First view of new terrain around Lake Alftavatn

We left the high camp in fairly thick mist. The way was up and down over black hills, which became brown/orange after a mile or so. Sometimes they were steep, we crossed snow patches, there were hot springs, rain showers battered us from time to time.

Kristjan informed us that we had yet to meet Icelandic rain.... He reminded us that although tonight's camp is much lower, "Iceland is always up and down hill".

Then the cloud lifted, and we had the first views of where we were heading. The scenery was completely different- the last rounded hills were going to give way to fabulously spiky mountains, mainly black, but clothed here and there with bright green moss. (Remember, the moss is green when it's wet...)

The view was tremendous. We all stopped. We all got our cameras out. Poses were struck. Kristjan paused for a short time, then continued walking. If you loook at Houblon's blip, you'll see why. He knew that the place he planned to stop for lunch was about 20 minutes away, when the views of the new world ahead were much closer and clearer...

After lunch, we descended steeply, to arrive at the campsite by Lake Alftavatn. Here, we had the luxury of pitching our tent on soft grass for the first time. Some of us even queued for the shower - 5 minutes of hot water 400Kr...

We had Icelandic lamb soup for dinner. We also heard the story of "nail soup" - which was told in a way which proves that the tradition of saga telling is not lost. (The very short version is that a very mean and stingy man reluctantly allows a traveller to stay in his outbuilding. The traveller says he will make soup with just a nail in his cooking pot. The traveller gradually wheedles meat and vegetables out of the stingy man, promising that the next ingredient will make the soup taste perfect.... The soup is so good that the traveller is allowed to stay in the house, and neither of them has to eat the nail).