Day 11: Vopnafjörður – Bakkafjörður – Þórshöfn

Drizzle.

So, first things first: breakfast in the communal kitchen. It’s more comfortable for us than eating out in the cold, even though the awning offers some protection from the rain. And, as always, the kitchen is where the social action happens. We get into conversation with Larry from Massachusetts, as well as Roland and Angelika from Heilbronn.

Erla invites us to take a look at the small collection documenting her family history in the house across the way. It focuses primarily on her grandfather, Runólfur, who – starting in 1923 – served as the area’s sole mail carrier, making ten winter trips and five summer trips annually. He traveled on horseback, by sled, on wooden skis, and with crampons on his boots. In winter, a trip could take up to ten days, provided nothing went wrong.

The small collection of photos and artifacts is impressive; the commentary provided by Erla’s husband, Haralður, complements the written descriptions, and Erla even treats us to a short musical interlude on the accordion.

We start by heading back east for a stretch. The Hellesheiði pass has actually opened for the first time today, and we’re curious to see what it looks like. Wolle drove it five years ago – later in the season and in better weather – and was absolutely thrilled with it. Well, today visibility is practically zero. On the other hand, the remaining snow on the pass is all the more striking.

It’s raining.

Bakkafjörður has an unappealing campsite, a lighthouse that’s off-limits to visitors, a small harbor...

So, we drive on to Þórshöfn. The campsite there is tiny too (two toilets, two showers), but the town has a snack bar (which serves pizza later on) and, if needed, a swimming pool.

It’s raining. There is a gannet colony in the north on the Langanes peninsula. So, we drive along the coastal track – which gets increasingly bumpy and full of puddles – splattering the car with mud; we spot puffins and the gannets, snap a few photos before the camera gives up due to the wetness, get completely soaked and frozen ourselves, and then drive the bumpy, puddle-filled track the 30 km back.

It is raining.

And hopefully, it will dry up a bit during the night.