Iceland: Land of the Midnight Sun- Part 4 of 4 East Meets West

Before we got to Akureyi we stopped at this tiny town called Egilsstadir, which is just past the Eastern Fjords.  The drive here was exquisite, unfortunately I got a bit car sick due to the very windy roads.  We stopped a few times to look at an orange lighthouse and a cliff side beach.  There were many small villages along the way we did not visit, but I've been told they are amazing to see.  I was just too nauseous.  Before we hit Egilsstar we did stop at tiny roadside gas station for lunch.  I had to do a double take when we walked in as the young man behind the counter was a spitting image of my father when he was about 14 years old.  That was one thing I found so neat travelling in this country was that I could see parts of my family in the people we met along the way.  Being from Icelandic decent I felt close to the residents, like I belonged there.

Stormur Cottage

Just outside of Egilsstadir is a small area called Vllanes, which is where our cottage for night was located.  Stomur Cottages is on a horse farm, surrounded by fields and surprisingly, lots of trees.  We stayed one night in this tiny, cozy cottage, with a small kitchen and our own washroom.

The next morning we headed to Akureyi, but not before stopping at several waterfalls.

Borgarnes Harbour

Our Car

On the other coast is another charming town called Borgarnes, which we stayed for a night.  It was deemed as a very romantic place, and I could see why when we strolled along the shore line in the late evening, when it was dusk.  We arrived in the early afternoon so that we could go through the Borgarfjordur Museum.  They have the neatness display there with hundreds of pictures of Icelandic children in various day to day activities, dating back to the 1800's.  I loved walking through it as it reminded me of when I was younger and I'd visit my Amma, and she'd take out all these really old black and white photographs of the family, dating back to when she was a child.  So if you have time in Borgarnes then you have to see this exhibit.  Another place you have to go to there is the Settlement Restaurant for lunch or dinner.  The service and food blew it out of the water for us.

Borgarnes 

The Perlan

The next day we drove back to Reykjavik through this underwater tunnel that spanned 6 km.  Not being exactly comfortable in enclosed spaces I was feeling a little edgy, but that could have also been because it reminded of a scene in the TV series The Walking Dead, where they are in a tunnel full of zombies.  Once back in the capital we visited The Perlan, which is gorgeous glassed domed structure, where you can view the city.  After that we headed to our last accommodation in Iceland- Icelandair Marina Hotel, right in the Old Harbour.  This hotel was modern and artsy.  There were wooden sculptures of people and cool, little rooms with funky funrniture to sit and relax in.  Somehow we lucked out and got a corner room, with a balcony over looking the harbor, which was so interesting to look at, as they were fixing large ships and tons of people walking around.

Since we were feeling a little sad as this was our last night we dressed up and spent the night in the hotel lounge- Slippbarinn. They had an extensive cocktail and beer menu, as well as some fun appetizers, like lobster flatbread.  We stayed up late soaking in the last little bit of Iceland that we could, and actually saw the sun set.

The next morning we headed back to the airport and boarded a plane back to Vancouver.  Overall this trip was something I'll never forget.  Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes as I loved being in Iceland so much.  I feel as though we only just scratched the surface of the icy, volcanic, rock.  And there was no way I could have done it without my best travel companion, my loving husband Scott.

View from our room Iceland Air Hotel Marina 

Iceland: Land of the Midnight Sun- Part 3 of 4 Akureyri

If Reykjavik had a the little sister then Akureyri would be her name.  This charming northern sea port is home to many artisans.  We didn't get to spend a lot of time here but it was apparent from what we did see that Akureyri has some talented residents.  There were lots of studios and art galleries strewn throughout the main streets, which we browsed through on the rainy day.  We were also on a mission.  Scott wanted to find Viking brewery, and with six hours of walking from one end to the other in search of this elusive brewery we found it closed.  Heading back to the other end we decided to visit the old part of town where the oldest houses are located and toured our way through Akureyri Museum.  Maps dating back to the 1300's were on display at that time and a whole other floor dedicated to the history of the people, who came to settle in Akureyri in the 1800's to present time, was the main exhibit.  It gave me such appreciation toward Icelanders, especially the farmers and their children.  It seemed like it was a tough life back then.

For dinner that night I had the best meal at Greifinn; it was a an Icelandic Fish Hash.  It blew my mind.  This simple dish of white fish, potatoes, onions and butter was divine.  I loved it so much I made it at home the next week.  It was so comforting.

