There I was, standing in the lava tube formation at Dimmuborgir, a circular opening in the lava structure that they call the Cathedral. The whole lava field is said to be the place where Satin alit when he came to earth so I don’t get the Cathedral reference, but that’s folk lore for you.

My challenge: how to get down gracefully. The problem: there was a busload of tourists speaking some unknown language, starting to climb up. My other problem: the Aleve I took last night had worn off and my gimpy left hip made my left side MIA. The crowd went silent. One person warned, “Keerful.” Another, “Seet down.” Everyone sighed an Eastern European sigh of relief when I finally made it down with body intact but ego badly bruised.

This was our first stop, the Dimmuborgir lava field, almost directly across the highway from our Airbnb, which we’d left a few minutes earlier. We picked this stop, and most of the other stops today, by following unashamedly Sage’s Northern Iceland itinerary. Thanks, Sage. Send us your bill.

This lava field was more dramatic and larger than most of the similar fields we’ve seen in Iceland. This lava eruption occurred about 2,300 years ago. But by 1940 the area had accumulated a large amount of silt, almost burying the formations. The owners, farmers in the area, gave the land up and the Land Conservancy fenced it off to keep the sheep out, built stone barriers and planted grass. The result is that the lava field has recovered. And, the grass has provided a basis for the growth of birch trees. A win-win.

Now I’m all in favor of Iceland growing some trees to replace what the Vikings cut down 1,000 years ago. But keep in mind, trees get in the way of tourists’ snapshots. And tourists contribute a whole ton of krona to Iceland’s economy. So careful where you plant those trees.

After Dimmuborgir we went further north, retracing some of the route we traveled yesterday, about 10 miles worth. That took us to the Hverir geothermal hot springs park. Here, the landscape is covered with multicolored deposits and bubbling pools of boiling water. The deal is that lava lies close beneath the ground. Surface water seeps down, hits the lava and turns to steam. The steam rises back to the surface through vent holes, carrying with it sulphur dioxide and other chemical elements that produce the distinctive colors.

We waved as we passed by the lava pillars and lava fields that Sage covers in his trips; we’d seen them on our way to Myvatn yesterday. We did stop, however, at the Laxá River where Harlequin ducks are said to be found. Ooops, the guide book says, “best viewing is in the Spring and Fall.” No ducks. We did, however, enjoy the fast-moving river and we ate the sandwich we’d purchased from the café at Dimmuborgir, another Sage recommendation.

In addition to a lame hip I have a lame brain. I tried to plug our next stop, the Godafoss waterfall, into Google Maps. But instead I hit the listing for the Dettifoss falls, the one we’d seen yesterday. (“Foss” is Icelandic for falls.) It took a while, but when the GPS suggested a turn to the northeast rather than the southwest, my brain returned to duty and I realized I’d blown it again. It cost us maybe 20 minutes of extra driving. Godafoss was worth it, in the end.

That left us 30 minutes to reach our next Airbnb in Akureyri. The direct route would take us through a seven-kilometer toll tunnel. Instead, we took the scenic route over the mountain rather than through it. Saved a buck and gave us much nicer views. I wouldn’t do it in winter time, though.

Our Airbnb is nice on the inside but decidedly lacking in curb appeal. We were instructed to walk around back, past the trash cans, to an entry way last painted at the time of the Vikings. But it’s a great location and we’re going to do just fine here.

There is a TripAdvisor five-star rated restaurant 168 feet from our front door. Nice dinner but be sure to leave lots of available credit on your Visa card when you come to Iceland. They aren’t ashamed of asking for a princely sum for just about everything, hot dogs on up.

After dinner we took a brief walk up the hill to the church located there and not far from the botanical garden. On the way back we passed by the art museum. We’re thinking tomorrow, with a forecast for rain, will be our indoor day, hitting the museums, art galleries and what not. Then Saturday, our last day, we’ll head up the coast to explore Siglufjordur. Why? Because Sage says so.

P.S. I’ve added some new pictures to yesterday’s posting. They, for technical reasons beyond my control, didn’t make it yesterday. They mostly add to what was already there and appear at the end, not in time sequence.