Iceland 2011

Well, the Stykkishólmur fishermen's festival is over, and to keep ourselves busy until nightfall (oh no, that's right, it doesn't fall here...), we're going to the "holy" hill of Helgafell. From its 73 meters high, this small mountain housed a monastery (1134-1550) dedicated to the God of Thunder, Thor.

At the foot of the hill, a small church and its cemetery

In the background, the Ljósufjöll mountain range

The setting is superb, and so are the horses!

Here we are at the top of Helgafell.
According to local belief, one must climb the mountain from the west in silence, without looking back, and make 3 wishes at the top towards the east. Oh well, I don't even remember what I asked for... 

The stones composing the ruin at the top of Helgafell

This tombstone from the year 1008 is that of Guðrún Ósvífrsdóttir, a woman famous for her beauty who appears in the Laxdœla saga recounting the history of the people of Laxárdalur. © Wikipedia.

Last little hello towards Helgafell hill (yes, yes, that little piece of land all the way in the back!)

Since this morning, the wind has been blowing very hard, and back here we are very happy to see that our tents are still there! They are flattened like pancakes by the gusts but are holding up well!

The campsite's playground...

A typical Icelandic house in Stykkishólmur

The magnificent view from the campsite of the Ljósufjöll mountains

And finally, we won't wait for the ferry; tomorrow morning we'll hit the road to reach the large cluster of fjords in the northwest of the country.