TUESDAY, AUG. 31 ISAFJORDUR - BUDARDALUR

Just when you think there's nothing newly spectacular to see, Iceland shows that it isn't quite finished with you... not yet. We set off from Isafjordur a little later than normal ( around 10 am ) after a very simple breakfast. Lou calculated a course along Route 60 and warned that it would be quite a road. She wasn't kidding.

We followed the coast out of Isafjordur and headed into more fjord country that defied description. We climbed more huge cliffs only to hurl ourselves down the road to the sea. Each twist brought new vistas that caused me to, at first, utter religious oaths ( "Holy Mother of God!" ) to be followed by more profane ones as the views became more unbelievable ( "holy mother - _____ !" ). The human vocabulary, in any language, is simply inadequate to convey the truth of how the wonder and grandeur of the Icelandic northwest evokes an emotional response. Maybe "holy cow!" is enough.

The downside of the journey was the road itself. At least half of it, maybe more, was glorified dirt track, some with good hard-packed gravel, other parts with thin, liquidy mud that I called "soup". Our car became a mess, caked with a good quarter inch of mud. That, plus the extreme changes in altitude and treacherous switch-backs on the cliff faces created conditions that Lou called "intense". That's the best word for it. It was an exhausting five hour roller coaster, not helped by my cold, which has now invaded my sinuses. But I loved it !! It took all my concentration and skill and I found myself narrating out loud at the best parts, as though I was a commentator on the Speed Network. Lou thought I was either crazy, or scared shitless. Maybe a little of both. Man, it was fun!!

Overall, I would have to rate the Iceland driving experience as the best one, surpassing our drive up the Dempster Highway in '96, or the US Southwest, the Canadian Rockies, the Scottish Highlands, the Coast Road in Australia.... they're all wonderful drives in their own rights, but Iceland is a mind blower. And, tooting my own horn, I'd say that I have driven with some pretty good skill and daring here. It helps that the car and tires are up to the task: I've certainly beat them like rented mules. They've stood up to all the abuse I can give them, and I will sing their praises. So, hail Suburu Imprezza and Yokohoma Aspecs !!

The reason that we are in Budardalur and not Borgarnes is time and fatigue. Sinuses and exhaustion told me that our original destination wasn't happening. Tomorrow, we've decided to drive back to Reykjavik for 2 days of rest in the same bed. Then Keflavik. That means that my rally round Iceland is, to all intents and purposes, over. It has been a sprint, not a marathon, and we're tired out. But it's nice to know that we can still do it when the heat's on.