Borganes, Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Reykjavik - September 5, 2023

At Djúpalónssandur

The morning of the seventh day of our Icelandic tour felt very different than all the others. Soly had told us we would be picked up between 9:30 and 10:00, so the nine of us had checked out and were waiting in the lobby of our hotel in good time. But no bus came during that half hour. We had never had to wait for Soly since he always stayed in the same place as us. (It was more often the other way around.) However, at about 10:10, a mini-bus arrived and, relieved, we boarded it. There were already several people on board, so we grabbed whatever seats we could find. For the first time, Jess and I sat together on the left side, and it was then that I realized that the single seat on the right that I had occupied for the past six days was the best. 

Our bus

A view out of the window

Our new bus was the same size as the one we had travelled in all week, although it was a newer model, and was owned by "Your Day Tours", a sister company of Arctic Adventures. Our driver was Monica, a very personable woman who was born in Hungary, but was now married to an Icelander. She was a very good guide. Monika's first stop was at the same mall we had visited the previous day. There we picked up sandwiches and drinks for lunch, since there would be no restaurant stops on this long day. 

Water, hills and sky

Layers of clouds

As we drove towards the north coast of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, I marvelled again at the stark landscape and the ever changing and dramatic sky that morning. The clouds were quite fascinating. Sometimes, the sun came out, but on this day, we saw less of it than we had any other day. 

Natural Iceland

Pounding waves

At one point, Monica pulled the bus over to the side of the road so that we could take pictures of the views over the fjord. As we emerged from the bus, we were buffeted by powerful winds, just as we had been so often in this country which is always at the mercy of its weather. Of course, as the locals say, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes, and it will change."

Waterfall and Kirjufell from below

Waterfall and Kirjufell from the side

Our first stop of the day was near Kirjufell, Iceland's most photographed mountain. Like other natural features of the country, it has made an appearance on Game of Thrones. It stands 463 meters above the ocean. The path we followed lead away from it towards two small waterfalls. We were walking in a light rain which made the path quite slippery in spots, so on Jess's advice, I did not go down the incline which would have afforded me a better view of the scene. You can see in the above photos that Jess took a shot from below the waterfall, while mine is from beside it. 

Pamela and waterfall

Heading back to the bus

In spite of the rain, unflappable Pamela posed for me here. On our way back to the bus, we were helped by the wind, which pelted the rain into our backs. Apparently, this open area often experiences high winds. Hard to believe that it was raining with that blue sky in front of us. 

A blanket of clouds

A crack in the sky

It is in this area that we saw the most remarkable cloud formation,  You can see it from two angles above. So much of the time I was in Iceland, I was fascinated by the land and the water, but on this day, the sky added another level of interest.

Olafsvik church

Rainbow road

Back on the bus, we passed through small towns as we headed west. One of these, Olafsvik, was notable for its modern church building erected in 1967. It is reminiscent of a sailing ship, with several triangular shapes creating a pleasing whole. Close by, the road is painted in rainbow colours, reminding us that Iceland is a very inclusive country. 

Arctic fox

Him again

Our next destination was the western tip of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula where after we exited the bus, we saw an arctic fox that, according to Monica, is a regular visitor there. He was very cute, so I am pleased that Jess and I managed to zoom in and get some good photos. 

Black pebble beach

The Snaefellnes Peninsula gang

We followed a path to the Djúpalónssandur black pebble beach. Here there are four "lifting stones", each one heavier than the last, which were used at one time as a test of strength of sailors looking to work in the fishing industry. Modern visitors are invited to test their own strength, but none of us decided to do so. Instead, our group explored the lava formations in this area, then posed as a group of nine, with Monica taking our photo. 

Farmhouse, moss and basalt columns

Farmhouse, basalt column and me

In Snaefellsnes National Park, Monica dropped us off near an old farmhouse and instructed us to make our way along a coastal path to Arnarstapi, about two kilometres away. The scene, somewhat reminiscent of Newfoundland, was lovely and inspired me to take many photos. Jaycee caught my mood in the above photo.

