30.05.2021
274 km The Freezer Hostel & Cultural Center Ríf to Brimarsbrú Sleep Inn-Art Gallery Njarðvík via the Blue Lagoon
Despite sleeping late last night, I was awake very early this morning. It was pouring buckets outside … Damn … I had hoped for better weather … Nevertheless, I packed up and actually left at 07:15 heading towards Reykyavík. I took road #54 via Ólafsvík back to the south coast. I had remembered this morning that there was a secret box hidden near the road close to the pass … I had forgotten to check yesterday afternoon. The weather would have been better for the search of this one … Today the pass road was in thick fog and rain … But that secret box was still virgin … it had been published 10 days ago and according to the online listing it had not been found yet … My chance for an FTF – First To Find!
I drove up the road and turned onto the wide opening below the cache location. I was not sure and could not see, if my funny little car would make it any closer to an old and long abandoned skiing area base station. Braving rain and fog I grabbed the mobile phone and a pen, bundled up and started the walk up the gravel slope towards the GPS marker which was only 350 m away – hoping my mobile GPS app was correct. Still I could not see anything. But fortunately soon the lost place appeared out of the fog.
It was not long until I stood in front of the door to the hut. I am not a friend of lost places in the fog and nobody knowing I was there … but I went in. The place stank of old engine oil and diesel fuel. An old snow groomer took all the space in the hut. It was dark inside, but I had brought my head torch. Environmentalists would have a field day here … Shelves filled with old cans full of all kinds of stuff … the floor greasy as hell … A sticker at the snow groomer apparently showed the security check had been valid until March 2000 … probably this place was abandoned since then.
The geocache was hidden in the left side of the driver’s cabin. I had to climb up on the thing and into the cabin, I hoped I would not end up all greasy and dirty … Once I had managed that, it was an easy find. And I was so happy to see that virgin logbook! FTF! In Iceland! I quickly signed it and took a photo, of course! Then I carefully climbed back down and was out.
Finding my car again was a totally different matter … It did not have GPS marker on it … and the fog was still thick. I used the hut as a visual marker and headed down the slope hoping to eventually either hit the road or spot my funny little white car. Lucky I was … it was not long that I found some of my foot steps and eventually glimpsed my car in the distance. By the time I reached it I was soaked! I should not have forgotten to waterproof the jackets before leaving home … Now I got the bill … Both jackets were soaked through … I had to take them off outside and hung them up on the back of the seats to dry. Turning the car heater up, I hoped it would help …
Driving down Snaefellnesvegur #54 along through the lowlands along Faxaflói – the bay between the peninsulas of Snæfellsnes and Reykjanes – I had been hoping for beautiful scenery … but with the very low hanging rain clouds there was absolutely nothing to see.
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
Roughly 100 km later I reached the Ring Road #1 at Borganes. I did not stop there – the weather sucked – and we had stayed in Borganes on our tour in 2019 – the one geocache located there, I had found back then.
Having reached the main highway and closing in on the capital region, traffic got thicker by the minute. I was not used to so much traffic anymore … and the rain would not stop … Nevertheless, some 25 km later I turned off onto Akrafjallsvegur #51 to Akranes – a port town sitting at the tip of the peninsula separating the fjords of Hvalfjörður and Borgarfjörður.
We had visited here on our tour in 2019 as well – just before going diving between the continents – and I had found several geocaches. But I had also seen Guðlaug – a hotpot at Langisandur beach. Back then we did not have the time to hop in. For this time I had planned on soaking there for sure. And there was another – maybe virgin – geocache on the beach. I actually drove all the way to the parking lot next to the beach … I quarreled with myself … it was raining cats and dogs … there was no point of going to try and find that secret box … my jackets were still wet … it was not easy to decide … but I gave it up and left towards Reykjavík. Maybe the weather would be slightly better over there.
I reached Ring Road #1 just before Hvalfjarðargöng – Hvalfjörður Tunnel – the road tunnel under Hvalfjörður fjord opened in 1998. It was 5770 m long and reached a depth of 165 below sea level – shortening the distance from Reykjavík to the western and northern parts of the island by 45 km. Passing the fjord now took 7 min instead of about an hour around it. Coming out of the tunnel, the weather was not getting any better … it was still raining …
On the periphery of Reykjavík I spotted a gas station with very cheap prices … there were many shopping malls and gas stations along the highway, but that one had the regular gasoline for ISK 205 per liter vice the usual ISK 233 to 247 per liter! I stepped on the breaks and turned onto it. I filled up the car with 24.5 liters for ISK 5000. It was not completely full, but I did not find the button for Full Tank on the credit card machine. It was enough for now, though, and almost full.
Now I headed quickly to Blue Lagoon – weather did not matter when soaking in a balmy warm hotpot … and it was on the way to my next accommodation – basically between the volcano and my accommodation. I wound through the dense traffic of the capital outskirts and flew down the airport road before turning onto #43. I could not see the volcano today … clouds hung over the area …
Even over the lagoon were thick rain clouds. But the grey sky contrasted beautifully with the black lava field and the lagoon overflow along the road. I was sure now – this was a great idea! If the weather is too crappy to go hiking … just go and soak in the Blue Lagoon! I was ready!
