Going Home July 8, 2024

Reykjavik airport seems to be operating in the 20th century. We must have shown our passports and boarding tickets 5 or 6 times before boarding. Security is nil. There are few escalators, but lots of stairs. Bathrooms are not in the gate area, and there weren't that many anyway. At the gate, rather than announce boarding instructions, someone would hold up a card above their head  showing which group of people could board. After going through the gate, we took a bus to the plane, (they were jamming people onto the bus). Then we got off the bus, went into a building, up the stairs, and down a gangplank into the plane. Whew!!

Some general observations about Iceland:

• Sheep roam freely in Iceland, and you can find them anywhere on the roads. They're usually not seen in large flocks, but in ones and twos.
• Road signs are small, and hard to read, even without the language barrier. 
• Some road signs are icons, and can be cryptic; not easy to read when you're buzzing by at 55 mph
  
  
  
• There are waterfalls everywhere (or almost everywhere) you look
• There are expansive views everywhere due to the fact that there are very few trees
• Everyone we spoke with could speak English
• Farms (sheep, not agriculture) are widely, and I do mean WIDELY spaced
• Shower mechanisms vary from place to place, and sometimes are hard to figure out without freezing or scalding yourself
• In many guesthouses, you get one facecloth, and one bath towel. Amenities are few.
• Every place we stayed was clean, clean, clean.
• Small is a key word here: small coffee cups (maybe 6 oz), sinks, showers, rooms
• Breakfasts usually were cereal, bread, cold cuts and cheese, yogurt/skyr (Greek yogurt) and add ins like granola, breads (good bread), coffee, tea, juice
• We carried no cash at all. We used credit for everything, everywhere. Iceland seems to be a cashless society
• No tipping
• If you come in summer, you get to see lupines everywhere
  
  
  
  
  
• There was a cell signal (LTE usually, sometimes 5G) everywhere, even in remote places. We had roaming with Spectrum Mobile at a cost of $.04 per minute talk, $10.00 per GB data, free texts
• Food is expensive 
• Hot dogs and pizza are very popular here.
• There are no public trash cans anywhere. You're expected to take your trash home.
• Expect wind everywhere, and lots of it.
• Iceland is a unique place, unlike any place we have visited before.
• Favorite locations: Djupalonssandur, Latrabjarg Cliffs, Dyrholaey, Glaumbaer Farm, Skudur Garden--too many favorites

Djupalonssandir

A big surprise and Reykjavik, July 7, 2024

Our wonderful host for last night recommended that we visit a few a the local sights, especially 2 waterfalls nearby. To be honest, we were pretty "waterfalled" out. There are waterfalls everywhere in Iceland. As you drive down any of the roads, you could probably pick out 5 or 6 waterfalls along any road in Iceland. We had seen Dettifoss, Godafoss, Selfosss, Kirkjufellsfoss, Dynjandi, and more. But, no, our host protested, these, especially Hraunfossar, were really worth the short trip. A side note: as we chatted with the gentleman at the front desk, I watched as an older gentleman (probably a family member) hung guest sheets to dry on a line. This only endeared this place to us even more. 

The dining room/ former cow shed

So after breakfast in the dining room (former cow shed), we headed out. It turned out that the trip was really worth it. Hraunfossar is a waterfall formed not by a river plunging over a cliff, but by water from a nearby glacier that has small streams of water flowing at the edge of the Hallmundarhraun lava field. Hallmundarhraun formed after an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the nearby glacier of Langjokull, the second largest ice-cap in Iceland. When the water comes pouring out from under the lava, it creates a glacial blue river that is entrancing. So beautiful!

Barnafoss

We then continued on to Barnafoss, just a short walk up from Hraunfossar. Barnafoss had its own rough charm as the river rushed down through the rock formations.

Our next stop was Deildartunguhver, Europe's most powerful hot spring that gushes out 50 gallons of boiling water per second. You can see the steam from the spring from quite a distance. The water is piped to homes for heating and bathing. You can see the water bubbling up from the ground, but you can't get too close or you'll be scalded. Plus the steam smells sulphurous. 

