Snaefellsjokull National Park

Tuesday, September 13 

Today, we headed to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula on Iceland’s west coast, a couple of hours northwest of Reykjavik.  Though it was gray and rainy in the city, the forecast for our destination was sunny and clear, so we had our fingers crossed.  

The skies did, indeed, brighten and the day was crystal clear – with fierce, cold winds.  The Snaefellsjokull Glacier dominates the peninsula, and on this sparkling day, the views from all angles as we encircled it were wonderful.  And, if we chanced to look in the other direction, there was the sea.

At one viewpoint on a promontory, we were lucky not to have been blown away as we took in the waves crashing onto the volcanic rocks below. 

We did manage to stay earthbound while visiting a monument to Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir, a woman revered in Iceland.  She was a world traveler – in the 10^th century! – and gave birth to the first European child born in the New World, Snorri Þorfinnsson.  A sweet statue of her, standing in a boat and holding her child aloft, stands on the site of her home at Laugarbrekka, on the peninsula.

Today’s exercise came in the form of a climb up hundreds of shallow steps to the top of Saxholl Crater, the cinder cone remains of an eruption almost 4,000 years ago.  If the ascent hadn’t already taken our breath away, the views of the glacier and the ocean would have.

Our drive back to Reykjavik was a perfect way to end our stay in Iceland.  The views mountains, glacier, volcanic rocks, small villages, farms, ocean, tiny churches, and (of course) sheep perfectly encapsulated our experiences this week.  

Tomorrow, it’s on to Denmark!