I arrived there around 11:30. The parking lot was pretty packed for the circumstances, but no tour busses were there … I found a spot not too far from the entrance … it was pouring buckets again. So I only took the bag with the swim stuff and the GoPro, put the rain poncho on – yes, it was one of those items always in my bag – and hurried to the ticket counter. We had been here in 2019 and there had been a huge line up … not so today. I did not have to wait at all … The guy at the counter asked for my online ticket – Oh sorry, I do not have one. – No problem. You want to go now? – Yes, is there availability now? – Yes, of course! – Is the price the same as online? – Aah … no. That is only the online price. But you can just book online now if you want. – But I tried to book several times and the payment did not work and it was not a problem with my credit card, but rather the site had a problem! – Oh, OK … let me see …
He was very friendly and he actually fixed it so I got the same price as online. The walk-in ticket would have been some € 10 more expensive. I thanked him big time, paid ISK 6990 – equivalent of the € 44 online – by credit card for the comfort package which included towels and the first drink and got my electronic wristband. I thought that was incredibly cheap! Last time we were here before the world stood still and in the afternoon and we paid for the same package € 85 each! At least there was no time limit on a visit …
Quickly I found a locker – I remembered from last time how to work the lock with the wristband – and changed into my swim suit. I only took the GoPro to take photos. After the mandatory shower I was ready for the warm lagoon! I was so happy to use the inside entrance of the lagoon – that meant I did not have to walk out in the cold for 20 m to get in the warm water, but rather was inside the warm building and waded into the warm pool directly. Once I was submerged completely there was a little gate to swim out into the open. And was it ever pleasant!
Because the water was so beautifully warm – a balmy 37° to 42°C year round – clouds of steam rose over the thermal open-air pool. The geothermal seawater was 70% ocean water and 30% freshwater, naturally enriched with minerals, algae and silica that did wonders for the skin. Therefore the Blue Lagoon not only promised relaxation, but also promoted healing processes for illnesses … not that I had any … at the moment … but hey … I am a hotpot junkie! And the Blue Lagoon was the hotpot of all hotpots! And what was there better to do on such a miserable weather day in Iceland? If I lived here I would probably not do anything else but soak in hotpots …
The Blue Lagoon was one of Iceland’s most popular attractions – the beautiful milky-blue water was unlike anything else found on earth and starkly contrasts with the surrounding black lava fields and creeping grey moss … even in grey weather. The water was sort of waist-deep and therefore I kind of waddled along the silica-silty bottom trying to keep my shoulders underwater. I did not remember it to be that silty, but I suppose with less visitors shuffling around, the silt did not get moved as much as if the lagoon was packed. Today there were … compared to regular times … almost no visitors … considering the strange times … quite a few. Most concentrated around the in-water bar for the drinks or the silica bar for the face masks.
My first stop was at the silica bar to get my silica mask. It was an in-water bar and I just had to hold out my hand to get the blob of white silica slime – infact the Blue Lagoon’s iconic white wonder – a soothing face mask said to deep-cleanse and strengthen the skin, reduce the visibility of pores and leave the skin fresh and clear. It was supposed to be applied generously and evenly to the face – avoiding the eye area – and left on for 5-10 min, then rinsed with the warm water of the lagoon.
I floated around the lagoon some … trying to find the warmest spots. In 2012, National Geographic published a list of Wonders of the World – Earth’s Most Awesome Places. They bestowed honors on 25 natural wonders divided into 3 categories – sky, land and water. The Sky category featured such beauties as California’s soaring redwood trees and majestic Mount Everest. The Land category gave plaudits to Arizona’s Grand Canyon, North Africa’s Sahara Desert and Hawaii’s volcanoes. The Blue Lagoon was included in the Water category and shared this recognition with esteemed company – including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the Norwegian fjords, Lake Baikal in Siberia and Victoria Falls in southern Africa.
Then I swam over to the in-lagoon bar … the one for the drinks. It was maybe the busiest corner of the lagoon … compared to regular times … it was quiet … Today there were mostly Americans around. Ahead of me were a couple of them discussing what they should drink and they ended up with a Prosecco Raspberry Slush … it looked turquoise … I liked the colour and ordered the same. I just had to show the wristband which they scanned and then I was floating around the Blue Lagoon with a blue drink … eventhough it was raining hard now …
There was a lot of controversy going on about the Blue Lagoon being a tourist trap, expensive and overcrowded. Everyone probably have their own preferences, but I think visiting the Blue Lagoon was a great way to end a trip to Iceland – like we did last time – or spend a rainy day. I would not have skipped it … even if I had thought about it briefly … And anyway … who would go all the way to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower?!
