A Coffee at the End of the World (On the Road in the Volcanic Desert)

When asking AI for a meaningful English translation of the term 'Road Trip', the results are sparse. The German title of Jack Kerouac's novel 'On the Road' is simply titled 'On the Way'. For our travel group, the morning always began with muesli and skyr, then packing our bags and saddling up. We were usually on the road by 8 a.m. To get into the mood for the day, we played Hannes Wader's 'Today Here, Tomorrow There' and 'On the Road Again' in the version by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.

Saturday took us through the rugged Northeast of the island. Our first stop was the massive Dettifoss, one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland. In the midst of the wilderness, the plumes of spray were already visible from a distance. The Jökulsá á Fjöllum (translated: Glacier River from the Mountains) made its way with tremendous force from the highlands to the Greenland Sea. We reached the visitor parking lot in front of the coach buses, and the snack stand in the middle of nowhere was closed. A coffee would have been nice.
The second stop was the Asbyrgi Canyon, another 30 km north. The impressive rock formations surprised us with lush vegetation, with birch groves and blueberry bushes along the road. The sun was blazing, but it was cold in the shade. Before continuing on, we stopped at the local gas station. The rest area combined a snack bar, supermarket, trinket shop, record dealer, and social gathering place, right in the middle of nowhere. A warning light in the rental car caused some unease. During a visit to a workshop the day before, we were assured that everything was fine, Hakuna Matata. Nevertheless, we took the opportunity for a phone call with the rental company and a pit stop with snacks and coffee, finally.
Then we followed 50 km of gravel road south to get back onto the Ring Road. From there, we continued east through an otherworldly landscape of ash and extinct volcanoes. After two hours, we took another restroom break, and I treated myself to another coffee. In the rugged surroundings, the rest areas felt like cozy Hygge oases. Outside, the view was lost in an empty expanse.
Finally, we visited the Stuðlagil Canyon, a gorge with rapids and another waterfall, a hidden gem that was not listed in Lonely Planet. The landscape had regained its green, and along the paths, sheep grazed.
In the early evening, we reached our accommodation near Egilsstaðir. The area with its lake and farmland reminded me of the Allgäu, and a supermarket was nearby. For dinner, we grilled on the terrace.
Back to civilization. For this, we had Hákarl, fermented Greenland shark. The otherwise toxic fish becomes edible only through storage without oxygen, but it still retains a monstrous stench. I had to eat my fish alone on the terrace while holding my nose. The dish was voted the least favorite food in Europe on the online platform Taste. (https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A1karl) In taste, the fermented shark resembled a mix of butterfish and Harzer cheese.