Today we rolled around the peninsula created by the Snaefellsnes volcano which was peaking through the cloud layer to our left. Endless lava fields gave the ride a bizarre atmosphere, promptly broken by the two chicks biking past.We stopped off at the beech where there are four stones which tradition dictates are used to decide if someone is strong enough to be a man. The idea is to pick up each in turn and place it on awaist high bolder without slipping a disc. The first, 23kg, marks you out as a weakling, the second at 54kg a half-carrier. The third at 100kg a half man and finally the 156kg of back popping potential has you marked as a man.With the audience of a tour group which had stopped Hugh made a credible attempt at the half man, the rest of us falling by the wayside at mere half carriers. On the beech is the wreckage of the Eding, an English trawler which was broken up in 1948. The plinth stated that the sailor had mainly drowned but as a last act of survival many had lashed themselves to the mast in the storm, desperate times indeed.
Our strength tested and found wanting we biked onto lunch at the lighthouse built to avoid any further wreckage's, us included. Here we demonstrated our strength of mind and grabbed fortywinks before lazily heading on towards the promise of hot springs marked on the map. Marked on the map but not marked in reality it would seem. Rather than back up the 1km to the road we cut across some fields full of horses and after herding them for a while made it back to the main road.
The disappointment of the hot springs was more than made up by the campsite. Situated in the sand dunes it also came sporting a BBQ with a supply of lighter fuel and a backdrop of a volcano dominating the skyline waiting to be lit up by the fading sun later in the evening. The first job was to dive into the sea to test just how hard the kids we had seen playing in the surf a couple of days before really were. Pretty tough in fact. The water was freezing and after the required few strokes we were soon out and warming up in the sunshine while having games of stone skimming. For food we fired up the BBQ and had a good feed of sausages before heading back to the beech to build a big fire in the failing light and played poker.With Steve dominating as normal Duncan threw in his hand and wondered off. We spotted him staring out to sea seemingly searching for infinity beyond the waves. Steve commented that in his line of work it seems that everyone has a wave energy device inside them, perhaps Duncan was sorting his out. All in all a splendid evening with perfect weather in beautiful surroundings with dodgy vodka. What more is there?