We travel early on Tuesday and arrive in the USA in the morning. We did not have to rise early on Monday; we slept in and lollygagged until around 9:00, cleaned up and dressed, located breakfast, and consumed a familiar repast. We later went out to Reykjavik in the early afternoon. We stopped by a pharmacy and then located the famous hot dog stand, only to find another long line again, but this time we waited.
Deborah had a Clinton while I had everything (Bill Clinton had one with just mustard — he was on a diet — and that is the name for just mustard). The dogs were good. We ate them standing with diet drinks.
Next, we wandered up the hill again. Stopping by a few shops as we went. Mokka Kaffi was renowned for its writers and had been in operation since 1958. Computer use is banned there. We had, yes, more baked goods, snacks, and coffee. Here is the secured website.
It was warm and sunny, with the high sixties, which felt sweaty to us now. We continued walking up to the Lutheran Hallgrimskirkja. Today, we purchased tickets to the tower and soon found ourselves looking out the barred, open-air windows.
We stayed long enough to hear the near-deafening sound of 3 in the afternoon.
(Plays for 30 secs before sound. You can advance to half way).
We also liked the look behind the clock face.
Next, we tried the local sculpture garden near the church. Deborah researched many of the Norse myths related to the sculptures.
Next, we wandered some new streets in Old Town and then returned to Odin’s for a beer. We relaxed there for a bit and then walked down the hill (one last time for the trip) and continued shopping.
We decided to repeat dinner at the harbor as it was excellent and cheaper than the area near the hill or our hotel. The Old Harbor House is an order-at-the-bar place with fantastic food, a view of the small harbor, and while not cheap, it was not stupidly expensive.
On the way to dinner, I saw that the underground Punk Rock Museum was still open. We climbed down into a disused toilet that was now a tribute to Iceland’s version of Punk Rock and many of the bands. Each former stall is decorated with the history of Icelandic Punk Rock bands (with an English translation). Headphones were hung from the ceiling to listen to the Punk Rock music of Iceland, and jackets were available for a photo opportunity. I bought some postcards (and some of you, Dear Readers, will receive them). The proprietor had a mohawk and wore a punk rock-aligned dress, although he was now gray and wore glasses. He was happy to explain things and was friendly.
We liked Iceland enough to consider another trip (return for the northern lights, we were told). We enjoyed the people, our hotel was fabulous, the climate was pleasant (even the rain), and we believe in the social justice Iceland has adopted. It is expensive, but well worth it.
Deborah checked, and our return was slightly confused, but we now have a bus pickup as planned. It is very early. We returned to our room, packed, and tried to sleep for the few hours before our return adventure began at Bus Stop 1 in Reykjavik. I wrote a few more postcards and mailed them.
Ugh, starting too early to make our 7:30 pickup time, we rose at 6 and soon got dressed in many layers (but I forgot to put on my boots, and Deborah forgot her iPods for long bus rides), swallowed a quick hotel breakfast, and then waited not too long at Bus Stop 1. We were taken to the Bus Hostel and then sorted onto a large bus for the 15-hour tour. It was often two hours between breaks. My colon (shortened by 25cm from cancer treatment) was not kind to me, but no serious accidents happened.
The first stop was a waterfall (their names now all run together). There was a long walk to an overlook, but our guide warned us that the stairs were slippery and the view was not great — we skipped the steps. The steps also, I read, are the start of the trek into the glaciers and not a particularly safe one (there were dire warnings on being adequately prepared and not to do this in winter).
The place was busy, and the view was better from a distance as there was no access to the falls itself, just the area downriver or from the trek lookout.
We spent hours looking out the windows on the bus, with me saying ‘sheep’ when I saw sheep, which was often. Deborah joined in after a while, and we added horses and rocks occasionally. There a lots of sheep and many horses with some cows here and there.
We stopped at a massive glacier and a bridge that had been destroyed, meant to withstand the sudden gush of water when an ice lake collapses.
Yes, don’t take the SUV for a test run in Iceland. It is not OK. Your total coverage does not cover that.
The boat crew had a piece of ice for us to take pictures with.
Hours later, after buying sandwiches at the Vik Quick-mark like store for lunch, we arrived at the Iceberg Lagoon, and it was spectacular. Our driver had arranged for a tour in a truck/boat (for an extra cost), we call them Duck Tours, that was slightly delayed, but we got off soon enough. Deborah and I, getting warm from the sun, took off our coats, and that made us a bit cold. The cold rain made that worse. I retrieved the coats and we were better.
