This is Rúf English Radio with Darren Adam, daily English language radio from Iceland's national broadcaster, Rúf.Rúf English RadioI used to connect these two settlements, now of course Route 85, which is the main road, a surfaced road, runs more directly between the two villages.But today, I'm taking the old road.Take the road very slowly, the speed limit here is 60 km per hour, that is not an aspiration, that's an absolute limit.I'm doing about 45 or 50 at the moment because it is so very bumpy.This can be driven in a...normal two-wheel drive road, it's not a mountain road, it's not an F-road.If you do have access to a four-wheel drive, then your journey will certainly be more comfortable, I think it is fair to say.The road is signposted as Belrakasleta, which is the name of the peninsula that you drive around, essentially.You'll see that signpost in Korpaskerr, it's the only other way out of that town.And if you are researching this part of North Iceland, you might come across a travel blog, a review essentially of this road, 870,in which somebody who has driven this road relates, having spoken to a local, who said,don't bother taking this road, it's flat and featureless, there's nothing there, it's a waste of time, essentially.Well, can't help wondering if that person just wanted to keep this road...to themselves, because it's not especially flat, it does go up and down,and it's only featureless if you don't enjoy absences, I suppose, because this road doesn't quite hug the coastline,it almost does, but it comes inland a little bit from that, there isn't much around, but that is exactly the appeal of this road,it is stark and beautiful, and indeed you do...get great views when the road comes a little bit closer to the coastline, as it does in places,and as it does when the road first climbs out of Korpaskerr, if you're heading towards the east.Coming up now to a section where there is water to my left and to my right, this is one of the sectionswhere the road does come very close to the coast, but there's a body of water, a lake if you will,just off to the to the right as well.This is also where there are huge quantities of driftwood, because as we've talked about on RúfEnglish Radio before, this part of Iceland especially on the north coastis very well placed to receive the gifts of driftwood, usually from Russian sawmills,sometimes that have made their way more than once around the world, before washing up on the beachhere on the very edge of Iceland, and this part of the country is where there is perhaps the greatestamount of driftwood.It's very hard to miss as you drive past.As ever, worth keeping an eye out for sheep on either side of the road at this stagebut more towards the right as we get further around.It seems they can of course be spotted just about anywhereand are at risk of running onto the road just about anywhere in Icelandbut I suspect that here, to the extent that they learn about traffic at allless used to cars coming past and so therefore might be a bit less wary. So be aware as youmake this journey. You'll also pass on this road what is almost, arguably, disputedlythe northernmost point of the Icelandic mainland. And that is the lighthouse at Hraunhapnatangi.Hraunhapnatangi. Thought for the longest time to be the northernmost point of the Icelandicmainland. Until some sort of geographical wizardry was performed and it was discoveredthat Ríðstangi is in fact a place very close to here that sits a few tens of metres tothe north. Of course, when we talk about the northernmost point in Iceland, we talk aboutthe island of Grimsi, where we've visited here on Ríðinglis Radio, sitting off thecoast here.In the north. But the northernmost point of the mainland, thought to be Hraunhapnatangi,in fact Ríðstangi. You can indeed in half-decent weather walk out to Hraunhapnatangi, the lighthousewhich is visible as you drive, certainly, about ten kilometres to the west of Róðahoppon route 870. On a bleaker and darker day than this, this road sometimes feels to meas if one is driving on an uninhabited arctic island. Maybe Jan Mayen, for example,with these pools of water that just sit on the boggy land out the side of the road.Lots of driftwood on the side of the road. You can learn about the importance of driftwoodactually at another place that we visited previously on Ríðstangi.A lot of driftwood on the side of the road. You can learn about the importance of driftwoodactually at another place that we visited previously on Ríðstangi. You can learn about the importanceof driftwood actually at another place that we visited previously on Ríðstangi.A lot of driftwood on the side of the road. You can learn about the importance of driftwoodactually at another place that we visited previously on Ríðstangi. You can learn aboutthe importance of driftwood actually at another place that we visited previously on Ríðstangi.A lot of driftwood on the side of the road. You can learn about the importance of driftwoodactually at another place that we visited previously on Ríðstangi. You can learn about the importanceof driftwood actually at another place that we visited previously on Ríðstangi. You can learn aboutthe importance of driftwood actually at another place that we visited previously on Ríðstangi.A lot of driftwood on the side of the road. You can learn about the importance of driftwood actuallyOut on the peninsula.The road surface improves a little I thinkonce you get closer to R¹ðahopplin.Again this is a road that isits recommended thatyou use a four-wheel drive vehiclealthough it is not a mountain roadIt is not an F roadIt is open to two wheel drive vehiclesIt'll just be more comfortablein a four wheel driveBut a beautiful driveYou can hear thereÞað er það sem ég hef þátt á því að ég hef þátt á því að ég hef þátt á því að ég hef þátt.Það er það sem ég hef þátt á því að ég hef þátt á því að ég hef þátt.Það er það sem ég hef þátt á því að ég hef þátt.
