We Made It To Western Iceland

     Read on for more about our day, but first...look at this western Iceland sunset over the Atlantic Ocean: 

      After almost an entire day of driving, we made it to the western side of Iceland.  The scenery did not change as much as the drive from south to east and up to the north, so it really was not the most exciting day.  We did manage to throw in a couple of very Icelandic things to make the day better.  

     First up, the Icelandic hot dog.  It has both raw and fried onions layered in the bottom of a toasted bun, then the hot dog topped with ketchup and this sweet and spicy mustard sauce on top.  We read that Icelanders really love their hot dogs, and you can get them just about everywhere.  They also enjoy gas station food as an alternative to our many fast food options.  Most gas stations are either completely self-serves pumps only or huge gathering places, with restaurants and other stores attached.  The one we stopped at today had a huge gift shop, an automotive store, and lots of locals eating lunch at the gas station diner.  Drew tried the Icelandic lamb soup (and loved it), while Livy branched out and had pork schnitzel, Jack had a burger, and the rest of had hot dogs.  Some even went back for seconds!  And, as one of the cheapest foods we've encountered on the trip, it's a tasty deal.

     Back on the road again, we decided to research some of the Icelandic road signs we encounter most days.  One fun fact is that there are very few stop lights.  Most towns have lots and lots of round-a-bouts, and what few stoplights they have change in interesting ways, like a yellow before each green light (like "get ready...it's about to be green!") and the red light has a heart shape.  In terms of road signs, some are very easy to figure out (hospital, bathroom...WC for water closets, fishing spots, etc.).  Other signs we had to learn before we even drove a single kilometer (speed limit signs, no passing, do not enter), but others are more obscure.  I pulled up various types of signs, and we'd giggle and laugh.  Below are the two best:

It's a port-a-potty.  What an awesome name, and one
we'll likely use from now on in the Deppe family!

 

A lay-by is a rest stop usually by a scenic location.

     We only made one stop today.  It was to check out this neat sod covered old church.   In the early 1900's, it was common for people to cover their houses and the town church with sod for insulation.  Only six such sod churches remain on the island today, and the one we visited is one of three that actually still serve a parish even today.  

     Back on the road, we made it to Borgarnes near the Snaefellsjokull peninsula that we hope to explore tomorrow.  We rolled into town the earliest we have gotten to a stopping spot all week, so we decided do our second very Icelandic thing by checking out the town pool.  Aside from hot dogs, Icelanders love their community pool.  Most towns have community centers that include soccer fields, bounce pillows (we've also noticed lots of trampolines in backyards), basketball courts, maybe a track or tennis court... but all of them have a pool.  Some are indoors, but most are outdoors, with the water heated by geothermal energy.  If you are lucky, as we were today, some even have super fun water slides.  It was 8 degrees Celsius today (that's about 46 degrees Fahrenheit), but we had a blast!  We would swim a bit in the warm water, race up and down the slides (racing mostly for fun but also because of the crazy cold wind), and warm up in the multiple hot-tub type areas before doing it all again.  It was relaxing and fun at the same time!

      Right as we pulled into our campground tonight, the sunset really lit up the evening sky.  We found a great spot right on the ocean, bundled up, and watched the sunlight change the clouds from pink to purple, red, and orange.  Beautiful!  

     Tonight, we have staggered our alarms to wake one of us up every hour from 11:00 to 2:00 am in hopes that we see some northern lights.  It's been pretty windy, so we're hoping that the winds blow away those last few clouds and we get to see the aurora borealis.  We read that it's best not to plan a trip around them as the sun's activity and weather greatly affect whether you see them or not, but instead just treat it as a something very special when you do get to see them.  However, we also read that it helps to plan a bit in order to have the best chances, so we'll see what happens.  Cameras are ready just in case!  Good night, for a few hours at least!