Posts Tagged ‘Iceland visit’
Quick Reykjavik
On our last full day in Iceland, we started with an almost 2-hour drive toward Reykjavik. This included a trip through the 5,770-meter-long Hvalfjörður Tunnel under the fjord, making the crossing in 7 minutes from what otherwise takes about an hour to drive around.
It was hard to tell if we’d arrived at typical Sunday morning activity in Reykjavik, but parking on the street was a little hard to find in the vicinity of the tall church, Hallgrímskirkja.
Our visit to Reykjavik was a quick one, exploring some streets and perusing a few shops, sometimes feeling swarmed by crowds of tourists and sometimes passing areas where Sunday morning appeared to be too early for commerce.
After more than a week of overwhelming natural phenomena in the countryside, city life just didn’t compare. Of course, I admit to being biased toward rural life.
The highlight of the day was a visit to the Perlan Museum. This place was fantastic and well worth the price of admission. We watched films about the Northern Lights, volcanic lava flows, and glacier melting, and toured an ice cave.
Each exhibition was top-notch, offering valuable information in interesting and entertaining ways.
For lunch, we visited the rotating restaurant on the upper level under a glass dome for some excellent food.
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We decided to pose with our shared dessert.
When we had exhausted ourselves of all the offerings at the museum, it was time to find our hotel near the airport and return the rental car.
We got a tip that there was a sports bar in walking distance that might show NFL games. Indeed, we were able to catch the Vikings vs. San Francisco 49rs game while having dinner. It was as if we were almost home.
All that was left to do was get up at 5 a.m. for a ride to the airport and navigate security and a couple of jet flights home. Retrieving all our luggage without complication was the cherry on top of an absolutely fabulous adventure vacation.
I was definitely ready to be home, but there is no denying the incredible experiences we enjoyed in Iceland were worth the burdens of travel that I loath. Those hassles I can forget. They have already been overshadowed by all the great memories that I’ve chronicled in the posts published here.
Thanks for following along on our 2024 adventures in Iceland!
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Snæfellsnes Peninsula
It’s impossible to pick, but this 9th day of our Iceland adventure rivals the best of the others for me because of the depth and breadth of rock formations we saw in rapid succession. Right out of the hotel car park, we decided to check out an enticing picnic spot by a modest waterfall with basalt columns.
We were the first and only ones there! Our first site without other tourists left and right. But this wasn’t even on our agenda. We were headed to see the Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge.
A long hike to the entrance while coping with a very stiff wind.
Well worth the effort as the gorge was really cool. It required rock hopping across the flowing water to get in. I took a video of the spot just inside the entrance.
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From there, we made our way to the Arnastappi Cliff and Hellnar viewpoints. Incredible sightseeing in every way.
The mythical half-giant, Bárður Snæfellsás!
My favorite, by far was the bending rock formations in this nook. You could see how the lava flowed. The 90° turn is striking.
We also climbed innumerable steps to the top of the Saxoll Crater.
Up here, we encountered probably the strongest steady wind of our time in Iceland. Luckily, it wasn’t that extreme on the side with the stairway. When I stepped up to the highest plateau, I could almost rest my full weight into the push of the wind.
Somewhere in this day, we snuck in a picnic lunch in the car and a visit to the Maritime Museum in Hellissandur.
Moving on, we enjoyed a great view of Kirkjufell Mountain and the waterfalls nearby.
Famed, I’m told, for its appearance in Game of Thrones, but also because it is one of Icelands’ most photographed and iconic mountains.
Finally, of all the nights with Aurora sightings, this night happened to be the most dramatic of all of them.
It was a wonderful punctuation at the end of our fabulous time on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
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Jadar Farm
After the wonderful adventures at Glymur, we made our way further around the fjord, stopping at a scenic pull-off for a picnic lunch in the car. There wasn’t a drive on the entire trip that didn’t offer eye-popping vistas of always interesting landscapes with mountain views, glacier fingers, moss-covered lava flows, or grazing sheep and horses.
We were headed for Jadar Farm Villa, an Airbnb cottage, by way of a Bonus Grocery store in Borgarnes for foodstuffs. We had an inkling the farm would be a real treat, and we weren’t disappointed.