We planned to end our day in Reykjavik, and so navigated there. Oh-my-god-what a jumbled mess Reykjavik streets are. We tried using Google maps to navigate, but streets jut out at angles, and there are not a lot of street signs to help you determine that you're going the right way. We really wanted to use a parking garage, and followed directions, but couldn't locate the entrance, even though we drove around the block and could see the garage itself. We finally gave up and parked at an outside lot.

Our walking tour took us first to Iceland's Parliament Square, the political center of Iceland. The square is lined with cafes, and today (Sunday) those cafes were packed with people, sunning themselves in the 50ish degree day with a moderate breeze. Some had jackets on, but we saw others wearing sleeveless tops and shorts! Because we both needed a restroom, we stopped and asked someone where we might find one. A gentleman kindly pointed us to a free toilet nearby. Ray went in first, and as he was inside, I was encouraged by the note on the outside that this toilet had automatic disinfecting mechanism between patrons. Great! Ray stepped out, and as the door shut, I could hear the disinfecting begin. Awesome! When, after a minute or two, I opened the door, I was greeted to what Ray had seen (or possibly not seen because he REALLY needed to go): an absolutely filthy (and I do mean FILTHY) toilet. So much for disinfection....I've used sketchy bathrooms in the past when I really needed to, but this was beyond  the pale. I let the door slam, and we started to search for another option. We found a clean indoor option in the Queer Art Market in the building across the way. 

We decided to head up to the grand Lutheran Baslica, Hallgrímskirkja, the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country. It has a very distinctive design, and it took 41 years to built, completed in 1986. The pews can be converted to face the massive elevated pipe organ built into the wall above the entrance, or to face the front for services. Our walk to the church showed us some Reykjavik neighborhoods and houses. 

By the time we left the church, we needed to check into our hotel, and then drop the car off at the rental company.

Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Rro3ra3ieEEjMRhj7

Snaefellsness peninsula, July 6, 2024

 

Today we continued along the Snaefellsness peninsula, and our first stop was Londrangar cliffs near Anastapi. Once a volcanic crater, all that remains after thousands of years of ocean battering are two great pillars upon a cliff, one 246 feet high and the other 200 feet. The walk along the cliffs was, of course, a windy one, but the views were incredible. Moss covered lava is the entire landscape, and thousands of birds nest in the cliffs. All long the path, wildflowers of all colors and shapes lined the cliff walk. Such tiny adornment for the huge rock formations!

After getting battered by the wind here for a while, we moved on to Rauofeldsgja Gorge. We hiked up to the gorge, but didn't go further to skip across the rocks in the river.

We then stopped at Ytri-Tunga, a place on the south shore of the peninsula where seals were said to gather. We walked out to the beach, but the seals were somewhat offshore, and hard to see. The beach was strewn with rocks that I chose not to navigate as the wind was conspiring to knock me down. Ray did, but his view of the seals wasn't much better than mine. 

Our stopping point for the day was at a wonderful little guesthouse in Kirkjubol, a small village near Reykholt, about 70 miles from Reykjavik. This is a family-run accommodation that is also a working farm. The dining room used to be the cow shed! 

Pictures are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/oP4QSV3CHtyAzNSE8

To the Snaefellsness Peninsula, July 5, 2024

 Rather than drive the 164 miles around to the Snaefellsness peninsula south of Westfjords,  we decided to take the ferry. It's a small operation,  but very well run, comfortable and quiet. Seats recline and you can charge devices at your seat.

We arrived at Stykkisholmur mid-afternoon and drove counter clockwise around the peninsula. First stop Kirkjufells (the mountain) and Kirkjufellsfoss ( the falls). Of course, they charged for parking there. The falls were nice, but not as nice as Godafoss or Selfoss. It is very picturesque, with the cone-shaped mountain as the backdrop. 

