Iceland Getaway

The Blue Lagoon: The Blue Lagoon consists of natural hot water pumped from a mile below the surface onto a lava field. Even though the air temperature was in the mid-30s and windy, we relaxed in this warm (sometimes hot) water. It felt great!

The Food: I never had a bad meal during my stay in Iceland. Fish and lamb are the most popular foods there. The seafood was always fresh, and the lamb was always tender and well seasoned.

Gulfoss (Golden Falls): We saw this powerful, two-tiered waterfall during our Golden Circle Tour. To see and hear this awesome display of nature's force was a humbling experience.

Geysers: Another stop on the Golden Circle Tour was a geothermal field containing geysers, hot springs, and boiling mud. The spouting geyser, Strokkur, and all the steam rising from the ground gave the area a mystical appearance and also made for some good pictures. It was fun trying to capture the spouting geyser on film.

Flight Over Greenland: During our flight back to the U.S., we flew over Greenland. We could see snow-covered mountains, huge icebergs, fjords, glaciers, and a gigantic blanket of snow that was as high as some of the mountains. I have never seen so much snow in my life. It was a beautiful sight.

Quick Tips:

The Language

The people of Iceland speak Icelandic. It was the language of the Vikings that settled on the island over 1,000 years ago. Because Iceland remained isolated from the rest of the world for so many centuries, the language has changed very little since the first settlers landed there. There are 32 letters in the Icelandic alphabet and their words are sometimes very long. I remember being amazed at how many words I saw that contained more than 20 letters.

I was surprised to find out that many Icelanders speak fluent English. English is one of the languages they are required to study in school. Many of the signs in the tourist areas are in Icelandic and English. We had no problems communicating during our stay.

The Currency

The currency of Iceland is the Icelandic króna (ISK). At the time we were there, one U.S. dollar was approximately equal to 80 ISK. The exchange rates varied depending on where we exchanged money. I exchanged petty cash for riding the public buses at our hotel (Hótel Loftleiir) at 73 ISK/. For other purchases, I used my credit card.

Best Way To Get Around:

We found the public buses to be easy to use when exploring Reykjavík. The drivers were friendly and helpful.

 

After our tour of Reykjavík, we were dropped off at our hotel. The rooms were ready, so we checked in. The Hótel Loftleiir is owned by Icelandair. It has a very ’70-ish exterior; however, it looks rather modern on the inside. Our room was a little on the small side but it was always clean and cozy. There is a domestic airport behind the hotel but I don't remember being bothered by noise.

It was a relief to finally check into our hotel room. Because we had an overnight flight, this was the first opportunity we had to shower and change since the day before. Speaking of showers, one thing we had to get used to in Iceland was the sulfur smell (smells like rotten eggs) in the water from the faucets. Iceland is geologically a very young island and has a lot of geothermal and volcanic activity not far beneath its surface. This allows the island to enjoy an abundance of natural hot water. It is used for things like electricity generation, heat, and plain hot water. A side effect of this natural hot water is the sulfur odor. Fortunately, we did not smell it when mixed with soap. After a day or two, I barely noticed the smell when I turned on the shower.

Our tour package included the Hótel Loftleiir Scandinavian breakfast buffet each morning. This consisted of a hot and cold bar. The cold bar had cold cuts, vegetables, fruit, cereal, bread, and skyr, an Icelandic yogurt. There was also fish. I'm not sure if it was steamed or raw, but it was on the cold bar so I was not trying to taste it.

The hot bar was a disappointment. It had boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, baked beans, and what looked and tasted like miniature hot dogs. With the exception of the hot dogs, the rest of the food at this station was a disappointment because it was always cold. Therefore, I ended up skipping the hot bar each morning and eating the skyr and cereal instead. My wife, Traci, enjoyed toast, oranges, and skyr for breakfast.

For dinner, Traci and I decided to try some Icelandic cuisine. We chose Cafe Ópera. The meal was excellent. Traci had monkfish and I had Icelandic mountain lamb with wild Icelandic herbs. I asked the waiter to describe the wild Icelandic herbs. He smiled and told me that there isn't much that grows wild on the island. I definitely believed him after all the barren land we saw on the tour that day.

