Iceland, Day 3

Snaefellsnes Peninsula

We awake in Stykkisholmur and begin a day touring the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. On the western end of Iceland, it has a tall snowclad mountain at its center, then lava fields, smaller mountains, beaches, farms and fishing villages ring the coastal edges.








Snaefellsnes is the entry poin to Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth".

Bjarnarfoss

Bjarnarfoss

Bjarnarfoss meets another stream

Our day is mixed sun, rain, wind. Iceland is truly changeable!  We especially wanted to see the top of the 4500 ft mountain, which is considered an energy "vortex" to some...but the clouds just never cleared away.

One of our first notable sites is magnficent Bjarnarfoss waterfall...a lucky farmer has a home below it.  Several streams join together below, and it's interesting how one is ice clear from the hilltop, another is rusty orange from iron or ryolite minerals in another mountain upstream.

Arnarstapi church

We go to a village Arnarstapi, that has a 19th century small church building near the road. We see these small wood churches everywhere. The earlier Lutheran churches were built with sod, and so no longer remain (except one that we will see tomorrow).  In the 19th century, wood and corrugated iron were imported, and a "building boom" was ON. Peeking inside a window of the church reveals a simple interior.

inside 19th c. church

From the church, toward the beach

Lava and shell sand beach

From the church, we walk through grass to the beach below. It is an unusual beach for Iceland, as the black lava is mixed with yellow and light color ground shells. The feeling of the sand is coarse, the colors amazing when you get close up! And you can't help but look at the sea, look at the shoreline, get lost in thought (or look happy silly into my own camera lens).

Lava and shell sand beach

sand of lava and shells

self photo in Arnarstapi

corrugated iron farm building

Back on the road, we pass by the farm of a mass murderer, who was executed in 1598. He welcomed travelers into his home, but they never came out.  There is now a corrugated iron building on that farm, a structure we see on most farms.  Iceland no longer has a death penalty, the last execution was in 1835.  In fact, Iceland has a low crime rate. Right now there are only 150 inmates! Guess the isolation prevents the ease of importing or exporting drugs and stolen goods, plus the Icelanders have a close-knit society.






Original Settler monument

Our next coastal stop is in Hellnar.  A sculpture here, made from stacked rocks that Icelanders so love, is meant to represent the "original settler"...it does look like a man with his legs spread wide, a spear at his side.  We see a path in the waving grass, and move on...

Hellnar lava formations

Cliffs at Hellnar

Walking along the cliffs, we find the most AMAZING lava rock formations! Iceland was built over millions of years by multiple volcanic eruptions...before, during and after the ice age (did I mention that before)?  At Hellnar, one volcano is next to another. The upright columns are the inner core, the hottest part where lava erupted, and therefore the hardest. The outer crater circle is long gone, but the core remains.  The ocean, seaweed, shellfish, and birds, have carved, colored, and altered these into something that just takes my breath away.

Volcano cores

Looking back from Hellnar

Hellnar lava cliffs

Some of the formations are downright artistic.  The pressure of the volcano formed stacked columns, and some of them are fanned out. Bands of color add to the display.

As mesmerizing as these cliffs are...keep looking back at the mountains, to see if the clouds let us see the glacier and snow-capped mountain!

Hellnar cliffs

Hellnar lava formations

A little further along, we are treated to lunch in a cute little cottage, hidden down at the rocky beach. Soup and bread and dessert.

almost see the mountain top in clouds

Cafe at the beach, Hellnar

Inside the tiny cafe

Trolls of Iceland

Around the peninsula further and into the national park. A large lava field is really just a lot of petrified trolls.  You see, they come out to play at night, but forget to hide at dawn, and the sun turns them into stone...well, lava rock.  Sometimes they are giant trolls...most are little.



Lava field in Iceland

This lava field extends to the sea, for a beach all black rocks and pebbles.  A graceful curving beach, the sound of the sea lapping small waves, rolling the rocks, it is a beautiful experience. 


This beach also has rusty debris from a shipwreck. It also has large white rocks that were used by fishing captains to judge the strength of the crew.  Snorri shows us how he can handle the 100 pound one...the largest is 300 pounds.

path to Djupalonssandur

Djupalonssandur

Black pebble beach crunches
under my feet, Djupalonssandur

Djupalonssandur

Djupalonssandur

Snorri lifts 100 lbs



Djupalonssandur, climbing out

More Snaeffellsnes peninsula

Seagulls in Iceland

Continuing around the peninsula, we leave the parkland and reach a fishing village Olafsvik. Seagulls, of course, everywhere. Rusty fishing boats. Neat little houses. In the earlier days of fishing, the boats were small, and fishing villages were located on the sea coast. But the coast is shallow, so eventually the larger boats needed deeper ports. The fjord inlets now have the seaports..."vik" in a town name means inlet, this town is Olaf's-inlet...and Reykjavik means "steam inlet".

Greenland shark, head with teeth

Our last stop today...another lava field and shark farm! This lava field has a bit of a tale. The farmer needed a road through the field to get to the road. So he took a chance and hired the Bezerks to make it. Humans by day, they turn into something else at night, and make the road quickly. The farmer was pleased, but killed them anyhow as they were not nice. They are buried under the single green mound, found at the center of the lava field.

Greenland ferment shark...drying

Very cool museum at shark farm

The farm is owned by a retired fisherman. The Greenland Shark is often caught in the net with other fish. It is poisonous to eat, as it feeds on rotten fish and has a different kind of digestive system. But needing food, over the years the Icelanders have treated the shark meat, died of it, then tried another method. So a delicacy that is treasured now is Fermented Shark. The shark is cut into steaks, stacked in crates, and left to ferment for months. The fermented meat is hung from rafters of the drying shack for several more months, and is then ready to eat. Marcea tried a teeny little bit of it...the smell is like ammonia, but tastes rather bland. The traditional liquor that you drink with it was far more potent!  The farmer also had the most interesting Museum on his property...with shark jaws, taxidermy-stuffed birds and animals of the island, seafaring gear.

One of the things that we enjoy about guided tours by OAT, is all the information that is shared in bus rides or around the dinner table.

On the topic of wages...the minimum monthly wage is $1500/month the average is $3500. A typical work week is 47 hours, which is more than the US or any of the EU.

On the topic of taxes...Citizens pay an income tax rate of 38-42% after the first $1000 is tax-free.  An employee contributes 5% of wages toward pension, and the employer contributes another 7%, the state provides a minimum pension in the same amount as minimum wage.    The income taxes cover national health care and education. There is also a 25.5% VAT tax added to the cost of all goods, except 7% on food.  There are also extra taxes on tobacco, liquor, cars, etc.

On the topic of education...10 years of education is compulsory and free. High school is optional another 4 years, the student pays for books. Then college is $500/year plus book cost.

On the topic of health care...Iceland is pretty much in the same social equality as the Scandinavian countries. Our guide believes that most Icelanders agree on high taxes and social equality, experienced by national health care, education and pensions.

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