SATURDAY, AUG. 28 HUSAVIK - MYVATN - AKURERYI

Today put the "ice" in Iceland. We were greeted by very cold temperatures in Husavik that eventually got .... much colder !! We left Husavik and drove past the penis museum ( no joke, a museum devoted to displaying penises of several animals from blue whales to shrew: no humans on display, apparently, but several doners have stepped up ! ) into the hinterland for Myvatn. We encountered temps outside the car of 3 degrees celsius and little pellets of SNOW ! Snow in August.. now I'll believe anything is possible and likely in Iceland.

Myvatn is a strange lake. As I wrote yesterday, it is quite large and very shallow. We parked and finally were able to get out on the land with our hiking boots. Our first of two hikes took us away from the lake through a lava field that featured eerie dark formations. It was strangely reminiscent of Bryce Canyon in Utah, except for the colour and lack of "hoodoos". There's something vaguely exciting of walking among weird rocks that appear to be atype of super-natural life standing at perfect attention, ready for inspection. The second hike took us to the lake, past lava towers in mid water, looking like spikes along the back of some prehistoric reptile slumbering beneath the surface. Mixed in with the natural vegetation were a couple of curious and well-tended flower gardens that looked like they belonged in some proper upper-class English lady's back terrace instead of a windswept Nordic version of Middle Earth. Expect the unexpected in Iceland.

We visited a lovely waterfall called Godafoss. This is where our Thingvellir visit came full circle. The pagan priest who decided that Iceland would give up the pagan gods for Christianity in the 9th century returned to this area, his home, after his decision. He is said to have taken all the pagan idols and dolls from his home and thrown them into the swirling waterfall. Thus, the waterfall of the gods, or Godafoss, came to be.

I began to drive fast after that. My throat began to burn and I fear that I'm getting a cold. But the view coming down from the high plateau and looking across the fjord that is home to Akureyri was another of those majestic views that almost makes you faint. I had the sensation that I was flying, not driving. There was absolutely no margin for error on that road: a slip or a skid and you would be airborne, hurtling to certain death into the cliffs and water hundreds of meters below. We descended safely to the bottom of the road and drove into Akureyri, a well-kept bustling northern town, and Iceland's second "city".... just in time for another cultural festival. We got ahead of the street closures thanks to two quick-thinking assistants at the visitor centre. We enjoyed a nice beer sitting in the setting sun at a cafe, a fine meal of Icelandic fish for Lou and lamb for me, and now contemplate an early night in order to beat my sore throat. All in all, a fine day in the frozen north !!