Today started out very promising with a beautiful sliver of silver moon in the dawn sky.

and a visit to a store in Vik that had lovely woolen items to include nice Viking-style hats that my husband refused to have!

Things swiftly started going south as we got outside Vik and were heading east. The road and driving conditions were getting worse and we had over 200 km to drive to our next destination, Hofn, when we decided to abort and found a room in the small village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur (try saying it!) With 500 inhabitants and a special 4-legged one (later) it is the only place with services between Vik and Hofn, so a good thing that we stopped!

A little history from Wikipedia: Even before the time of the first Norse settlement in Iceland, Irish monks are thought to have lived here. Since 1186, a well known convent of Benedictine nuns,  Kirkjubæjar Abbey, was located in Kirkjubæjarklaustur, until the Reformation in 1550. 

The names of the waterfall Systrafoss (“waterfall of the sisters”) and of the lake Systravatn (“water of the sisters”) on the highland above the village refer to this abbey. Folk tales illustrate the history with stories about good and sinful nuns. The Systrastapi (sister’s rock) is where two of the convent’s nuns were buried after being burned at the stake. One of the nuns was accused of selling her soul to the Devil, carrying Communion bread outside the church, and having carnal knowledge with men; the other was charged with speaking blasphemously of the Pope. After the Reformation, the second sister was vindicated, and flowers are said to bloom on her grave, but not that of the first nun. 

A very special and dear to my heart inhabitant welcomed us at Hotel Laki.

The sun came out and turned the surrounding landscape into a beautiful winter wonderland. No precipitation for tonight so we should be in good shape to continue onwards.