík the more I believed there might not be a Whale Watching Tour today in this weather … But then again, last night the website let me make an online booking …
On the north coast on the shores of Skjálfandi bay lies Húsavík, a town of approx 2300 inhabitants. It is the largest town in Þingeyjarsýsla district and the service centre for the surrounding area. According to the Landnámabók – the Book of Settlement – Húsavík was the first place in Iceland to be settled by a Norse man. The Swedish Viking Garðar Svavarsson stayed there for one winter around 870. When he left the island, he left behind a man named Nattfari and two slaves, a man and a woman, and they established a farm here. The name of the town means Bay of Houses – probably referring to Garðar’s homestead, which may have been the only houses then in Iceland.
Húsavík has become the Whale Capital in Iceland due to whales of different species that frequently enter the bay. Up to 23 species of whale, including the Blue Whale, as well as large colonies of puffins can be found in the bay. There were 4 different Whale Watching Agencies in town and we had booked with Gentle Giants – only because the time suited us. Arriving in town we found all the booking office near the harbour and parked the car.
It was approx 14:00 and we were booked for 15:15. The harbour did look deserted and when we walked into the office, I did not even show my ticket, but just asked, if a tour was going at all. Of course, it was not! – We send you an e-mail! – Well I was driving all day and did not check my e-mails! – Well, all tours have been cancelled today and tomorrow due to the extreme weather. The storm will be at its strongest tonight. There are 6 – 7 m waves out in the bay. – What a pity! Can we change the booking? – The next tour might only be the day after tomorrow. – But then we will be long gone … – I can refund your tickets immediately, if you want. – Yes, please. Thank you. And while we are here – do you know a nice lunch spot in town? – Yes, you prefer sandwiches or seafood? – Seafood, of course! – Well, then walk past the church and turn left. Find the bright yellow house. They have excellent lunch. – Thank you very much.
We were not amused! By now it was raining more again and it was cold with only 5°C. We were royally disappointed that we would not go Whale Watching, but it could not be changed. Since it was time for lunch we walked in search of the bright yellow house and found it easily. Naustið Restaurant is an original family-run restaurant with a bright, mid-century mariner interior. Entering the bright yellow wooden house we felt like stepping into a cozy warm living room. We only had to wait a few minutes for a table to be readied for us and got seated in the center of the small room packed with guests. The menu was compact with some very traditional food that is hard to find elsewhere.
To my delight there was Hákarl & Harðfiskur on the starters menu. Hákarl is fermented shark and a national dish of Iceland consisting of Greenland shark or other sleeper shark which has been cured with a particular fermentation process and hung to dry for 4 to 5 months. Fermented shark has a strong ammonia-rich smell and fishy taste, therefore it was recommended to pinch your nose or hold your breath when trying it for the very first time as the smell is much stronger than the taste.
Of course, I had to order it … and of course, I had to order it with the recommended Brennivín – a clear, unsweetened schnapps made from fermented potatoes and caraway that is considered to be Iceland’s signature distilled beverage. It is mostly marketed as Black Death – what more can you expect from a nation who was not blessed with legal beer until 1989?
It came with Harðfiskur – a staple in Icelandic diets for centuries and we had tasted the Norwegian version on last year’s Road Trip North of the Arctic Circle. It is made by drying fish, most often cod, in the cold North Atlantic air until it becomes cured by bacteria, similar to the process of maturing cheese. Once it is dried, the fish turns hard and yellow and is not really edible until it is pounded by a meat mallet, turning it into the softer Harðfiskur that Icelanders know and love.
The most amazing thing about Iceland is not the picturesque landscape or the geo-thermal pools.
It is the fact that in Iceland the national dish is cured shark.
Historyfangirl
In fact, I polished the plate – it was actually not bad. The Hákarl came in a glass jar and I tried to not let out the bad smell too much. I have to admit, I did not smell it at all. I did not pinch my nose, but I can close my nose anyway – having been a SCUBA diver for ages that is one of my easiest tasks … Maybe I should have smelled it at least once? I only did a tiny bit. The taste was not bad – somewhat strange, but not at all as bad as its reputation outside of Iceland. I would definitely eat it again.