I missed out on a nice photo opportunity while at Cafe Ópera. Before bringing me my Icelandic lamb dish, the waiter told me that they normally bring out a hot rock on which the customer seasons and cooks the lamb. I have no cooking skills whatsoever. I had visions of me burning up my $40 lamb meal. I declined and had the chef cook it in the kitchen. The chef did an outstanding job. I regret that I didn't give it a try. I saw others in the restaurant who ordered the lamb. The wait staff came out and put an apron and a chef's hat on them and then brought them the sizzling rock.

Paying for the meal was a little awkward. The cost of living in Iceland is high. This meal was no exception. The appetizers, entrées, and desserts for the two of us came to a total of 9750 ISK ($122). Traci and I do not drink alcohol but I'm sure the bill would have shot up exponentially if we did. However, the price was not the awkward part because it was expected. What was not expected was that the waiter brought me my credit card slip that had a line for tip amount on it. I was sure I had read that tipping for meals is not a custom in Iceland. The waiter was standing there waiting for me to sign, so I asked him was the tip included. He told me no and that I could enter the tip amount in the space provided. He was a decent waiter so I tipped him. After consulting my guide books again and other group members, I found out that indeed tipping is not a custom in Iceland; although, a tip will not be refused if you give one. Oh well, he was a good waiter.

Since it was our last night in Iceland, Traci and I decided to get dressed up and go to one of Reykjavík's upscale restaurants, Perlan (The Pearl). There was a lighted path leading from our hotel to The Pearl. The restaurant looked fairly close to the hotel, so we decided to walk instead of take a taxi or bus - and what a walk it was. It was about a half mile uphill. We got a beautiful view of the evening skyline of Reykjavík as we ascended the hill, though.

As mentioned earlier, The Pearl sits high on a hill on top of six water towers. There is a museum on the first few floors and an upscale restaurant on the fifth floor. There are all types of awards and pictures on display as you enter the dining area. The restaurant revolves and provides a panoramic view of the city below. Unfortunately, by the time Traci and I were seated, it had started to rain heavily and all we saw were blurry lights through streaks of water on the window.

The food and service was outstanding. The portions were small but the presentation was great. For the entrees, Traci ordered flounder and I ordered lamb. The food was even better than the food we had at Cafe Opera the night before.

In between courses, the waiters would bring out small samplers to try. I'm not sure what they were exactly, but I gave them a try. The first one was cold and smelled like ammonia. To me it tasted bad, but Traci liked it. The second one looked like broth. Our waitress said it was chicken something. We never did make out what she was saying but she said it was not chicken broth. I tried it and it definitely tasted like something from a chicken and it tasted okay. Traci didn't like it. It had a reddish color so Traci and I joked it was a cup of boiled chicken blood - I hope it was a joke.

Our waitress was very nice. She talked to us for a while and told us about living in Reykjavík. Like us, she enjoyed travelling. She had been to several countries in Europe, but she was hoping to save up money to visit the U.S.. I thought to myself, if she can afford the high cost of living in Iceland, she'll feel like royalty when she comes to America.

We paid the bill which was even higher than the one at Cafe Ópera and then headed back to the hotel. We thought the walk back would be easier since it was all downhill; however Mother Nature had other plans. That strong Iceland wind along with a driving rain was there to greet us as we stepped out of the restaurant. It only seemed to intensify as we hurried down the path. By the time, we got to the hotel my umbrella was a twisted mess.

After arriving in Reykjavík, our tour group boarded the Reykjavík Excursions motor coach for a 2-hour tour of the capital city. Reykjavík, is a colorful city with brightly colored roofs. There are no skyscrapers but it has an active harbor due to an economy heavily dependent on fishing (and whaling at one time). The further we moved away from the harbor, the more the city looked like a U.S. city. There were many recognizable businesses such as MacDonald's, Pizza Hut, Toyota, IBM, etc... There were many Icelandic businesses that I cannot even begin to spell or pronounce.

Our city tour took us by the parliament building, several museums, the university, a large outdoor heated swimming pool, the harbor, and several other landmarks. We made several stops along the way. This was good because jet lag really had a grip on us. However, whenever we stepped off the bus into the arctic windblasts, we woke up right away. We did not have the opportunity to visit the National Museum that contains artifacts from the Viking days because it was closed for renovation.