The HOF

Later that night we attended a play called "Let's Talk Arctic" at the HOF.  It was a comedy about the history of Iceland and how it was discovered, performed by just one actor.  In my true fashion I was panicked about getting good seats, so I made Scott hurry dinner so we could get there.  I imagined, like back home in Vancouver, we'd be fighting for parking and then lining up to get seats.  Well, we had no problem finding parking as there were only about 35 people attending the play, which was in a small theater with cabaret style seating.  We sat with another couple and enjoyed wine, while this hilarious actor entertained us with the history of Iceland.

In the morning at our Edda Hotel we had a large breakfast buffet and we hit the road again heading west.

Iceland: Land of The Midnight Sun Part 2 of 4: Vik To Hof

ICE ANNIVERSARY
The three year wedding anniversary is traditionally leather, but Scott and I are not ones to really follow tradition; this year we celebrated our wedded bliss by spending time in glaciers and icebergs.  These ice formations did not cool our passion though!!

On our 2nd day on the road we made a point to frolic on the black sand beach in Vik. We were the only two people for miles around at 9:00 am.  The black sand, the dark water, white frothy surf and a grey sky created this mystical atmosphere.  Behind us were these green hills, spotted with houses from the small village- population approx 320.  I truly believe this is where my writer's soul needs to dwell.  It was my favorite of all the towns and villages.















Scott really wanted to hike today so we decided on a hike in Vik up past the church in this grassy hill area.  In a field of green and sunshine yellow buttercups we trekked up this hill to over look the village.  I think Scott just wanted to check out the family of sheep munching on grass on the side of the hill.  After photo ops we clambered down and headed on our adventures for the day.

The hill we climbed

The drive from Vik to Hofn is the most diverse I have ever witnessed and of course the pictures never do it justice.  You go from farm land to black lava rock, to black sandy dessert, to glacier, to white lava rock fields and back to farm land.  As we drove along we spotted strange rock formations in a field, so like most people traveling in Iceland we pulled over.  There are so many pullover places to rest and take pictures it seems endless.  What we found was a place called "Lucky Rock Towers" created by a farmer years ago.  In the information we read that we are supposed to add a rock to a tower to ensure good luck; of course we did.

Lucky Rock Towers

Glacier

Our next stop was tailgate pizza time.  We had leftover pizza from the night before and thought the view of Vatnajokull glacier was the perfect backdrop for our lunch. Lots of other tourists thought so too, hence the tailgate for us.  We had brought a blanket from home thinking we'd have picnics on our drives, but there weren't really any grassy patches, just lots of rocks and no trees.

Once our pit stop was over we headed back to where we spied many cars veer off the main path on to a gravel road.  At the end of the road was the tongue of the glacier.  I was gobsmacked to say the least when we got close.  Again the pictures cannot possibly show the greatness of this place.  I feel so blessed that I got to share this with my husband, especially on our anniversary.

Vatnajokull Glacier

Jokulsarlon

Then we headed to our next destination- Jokulsarlon.  Here we had pre-arranged a zodiac tour of the icebergs in this tidal lake.  It had been my dream to see icebergs up close and this trip did not disappoint.  In a group of ten we boarded a zodiac and zoomed through icy- blue water, zigzagging in and out of the icebergs to the glacier that feeds it.  Our guide explained how icebergs came to be.

Some interesting facts were the blue in the ice comes from the sun being stored in the glacier and once the ice hits the water the blue fades away, over time.  In about 40-60 years, if the rate of melting continues, this glacier and icebergs will not exist. So I'm so glad I was able to witness this phenomenon in person.  Out of sheer luck there was a seal laying on an iceberg, which was so cool to see.  On our way back to the shore we took our time meandering through the uniquely shaped bergs, snapping shots along the way.

Just another 30 mins and we were in the town of Hofn.  Most famous for its lobster.  That night we dined on the biggest feast of lobster tails.  If you ever find yourself in Hofn I'd suggest making a reservation at Pakkus.  I'll never forget the dinner and hospitality of the staff.

That night we stayed at Dyjandi Farmhouse.  I was most excited about staying here but not as thrilled as our hostess Olga.  She had been awaiting my arrival.  It seems as though Olga thought my name was Morgan Freeman, like the actor.  She knew it wouldn't be him, but thought that someone with his name was just as exciting.  I didn't have the heart to correct her, so for the rest of night there I was known as Morgan.  This picturesque horse farm over looked the ocean.  The room was comfortable and we got our breakfast in bed.  This was the largest of the breakfasts we had- eggs, bread-pudding, toast and jams, cheeses, crackers, coffee, juice and of course skyr ( a thick yogurt that seems to be eaten at any time of day and in every flavor you can imagine).  Needless to say we didn't really need lunch that day.