Next up was Djupalonssandur Beach, one of our favorite places of this trip. We walked down a path that took us through what looked like a fairy land. Rocks in all kinds of towering shapes. We emerged onto a beach at a plaque explaining that the 4 large stones nearby are lifting stones that were used to prove the strength of would-be fishermen. As we continued on, we walked on the beach- not a sandy beach, but one made of tiny pebbles. On that beach were hunks of rusted metal, the remains of a British fishing trawler that washed up here in 1948. Only 5 of the 19 crew survived.

Walking further, we saw gnarly sea stacks that framed the beach. What a fantastic place! We took a different path back to the parking lot, and enjoyed other views of this fascinating place. 

Our guesthouse for the night was along the ocean with the mountains as backdrop. 

Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/cSzd7rhQpwDemzYg7

Westfjords Latrabjarg Cliffs and more July 4, 2024

 Our first stop today  was Skrudur, a small botanic garden that's a little green oasis tucked up against the steep cliffs. It's a school garden originally created by a local parish priest to teach kids how to grow plants.  It was originally planted in 1909, and after some intervening years of neglect,  it has been maintained by local gardeners. We walked through the main gate to enjoy colorful flower beds, and lovely trees (including a large larch), labeled plants, fountains and birds.There is a gate at 1 end of the garden made of a whale jaw. This garden was such a lovely surprise.
Our next stop was at Dynjandi, not just one bolt waterfall, but several. There's a rocky, uneven path to hike past each one. With no railings or handholds along the ascending path, I went about a third of the way up. Ray went to the top.  It's a beautiful bridal veil falls. 

We then opted to take the journey out to the Lartrabjarg Cliffs. It’s the westernmost point in Europe and home in summer to thousands of birds, including puffins. The road itself, is an experience. All of the road is rutted, bumpy and rocky, and the parts that ascend the mountains are washboard and slope off steeply down the mountain with no guardrails. Workers were grading parts of it and the surface was loose, not packed. Ray's description of this: harrowing. It took about one and a 1/2 hours to go 23 miles, but it certainly was worth the trip. The road ends at the cliffs that stick out into the sea where the winds were blowing hard. My fingers were numb from taking pictures without gloves.  But the birds hovered against the cliffs in the thousands. The closer you got to the cliffs, you could smell them as well as hear the squawking that the wind wouldn't drown out. We did see puffins among the throng of birds! This was an awesome experience. In spite of the nasty drive, it was so worth it.

To get to our accommodations for the night, we had to retrace our route down the 23 mile long  rutted road, and 17 miles further on paved road. The guesthouse was right on the fjord. 

Pictures are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Q8viVgVyZwJVVwBUA

Drangsnes into Westfjords July 3, 2024

When we left our hotel, there was a "real feel" of  29 degrees, and the wind was

whipping. I had to hold onto the car door for dear life to keep it from ripping out of my hands. Our trip today would take us into the Westfjords, where services are minimal, as are residents. Our drive took us all along the fjords lined with mountains. Our first stop was at Sudavik, a small town on the north coast and home to the little Arctic Fox Center. There is a great deal of information here about the foxes-- where they live, what they eat, their predators, etc. In the back of the center, there is a pen where they keep wild, orphaned foxes. 

From Sudavik, we moved on to Isafjordor, Westfjords largest city. We stopped at the modern Lutheran church there but it was closed. This new church was very controversial with residents. When the old church burned down, they replaced it with this contemporary monstrosity and moved some of the graves in the old graveyard adjacent to do it. The modest Catholic church was closed as well. We walked around the streets a bit to get a feel for the place. Buildings are mostly metal sided and roofed, and frequently painted bright colors. We stepped into the visitor center in town and spoke with a woman there about how the townspeople felt about the modernization going on in Isafjordour. Business people like it, average citizens,  not so much. They've improved the harbor so cruise ships can access town. It brings many more customers to the businesses, but others like their town as it was, without all the tourists.

