Stykkisholmur

The shortest driving day of our circumnavigation of the island, and one with few sights, meant this was a pretty easy one.

We were interested in a swim in the thermal pool - well, maybe interested in the idea of a swim in a thermal pool, as it was about seven degrees - at Gudrunarlaug.

After a drive of about forty minutes we arrived and walked up the pathway to a most attractive circular pool, reasonably warm and with a nice outlook over the surrounding countryside. Only problem was it was tiny; four people would have filled it up and the eight of us would have experienced a new level of intimacy had all we got in at once.

So we skipped it, got the nice lady who was in the pool when we arrived to take a picture of us standing on the edge, and drove away the way we had come in.

The replica Viking Longhouse, at Eiryksstadir, was quite different.

We paid our money and walked inside a small turf building of the type used by Eric the Red and his brethren. Inside was a lady in traditional costume telling all sorts of stories of the way of life of the Vikings, from their food to their weapons to their effect on the landscape and their remarkable explorations of far flung places.

It was a fascinating forty-five minutes or so, delivered by a lady who was clearly knowledgeable and passionate about her subject.

It was our last night on the road and we stayed out of town at the Hotel Stundafridur.

At six we met up to arrange a time for dinner. The gentleman took our orders and said he was leaving now, and the owners would be arriving in an hour or so. In the meantime we were to HELP OURSELVES TO THE BAR AND JUST KEEP A RECORD TO LET THEM KNOW. Haven’t had that happen in many places!Read more