After another good night's sleep and breakfast, we packed a sandwich for lunch and headed out. Our first stop was at Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge. Today, some rain was in the forecast and there was a slight drizzle. We headed out early to escape the crowds. Filled gas in the car and drove to the gorge. There is a parking lot, which can fill up later in the day; but since we got there early, there was plenty of parking.
The Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge (Red Cloak Rift) is a beautiful gorge on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. It is a deep cleft in the mountain and has water running through it.
The view looking up is beautiful and can see a little bit of the sky.
Neel climbed up over rocks and went deep into the gorge and we got very worried since he didn't come out for a while, We tried climbing some to get closer, but could not find him. There was another couple whose son also went deeper into the gorge. There is a waterfall deep inside the gorge and we could hear it but we didn't dare fo any further in for fear of getting lost within. Finally, after some anxious wait, Neel came out and we heaved a sigh of relief!
Alex near the outside entrance to the gorge.
Balancing between the rock walls to cross over. Good to have waterproof hiking shoes for good grip on the wet rocks.
Once we were done exploring the gorge, we headed back to the parking lot; which was a lot busier.
Our next stop was Arnarstapi. It's a small fishing village with natural cliffs, basalt columns and lava fields.
Below is the famous Gatklettur Stone Arch - a large natural arch with a perfectly round hole.
There are many basalt columns lying in the ocean as rock
We did the Arnarstapi - Hellnar hike - it is through a lava field from a past eruption of the Snaefellsjokull Volcano. Most of the hike is close to the ocean and the views are spectacular.
A cute bright blue house on the lava field hike
At the end of the hike, we stopped for some hot chocolate and icelandic treats !
Our next stop was the Shark Museum at Bjarnarhofn, This museum is fascinating exhibition on the processing of the traditional icelandic fermented shark, the Greenland Shark.
The fermented shark (also called Hakari or Rotten Shark) is pretty foul- tasting but is considered a traditional delicacy. The Greenland shark meat is poisonous when fresh but the fermentation process allows it be edible
The shark is treated and then hung in open sheds to dry over many months. There are no bugs and flies in Iceland and the meat slowly cures over time and develops a brown crust, which is removed before it is eaten.
Alex, Neel and Satto had a sampling of the fermented shark and they all did not like it- it has a strong ammonia smell. The place gives you some liquor to wash it down
Next, we did the Viking Sushi Tour from Stykkisholmur Harbor. The boat sails out into the Breidafjordur Bay- the whole area is very scenic with rocky cliffs and wild birds, inlcuding puffins. The boat drags a specialised sea plow along the ocean floor, collecting a variety of delicious shellfish that everyone on the boat can taste towards end of the tour.
\It was very cold out on the deck. It was also drizzling slightly and that made the day much colder. Satto and I mostly hid downstairs in the boat.
Alex and the kids tasted the fresh sea urchins, clams and other fresh seafood. The kids did not particularly seem to enjoy this much.
On the way back, we stopped to explore a waterfall we saw - it was beautiful. There are 100's of such waterfalls. One can stop the car, pull over safely and explore, as long as its not in someone's private property.
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