Spending the afternoon here was a great way to feel relaxed, clean and energized on a day when I otherwise would have wandered miserable and planless through the rain. And considering … it was not more expensive than the Sky Lagoon I visited when I arrived in Iceland. I found a very warm spot and sure had a great time sipping my Prosecco Raspberry Slush which was indeed very good!
Later I swam over to the waterfall. Lucky it was not as busy as the last time we were here, when we had to line-up forever to get a chance to go under it for a shoulder massage. Today I had it almost to myself and I had the warm water hit my shoulders for a long long time. Basically it was like a nice hard shoulder massage. It was so good!
Floating back into the lagoon I contemplated what to do next. I was not quite ready to leave and I did have more time. The water was so nice, but the rain persisted. So I played a bit with the camera and generally just had fun.
Then I figured I could afford another drink. So lazily I floated to the bar once more and ordered a beer. They scanned the wristband again and off I was. Beer was good against thirst. I lounged in a hot spot and enjoyed the afternoon thoroughly.
The Blue Lagoon’s creation was purely by accident – it was fed by the runoff water from the Svartsengi Power Station which opened in 1976 and was a significant power source in Iceland – the world’s first geothermal power plant for electric power generation and hot water production for district heating. By 1977 the pools began to form. In the early 1980’s, a few men with psoriasis – a long-lasting, noncontagious autoimmune disease characterized by raised areas of abnormal skin – started bathing in the waters and reported that it had helped alleviate their symptoms. By the late 1980’s it had become a popular local bathing area for those with skin diseases and officially opened to the public for bathing in 1987. Later a clinic was established there in 1994. Since 2010, tourism to Iceland has increased dramatically and increased international coverage about the Blue Lagoon helped boost visitors’ numbers – it had soon become the most visited paid attraction in the country.
I wanted to make the most of this rainy afternoon and went for another blob of silica face mud. I actually liked that better than the body scrub and ritual at the Sky Lagoon. I think the mud was supposed to dry on the face, but today the rain just washed it off. The silica was running into my eyes and that was not pleasant. So I could not leave it on as long as it was suppsoed to …
After more floating around and waterfall massage I finally left at 14:45. My hands were already wrinkly from too many hours in the water … The good thing at the Blue Lagoon was that they had really good hair and shower products in the locker room showers. The water of the Blue Lagoon was not good for the hair – and several signs had stated that at the entrance. While I had not dunked my head under water, I had been under the clear waterfall and up to my earlobes in the lagoon. So I spent a considerable amount of time under the shower using the excellent conditioner several times. When I had blow dried my hair, I was on my way.
At the exit I had to pay an additional ISK 1390 for the second drink. I did it in cash. Calculating … this visit ended up being considerably cheaper than my visit at the brandnew Sky Lagoon … mainly because there the drinks were not included …
As I walked out … yes, I browsed the Blue Lagoon shop at the exit … I am not very much into all those skincare products … but my fingers itched for some of the facial stuff and some of the souvenirs … but I passed … not only everything had skyhigh prices … also it would just sit around at home and I probably would never use it …
The path to the parking lot led through a lavafield and I remembered there was an Earth Cache located here which I had logged last time we were here. But I had been kicked out of the logbook, because I had forgotten to submit the answers … So this time around … I tried again and I did not forget.
Walking back to the car, I was delighted … it had almost stopped raining! At least for the moment … hopefully for the day … But it was still very overcast … I had my doubts for the volcano tonight … However, the weather forecast and as well safetravel.is stated better weather after 18:00 for the volcano … I texted Martha to confirm our hike this evening.
The drive to Njarðvík was quick. It was less than 30 km. When I reached the town, I stopped at a Bonus supermarket to see if I could find volcano Skyr. It had started raining again as I got out of the car … As I went in I had this notion … the mandatory mask in public places rule had changed a few days ago to voluntary … I had my mask in my jacket pocket … but I though … maybe I should try it. Icelanders had been excellent in keeping the 2 m distance rule – I had noticed everywhere I went. So … I dared to go into a supermarket without a facemask for the first time in a whole year … and I can tell you … it felt extremely weird and somewhat wrong … but also a bit liberated … as I had felt the entire time since I arrived in Iceland …
I finished my shopping quickly. I did not find the volcano Skyr … damn … but I got a couple of tomatoes, some corn in a can and also more chocolate cookies. That all for ISK 600 was a good buy. Quickly I got out … I was still not sure about not wearing a mask in a supermarket …
It was only a few minutes driving more to my next – and last – accommodation in Iceland – Brimarsbrú Sleep Inn-Art Gallery. I reached there just after 15:00. It was actually a converted garage in a private home in a residential area. I found the house and parked the car. The good thing was that the room had a separate entrance. But the bathroom and kitchen were in the main house. I usually was not a friend of shared facilities in a private home, but the location was convenient, the room in a separate building, I paid only € 68 for 2 nights and I was basically sleeping in an art gallery.
