A Day of Glacial Proportions

30.10.19

We’d run out time yesterday to see a nearby glacier, so today we retraced our steps and headed back down the coast.

Sólheimajőkull glacier unfurls from the main Mýrdalsjőkull ice cap and from the main road is only about a 5km drive then a 800m walk. The walking track follows the edge of a glacial lagoon.

There were lots of school groups preparing to do an organised climb up onto the glacier, the only way you are allowed to venture onto it.

And yes, of course, this scenery also featured in GOT when the Night’s Watch are taken unawares by the dreaded White Walkers!

We left just as the rain started, and felt a little sorry for those school kids (or rather their teachers), being stuck up on the glacier in such miserable conditions.

We made a quick stop at the Eyjafallajőkull Visitor Centre which is opposite a farm that was directly impacted by the 2010 eruption. It’s hard to imagine the family having to be dug out of the ash when you see the farm today.

Iceland is a country of contrasts, and on our way back towards Selfoss, we happened upon two unusual sights.

Steinahellir Cave was used by the local farmers to house their sheep but these days it is empty. A sign on the door warns people not to use the cave as a toilet! Ghosts and spirits are said to loiter around the cave and one tale warns of not picking the enchanted ferns inside as bad luck will befall anyone who does.

Nearby, the ‘bra fence’ is quickly becoming a popular stopping point. Apparently a couple of locals stole some bras from a neighbour after a rather raucous party and tied them onto a roadside fence. Since then, people passing by have added to the collection! Considerably!

Lunch at a bakery in Selfoss was delicious, with these cute marzipan creatures adorning the counter. Very Icelandic, apart from the elephants???

The weather was really closing in, and there was not much to see because of the rain and fog. We made our way back to Reykjavik via Reykjanesfólkvangur National Park, an area of raw countryside. Three sights stood out. Kleifarvatn, a deep lake sitting on a volcanic fissure, is Iceland’s answer to Lock Ness, as it’s supposed to be inhabited by a giant worm.

Graenavatn, a crater lake with gorgeous teal coloured water, caused by the minerals and warmth-loving algae within.

Lastly, Seltún, a geothermal field scattered with bubbling mud pools and steam vents.

Our Iceland adventure was coming to an end. Back in Reykjavik, we negotiated the intricacies of getting into a rather complicated Airbnb apartment thanks to the millenials with us!

What a fabulous 10 days!