Day 9: Dalvik - Dalabyggð

We were both a bit sleep-deprived this morning. The wind was SO strong all night and really whipped around the caravan, rocking it all night. At one point, I was worried we were going to get tipped over! The weather stayed grey and blustery for most of the morning, but we decided to head north and do a loop of the fjord. One reason was to get into spitting distance of the arctic circle. We made our way through some very impressive, and very long tunnels to be released north of Siglufjordur to the sight of... nothing! It was so grey and rainy, we couldn't see a thing! Still, it was good to get the furthest north I will probably ever get. Winding down the other side of the fjord was a bit hairy in the wind and rain, driving along the cliff edge. The other reason I had wanted to make this part of the trip was for a swim in the amazing Hofos pool; set into the edge of the cliffs. The sun broke through just as we got to the pool, and we had the place to ourselves. It was the best swim of my life!

The sun stayed out as we continued along R1, via some turf houses to Hvammstangi; the town of seals. All the seals seemed to have left and head North, and although we started to try and find them, we decided to turn back and go and find our cabin for the night- the location of which we were a bit unsure! It turned out to be far easier to find than internet reviews had suggested and we were so pleasantly surprised- it was lovely! Nestled away in the countryside, it was the perfect accommodation. It also had an outdoor hot tub, which we shared for the evening with an Icelandic couple. We spent hours sitting in the tub, chatting, whilst the solar flare unveiled the most incredible display of Northern Lights! They started early; before it was even properly dark, and continued for hours, dancing and shimmering. At one point, half the sky was a solid green. Definitely a night to remember.

Eventually we dragged ourselves in and sat on our porch with a hot drink before bed, still watching the lights. We were just about to go in to bed, when we discovered that G had locked us out! It was a frantic half an hour, searching for a way in, searching the owners empty house (where we'd found a key), and as a last resort knocking on our neighbours door and asking to try their key. Luckily it worked so we were saved a night sleeping wild in the Icelandic countryside!