Ten things I learned in Iceland!

Here it is, my usual top ten list of things I learned on our most recent trip. This time it’s Iceland, a country we’ve been wanting to visit together for a long time. I probably learned more than ten things on this trip, come to think of it. So here goes…

10. Be sure to bring waterproof clothing with you to Iceland!

Iceland is one of those places where you just never know what kind of weather you’re going to get. One thing is a sure bet, though, and that is that it’s likely to rain. We now know from personal experience that an umbrella is not likely to be that helpful, especially outside of the city. So, if you’re planning a trip to Iceland, you may want to invest in waterproof clothes. A raincoat is essential, and you’ll probably want waterproof pants, too. But if you need waterproof clothes, don’t worry. Icewear is a handy store with many outlets in Iceland. They can hook you up with clothes and footwear! Dress in layers!

9. Icelandic horses are just that… HORSES.

I grew up around horses and ponies in Virginia. Where I come from, a person would take one look at an Icelandic horse and think they were seeing a pony. Not so… Icelanders consider Icelandic equines to be HORSES, even though they are shorter and smaller than what a lot of us would consider horses.

8. Any Icelandic horse who leaves Iceland is not allowed to return.

Iceland is very strict about the import of animals. It’s possible to bring pets to Iceland, but there are exacting procedures and they have to be quarantined for at least three weeks. And when it comes to Icelandic horses, which are the only horses on the island, they can never return to Iceland if they ever leave.

7. There are evergreens in Iceland, but they were imported from Alaska!

Our guide, Ivar, pointed out evergreen forests during our tour and he said that the trees, along with Alaskan lupine, were imported to Iceland from the U.S. state of Alaska. Ivar said that prior to the import, most of the trees in Iceland were birches.

6. The only animal native to Iceland is the Arctic fox.

Other animals have been introduced, of course. At one point, Norway sent reindeer to Iceland. Most of them died, but enough survived that they exist on the island. Sometimes polar bears from Greenland show up near the coasts, but Ivar told us that the authorities usually shoot them because Greenland doesn’t usually want them back. It makes me kind of sad to think of polar bears being killed in such a way, but I’ve also read that many of them are starving, anyway, due to a lack of fish and other prey caused by global warming.

5. All physically capable schoolchildren in Iceland must learn how to swim.

Ivar told us that his wife works at a school teaching kids how to swim. It’s required of Icelandic children because there’s so much water in and around the island. I was reminded of how I had to prove I could swim before I could graduate Longwood College (now Longwood University). My college has since done away with that requirement, but I doubt Iceland ever will.

4. Tourism is a mixed bag in Iceland.

There are still parts of Iceland that are very remote and rugged. It wasn’t until very recently that Iceland became a hot tourist destination. Consequently, the locals are dealing with some mixed consequences of the trend. On one hand, places that used to be special and pristine are now teeming with tourists. On the other hand, tourism has brought in more workers from other places, increasing population. Tourism also brings in new facilities, such as public restrooms, and better restaurants, as well as lots of money!

3. Iceland is extremely welcoming to LGBTQI people. It’s also got a long history of promoting women’s rights.

There’s even a rainbow colored street in Reykjavik!

2. Icelandic is the language from which other Nordic languages, except Finnish, sprang.

Ivar told us that Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian used to be more like Icelandic, but due to business dealings with Germany, they changed some of their words to be more like German. I did notice when we were in Norway and Sweden last year that some of their words were like German words.

1. If you want to tour Iceland properly, you should definitely consider hiring a guide!

This was the first trip Bill and I have ever taken for which we’ve done a “bespoke” tour. I’m not sure why I realized hiring a guide would be a good idea, especially since I neglected to buy waterproof pants. However, it was absolutely the RIGHT decision for us. We saw parts of Iceland there’s no way we ever could have seen on our own. Moreover, we witnessed what can happen to people who try to drive in Iceland and aren’t wary of the pitfalls. Remember that picture of the half submerged rental car?

