bisque – Energy and Time

Iceland day 3: Snæfellsnes peninsula

We ended up yesterday in Stykkishólmur because we had signed up for the “Viking Sushi” cruise. It started in the afternoon, so we had time for a leisurely breakfast at the local bakery.

Breakfast in Iceland often means a meat-and-cheese sandwich

And to catch a few sights in town.

the most modernist of the three churches

Then it was off. Our first stop was the famous Kirkjufellfoss (“Church mountain waterfall”). It was raining so we didn’t stay long.

Then off to Saxhóll, an old volcanic crater.

Then on to Djupalonssandur, a famous “black sand beach”. I don’t think Iceland understands what the word “sand” means, since this beach was entirely rounded pebbles. I got so intrigued by looking for natural Go stones that I forgot to take any pictures. But the rock only looks black when it’s wet; when dry it is darkish gray.

Carol entering “The Garden” at Djupalonssandur

After some lighthouses, rock arches, and statues, we finally made it to dinner. I failed yet again in my quest to locate an Icelandic dark beer.

One of these is a PALE ale and the other is a DARK lager. You can tell the difference, right?

Carol got a pizza with dabs of mascarpone cheese

I went for the seafood soup, which was a bisque with a scoop of whipped cream and fresh dill.

Iceland day 1: This is how it is

The flight from Denver was fairly bumpy for the first couple of hours, so it was hard to sleep. I did not have earbuds, so I settled for re-watching Gravity with no sound. After that, it settled down and I was able to get some sleep.

We arrived at 06:30 and immediately got stuck in a huge line waiting to be processed. An airport worker had to explain to a frustrated tourist, “This is how it is.” Already I am getting a sense of the Icelandic weltanschauung: they like to get things done, but sometimes stuff gets in the way and you have to be patient. Stuff like weather, and volcanoes.

Iceland is a small country with total population about twice as large as Fort Collins, and the airport is not very large either. It took about an hour to clear customs, plus COVID check, plus pre-check checkin check.

Useful tip: For the COVID check you should print out your statement with QR codes; they do not like anything else. And for the checkin check, print out your bar code; if you don’t have it you have to stand in yet another line.

The day was cold and overcast, but it wasn’t raining, and there were a few patches of blue in the distance. We got to admire them for quite a while, as our van rental pickup bus didn’t arrive until 08:25, and then with an 8-seater when there were 10 customers. 2 of them had to wait for another bus. This is how it is.

While waiting, I checked the volcano seismology. It was late in a dormant period, so we’d probably have to wait a few hours before it started to wake up. This is how it is.

We finally got our camper van, a Dacia Dokker, which was cozy. Which, as all real estate agents know, means tiny. There’s barely enough room for me to fit in the passenger seat, and there’s no way I am ever going to able to drive it. Carol will have to do all the driving, even on the days when we plan to drive for 7 hours. And the sleeping area is not long enough for me to stretch out my legs. This is how it is.

The campsite in Grindavik is nice. It has bathrooms and a kitchen and a warm room where people eat and hang out and chat. A Scottish man who climbed to the volcano yesterday suggested the middle parking lot as a starting point. It is on private property and costs 1000 ISK (about US$8), but has a nice trail. The close parking lot also has a nice trail and is free. Hmm.

We had lunch at Bryggjan coffee shop. Both of us ordered the lobster soup, which was delicious. It comes with bread and butter, and you can take a 2nd bowl, which we did. All that was 2400 ISK (about $19) per person. Iceland is expensive. This is how it is.

Since the volcano was still dormant (but showing signs of waking up in a few hours), we drove to the Seltún geothermal area at Krísuvík. It had a lot of steaming hot water, bubbling mud, and rare plant species that thrive in such environments.

We also saw the large lake Kleifarvatn from an overlook, and stopped at Grænavatn (“Green Lake”) whose color comes from its high sulfur content and depth.

We had dinner at Papas. I got fish & chips (fresh cod), and Carol got salt cod.

I took lots of pictures, but our main USB A to USB C cable apparently is for charging only and doesn’t pass data. So I’ll have to add them later, after I get a better cable. This is how it is.

UPDATE: I got another A to C cable. It didn’t work either. Apparently most manufacturers think you would rather pay $12 for a cable that works part of the time (for charging, but not for data) than $13 for a cable that works all the time. So I ended up downloading the WP app so I can blog directly from my phone. It’s slow and painful, but it works.