Since I was hungry and not sure if I would eat the Hákarl, we had ordered also one starter of the restaurant’s signature Naustið Fish Soup to share. Icelandic fish or seafood soup varies from place to place. It is most commonly cream and tomato based. There is such an abundance of fresh fish and seafood on offer in Iceland that Fish Soup is a staple. It was very good as well.
The 3rd starter we ordered was Halibut Tatar for Mom. She ate it all up – even though it was raw fish … I got a little taste and it was indeed outstandingly good as well.
We ordered the local beer Húsavík Öl to accompany our food. I am always for trying out local food and drinks – you might have noticed by now. Húsavík Öl is a newly founded local micro brewery and the beer was very good.
Main course had to be traditional Icelandic – of course. Mom had enough experimented in the last couple of days, so she took the Arctic Char with potatoes and salad. The Arctic Char – Salvelinus alpinus – is a cold-water fish native to alpine lakes and arctic and subarctic coastal waters. Its distribution is circumpolar. It spawns in fresh water returning from the ocean to the fresh water birth rivers. No other freshwater fish is found as far north. It was a huge portion – basically the whole fish. Mom said, she was already full after the starters – Mom, then eat the essential only! The fish! Leave the potatoes! – But the potatoes are good, too. – Well, but do not leave the fish left over! Ever! – Then you have to finish it up for me …
I was up for more traditional local food – Plokkfiskur was on the menu and my choice today. Plokkfiskur translates simply as Mashed Fish or Plucked Fish – but it is a combination of fish, potatoes, onions and béchamel sauce and a firm favourite in Icelandic kitchens. Plokkfiskur is a true peasants meal and was traditionally used as a way to liven up leftover poached haddock. The mash is traditionally served with a slice of rugbrauð – an Icelandic rye bread on the side. It is traditionally baked in a pot or steamed in special wooden casks by burying it in the ground near a hot spring, in which case it is known as hverabrauð or hot-spring-bread. Modern rúgbrauð is usually made in a square baking pan. The bread is crustless, dark and very dense, usually rather sweet, and keeps for a long time. It was good, but somewaht too sweet for me … I ate it anyway.
My Plokkfiskur was excellent and I only left over the potatoes, because they just would not fit in anymore. I ate so much! It was so good! We had to skip dessert … but we had an Espresso.
Mom went to use the facilities and returned mentioning that it was a very cool washroom. So I went to have a look myself and – believe it! – it was very cool. Not only did I think, that the Jägermeister Bottle recycled as soap dispenser was outstandingly funny …
… but the room was – in comparison to the rest of the restaurant – huge and the world map above the loo just made my day. Of course, it would have been even cooler, if the map had been on the opposite wall – I could have sat on the throne contemplating future voyages …
After this very satisfying lunch we took a walk around town in the rain. That one beer I had was probably already out of my system after so much food, but still a visit of the town was a good idea since we had driven all the way up here. We would not give in to the weather – we had brought enough layers of clothes!
In Iceland, the weather is the biggest character you deal with every day.
There’s nothing more relevant in your life than what kind of weather it is.
Baltasar Kormakur
The most famous landmark of Húsavík is the wooden church Húsavíkurkirkja, built in 1907. The towns beloved church is quite different from anything else seen in Iceland. Constructed from Norwegian timber, the delicately proportioned red-and-white church would look more at home in the Alps.
Its cruciform shape becomes apparent inside and is dominated by a depiction of the resurrection of Lazarus made from lava on the altarpiece. To get out of the wind and rain we took a look inside the church for a few minutes.
There was a geocache hidden behind the church and I wanted to find it. Mom was not so happy with the wind and rain and she tried to use her umbrella against the wind. That did not really work. She gave up after a couple of minutes – I am not sure if that umbrella even survived … That reminded me again of the dumbest things to do in Iceland – # 24 states – Bringing an Umbrella to iceland – This one can easily be forgiven since Iceland’s weather is wet and volatile – The unfortunate thing is, however, that the rain is not the only problem – Iceland’s most notorious weather condition is, in fact, the wind. It blows erratically from all angles, battering everyone with unpredictable gusts – to the extent that rather than falling straight down, the rain in Iceland shoots sideways.
