Skjól Camp
7 July 2019
The original plan for camping tonight was to drive back down to the southern coast and either stay at Þorlákshöfn again or go a bit further to Stokkseyri for another campground we had marked. These options were both an hour away from where we were, and we spent more time at Gullfoss than expected and we were tired and hungry, so we looked for something a bit closer. That’s one of the many great things about renting the camper van, we had the freedom to modify our plans on the fly!
About halfway between Gullfoss and Geysir we found Skjól campground which was covered on our Camping Card and it had a restaurant! We decided to stop and stay instead of trying to make the long drive. We pulled in and found a camp spot, then left the van to go relax up at the restaurant. It was chilly and we were still cold from the spray at Gullfoss, so a hot meal inside was the perfect way to warm up!
We settled in to our table and ordered a salad and a really good pizza. We also got an IPA from Icelandic brewery Borg and sat back for a little while. The bar and restaurant weren’t so big, it was a nice cozy spot mixing locals and travelers alike. The dark wood features added to the coziness, and we could really feel how tired we were.
Upon paying our bill, the taxes for the campsite were included (as they aren’t covered by the card) and we had the option to add a shower in the morning. It is common that the showers are an extra cost at the campsites here, it is usually only like a dollar or two. We declined as they started up around 9am and we were hoping to be on our way by then; by skipping the extra hour drive tonight to camp closer, we were adding that hour onto tomorrow’s time and had to be mindful. We were extra happy for the long shower at Laugarvatn. As we said then, it still applies now - we don’t know when our next one will be!
We got an extra Borg IPA and brought it back to the van to share with some of the sweet Laugarvatn rúgbrauð for dessert. I'm not sure if it was just a cooler day or because we were inland at a higher elevation, but it was really chilly. We definitely weren’t enjoying our dessert outside on the camp chairs, but the cool night was easily handled by cuddling under the warm blankets. About middle of the night I had to run out to the washrooms which were across the field back at the restaurant, and foolishly decided to cross the grass barefoot. Who cares if it’s July in the height of summer? It was frigid!!
