Our second visit to Iceland was to see the Western part of the country and re-visit the town of Husavik up in the North. We started out at a guesthouse in Keflavik (just 3k from the airport) so that we could rest on our first day after arriving at 6AM. Upon arrival at the guesthouse we were given a stellar breakfast and met two other American guests who were heading home that day. The hosts are Andy and Yuki, a Swedish/Japanese couple who operate this artistic little gem of a place. One of the highlights here is a stone hot tub in the back yard which is fed by the municipal geothermal system. After a nap we found our way to a grocery store and the Vinbudin (the beer store), followed by a terrific meal at a restaurant recommended by the hosts. That too was full of Americans. It was kind of bizarre. After another fabulous breakfast the next morning (and meeting yet another American couple) we headed out on our adventure.
From Keflavik we drove North to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. We drove clockwise along the perimeter of the peninsula, through Snæfellsjökull National Park (and glacier) at the Western end, and across the north side to the area around Stykkishólmur.
We climbed the stairway going up on the left side of this cinder cone, and the wind up there was incredibly scary.
We spent our second night near the ferry port of Stykkishólmur. The next morning we headed for the Látrabjarg bird cliffs in the Westfjords.
The last part of this ride was maybe 30 kms on one-lane gravel roads carved into mountainsides, with two-way traffic and no guard-rails. At one point I wondered why I hadn't seen any cars at the bottom of the mountainsides, and then I realized I wasn't looking down, hahaha. We stayed at the Hótel Breiðavík which is probably 25kms in along this road, pretty much on the beach. They have a restaurant with a full menu - I can't imagine getting supplies in there.
But we got to see the puffins! We went to the cliffs before checking into the hotel and we couldn't find any puffins. At the hotel, the woman who checked us in said that we needed to go in the evening and look in a specific spot. When we went back after dinner, they were right where she said they would be. They have little fear of humans, though they seem curious about us so they're agreeable to being photographed.
The next day we drove north to Ísafjörður where we stopped for groceries for fear of not finding another store for days. Then we continued along the north side of that peninsula to the Country Hotel Heydalur, which is another full service hotel/restaurant in the middle of nowhere, though I guess most things are in the middle of nowhere here.
Our next stop was near the town of Hvammstangi on the Vatnsnes peninsula. One evening there while eating in a restaurant we watched a whale spouting and flipping its tail in the Miðfjörður. Our guesthouse had a little pond which was busy with ducks and wading birds.
Next up was a drive to Northern Iceland, to the town of Husavik. We had been to Husavik before and found it to be a charming place. This time we spent two nights there so we were able to explore more of the area. We drove further North and found more puffins in the cliffs, and had a picnic lunch at the edge of a volcanic lake. And this time around they were having a heat wave which was a whole lot better than the weather we had on our first visit.
When we left Husavik we headed to our last stop at a hotel near Borgarnes, right on the main "ring road" about 2 hours from the airport. Another place with a great restaurant, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. This one has its own farm from which some of the menu is sourced. Our room had this view of the sod-covered chicken coop.
