We are starting our journey around the Ring Road in Iceland, Road 1. I was still thrown off my sleep pattern so when I woke up at 6am their time, I went for a walk to one of their most recognized spots – Hallgrimskirkja Church. Just don’t ask me to pronounce it.
While our hotel had a buffet breakfast, I had read about a local bakery that was fantastic and walked to find it. I did! BRAUD & Co (translation Bread & company) Ha!
Their organic sourdough breads are made on-site and are at the opposite end of the commercial ones found elsewhere. Pastries are made with local high-fat butter and they are known for their cinnamon rolls, having a number of flavors. Yes, I got one, the traditional cinnamon roll. Yum.
They opened their doors in March 2016 and immediately sprung to the top of artisanal baking in Reykjavik guided by their Danish owner, baker & pastry-maker, Agust Einporsson. Since I found my destination, I’m ready to start driving. Let’s go find Eric at the hotel!
Any trip around the ring road has to have a starting point and the Sun Voyager sculpture was ours. The artwork is located straight down from the city center, along the bay. The temps weren’t too bad for a quick photo, especially with the sun shining. š
We were driving counterclockwise and Ohhhh, the traffic. Now let’s be real…….we were in morning rush-hour traffic in the city early on, but very quickly this became our norm. There are a few tiny cars to the right of my photo below.
I mentioned the temps, what were they mid-morning? Not bad for Iceland in May.
Our first destination was……..Seljalandsfoss Falls.
The wind and spray were blowing quite a bit. Most visitors purchase some type of rain gear or poncho for their Iceland visit. Not us.
This waterfall was known for the ability to walk behind the waterfalls. We started to, then stopped. No sense in starting this trip with a twisted ankle from the (very) slippery rocks.
Here’s a short clip. The little spots of color behind the water – people.
If time allows for a 30-minute side trip, there was a small waterfall within a cave which needless to say not all visit since depending upon the water depth, you could be trekking through the stream. I did not visit Gljufrabui on my first trip, so it was my goal if possible. This waterfall is much smaller, drops into a hollow within the rock and then exits as a stream under a tall, narrow, natural archway. Did it and not too wet! Yeah!
Here is another short video clip from that waterfall.
Eric really wanted to make it, truly was a bit nervous about my intended goal and yes, he did it also. It was pretty tight and basically you had to wait to enter/exit when the rocky path was clear of other adventuresome souls.
For those not wanting to make the adventure trek, parts of the waterfall could be seen from outside.
Walking back to the car one of the side streams had these vivid yellow flowers. You know me and flowers – they pull me. š
Our destination for that evening was Vik, pronounced ‘Veek’. This part of the ring road has quite a number of stops. I ultimately decided to break this post down into two parts otherwise it would be realllllly long.
As you might expect from the deserted road seen above in one of my shots, eating establishments were not plentiful. They exist, but you have to hunt them down. Gas stations have filled this void with local cafes that have been quite good. Such was the case for lunch today.
Eric started with a bowl of mushroom soup (he let me dunk some delicious bread to taste it – oops no photo) and I ordered the fish & chips. It was a big hunk of fish – cod I think. Plenty of fish and chips to share, which was the plan!
There was one advantage (for me only) by renting a car………………I can sample the Icelandic beers – Eric cannot since he’s driving. Sorry hon. This was a nice lager to accompany my meal.
Driving the ring road, lends itself to some interesting sites – like this land-locked boat. I’m sure there was a story, but it was on private property and no info seen nearby.
Then you have the bra-fence. Actually, when googling it there’s a number of them around the world. Who knew? Eric asked if I had one to add to the collection. Not with me, but dang, I had some at home that I could have contributed.
Then we came across this wooden fence where another vehicle had stopped – so we stopped: Steinahellir Cave:
For centuries this cave was used by farmers to house sheep. In the early 1800s it became the areas’ parliamentary assembly site. The cave is believed to be a naturally occurring feature but deepened and broadened over time with human intervention. There are many stories of supernatural happenings and enchantments connected with this cave. I peeked inside the doorway.
One tale warns not to pick the enchanted ferns in the cave or bad luck will befall anyone who does. Good thing I only got a photo!
There were still a number of sites we visited prior to getting into Vik. Hence, I made these two posts.
Darden Travels 