E phatlaladitšwe: 24.07.2023
What was good yesterday is too warm today. We have about 12 °C and I have to take off layers. But rain is omnipresent.
Just before the ring road, I meet Aida and Juanpe, 2 motorcycle enthusiasts from Spain, at a gas station. We met on the ferry. They ride much lighter motorcycles (about 100kg) and are equipped for off-road routes. However, they came with a car and trailer all the way to Denmark. We exchange a few words and our paths separate again.
I was recommended Skagaströnd as a stopover - I went there, greased my chain, had coffee, and tried to understand the recommendation. Couldn't do it. It was very bleak there. The only good thing is that it brings you back down to earth. Regardless of being in awe of nature; life is not easier here.
But now let's go: my destination for the day is the Westfjords. To get there, I take the ring road and then turn towards the northwest. At a rest stop, I meet 2 Frenchmen who check my equipment and approve of it. In return, they recommend the lamb soup to me. Strengthened by a good meal, I continue, master an unexpected gravel road that finally turns into asphalt after a long 20km - and then finally the sun comes out!
Wonderful!
The approaching Westfjords are more to my taste in terms of landscape. They remind me of Thuringia, only clean-shaven and with the sea around them.😂
It's not easy to stop for photos. The roads here are mostly high embankments and there are hardly any suitable shoulders. The lay-bys come unexpectedly. Sometimes a helmet camera would be desirable. But in the end, it's best to inhale everything that unfolds as a view with all your senses. The photos can then be seen as appetizers.
In Reykhólar, the destination, there are hot springs. I'm experiencing this natural phenomenon for the first time. The ground near such an outlet feels body-warm. Even the hostel has its own 'hot pot', fed by this warm water.
Here I relax now.