Getting Lost in Search of the Snaefellnes Peninsula

Getting lost.  It's inevitable on a trip like this.  And it is one of the most fun and alternately one of the most scary aspects of taking a solo road trip through rural and wild areas of a foreign country. Luckily, I've got a pretty good handle on survival skills for this kind of adventure.  Having lived the majority of my adult life in rural Appalachia, I know not to take off on a road trip without filling up the gas tank, and I know to stop and fill her up again whenever I run across a gas station that is open - because who knows when there will be another one?  I also know to always pack food, snacks, good music and a sense of curiosity and adventure.  And rain gear.  All this served me well on the third day of my Icelandic voyage.

I headed out of Borgarnes with the goal of driving west then north around the Snaefellnes Peninsula. I stopped at a little farmers market on the way out of town to add some local cheese to my lunch fixins, and I headed on out of town. Like most European countries, there is usually a roundabout at major intersections near population centers. I guess I wasn't paying close attention as I left Borgarnes, as instead of heading west, I headed due north in the direction of Akureyi.  That is quite a bit off from where I wanted to go, but it took me a while to realize it or give into the irking little voice that told me there really should be ocean to my left by this point...  The lava fields, mountains and glaciers were just so stunning!

I had to keep pulling off the road to stare at the world around me.

Driving across Iceland, I primarily listened to my favorite Icelandic band Múm.  I gotta say, Icelandic music makes total sense once you are here. The dramatic, ethereal sounds seem to flow directly out of the earth - just like the steam and water.  Now, every time I listen to Múm or Sigur Rós, I will see these places in my mind and remember the feeling of being here.  I plan to spend my whole flight home on Iceland Air exploring their Icelandic Artists music library and taking notes so I can expand my own music library when I get home.

Back to the road!  I started realizing I was clearly not headed in the direction of the peninsula, and when I reached Hvammstangi, I realized just how far off track I had gone!  

Hvammstangi - not such a bad place to land.

From Borganes, I was meant to go west (left) and around the peninsula. Instead I went northeast.

Turning around point.

So, I stopped for a cup of coffee, consulted my map, and recalibrated. It was already around 1pm by this time, but with 17 - 18 hours of daylight, I had plenty of time to backtrack and still see the Snaefellnes Peninsula.  Little did I realize that the way to get back on track was to go a bit off track - gravel roads, baby! And some rain and hail for good measure. Was I glad I packed my lunch and supper? You bet!  Would I change anything about how this turned out?  No way (well, except I'd preferred they had given me a VW Golf instead of a Ford Focus at the car hire...).

The long and winding (gravel road) to get back on track.

I never would have seen this had I gone on my intended route...

Just when I had started to think it just couldn't get any better, I got back on the paved road that leads around the Snaefellnes Peninsula.  Wow - around every bend, just wow.

Kirkjufell

The harbor at Rif

The open road.

Sjomannagadur

A nice hike through lava fields and then bluffs overlooking the coast.

The brilliant thing - being able to just do what I wanted, I stopped and hiked whenever I felt like it.

I had this place all to myself.

Turn away from the sea, and you see  lava fields with the Snaefellsjökull glacier in the background.

The color of the moss on lava was just unreal.

Not much traffic in this part of the world.

Proof that sometimes - or at some time, kids hung out here.

The little church at Hellnar.

The one and only pub in Arnarstapi was not yet open for tourist season.

Other than to order my coffee back in Hvammstangi, I don't think I spoke to a single person all day, and it was delicious.

I got home as the sun was setting (around 10:30pm) fully exhausted and ready to sleep soundly with my cat buddies.

My last day was less eventful, but a nice way to end the journey.  A morning visit to the Settlement Museum and then on to Reykavik - which, honestly I wish I had skipped altogether.  I am sure it is a fabulous city.  I just really was not in a city frame of mind.  So I was especially glad that I had decided that morning to just splurge and book a spot to soak at the Blue Lagoon.  Expensive? Yes. Worth it? TOTALLY.  My traveler instinct treated me well, and because I booked the latest time slot, the Blue Lagoon was really not crowded at all. I got to swim around in this opal-shaded silica pool and watch a huge storm blow over the valley.  Perfect way to end an epic voyage, I must say.

The Blue Lagoon was totally worth it.

As the sun began to set, I ended my Icelandic voyage in the spot where I first started fresh off the plane - at the little seaside park in Keflavik.  

The road trip started and ended here.

Farewell Iceland!

Goodbye for now, Iceland.  I most certainly plan to return one day...

Traveling in Reverse - The Golden Circle - Iceland Part 2

From atypically warm and sunny Brussels, it seems like my surreal road trip through Iceland last week was just a dream.  Iceland is certainly worthy of more than one blog post, and so here we go - covering day 2 of my journey.

Not a bad place to wake up!

