Iceland 2009

BIKE RIDE ACROSS THE REYKJANES PENINSULA - THE SEA AND NEW HOME
DAY 2 : MONDAY AUGUST 10, 2009 (3/3)


Wandering down from our lunch spot, we crossed a rocky area strewn with coarse sand and driftwood. Realizing how far in from the ocean it was gives a real impression of how severe the winter storms coming off the open waters can be.

As we got to the shore, we came across a series of ruins, basically what was left of the fishermen’s huts and sheds of the fishing station of Selatangar. There was a haunted feeling to the place where young men were sent to stay during the winter while the masters of the long huts stayed where it was comfortable (there is a lot more to this story when you dig into the history of Iceland).

The haunted feeling may even be explained by the local story that the ghost of Tanga-Tómas still haunts this lonely place.

The next stop was the Strandarkirkja, a small white church on the coast. It was deceptive as Strandarkirkja is actually the richest church in Iceland, even though it appeared so simple and is far away from most farms and towns. The church was originally built by men who were in a violent storm near its location. The story goes that the men saw a light on the shore here and considered it a miracle. In appreciation for being saved, they built the church. To this day, people still contribute to it as it is said to bring luck.

Back into the bus, we packed for the ride to the Fire and Frost Guest House in the Hengil region. This area is very thermally active and has many hot springs. There was even a sulfurous spring in the parking lot of the guest house, along with ones up on the hill above the river. The final shot in this series shows steam coming up out of the same river - this is where a hot spring enters into the river from under the water surface.

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