Keflavik to Selfoss

The second part of this adventure is very different. I am no longer part of a group of twelve in lovely accommodation and a miriad of organised activities, with great food in restaurants. Now I am on my own and my accommodation is a campervan which I've hired to travel along the south coast of a country I love, but in the summer rather than winter. I've only ever seen Iceland covered in snow and ice where a 4x4 is essential, so I wonder what it will be like.

The flight from Illulisatt was extremely early arriving so I had to hang around the airport for a few hours. Nigel was killing a little time here too and John (wearing the yellow jacket in photos) was also waiting to pick up a 4x4 to travel into the Icelandic Highlands for a few days. One day I'd like to do that.

Having had breakfast, Nigel left to go to the Blue Lagoon thermal spa and John and I went our separate ways to get our vehicles.

The van is a bit 'in your face' in terms of the paint job and the inside is extremely basic as you can see in the photos, so it is best to describe it as 'functional, with character'! It'll do, given I intend to only to sleep and have breakfast in it but it has a heater (essential) and is more comfortable than sleeping in a car after all. The best bit is the sleeping bag which is brand new and high quality. You get warm the moment you get in it.

My first overnight stop was supposed to be at Vik, but having collected the van I was so tired given yesterday was extremely long and I'd not particularly slept on the overnight flight. I therefore decided to drive and park by the light house I visited last week ... and sleep. I really needed that, but it meant that Vik wasn't sensible for my first stop.

I decided on Selfoss, which was not so far and a great choice. Not only did the site have a small cafe but it sold pizza too, so I sorted myself out and went for a meal where I was amazed to find John there, who had indeed met up with his wife and they too were enjoying pizza. That made the evening very pleasant as we chatted about Greenland and what we'd all be doing in Iceland.

Tomorrow I start the journey across Iceland, but already it is very different from before and although I'd heard there were lupins and I'd seen them last week, they are in fact all over the place. This must be the world's centre for lupins.Read more