The owner was friendly and explained some of the paintings. The artist was apparently his uncle Jón Stefán Brimar Sigurjónsson (1928-1980) – a self-taught artist who enjoyed expressing himself through art. When he died, there were about 300 paintings in his apartment in Dalvík. There he created most of his work in about 20 years and all in his spare time, because he worked as a house painter as well as doing all kinds of construction work. He poured himself into art around the age of 30 and relatives estimate that he made about a thousand works of art. Almost all of his work was now owned by the Dalvík Art Museum, but lots of paintings of different styles were also here on display in his nephew’s garage. Certainly one of the most unusual rooms I had stayed at during my travels …
I settled in and prepared everything I needed for the volcano hike tonight. Then I took an afternoon nap … I had a long and exciting night ahead of me … It was still miserable weather outside, so there was no point in going for a walk to the single geocache in town … so a nap it was.
Around 18:00 I woke up to blue sky and sunshine outside! Believe it! The weather forecast had been correct! Yeah! I went to get a plate and spoon from the kitchen. All doors were always unlocked around here. There was a microwave in the room and a boiling hot water tab as well. So I fixed myself a package of instant couscous and pimped it with tomatoes and corn. I did not drink the beer … I rather saved it for the volcano.
When I brought my plate back to the kitchen, I met the daughter of the house and chatted a few minutes with her. She lived so close to the volcano and had not yet been to visit it … well … it might be nothing special for some Icelanders … a volcano in the backyard … but I was slowly becoming a volcano junkie …
A night at the volcano – 58 km Njarðvík to the volcano return
I got ready with all my warm clothes and left for Grindavík by 19:30. I was supposed to meet Martha – who I hat met a few days ago at Sölvanes Farm Varmahlíð in North Iceland – at 20:30 at the parking lot. I arrived too early at 20:00. I was so excited! The parking lot was busy today … many people were hike up … Sunset was supposed to be at 22:32 … While I waited for Martha I paid the parking fee of ISK 1000 until midnight again … I was an honest person.
Martha arrived 20:30 and we got ready and started the hike at 20:45. The weather did look good. The trail was busy with hikers going up and down. The wind was cold … I was hiking with my hiking poles and we had a steady slow pace. But we chatted all the way … I was surprised that I could hike up the hill and chat at the same time … I was huffing and puffing still … but it was somewhat easier than the first time I was here. I suppose, all this hiking in the last 2 weeks had helped a lot in getting a tiny bit more fit … just a tiny bit …
Anyway, I talked a lot, but I listened a lot as well. It was nice having a hiking partner. Martha was from New York and worked there in one of the famous museums. She was about the same age as me … but she was a lot fitter than me … yoga and no alcohol did the trick … if I was not so lazy … I made a mental note to get into some sort of routine getting into shape as well … I might have lost that mental note by now already again …
As we came up over the first ridge with the first view of Fagradalsfjall, the volcano was as awesome as I remembered it from last time. Martha had not been here – she had left the visit for her last day. Lucky she was with the weather! But I saw the difference the last 10 days had made around here. The lava in the valley below had advanced sooooo much since the last time I was here! It was really close to the path now …
And the dragon did us the favour and spat fire just as we halted to admire it from afar! The sun was still high up in the sky and I was hopeful we would reach the top of Spectator Hill Gónhóll in time to see it set. But for now I had to stop and take in the first eruption period of this evening! And a good one it was!
Continuing along the path I briefly wondered why Icelandic Search and Rescue – ICE-SAR – had a car near the trail and several people were up on the slope setting markers for a new path … at least that was what it looked like. I did not think much about it … I just found it odd …
From Geldingadalir valley we were coming around the last hill before Spectator Hill and reached the lava field in the Valley with No Name – Nafnlausi Dalurinn. And this had changed considerably as well! The lava river that hopped the eastern dam last week was a very wide lava fall now flowing down into Nátthagi valley towards the south and road #427. The western dam they had made there was still holding – the valley was filled to the rim and a tiny bit had spilled over only, though. The hiking path was now somewhat higher up on the slope as well.
I kept telling Martha how cool the view from Spectator Hill would be … and I got more and more excited myself. But as we skirted the lava field here, I thought it very strange that there was absolutely nobody to be seen up on the viewpoint hill ahead … There had been a string of hikers along the path the last times I was here … now the hill was deserted … what the f…?
When we reached the saddle between the hills … we hit a yellow tape line by Landsbjörg – ICE-SAR and orange Danger Closed signs … and then we saw it … the lava from Geldingadalir valley had crept up and was ready tospill over into the Valley with No Name … That was amazing! Geldingadalir valley had filled up considerably and the lava was not only reaching the pass to the south but also here it was going to cut off Spectator Hill! The lava had been so far down when I was here last time … and now it was right here …
It looked as if the molten lava had inflated the Geldingadalir lava field from below and filled the valley. It was not flowing red hot on the top, but below the cooled black surface and pushed the tongues forward. Obviously, Search & Rescue expected the spill momentarily and had closed the former viewpoint as so nobody gets caught up there and has to be airlifted out. I sure had been lucky to have been here before – because that Spectator Hill was the closest viewpoint to the main crater … the most spectacular indeed … I would never get as close to the mighty monster again!
