The Arctic is Cold

Because we changed plans yesterday, it had a knock on affect today. We had two options, do some viewing of the sights around Lake Myvatn, or head NE towards the Arctic. Given the prediction for rain we did the counterintuitive thing, the Arctic here we come, as there is no point walking around getting wet, and the NE was getting the rain later than Myvatn.

We backtracked to Husavick and then around the coast, past a number of black beaches (that is a colour shot...just how it was today) to the town of Kopasker, where we spotted some interesting field decorations and had a chat about my Pink Floyd T-shirt to a local fan.

From there we headed around the Merlakkasletta. At first fairly normal lowish coastline, but slowly becoming wind-swept watery, barren looking flats. These have been surrounded by sea ice as recently as the late 60's. Eventually we got to the Lighthouse at the most northerly point of mainland Iceland. It is 800 metres from the Arctic. The rain was soon going to catch us and the wind was blowing really hard so we gave the walk to the lighthouse a miss. Instead we headed around more watery wasteland to the most northerly town in Icland: Raufarhon. I do not know how people live up here, let alone in the little farms along the coast. The wind was strong and the temperature around 6. Wind chill would have been pretty low.

The people around here are putting together a 'henge' inspired by old Norse Poetry.It is partially built and looked really odd in the location. Apparently the shots at sunrise and sunset.....if it is not arctic weather like today, can be stunning, as can be the northern lights. Today it was merely stormy. The rain had finally come, and it was more like sleet.

Onward through this desolate country. It looked like a major undertaking was the collection of flotsam and or jetsam. There seemed a lot of it about.

We stopped for petrol at Þórshöfn, where I clutched my credit card in fear of it blowing to another planet. I froze in the sleet filling up half a tank.

The scenery got a little less severe as we progressed, with some nice wide valleys/fjords/flois. However we hit our worst bit of road going over the hills to Vopnafjordur. A good half hour in the clouds with visibility restricted to the white line on the left and one orange post on the right. My mind/eyes were straining and playing tricks; creating a little tunnel that was not there. Luckily not much traffic. Eventually we got under the cloud cover and relaxed a little.

We decided to take the inland route from there. It was faster and the next hills looked really scary in this weather.

Some more scenery, lots of waterfalls, lovely valleys....very few stopping places.

Some context for the previous shot: that is Iceland's Highway 1, the main Ring Road.

Finally in to Egilsstaðir, a sizeable town, and the most trees we have seen in one place in Iceland. We are staying a little out of town, by Lagarfljot, a lovely elongated lake, a view of which is available from our bedroom. We are also backed by the biggest forest in Iceland. Some walking will be had tomorrow, when it will not be raining; or so they tell me.