The ice was everywhere, and though the glacier looks close, it is ten km away.
We thought this was most telling. It is more like a list of all the things tourists have done wrong.
We returned, after another two-hour drive back over the same places (“Sheep! Horse!”). Vik, it was again, and this time we tried to use the sit-down place, but we waited fifteen minutes for our soup. We did not finish our fries, and my soup was not warm (I suspect it had been waiting for most of the time, too). We were rushed.
The next waterfalls had stairs that led behind the falls, but this led to a rock fall filled with questionable footing. We decided not to forgo that experience. The falls are as large as the others, and they created their own blasting wind, soaking us. It was great!
We then napped some on the bus and watched the animals (“Sheep!” “Cow!” “Horse”). We passed by the American School Bus Cafe but did not stop. We looked it up and wished we had a chance to see it. It is an American school Bus that got shipped here. Crazy! See the link Deborah found.
We returned around 11 to our hotel, and soon we were asleep. Monday has no plans or buses.
We put two empty days in our travel plan for Iceland. This would allow us to rest and also add tours, as well as simply walking in Old Town Reykjavik, where our hotel, Hotel Reykjavik Centrum, was located (and ‘Old Town’ in this case referred to the period of 781 +/- 2 AD). We rose with the sun, bright in our room in the morning. We had tickets to an afternoon of Organ music at the Lutheran church that towers over Old Town, Hallgrímskirkja. There is a vast pipe organ there, and we wanted to hear it.
First, we dressed and all that and headed for breakfast at the hotel. It is a treat each morning with a mix of hot food, cold meats, locally made yogurt, cereal, and various baked goods. With the high cost of restaurant food and the time investment to get it, having breakfast included was an excellent choice.
We were dressed in layers as we had also signed up for a puffin cruise out to the island full of the cute little birds. But it was sunny and, for Reykjavik, warm. We were soon peeling off the layers and trying to walk the hill to the church on the shady side of the street!
We had to wait for the tourists to leave the church and for the ticket collectors to be ready. We sat directly behind the organist, but a few rows back. The row in front of us was then filled, but we could still see. Soon the church filled with concert goers.
I was disappointed, as my hearing loss prevented me from making out some of the subtle sounds, but the sound still filled the room. The organist was immensely talented and knew the machinery well, and was all but dancing with his hands and feet. The stops would also shoot out here and there as he reset things. The organ was set to a more musical level of volume, but I often like them to vibrate the floor.
The organist played a set of Bach pieces, which I suspect I had heard before but did not recognize. They were full of clashing pipe sounds as you, dear reader, would expect. The final pieces were from the 1800s and included the final piece that Deborah thought would make a score for a horror movie (It roughly translated as “Thank God for All Things”).
We skipped, again, the tour of the tower’s long line and headed out. We found a crepe shop nearby and tried that for breakfast. It was not as good as we hoped. It was stuffed full of bright toys and other knick-knack items. We spotted the famous Loki food joint, renowned for fermented shark and other bizarre food options. Just a photo for us!
We had plenty of time, and it was a relaxed day for us. Deborah and I wandered the Rainbow Road area, visiting various bookshops and the usual tourist shops. We decided that BakaBaka was worthy of a stop, got a table, and there were lovely baked goods and more coffee. It takes a lot of coffee for us to keep up this pace! We saved part of the excellent items for later.
We walked the rest of the way down the hill to get to the harbor. Along the way, we encountered a troll with whom we took a picture. We enjoyed the walk down the mountain. We soon were at the tour place. The staff there asked us about the organ concert, as we were concerned it would be longer and make us rush. It was good, but an hour of organ music is a lot. We had joked with the staff the day before when we bought the tickets that we might have to walk out after the intermission, which was four hours long (it was more like forty minutes).
We waited about 30 minutes for the tour, and I nodded off a few times while we waited. The sun, food, and music had me feeling quite peaceful. We soon boarded a small boat with only a partial cover in the front. It became clear (we ran aground once) that a small, shallow, and strong boat was the best choice for getting close to the island filled with puffins.