One of the highlights of this tour was the Hallgrímskrikja Church. This huge Lutheran church (around 90% of Icelanders are Lutheran) is the largest building in Reykjavík and can be seen from just about anywhere in the city. Apparently, there was some controversy when its construction was completed in 1974 because people complained it looked like a lava flow. To me, it looks like a chapel with a gigantic rocket attached to it. Outside of the church is a statue of Leif Ericsson, which was given to Iceland by the U.S.. Leif Ericsson was born in Iceland and is credited for being the first European to set foot in North America in 1000 A.D.. We were allowed to enter the church and look at its 5000-piped organ. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to hear it. Ordinarily, this tour allows visitors to go to the top of the bell tower and get a lovely panoramic view of the city. For some reason, our tour guide informed us that we were not going to be doing that on this tour. Instead, she said we would be making a stop at Perlan (The Pearl) to get our panoramic view of Reykjavík.

Perlan is an upscale restaurant and museum that sits high on a hill and atop six water towers. It has an observation balcony on the fourth floor. We went to the balcony and got some nice views of Reykjavík, but we didn't stay out there very long. That arctic wind was vicious!!

The Blue Lagoon was an optional tour. It was an additional $40 per person and was prepaid before we came to Iceland. I think just about all 45 of us signed up for this one. The tour included a trip to the Blue Lagoon, discounted lunch coupons, and a tour of the Reykjanes peninsula. As an added treat, we stopped to take pictures of the home of Iceland's president on the way to the Blue Lagoon.

The Blue Lagoon is a manmade lagoon in the middle of a lava field. The water comes from a natural hot spring a mile below the surface. The water is used to generate electricity and to heat fresh water before being pumped out over the lava field. Because the water comes from a natural hot spring, it has a slight sulfur smell to it. Additionally, the minerals in the water give it its blue color.

We took a dip in the Blue Lagoon and it felt wonderful. It was like taking a warm bath. The air temperature was in the mid 30's but the water temperature was around 100. Some spots were hotter than that. You are required to take a shower before getting into the lagoon. This serves two purposes. One, it helps keep the water clean and two, it warms your body to reduce the shock of stepping out into 30 degree weather in your bathing suit. You can also enter the lagoon from a wading area inside the building and then wade through a door that leads to the outside area. Traci and I wimped out and waded from the inside instead of entering the lagoon from the outside.

We relaxed in the Blue Lagoon for about a half hour. Each of us took turns getting out, running to grab the camera to take pictures, and getting back in before the cold wind got us.

After getting out of the lagoon, we got dressed, checked out the souvenir shop, and used our discount coupon at the restaurant (the fish was excellent --almond-crusted haddock for Traci and curry trout for me). The waters of the Blue Lagoon are supposed to be good for the skin, so naturally the souvenir shop was selling all types of cosmetic and skin care products made from the water and minerals of the lagoon.

We took some time to take pictures from the overlook area of the Blue Lagoon. While we were up there, we saw a man in nothing but his swimming trunks taking pictures of the lagoon and the surrounding lava field. Traci and I were dressed and had on our winter jackets, but still got a little chilly when the wind blew. We could not believe this man was standing out in this cold weather for so long. There he stood for at least 15 minutes taking pictures, without even a shiver. Unbelievable!

The second part of our Blue Lagoon excursion was a ride along the Reykjanes Peninsula. This trip consisted of riding on a long, winding road through a lava field. We stopped at a fishing village to get a feel for rural life in Iceland. Later, we stopped at a rugged, windy coastline to look at the huge waves crash against the jagged rock formations.

The Golden Circle Tour was our chance to marvel at some of the natural beauty of southwestern Iceland. Here is an overview of the stops we made:

The Garden of Eden is a greenhouse heated by water from one of the country's natural hot springs. This natural heat allows many types of plants to be grown here so close to the Arctic Circle - including bananas.

Kerið is the crater of an extinct volcano. The hole is now filled with water. There are no guardrails at Kerið so we had to be careful when looking into the crater snap pictures.

Skálholt is a Lutheran church seemingly out in the middle of nowhere. It commemorates the site of the church that existed here from the 11th century through the 18th century. The tomb of Bishop Páll Jónnson who served from 1196 to 1211, was discovered during the re-construction of the church in 1954. The bishop's tomb now lies in the basement of Skálholt. We went downstairs and took a look at it along with other artifacts from the bishop's time.

