On our third day we had a bit of a lie in until around 9.30am. Considering it was still dark at this point it still felt like waking up in the middle of the night! I woke up feeling a little worse for wear and choked up, which I think was a result of the hot tub antics the night before. As we were staying on a horse farm it seemed only right that after breakfast we went horse riding. Riding an Icelandic horse has always been on my bucket list so despite how I was feeling I was very excited. Anticipating how cold it was I had my thermals on (even underneath my thermal trousers) and I definitely needed them. I can’t remember the Icelandic name of my horse but it meant “the white one”. He was lovely. So responsive but very sensible. It was definitely an Icelandic adventure as we headed out for an hour in the ice and snow. It was so cold I pretty much lost the feeling in my hands, feet and face but it was worth it and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It made me realise I still miss having a horse in my life and owning my own Icelandic horse is a dream for the future.
It was decided that we were going to have a lazy afternoon and just chill out in the cabins after our horse riding adventure in the morning. Now I know rest is great for fibromyalgia but after lunch I was twitching to go and explore somewhere! I wanted to go and see Kerið, which is a volcanic crater located in Grímsnes. I wasn’t sure if it would fit into our plans for the next day so I asked if anyone was interested in going to see it. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be as spectacular as it would be in summer but still felt it was worth a look. Most of the group decided that they wanted to go and so we set off at around 2pm.
There had been snowfall overnight and given the freezing temperatures the road up to Kerið wasn’t great. It wasn’t until we got out the car that we realised just how bitterly cold it was and how strong the winds were!! There was a little hut that was charging an entrance fee to see Kerið but they must only charge people in the summer months as no one was there. I am glad that was the case as I certainly wouldn’t have felt like we got our money’s worth. I think I must have lasted out of the car for no longer than five minutes. It was pretty much a case of climbing up the treacherously icy and snowy hill and bracing myself against the wind just long enough to be able to take a photograph. I didn’t stay much longer than that for fear of being blown into the crater! I didn’t get the best shot that day as my husband was using the wide angle lense and I wasn’t hanging around to swap after he had finished using it- I was heading straight back to the warmth of the car.
On our way back to Hestheimar we stopped by a grave yard in Selfoss. I have a strange fascination with grave yards and like learning about the history of people from generations gone by. I don’t know if it was because of the time of year but all the grave yards we passed in Iceland were decorated with lights. I liked that it seemed to be a celebration of life as opposed to mourning death.
In the evening all of the group, apart from my husband and I, headed back down the hot tub. Given how I felt when I awoke this morning I didn’t think it was a good idea for me to do this again. The wind was still really strong and it was freezing cold so my husband didn’t fancy it either. I am definitely an introvert and quite liked the peace and quiet to just read my book and chill out.
