Day 3: Morning bath, West Fjords, swimming pool

Morning bath

The night was quite cold, but in the very morning, it is the coldest. I really don’t want to get up. Fortunately, the prospect of jumping into a warm pool made of stones and soaking rumps is so tempting that we do not hesitate. Armed with swimming trunks, flip flops, and towels, we run not yet fully awake towards the warm spring. Only our chuckle and laughter is heard. We are as happy as children. From time to time, one will lose the flip. First come first served. Looking forward to the warmth. Just the small bridge… the bridge is passed… we are leaving the warm clothes… Oh, how nice … With smiles like croissants around the head, we sit and bask in pleasure. During the day you can see that the water is a little green from algae, which like us also like heat, but it doesn’t bother us. We only try not to drill, so as not to “overpower”. The less movement, the more heavier it will fall. After all, we don’t have to leave the natural Jacuzzi like Martians …? We sit and remember old times, enjoy the pleasant warmth of the water, views and Swiss chocolate, which we have for “breakfast” and of course we are planning a further journey towards the Western fjords. The weather report tells us that today the sun will shine there. The rest of the island will be in deep clouds again.

To the wild west

After a bath and breakfast, we head west. As in Seksmisja (Polish cult comedy from the communist era), we do not expect to find civilization there. (Civilization is in the east, of course ;)). We drive… There are fjords and fewer houses. It’s lovely, but we start to have less and less gasoline in the tank, and the stations that were supposed to be on the way somehow don’t appear. Ooo. There is some civilization. One house to be exact. We decide to ask about the gas station. The occupants of the house see us from a distance (one road through an honest field, it’s hard not to notice us). From the window a nice lady shows me that I’m going the wrong way. The entrance on the other side. The gentleman opens the door, who, upon seeing our map, says that it is a “very old card” (an old map). We learn that the station marked on the map no longer exists for several years. However, we are lucky, because in about 15km there is another one. There’s not much in the tank, but the car says there should be enough for about 70km, so we should rather make it. We thank him and drive towards the promised station….

A few kilometers further on we see more houses. We decide to ask again if the mentioned station is really there – just in case. It’s better to ask twice than to be stuck without gasoline somewhere in the fjords. We pull up in front of a house where a child is playing with a dog. The little kid calls his dad and comes out… Wow. A peasant like an oak! This is exactly what real Vikings must have looked like. We have no doubt about it. Viking confirms that the promised gas station really exists, not just on the map, and is waiting for us. We thank him and rush down the asphalt to refill the tank.

Blueberries

After driving a few kilometers, we actually see the gas station. We refuel to full and enjoy the views no longer stressed. Driving on reserve in such wilderness is not the most enjoyable thing to do. The views are beautiful and the weather is also favorable. True, there are a lot of clouds, but the sun effortlessly breaks through them, which makes the landscapes even more spectacular. Every few yards we stop for photos. In one place there were so many blueberries that I couldn’t resist. I love berries. I spent probably half an hour there munching and enjoying it like a child. Yummy, yummy….

Reykjafjarðarlaug

Because of this constant stopping and admiring the views, we have to shorten our detour through the fjords a bit. Tomorrow it’s supposed to rain here, and a little further east it should be sunny. Besides, it’s getting late and we have a certain place with warm water on our target. According to hotpoticeland.com on the way we are supposed to have a place with a name not to be spoken of (Reykjafjarðarlaug), specifically a warm water pool. Late in the evening we arrive at the place. From a distance we can see the pool. Unfortunately, there is no water. Besides, we are not alone. A few meters from the pool is a stream with hot water, and there are 3 small tanks strewn with stones. The first with hot, the second with very warm and the third relatively warm. In one of them (the latter) we “find” a nice French couple. They are a bit skittish at the sight of us, which, by the way, is not at all surprising. We also recently passed the urge to swim at the sight of a bunch of Germans. As I do, I chat up the French, offer them chocolate and eventually we have dinner together. Over the meal they tell us about some interesting places that are worth visiting and that we will probably explore.