The morning sun was not around for long, but it was less windy and warmer than the day before. We headed west and north to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. There is a four mile tunnel under the fjord to cut down on travel time. As to be expected, there was beauty everywhere. Farmland, wild blueberries, lava fields and waterfalls. As we passed the town of Borgarnes we learned about the original settlement of Iceland and the written accounts of the legends and beliefs of the people including many Norse myths. It turned out our guide can trace his ancestors back to Thor. Many of the original villages had to evacuate during a multi-year volcanic eruption around the 900. Close by are the Barnafoss Falls; beautiful, powerful and icy blue. The falls appear through the rocks from a subterranean river. The crystal-ice blue color is because there is no mixed-in soil to change the chemical balance or appearance of the water as it is a volcanic terrain of fused lava. There was once a beautiful natural bridge crossing the rushing water.
Next, we entered a lava cave. Vidgelmir is an impressive lava tube created more than 1,000 years ago from a mighty volcanic eruption. The lava field surrounding is named after the troll Hallmundur. He lives in a cave and protects the area. It was necessary to wear headlamps in the darkness. There were installed boardwalks to make our tour easier than scrambling over lava boulders and bumpy slick lava floors. It is stunning to see the size and depth of this cave.
After the cave, we headed to the Olkeduvtn mineral springs. The bubbling waters are carbonated; Iceland’s version of Perrier. Our lunch stop was close by at a hot springs resort and though it was quite cold and raw, there were many people enjoying the waters in bathing suits.
Our delicious lunch re-energized us and we headed to Gerduberg cliffs. These are remarkable hexagonal basalt colums. They look like a hand carved fortification wall and each hexagonal column is perfectly shaped and aligned. This basalt column is used as an architectural design in buildings all over Iceland.
Always close to a coast, we continued on to a soft sand beach Ytri Tunga. We walked past the decaying spine of a whale and then along the beach and enjoyed watching harbor and gray seals playing in the icy water.
The Snaefellsjokull ice capped volcano glacier was masked in fog so our view was obscured, We were told that this volcanic mountain was the inspiration for Jules Verne’s Journey To The Center Of The Earth. His description of the mountain top is exact.
We stopped for the night in Buoir, a beautiful and remote harbor area. The lava field is grown over with grassy flora. There is a small inn, a tiny harbor and Budakirkja, one of the oldest churches in Iceland dating to 1703. Its black color is a tar preservative which was a waterproofing technique from the time period. There are many striking photos of Northern Lights with this church in the foreground, however, none from me; it was a rainy and snowy night with not even a star in sight.
Where is Wendy 