The puffins are small (there are stuffed animal versions in all sizes all over Reykjavik, and we learned that the Star Wars Porg was actually a bit of movie magic as puffins were everywhere in the shot, and it was easier (and cheaper) to create a porg creature to place over the puffins. Funny!
Puffins are cute and, though not related to penguins, do swim better than they fly. Seeing them beat their wings so fast and all together in a colony just overwhelms you with cuteness. I can see why there was a tour.
We spent about forty minutes taking photos and being bounced around by waves and hitting rocks. It was a lovely time, and I recommend incorporating this into a short tour on an easy day in Reykjavik, like we did. This, along with a visit to Sky Lagoon, would make for a nice mix.
We headed to the famous hot dog stand, but alas, a bus or some other tour group had flooded the place with a line over the road! We popped over to the 24-hour store and got some cheap-ish (there is no cheap in Iceland) sandwiches, chips, and drinks. Deborah also found a recommended book, Miss Iceland. We ate our dinner on the bench and soon headed (again!) up the hill towards the church. We found the Bookstore again and this time took a comfortable table in the front, purchased some beverages, and were ready for the band.
We danced and sang along, shouting Queen and Abba songs until 11ish. It was a fun time with Deborah, who remembered her Tina Turner moves at one point. The crowd, always friendly, soon blocked our view, and we joined them for dancing and singing.
We managed to find our way back without incident. The crowd seemed friendly, but we did have to walk back up the hill (again!) when we discovered Deborah had left her newly purchased book at our table. She was able to recover it (though a sleeping gentleman was using our table). We soon returned to our hotel and went to sleep. It was late.
I think I will do one day at a time. Thanks for reading!
We rose slowly and started our Friday with a trip around noon, and we could go at a leisurely pace. I had woken up at 2 and wrote the blog as the sunrise began at 3:30. I still managed to sleep after that and woke with more light. Friday, the skies were gray and then mixed. We would need our waterproof clothing again as we had a boat ride today.
We managed to get started, showered, and down for breakfast at the hotel. It is an excellent mix of hot food, yogurt options (Icelandic style), and baked goods. I could have used a larger cup for the coffee.
Under the hotel where we are staying, there is a museum. While rebuilding the hotel and attempting to construct a parking garage, it was discovered that one of the oldest settlement sites in Iceland was located beneath the buildings. A long house and an older wall were found just beneath a layer of volcanic ash, indicating that the remains were dated to 841 ± 2 years. They left much of the site exposed and in place in an underground museum. The ruins were now many meters below the surface. It was a treat to see the actual walls and firepits from what was likely a chieftain’s home, and some possible names match the text from writings about (and near) the same period.
This adjoined the City Museum of Reykjavik. As the name suggests, this exhibit is about the settlement’s evolution into a town and then a city. It was surprising to see how progressive Iceland has been. Slavery ended long ago, and although it was claimed by Denmark, Iceland gained independence during WW2, despite being considered sovereign since WW1. Iceland has absolute wage equality, and gay rights are equally protected.
After visiting the underground area and the City Museum, we headed to Bus Stop 1. The bus was not there, and we learned, after calling, that it would arrive 15 minutes later (everyone says to be 15 minutes early, and this time this was stacked two deep). Soon, our bus found us and took us for a nice, short ride. We could have walked in seven minutes.
Whale watching in July in Iceland off of Reykjvik is cold and windy. It is also wet and misty. I did get cold a few times (I had not put on a sweater under my coat), but Deborah was warm. Also, the waves just jostle you around a bit, and walking from one side of the ship to the other to see the whales could be difficult. We soon kept on one hand on the ship as we moved.
A giant wasp found its way to me, and Deborah was worried I would get stung. We managed, with me being oblivious, to get it knocked off me (it was cold and slow-moving) and killed before it did its worst. Yike!
We wandered a bit on the ship until we found a few seats on the top deck. The lower decks smelled of fuel, and sea sickness seemed like a real possibility were we to remain there. The ship was not packed, but it was busy, and soon we were in a light chop in the harbor that connects to the North Atlantic in a wide arc (I am not sure I would call it a harbor, but it was shallow).
I have not seen humpback whales before. The ship found a couple of pairs of whales after about thirty minutes of slow steaming out into the bay. I had seen many blows from a distance and pointed them out to Deborah. I am used to looking for them for our smaller gray whales on the Oregon Coast. I believe I also saw a Minke whale, a smaller whale.
