We awoke in our little cabin on the edge of the lake in Myvatn, ready for a good breakfast. We rolled up our sleeping bags, packed the car and headed back to the Cowshed Cafe. The greeter at the restaurant informed us that there was only 15 minutes left of the buffet. This instilled anxiety in Katie.
A normal breakfast at a buffet for me is a couple of pieces of toast, a palm sized amount of fruit, 1-2 piece of cheese and a slice or two of meat. And coffee, of course. Katie doubles my meal, then adds a yogurt, 2 bowls of cereal and a glass of milk or fruit juice. It is a sight to behold.
After filling our bellies and admiring a rainbow, we were off to the northwestern portion of Iceland - I admit that I had researched the last about that area, as the original plan was to only drive the south coast. We, once again, ran smack into a dense fog on the snowcapped mountains.
Once out of the fog, we entered another fiord valley. This time a wonderful little city was nestled within. Akureyri is like "little-Reykjavik", with great restaurants, shops and a charming and accessible feel for tourists. We really liked the feel of this town. We wondered what its population is - you see, Iceland is home to 300,000+ people. It is a small country in sq miles and in population. Well, it turns out that Akureyri is home to approximately 18,000. It certainly feels like a more bustling spot!
We were off into the mountains again. This time, our descent into horse country reminded us much of Ireland. We visited a croft house near our destination, Saudurkrokur. That is a home made of earth/turf. Surprisingly, it felt homey inside, as it protected us from the wicked wind.
When we got to our destination, we were wowed by the color of the fiord water - a wonderful robin's egg blue that eased into darker tones in the center. In the distance we could see two islands. Apparently, they are uninhabited - one of them is due to a curse that makes wives disappear after a decade - I figure any couple who lives in seclusion on an island is bound to have a "disappearance" after too much time together...
We had dinner at a local pub/restaurant and I ordered puffin - it was a cross between a bird and a fish, in taste. A good experience, but probably my last puffin meal.
We bedded at a mid-sized guesthouse. It wasn't our favorite town or hotel. But that is saying a LOT because of the high success rate we've had. Both the town and accommodations were desolate feeling - odd for a country that, to this point, had shown us very friendly people at every stop. On a Saturday night, we saw 5 people out (during our 1-hour walk). Most establishments were closed. I wonder if it is a bedroom community - people work, then go home to eat and sleep - little socialization.
I nodded off to sleep after beginning Independent People by Halldor Laxness - a great read!
A normal breakfast at a buffet for me is a couple of pieces of toast, a palm sized amount of fruit, 1-2 piece of cheese and a slice or two of meat. And coffee, of course. Katie doubles my meal, then adds a yogurt, 2 bowls of cereal and a glass of milk or fruit juice. It is a sight to behold.
After filling our bellies and admiring a rainbow, we were off to the northwestern portion of Iceland - I admit that I had researched the last about that area, as the original plan was to only drive the south coast. We, once again, ran smack into a dense fog on the snowcapped mountains.
Once out of the fog, we entered another fiord valley. This time a wonderful little city was nestled within. Akureyri is like "little-Reykjavik", with great restaurants, shops and a charming and accessible feel for tourists. We really liked the feel of this town. We wondered what its population is - you see, Iceland is home to 300,000+ people. It is a small country in sq miles and in population. Well, it turns out that Akureyri is home to approximately 18,000. It certainly feels like a more bustling spot!
We were off into the mountains again. This time, our descent into horse country reminded us much of Ireland. We visited a croft house near our destination, Saudurkrokur. That is a home made of earth/turf. Surprisingly, it felt homey inside, as it protected us from the wicked wind.
When we got to our destination, we were wowed by the color of the fiord water - a wonderful robin's egg blue that eased into darker tones in the center. In the distance we could see two islands. Apparently, they are uninhabited - one of them is due to a curse that makes wives disappear after a decade - I figure any couple who lives in seclusion on an island is bound to have a "disappearance" after too much time together...
We had dinner at a local pub/restaurant and I ordered puffin - it was a cross between a bird and a fish, in taste. A good experience, but probably my last puffin meal.
We bedded at a mid-sized guesthouse. It wasn't our favorite town or hotel. But that is saying a LOT because of the high success rate we've had. Both the town and accommodations were desolate feeling - odd for a country that, to this point, had shown us very friendly people at every stop. On a Saturday night, we saw 5 people out (during our 1-hour walk). Most establishments were closed. I wonder if it is a bedroom community - people work, then go home to eat and sleep - little socialization.
I nodded off to sleep after beginning Independent People by Halldor Laxness - a great read!
No comments:
Post a Comment