Wednesday, July 16
fithostel
tei
At the Keflavik we have some difficulties fitting the bike boxes in the taxi, the drivers (yes, there are several of them hanging around and watching our "show") are not particularly cooperative or communicative. Eventually, the boxes in and the car doors hanging open we are on our way to Njardvik.
The bike assembly goes smoothly, but then there are the boxes: we need to store them somewhere for three weeks, since there is no bike shop around. After checking all the closets and corners, our host, the hostel employee takes them to her apartment. How very nice of her! She, a tiny young Chinese woman, even carries one of the flattened boxes upstairs in the very narrow staircase.
Then we are ready for the town, and it is really chilly; we both have our bicycle fleece on. It is 8pm. already, and enter the first place open, restaurant Rain. They refuse to serve tuna because of a new chef. That explains why Tomi's carbonara is like scrambled eggs in spaghetti --- the most unappetizing pasta dish we have ever seen --- but the lobster bisque is good. Tei's salad Caprese is plain boring, and monkfish entree just ok. The price and quality do not meet in this place: we are 10,580 crowns poorer after the poor dinner.
We finish the night in the Irish pub. One pint of Kilkenny and one pint of Guinness cost us 1200 Icelandic crowns, approximately 10 euros (13 in USD) at that time! Now it would be something like 7 euros.
Thursday, July 17
We ride 56.97 kilometers in 4:38'39.
njardvik
it is pretty warm
paved road
Finally we find ourselves at the campground next to the Botanical Garden and the Hostelling International, Reykjavik. The hostel is full, so we decide to camp for 1700 crowns a night. After pitching the tent and quick showering, we are on our way to the city. We find ourselves in the "nice" shopping and restaurant area with narrow streets and idyllic old houses. It starts raining, and we are hungry too, so we stop at at Lystin. Tei has an Icelandic salad with blood pudding, and Tomi some soup. We down them with Stellas. The fun costs us 3490 crowns.
campground
We continue exploring, and it continues raining. Even though we are not particularly hungry anymore, we rush into Rossopomodoro for cover. The house salad, a potato-rosemary pizza, and a bottle of Nero d'Avola costs us 7130 crowns.
rossopomodoro
On our way back to campground, we enjoy a beer brewed in Akureyri, Islenskur Urvals Stout, at Ska'l bar. Our accounts on how to spell the name of the bar differ, and the googleing the name here in Singapore fails.
Friday, July 18
We ride 67.74 kilometers in 6:09'14 (ave 11kph, max 35.5kph).
vicinity of reykjavik
have to stop
Eventually, we end up on the highway #1. Traffic is relatively constant and fast. We have a strong and gusty head and sidewind so that we have to stop and walk our bikes frequently, or ride on the gravel trail that follows the highway a little lower among the tall grass.
wind
After Saurbaer we face a tunnel. Bicycles are not allowed through, so we do not have but an option to ride around Hvalfjördur, which takes us two extra days. In the hindsight it is not a bad choice: the traffic is much lighter and the scenery is just gorgeous.
eyrarkot
We make a few detours from the main highway in quest for dining and accommodation options. Despite signs, we find none. Only after 51 kilometers we are in Eyrarkot, at the door of a Bed and Breakfast kind of place. We do not remember for how much we paid for the room, use of kitchen and the bathroom. So far, we are the only guests.
funny clouds
We make another 16 kilometer ride to a grocery store to get something to cook ... and drink. By the way, in Iceland supermarkets and shops are allowed to sell beer of only 2.5% of ABV or below. We are up as long as the sun, and watch funny clouds on the sky. The weather forecast tells it is going to be a warm day tomorrow. More guests come later that night, so the place ends up full.
Saturday, July 19
Today we ride 79.55 kilometers in 6:08'05 (ave 12.9kph, max 49.7kph).
a lot of sun
Today we see and meet a number of lambs (PIC), some hills, and a lot of sun, absolutely no clouds, (PIC), and almost no wind at all ... until the afternoon. The traffic is practically non-existent, with the exception of a tourist bus carrying a bunch of Americans we meet at one of the rest stops. They get excited about our trip and are eager to take pictures of our bikes and Ocho (PIC). And they do ask for the permission first.
some hills
We make frequent stops to admire the rugged landscape. We huff and puff up and down some very steep hills. After almost three hours of riding we are at Olis in Ferstikla for some burgers for lunch. This is probably our first encounter with the cocktail sauce. While having lunch the wind begins, and it blows very unfavorably for us.
frequent stops
We struggle to the highway #1. Again, the number one is a horror experience due to heavy traffic with a lot of trucks passing us. The shoulders are both narrow and in very bad condition. The significant headwind makes our journey quite chilly, too. Eventually, the road turns and it gets little easier (and warmer) to ride. Before we notice, we are in Borgarnes at Borgarfjördjur. The town is only 60 kilometers from Reykjavik, but we have ridden 150 to get there.
rugged
There are two hotels and a campground in the town. The latter turns out to be a piece of lawn next to a beach, whereas one of the hotels is by the golf course outside of town limits.
