What does everyone immediately think of when they think of Iceland? That's right: hot springs and warm geysers! As the weather on our last day in North Iceland changed back to "comfortable", we took a day trip to Myvatn. Myvatn, with the lake of the same name, is the action tourism center of the north. In winter, you can drive across the ice of Iceland's largest lake in huge super jeeps or on snowmobiles.
After a short hike through bubbling swamps, we finally dived into the wonderfully warm water of the Myvatn thermal baths. What we see as a welcome wellness program is an important part of Icelanders' culture. You don't just go to the thermal baths to relax, but also to meet friends and hear the latest news from your neighbors, who often live 20 kilometers away from you.
In winter, there is only one ring road to get around Iceland. The shorter route from Akureyri to Reykjavik is via the western route. But we had another reason to choose this route, as the Westfjords were our destination yesterday. After a 3-hour drive through green valleys, gray lava deserts and icy roads, we reached the Snaefellsness peninsula, which owes its existence to the numerous eruptions of the Snaefellsjökul volcano.
After quite a few ascents this week, we considered ourselves lucky that the Icelanders can always come up with surprises. A snowmobile service takes interested tourists or hungry skiers to the summit of the volcano, which shrouds its face in cloud most days of the year.
Not so yesterday. Overjoyed to see Snaefellsjökul free of clouds, we took an extra-long break at the summit. The view from the summit of "Jökul" is simply breathtaking. Only in the east does the mountain range stretch towards the main island. To the north, south and east, the waves of the Arctic Ocean glisten as far as the eye can see.
The fact that the run back to the parking lot didn't have much more to do with powder couldn't dampen our spirits. We rounded off our ski trip with a glass or two of whiskey at the hotel bar in Olavsvik. If you don't travel to Iceland at least once in your skiing life, you've missed something. However, it's better to take two weeks. Because the clocks always tick a little slower here.
