Viking Sushi & Greenland Shark

Slept really well last night and were out just after 9:15 after filling our water bottles from the spring water tap outside the accommodation. Just over half an hour later we were in Stykkisholmur.

After a wander round the harbour and the modern Lutherian church, we boarded a sightseeing and sight eating boat. After visiting a couple of islands to get a close look at the nesting birds. We went to a bay where Eric the Red, after murdering several people in Iceland,, hid out before going off to discover Greenland. I always thought the original Eric the Red was Cantona! In the bay they dropped a dredge and scooped up all manner of sea food which they then proceeded to open up and offer round to everyone. You could not have got fresher seafood it was literally a few minutes out of the water. The scallops were amazing and the sea urchins tasted salty then sweet, an unusual combination.

We were booked on the 15:15 ferry to Brjanslaekur which mean't after the boat trip we had a couple of hours to nip out of town to the shark museum. Was given an interesting presentation about the deep, deep water (upto 2km deep) Greenland Shark. To be able to survive down there they have a form of anti freeze in their system which is highly toxic to humans. This is why they used to bury it for a couple of months (they don't do that anymore) and then hang it outdoors for a further 4 months to allow the anti freeze to be broken down into ammonia and then released as it dries. We got to sample some, it was a little chewy and sinewy, didn't taste of too much but left an after taste as it and down. However, nowhere as bad as the smell of ammonia if you sniffed it up close before eating it. It was strong enough to revive the unconscious.

After getting off the ferry at 18:10, it was just under a 50 mile drive to Breidavic for tonight's accommodation and halfway there had my first real experience of Icelandic gravel roads. Not too bad at all really, though as we climbed up through some mountain roads with a low sun shining in your eyes and no safety barriers, the average speed did drop considerably.

Weather: 11 degrees but felt warmer as there was little wind.

Mileage: 106 miles, Kirkjufell to BreidavicRead more