shoulders
road turns
We dine at the Settlement Center of Iceland; we have a well prepared vegetarian dinner of lasagna and falafel (they call it beanroast) with wild mushroom sauce.
borgarnes
We spend the rest of the evening sipping wine in the Filipino place, Matstofan, listening to the stories of its Swedish owner. Among other things he tells us that Iceland gets the remains of the hurricanes that bounce of the US East coast. That would explain the wind.
settlement center of iceland
Sunday, July 20
Today we ride 68.69 kilometers in 5:16'03 (ave 13kph, max 48.2kph).
up so early
leave the seaside
The scenery changes as we leave the seaside and ride more inland today. The landscape is also more open and the terrain less rugged. It looks more like agricultural area with the fields and farmhouses (PIC).
more open
A bicyclist comes by. Yesterday we saw three guys. Most of the riders, as we see more of them towards the end of the trip, ride in cargo pants and parkas, barehanded and headed. Very few wear a helmet.
The wind begins, as usual, in the afternoon. We make a brief stop in a small town called Reykholt, after riding 45 kilometers in 3 hours. There is a hotel in this town: the entrance is from the side road, and there is not a signboard from the main road, nor does the hotel advertise anyhow (it is listed in our tourist guide book, though).
hraunfossar
The sun disappears and we expect rain anytime. We conquer some hills in the wind, one major one after taking a peak at Hraunfossar, a series of waterfalls spanning a distance of almost one kilometer.
spooky
cute cabin
We rent a cute sleeping-bag cabin for 1500 crowns per person. Showers in the nearby swimming pool cost us 200 crowns each. There is a restaurant at the center but it is only open until 8pm. We have a green salad and BBQ chicken burgers for dinner, and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile (Morande Pionero) for dessert.
The wind has grown very strong, and there is a break in rain. It is time for us to go to sleep.
Monday, July 21
Today we ride 66.85 kilometers in 5:35'53 (ave 11.9kph, max 35.9kph).
Today's plan is to get back to the highway #1 or so. We take an alternative route, which means that most of the day we ride on a dirt road. It is nice and quiet when we start riding. After storming the whole night the wind has calmed down. The sky looks grim (PIC).
alternative route
It starts raining. Soon it gets heavy enough so that we have to put our rain gear on. The rain strengthens, and the dirt road gets really muddy. It is also very hilly. Eventually, we hit the pavement, and after 54 kilometers and 4 hours we are back on the highway #1.
dirt road
The headwind grows stronger and the rain heavier. The gloves are so soaking wet and heavy, and fingers numb that shifting is impossible. The highway, being under construction, offers a miserable conditions for riding. Luckily, there is not much traffic. The few drivers coming up give us thumbs-up.
rain starts
Our tourist guide tells that there is supposed to be two hotels within a reasonable distance. We do not even see any buildings -- not that we see anything through our glasses and the rain. We enter the first building we see that may look like a hotel, or a motel, or a school. After waiting a while in the lobby, someone comes and confirms this indeed is a hotel. She takes us out of the back door, through a backyard, in through another door, and Voila! There is the reception.
raingear on
We wait for another long while (75 mins or so) until we have a room ready for us. We hang and spread all our wet stuff --- which is all our stuff --- around the room to dry. We are asked to hurry to the dinner "before the group." The group is our first encounter with German tourists. The buffet dinner with a bottle of Vina Esmeralda costs us 7900 crowns.
tube
Tuesday, July 22
Today we ride 49.83 kilometers in 3:34'24 (ave 13.9kph, max 51kph).
We hurry up for the breakfast at 7am., but it is served only after 7:30am. We freeload with the German group.
college dorm
It is already raining when we start riding. However, going is easy in practically windless conditions. We visit a crater at Grabrokarhraun. The ruins pictured below are similar to ones we have seen elsewhere earlier in our trip.
crater
We leave the flat highway #1, and start climbing over a mountain on the road #60. The uphill is only about 4-5 kilometers, and relatively steep (PIC). The downhill is still steeper and very long.
grabrok
The rain stops, and the sun almost comes out. We change dry layers on, and start our last 10 kilometers ... or that's what we think. The rain restarts, and it beats us horizontally. The fingers are freezing again. We do not see a sign of the accommodations marked on a map, and decide to ride all the way to Budardalur. Fortunately, it is all downhill, since the town is located by the sea. It is the only town in Iceland located by the sea with no harbor; it is not a fishing village but lives from agriculture and tourism. The rain pauses as soon as we enter the town.
ruins
The accommodation options are few: the only place is Guesthouse Bjarg, and the only restaurant Villa pizza, run by the Guesthouse folks, one of which is from Estonia. We get a double room and breakfasts for 7500 + 2000 crowns. We quickly shower in the very strong rotten egg odor, and rush out to find some food. There is supposed to be an internet cafe by the museum about the Eirikur the Red (the first European to settle in Grönland), but it is closed. We enjoy the warmth of the museum and learn about Grönland and Vinland.
rain
We return to our Guesthouse and order some pizzas (Mexican and Veggie). We take a short tour in the town --- it is really chilly and windy. We return to the Guesthouse for dinner: lamb chops with fries, and some red wine.
chilly and windy