We had dinner at a wonderful little restaurant in town, then continued on to our guesthouse, about 17km away. Our route took us through a recently opened tunnel that is 2 lanes in some places and 1 lane in others. For the one lane parts, coming from our
direction, if you see lights coming towards you, you needed to use the nearest pullout area (marked with M) to allow the oncoming car to pass. The tunnel was about 2.5 miles long. Our hotel was a few miles beyond the end of that, truly in a beautiful rural area.

Our hotel location

Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/aeejLNAujy6KCsXNA

Varmahlid to Drangsnes in Westfjords July 2, 2024

The Glombaer farmhouse is a short distance from our hotel, and it looked like an interesting stop. It's an old Icelandic farm complex of separate buildings, united by a central passageway. The buildings here date from different time periods from the 18th to 19th century. Glombaer is mostly made of turf and driftwood, a style of turf construction that was used universally in Iceland up until 1910 to 1930.  It was gradually replaced by reinforced concrete. This farm gives a wonderful look at early Icelandic life

and the resourceful and tough people who live here. There was no heat in the complex of rooms. Everyone wore wool and the rooms were small. The farm included all kinds of fascinating implements and tools. One that caught my eye was crampons for cattle so they wouldn't slip on the ice. The farm told the story of Monica Helgadottir, a formidable woman. I snapped a photo of her story. We thoroughly enjoyed this farm museum. 

We then headed into the Westfjords of Iceland, an area the size of
Connecticut with a population of about 7600. In other words, it's sparsely settled. Our drive took us into the vast expanse of this, mostly unpopulated area.  Part of the way it was unpaved, but it was mostly paved. The unpaved part wasn't bad, but we were surprised that others were driving the speed limit, 50 mph. We were also amazed to see bicyclists on the route. Are they crazy? How can that be fun all along the fiords? It was cold and windy, 42 degrees with a 22 mph wind gusting to 39 mph. Insanity!
All along the fjords, we saw a large piles of driftwood, evidence that people were collecting it for building projects. There is no native lumber in Iceland so most buildings are made of concrete.
We arrived at our day's rest at Drangsnes, in a tidy, comfortable and warm inn right on the fjord.
Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/wxzzxCU7xdkhPpRN9

Myvatn to Varmalid July 1, 2024

On our way out of the Myvatn area, I asked Ray to pull over to the side of the road so I could take a picture of the valley that we had passed. Oh my God! The midge swarm was incredible! I ran back to the vista, got the picture, and bolted back to the car. Here's the picture (it wasn't worth the aggravation):

Here's what I was trying to escape:

After that, we started off the day with a visit to Godafoss, a horseshoe-shaped waterfall, about 10 Miles West of Myvatn. We took a short trail to the overlook, then another down to the river for perspective.

From there, we headed to a Akureyri, Iceland's second city, kind of a mini Reykjavik. The city has a lovely botanical garden, which is a city park. It showwcases northern plants, which are conveniently labeled. Flower beds, were nicely maintained, and there are paths that crisscross through the park. There was a view down to the harbor where there were two cruise ships docked.

We also stopped at the Akureyri church, that had a crushed volcanic rock facade. It's very modern. Normally there are huge steps that lead up to the church from the city center, but they were torn up and being reconfigured,  and were closed. So we drove to the church. We were surprised to see there was a 5 euro charge to enter. So, we opened the door, stepped in, snapped a photo and left.

From Akureyri, we headed to our stopping point for the day, Varmalid ( pronounced Varmaleeth). This was an incredibly beautiful up and down journey through green valleys lined with sheep farms and hay fields, and up craggy mountains.  Ray was always looking for sheep stepping into the 2 lane road.

Our hotel is fairly modern, and a sign in the bathroom notified us to take care with the hot water. It is geothermally heated and could easily scald you if you weren't aware you need to temper it. The restaurant at the hotel was very good, although, as in most of the restaurants we've visited,  the menu selection was limited, to say the least. We both had the garlic pasta chicken, which was very good.

Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/SzXbQWxKg3g2qXjdA