Instead the first hill was now the new viewpoint … now I knew why they were marking a new trail on the southern side of that hill. This side was really steep … no trail was there yet … we just followed the footsteps of other hikers … it was very hard going up … but I was not going to give up … My hiking poles came in very handy … I offered one to Martha, but she declined and conquered the hill without … I found it much easier to use the poles, though.
Reaching the top we found a spot with an awesome perspective to sit and watch the show. It was definitely much further away from the crater, but still a fantastic view. It was said that overall, this eruption was relatively safe and approachable because, even with a runny sort of magma involved, most people could easily outwalk basaltic lava on a flat surface. By sitting uphill, we placed a natural barrier between us and fiery doom. No one was sure how long this eruption would persist, however.
Where we were sitting was not very safe, though. It was too steep and anything could just roll down the hill … so we moved more up and over a bit and found a good place to sit behind some rocks in the lee of the wind. We got comfortable and chatted a lot … I talked a lot … but I also took some spectacular photos. The sun was just about to set behind the opposite ridge …
The new viewpoint was as packed with people as the old one had been. But it seemed a larger and steeper hill, so people were more wide spread in order to find suitable spots to sit. Many were down by the edge of the lava as well. The views were in any case spectacular.
From this viewpoint hill the perspective was not as magnificent as from the old one … I have to say … From here we could not look inside the crater unfortunately. Also it was too far away to hear it as loud as last time. We could still hear the rumble over the wind, though. The beginning of an episode we could only see once the red hot lava was bubbling out of the crater. Sadly this huge long lava river going down into the Valley with no Name was absolutely not vivible from here either. Nevertheless the show was great.
I had not brought the beer in the end … but I had brought my last favourite Piccolo for the occasion and I thoroughly enjoyed the moment. We sure had fun with a photo session in between eruptions … It had started drizzling for a bit and I had pulled out the cover for the camera and I had put on another layer under the jackets. It was cold now … it was around midnight by now.
“Volcanology is one of the oldest branches of geology; it is also one of the least developed. Much has been learned about the distribution, internal structure and products of volcanoes, but pitifully little about the causes and mechanism of eruptions. Field geologists working on ancient volcanoes will continue to add to knowledge of their anatomy and morphology, but revolutionary discoveries are not likely to come from that direction. Understanding of the vital phenomena – the physiology of volcanoes – demands more attention by geophysicists and geochemists, continuous studies at properly chosen, well staffed and well equipped volcano observatories, and experiments with silicate melts in the presence of volatiles. Progress will not come so much from post-mortem examinations as from the reports of physicians attending active patients.”
Howel Williams about “Problems and progress in volcanology” in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, vol. 109 (1953)
Earth is ancient now,
but all knowledge is stored up in her.
She keeps a record of everything that has happened since time began.
Of time before time, she says little,
and in a language that no one has yet understood.
Through time, her secret codes have gradually been broken.
Her mud and lava is a message from the past.
Of time to come, she says much,
but who listens?
Jeanette Winterson
Fagradalsfjall actually was a tuya volcano formed in the Last Glacial Period on the Reykjanes Peninsula – but Fagradalsfjall was also the name for the wider volcanic system covering an area 5 km wide and 16 km long between the Svartsengi and Krýsuvík systems. No volcanic eruption had occurred for 815 years on the Reykjanes Peninsula until 19 March 2021 when a fissure vent appeared in Geldingadalir valley to the south of Fagradalsfjall mountain.
The eruption pattern changed in the beginning of May from a continuous eruption and lava flow to a pulsating one – where periods of eruptions alternated with periods of inactivity – with each cycle lasting 10 min to half an hour. The lava flow rate in the following weeks was also double that of the average for the first 6 weeks – with an average lava flow rate of 12.4 m3/s from 18.05. to 02.06.21. What I could notice for sure was that the eruptions were now longer apart than last time and they were not as high as before. But I could not tell if there was actually more lava flowing now …
It was an incredible visit to the volcano again … my 4th visit … I could not get enough of it … When the sun had set … more clouds appeared … it was still stunning … and then all of a sudden a huge lava lake formed right in front of us in Geldingadalir valley … it started small and got really huge … The lava surface cooled quickly on contact with air, forming a distinct black crust … but if the unstable lava roof collapsed sometimes erratically spreading lava lakes were seen. And this was an enormous one …
Patches of amber red could be seen all over the lava field. These were skylights – windows into the still molten rock just below. And after midnight we were at the blue hour … It was not really dark … it would not really get dark anyway … but it was a very special light now.