We were ready to get in a little sooner than planned, so Mike called to ask about an early check-in. We were accommodated without hesitation. However, when we showed up, the farmer, Eiríkur, was in the finishing stages of cleaning for our arrival. It appeared he stopped his farm work to meet our request. We barely saw him during our stay because he was in his fields raking hay, but he was a phone call away and very helpful and responsive to every query we had.
This turned out to be our first chance to get close to horses.
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They had a dog that quickly came over to greet us, too.
We were in our glory to be able to interact with their animals. We were also looking forward to another soak in a hot tub, but we couldn’t rush that as the water temperature was intolerably HOT! Eiríkur gave Mike instructions that included adding cold water from a hose, and soon the water was just right.
There is never a shortage of hot water in this country, it seems.
Dinner was burgers on the grill. It almost felt like I was back home for a day in the middle of our travel adventure.
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Despite some clouds as darkness moved in, we enjoyed some flickers of Aurora in the sky before heading for our beds to close out our seventh day.
I can’t imagine any way that day could have been any more of a rewarding experience than it was for us.
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Geothermal Soak
During one of our extended periods of driving across southern Iceland’s barren yet scenic landscape, we listened to a podcast that described proper etiquette for visiting the variety of geothermal pools to enjoy a group soak. There was nothing surprising about the information, but it proved to be assuring in helping me to know I wasn’t dissing some cultural norm out of ignorance.
It wasn’t surprising to learn that shoes must be removed before entering the locker rooms. Nor was it a shock that one should shower naked and wash with soap before putting on a swimsuit. Easy enough. It is the cultural norm. The podcaster said not to be surprised if an Icelander calls out someone who fails to respect these codes of conduct.
Finding the Secret Lagoon took a little sleuthing as the “Alexa-voice” of our GPS seemed to be encouraging us to turn into what looked like driveways. Eventually, we found a parking area in front of the entrance. The wind was gusting strongly, making the air feel cold enough to discourage going into the water.
That’s pretty much the perfect invitation to experience a hot pool. The first thing my senses picked up was the sulfur smell, but that irritation was quickly cast aside by the sensations of being immersed in a large swimming pool’s worth of hot water.
Those of you on social media may be able to find the four of us in the background of selfie photos a young couple probably posted of themselves on their honeymoon. They really looked like they loved themselves almost as much as one another. I assume their phone camera was waterproof.
The pool wasn’t overly crowded. I don’t recall hearing English being spoken beyond our foursome. Regarding how chilly the air felt, the attendants patrolling the facility were wearing winter jackets. The water wasn’t very clear and there was a slimy growth on rocks along the outer edge where the temperature seemed to get noticeably hotter.
None of that mattered. We were soaking in geothermally heated water in the oldest natural pool in Iceland. It was pretty freaking awesome.
We started to get pruney before overheating and used that as an excuse to get out. Who ever wants to get out of a deep soak in warmth?
As I was getting dressed, I heard a bearded older man with Icelandic-accented English inform someone they needed to shower before going in. He then proceeded to engage the attendants to verify they were upholding the rules. It quickly became obvious that the attendants were as foreign to Iceland as all of us tourists.
Secret Lagoon was a great introduction to the realm of luxuriously soaking in the simmering geothermal pools for which Iceland is deservedly famed. It was our first, but it wouldn’t be our last before our visit was over.
With that adventure behind us, we headed not for a hotel but a little enclave of individual cabins nestled up a slope and protected by an electronic gate arm.
Two bedrooms, a full kitchen, a bathroom with shower, and a hot tub out on the deck. Barb and Cyndie prepared dinner from the groceries purchased earlier in the day.
The wind continued to blow, and the cloud formations grabbed our attention all the way through the sunset.
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Greenhouse Lunch
Late in the evening of our third day, an app on Cyndie’s phone alerted her to our first possibility of aurora visibility. It was really chilly out, so I elected to glance through the window while Cyndie, Barb, and Mike stepped out to watch.
It was a good first opportunity, but I was holding out for something much more vivid.
For the duration of our visit, the temperatures danced between freezing overnight and warmed into the mid-40s to lower-50sF during the day (0-12°C). The amount of sunshine and level of wind made a big impact on how nice the days became. We needed to flinch and grit our teeth against the bite of the cold in the morning a few times but were usually rewarded with much more pleasant conditions in the afternoons.
The morning of our 4th day was as chilly as the night before as we set out to hike the circumference of the Kerid Crater.
