After two days at sea, Iceland is finally here!
1Seyðisfjörður 8:14
We arrive as planned at around 8:30 in Seyðisfjörður. Barely off the boat, we head straight for the pretty little blue church and its famous rainbow path. It’s chilly, no doubt about it, we’re definitely in Iceland!
After a well-earned breakfast, we hit the road to Egilsstaðir to do some shopping and stock up the fridge a bit.
And then, enough shopping, time for adventure!
3Stuðlagil 12:44
We head for the F923, but before that, a stop at Stuðlagil. And there it is, the first real Icelandic beauty of the trip! This canyon has only really been visible since the Kárahnjúkar dam was built, which lowered the level of the river.
A hike of about 6 km lets us explore the canyon and its impressive basalt columns, with that absolutely stunning water winding between the walls. A real feast for the eyes… and a few kilometres in the legs while we’re at it!
Hiking in the Stuðlagil canyon
4Stuðlafoss 13:39
Back to the Defender, and this time we’re hitting the tracks. Off along the F923, with the plan of checking out two waterfalls, then joining the F910 and, above all, a hot pot we’d spotted along the way.
5 15:04
The hot pot? Found!
A dip in it? No such luck!
When we arrive we discover it belongs to the hotel right next door and you have to pay. Ahhh… another time, then!
And since a first day in Iceland wouldn’t be complete without a little mechanical drama: the toilet decides to stop working! A fuse has blown.
6Snæfell 19:38
So we decide to head to the campsite, settle in quietly and take a look at it all. A bit of investigating and some DIY later, Olivier manages to fix the toilet!
NSnæfell night
So here we are, settled at the campsite after a first Icelandic day that’s already been pretty packed: Seyðisfjörður, hike, canyon, basalt columns, tracks, waterfalls, an off-limits hot pot and a DIY session on the Defender. All in 275 km. Promising stuff for what’s to come!
Now there’s only one thing left to do: get our feet under the table… well, almost!
On tonight’s menu: chicken with some veg and, for dessert…
A skyr, naturally! When in Iceland, after all!