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| Downtown Reykjavik |
STILL DAY 1 - REYKJAVIK
We were pretty delighted
with our “Two Cats and Apartment”
find on Airbnb. There was ample,
comfortable space for the three of us to relax, delicious food left for us in
the fridge, and it was decorated in very peaceful earth tones with soft
lighting and lovely touches of art.
The only drawback was that the shower was in the basement, which was
accessed by going down steps outside, but there was a lovely “cow” to greet you
in the garden on the way.
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| moo? |
Iceland has an abundant supply
of geothermal energy, which allows its citizens to be somewhat cavalier about
its usage. The radiators are
usually cranking, which delighted Una’s cats no end. The room temperature is
regulated by opening the top windows. We were even wishing we’d brought something lighter to wear inside. Added to that, we found that, like other countries
we’ve traveled in, Icelanders don’t use top sheets on their beds, opting just
for a down-filled duvet-covered comforter. This proved to be a lot more “comfort” than our bodies were
used to, and we spent the night uncovering and recovering to look for the
perfect, elusive temperature.
During one of these readjustments, Ron started worrying about where the car had been hastily parked on arrival from the airport and made a trip downstairs to find out we’d indeed gotten a ticket. It wasn’t the first or last time I felt like a sheepish, stupid tourist, but considering the effort it took to get from our home on Cape Cod to Una’s home in Reykjavik, we’d probably do it again and consider the cost well worth it for the convenience. Una volunteered to pay it for us since she said she should have thought to explain the parking situation to us before we came. We did agree to let her handle it for us since we wouldn’t know how to go about it there, but insisted on giving her enough kronas to cover it.
Another adjustment to Iceland is the difference in the hours of daylight. During February, the sun doesn’t come up until about 10 a.m., making sleeping late a real temptation after the long trip. We left Doug, who had an even longer eight hour adjustment from California time, and found a coffee shop in the neighborhood to bring back coffee and croissants and decide how to spend our day. Since we were getting a late start, it made sense to just explore the neighborhood.
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| Hallgrimskirkja |
On the airplane movie, I
had learned about a church called Hallgrimskirkja, which for a small fee allows
guests to ride the lift all the way up the bell tower, about 240 feet, for a
view of the city. This is the
largest church in Iceland and was designed to resemble the basalt lava flows of
the landscape. Commissioned in 1937, it took 41 years
to complete. The statue of Leif Eriksson in front of it actually pre-dated the
structure, and was a gift from the U.S. in 1930 to commemorate the 1000th
anniversary of Iceland’s parliament.
Although a slim majority of Icelanders are Lutheran, it’s been written
that when they accepted Christianity, they did so under the condition that they
be permitted to quietly continue practicing paganism. It’s not that people necessarily believe in old Norse gods
today, it’s just that pagan values have been ingrained into the culture from
the 9th century when the island was settled by Vikings. As it turned out, Hallgrimskirkja was just
around the corner from Una’s apartment, so that was definitely on my list. It also became the answer to our
parking problem, as yet another neighbor came to our rescue as we were
pondering what to do about the parking ticket. She advised us that many people use the church parking lot
and we would not be given any tickets there. She also advised us to “walk like a penguin” to keep from
slipping on the icy layer that settles on the streets and sidewalks.
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| View from Hallgrimskirkja Bell Tower |
DAY 2 – THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
There are two popular tours that tourists take to see this country. The Ring Road encircles the entire country covering over 800 miles. With so many sights to stop and see along the way, at least a week is recommended. For us, the Golden Circle at 186 miles was the more manageable option with the time we had allowed. We didn’t stop at every suggested sight, but by the end of the day, we had managed to see geysers, a spectacular waterfall, and the best for last, the Secret Lagoon, and still roll back into Reykjavik for a traditional Icelandic dinner at Loki’s across the street from Hallgrimskirkja. Doug and Ron were not at all happy with their smoked lamb, but I won the prize for best dinner with “Smashed Fish”, a mixture of mashed potatoes and flaked fish, covered with melted cheese.
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| Cafe Loki |
Our first stop that morning
was to get some reliable directions from a local coming out of a gas station
where we stopped to fill up. He
was the epitome of a strapping Viking, and Ron asked him, "What's the easiest way to get out of town and on the road to the Golden Circle?" He looked him up and down first, then strode over to the car, bent down
and looked at the tires, looked at us inside, turned back to Ron again seemingly satisfied with the condition of the car. Then Ron explained, "We're going to the Secret Lagoon." He looked at Ron with a twinkle in his eye and said, “Oh, I know where you’re going...you don’t!”
Finally convinced that our car was safe enough to get us there and
back, he gave us directions, but warned, “Be
careful out there. And, take LOTS
of money!”
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| Icelandic horses on the Golden Circle |
On the way to our first stop, we passed miles of open, snow-covered range, dotted with a herds of a small breed of horses gathered around bales of hay. We found out later at one of our stops that the horses spend the winter outside while the sheep are housed in the barns, thickening up their coats to make all of those Icelandic sweaters. We got a good taste of the vast beauty of the island as the dry snow swirled before us on the highway.
