Iceland!

 

Dermot and I squeezed a guided tour onto the end of this trip. We don't normally prefer guided tours, but we couldn't find accommodations on our own. I read that Iceland is "sold out" this summer. The seats in the older model Ford van that carried us over sometimes very rough roads were not kind to Dermot’s back but it was a welcome treat to have an experienced guide do the driving and answer any questions that came to mind. And a lot came to mind. 

My apologies that this post is exceptionally late due to slight illness during and a decided lack of urgency thereafter. This will be a confusing mix of descriptions with a massive photo dump because Iceland is a feast for the eyes.

Link to far too many photos here.

Reykjavik

We were lucky to get to Iceland during a volcanic eruption. The fumes were visible as we drove from the airport and our hotel had a chunk of the fresh lava rock. Though restaurant and bar prices are eye-watering, we enjoyed the fare at an Icelandic restaurant; an upscale food hall with a vibrant atmosphere and varied menu; and, of course, an Irish pub or two. 

Puffins were high on the “must see” list and we booked a boat tour to an island north of Reykjavik where they flock in the hundreds. My photos aren’t good but it was an absolute joy to see them flying with long eel fish streaming from their colorful beaks. Nature needed to make compromises so they could both fly and swim for their suppers so their takeoffs and landings are awkward and they have to flap constantly to stay aloft. They are ridiculously cute to me and it was a thrill to witness. 

July 22: Reykjavik - Hella 

We were so lucky to have Höskuldur Frímannsson guiding our small group of six throughout the golden circle and ring road. He was endlessly patient and generous in driving, educating, entertaining and sharing his love of his country. Our group was entirely composed of people who live in Florida for much of the year so we were bundled up while he was often in short sleeves. Our trip followed the ring road from Reykjavik counterclockwise encircling the entire country except that we bypassed the West Fjords. We had cloudy weather for most of the trip, possibly due to the gases from the eruption blowing back into Reykjavik. Therefore our photos are often dull shades of gray. 

We started with a tour of Reykjavik taking in the fairly bleak architecture then on to Pingvellir where we walked along the valley that formed between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates as they moved apart over the centuries. The deep fissures and rocky cliffs were formidable. Since all the tectonic plates move apart from each other here, the land has been expanding for millennia. From there we visited our first Geyser for a spouting hot spring.

At Gullfoss, massive sheets of water thundered over multiple tiers of rock and covered us in cool mist before dropping into a deep ravine (photo above). 

July 23: Hella - Vik

Seljalandsfoss was a real experience. What can top a huge waterfall? A waterfall you can walk behind to see the landscape from an entirely new viewpoint. It was exhilarating! 

Another highlight for me was at Skogar which included an Open Air museum with houses brought from different places and eras; a Folk Museum with a bit of everything from Icelandic fauna in taxidermy form to spinning wheels; and a Technical Museum tracing the evolution of vehicles and technology. It was fun to duck inside the sod-roofed houses of old and try to imagine eking out a living in this harsh environment. 

Our next waterfall was impressive from two levels. We first climbed up to the top of Skogafoss and were treated to a double rainbow following the water as it fell. The best view of this wide and beautiful waterfall was at ground level - truly impressive. 

Then hiked through scree to Sólhemajökull which is a glacier that has been melting at double the usual speed due to global warming which was saddening. The glacier was streaked with black from volcanic eruptions giving the landscape a dramatic look. 

We drove along the Iceland’s South Shore and were thrilled to see puffins at Dyrholaey. You may think there are a lot of puffin pictures in the album but that’s only fraction of what we took. They were endlessly adorable and so fun to watch I could have stayed for days. 

Next up was Reynisfjara beach with its basalt columns and black sand beach. Wow! The wind was fierce and we were repeatedly warned not to turn our backs anywhere near the ocean lest sneaker waves drag us out to sea. Just one of the ways Iceland can kill you:

10 Ways Iceland can kill you. RS

We spent the night at Hotel Katla which served an incredible buffet dinner. I’m not usually into all-you-can-eat but this one was exceptional. Side note: If you haven’t seen the movie “Katla,” I recommend it (Netflix).

  

July 24: Vik-Glacier Lagoon

We traveled to the Fjadrargljufur Nature Preserve where we hiked along the deep canyon with a waterfall at one end and a river flowing through it. The landscape changes here from the top of the canyon to a smooth grassy slope to the river. Beyond the river was the vast lava field from the Laki volcanic eruption in 1782. The fluoride from that eruption settled on the grass and when the animals ate the grass, the excess fluoride caused them to lose their teeth and wiped out about 80% of the livestock. Twenty percent of the human population of Iceland starved to death thereafter. This area is still desolate with few farms and has since been covered by moss that grows in a mound and makes for miles and miles of lumpy ground. 

We drove past Vatnajokull - Europe’s biggest glacier. There’s a photo in the album but the atmospheric conditions weren’t the best and more news of shrinking glaciers was saddening. Skaftafell National Park gave us the opportunity to check out their exhibits, a film and take a great hike to - you guessed it, another waterfall. Svartifoss was majestic with its cliff of basalt columns.

As we drove to the next hike we pulled up to a farm with some gorgeous Icelandic horses. Noting their small proportions, I called them ponies and our guide reminded me they were full grown horses and calling them otherwise risked hurting their feelings. There is no end to Iceland’s stories of trolls, elves and many other mythical beasts including a water horse, so I made sure to watch what I said thereafter. I once asked if people really still believed in things like elves here and he told the story of an elf place:

A story of Icelandic Elves

We took a hike to the tongue of another glacier, then made our way to Diamond Beach where the black sand provides the perfect background for the scattering of melting icebergs that, with a little imagination, glitter like diamonds. Our day was gray, but the internet will provide much more colorful photos of this place if you search.