Yes, it was expensive for us to book Iceland Luxury Tours, but they did a fantastic job planning our vacation and looking after us. We would not hesitate to recommend them! But even if you don’t want to book luxury, I would definitely shop around for a qualified guide, preferably one who has access to a four wheel drive vehicle! The right vehicle with adequate insurance is an absolute MUST if you want to go to the rugged highlands.

If you decide to visit Iceland, be sure to save up for it. It’s an expensive place to visit. But don’t let that put you off, because as brutal as Iceland’s weather can be, the people are so warm hearted and kind. And the beauty of the country is unparalleled. It really is an incredible place with views you won’t get in many other places on Earth.

We are so glad we finally made it to Iceland. I do hope we can visit again, maybe at a different time of year. I can’t promise the weather will be better, but I’ll bet the views will be different!

Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland, Nordic

Our first Icelandic adventure: Flying back to Germany! (part thirteen)

Saturday, September 7th got off to an early start. We had a 10:20 AM flight to Frankfurt on Icelandair. Since Reykjavik is about a 45 minute drive from the airport, which is located in Keflavik, Iceland Luxury Tours arranged for a driver to pick us up from the Saga Hotel at 7:30 AM. Breakfast at the hotel starts at 7:00 AM, so we didn’t really have time to eat before we left. Fortunately, because we were flying in Saga Class (business), we had access to the lounge at the airport.

The driver arrived right on time in an immaculate black Audi electric car. She was tall, slim, and dressed all in black. I noticed she had beautifully manicured nails, too. Our drive to the airport was very peaceful, as the car made barely a sound and delivered a extremely smooth and comfortable ride. I found myself thinking I wouldn’t mind owning such a vehicle myself! I got a few shots of the sun peeking through the clouds. We also noticed that the volcano that was active when we arrived on August 29th was no longer spewing lava. Instead, there was just a lot of smoke.

The airport was a bit of a madhouse, as there were many people wanting to catch flights. We managed to find the Icelandair baggage drop off. I got lectured by the woman who took our bags because my SOFA card and COVID vaccination card were loose in my passport. She told me I shouldn’t keep the SOFA card there because it could fall out. I quickly, but politely, corrected her, mainly because I was a little pissy and not in the mood for a lecture from someone who obviously didn’t know that the SOFA card is basically akin to my visa. Yes, it should have ideally been taped or paper clipped in there, but it also really does need to stay with my passport.

As for the COVID card, there was a time not long ago when that was an essential travel document. Most professional people can handle looking at a passport and not losing any loose documents that are kept within it. Anyway, I wasn’t in the mood for her shit. I just wanted to get on with the transit part of the trip. She made Bill drop off one of his bags at the oversized luggage desk, not because it was oversized, but because it had straps that couldn’t be removed. In the process of dropping off that bag, we got stuck behind some guy who had a big case (either some kind of musical instrument or a firearm) that blocked the way. He kept having to stop and maneuver the case through the awkward line.

Finally, with the bags dropped off, we headed for security, which was also annoying. The airport in Keflavik doesn’t have sophisticated screening machines. You just walk through a metal detector. Naturally, I forgot to take off my watch, and my shoes set off the detector. There weren’t enough bins to put stuff in, either. But finally, we were through that nut roll, and on our way to the Icelandair lounge.

I had heard the lounge in Reykjavik was nice. I would say that it wasn’t a bad place to spend some time. There was plenty of seating and a breakfast buffet, as well as the usual drinks. Bill and I had a small breakfast. Then he decided to try one last thing before we left… a parting shot, if you will. When Bill was in Iceland for the first time, he had the opportunity to taste Brennivín, which is Iceland’s signature distilled spirit. I remember he brought some home, and I hadn’t liked it. Although the hour was early, he decided to try it one more time before we left the island. I tried it, too, and liked it somewhat better.

We didn’t bring any back with us this time…

Finally, it was time to board the aircraft. We were in seats 2D and 2 F. Saga Class wasn’t full on our return to Germany. In retrospect, I wish we’d asked to move back a row, since no one was sitting in row three, and the people in front of us were shameless recliners. I know they had the right, and all, but the guy sitting in front of Bill slammed his seat back as soon as we were in the air and left it that way the whole flight, even when we were eating.