The pathway

Enjoying the walk

This short hike was the highlight of the day for me. I loved the freedom of this experience. Sometimes, I was content to be by myself; at others, I joined other members of our group to walk with them. We were surrounded by gorgeous vistas which included fields of moss, basalt columns, craggy cliffs and the ocean. 

Our last selfie

Tiffany and Michelle on the stone bridge.

I had come to expect that Michelle would find a place to stand above everyone else, but, on this occasion, she exceeded my expectations, as did Tiffany. I feel vertigo when I look at this photo of those two young women crossing a stone bridge. I could never be that brave. 

Natural stone arch

Stone monument in Arnarstapi

As we neared the end of our walk, we came upon its most famous sight, a natural rock arch off the coast. called Gatklettur. It is a stunning sight, as peeking through it, we could see the waves crashing in behind. From here, I headed back inland to a man-made stone monument that marked the end point of our hike. It is a homage to to Bárdur Snaefellsás, a half-man, half troll who is said to be an early settler of the area. 

The little church

On the road again, we stopped briefly in front of a tiny wooden church, Budakirka, standing alone in the middle of a lava field. It dates back to the 19th century. Afterwards, we had one more stop to make on this day: Ytri Tunga, a golden sand beach famous as the best place to spot seals in Iceland. 

Jess and Jaycee on the rocks

late afternoon on the beach

So off we went in search of these aquatic animals. Mostly, we found lots of rocks and since it was low tide, lots of kelp; eventually through my zoom lens I found some seals, who were sleeping on a rock in the distance.

Golden sand

Sleeping seals

Then, we travelled for a couple of hours back to Reykjavik. Our tour had come to an end–and yet, we were not quite ready to say goodbye to each other. On the trip back to the city, we decided to have dinner together somewhere. Michelle and Tiffany suggested the perfect spot, centrally located and within easy walking distance for most of us: the Pósthús Food Hall. There we chose among many dinner options, found a table large enough for all of us, and relived our last week together. I had ordered a pizza, but it was too large for me, so Rosanna offered to share it with me. 

Our last supper

Last group photo

We stayed in the food hall until it closed at 10:00, and then, reluctantly took one final photo together before heading our separate ways. Michelle, Tiffany and Rosanna were walking in the same direction as Jess and me. As Rosanna and I were walking along, Michelle came between us, linking arms with two grandmothers to walk three abreast. And so, my final memory of our group was this warm gesture of friendship. It had been a great trip with wonderful people.

Walking home.

Borgarfjördur, Reykholt, Hraunfossar, Borgarnes - September 4, 2023

At Hraunfossar

Our last day of touring as a group of 18 was centred around the Borgarfjördur region in the west of Iceland. Our first stop was a visit to a new geographical feature for us, craters. The Grábrökargícúm craters are part of the Ljósufjöll volcanic system. They have been protected in Iceland for over 60 years in order to preserve the beautiful scoria cones and the vulnerable vegetation in the area, mostly moss. 

Michelle, Tiffany and Kristian take pics while Jess climbs.

Andrew and Robin pose for Lloyd and Cathy. Paul is behind them on the path. You can see a small crater here.

Visitors to this place must follow the paths laid out for access to the craters. And so, we climbed together to the top, and took lots and lots of pictures as we did so. The ascent was a good morning workout, and the views at the top were well worth the climb.

Tina makes it to the top. 

Cyndy celebrating being at the top. 

As we ascended and again at the summit, we could see two smaller craters, Raudbrók and Smabrók. One of these is in the photo below. The path snakes around the largest crater known as Grábrók. Formed some 3400 years ago, it is quite a sight. Like so many parts of Iceland, this place stands apart from anything I have seen in other countries. I captured Pamela walking inside the carter to provide an idea of its size. 

I took the opportunity while at the top to get my picture taken with the other three grandmothers in the group. Others took group photos too. You can see the love in the one of Michelle, Pamela, Paul, and Jaycee. This was our last day together and we wanted to document our shared experience as much as possible. 

From the height of the crater, there are scenic views over the countryside below. This bucolic vista is in contrast to the moss covered ground in and around the craters. The campus of Bifröst University campus lies in the distance. 

