On our 2nd day, we awoke to the sound of rain pounding on the roof of our B&B, we’d been able to choose what time to have breakfast, so a long lie in was relished. For breakfast we were spoilt by our host – we got the opportunity to try foods that we wouldn’t normally – such as Icelandic lava bread (rye bread baked using the geothermal head underground), with boiled egg and pickled herring – this was so good (I can’t believe i’ve not tried it before), along with traditional icelandic smoked lamb, we tried two types – one was very smoky smelling, the other was marbled throughout the meat – this was my favourite. Along with all this was more meat and cheese, soft boiled eggs and homemade bread – all so delicious and washed down with a pot of coffee. We were sad to leave, I can tell you – but out into the rain we headed
Rather than use the SatNav, we decided to use the scenic map we’d picked up, so we drove on a more local road than the ring road, and stopped off at Knarraros Lighthouse, where some wild horses came to inspect us – I was slightly worried, as I’d always thought of the Icelandic ponies and medium hight, these were huge!
We continued on road 305, which runs along þjórsá – Iceland’s longest river. At times the road was nothing but a gravel, farmland type road (our car was covered in mud). We managed to miss ‘the greatest panorama in Iceland’ which oddly enough was right next to fljotsholar – apparently a great place to buy carrots, but neither were well signed posted so we carried straight on until we reached Villingaholtskirkja a small, traditional looking church and home of the great Saga writerJjon Erlendsson.
Next stop on our tour was Urriðafoss waterfall, after taking the turn off, then thinking it was the wrong one as it went past a little guesthouse, we eventually arrived down a potholed road. It was worth it, there was another car of 4 people there, so very peaceful, the roar of the water is amazing.
After Urriðafoss we joined the 1 (the Icelandic ring road), and headed towards Vik. We did make a few more stop offs, as the ring road is littered with picnic areas or small areas you can pull off the road, to photograph stuff. There’s a ton of waterfalls, and lava fields, and just all round amazing, stunning, scenery and nature. Btw, the birds here are very flighty when it comes to personal safety, flying across the path of your car, my heart was in my mouth a few times!
So we arrived at our hotel in Vik, Hotel Katla around 3pm. We unloaded, then headed into the centre of Vik to get food, as all we’d not eaten since breakfast! Seriously in need of caffeine!
We ate at Halldorskaffi then bought supplies from the shop a few doors down, and headed back to the hotel, where we jumped in the hottub again, we were hoping to see the Northern Lights, but no such luck – another night listening to the rain battering the roof and windows!
Culturenator 