Free day, sunny day. Probably the most beautiful weather since we arrived. Perfect time to get a bit out of here and carry on discovering the peninsula...
Direction : Grindavík, in the south. Two cars to hitchhike and we are there. Our second driver, originally from South Afrika, lived for 24 years in Iceland. Coming back from his fishing morning, he took us down Þorbjörn, a mountain nearby the town. We spent a good part of the day hiking up and down the mountain. The place used to host an US military base during WWII, and every year events take place on the mountain for celebrating Midsummer.
The view up there was incredible. The sea covered three of the four horizons. Down we could watch at the wide lava fields circling the mountain by a sharp desert. Funny to imagine the lava still warm drawing Hell around our mountain/island. The famous touristic spot Blue Lagoon lies down Þorbjörn. From our place we could observe the smoke swirling up the hot waters. By the lagoon, a station transform the heat from the water into electricity.
After a tasty picnic we climbed down Þorbjörn to cross the lava fields separating us from Grindavík. In the lichen grew different kind of berries. We had no really idea about what kind of berries were there. But after chating with a woman plucking some of them, we decided to give it a try. She told us the name in Icelandic. No idea what it is in Latvian or French. She said they are very popular in this season. Those berries were indeed everywhere, we just had to sit down and pick them. We gathered a full bowl before to continue walking.
Grindavík is a town rised out from the lava. The cosy normal houses, their yards with barbecue and fences, stand somhow absurdly between the huge sharp stones.
Before to start hitchhiking back we stopped in Vínbúðin for some beer. We enjoyed our ending holiday drinking some refreshing Einstöck, made from pure icelandic water. Still looking for Garún n°19, the Holy Grail of icelandic booze...
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