Iceland, 8: More Of The Glaumbaer Farm Museum

Priest's office/study

View

In an adjacent frame building, not part of the farm, were more
displays of period implements, clothing, housewares, etc.

We had lunch at the restaurant within the museum, smoked
lamb and seafood stew for me, a selection of pastries for Vicki

We drove on, the end of our time in Iceland coming into view, and
wanted to make sure we had time for the Snaefellnes ("Sniffles")
peninsula and also the capital, Reykjavik, at least for a day

We stopped for a peek at the Grabok crater, but demurred in view
of the many steps up; and down

Encampment that evening at the municipal campground in Borgarnes

Iceland, 8: The Glaumbaer Farm Museum

There are many museums in Iceland. Apart from those in Reykjavik, most are small and locally-focused. The Glaumbaer farm museum was on our way as we made for the Snaefellsnes peninsula in western Iceland, and Rickie Stevie gives it three stars for the quality and authenticity of its presentation of farm life over the centuries. It was inhabited until 1947, although there is substantial evidence of buildings on the site going back to the 11th century. Most notably, like much of traditional rural Iceland, Glaumbaer is a sod-built collection of buildings. 

On the way, a very old sod-built chapel

Glaumbaer; note the sod retaining was and its herringbone design

The buildings in the foreground are out-buildings, storage,
tools, machinery

Church adjacent to farm

Long hallway in the main building, off which there are a variety

of rooms: storage, pantries, kitchens, priest's office, etc.; on the

floor above are more living quarters, for farmer and wife, children,

tenant workers, seasonal workers, etc.

Every room had excellent explanatory information,

in both Icelandic and English too

Iceland, 7: Godafoss, Fiords, and Hosfos

After Dimmuborgir we stopped at our next waterfall, Godafoss, and then drove on to Iceland's second largest city, Akureyri, where we had a burned-out headlamp replaced, as well as frayed windshield wipers. From there it was up the Eyjafjordur, over some passes and through some tunnels and then out onto the Skagafjordur, with a stop, soak, and overnight at Hosfos. 

Next waterfall: Godafoss

At this point we are beginning to wonder whether Iceland has
more waterfalls than Thailand has wats (>30,000)?

Another table with a view; during our 11 day circumnavigation

of the island, we never once saw anyone picnicking at one

of these tables, even in late June

A little color along the fiord in, I think, Vik

The road goes ever on, over mountain passes and through tunnels

Some of the tunnels were one-way...something we've encountered
before, in New Zealand and also Italy; as in Norway, for similar
reasons (fiords), they can be relatively long; the longest we 
encountered in Iceland was 7km

In this instance, the oncoming traffic has right-of-way; so you
pull over into one of the many parking bays (in New Zealand
and Italy it's done on a circulation alternee basis) (pardon my
French)

Eventually you get to the other side, another beautiful fiord, 
with a spit

Also bluebonnets

More great coastal scenes

At Hosfos we decided it was time to indulge in the Icelandic custom

of a good hot soak at the municipal thermal swimming pool; the infinity 

pool was heated to mere 80 degrees, so we spent most of our time in

100+ degree smaller pool; bonus Icelandic insight: before entering one

of these pools you are required to disrobe, completely, and shower (gang 

showers); second bonus Icelandic insight: in some of the more remote

regions, the campgrounds lack showers...but are strategically placed

adjacent to the municipal pools

After our soak we decided to just stay overnight at the campground
in Hosfos