Húsavík is small with the main focus on the Whate Watching Tours. But there is also the Exploration Museum dedicated to the history of human exploration from the early explorers to the exploration of space. The museum is located in the center of town and was founded in 2011 and formally opened in 2014 by the President of Iceland. It was only a short walk, but unfortunately it was closed.
I checked the internet and according to that it should be open, but the door was firmly locked. A shame! I would have really loved to visit this museum which features photographs and artifacts from the Apollo Astronaut Training Program near Húsavík in 1965 and 1967 as well as an exhibition about the history of Viking exploration and that of the polar regions.
People are always asking me about eskimos, but there are no eskimos in Iceland.
Bjork
A monument honoring the Apollo astronauts that trained around here is located outside the museum. At least we had a look at that. 9 American astronauts came to Iceland In 1965 and 1967 to prepare for their journey to a place no one else had gone – the moon. Here on Earth, Iceland is known for its otherworldly landscapes and geological formations that compare to the surface moon. The Apollo astronauts came to study geology and practice collecting samples like they would on their mission.
Close by was the Húsavík Whale Museum – if we could not go whale watching at least we were going to have a look at the museum. It is one of the few museums in the world solely dedicated to whales especially those that visit Skjálfandi bay. We even got a slight discount on the ticket fee, because the whale watching was cancelled. So we paid ISK 1600 per person.
The Húsavík Whale Museum was founded in 1997. Housed in an old harbourside slaughterhouse, the museum interprets the ecology and habits of whales, conservation and the history of whaling in Iceland through beautifully curated displays.
There were 11 different whale skeletons to admire and a range of documentaries to watch. Most of the skeletons were on the upper floor hanging from the ceiling. There was a Narwhale with its rare unicorn-like horn, a Sperm Whale jaw bone the size of a car and even an Orca Killer Whale skeleton.
The most impressive was the life-size Blue whale skeleton. The whale beached at Skagi in Northwest Iceland in 2010 and was preserved. to be on display here. It has a length of impressive 22m and was 25 m before the spinal disks were removed during the preparation process.
Especially interesting I found the part of the exhibition about whaling in Iceland. Whaling here has a long tradition and began with spear-drift hunting as early as the 12th century and continued in a vestigial form until the late 19th century, when other countries introduced modern commercial practices. Today, Iceland is one of a handful of countries that formally object to an ongoing moratorium established by the International Whaling Commission in 1986 and that still maintain a whaling fleet.
Every whaling season, environmentalist and animal rights groups raise alarm – Iceland is still hunting whales. One thing is clear – Icelanders by large do not eat whale meat. It is neither an ancient Viking tradition – industrial whaling in Iceland did not begin until the early 20th century – nor is it a significant part of the Icelandic diet. Opinion polls do show most Icelanders simply do not care about whaling, although most of those who do have an opinion oppose it. But who is buying all this whale meat? There are only 2 whaling companies left in Iceland – one company concentrates on hunting Fin Whales, largely for export to Japan, while the only other one hunts Minke Whales for domestic consumption. Tourists are the largest domestic market for Minke Whale – animals that are plentiful and not the least bit endangered. Apparently the company hunting Fin Whales has stopped its operation this year, due to a shrinking market in Japan. Still a whale hunting quota had been issued for the next 5 years.
Leaving the museum we took a walk around the harbour – a short walk only, because the wind and rain were still strong. All Whale Watching boats were moored in the harbour and it was clear why no boats went out today – the waves even at the harbour entrance were big and visibility through the grey weather was limited at best.
Before we got back in the car, however, I spotted the Ísbúð Húsavíkur across the road. A friend had told me before we went to Iceland, that it was absolutely imperative to have Icelandic Soft Ice Cream. She said it is the best in the world. So what better day to try it? Who cares about the rain and wind? Ice Cream is always an option, never mind when and where. Also, it was a chance to get out of the cold.
We took the medium cone option of vanilla soft ice cream without any chichi – no sprinkles or dip – and settled on one of the tables with a view to the rainy outside. Who would have thought Iceland is a go-to destination for ice cream lovers? But apparently it is! Soft Ice Cream is the best kept secret of the locals.
