Iceland 2014 Day 2. ~~~ To Akureyri ~~~

A weather alert has been issued for all of Iceland due to storms that will visit Iceland next 3 days. Do I have fun? It is adviced to not go out if you dont have to. Well I have to, and think about the tender relationship I have with my Spark. This will be fun. I shiver with the look out for the day ahead of me. I had to get to Akureyri, but my hopes and plans to visit and take short hikes during my travel shattered to pieces.

I wont have a lot of photos of this day, as it was in most cases safer to stay in my car and focus on driving. So lots of text here.

Its pouring outside and optimistic me hopes it will be dry to pack my car after breakfast. Oh silly me... 3 days or more Reykjavik will be blessed with this mess and I hope for a dry moment. Not this time. But Im leaving to dryer places, I hope. The forcast shows it will be better up north already from Bífrost on.

Breakfast is another adventure. The breakfast is served in what else than a viking room. With beerbarrows as tables or tree trunk furniture. The food is 100% Norwegian (modern mondial name), skyld (pickled herring), porridge, vegetables, rough rye bread, cooked eggs and for the worried eater, there is a toaster and marmelades. Nothing really special, but I got attracted to a cave with an altar to Loki, some stuffed polarbears, a driftwood horse and carved runes. It almost sounds psychodelic. Yes maybe a bit, with the purple and pink lights.

I had a good stay here, but it was time to move on. Trying to find a supermarket on the way to buy lunch and dinner, but I first felt a terrible need to leave Reykjavik as soon as possible, because the wind tossed the car and still I had my problems with my little friend. Several towns passed by and the road got more and more empty. I hated the gusts of wind, this circumstances make you very tired because you need to concentrate on driving and roads you dont know. And then I made a stupid decision at Hvalfjorður. The tunnel or scenery route of the old road 1. Because the tunnel is a long dark narrow cave I still felt uncomfortable after driving it with the bus. I choose the scenery to save money too (but of course it doesnt save money on gas and time). I after all visit Iceland and want to see and enjoy it as much as I could. It wouldnt be so bad at Hvalfjorður.... maybe it is even sheltered from the worst storm.

It soon became clear to me why I was almost alone. Winds are in fjords much stronger and unpredictable. On the southside it was not so bad, but the northside is more rough, higher cliffs and I had to cross a bridge which was continiously was swept with water from crashing waves, and I even saw some waterswirls dancing on the surface. I was mixed with emotions, this was so beautifull, so rough, so wild. Countless waterfalls and I kept searching for Fossarétt at which we stopped on a tour last year. I did not find it and got confused. Hvalfjorður was shaped different than I expected and I had the idea I lost my way. Then suddenly I saw Fossarétt on the north side of the fjord, which I didnt expect.

Fossarétt from a rainy car, sweeps couldnt keep up with it. But beauty still shines through.

There were some army guys. Strange... Iceland has no army. Probably from UK practising here.

They waved hello and after a quick attempt to picture it without leaving the car, and muffle a cookie in my face, I continued. I wanted to leave this fjord as soon as I could. One hour seemed to last forever. With my only hope I was lucky to drive the lane on landside. Not the feeling of being swept down to the fjord. One hour an I was happy to be reunited with the fast ringroad. No more canyons and deep fjords, I thought!

Then we approached Borganes. I feared the bridge and the powers of nature. Borgarfjorður is known for the strongest windgusts ever recorded in Iceland. You dont want to know the strongest one ever... But the true fear came from the ever ongoing road/bridge construction. Their earthed ground released stones that got picked up by the winds that hurled around the passing cars. Normally Icelanders arent annoying in traffic. They pass you when they can, but here that is not possible. And I had such a trunkdugger behind me, I could not stop, slowdown or do anything else to avoid this stone storm. Five or six stones hit my car and left it scared. I really hope my insurance does cover gravel damage, because I rejected it at the rental desk feeling so sure I had it covered. Never again I rent without being sure about gravel insurance, because I hear stones hitting the bottom all the time. You simply cant drive here without risking gravel damage. And my case was just bad luck. :-(

At Bífrost (student town in the middle of a lavafield) I took a break for quick photos as it seemed to be dryer. There also was a supermarket so I could finally team up with my loved skyr. But they had no blueberry :-( so I stucked with vanilla and pear.

Baula, seen from Grábrok volcano

Lava field near Bífrost

Grábrok crater

Baula, different angle

I decided to drive on few meters to visit Grábrok volcano. Iceland is really great with parking places and giving information about the area you stopped at. Most also have walking trails connected to stretch your legs or see Icelands wonders closer. But it started to rain again. I put on my rainponcho and just stretched my legs marveled with the views and feeling my heart bouncing of happiness just to be here. But I will be here again on my way back, hoping to have better weather. With this weather the only thing I wanted is move on to Akureyri as quick as possible. Soon after I drove off from Grábrok, the rain stopped. And at some places wind was completely gone. But with certain mountains you could be sure to expect huge windgusts. And after I passed Gauksmyri where I will stay later this week, mountains got higher and more dramatic. Lots of steep climbs and wonderfull smooth rolling down of the same steep mountains. If the wind wasnt here, it would be much more relaxing, but this kind of driving was exhausting me terribly. You cannot let go your concentration for even a second or you might seal your faith when wind tosses your car to the side of the road.


Oxnadalur was really the most beautifull part of this ride. Its a deep narrow canyon where sheep and horses roam free. At the Akureyri side there are farms with the typical Icelandic scenery of a farm and horses grazing at the foot of huge mountains. 
Halfway the canyon there is a restingplace overlooking the canyon. I parked there but didnt leave the car, as I was afraid I would be blown in to the canyon. Because here winds were vicious. But then another horror. My car was in second gear when I tried to drive up the hill to the mainroad. And the engine quit because I have a lazy car I still could not find the chemistry between gas and gear. Few meters behind me was the gorge and no rock or fence would stop me if I rolled backwards and was too scared to turn left or right. I yet start to learn the symbiosis of gas and gearing with this car, but driving away on a hill usualy failed. 
But thank goodness it all went ok. My heart was raging. I had it all with this winds. But one hour and I'd be at my next destination. However I doubted to go to Akureyri town first to fetch a pizza or a shop. I was so hungry. But so tired of this day, I went to Skjaldarvik first. And there I sort of dropped dead. 

I dont know what to think of this place, its nice and clean, friendly people that rely completely on trust. But this guesthouse looks and feels like a hospital or something. It lacks warmth and coziness, way too much white and bare rooms. I wouldnt say it is a bad place, but I feel like being locked up in a nut house. Just because the way it is furnished doesnt appeal me. I wouldnt like it to book here again. Nothing to complain about the facility itself, but the feeling it gave me was not right.

I was so tired that I surrendered to just skyr for dinner and some goodies I took with me from home. A poor mens diet. But I can handle it ;-) 
I trusted the hotels wake up service for auroras, but I either didnt hear it or they didnt notice themselves. But I missed some splendid aurora activity deep in the night. What a shame....