Akranes

Back blip
We went to Akranes to pick up Ashlene and Richard who caught the bus back from Reykjavik.
We had time to go to the two lighthouses and explore abit before their bus arrived. I was hoping that the tall lighthouse, a newer one, would be open as a photography exhibition is displayed there and the views from the top would have been worth a look, unfortunately, like a lot of places it was closed until June.
We went in search of the ship wreck and spotted a snow Bunting , a first for me and found the ship. However it was nt on the beach as I had expected but in a ship yard. We saw the frame work ready to dry fish laying ready to be put up.
We drove round to the Museum and walked among the old Icelandic houses and boats. These boats were lined up outside among whale bones and pieces of rusting metal.
We found Richard and Ashlene drinking hot chocolate in the café near the bus stop. We were feeling thirsty so went in for a bowl of soup. We thought it was expensive until we realised later that you could drink as much soup and eat as much bread as you wanted. Shame we did nt know before and as the mushroom soup and olive bread was so tasty, I could eat some now.
We went to Grabrok Crater, the largest of three craters in a short volcanic fissure. Mike , the boys and Ashlene climbed to the top on the board walk but it was too icy for me so I waited half way up and admired the view and tried to spot trolls in the lava fields. The fields were created by a fissure eruption 3600-4000 years ago. The area was actually mined for construction material until 1962 and is now a nature reserve. 
On the way back we saw a male and female Ptarmigan, another first for me :)