We did a lot of traveling today. Thank you Greg for doing all the driving. Most of it seemed like we were on another world. No traffic, no people, no buildings, no trees, no nothing, just the ribbon of 2-lane road traversing a barren landscape under grey skies spitting rain.
After about 70km we finally saw some sign of civilization.
We missed the turn for our first stop because the navigator (me) had fallen asleep. Greg spotted a cluster of cars pulled off the road and when we arrived, there was a beautiful waterfall just off the highway.
It was here that we realized we had missed our turnoff so we had to double back about 6km to get back on track. Our destination was Fjalladýrð, an active farm since the settlement period and the highest settlement in the whole country.
From there, we headed back to the main road and on to Stuðlagil, considered one of Iceland’s largest collections of basalt columns.
After a lunch snack in the parking lot at the falls, it was off to Egilsstaðir for the evening. We arrived early, so did a little shopping before checking in at the Hotel Valaskjalf. Since most things are closed Sundays, we got in a little napping before heading out to pizza for dinner at Askur Pizzaria.
Our last stop of the day was at the Vök nature baths, fed by hot springs found deep under Lake Urriðavatn.
Unlike the mineral hot springs found elsewhere in Iceland, these man-made thermal pools of differing temperatures are filled from the lake which is so pure it is the only geothermal water in Iceland certified as drinkable (they offer free tea with the drinkable stuff inside). The name Vök comes from the ice-free areas of the lake that do not frees during the winter. Unlike most Icelandic names, Vök still gets a full sized road sign, so it’s hard to miss.
