Churches and Egil’s Saga

I stayed up to see the Northern Lights again. Not too bright this time, but a rather stunning setting in Blonduos with the waves lapping against the shore. We checked out of Guesthouse Kiljan and had a peak at the oystercatchers in the estuary, before setting off. We didn’t have to go far. We visited Blonduos Church. It’s so unique, designed by Maggi Jonsson Construction began in 1982 and it opened in 1993. It’s circular and has lots of angles. A very modern design. Lonely planet doesn’t rate Blonduos highly, which is rather unjustified, especially if you are addicted to looking at Icelandic churches.

We started the long drive back on the ring road, so not much map reading for me this time. We spotted churches as we drove through the mountains and valleys. We stopped at Borganes to photograph the church, and visit the settlement museum. We aren’t that into museums but this was excellent. We were given an audio guide for the first 30 minute exhibition about the early settlers, Viking long boats and nature. It was very interactive. You had to push buttons, put your feet on pads to start videos. The second part of the tour was the Egil’s saga. It was pretty gruesome. He has quite a temper and a thing about killing people. A lovely soup and salad for lunch, then on with our journey south. A quick stop at the bakery in Borganes, as recommended by Lea and Jay. The bakery has the most wonderful cinnamon swirls, a key feature of our daily diet in Iceland.

Tonight we are in an apartment in the suburbs of Reykjavik. There are protests in the centre of town so resting tonight, for a big touristy day tomorrow.