Stykkishólmur-Helgafellssveit

We learned today some Icelanders build miniature houses for elves and leave wine and food for them on holidays! We had been seeing these tiny elaborate houses on country side properties as we drove along and thought they were quite hilarious! Our tour guide today let us know that many people in the North believe in elves and trolls. Elves are thought to be spiritual beings and therefore invisible to the human eye. They are also thought to have a temper and will cause harm to people or things that pose a danger to them. Our tour guide informed us that a construction project in the region was replanned due to machinery failures - thought to be due to hurting the home of elves! They are a superstitious bunch out here!

This morning we took a 2 hour horseback tour with Iceland Horse Tours in Helluland. Our guide was a 19 year old from Germany working in Iceland for the Summer season. She was very knowledgeable about the country and region we were riding in. Kevin had a beautiful horse named “Gravy”. We learned about how Icelandic horses are raised in herds and only broken in when they are 4 years old. They spend their youth completely outside in the elements learning from the herd. Then they are trained to be tour horses or sold to other countries. Once they leave, Icelandic horses can never return, as they have evolved free from diseases and farmers are worried about contamination.

Next stop was The Icelandic Seal Centre in Hvammstangi. On trend with folklore today, we learned that stories exist surrounding seals actually being humans! As the story goes, once a year seals can shed their seal skin and dance in the moonlight, returning later to their skins and the ocean.

We finished the 4 hour drive at Grundarfjördur. The winter camping is pretty no frills but thankfully we are next to their community pool and hot tub so made for an easy soak! Tomorrow is our last day as we make our way down to the capital and where 60% of the population lives in this country!Read more