I woke up at the serene Geysier Hestar after the best night's sleep I'd had in ages.  I felt a nudge of regret that I only booked one night here, but I was soon feeling the anticipation of what was to come on this second day of my solo road trip - especially now that I was fully rested and would not have to question whether or not I was hallucinating or if the scenes before me really were so out of this world!

The plan: "The Golden Circle" in reverse order from what the guidebooks all suggest (which assumes people are basing themselves out of Reykavik.  A short 6km drive up the road, and I found myself at Gulfoss, Iceland's most famous waterfall - and for good reason!  

Gulfoss

Gulfoss truly is a natural wonder, but what I really found myself marveling at was the story of how we nearly lost this beauty back in the 1920s when a bunch of foreign investors tried to push through a hydroelectric project that would have dammed the river and thus "killed" the waterfalls - much like what happened to Celilo Falls on the Columbia River when they built The Dalles Dam.  People had visited the falls since 1875, and the land owner, farmerTomas Tomasson refused to sell the land to the developersm saying "I will not sell my friends." Not surprisingly, the developers went behind his back and went directly to the government, gaining permission to move forward with the project. 

How many times have you heard that story?

Tomas's daughter Sigridur is credited with saving the waterfall, working day and night to challenge the project.  She even walked barefoot to Reykavik to protest the project, threatening to throw herself off the falls if the project went through. Luckily it did not come to that, and with the help of an attorney (much like one of my fine colleagues at Crag!), Gulfoss was saved. The government contract was nulled and the waterfalls became the property of the people of Iceland, forever protected. 

Because of her bold and selfless efforts to protect this special place, Sigridur is heralded as Iceland's first environmentalist.  And I gotta say, the story of Gulfoss made me feel pretty darn good about my life's work. 

Sigridur Tomasdottir

A lot of visitors come to Gulfoss, but it is pretty easy to enjoy the waterfall and escape the crowds.  I did find it pretty funny to people watch - so many folks from all over the world experiencing this beautiful place, primarily through selfie-sticks!  I stuck to taking a few shots with my trusty Pentax and wondered what Sigridur would think of all these people at her waterfall...

I turned back to the direction I had come, passing Geysir Hestar and heading on to Geysir - "The Great Geysir" for which all other geysers are named.  While Geysir itself has been active for around 800 years, it rarely erupts.  Its neighbor Strokkur, on the other hand, erupts quite reliably every 10 minutes. 

Again I found myself amused by people watching, especially the large groups who would pop off the bus, gather around Strokkur, wait for the eruption, never taking their eyes from their little mobile devices, and then waddle back onto the bus.  How many people experience the world primarily through tiny screens nowadays, I wonder?  I had to remind myself to take a couple of photos, because I was in such awe of this place and the fact that I was standing just a couple of feet from this powerful force of steam and water. Was I really standing so close to this boiling, steaming wonder?

From the moment I got on the plane in Portland, I've had moments where I am washed over with this overwhelming sense of contentment and appreciation for traveling solo - no set agenda, just me, a bunch of time and a lot of possible paths to follow. I felt this on the plane flying over Greenland, driving the backroads of SW Iceland, riding horses through the canyon, soaking at the Secret Lagoon, and walking home from the tiny little pub my first night.  And I especially felt this at Geysir.  

I stayed for at least three of Strokkur's shows - and for two out of the three I was there with only a handful of other people.  Geysir is a place worth slowing down and allowing yourself to give into wonder and awe.  If you take some time here, you get real feel for the geothermal activity that is happening underneath Iceland.

Strokkur

Onward to Pingvellir!  Iceland's most historical site and the location of the world's first democratic parliament, it is also quite remarkable for its beauty and geology - as it is the place where the North American and Eurasian Teutonic plates meet.  This is another place that can be a quick drop in on a fast tour, but I chose to spend several hours walking about and exploring all the trails.  I certainly was glad that I packed all my layers and brought my good waterproof boots - they are were well used this day, which included a hike through the snow.

Early Icelanders would meet here for their Parliment

Such great textures!

To the left is North America, on the right is Eurasia

A snowy hike between the plates!

I was also glad that I fixed up some warm food that morning and packed it up in a thermos. I enjoyed a late lunch picnic in a stunning setting.

The days are much longer in Iceland, and it is easy to loose track of time.  It was full light and past 5pm when I finally left Pingvellir and began making my way to my next Icelandic home in Borgannes.

The epic road trip continues...

Heading north to Borgannes

Another couple hours of driving through unbelievably beautiful scenery, and I landed at the home of artist Michelle Bird, where I was welcomed warmly to join in a home cooked meal and enjoy drinks and conversation with an international array of people - American, Italian, Swiss, British and French! While I enjoyed visiting with the lovely human folks, I was especially pleased to make friends with the three cats, who would be my bed mates for the next two nights.  I always sleep better with a cat curled up next to me - and two or three is even better. 

My room was decorated with my hostesses paintings.

One of my bed buddies.