And I have to admit! It was definitely the best Soft Ice Cream I had in a very long time – maybe ever! Mom remarked, that it tasted almost as good as the traditional Soviet era ice cream – we called it Moscow Ice Cream – back in the day! We were almost pacified for the missed Whale Watching now. That ice cream was delicious to say the least and it did taste like Moscow Ice Cream. Mind you, I am a sucker for Soft Ice Cream – ask Mom! Whenever we go to the Ice Cream Parlor at home I order soft ice, because scoops are just not my thing.
The only thing we regret ist that we only had that one ice cream while in Iceland. Another opportunety just nerver occured … What a shame …
Leaving Húsavík we had to backtrack the road for approx 25 km to reach our Guesthouse Staðarhóll Aðaldalur. Shortly before we reached the turn off to our guesthouse, I took a tiny detour up a gravel track behind some houses to find another Earth Cache. Mom stayed in the car and I braved once more the elements and took the short walk to a small geyser.
It is located in the low-temperature geothermal area Hveravellir. An old farm site developed here into a center of greenhouse industry and the lit up glass houses were already visible from a distance. Heating greenhouses using geothermal energy began in Iceland in 1924. The majority of Iceland’s greenhouses are located in the South, with only a few in the North of the island. The increasing use of electric lighting in recent years has extended the growing season and improved greenhouse utilization.
Hveravellir is home of 3 geysirs – there is Baðstofuhver – also called Ystihver – bathroom hot spring – thenUxahver – ox hot spring – and Syðstihver. In the 19th century Uxahver was the most important geyser in North Iceland, but unfortunately, it has been covered by a concrete cistern roof in 1970. Baðstofuhver consists of a large sinter bowl of approx 10 m in diameter and 8 m in depth filled with near boiling water. In its unmanipulated stage during the 18th and 19th century, eruptions had been very rare and small. In 1904 the water level was lowered by carving discharge channels and the geysir responded with up to 12 m high eruptions every few minutes. After utilisation of the water in 1970, the water level was raised again and major eruptions do not take place anymore. Minor eruptions up to 3 m are frequent, but I was not lucky enough to see one. One requirement to log this Earth Cache was to observe the pool for 3 minutes and count eruptions. Believe me – it was cold standing there in the wind and rain waiting for eruptions that in the end did not happen … No luck today.
We reached Guesthouse Staðarhóll around 18:00 this evening. It was so grey and rainy that it felt much later already. It was a spacious farm and obviously the reception and restaurant were in the building in the center field. I parked in front and went in to check-in. There were some double huts across the field and we had the last room in line. Luckily we were allowed to drive right there to unload the car.
The room was not too big, but sufficient and even had a little kitchenette. I had to take the car to the end of the row of huts, though, to the parking lot. When trying to turn, I hit a rock with the right front wheel. No scratch in the car, though. The rock was just too big for the wheel and Mom said I relocated it by almost a meter …
Once I had parked the car, I walked to the restaurant. When checking in I had inspected the small bar and after this cold day we needed a local shnapps. Other then the Brennivín at lunch today and the local beers, we had not tasted any other local spirits yet. This was the first chance.
I chose a Birkir – an Icelandic shnapps with a distinct woody but fresh flavor. Made from grain and infused with birch, Birkir is described as having a tealike flavor and subltle malty sweetness. There is also a birch branch in the bottle for an aesthetic wow-factor! “I wanted to capture the sensation of the bright Icelandic summer night at the moment when the rainshower clears and the morning dew sets on the birch clad hill. I think I came pretty close.” said Olafur Orn Olafsson, the creator of Birkir.
The girl at reception was not sure how I could get the drinks back to our hut in the rain, but we compromised and she measured them into 2 slightly larger glasses than usual. I had put my gloves on against the cold wind and ask her if I could short cut across the field rather than taking the path all the way around. She was not sure, but I just did it. Lucky I did now crash land in the field – that would have been an expensive excursions. I had paid ISK 900 per drink. Without problems, however, I made it back to the hut. The rain had let up a bit and so the drinks were not even watered down. The taste was indeed very mild and herbal.
Skipping dinner after we had such a sumptuous lunch today, we just hung around the hut and thought about what to do tomorrow if the weather persisted – we would just play it by ear …
I sorted and posted photos, Mom was reading. And we finished the bottle of German wine from the Moselle we brought from home as well … then we slept early again – the rain on the roof in our ears …
