After driving from Grindavík and the Blue Lagoon we made our way to Stykkishólmur, a fishing village with a lot of charm. Despite only having about 1250 residents it's one of the larger cities in the area.
We decided to stay at Baenir & Braud (Bænir og Brauð), a bed and breakfast. This proved to be a fantastic choice. The owner, Greta, is incredibly welcoming and a wealth of knowledge, great conversation, and travel tips. She honestly made us feel like family and answered any question we had. We got along so well and she kept telling us, "you don't change!"
Each day we were greeted with an incredible breakfast, which included homemade hummus, bread, blueberry preserves and fresh smoothies and enormous array of choices. Needless to say we didn't eat too much for lunch.
Some of the other guests during our stay were very interesting and our conversations usually turned quite humorous. One morning Greta pulled out a map and showed us some of the islands in the area, including one with one single home on it. She said her grandfather had lived there and Stefan said, "Let me guess, in that house?" It turns out he built it himself. As for her grandmother she came from a neighboring island.
The 'big' sites in Stykkishólmur are the church, The Library of Water, and the beautiful and pristine Breiðafjörður Bay. It's very common for tourists to take a detour to Flatey Island or a simple cruise through the bay in search of birds and sea food.
Believe it or not puffin is a very traditional icelandic meal. I had previously only seen them in a zoo, so we were asking Greta all kinds of questions. She told us a man Stefan's size would have about 4 and that she cooks about 50 when she has a big family event. I couldn't help but envision an oven full of those adorable bright beaked birds crammed in the oven trying to escape. When we asked her how they tasted she paused and animately said, "Sooo good!" Although the puffins that come from Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) taste "sandy".
We discussed how people came to Iceland. Many claim they are of Norwegian descent, but their blood tells another tale as many in Iceland are type O, which is more common in Ireland. Of course the Vikings got brought into the mix and Greta said what horrible and awful people they were.
Another of Greta's tips was to follow the local legend to get three wishes. Outside of the city there's a small hill called Helgafell. The instructions are to visit the church, walk up the hill without looking back or talking, and face East to make 3 wishes. You can't tell anyone until they come true - and they will come true she said.
The top of Helgafell is so serene. There are farms around the area and plenty of tiny lambs that's bleating mixed with a strange vibrating bird noise is all we could hear.
It really is no wonder that there are so many legends in Iceland. It's such a magical place with unspoiled beauty. The locals know that and do everything in their power to keep it that way.
During our visit Iceland was unseasonably cold. It was so cold in fact that we purchased an extra layer at Iceland's own 66˚N so we could withstand the coldness. Being on a boat only amplified that and we had to remember that this is summer. 
Stykkishólmur is part of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, which happens to be one of three Earth Check areas in the world. They have a very high level of environmental awareness and do everything they can to maintain the health of their area. 
Boats are taken out to sea to be cleaned and the water is some of the purest and most delicious there is. Greta said her son in law even brings jugs to fill up and take back home with him. 
Out in the bay we were on the look out for a variety of birds. Some appeared to me to be the average seagull, but we also saw white tailed eagles, a seal, and puffins! The puffins were the highlight and before we saw them we kept joking with Greta telling her she had better have not eaten them all. 
Evidently, at least according to the boat captain, it takes 2 years of the puffins to burrow out a little home. These holes have two rooms, one bathroom and one home where they have their babies. 
There are thousands of islands in the bay and they are only considered islands if they have grass on them. Many share the same names, because there are so many. We were surprised to see several small islands with a couple sheep grazing. Greta later told us that they also taste incredible. I don't eat mutton, so I'll take her word for it.
We visited the small cove where Erik the Red is said to have hid out when he was a wanted man before heading to Greenland and trying to entice people to come there by saying it's green. Having been to Greenland myself I can vouch for it being a much rougher terrain. 
One really fun aspect of the bay cruise is the chance to eat seafood straight from the ocean. 
A net was cast and in just a few moments it was filled with the freshest scallops and sea urchins I've ever eaten. The other sea life including the crabs and star fish were put back into the water.