Even in business class, reclined seats make it a lot harder to get in and out of the seat to get to the bathroom. At one point, I had to contort my body such that I lost my balance and fell over. The woman with the guy, who sat in front of me, was at least polite when she reclined. The guy in front of Bill was a total jerk, as was evidenced when it came time to disembark. He had a bunch of airline privilege cards openly displayed on his carry on bag, at least one of which showing his name. So not only was he an inconsiderate clod, he was also kind of stupid. He probably gave me COVID, too… or maybe I gave it to him. 😉

Below are some photos from the flight:

The flight was very smooth and uneventful, except for the guy in front of us. I was very pleased with Icelandair and would happily book them again. The only thing I don’t like is that I signed up for Saga Points and they haven’t been awarded yet. And when I tried to add them manually, my request was automatically rejected. Oh well… I probably won’t have much occasion to fly Icelandair much, anyway. It’s still irritating, though, when these things don’t work properly. Below are a few sky photos… I think these are actually backwards. The ones at the bottom are of Iceland and the ones directly below are Germany and continental Europe.

Once we landed in Frankfurt, we had a short walk to baggage claim (for once!) and then a short wait for our bags. I was a little nervous, because we still had to pick up the dogs and, because of the two hour time difference between Iceland and Germany, we arrived back in the middle of the afternoon. But it all turned out okay… we quickly found a cabbie who got us home speedily, and with no trouble. Then, after we started the first of a few loads of laundry, we headed off to the Hundepension to get Charlie and Noyzi.

Normally, Bill handles picking up the dogs by himself, but Charlie isn’t very comfortable with car rides yet. He plants his feet and backpedals, and Bill was worried he might need help. So I went with him to get the dogs, and I made a video of our reunion!

Excuse my laugh…

As you can see, they both did fine at the Hundepension. Natascha, who takes good care of our boys, said Charlie was so cute! His helicopter tail was going full blast. I would have liked to have let them get acquainted with a shorter visit before our Iceland trip, but there simply wasn’t time for it. Fortunately, there were no issues, and Charlie did brilliantly. He also didn’t have trouble getting into the car. I think maybe he’s afraid he’s going to be dumped when he goes in the car. Noyzi used to be afraid of the car, too. Now, he LOVES car rides. Hopefully, Charlie will get there, too.

Well… that about does it for my “blow by blow” account of our Iceland trip. I will write my usual “ten things I learned” post next, and then perhaps it’ll be time to move on from Iceland. I’m not sure where our next trip will be. At this point, we’re thinking about Spain, but that’s not definite yet. We’ll see.

In other news, as of yesterday, I am now COVID free! 😀

Champagne Bucket trips, churches, Iceland

Our first Icelandic adventure: Another “free” day in Reykjavik… (part twelve)

Finally, we arrived at Friday, September 6th, our second “free” day in Reykjavik. Originally, we were going to fly home on that day, but when I started researching flights, I realized it was a lot more expensive to fly home on Friday than Saturday. So Bill had Iceland Luxury Tours to add a day to our itinerary, and we planned Friday as a day to go souvenir shopping and rest up a bit.

In retrospect, it wasn’t a bad idea to schedule a day to relax, even though I was already getting a bit antsy to go home. I missed Charlie and Noyzi and clean laundry, and I was itching to write and make videos. I don’t know why… It’s not as if people are that interested in these blog posts. I do take pleasure in writing them, though, and I have so many beautiful photos that I was dying to edit and arrange.

We tried to make good use of our last full day in Reykjavik, starting with breakfast in the Saga Hotel. It was just as noisy and crowded as ever. 😉

After breakfast, we took a walk back toward Lake Tjörnin, a small lake right next to the Saga Hotel, at the entrance of downtown Reykjavik. We spent a few minutes there watching the ducks. The lake isn’t super exciting, but I do like to watch water fowl.

