I woke up in the early dawn suspecting that rain would catch me out and scooted inside. When it didn’t rain I scooted back out to the grass, disliking the nylon barrier between me and the sky. I wasn’t even sleeping on my mat anymore, just using it as a pillow.
Our clothes we had draped on the shrubs were mostly dry. We went looking for Hjálparfoss in our vicinity- a very nice foss tumbling over basalt arches. I tried to do a handstand perched on a tip of rock facing the foss, but the battering wind made it too dangerous. I had to settle for a backbend.
Leaving there, we came unexpectedly on Stöng II, þjóðveldisbær. This is a modern recreation of the sod farmhouse at Stöng.
We were very lucky that there were some men working there when we showed up. They let us walk around inside, and we got to see the sod building techniques in action. Inside, the house was deeply dark, and we were taking flash pictures again to see what we were walking around.
In the dark, something brushed against my legs. I thought I’d imagined it, then it happened again, and it felt alive. I took a picture of the area and it was a coal black dog checking us out.
When one of the men said “Oh, lights,” and turned them on for us, then we could see all the features – the wooden bed boxes that seemed quite short, the central fire pit, the pooping area – and some interpretive signs. It’s a gorgeous place, ready to move right into.
Outside, the men were repairing a corner of the building, laying a piece of sod and then slicing the edge off of it to match the layers beneath, in a very crisp line. He was using a drawknife, constantly stropping it to keep it sharp cutting through sod.
Their dog, a bit of a puppy, was sweet and very bright, and we had some fun throwing sticks for it in the lush green backyard. In spite of the extension cords and tools lying around, this place felt like a pre-machinery farm, relaxing and vibrant. I remember this area being full of green and rock valleys, where the road would wind around and up and down, sort of hobbitty.
The sun was out and with the good weather we backtracked to Háifoss, Iceland’s second highest waterfall. It was very impressive, and you walk right up to it and look down into the big gorge that the waterfall drops into.
Around lunchtime we stopped and took a short walk around a tree farm at a place possibly called Selfit. The wind had been intense all day and it was nice to take a break walking in the woods. It was unusual to be in proper trees, so I realized that I hadn’t been missing trees at all in Iceland; it fact I’d barely noticed their absence and it was strange to be reminded of trees walking through a forest.
We got back to the car and I made some open face sandwiches. We had a very simple diet in Iceland, and it revolved around the most readily available fruits and veggies. Lots of sandwiches with spiced cream cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes. We’d snack on bell peppers and bananas, (supplementing of course with plenty of sweet and savoury candy/snacks).
Today, it was cucumber with cream cheese on rye. As soon as I made mine I opened my door, and just as Derek was saying “are you sure you want to do th–“ the wind lifted all the cucumber slices off my bread as one and whisked them away, throwing some in the gravel, some rolling away like wheels. I ran out chasing them while Derek shook with laughter inside the car. Sigh.
Just up the road there was a big knot sign but there was no interpretive sign. We climbed up this big promontory that seemed like the attraction – unusually bulky and separate, standing by the side of the road. Perhaps the sign might be up there, but there was nothing. It was a mystery.
This was our last whole day in Iceland, and we were on the hunt for another chance to ride horses. We were in the area for horse farms, the agricultural southwest, and there were plenty of horses grazing in the fields. Eventually we made some phone calls out of the book. someone said No, too windy, then someone said Yes, come in an hour.
With an hour to “kill”, we put some gas in the car and some ice cream in us. We drove out to Skaholt, then back to the farm for our date with the Icelandic horse (I think this farm was Sýðra Langholt, but that is not entirely sure. I can’t recommend them highly enough, if I knew who to recommend).
Our last riding experience had left something to be desired, and I really wanted to try again. This time is what all it could be.
The whole event was different from the beginning. We were hovering around the barn when three beautiful young women rode up to us and jumped off their horses. They asked us a bunch of questions, introduced themselves and their friend who had come along because we were going for a ride, and pointed out the helmets for us to choose from, all while they quickly saddled up two more horses for us as theirs stood. We all set out together, continuing to chat, while they discussed where we might go, deciding on the loop we would take back to the barn. There was no speech, no safety briefing, no trail, and no formality. No performance.
The moment I got on my horse it was listening and responding to me, ears swiveling around at me alertly. It was wonderful! I was riding the horse, not sitting on the horse while it walked behind another horse. We rode on the road for a bit, then left the road and went through fields, along a hill, all riding in a group, changing our order, picking up and dropping speed. The horses wanted to stay together but we were also clearly in charge of our own horse, and they were sensitive and obedient. The girls were friendly and asked us some questions and also boisterously chatted and laughed in Icelandic with each other. It was exactly like we had stopped in on some friends and were just out for a ride.
We totally tolted! It was fast, so I was a little bit nervous when all the horses opened up together, but then it got very smooth, and I felt very comfortable again. Possibly we paced too. It’s hard to tell from on the horse, but the trot is very rough, even more so than a western horse because their stride is so much shorter with the short legs, and then it just becomes comfortable and sustainable, while you’re still flying.
Two hours! We stopped for the horses to eat some grass and drink, rode some more, let the horses run and then we brought them in, took their saddles off and watched them all drop to roll the saddle itch off. It was such a blissful experience, and not like a business exchange at all. She passed me the wireless card reader in the barn like an afterthought, we said goodbyes, and left content.
Feeling like we had now definitely had the experience of riding an Icelandic horse, we headed back to the big city. We saw a stone réttir on the way – the sorting pen for sheep. It was a work of art.
At Selfoss we found that washing your car is always free, which is fantastic, to not rush against the time a few quarters buys you. Maybe not so fun to wash outside when it gets cold and windy.
In Reykjavík we went straight to Perlan for the waffle I was craving since our first breakfast, then to the campsite to empty out the car. Nearly packed back into my suitcase, I had a giddy moment of thinking “I can bring so much more stuff back” with the empty space I seemed to have.
Then we drove the waterfront for the first time to Kryddlegin Hjörtu for a most satisfying supper. This is probably my favourite restaurant in Iceland – relaxed, great value, always tasty, predictable, high quality vegetarian soup and salad bar. Ahhhh. Already a bit emotional to be at the end of our trip, I drove us back to Perlan for some nighttime pictures of Reykjavík from the deck.
After vacuuming out the car at a gas station I tried to find my way back to the owner’ place just by following my nose. I’d been there once to pick up the car, but that had been weeks ago. I didn’t do too bad but got lost right near his place. Dropped off back at the campsite (Reykjavík’s city campsite), I couldn’t find Derek anywhere! Turned out he was asleep. I left my luggage in my tent on slept on the ground outside it, as per usual. The night was cloudy, but it didn’t rain until morning.
There are several more pictures from this sunny day on the Extra Photos page.
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