Aug 31 – Two Peninsulas

Today we hugged the coast of the two nearby peninsula to check out the scenery.

The weather was cloudy with a bit of rain but luckily never when we were out of the car. Later in the afternoon it actually turned sunny and warm for us in the low 20s.

The first peninsula  is much less populated so the road quickly changed form paved to gravel but it was fairly smooth.

We always have to watch out for sheep or other animals on the road. As soon as they see a car they scatter. It was so funny to watch their woolly butts shake back and forth as they ran for cover.

Our first stop was Kiafshamarsvik, which is a very old abandoned settlement. Now there is a lighthouse and the shore is covered in interesting patterns of basalt columns,

There rare emains of some of the buildings.

A photosphere.

Another photosphere.

It was a very cool place to explore.

Back on the road.

We passed by so many lonely looking houses and farms.

Our next stop around on the east side Ketubjorg Cliffs. At the viewpoint parking there was an open gate and a road that went closer. As we drove in a lady farmer came over to politely tell that it was a  private road and the gate was only open so she could get in. So back to the parking lot.

Just past the cliffs is the Ketubjorg Waterfall. A small stream winds its way to the cliff face and falls into the ocean.

Some more dramatic cliffs behind us.

A photosphere.

The sky lit of the shore of the next peninsula showing some interesting islands.

The end of this peninsula is mostly flat. as we same to the bottom we hit the mountains and headed inland as we rounded the bottom.

Our next stop was Hofsos. Ordinally it was just for a pit stop but then I remembered that it had a pool and hot tub. At $15 we were sold.

The hot tub as almost full when we got there but almost everyone left. We chatted with a lady from Ontario that was doing the ring in the opposite direction.

Heading further up the coast it gets a lit more mountainous.

 

We stopped at this bright orange lighthouse called Suadanesviti, trght at the top of the peninsula

A cruise ship was letting guest off to check out Siglufjordur.

Around here the mountains are so high they have to use tunnels. I think we went through four. Two were single lane. There are pullouts every so often for vehicles heading north or west. If they see a vehicle heading towards them they have to pull over until the other has passed. One of the single lane tunnels was 3 km long and straight so you could see cars a long way off. It was hard to judge how close the other cars were. It wasn’t a problem for us as were were going in the priority direction.

One of the two lane tunnels was 7 km long and straight. It seemed to go on forever.

Back out to much better views.

On the final drive down the coast to our campground in Akureyri the weather got much nicer.