The undisputed highlight of the day was the boat ride on Glacier Lagoon (Jokulsarlon) where we cruised between giant icebergs. Was it the milky blue color, the fantastical shapes, or the knowledge that we were only seeing the proverbial “tip of the iceberg” that made this place so magical? I still don’t know, I’m just humbled to have experienced it.  

  

July 25: Glacier Lagoon - Modrudalur

This was a long day of mostly driving along the coastal region of the East Fjords. I was uncomfortably in the grips of a cold and though our driver was sympathetic, there was literally no pharmacy anywhere along our route until the late afternoon. There were often many miles between between farms and I wondered how people maintained social ties being so isolated. There is an extremely limited number of crops that survive in this harsh climate. They have no reptiles or frogs. We noticed the absence of roaming dogs and cats as well. Their sheep, reindeer and horses were imported from Norway hundreds of years ago such that they are now unique in their adaptation to the extreme climate. Icelandic horses are exported and also eaten. I made the terrible mistake of asking how many lambs are allowed to reach adulthood and was shocked at the answer. Our guide then described how the ewes respond when their lambs go missing. Heartbreaking.

We stopped at the town of Egilsstradir where the town’s highlight is a little harbor ringed with giant egg sculptures made of various stone. Our guide had suggested I take a picture of the eggs at the Skaftafell National Park and now proposed we compare the photo to these sculptures to confirm the sculptures replicated the various birds’ egg shapes but our group lacked interest and we all soon returned to the warmth of the van.

We drove over mountainous (rough) roads to the Modrudalur valley, which is the highest inhabited place in the country and the landscape that more closely resembles the surface of the moon than any place I’ve ever seen. We stayed at Fjallakaffi - the unique working farm and guesthouse in the middle of the vast cold and windy desert. We were thrilled to see Artic Fox cubs who played together and disappeared under the boardwalk to reach their den. Though wild, they are being fed by farm staff. The rabbits in the pen nearby looked nervous.

July 26: Modrudalur - Myvatn

Before setting off, we enjoyed a breakfast that included a specialty of the farm: āstarpungar “love balls” which is a fried sweet dough with raisins. I’ll just leave that right there. 

An extremely bumpy road through the desert brought us to the magnificent Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe. The pictures don’t do it justice but it’s one of those places where the power of the waterfall was so intense, I felt it in my chest. Glorious! 

Our next stop was Asbyrgi - a horseshoe shaped canyon and lake. It was peaceful and though I’ve forgotten the natural forces that shaped the place, an alternative theory of its creation lifted from Guide to Iceland is: "Given the canyon’s horseshoe shape, legend has it that Odin’s eight-legged steed, Sleipnir, placed one of his feet on the ground here, leaving a deep imprint on the earth, as it sprinted across the sky. Other myths claim that Ásbyrgi is the capital city and true home to Iceland’s ‘hidden people’, the Huldufólk and elves. Many of Iceland’s folk stories revolve around these strange, magical people and the bizarre punishments and plots."

We lunched in Husavik, known for whale-watching trips, before driving to Lake Myvatn, which is chock full of interesting geological and geothermal sites. Paths were studded with piles of rock that steamed, pools of strangely colored water, and bubbling mud pots. Volcanic activity in the area formed caves filled with pools and lava that is still warm almost 30 years after the eruption. Dimmuborgir has a maze of paths to walk and the pseudo craters at Skutustadir surrounded by water made for serene landscapes.

A special treat greeted us at Guesthouse Narfastadir to celebrate one couple’s anniversary - Hakarl (fermented shark) to be washed down with Brennivin, known as “the Black Death of Iceland.” The fermented shark wasn’t as bad as I’d feared and Dermot survived the shot of Brennivin so we counted that as a win.

July 27: Myvatn - Hrutafjodur

By this time I can’t imagine a day without a great waterfall. Godafoss (the waterfall of the Gods) has a very interesting story (see sign photo) of the emergence of the Christian faith in Iceland. 

Next stop was Akureyri where I enjoyed the diversity of plants and flowers in the botanical gardens but didn’t find any hidden people or elves despite the clear signage. This town was very cute with its trash cans dressed as various beasts, massive troll woman and the welcoming LGBTQ rainbows. We visited the charming town on Siglufjoddur and then around the Trollaskagi Peninsula. The Hofsos beach had some unique basalt columns with round centers. Geologists must be in heaven here!

July 28: Hrutafjodur - Snaefellsnes

We continued around the Snaefellsnes peninsula where we visited a basaltic pebble beach unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The coast was breathtaking and we saw many nesting birds clinging to the cliffs at Arnarstapi.

July 29: Snaefellsnes - Reykjavik

Our first stop was a hike to the top of the old volcano Grabrok. We were thankful for the boardwalks that allowed us to get a view from the top without having to scramble on scree. More waterfalls Hraunfossar (Lava Waterfalls) and Barnafossar (Childrens’s waterfalls), but somehow they never lost their charm. Then we visited Deildartunguhver, Europe’s hottest springs. Great for steam facials! We traveled through the Whale Fjord on our way back to Reykjavik.

I’ll say we were pretty tired by the end of each day even though we had a far easier job than our guide who was in his 70’s. It put us to shame. 

Our next stops were London for a few days and home where our long neglected home duties kept us very busy.

  

If you’ve read this far you’re a glutton for punishment and thank you very much.

I’ve no idea where we’ll go next but we’re open for suggestions!