Martha wanted to leave the viewpoint by 01:00 as her flight was early in the morning. I could not really get myself to leave … nothing new, eh? … one more eruption, please! Then we go! I promise! Onlxly one more! … I could always come back tomorrow … or rather today … The fiery dragon just kept spiting molten rock …
But then we left anyway. I would have liked to go down and along the edge of the lava in Geldingadalir valley for a different perspective, but the slope was just too steep. So we moved more up and over the hill first and then took the newly made – also very steep – path down the other side back to the main trail. Of course, I had to turn around to watch whenever we heard the roaring of the monster behind us …
We stopped at the firs crater viewpoint above the lava tongue at Geldingadalir valley for one more eruption. The perspective from here was totally different since we were lower than the viewpoint hill. From here the clouds started to get this orange glow before we could actually see the eruption …
Briskly we walked back down to the parking lot. It was getting cold after a while. Somehow it had been slightly warmer closer to the lava … We reached the cars by 02:00 and waved each other farewell. Then we drove behind each other back to Njarðvík. It had been a great visit to the volcano, but I had already decided to come back the next night …
By 02:30 I reached my room and soon fell asleep … What a day it had been again …
31.05.2021
210 km exploring the capital region
Despite the late night at the volcano I was up early … not as early as usual … but early. There were photos to be sorted and posted … and I also had to use every minute of my last day in Iceland!
I packed everything in the car what I might need for the volcano hike, the swim stuff as well and left by 09:00. I drove to Reykjavík. The weather looked good this morning and I was hopeful it would hold for the day … I had decided to just float around today and see where I ended up … maybe find a hotpot … or 2 … For now I drove past the capital city all the way to the end of Seltjarnarnes peninsula only a few minutes from downtown Reykjavík.
Surrounded by the ocean – in the north, west and south by Faxaflói – the Seltjarnarnes peninsula drew visitors and locals alike for inspiring walks and thrilling cycling paths with panoramic views of magnificent nature, the mountains and the sea. There were a couple of geocaches located here and I wanted to check out Kvika Foot Bath.
I arrived in brilliant sunshine and parked the car at the very end of the peninsula just before the Grótta Lighthouse and went for an exploration walk. There was an Earth Cache dealing with the island on which the lighthouse stood. Grótta Island was declared a nature reserve in 1974 due to its abundant birdlife. That was also the reason why it was closed for visitors at the moment – bird protection in breeding season from 01.05. to 15.07.
There had been a lighthouse at Grótta since 1897 – the one currently standing dates back to 1947. It was connected to the electric grid in 1956 and has remained more or less unchanged ever since. Historical records stated that a farm existed on the site already in the 16th century, which was probably where it got its name, thought to derive from the old word for a wheat-grinding mill. Even when open, the lighthouse was accessible only during low tide – today it seemed high tide anyway – although it was still visible from the distance. It was enough to collect data to be able to log the Earth Cache later.
There was another multi cache marker here, but I just had to do a simple calculation to get the final coordinates … those then pointed to the other end of the beach near the golf course. I decided not to walk there, but rather drive there later. First I needed a warm foot bath … Kvika Foot Bath was very close to where I parked the car. First I went to have a look-see … it was very windy … but not cold …
It was a fabulous spot! In no time I had fetched my towel from the car and set up the camera on the tripod for some photos. This moment had to be captured as usual. As quickly had I also taken my shoes off and stuck my feet in the beautifully warm water.
Kvika Foot Bath is actually a lesser know place and often left out by travelers – if Katy who I met at The Freezer Hostel the other day had not told me about it I would have totally missed it. The views were mesmerizing and you could have easily spend hours sitting here …
This small human-made pool was designed by the artist Ólöf Nordal and offered spectacular views of Mount Esja – a 914 m mountain situated in about 10 km to the north of Reykjavík, which actually was not a single mountain – but rather a volcanic mountain range made from basalt and tuff – on the opposite side of the bay.
That small basalt pool was approx 25-30 cm deep and 80-90 cm in diameter – the temperature was a beautiful 39°C. It was said to be the perfect sunset or northern lights spot … I could not be here for that – sunset I would spend once more at the volcano and it was just not northern lights season yet … but for sure it was a sensational place. Sitting on the edge of the stone and soaking my weary feet in balmy warm water … there was nothing more perfect after plenty of exploring in Iceland …
A last look at the picturesque Grótta Lighthouse which had an amazing presence in an otherwise barren landscape … This place was truly beautiful and I was so lucky with the weather today! Brilliant sunshine and blue sky …
I drove around to the other side of the tip of the peninsula. It was not far, but I had to go through the residential area. I parked near Nesklúbbur Golf Course – apparently the most populous 9-hole golf club in Iceland founded in 1964. Natural beauty surrounded the whole course. The view across the bay to Grótta Lighthouse was stunning.
The final location of the multi cache I had calculated earlier was right next to the parking lot at the edge of the golf course. It was supposed to be … wait for it … under a rock … yeah … how could it be different … The good thing was that there was only one big rock in the vicinity and I quickly found the secret box.
