Relative Something

It’s impossible to pick, but this 9th day of our Iceland adventure rivals the best of the others for me because of the depth and breadth of rock formations we saw in rapid succession. Right out of the hotel car park, we decided to check out an enticing picnic spot by a modest waterfall with basalt columns.

We were the first and only ones there! Our first site without other tourists left and right. But this wasn’t even on our agenda. We were headed to see the Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge.

A long hike to the entrance while coping with a very stiff wind.

Well worth the effort as the gorge was really cool. It required rock hopping across the flowing water to get in. I took a video of the spot just inside the entrance.

.

From there, we made our way to the Arnastappi Cliff and Hellnar viewpoints. Incredible sightseeing in every way.

The mythical half-giant, Bárður Snæfellsás!

My favorite, by far was the bending rock formations in this nook. You could see how the lava flowed. The 90° turn is striking.

We also climbed innumerable steps to the top of the Saxoll Crater.

Up here, we encountered probably the strongest steady wind of our time in Iceland. Luckily, it wasn’t that extreme on the side with the stairway. When I stepped up to the highest plateau, I could almost rest my full weight into the push of the wind.

Somewhere in this day, we snuck in a picnic lunch in the car and a visit to the Maritime Museum in Hellissandur.

Moving on, we enjoyed a great view of Kirkjufell Mountain and the waterfalls nearby.

Famed, I’m told, for its appearance in Game of Thrones, but also because it is one of Icelands’ most photographed and iconic mountains.

Finally, of all the nights with Aurora sightings, this night happened to be the most dramatic of all of them.

It was a wonderful punctuation at the end of our fabulous time on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

.

.