We eventually descended from the heights and returned to the bus. On our second stop of the day, we would see our seventh and eighth Icelandic waterfalls. Was that too many? Not at all, since they were all very different. This first one today, Hraunfossar, had great charm. It comprised a series of small waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming out of the Hallmundarhrau lava field. With its turquoise water, it was very pretty. 

A short distance away along a path by the river, we saw a very different waterfall, Barnafoss, which translated means  "Children's Falls". Because of the the lava formations, it was difficult to photograph this cataract completely. According to local legend, two children attempted to cross a bridge that once spanned this powerful waterfall,  Dizzy from the height, they fell into the water and drowned. As a result, their mother had the bridge destroyed. Another version has her putting a curse on any children crossing the bridge in the future so that they would meet the same fate as her sons. 

Nearby, we stopped for lunch at a new restaurant that specialized in vegan soups. I opted to try all three on offer. I enjoyed all of them but the mushroom soup was my favourite. Our next stop was a brief one. We visited Reykholt, an important place in Iceland. Here lived Snorri Sturluson, a 13th century scholar, lawyer, historian and saga writer. He bathed in the small pool that we saw and sought shelter in the small building close by, as he recorded for posterity the major stories of his country's early days.

We made our way next to a farm, where Icelandic horses are raised. This was a bonus on our tour as it was not mentioned in our itinerary. We were greeted by one of these animals, who sauntered up to us as we arrived. He was trained to do this, for sure. He was very friendly with Jaycee, Pamela, and Rosanna, as you can see.

Next, we assembled inside a small theatre where we watched a film about what makes this breed unique in the world. We could see for ourselves that these horses are small, but we also learned that they are the result of selective breeding over the centuries. They have two more gaits than other horses. They can walk, gallop and trot, but they also have a gait called "tölt" and another, known as "flying pace". Because of their special skills, these horses are often exported to other countries. Once they leave Iceland, however, they can never return; this policy has virtually eliminated all diseases among the breed. 

Next, our guide took us to see several horses in their paddocks. We were able to touch and feed them as we walked past. We also posed with them, of course. You can see Jess, Pamela and Tiffany in the photos below. 

Back outside, we were shown the farm's geothermal energy source. It is a steaming area with a strong smell of sulfur, from which pipes conduct heat to the buildings. All of Iceland's heat is entirely renewable and natural. 80% of the country relies on hydro-electric power generated by the glaciers and rivers inland, while the other 20% uses a system similar to the one we saw on this day. 

Nearby, Jess visited with a pretty spotted horse, and then the black "greeter" horse was led our way for a final photo op. This animal was extremely good-natured as we took turns with it in front of someone's camera. Tina and I can be seen with it below. Our visit to the horse farm culminated in some hot chocolate and homemade rye bread, a lovely touch. 

We had one more stop to make on this day. We visited the Deiltartunguhver hot spring, the most powerful one in Europe, which provides hot water to all the towns and villages in the environs. It was very impressive, creating a great deal of steam, so that as we walked to and from the site we were enveloped in clouds of it. 

Our touring done for the day, we headed to the largest town in the area, Borganes. There the group was split in half. Nine of us were dropped off at the Hotel Borganes, while the other eight travelled with Soly back to Reykjavik. Those leaving had opted for a six day tour while the rest of us had chosen a seventh day. There were lots of hugs, and promises to keep in touch as we said goodbye. In the photo below, the two on the left, Cyndy and Paul, left, while the other four–Rosanna, Pamela, Tina and Jaycee-stayed as we did.

Since it was mid-afternoon, Jess and I decided to take a walk to explore Borganes. It was a sleepy place with very little going on, but we found a mall and filled our time checking out a grocery store. We were especially intrigued by the many sweets for sale, particularly the amount of licorice added to chocolate bars. 

Soly had suggested a local restaurant for dinner rather than the one at the hotel, so we went there with Michelle and Tiffany. Rosanna, Tina, Jaycee and Kristian arrived at the same spot later. This place, Englendingavik, provided us with some of the best food we enjoyed on our trip. The restaurant specialty is fish, and it was very fresh. From our table, we were able to watch the sun set over the Borgarfjôrdur, which provided a lovely end to our day. 

And here is one more horse photo, just because I like it.