We headed off to Brjánslækur to catch the ferry across the Vatnsfjörður to Stykkishólmur. Try saying that three times!!
Our route took us north on Hwy 61 then we connected with Hwy 608 inland and across to connect with Route 60. Again, it was an interesting drive. We were on paved roads for about 30 minutes then it turned to gravel and we went up mountain passes – sometimes with a 15% grade! – and down again next to the curve around the fjord! We saw very few cars on the entire trip! When we were finally within 25 km from Brjánslækur the road was paved again.
The ferry from Brjánslækur to Stykkishólmur was about 2-1/2 hours and made a short stop at Flatey Island. Flatey and its surrounding islands are believed to have forged from under the weight of a great glacier during the previous Ice age. No cars unloaded here and it appeared there were none on the island.
We arrived in Stykkishólmur about 3pm and drove off the ferry. Stykkishólmur is a town situated in the western part of Iceland, in the northern part of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. We drove up to the Stykkishólmskirkja Church, designed by Jón Haraldsson. It was built in 1990 and has a sweeping bell tower that looks like a whale vertebra. The interior features hundreds of suspended lights and a painting of the Madonna and child floating in the night sky.
On our way up the hill we passed several children bouncing and jumping on the inflatable near the school. We have seen these in other towns, but this was the first time we saw kids on one. They were having a great time!
Next stop on our way to Grundarfjörður was Helgafell. The historical Mt. Helgafell - the Sacred Hill - is thought to be a sacred place by Icelanders. It is believed that if you hike to the top of the mountain without looking back or uttering a word you will get 3 wishes fulfilled. It located on private property so we paid $400 ISK (about $3.25 USD) per person to make our trek up the 2399 foot tall hill. It only took about 10 minutes to hike to the top.
There are small ruins from an Augustinian monastery, which was a well-known seat of learning, from 1184 until the Reformation in 1550 when it was burnt down. This monastery was later moved from Flatey island to Helgafell. We were also rewarded with great views of the Breiðafjörður Bay and the surrounding area.
We continued on and stopped a couple times to take pictures.
Grundarfoss is a 230 foot high waterfall on the outskirts of town.
It wasn't long before we had a view of town.
After checking in to our Airbnb, “The Pearl,” we refueled the car and went to The Maestro Street Food truck to pick up dinner. The menu was interesting. Wendy got one of the hot dogs, Tobey got “The Drummer” sandwich, and I tried the fish and chips. Tobey scored the best meal!
Kirkjufell is a 1519 feet high mountain on the north coast of Iceland's Snæfellsnes peninsula. It is a beautifully shaped and symmetric, free standing mountain. Its name means 'Church Mountain'. It is claimed to be the most photographed mountain in the country.
Our house is located right on the water and the hot tub looks out at the bay. We have a perfect view of Kirkjufell.
We enjoyed sitting in the hot tub and we are all relaxed now. Tomorrow is our last full day in Iceland – it hardly seems possible! Goodnight for now.
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