Vesturland one of the eight regions of Iceland is where our adventure continues in Iceland. After getting an adapter in Reykjavik we drove in the direction of Westland. After days of sunny weather, we got more gloomy and windy weather when we reached our camping spot near the coast. It was so windy that it made us feel like our van was a floating ship 😉
The next morning started still rainy, but soon it was only drizzling. After breakfast with Icelandic Skyr, we made our way to our first stop, the Black church in Budir.
Búðir Located near the coast and surrounded by a lava field that is covered in grass and moss, the black church of Búðir is an impressive place to visit.
The first church that was built on this spot was from 1703. The current church is a reconstructed version from 1987. Sadly because of the Covid-19 crisis the church was closed. It is an interesting view, as for me I never saw a black church before. We walked around and took pictures. Then we followed the pathway next to the church to the beach for a short walk.
Arnarstapi coast After visiting the church, we drove in the direction of the cliff viewpoint. But the drive brought us into a deep fog. We could not see more than a meter and drove slowly through the mountain area. After what felt like an hour, I felt relieved when we drove down, and the fog began to disappear.
After a stop with cappuccino and cake in the town of Arnarstapi, we made our way to the cliffs next to this fishing town. We noticed the statue of Bárður Snæfellsás. Made from many stones and partly covered in moss, and the foggy surrounding this could be something from a movie scene. Bárður Snæfellsás the troll is part of the Icelandic folk legends. According to his story, after getting angry he left and now lives in the gletsjer nearby.
We walked to the cliff viewpoint where the waves collapse on the cliffs and the wind is floating through our hair. Birds were flying around the waves and the sound of the waves is soothing. Near the coast, I always feel happy 😊
Lóndrangar We drove further along the coast on our way to the land of the elves . According to the folk legends the elves lived near the coast in this volcanic landscape. We parked the car and walked towards the two pillars of 75 and 61 meters tall. A volcanic landscape covered in moss, grass, black cliffs, and rocks surrounded us. These are the remains of a volcanic crater.
While walking in the direction of these uniquely formed shapes next to the sea, it feels like you enter a different world, and I can see why this place could be a place of the elves. I hope we did not wake them up when we were there 😉
Hellissandur While the weather changed, and dark clouds came our way we arrived in Hellissandur. This town became the street art capital of Iceland after an idea of Kári Viðarsson, in 2018. This project has been set up in collaboration with Artrvl; a network for traveling artists. 10 artists created 30 different murals in different locations within the town. We walked around the town and saw serval of the murals. The one with the Viking story and puffin we found beautifully made. Next to all the amazing nature, Iceland has to offer, it was nice to see such creativity which brightens up the town.
Kirkjufellsfoss
The next morning, we woke up at the same campground, and today we planned to visit the famous Kirkjufellsfoss and mount Kirkjufell. Kirkjufellsfoss is named after mount Kirkjufell and is located near the mountain. Kirkjufell is 463m high and is the most photographed mountain of Iceland. It is also a landmark for the nearby fishing town, Grundarfjörður. Kirkjufell means Church Mountain, because of its shape.
With Kirkjufell top in the fog and gloomy weather, the grass and moss covering the surroundings looked greener, than green and the sounds of the waterfall were covering the voices of a handful of people taking pictures. I stare at the mountain and again Iceland shows its beauty and diversity.
Eiriksstadir Viking longhouse
Being in a country that is known for its Viking history and settlement, we found it interesting to visit a Viking longhouse. During the drive from Kirkjufellsfoss to Eiriksstadir Viking longhouse, we listened to YouTube and podcasts to learn more about the settlement and history of the Vikings.
Besides their rough way of living and taking over places, they had their traditions and believes that were ahead of time. They build Vikings ships, explored big parts of Europe, and managed to survive in hard circumstances.
The Viking longhouse at Eiríksstaðir is a reconstruction of the old Saga age longhouse and made of turf. In the original house close by the reconstruction, is where Eiríkur Rauði (known as Erik the Red) and his wife Þjóðhildur lived. Erik got this name “The Red” because of his flaming red hair. Eiríksstaðir is where the son of Eiríkur and Þjóðhildur, Leifur Heppni born around 980-1020. Leif would be the first European to discover America.
Due to Covid-19 sadly the house is closed. However, it was still nice to visit the spot and see for ourselves.
The statue of Leifur heppni - Leif the Lucky at Eiríksstaðir next to the reconstruction of the longhouse.