The Planet Iceland

From the time I took off from Portland, I already felt that this journey would be extraordinary - not a vacation, really, but a voyage.  All throughout the flight I kept getting lyrics from David Bowie's "Space Odyssey" stuck in my mind.  Quite appropriate, really, because after a 7+ hour flight I landed in another world.  

And the stars all look different today...

I never really can sleep well on planes, and so after drifting in and out of consciousness to the film 2001 Space Odyssey, I was feeling a bit delirious once we touched ground. It was 7am local time.  A strong cup of coffee, a bit of sunshine and the open road were just what I needed.  On my first day, I learned one of the things I most love about Iceland - there are not very many people here.  And that makes driving around without a plan so much more enjoyable. I had almost 7 hours to burn before I could check into my guesthouse, and so I just hopped in the car with a coffee and got going!  Lava fields, ocean, sky, stunning glaciers and snow capped mountains - driving is not easy here, because it is damn near impossible to keep your eyes on the road!

The lure of the open road.

Icelandic Jesus?

Otherworldly

My first home was at Geysir Hestar, a horse farm located between the Gulfoss waterfall and the Geysir park, where every 10 minutes Strokkur erupts steam (Geysir only erupts every 30 years or so).  From the farm, you could see the geysir eruption across the valley.  What an incredible place to stay, with horses, sheep, affectionate cattle dogs, chickens, a standoffish orange cat and two huge rabbits. The dogs work with the horses, and 4 month old Nelson was my instant snuggle buddy. 

Nelson, my dog therapist.

Geysir Hestar

http://www.geysirhestar.com

Hostess Asa has gone out of her way to create a very cozy and welcoming guesthouse. I could not have landed anywhere better on the first day of this month-long Sabbatical.  Everywhere around me were little messages reminding me of what this is all about.

Home sweet home

Room with a view

Lucky for me, the skies were clear, providing a wonderful view of the Skaftafell glacier, which I got to marvel at from horseback and from the comfort of my cozy room.

Icelandic horses are a sturdy breed and are really nice to trail ride.  I went on a 2 hour ride with Jeanette, a young German girl who has been working at the horse farm, training horses and leading rides.  My horse was Gaefa, and she had quite a personality!  We rode up to the canyon and enjoyed soaking in the sun and taking the outstanding views of the glacier.

My new friend Gaefa.

Jeanette was a pleasure to ride with.  She has clearly taken to Iceland and entertained me with stories, giving me a quick tutorial on the sagas. What I learned: before the Vikings came, trolls lived here.  The Vikings and trolls had many long battles, and eventually the trolls decided to go live underground.  Whenever they would see sunlight, they would turn into a pile of stones.  And so you run across many trolls when traveling through Iceland.

One of the many Icelandic trolls

Of all the places I stayed, Geysir Hestar was certainly my favorite, and I'd love to return and stay for several days. After my horse ride, I was really feeling the many hours I'd gone without sleep. But it was only early eve, so I took a 20 minute power nap and then drove across the valley on a gravel road to Fluodir where I soaked in the Secret Lagoon, a hot spring with it's own little geysir beside it. It was just what I needed.

The Secret Lagoon

I made my way back to Geysir Hestar with a plan to eat and then go straight to bed.  However, two French travelers arrived - Mathilde and Christophe, and they convinced me to walk over to the little bar/campground/hostel next door.  It was the perfect way to cap off my first day visiting the planet of Iceland - a pint and a homemade pizza at the bar in the middle of nowhere. And now I have two new friends to visit in France!

The friendly neighborhood pub in the middle of nowhere!

Time for another migration!

Annie Londonderry - the first woman to bicycle around the world!

Three years ago, I took flight and headed to Romania to get some R&R and visit some dear friends.  It seems like it was just a few months ago - and it also seems like a lifetime ago.  Well, friends, this little bird has earned herself a month-long Sabbatical, and so another migration begins!

While I won't be doing anything nearly as impressive as Ms. Annie Londonderry, I do feel a bit emboldened by this month-long solo adventure.  First off, to fund this trip, I've sold my tried and true VW station wagon.  It's been a test of my deeply sentimental side, as this girl has been my TARDIS - transporting me, three cats and a dog across the universe (aka Eastern Kentucky to Northwestern Oregon).  She's been such a wonderful vessel for adventure, and I sure will miss her.  However, I can rest assured that she'll be loved and provide some of my good friends with their own adventures down the road. And I can look forward to returning home to a summer of bicycle fueled adventures!

This winter Carla and I found the "real" Tardis in Astoria, Oregon!

Driving cross country in 2008 with the help of a VERY good friend!

It will be tough to travel without Bella as my copilot!

While I'm not looking forward to being so far away from my best friend, Bella, I am very much looking forward to taking some time for myself to rest, reflect and recharge.  I'm bringing one bag, my camera, a sketch pad/journal and my iPad mini.  I'm looking forward to sharing my journey with you - so stay posted for photos and musings along the way!

First stop - Iceland!