Iceland 8 Day Honeymoon Roadtrip [DAY 6] The charms of Akureyri

DAY 6

We finally reached Akureyri, the captial of the North. Unlike ugly Reykjavik, Akureyri was exactly what I imagined of a beautiful European town. Quaint houses, quiet streets, and a shopping area of littler just abotu 150m only. It was picturesque and peaceful. 

We woke up late that day cause I had cooked curry the night before and… well.. had a bad stomachache lol. It was nice though, the campsite wardens were so pleasant.

Our goal today was to explore Akureyri and then head closer towards the golden circle.

You’ll need to head to the bank to get a “clock”. That’s sort of like a parking coupon, but it’s a complimentary adjustable paper clock to show the warden what time you’ll be there from. From there you can have a gander around the whole area where you’ll spot things like:

Amazing fish and chips is to be had here. They have an excellent range of fish and chips dishes. You’ve got the common fish and chips, breaded fish with curly fries (I had that and I LOVED it)

Baked goods in Akureyri is pretty delicious. The nearby bakery, Kristjans Bakari Bakery and Cafe is good for sandwiches and doughnuts, but a cool place to stop is Blaa Kannan Cafe which is a traditional cafe. Cosy, all covered in a natural wood and a display of beautiful cakes and pastries. Then stop by Kaffi Akureyri for their amazing Das Bomba:

This unhealthy confectionery of sunshine starts with a layer of toffee coated rice krispies as a base, topped with soft, whipped cream and giant chunks of meringues. I loooovveddd it!

This legendary pool was where historian Snorri (don’t you dare laugh at his name!) would meet guests. So he’d come out that little door, chill in his pool and entertain guests. It was located in a little town that seemed very dead. Like, silent hill scary. So we skedaddled out of there after admiring the once warm and toasty pool. Now it was all mossy and cold cold cold. The pool’s located in a town dedicated to Snorri, it’s called Snorrastofa (the coordinates are to this town) and has a bunch of other landmarks dedicated to the guy. Honestly, the town isn’t all that interesting, so only stop by here if it is on the way. You’ll be passing through the Reykholt area.

What was amazing about this steaming heap of mud and moss, surrounded by bubbling hot water, was the dog that accompanied it:

He let us pet him and everything!

What a majestic doggy

So a tour bus came after us, and the guide said that in the two to three years he’s been coming there, this dog has been there to greet visitors. He didn’t have a collar, was drinking from puddles, but seemed otherwise healthy and bright-eyed. We figured he belonged to the caretaker or something, cause someone left out fresh tomatoes on a cart daily for people to buy on the honor system. Take a bag, leave 300ISK. How nice right?! The dog was Iceland’s very own breed of sheepdog. Immensely thick fur, big rolls of fat/muscle to keep them warm, and soft, soft fur.

No pictures, but we much enjoyed this campsite. The shower was a communal one that could be shared by two people, and was in a little shed behind the restaurant. The owners of the restaurant served up delicious soup, and were such pleasant people. It felt so homely.

<< Iceland 8 Day Honeymoon Roadtrip [DAY 5]    Iceland 8 Day Honeymoon Roadtrip [DAY 7]>>