Day 4-Snæfellsness Peninsula

This was another big road trip day I had been craving to see. We got up early and left by 7am to drive the 2.5 hours to see some of the most gorgeous scenery on this earth. Heading north, we had to drive through the Hvalfjörður Tunnel. This was a bit of a weird experience because you actually are under water by over 500 feet. We could feel the pressure in our ears change as we submerged. 

We started out by driving west on the southern part of the penisula. As we kept going, our jaws kept dropping at the gorgeous scenery surrounding us.

Waterfalls, wild horses, hay covered pasture, snow capped steep mountains and a calm ocean surrounded our view the entire way. The southern route of the peninsula was remote and had very few villages. The waterfall that made us stop was Bjarnafoss. How would like this to be in your back yard?? Notice how there is a home in front of this gorgeous site.

And we keep going.

Continuing our drive, we came across the Rauðfeldar Canyon. This was a very narrow crevice in the rocks, but not somewhere I was comfortable hiking into. It was interesting to see however.

We are now on our way to the Snæfellsness National Park, and it just keeps getting better. Moss covered jagged rocks cover the landscape in the very southwest part of this peninsula, and the volcano that Jules Verne based his book Journey to the Center of the Earth appears in our view. It was somewhat cloudy, but not so bad we couldn't see the mountain. We are now at the western edge of the peninsula.

Moving to the north part of the peninsula, we came across a lot more civilization, and such cute villages. We stopped at these turf houses just after we left the park.

Another waterfall in someone's back yard, I could not find a name for this one.

Kirkjufell mountain is where we took a long break to take photos and eat lunch. This mountain is one of the most photographed in Iceland, and is very recognizable. We took a lot of photos and some video. I attempted to do a sketch, but it seemed more appropriate to just stare at the awesome beauty of this mountain and waterfalls. I was in a state of bliss being here.

The last stop on this epic trip was to Helgafell mountain near Stykkisholmur, one of the larger villages of the peninsula. This mountain has a sacred history, and I felt compelled to visit it. Legend tells that if one climbs up the mountain with a positive frame of mind, and does not look back or speak while climbing, three wishes of their choice will be granted. You must face east (there is a large compass that directs you) while making the wishes and never tell anyone what you wished for. My daughter thought I was slightly nuts for following this tradition, but I thought what do we have to lose? We made the hike in silence, and gave our wishes to the east.

This was a long day of driving, but well worth the incredible views we experienced. We ended the night at the Pylsa Restaurant for some evening cocktails and beer. Our server was very kind and recommended some outstanding local beer brewed in North Iceland. Another great day of adventure in Iceland.

Day 3-Reykjavik and The Golden Circle

Today we decided to stay in Reykjavik to do some touristy sightseeing and shopping. I am not a big shopper, but it was important to my daughter. We dedicated the morning to wandering Laugevegur street which is the main shopping district in downtown. 

Our first stop was at Reykjavik Roasters and my daughter had a delicious coffee drink while I had an Americano.

We also decided to stop in the The Icelandic Phallogical museum. My daughter thought this was more of an 'art' museum, but instead it promoted 'science'. Honestly, I felt this museum was a bit overrated and probably could have skipped it. Most of the specimens were from whales, seals, and walruses. 

Another stop we made on Laugevegur was The Handknitting Association of Iceland. This was mostly a shop with handmade sweaters and other touristy trinkets. I already knit my own Icelandic sweaters, so no need to spend $200 on one!

We also stopped at the Harpa to admire the gorgeous glass structure. 

On our way to our next big stop, we walked through some beautiful side streets where we admired how some of the older homes were built. Wood is scarce here, so they use a lot of corrugated metal for siding and rock. I love the Scandinavian style they use that is balanced with the white lace curtains in their windows. Another interesting thing we saw a lot of is cactus plants in their windows.

Last year, I painted a very colorful spot in Reykjavik from a photo I found online. I was pleasantly suprised to find that spot for myself on our walking tour.

And street art is everywhere.

Hallgrimskirkja is the very large church in Reykjavik that can be seen towering above most of the buildings. High rise condos are starting to fill their skyline, and I hope that they don't overtake the view of this church. It is free to go inside, but there is a charge to go up the elevator, which we sure did do. The last photo is one that is taken of Reykjavik frequently, and is one I wanted to see for myself. 

Our day did not end here. Initially we planned to do the Golden Circle on a different day, but with the afternoon still open, we headed to some other amazing sites of nature. On the way to the sites of the Golden Circle, we stopped at the Alafoss store in Mosfellsbær so I could load up on yarn. I already have more yarn then I know what to do with, but the opportunity to shop here is once in a lifetime for this American.

We drove past Þingvellir because there was not enough time to see this historical area. The drive was amazing however, and we kept going on. There was one more waterfall I just had to experience for myself before the sun set on us. Gulfoss is absolutely huge and powerful. 

After this brief stop at Gulfoss (it was VERY cold and wet even so far back), we headed home but stopped at Strokkur, a geysir close by. It was fun to see this erupt every 5 minutes.

We got back in late today, and my daughter was craving pizza. I would never have thought pizza in Reykjavik would be good, but I was so wrong! If you have the chance, eat pizza at Devitos!