In the morning of day 6, I joined a bird-watching cruise in search of the puffins. By the time I returned, I had taken 300 photos of numerous species of birds including the puffins and the white-tailed eagle, as well as tasted urchin roe and scallops freshly fished up from the seabed.
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Outside of Stykkisholmur, at Bjarnarhofn, you can visit a shark farm where putrid shark meat is still prepared in the traditional way. If you can stomach a taste of this most horrifying shark meat, you can truly stomach anything. I did it (and was sick for most of the day thereafter).
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Bird watching at Stykkisholmur
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For the rest of the day, we drove along route 574, then the 54, around the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, often in the shadow of the mighty icecap Snaefellsjokull, immortalised in Jules Verne's fantasy tale Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Lonely Planet). Descend into the crater of Yocul of Sneffels, Which the shade of Scartaris caresses, Before the kalends of July, audacious traveller, And you will reach the centre of the earth. I did it. (Arne Saknussemm, 16th century Icelandic text)
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Sampling fresh seafood on the bird watching cruise in Stykkisholmur
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At Hvalfjordur, you can drive under the Atlantic Ocean in the tunnel connecting the two banks. The tunnel saves about 60 kilometres along the drive towards Reykjavik. If I had the time, I would have loved to visit the lava tubes at Surtshellir and Stefanshellir, as well as explore the lava caves at Songhellir, full of 18th century graffiti and believed to be the home of little people.
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Bjarnarhofn shark farm outside of Stykkisholmur
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Stykkisholmur bird watching cruise
Bjarnarhofn shark farm
Snaefellsjokull
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Snaefellsjokull shrouded in thick cloud and mist
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Western Iceland
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Published on Thursday July 15th, 2004
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7 votes