Despite the vicinity of the golf course, there were many birds around. Plenty Eider Ducks – Somateria Mollissima – were sitting or swimming along the shore line. They feed on mussels and other hard shelled-crustaceans like sea-snails, crabs etc. Eider Ducks are large diving ducks – the most common species of duck in Iceland. I had seen colonies of them way up north. The Icelandic Eider Duck population was one of the largest bird populations in Iceland. It consisted of about 250 thousand breeding pairs. Eider Ducks have long been happy to live in close proximity to humans – since humans have benefited from protecting the nesting birds in order to gather the eiderdown. They are now on watchlists – both Icelandic and international – after their numbers began to decline significantly after the turn of the century.
A walking path was leading around the edge of the golf course between the break water and the green. It was busy at the golf green … I was not sure if they were playing into my direction and kind of walked quick as so not to get hit by a golf ball. The secret box was hidden near an abandoned structure. It was supposed to be … under rocks … besides the old stair case … I searched a very long time without success … I was nearly giving up when the cacher instinct let me search around the side of the building under the rocks … and eventually I spotted the relatively big plastic box! I was nowere near the coordinates or the hint in the listing … but I found it and signed the logbook.
The weather was great here, but the wind was very strong still … and cold. But the walk back to the car was pleasant as well. And the view across to down town Reykjavík was spectacular, too. Hallgrimskirkja stood proud in the center on the hill.
Driving back to the city, I had not really a plan … it was around 11:30 by now and the only thing I wanted to do was buy some more postcards and find a letter box to post the once I had written already. I parked the car at the same parking lot like the other day. Today I paid for 1.5. hrs and made sure it was correct – it was Monday and no holiday …
For a relatively small city Reykjavik was packed with quirky sculptures and striking street art around every corner. It was famous for the brightly coloured houses, but there were so many colourful details to catch the eye – even down to the red and yellow fire hydrants …
I strolled through downtown browsing the souvenir shops … I found some postcards and also a letter box … but none of the souvenirs struck my fancy. Window shopping was also a good way to see the city.
I contemplated what I should do … I wanted to have at least once splurge and have a fancy meal while I was in Iceland … For once I had done a little research … it had turned up, that the Restaurant Apótek had highly praised lunch deals. So by 12:00 I walked in the trendy restaurant located in an old pharmacy. The bar by the entrance was empty …
The place was said to be casual/smart … I probably was not in the appropriate attire … The restaurant was packed already and I had to wait a few minutes to be seated … I had no reservation … but they found a single table in the corner near the entrance for me … fine, no problem … I was used to be seated in the corner when not showing up in the correct outfit … It reminded me of visiting Grand-Café Dr Zhivago in Moscow …
The menu here was a fun mix of Icelandic and European cuisine – the lunch deal was indeed quite good with ISK 4890 for 3 courses … of course I chose something Icelandic.
Absolutely tasty freshly baked bread with butter and sea salt was served. But I tried to hold my horses and waited for the starter … I had ordered something called Icelandic Landscape – it was Lamb Tartar with pickled red onions, smoked cream cheese, chives mayo and vinegar snow. It was served on a thick slate and it truly looked like an Icelandic landscape … a master piece … too pretty to eat … But I did eat it and I finished it all, because it was sooo delicious! I had never heard of Lamb Tatar before … While I loved Tartare de Bœuf in France, Lamb had never been my favourite meat over all. But in Iceland it was a must to eat Icelandic Lamb … and that Lamb Tatar was esquisite to say the least … somehow marinated … maybe a little bit smoked … too good!
I had ordered a cocktail … but it did not arrive … so I had water even with the main course … Lamb Rump Steak with carrot puree, carrots, cauliflower, spring onion and black garlic sauce … and yes, Lamb again … I had peeked at the plates the waiters carried to other tables and it looked absolutely delectable as well … and so it was Lamb! I might change my opinion about Lamb after all … but only to Icelandic Lamb … again the food was presented absolutely marvelous on a grey slate-look-alike plate and as good as it looked it tasted! Absolutely delightful!
By now I was for sure ready for my drink … I had hoped to get it before the meal … I still had to drive later … now I asked the passing waiter for it. He looked a bit surprised at the table and only a couple of minutes later I had my Black Death Negroni – a concoction with Icelandic Brennivin, Vermouth, Campari and Absinthe for ISK 2790. It was … strong … and tasted like a very good Negroni … I was especially impressed by the logoed icecube!
