Iceland: Reykjanes Peninsula: COMPLETING THE LOOP

A couple of stops after Kleifarvatn and it will be back to Keflavik for the night. 

It was a rainy, windy but still an extremely enjoyable day.

It will be straight to the only a twenty-thirty kilometers drive to the coast crossing the rest of the Hengill volcano mountain range that forms the backbone of Reykjanes peninsula. There is a dirt road deviating from our 'highway". It looks interesting but the sign at the gate informs us about the conditions beyond.

When, a couple of days after, we saw this vehicle, it all made perfect sense.

Another sign nearby also also makes perfect sense: the flora of the area is precious - it would be hard to make it come back if destroyed.

Deciding not to take chances we continue on the main road.

Not far from there we finally see the northern shore of Reykjanes. 

But before we reach it there is some interesting sight about half a kilometer from the road.

Strange structures - from far away it is difficult to figure out what they are.

 It looks like someone is drying corn. 

Corn?

In Iceland?

Drying, yes. 

Plants - no. 

Rack after a rack is loaded with fish skeletons, all seemingly abandoned and not a human in sight!

We would like to ask many questions but the only company we have are the fish heads. 

Are we trespassing? No idea.

How could anything dry in this never ceasing rain? Must be the combination of wind and other factors - the Icelanders have been drying the their fish for centuries.

Dried fish could be stored for a long time. It also used to (maybe still does) serve as an important trading commodity.

Every food store offers the packaged dried fish that, along with its strong smell offers a healthy great tasting snack.

After their return to Italy Lucia ventured online and found a recipe for a dried fish course - she and Stan loved the dish.

The fish are now being dried indoors and that makes us wonder even more about these outdoor racks.

A day later we had this offer at Cafe Loki in Reykjavik. The fish was great - the stuff in the little bowl was something else - but more about that when we get to Reykjavik.

...........................................

Soon after the drying fish the coast spreads out its cold arms. We are back on the beautiful highway hemming the coast between Reykjavik and Keflavik.

Back to the land of the living!
Save for some cormorants at Sandergi and the Meadow Pipit at Gunnhuver we saw no birds or animals throughout the day. True - it was raining and we did not try to get to the coastal cliffs.
So the Icelandic horses will have to save the day! 
Icelandic horse! Love at the first sight - I will dedicate a special entry to them - the tough, resilient breed that, along with the sheep, makes Icelandic travel even more special.

The lonely houses give way to a larger community where we are planning to make our last stop of the day.to find a shipwreck that is just near the shore. 

But if it is not "right there" we will leave it tfor other tourists.

We don't know what kind of fish plant is this - perhaps the modern drying happens inside .... but that is just our guess.

A small protected area at the edge of town is designed to protect the landing boat. There is no sunken ship but we think that we spotted it on the other side of the bay. 

In exchange for a sunken ship we get a view of the peninsula's highest peak; 

the 806 meters high pile of volcanic ashes made into a mountain.

After some hard searching through our long lenses we locate an object - far away - that could (or not) pass for a shipwreck.
  The young  seagull knows but all that we can get out of it is an evil look.
No handouts, no telling!

We make a feeble attempt to drive to the other side of the bay to investigate. But the narrow road gets progressively worse until we give up. The sky is clouding up and the rain (SURPRISE) is drenching everything in sight.

It will be a short drive "home" to "our" B&B Guesthouse in Keflavik.