I had a few balance issues when the ship moved one way and I moved the other. The captain, at one moment, turned the boat hard to get closer to some whales, and I was not ready. I managed to stay standing. Deborah headed to the bow (front) without me for more views and pictures. I stayed in the less jostled stern (back) as my balance is based on keeping my eyes on the horizon and not my inner ear like most folks. The brain surgery left me with only 1/2 my hearing and balance on one side.
It was a marvelous adventure, and we had many opportunities to see the whales up close. We returned and found lunch/dinner at Old Harbor House on the pier after checking out many more expensive places. We got a counter-like seat pointed at the harbor and then ordered from the bar. Deborah had wonderful salmon while I had the burger and beer special. We also had coffee and then again coffee with dessert, two slices. One dessert was a version of berry and cheesecake, and the other was apple crumble. Both were excellent, and we kept changing our minds about which was our favorite.
We walked back after waving off the bus (though we had paid for it, we learned, the transfer costing us about $20 each!). We saw some interesting places, one of which sold me a T-shirt, and soon reached our hotel by yet another route.
We were back out on the street to enjoy the midnight sun. We stopped by Hús máls og menningar, a bookstore and bar during the day (a good combination, we thought), and the local band was singing covers of 90s USA hits with the crowd singing along. Everything was in English. After that, we headed to Ægir Brugghus and had drinks (locally made rice beer and a Danish-made cider for Deborah). After that, we wandered a bit and headed back to the room. We were in bed late and fell asleep immediately. I did not wake until minutes before my alarm at 7.
Continuing from Wednesday’s previous blog, we had little to discuss about the airplanes, and it was starting to show. We showered and went out to find the Phallus Museum, yes, there is one. We walked only ten minutes or less to the place, even though it was after 5, and the day was not getting darker. We are very far north, and Iceland is now starting to have twilight around 2ish. We spent an amazing hour examining the members of various animals’ parts, some dismembered (yes, a pun) in bottles like a lab specimen, others stuffed and mounted, and a few made into walking sticks, light fixtures, and furniture. It was a strange museum.
We then went on to find dinner. We saw many excellent choices, but they were expensive and often did not take walk-ins. We finally decided on The Laundromat. It was a food joint we had heard about and I had read about. Deborah had the fish and chips while I tried the salmon. Both were good, and we shared our plates. Deborah had ‘picked wisely’ and had the better meal. The place felt like a college food place and was filled with books. We used a QR code and then placed our order online. It worked well.
After the meal, we walked back and decided that on Thursday, we would try 101 Bistro. It was slightly cheaper and promised its cod was caught the day before. It was still bright outside as we returned to our hotel.
Sleep was difficult for us as we often had it in short naps. Deborah watched the sunset and sunrise (never really dark at night here so far north) at around 3. We both got enough rest once we slept.
Thursday
We rose at 6 to have plenty of time for coffee, showering, dressing in layers, including waterproof pants and a coat, and a rushed breakfast. The front desk at the hotel, Hotel Reyjavik Centrum, gave us directions to Bus Stop 1 (a thing here), and soon we were with a group of Canadians looking for the same Golden Circle with Sky Lagoon tour. A small bus showed up in livery for The Lava Show, but it was our bus (something we learned, check with the bus drivers), and soon we were transported to a central tour place and moved to another crowded bus. We were a bit disappointed, as our seat, one of the few available, had condensation on the window, making it a poor choice.
Despite the slightly blurry view, we enjoyed the hour trip to our first stop. The North American plate ends here in Iceland, and the break and the resultant valley that is the crack are lovely. Our first stop was at this break, and Deborah and I walked down one of the huge cracks and climbed up and down stairs to see a wonderful view. Our layers were working as mist and rain came and went, but we did not get cold or very wet.
Flies would haunt us the whole tour, as the valley had small flies that would hover by your head. You kept moving to avoid them, but even then, they managed to collect somehow. One or two got around my hat, and I think they bit me. It was just enough to keep you moving.
Our tour guide explained what we were seeing, and soon we were back on the bus, off to the next part of the Golden Circle Tour. The women told us about geysers and how most of Iceland drills for hot water and uses heat exchangers to use less corrosive water. I did notice that our hotel used hot water heat, and even the bathroom floor was heated. Hot water is sent through a pipe from a locally drilled thermal plant, and the exchange is completed. Iceland receives a significant amount of rain, and numerous glaciers also provide meltwater.
