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.
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| 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.
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| Borgarnes Harbour |
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| 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.
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| Borgarnes |
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| 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.
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| View from our room Iceland Air Hotel Marina |
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.
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