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The lake that formed at the bottom of the crater was simply the result of the water table level in the area. The lake’s shoreline goes up and down depending on extended periods of wet or dry weather.
It was an easy hike with great views, but the cold wind had us moving briskly. We were eager to return to the warmth of our vehicle. Did I mention it is often very windy in Iceland?
We had a reservation for lunch at Fridheimar Tomato Farm, which happens to be located inside one of their greenhouses.
Noticing a small grocery store nearby and arriving with time to spare, our intrepid planners picked up foods for our meals in the coming days. After reviewing the expense, we discovered the pricing of things was much higher than we realized. Oh well, we paid a little extra for the convenience factor.
It was a bit of a challenge to locate the entrance to Fridheimar. From the outside, I had no clue as to the treasure we were about to discover inside.
It looks a little vacant in that shot above, but when we arrived, the place was buzzing with energy. Large numbers of people were being offered a chance to visit the bar or being turned away as seating was reservation only. We sailed through to a prime table.
The first noteworthy display I spotted was their table of freshly baked bread varieties. We were invited to visit it as often as we desired. Their tomato soup was also “serve yourself” and without limit. There was fresh basil growing at each table with a small scissor to trim and garnish our selections.
I finally remembered to get a photo of my choice before it was half gone.
Roasted vegetables pizza on a tortilla crust with pesto sauce. It was as good as it looks. A side of sliced tomatoes with mozzarella, basil, a pesto drizzle, and a small dish of salt flakes was a treat shared by us all.
This was one heck of a destination restaurant and should not be missed. Just make sure to have a reservation.
From that scrumptious lunch spot, we head for our first soak in one of Iceland’s famed geothermal pools. We chose the oldest natural pool in the country, Secret Lagoon.
I’ll tell you all about our experience, tomorrow.
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Glacier Lagoon
First, let me say this about coughing with congested lungs. When mucus in the airway triggers a cough that clears said airway, the feeling is truly gratifying. When the same thing happens, and coughing can’t improve the endless degree of congestion, it gets really demoralizing.
At least the antibiotics appear to be winning the battle over the infection.
When plans were being laid for our visit to Iceland, the four of us agreed on a level of adventure that suited us. We passed on snorkeling the seam of tectonic plates, exploring caves, whale watching on the high seas, or donning helmets and roping in to learn ice climbing skills.
We did decide to take a little tour around icebergs on a zodiac boat. I’m not much of a boat guy, but I figured it was an adventure I could handle. The reward was greater than I imagined.
Pulling into the parking area of the JÖKULSÁRLÓN GLACIER LAGOON, a finger of the Vatnajökull Glacier (if I have my facts straight) after a 2-hour drive on a mostly sunny day, we found the views immediately invigorating.
I had never stood this close to giant icebergs. Awe-inspiring, to say the least. We were greeted by a stiff wind that whizzed the cold from all the ice past our bodies, doubling our stiffness.
Just wandering along the shore and ogling the fascinating ice flows with the actual finger of the glacier miles away in the background would have been satisfying enough for me.
Little pieces of perfectly clear ice chunks bobbed along the shore, giving us less incentive to check out Diamond Beach, where the tide can deposit the sparkling beauties on the black sand. Those results aren’t guaranteed from day to day.
In a much-appreciated break from the wind, we retreated to our vehicle (holding the doors firmly) for a picnic lunch of sandwiches from our groceries. This became an exercise we mastered after repeated choices to eat out of the wind.
I can’t say enough about the industrious planning by Cyndie and Barb to bring an insulated bag for cold foods, additional bags for shopping, and the smarts to make wonderful selections in buying provisions. We ate superbly on our own.
As the hour arrived for our reservation on the zodiac boat adventure, we were issued fancy-looking suits that may or may not have bought us some minutes in the case of falling overboard. The floatation vest was added separately, on top.
We then boarded the massive bus-on-steroids for a short drive to the floating dock where they make quick transfers unloading previous passengers and immediately helping the next group aboard.
A quick survey by the guide reveals our group includes folks from Australia, the Netherlands, and Texas, in addition to us.
Our guide introduces himself as, “Ben” from France. The English language works relatively seamlessly for interactions but when folks are talking among themselves, I think we heard most languages of the developed world throughout our entire 10-day visit.
The adventure on the water was so spectacular, that it deserves a post all its own. Tomorrow…
I need more rest.
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Relative Something 