Horses and Hot Springs and Hamburgers, oh, my!

 Today we explored the Reykjanes peninsula, points south of Reykjavik. It is our last full day in this land, so it was an odd combination of being jaded at yet another lava formation and trying to suck the last bit of novelty from the place.

First we bisected the peninsula by going to A large lake in the center, surrounded by -take a guess? Yes, lava fields. You could see strong colors from the minerals, iron, copper and sulfur abounded.

We stopped to explore until a tour bus came and disgorged it’s crowd. It followed us to the hot springs, but we got sometime alone first we hurried on to the coast.

 Our appointment with Arctic Horses was for noon, so we stopped at the Nettó grocery for a picnic lunch – gravlax, cheese, baguette and strawberries. Better than a burger!

We had a hard time finding the horse place, but Jason performed his Boy Scout Fu and got us there with a minute to spare, using the small map on the webpage and the GPS.

One issue I’ve run into a lot is the GPS doesn’t recognize many smaller streets or attractions. Know where you are going 🙂

I rode a brown gelding named Spade, while Jaaon was on King. We are rank beginners. He hasn’t ridden for 20 year, while I’ve maybe ridden twice during that time. King kept nipping at Spade’s tail, so Spade got revenge by farting in King’s face. Equine justice!

All the pics I took of the horses ( and U.S. Mounted upon them) are, alas, on my camera, so must wait for posting.

We drove along the southern coast and started getting hungry. As we neared Reykjavik again, we decided to see what an Icelandic mall was like, so went to Kringlan. Other than beautiful people and SOME (not all) store names in Icelandic, it was pretty much the same fewer screeching teenage girls, perhaps.

We surveyed the lunch options, which included Subway, ZuSushi, and Sbarros.

 We considered the sushi, but it looked pretty bland. We went to a sit down restaurant called Cafe Bleu.

I had the Bleu burger, which was supposed to be Cajun spiced with Bleu cheese. They lied. Tasted just like a cheeseburger. Jason’s bacon burger was much better, and he shared.

Back to the B&B for a shower before Jason’s first tattoo appointment. He had the artist design a thriller raven symbol based on a design our friend, Natile, had beaded for him. We went to Reykjavik Ink, and the artist is named Jason.  While we waited, we chatted with two men from Amsterdam getting a runic compass tattoo each, and another artist, a tall blonde from Isafjordur.

After he is done, we are off to have drunken Pylsur hot dogs. Our last night in the city.

 

 

Don’t miss information on Celtic myth and history, as well as practical travel planning tips, and hidden places, in my travel books. And watch out for my upcoming historical fantasy novel, Legacy of Hunger!

– Stunning, Strange and Secret: A Guide to Hidden Scotland
– Mythical, Magical, Mystical: A Guide to Hidden Ireland
More info at Green Dragon Artist :: Home,
Christy Jackson Nicholas, Author, and
Tirgearr Publishing – Christy Nicholas

Green Dragon’s Cave Blog