This was the perfect day and the perfect way to spend my anniversary with the man of my dreams.

Iceland: The Land of The Midnight Sun Part 1 of 4 Reykjavik

After years of saying "I want to go to Iceland" Scott and I finally did it and with ten months of planing I was excited and anxious as we landed at Keflavik International Airport.  Coming from the scorching heat of B.C. I was not prepared for the biting wind that greeted us at 6:20 am, but the fresh Arctic air that filled my lungs grounded me.  I was in the homeland of my ancestors and I wasn't going to let weather or jet lag slow me down.

By the end of the 45 mins bus ride to the capital city of Reykjavik we were ready to explore.  Since we couldn't check into our downtown apartment until 2:00, we locked up our luggage and put on an extra layer, as it was only 10 degrees celsius and still windy.  From the bus terminal we navigated up the streets and found where our digs would be for a few nights and then headed into downtown for some coffee and food.  To our surprise the streets were dead on a Sunday morning and many shops and businesses were not open yet.  Eventually we hunkered down in a cafe and had the best cup of coffee.  Icelanders know how to make strong, hot coffee, which we couldn't get enough of.  Then we explored the trendy streets of Baronsstigur and Bankastraeti, looking in shops and eventually purchasing me a pair of gloves and Scott a toque.  It felt more like early Spring to us.  Much of the tourists around were donning similar garb like hiking boots, wind breakers and toques. We had our first "Happy Hour" which is common throughout Iceland.  Since food and alcohol are expensive, many pubs, bars and cafes have a "happy hour" where the drinks are usually half off.  We went to Tiu Droppar, this quaint underground French cafe.  It had the best cheese and meat plate ever.  Scott and I regaled about this cheese plate for days afterwards.

Hallgrimskirkja

On our next day we left our small, but functional apartment, which was conveniently located by the tallest building in Reykjavik, the Hallgrimskirkja.  This iconic church has the best view of the entire city from up the bell tower.  Then we toured through The National Museum.  It was well worth the trip if you are interested in the history of Iceland.















After a rest we hiked back to the bus terminal to catch our ride for our snorkeling tour at 4:00. Yes, I said snorkeling.  I didn't think there would be such a thing in the Arctic, but there is.  Scott and I love to snorkel and try to do it on all of our trips, so when I saw this I jumped at the opportunity.  This adventure was something I'd recommend to any experienced snorkeler.  We drove to the Thingvellir National Park where we suited up in tight dry suits and then jumped into 3 degree water that had been melted from a glacier and then filtered through lava rock.  We were actually swimming between two tectonic plates- North America and Euroasia, called the Silfra fissure.  The visibility was astounding in the fissure. Though there wasn't much in terms of marine life to look, the sun streaming into water made the rocks and algae glow aqua, emerald, and golden, which was magical.  The only thing that got a little cold was my face.

Menu from pub

Once back into town we ate at the Public House Gastro Pub that I'm still tasting the lobster dumplings and braised beef slider from.

Next morning we got our car and started the 7 day road trip on the Ring Road of Iceland.  In those days we encountered many sites.  The one we saw over and over again were sheep!!!  They are everywhere on the side of the road, in the fields.  You can't miss them.

On the way to Vik, we stopped at the famous Gulfoss falls.  It was a bit of a drive out of the way, but it was spectacular, and worth the drive.

Gulfoss Falls

Once back on the road we stopped at a small cafe and had the best bowls of lamb soup.  Through mossy hillsides and black lava rock fields we arrived at Dyrholaey, which is a famous black sand beach, where you'll find puffins!!!!  Being on the black grainy sand I felt this overwhelming emotion.  It was hard to describe.  The atmosphere was so hauntingly beautiful.  We saw a few puffins nesting in the cliff side and walked the shore line soaking up the misty air.

After a long day of site seeing we finally checked into this lovely bed and breakfast aptly named Kosy Vik.  We had this cute, cozy room with a full bathroom.  And like all the beds in Iceland there were two comforters, one for each person.  Such a brilliant idea.  Pizza and wine for dinner by the beach and off for a good nights sleep.

Lava rock field

Dyrholaey