Deborah and I walked through the geyser park and enjoyed the steam and smell. The colors were bright (even in the damp gray light). We saw the one huge geyser that gives a show every five minutes and were not disappointed by the eruption! We could see inside and watch the water heat, and the surface would move and pulse. Suddenly, a huge bubble-like column of water would rise and shoot high into the sky. We were mesmerized and watched it three times. We turned our backs to walk back to the bus, and it fired off again seconds later, surprising everyone. Marvelous.
We had only minutes left before the bus’s scheduled departure time (they provide this information before you head out), so we grabbed a lamb sandwich for each of us and a Coke Zero and ate standing in front of the bus. Food was not allowed on the bus, nor were drinks (except water).
It was a short drive to the waterfalls. There are long and distant stairs to get to the top of the waterfall. At first, I was hesitant, but I really wanted to give it a try. I would regret not doing it. Deborah was keen. Thus, Deborah and I climbed down and back up to the top of the falls. Some of the area is just wet rock, and the footing was uneven. I was using my waterproof climbing boots (as was Deborah), and they provided good grip on the damp stone and gravel.
I found that my knee hurt when going down. I only needed to take breaks when climbing back–no pain. It was an incredible view next to the water and at the falls. The few ropes and the graveled trails helped. Deborah and I loved it and were so glad we did the climb. We commented on the air, which is clean, damp, and cool but not full of pollen or pollution. It made the climb back much easier.
The bus then went into a dance of dropping off passengers that lasted about an hour. We were sent to yet another bus at the Bus Hostel (we all heard different words and shared all our versions) and said goodbye there to our driver and guide (who were busing doing a process best described, I think, as herding cats, older cats).
Our next stop, for us, the Canadians, and a newly married Finnish couple, was the Sky Lagoon. This is a new location that includes a ritual of hot and cold rooms and a huge swim bath with warm and almost hot water. It is made of lava rocks carefully cut to create a very comfortable steaming infinity pool that looks out at the harbor and the Atlantic. The water was deep enough to keep you covered if you bent your knees.
The pool was terrific, and we spent most of our three hours there before pick-up. Our clothing was stored in lockers (I would drop my wallet and retrieve it, but the cash was removed — about $80), and we had electronic wristbands that allowed us to get a drink from the in-pool bar or, later, coffee as we headed out. It also allowed us to lock and unlock our selected locker (it was important to remember the number, which I did).
They did offer $20 for a bag to protect your phone. We decided to simply enjoy the swim and ritual, and skip the tourist pictures, I’m afraid. I highly recommend Sky Lagoon. Including it at the end of the tour, it was perfect. Our Canadian friends informed us that this was far better than the legendary Blue Lagoon. An Icelander told me it was his first time, but it was the best experience he had ever had. Just pure luck on our side.
The water was not heavily chlorinated or salty with minerals. There was no mud, and the floor was cut and polished lava. The crowd was older and in bathing suits (by rule). Everyone was polite, and the only romance was about hanging out and holding each other, at most. There was security in the pool. The ritual was fun and engaging, but the lagoon was better.
We were sad when our time ran out. We all returned to the lockers and soon (me with less cash) had our stuff and were looking for our bus. It was late. I called them on their Icelandic number, and just as I reached help, the coach pulled in. We were back, and soon everyone said goodbye (we were a good bunch and shared some information with the Canadians). Here is a write-up on Sky Lagoon that Deborah found: here.
Deborah and I returned to the hotel. There, Deborah spent thirty minutes working out an issue with the next tour. Some of the paperwork had gone sideways, and Deborah was happy we called to check on them. We might have had a poor day on Friday had the call not been placed.
Dinner was as planned, at 101 Bistro, only a few minutes away. We had the lamb platter, and Deborah again ordered the fish and chips. We shared our plates, and the food was perfectly prepared and wonderful. Deborah had a cider from Denmark, and I had a local pilsner, which was good, but pilsners can be plain, and this one was.
Fed, we returned to our hotel, picked up towels, stamps for postcards, and arranged for the room to be cleaned daily (it’s optional but complimentary). We spent the rest of the night together and soon slept, but the sky outside was seldom dark. Tonight, Michael (me) woke at 2 a.m. and decided to write the blog and watch the sky change. The street lights were on for maybe a few hours.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 