Then it is time to drive towards West fjords. But first, we stop for fish and chips and more fish.
One the way we saw these sheep chilling near the road 😊
The road leads us along the coast with a lot of turns and new views after every corner. After a quite long drive, we arrived at a small fishing town where we park our van.
The next morning, we drove to the oldest steel ship in Iceland, Gardar BA 64. This ship was built in 1912 in Norway and has been used for the hunt on whales. The ship was stranded at Patreksfjörður in 1981. This is where the ship is still today.
After walking around the ship, it was time to go towards North Iceland. The drive took us a couple of hours. By the time we reached the Northern part of West Iceland, it was cold, at least for me.
Grafarkirkja The next morning we drove to Grafarkirkja, the oldest turf church in Iceland. The Chapel at Gröf in Höfðaströnd in North-Iceland is located near a road. We park the van and walk to the church that is surrounded by grass and mountains in the back. Around the church is a circle made of turf. The gloomy and windy weather made the contrast between the dark church and white sky even clearer. The church is closed to the public.
That day we also take a break and eat soup and bread at the big gas station in Blönduós. The weather was not so nice, with lots of rain and wind. We upload all the pictures, and I spent some time writing. We receive bad news that my flight has been canceled and moved one day earlier. Luckily, I can move the flight and we still have time.
When getting back to the campground we hear that the weather in the North gets worse and they predict a snowstorm. We wanted to go further up north to visit Goðafoss and Akureyri but we decided that with the van and the risk of getting stuck is too big. We decide it is better to go further down. These places will be now added to the list for next time when we are in Iceland 😊 Including Húsavík, after watching the Eurovision movie; jajadingdong (you probably only understand this if you watched this movie) :P
Hvitserkur
The next day we visit a spot that was on my list for Iceland since I remember. Hvítserkur, also revert to as the Drinking Dragon because of its shape.
In the folk legends, this is not a Dragon but a Troll. It is a 15-meter-high basalt rock in the sea near the beach. The rock is alive you can say because it is a nesting ground for seagulls, shag, and fulmar.
When we arrive, we take the path on the right towards the beach. We get followed by a mom sheep and her two curious babies. We walk through the black sand and when we looked to our left, we saw the shape of a dragon in front of the coast.
The idea of a dragon fits perfectly in this land of trolls and elves. We take pictures near the coastline and at some moments the sun gets through.
The moment it is time to take a picture together with the tripod, I looked left of me and my boyfriend stares at me with a smile and is on one knee (!) I said YES! 😊 Engaged in Iceland, it felt for a moment we were in a fairytale. After this moment, we never will forget we left.
We had to rush back in the direction of Reykjavik. We planned to see a couple of highlights in Reykjavik and to go to the famous Blue Lagoon.
Reykjavik The place where the first settlers in Iceland arrived is still today the most populated location in Iceland. The capital of Iceland is one of Europe’s smallest capitals. The main things to see in the city are all within walking distance. We only had a couple of hours in the city.
Hallgrimskirkja Our first stop was the famous Hallgrimskirkja. This famous church is located on top of the Skólavörðuhæð hill in the center of Reykjavík. The church is designed by Guðjón Samúelsson. The famous Icelandic architect was inspired by elements of Icelandic nature for the church. The church is 74,5 m high and took 41 years to build and was finished in 1986.
Harpa Harpa is Reykjavík's Concert and Conference Hall. Harpa is designed by the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects, Icelandic firm Batteríið Architects, and Danish-Icelandic artist Ólafur Elíasson. Harpa opened in 2011. Iconic to the building are the glass walls covering the whole building.
Sun Voyager Near the Harpa building next to the water stands a sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason. The steel sculpture is called the Sun Voyager, referring to a dreamboat, or an ode to the Sun. It stands for the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress, and freedom.
Blue Lagoon Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa that is located near a lava field in southwestern Iceland. The lagoon is man-made. The water is a byproduct of the nearby geothermal power plant. The milky water of the Blue Lagoon is rich in minerals, especially sulfur and silica.
It is great to relax after days of spending outside and seeing a lot of Iceland, we now relax and get drinks. The steam and milky warm water with a temperature between 37–39 °C, was soothing. After a couple of hours, we leave relaxed but also a bit sad because our trip comes to an end.
After a great time, we leave Iceland. Sjáumst brátt töfrandi Ísland! (Hopefully well translated, should be “see you magical Iceland”)!
We can't wait for new adventures!!
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With a smile :)
Nicole
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