Iceland- Day 6
Monday July 16tH
I think today is the day that I realized this is my life now- solo road tripping trough beautiful countryside. Out on the open road. It’s just me and the land now. Today I saw a lot fewer tourists and Iceland is so much prettier when it’s sunny!
Right now it's the end of the day and I'm writing this while I’m sitting in this sunlit empty restaurant in a cute town called Grundarfjörður... on my way to see a volcano 🌋
I’m also acclimatizing to the cold because last night when I needed to use the bathroom and it was raining - I decided it was too much effort to put on shoes and went barefoot. Granted I knew my heated van would be there to greet me when I got back so I suppose I can’t really brag about braving the elements. Yet.
I woke up in Akureyri this morn and started my drive by heading to Grabrok- which is a series of craters you can hike around. I’ll be real with you all- I’m kind of getting sick of taking selfies. I mean a scenic picture looks better. Plus it’s the same face (mine) over and over and over again. Don’t you get sick of that? I suppose I could just get more creative with the selfies- but I’d rather spend that time enjoying the view :)
Movin’ on- I’ve been listening to a bunch of random podcast episodes as I’ve been driving today. I’ve learned about Icelandic names, what Ragnar’s surname means, and then about random things like twinkies, Frida Khalo, narwals, and the unabomber. Keepin’ my mind sharp even while on vacation #norestforthenerd 🤓
I woke up in Akureyri this morn and started my drive by heading to Grabrok- which is a series of craters you can hike around. I’ll be real with you all- I’m kind of getting sick of taking selfies. I mean a scenic picture looks better. Plus it’s the same face (mine) over and over and over again. Don’t you get sick of that? I suppose I could just get more creative with the selfies- but I’d rather spend that time enjoying the view :)
Movin’ on- I’ve been listening to a bunch of random podcast episodes as I’ve been driving today. I’ve learned about Icelandic names, what Ragnar’s surname means, and then about random things like twinkies, Frida Khalo, narwals, and the unabomber. Keepin’ my mind sharp even while on vacation #norestforthenerd 🤓
After the craters I drove to two waterfalls- Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. The second one means: ‘children’s waterfall’ and the story behind the naming is sad. Story goes- there used to be an arch over the falls. One day a family living nearby were headed to church and for whatever reason two of the kids were made to stay home. When the family got back from church the children were missing. Come to find out they had climbed on the arch over the falls and fell off and drowned. The mother insisted the arch over the falls be taken down. The end. I also got that story off of the sign.
Next stop was Deildartunguhver- hot springs used to power the world. Or western Iceland. Maybe both? They’re not mutually exclusive. The roads out here are better than the east. Like paved.
So as I mentioned I’m sitting in a restaurant in the town of Grundarfjödur- and it’s less-empty than when I started writing all this- but still feels small-towny. Small-town like. Frequented by locals. A hidden gem. Diamond in the rough.
I have stopped quite a lot today just to sit at beautiful vistas by the side of the road because it’s sunny and WARM! Holla.
Animal watch report: I saw bunnies in the road. And cows in a pasture. Also you might find this inhumane- but in all the souvenir stores they have fur scarves and hats from different animals- and the rabbit is definitely the softest. They also have sheep & fox fur (which for some reason I think is worse than the rabbit ): And they (the stores full of merchandise) have these $100-$200 wool sweaters and jackets that I swear every tourist feels obligated to buy. I mean, I bet they’re super warm- but they’re so itchy I don’t know how people stand it.
I’ve also noticed architecture doesn’t vary much across this island. Every small town has a church that’s designed like churches in every other town. The houses are similar to each other too. Square- with white sides and a red roof.
But as I was sitting on a beach near the road I was really grateful for gorgeous places that people can experience solo. I enjoy being alone. Hence why I travel solo my friends :) you might think it weird to go on a long road trip in a foreign country by yourself- but it’s been magical :)