Gulfoss (Golden Falls) is a two-tiered waterfall. It's loud and sprays mist high into the air. The light dusting of snow on the rocks surrounding the falls seemed to magnify its beauty. There is a path that leads to some rocks overlooking the upper tier of the falls. The slushy ice made the path slippery and we got wet from the mist of the falls but it was an incredible view when we reached the overlook. This was my favorite stop.

The English word geyser comes from the Great Geysir in Iceland. Geysir used to erupt regularly sending steam and boiling water high into the air; however, an earthquake in June 2000 disrupted its regular cycle. Now its eruptions are unpredictable.

Fortunately, not far from Geysir, is a geyser named Strokkur. This one erupts every 3 to 8 minutes. We were able to witness this awesome event several times.

The whole area around the geysers had a very mystical look. There was steam rising from the ground and pools of boiling water and mud. There was a stench of sulfur and burnt earth in the air.

After lunch in the restaurant across the road from the geysers we learned about geyser formation in the Geo Center Museum adjacent the restaurant. The highlight of the exhibit was a platform you could stand on that simulates a 5.1 earthquake.

Thingvellir has two claims to fame. First, it was the location of the parliament meetings. By the way, Iceland boasts the oldest parliament which dates back to 930 A.D. Today, there is a pole to identify the original meeting place.

The second significance of Thingvellir is the visible rift zones between the North American and European plates on which the two continents are attached. The rift we saw looked like two jagged walls of earth.

The Golden Circle Tour is a must-see.

Before going on this trip, I had done a fair amount of reading on Iceland. Most of the literature I read said that Iceland has relatively mild weather for being so close to the Arctic Circle because it is in the Gulf Stream. I remember reading that New York actually has colder winters than Iceland. All this may be true according to a thermometer but I don't remember anyone saying anything about the vicious wind and the very volatile weather. I have never experienced weirder weather than I did in Iceland. This country gives a whole new meaning to the term 'volatile weather'. It was mid-March and it seemed like you could experience all the seasons in one hour. We would be standing in bright sunny weather, typically mid 30's to lower 40's, and then out of nowhere, we would find ourselves running for cover from a hailstorm. By the time we would take cover, it was sunny again. Just when we'd think it was safe to come out again, buckets of rain would begin to fall. We never knew what type of precipitation was going to fall from the sky from one minute to the next. Sometimes it was snow or sometimes sleet. Just when we would think all the precipitation was finished, the strong arctic winds would start. They were sometimes strong enough to blow you off balance if you weren't careful. There was a bright side to all this spontaneous weather, and that is the rainbows. Rainbows are common sight in Iceland.

I also read that early settlers named the country Iceland because they wanted to keep this new lush green land they found to themselves. They gave Greenland, which is an extremely cold and snow-covered place, its name because they wanted to encourage people to go there. I found out from our tour guide that this story is only half true. The part about Greenland is valid; however, Iceland actually got its name from an explorer who saw icebergs floating in a fjord.

We had a 5pm flight from Iceland to Baltimore. Once again, that Icelandic wind started up. To my surprise it was strong enough to cause the 757 jet we were in to rock from side to side as we waited to taxi to the runway. Despite the wind, we had a smooth take-off and a smooth flight to Baltimore.

The highlight of the flight was when we flew over Greenland. It was a clear day and the scenery was breathtaking. The whole place seemed to be covered in snow. The snow was as high as some of the mountains. There were glaciers, fjords, and icebergs. It is hard to believe people actually live there.

We eventually, left the airspace over Greenland and headed out over the North Atlantic towards Canada. As we approached the coast of northern Canada, we were treated to more dramatic scenery. Below us were miles and miles of drift ice. It looked like broken porcelan floating on the water.

The rest of the flight was uneventful. We landed in Baltimore to 60 degree weather and boarded the motorcoach back to Pennsylvania. I never in my life thought I would travel to Iceland; however, I'm glad I did. We had a great time.

During the Golden Circle tour, we passed several farms that had Icelandic horses. These horses were brought from Norway by the early settlers of Iceland. Over the centuries, these relatively small horses have adapted to the rugged, rocky landscape of Iceland and are capable of providing the rider a smooth ride over this terrain. Our tour guide told us it has become the “in thing” in Iceland to own these horses. They are strictly protected. If a horse is taken from the island for any reason, it cannot be brought back. This ensures the purity of the breed.