June 27: Greenland: Hello Neighbor!
My Baby and I put the “A” in Adventure today! After traveling hundreds of miles mostly without navigation or heat, we tackled a long dirt road to end up at Skafavik a northwesternmost part of Iceland, just 200 miles from Greenland. Ravenous after the ride, I celebrated with the best meal of the trip so far in a nondescript building that looked like an abandoned barn.
Leaving Blonduos this morning I headed south on Ring Road with extra layers to compensate for the fact the fuse on my electric jacket blew the night before and was no longer functioning. Shortly after turning north on route 60, my navigation attempted to steer me in the wrong direction on a dirt road. Fortunately, some locals were pulled over not far from there and pointed me to the correct route.
From that point it was a matter of heading north and west and just enjoying the scenery. The road twisted and wound its way around the northern fjords of Iceland, proving beautiful views of the water, snow-capped mountains, rich mud flats, and lush green grass. Because the wind was strong but not unmanageable, I was able to soak in the view and make good time to Isafjordur.
After gassing up and getting snacks, I set off in search of an auto supply store that might have extra fuses. Although no car repair places showed up on my phone, I was able to eventually find a mechanic who told me he would be happy to get me a fuse. As he did not have any for sale, he walked out to one of the cars in his parking lot and took one from it! I have found that the people of Iceland have their own ways of doing things and are extremely helpful and friendly.
With errands out of the way, I continued northwest to Bolungarvik and then by dirt to Skafavik. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was going to go all the way to the tip of the peninsula because I was concerned about traveling by dirt after heavy rains earlier this week. However, once I got to Bolungarvik and could see the long dirt road winding back and forth up the mountain, I simply couldn’t resist. I thought to myself, “If I can make it up to the end of the Dalton Highway, I’m not going to turn around so close to the end of the road here.”
What a treat that ride was! It was so empowering to tackle the dirt with the Adventure Baby all decked out for fun. His new tires and skid plate really came into use as we navigated around loose rocks, potholes, stray sheep, and a couple of reckless cars. The tip of the Peninsula was so barren yet inviting with thick green grass on the hill leading down to the water and a cove nestled by cliffs on both sides.
After returning to Isafjordur, I followed a tip from the mechanic and made my way to the Tjoruhusid restaurant. Getting there was no easy feat as the place did not show up on my phone, there was no sign on the building, no front door facing the street, and no obvious walkway leading up to the door.
It was magical to walk around the back of an old, dilapidated building and enter into such a warm and inviting restaurant. The place was packed with people enjoying the all you can eat buffet of soup and fish of all shapes and sizes – cod cheeks, halibut, Atlantic Wolfish, and more cooked in a variety of amazing sauces – garlic and onion, hoisin, sweet chili, and some kind of mushroom cream. What a delicious end to an amazing day!