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| Haukadalur Geysers |
Our first stop was at the
Geysers at Haukadalur, where the earth churns up boiling water that smells like
rotten eggs and vents steam, all of which leaves mud pools and mineral
deposits. The word “geyser”
actually comes from the name of one of these. It was a long, cold slippery walk to where the big one
called Strokkur shoots water 100 feet in the air about every 10 minutes. Doug and I decided to brave it while Ron
headed back to the car to warm up.
What we didn’t know was that the show only lasts about 2 seconds, so if
someone happens to be standing right in front of you, as was the case with us,
it’s a windy, frigid wait for the next one. I was surprised to see so many other people with a taste for
Iceland in February. I was
at least able to get a mini-video of L’il Geyser on the way, which bubbles
happily away all the time.
Returning to the car, we learned that Ron’s penguin walk was no match
for the black ice he encountered and he had taken one on the elbow and noggin
on the way back. We all decided at
that point to see what the restaurant and gift shop had to offer and enjoyed a
delicious and restful lunch of lamb stew and Mexican quiche and salad before
our next adventure.
Click to see Litle Geyser: https://youtu.be/lUN4iLe4q3I
Moving down the road, we came to the site of the Hvita river which abruptly turns a corner and falls 100 feet into a crevice creating the Gullfoss waterfall. Ron was starting to stiffen up from his fall, so Doug and I braved the icy wind to navigate to the long staircase to get to the lookout point. If geothermal energy were not so readily available, I’d imagine the force of all that water would light up a lot of homes. It was simply awesome, and I was sorry Ron was missing it. Then, I noticed a car pulling up to a lower parking lot that we hadn’t known was there, just steps from this magnificent view. We hiked back, and surprised Ron by driving around so he could witness this incredible place.
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| Gullfoss Falls on the Golden Circle |
By then, we were all ready
for the anticipated treat of the day at Secret Lagoon. The icy back roads were touch and go, with
no signs to confirm you were actually going where you hoped, but Doug and his
trusty navigation skills came through.
We had heard of a very popular geothermal spot called the Blue Lagoon,
which was mid-way between Keflavik and Reykjavik, but it obviously catered to a
crowd looking for a luxury experience.
Our host, Una, told us that Secret Lagoon was her favorite because it
was simpler, less expensive and surrounded by nature. That it was, and it was perfect for us.
A large building served as a bathhouse
for changing and a restaurant that looked out over the geothermal heated
lagoon, where heads bobbed happily in the 20-degree outdoor temperatures. The owner gave us a discount because he
said the temperature wasn’t as warm as it sometimes is. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to
get from the bathhouse to the water, but I forged ahead in a gait I wouldn’t
ever want captured on video. There are no pictures either, as my camera is not waterproof. I
quickly walked down the steps into the warm water and breathed a sigh of relief
at its comfort. A woman at the other
end waved her arm and called to me that she had found the warmest spot, right
by the geyser that fed the lagoon.
I immediately hustled over there and learned that the difference between
bliss and getting scalded was just a few inches, and keeping up with the best
temperature as it flowed around us became the ultimate challenge. I waved the guys over and we spent the
next hour enjoying the steam that rolled over us in waves and the healing
mineral waters that did wonders for Ron’s sore elbow. Neither Ron nor Doug cared about wet heads, so they dealt
with the constant freezing and unfreezing of their hair.
The trip back to the bathhouse, wet this time, was a new
challenge. Although the cold air
felt like pin pricks to my skin, I’d apparently built up enough heat to appear bright red in the bathhouse mirrors.
A quick shower and change back to winter clothes left me happily drained
while I sat on the bench in the lobby waiting for the guys. There was absolutely no problem sleeping that night for any of us.
DAY 3 - SATURDAY, THE LAST DAY IN REYKJAVIK
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| Kolaportio Flea Market |
Una had told us about a big
flea market within walking distance near the harbor that's open only on
weekends and I was curious what one would find there in such a remote location
from the rest of the world. We
were also told that everything in Iceland was very expensive, so it seemed like
an opportunity to find an interesting souvenir at a better price, and to get a
feel for what the rest of downtown Reykjavic had to offer. The flea was indeed big, and fun to
walk through, but the only items of real interest to me were the gorgeous
Icelandic sweaters, and my allergy to wool saved me that expense. There were actually a lot of
U.S.-referenced items that were probably of great interest to Icelanders or visitors
from other countries, but not for this audience.
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| Reykjavik Harbor |
By that time, we’d worked
up an appetite again, which doesn’t take much when you’re walking by lots of
restaurants with delicious aromas.
We settled on one called Café Paris, not for its name, but because you
could get breakfast there anytime of day.
The service was great, as was the breakfast, and we devoted the rest of
the day to pleasant strolling and drinking in sites and sounds of this
unique place. It was another early
night for us, as we had to be up by 4:30 a.m. to return the car and get to the
airport for the next leg of our trip.
NEXT STOP: LONDON
THE TEASER:
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