And then my dessert was delivered … I had ordered the Chocolate Rose … because the other 2 options sounded good as well, but the Chocolate Rose just jumped at me … maybe it had been my subconscious, because I had seen something reassembling a rose in the patisserié display by the entrance … chocolate mousse, raspberry gel and Sacher layer sounded mighty good as well …
This dessert was so rich and sooo heavenly good! It had French Macarons on it and Mango Sorbet and it looked so beautiful … The chocolate mousse was scrumptious to say the least … and who would have thought to find that under this red velvet cover … and … YES … I also finished this plate up completely! What a question, anyway! … It was really sweet, though … but I still had the drink to counteract to the sugar shock …
All stuffed and immensely satisfied with the choice of restaurant, I paid the bill. It came to ISK 7680 – the equivalent of some € 54 – and I thought for Iceland and for what I got this was really great value for my money! I paid in cash giving ISK 8000 saying it was OK … but while tipping was appreciated, it was not mandatory or customary in Iceland … and the waiter gave me back the change. I left it anyway. It was not much, but … I had the corner table … and a small tip was better than no tip …
Leaving the restaurant I had to do some more walking around and window shopping … that Negroni had been indeed reassembling Black Death … I had to walk off the alcohol before I could drive again. The weather was still good … and I walked past this window with volcano hats … Oh … I was intrigued … I needed a new wooly hat anyway … and what would be better than a volcano hat? … I went in the shop to check … I did eye a few hats … and tried a couple of them on … I contemplated a lot … I really wanted a volcano hat … but this wooly hat was really expensive … then I chose to ignore the price and forgot it … I bought that hat! YES I DID! … I had pulled a lot of cash from the ATM earlier this trip and now I still had much left and needed to spend it … it had been accounted for … so some ISK 5000 something for a volcano hat … was in the budget …
By 13:45 I was back at the car and was sober again … the weather was still good … and I still had that secret box in Akranes in mind – a possible First to Find … and the hotpot there … It was some 50 km one way … I had nothing else planned … it was too early for the volcano … off I was … out of the city via Ring Road #1 heading northwest to Akranes.
It was raining on the way again … but as I reached the parking lot near the geocache location, it was nice once more. The secret box was located along Langisandur Beach or The Long Sand Beach – one of the most popular recreational places for the residents of Akranes and very popular for sea-swimming. The geocache there was new – only published a month ago … and there was no online log for it yet. So I hoped for an FTF once more … The listing stated … under rocks … yeah … what else … but it also said to check the tides, because maybe at high tide the cache would not be accessible … I was lucky, it was low tide as I arrived … the box was supposed to be within the coastal barrier …
I searched a very long time … I climbed over the rocks … looked into very crook … under every rock … now I was ambitious … I wanted to find this box and see if it was still virgin … I was not going to give up … and eventually I spotted it under a rock way below … at high tide that box would probably be under water! Quickly I opened the container … damn … it was only an STF … Second to Find … but still … not bad … not bad at all … Happy I placed the box back in its hiding place and hoped it was safe there .
That accomplished I drove the short hop to the parking lot of Akranes Stadium and sporting complex. I figured this was the closest to my next destination – Guðlaug Baths! We had seen this on our tour in 2019, but had no time to use it. So I had made a point to visit it this time around … because it looked really cool and it was free of charge as well. I grabbed the bag with my bathing stuff and walked down to the promenade of Langisandur Beach. First I had a look at the pool – it looked incredible!
The changing room was located below the stadium and a woman who just came out in her swim suit gestured me in – Go ahead! It is open! – It had no lockers or such and it was not heated … but I had brought my flip flops – Believe it! Quickly I changed and wrapped myself in the towel, then walked out to the pool.
Guðlaug is a popular woman’s name in Iceland but it also means “the pool of god”. The baths consisted of a 3-tiered structure, with a viewing deck on the top, a warm geothermal pool in the middle and a cooler pool at the bottom. It nestled in amongst the large boulders of the sea wall. Open and free to the public, the baths were designed as a recreation spot for both locals and tourists.
Untreated geothermal water was channeled into the upper pool from Deildartunguhver – a huge spring located some 65 km to the northeast. Water overflew from this pool into the one below, which was cooler in temperature to help swimmers cool down their bodies before stepping into the freezing cold ocean. Well, I did try the lower pool and decided it was to cold for me … I was not even thinking about even thinking of a dip in the freezing ocean … not me! I was content lounging in the upper hotpot! The coolest visit to a hotpot I had in winter 2018 at Lake Baikal in Sibiria! Lounging in +40°C water at -18°C outside was just awesome!
Guðlaug Natural Pool opened to the public in December 2018. The view from the pool was amazing – over the beach, Faxaflói and Reykjanes bay. I could see Akranes Lighthouse in the distance. The sun came out and I was thoroughly enjoying my dip and stayed maybe 45 min … I was in hotpot junkie bliss!
Then it was time for me to get on the way to the volcano. Traffic around Reykjavík was a mess … the first traffic jam I experienced in Iceland … It was afternoon rush hour, I think. Traffic was moving very slowly on the bypass. I stopped at the cheap gas station I had found yesterday and filled up the car. Today I saw the correct button and the car drank 28.7 liters for ISK 5900. I would have to top up the tank again tomorrow morning before dropping off the car at the airport, but at least here it was really cheap comparably.
At around 18:00 I arrived at the parking lot for the volcano … and it was raining … but the weather forecast predicted clouds and some sun by 19:00. It was too early to head up to the volcano anyway … I liked the sunset and blue hour best up there … so I sat in the car sorted and posted some of today’s photos … I was getting excited for my last night in Iceland!
The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting.
Andy Warhol
