Click here for A Drive along the Snaefellsnes Peninsula (slideshow)
If we were in a bygone age of traditional analog cameras and printed photographs, the pictures from the Snaefellsnes Peninsula alone would have cost me enough to merit a line item in my annual budget, on par with the cost of the entire travel expenses associated with the trip. But thanks to the digital age, I could snap away at everything in my path that made me gawk (which turned out to be almost everything in my path).
Fortunately, the day started out with a dramatic drop in jet lag and both of us were sufficiently alert to drive without incident. Even in the passenger seat, there is no reasonable opportunity to nap because there is far too much to see and never a break (at least that I observed) in the stunning landscape that was long enough to get bored or sleepy.
Our day started out with a drive through acres and acres of lava beds decorated in patches of olive green moss that made it hard to believe that these fields were once molten hot and devoid of any life. Of course, these lava beds had an entire millennium to re-establish vegetation, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that a vast majority of the lava was covered in living, growing things.
I'm not a big fan of moss, but mixed with jumbled lava, both made a unique and lovely landscape.
After many miles of lava beds, we arrived at the small village of Hellnar on the coast, rolled out of the camper van, and headed out for a hike along the North Atlantic Ocean to the more populated village of Arnarstapi. Rock arches and basalt cliffs were amply supplied with bird excrement, which may sound unattractive and off-putting, but actually made for surprisingly artistic views along the hike. Seeing such a multitude of birds nestled in cozy holes in the cliffs also made it difficult to be annoyed with their indiscriminate droppings.
After returning to Hellnar, we set out on the road again, circling clockwise around the remainder of the peninsula. An impulsive stop at a roadside parking lot (where other vehicles and tour buses abounded) brought us to the Longdrangar pinnacles -- two basalt cliffs that achieved their prominence by the erosion of softer rocks that surrounded them.
All the impulsive stopping did little for catching up on our itinerary, but we were both content to call the itinerary a suggestion and dispense with it when necessary.
After leaving Longdrangar, we had the pleasure of driving through a cloudburst with windshield wipers that had long since seen better days, but the rain didn't last long and we returned to driving in sunny conditions along miles and miles (or if you read the road signs -- kilometers and kilometers) of snow capped, volcanic mountains that stood out in the surrounding valleys and low hills.
Our luck with campsites changed during out second night out as we stayed at a lovely, clean, well equipped site among the trees at Varmahlíð. Although the sweeping mountain views of our first night were absent, our cozy spot among the trees and the lack of bacteria, slime, and other disconcerting sights in the bathroom and shower facilities made for a lovely overnight stay, despite the persistently cold (and non-summer like) temperatures.
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