Sam, I am: Iceland Day 6: Reflections

Lake Ljósavatn, Lake of Light

Day 6 was a day of reflecting on our first 5 days in Iceland, enjoying the views as we travelled from Reykjahlíð to Sauðárkrókur. Day 5 had been an incredibly busy day, so we left later than normal and took our time as we headed towards Sauðárkrókur. The landscape along this section of the trip was not as dramatic (though still beautiful) as previous days and that provided a respite from landscape sensory overload. The day started out as cloudy with sunny breaks and ended with rain showers, not unusual for our time in Iceland.

Day 6 Route

Wooden Sculpture
Berjaya Mývatn Hotel
Goðafoss Waterfall and Lake Ljósavatn

Our first stop was a Lake Mývatn Viewpoint, only us enjoying a last goodbye to the Lake Mývatn area. Our second stop was a quick return to the magnificent Goðafoss Waterfall in the Bárðardalur Valley, mid morning just prior to the arrival of tour groups.

Next up was Ljósavatn, a lake in Ljósavatnsskarð Pass near the mouth of Bárðardalur Valley. The light and weather conditions were perfect for taking pictures of lake reflections of the surrounding mountains. This was such a beautiful place, our stop was longer than normal, pure relaxation. Lake Ljósavatn was formed because of volcanic eruptions and the resulting lava blocking a depression or valley.

Lake Mývatn Viewpoint

Goðafoss Waterfall in the Bárðardalur Valley

Eyjafjörður Fjord

From Lake Ljósavatn we traveled to Akureyri, bypassing the Vaðlaheiðargöng Toll Tunnel. We took Route 83 and 84 crossing the mountains over the Víkurskarð pass. As we were traveling in early September and had mild weather, this route was safe from snow at this time while offering a scenic view of the Eyjafjörður Fjord. Akureyri is located on the Eyjafjörður Fjord in North Iceland, known as ‘The Capital of the North’ is a mere 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the Arctic Circle.

View of Akureyri from Across the Eyjafjörður Fjord

Öxnadalur Valley

After leaving Akureyi and heading west, route 1 passes through the 30 km Öxnadalur Valley. The most prominent feature of Öxnadalur Valley is the Hraundrangi Spire in the Drangafjall ridge that has an elevation of 1075 meters (3,527 ft), 80 meters (260 ft) higher than other points in the ridge. The Hraundrangi Spire and the Drangafjall ridge are what remains of Háafjall Mountain after it collapsed in a massive rockslide near the end of the Ice Age.

The Hraundrangi Spire in the Drangafjall Ridge

Views of the Öxnadalur Valley

Glaumbær Turf Houses

Our next stop was Glaumbær Turf Houses. In the past, everyone in Iceland would have lived in a turf house, regardless of social standing. The Glaumbær turf house was occupied until 1947, when it was declared a protected site and a farm has been located on the site since the settlement of Iceland in approximately 874. The style of the buildings at Glaumbær date back to the 18th and 19th centuries with the oldest dating back to ~1750 and the most recent from 1876-79. The Turf Houses were built out of stone, wood, and of course, turf. Turf construction evolved in Iceland owing to acute shortage of large trees (acute is an apt describe of its tree status). The buildings at Glaumbær are a thin wooden shell (the wood would have been imported), separated from each other and insulated by thick walls of turf, and roofed with a thick layer of sod. The design of the turf houses had to take into practical considerations of wet and dry periods on the turf and sod. The Glaumbær Turf Houses are well worth a stop, a step back into Iceland's history. This site has useful information of the turf house construction as well as the farm's history (https://nat.is/glaumbaer-skagafjordur-folk-museum/ ).