Second Iceland Departure

It's always sunny at the hostel! (Note: Actual sun may vary.)

In Iceland, we park bikes wherever. Sometimes we even put locks on them.
Here's where you check in and get that all-important WIFI password.
Still got that vague hospital vibe.
Small but cozy!

It's the cat from 2019! Hooray!

I didn't manage to spot any of these creatures while I was in Iceland.

How many fairies can dance on the top of a vine?

Another of those cool names-as-streets maps.

I remember this path from my last visit!

Lots of tourists on lots of different vechicles have passed this way!

I like this guy. He's got a cool dog and his shirt roughly translates to "Less talk, more forest."

Ultima 9 used to take a 300-watt tower PC to run. Now I can play it on a laptop in an emulator and it looks just as good. That's wild.

I really hoped that this truck would have a man in underwear on the other side. Nope!
Sounds delicious!
Last order of business: Repair these poor headphones.
Checking in for the boarding line!
Everyone here was excited to get going. Some of them kept their engines idling uselessly the whole time, just in case.
All lined up to board the ferry.
Caution: Children crossing, and cats flying over mountains.
Some great hiking around here.
A last, lingering view of these fine Icelandic hills.

On we go!

Still quite the conga line of cars waiting to park.

Tethering up the bike in the standard area.

Over the last pass

There's that big basket from last time!

Dang, I don't have chains!

The road won't turn you to stone, but the wind will certainly scare you.

Quite a view up here.

Who's smug that he made it all the way up here in this insane wind? This guy!

The art installation has lost a bunch of portable TVs.

Finally reached the plateau.

That looks like a good spot for a nap!
Water goes on top of and inside this mossy carpet.
Beware the gooseprints: They indicate goose poops nearby.
Quite a cool spot for napping.

It's like a big green mattress!

Aaaah, time for a nap.

So many colors in these clouds.
Snow under late summer clouds.
Dramatic lighting up here!
Mesmerizing sunset colors.

The high elevation brings the clouds closer.

Narrow band of horizon.

Good ol' Valoria, always ready to stop for a photo -- and hold my snack while I'm taking it.

A night-time approach photo to match the one from two years ago.

Quite an amazing tunnel

Sjanni is a great fellow and I wish I'd had more time to spend with him!

Spot the cyclist!

Aww, two little arcade machines! That's adorable!

Have snacks, will pedal!
Huh? Whaaaa?
I think it would be cool to have hills like this all around my farm. Might get annoying chasing after lost sheep though.
It almost looks like the mountain is venting steam.
Clouds doing weird things over the peaks.
Just a liiiiitle snow left up there.
Lovely view. Unfortunately it looks warmer than is actually is!
I hereby name this region 'Sheepy Hollow'!
Every time I make a baa-aa-aa noise at them, the sheep get slightly more confused.

Guess what this marker means!

Today's route appears to go straight up over a mountain! No wait, that's a tunnel.

Oh boy, this one's a long one!

Tunnel time approaches.

Looking back. See ya later, daylight!

10 whole minutes of coasting silently downhill into the mountain. Very trippy.

If you look close you can see the tunnel I came out of.

Better watch it, motorists!

Some impressive sides to this valley.

I was tempted to walk over and put my feet in, but I figured the water would be far too cold, and my socks would take far too long to dry.

These roadside memorials to dead motorists are rare in Iceland, but no less saddening for it.

If I'm reading the sign correctly, the motorist was only 16 when she died here.

So many waterfalls!
Pausing at the rest area for a photo and a wee!
Lots of spinning on those cranks to get up here...
Zig-zaggy waterfalls!
Only a few cars on this stretch today, which is a nice change.
The highest point of today's ride.
The curves are especially dramatic because there isn't a single tree to interrupt them.
There's sheep in them thar hills!
Weird perforated sunset clouds.

Here's a place that looks like it can serve up a lot of calories.

This guy's name is Patti Burgersson. (I'm lying.)

Got a lot of snacks in the fridge today.

Soda, Sweaters, and the Sea

Sparkling water.

A neat kiosk about the Kambanes peninsula.

Building a road is often something that happens in long intervals.

Now that's a fancy lighthouse!
Bringing a massive amount of cargo in to one of Iceland's few massive ports.
On clear days like this the lighthouse seems unnecessary. Unfortunately, clear days like this are rare.
Can you tell I just peed by the side of the road?
That's a cute little harbor!

A view all the way up the valley to the start of the river, where the glacier originally came down and carved it.

I'm not enitrely sure how to interpret the drawing on this sign.

I heard about this place on Atlas Obscura. Sadly, it was closed when I came by.

So much wool to choose from!

Two fine selections.

They serve snacks and have wifi. Time to linger.

The bathrooms were closed at this tiny campground, so the manager of the local store said I could stay for free. Very Iceland.

What does it all mean? You decide!

I dig this guy.

Back home this isn't a drink, it's an ingredient.

I don't know what this island is called. Can't find a name for it on any map.

See all those dots? Every one of them is a bird nest.

Another fishing operation, with Fáskrúðsfjörður in the distance.
Looking back down the coast, into the ominous late afternoon shadows!
A quiet, shady highway.
Today's destination: Fáskrúðsfjörður.

Coming in late after a fishing operation.

Still just a little bit of light over the mountains, due to the time of year.

Definitely spacious compared to the other places I've stayed!

Resting A Bit

A fine sunny day for some light riding.

I appreciate the intention here, but this map is actually really confusing.

I adore any store that sells a carrot cake with four layers.

Once again I'm the only diner in the restaurant. The tourist season ends really abruptly here...