Next we walked back to the Hallgrímskirkja, Iceland’s largest church, which looms over the city. When we were there a week prior, the nave was closed to the public. I was hoping to go inside and get some photos and, perhaps, take the elevator up the church tower and get some photos. We were successful in that endeavor. In fact, we were able to sit in the sanctuary for a short time and listen to the organist play. That was a treat for me. I liked that the benches were turned toward the organist and the instrument itself. They were movable, so I guess when they need more seating for actual church services, they can turn them around. I was glad we went back to the church so I could get photos of the organ.

It was nice to see a somewhat young person playing this instrument so well. Church organists are a dying breed!

I was especially happy that the church tower has an elevator, which makes sense, since the church dates from 1986. Most of the churches in Europe that allow people to climb towers involve going up lots of steps. I know it’s good for me to climb steps, but the older and fatter I get, the harder it is. You can climb a few flights at the church in Iceland, but it’s only a few, and not in a tight place. And yes, we did go up the flights of stairs to get the best possible views. I often suffer for this blog, you know…

Going up the tower does involve a small fee, which you pay in the church’s gift shop before taking the elevator up. It appeared to me that the tickets were on your honor. There was no one there checking them. Below are some shots from our walk, an the church and its tower…

By the time we finished visiting the church, it was about time for lunch. We headed down the main thoroughfare by the church and walked until my nose picked up the smell of something appetizing. A small restaurant called Salka Valka was putting off the pleasant aromas, so we went inside for lunch. When we arrived, the place was almost full, so we sat next to a an older woman who was sitting alone, reading a book. While we were deciding on lunch, she offered an unsolicited opinion, saying that all of the fish dishes at the restaurant were “amazing.”

For once, I didn’t mind that someone offered an opinion I never asked for, because I was having trouble deciding what I wanted. I settled on the fish soup, which was rich and satisfying, with a chickpea base and a delightful zing. It came with a slice of fresh sourdough bread, slathered in butter. Bill went for the catch of the day, which was probably cod again. I don’t remember! Anyway, the food was excellent and healthy, and the music was great. The lady sitting next to us had a very nice looking chocolate cake for dessert. I was tempted by it, but decided my gut didn’t need any enlarging.

After lunch, we walked a little bit further down the street and found one of the many souvenir shops in Reykjavik. We stopped in and bought some gifts for Bill’s grandchildren, as well as a mug and a magnet (or two) for us. I saw a few things I liked, but decided I didn’t want to carry anything more in my bag. The new rain jacket and hiking boots were already taking up precious space in my bags. The book I saw that tempted me could probably be found somewhere online. Now I wish I’d bought it, of course…

On our way back to the hotel, we passed through an area we hadn’t yet explored. I looked up and noticed a cafe that had a strange looking “airlock” set up at its door. It turned out to be a “cat cafe” called Kattakaffihúsið, where people can enjoy or even adopt the resident cats. It was really cool! I would have gone in, but Bill is very allergic to cats. I’m sure my mother-in-law would love that place!

We decided to go back to the hotel for a short while to work on packing everything, since we had an early wake up call for our ride to the airport on Saturday morning. So we spent time doing that, and wondered if we wanted to venture out again for dinner, later. The weather was looking pretty grim. As it turned out, we did go out for dinner, at a place called Duck & Rose. I had duck two ways, and Bill had more fish! It was a good place to people watch. At one point, a goth looking couple walked by. The guy half was wearing a weird looking mask that covered his whole face. His woman was dressed in straight up goth ware.

I think it was pretty safe to say that we were both pretty much ready to call our vacation done by the time we had dinner. It was time to go home and get back to normal living. But we really had a good time in Iceland… and before we said goodnight to the city of Reykjavik for the last time, we stopped by the store and picked up some Icelandic candies for Bill’s grandchildren. I’m sure at least some of it has liquorice in it.

Now… there will be one last post in this series… an exciting description of our flight back to Germany. I hope you’ll join me for that! Then, it’ll be time for my much anticipated “ten things I learned post…” which no one ever wants to miss. Bwahahahahahaha!

Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland

Our first Icelandic adventure: The Sky Lagoon (part eleven)

I’m going to go ahead and write this post now, even though I’m kind of tired of writing today. I think it will be a short post, and when it’s done, I’ll have one or two left to do before the blow by blow part of the Iceland series is finished. I don’t know why I’m in a hurry to finish. It’s not like I always have so much material to put out there. I think it’s mainly because I don’t want to forget anything.

So… Thursday, September 5, was technically our last activity day with Iceland Luxury Tours. They did book our return transfer to the airport on Saturday, the 7th, but that didn’t involve anything other than a very nice car ride.

When we booked our trip, we told the folks at Iceland Luxury Tours that we like spa activities. Many people, when they come to Iceland, make a point of visiting The Blue Lagoon, which is a famous geothermal lagoon near Grindavik. It’s about 45 minutes or so from Reykjavik, and tends to be rather crowded.

Instead of going to the world famous Blue Lagoon, Iceland Luxury Tours recommended that we visit the newer and closer Sky Lagoon near Reykjavik. Like the more famous lagoon, the Sky Lagoon is warm pool of “healing waters”, heated by geothermal energy. It’s right next to the sea and styled like an infinity pool, so you can look at the water while you soak in soothing hot water. We were told this newer lagoon would probably be less crowded, and it would require less travel time. We were fine with that explanation, so we agreed to try the Sky Lagoon.

Our appointment was at 11:00 AM, and our driver arrived promptly at 10:30 AM to pick us up. He was a very tall, handsome, Nordic looking man who was friendly and professional. The drive didn’t take long at all, and soon we were standing in line behind other people who had pre-booked, as well as those who had just shown up. It was a little confusing, at first, because there didn’t seem to be a separation between those who had pre-booked and those who hadn’t. Fortunately, the line moved quickly.

I did see one group who, I think, ended up disappointed. Children under 12 are not allowed in the Sky Lagoon. Those between 12 and 14 must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years old. They brought several youngsters with them who looked younger than 12. I didn’t see them in the lagoon later, so they were probably refused entry.

There are two tiers of service at the Sky Lagoon. There’s the cheaper Saman, in which participants use a communal locker room. Then there’s Ser, which allows patrons their own private changing area, locker room, and shower. Once you finish getting into your bathing suit, you put all your things in a locker so the changing room can be used by others. Towels are included, and there’s no point in bringing a robe or shower shoes, since shoes aren’t allowed in the locker area (except by employees).

A lot of people brought their cell phones into the lagoon. I thought about bringing mine, but decided not to. After all, I was there to relax, not worry about my phone falling into water (even though I’m about to upgrade it). If you want to see what the lagoon looks like, you can easily Google it. Lots of people recorded their visit when we were there and at other times. Below is an ad for the place…

I might still like to see the Blue Lagoon, if only because the water is blue.

When you go into the lagoon, you are given two wrist bands. One allows you into a “hut” where you undergo the treatments that come with your visit. The other allows you to charge purchases at the bar. They sell a broad array of drinks there, but there are also things like sunglasses and waterproof cases for phones.

The water in the Sky Lagoon was very pleasant, and I didn’t find it to be overly crowded at all. It was fun to watch the people who were there. I saw a couple of young women who appeared to be trying to model, although they, or the man who was with them, were taking photos with cell phones. Both wore bikinis and were doing all sorts of poses that were not that original. I actually got a little concerned for one of them, as she was a bit underweight, and the poses were looking a little sexual… as if maybe they were less for modeling and more for trafficking. But, for all I know, the whole thing was perfectly innocent. It wasn’t my business, other than the fact that it was happening in front of me.

The treatment hut could have been more relaxing and kind of felt a little hokey. There was a sauna area. One was supposed to be technology free (no phones), while the other was supposed to be quiet. The saunas weren’t very hot, and people weren’t particularly respectful. Then after the sauna, you move to an area where cold water drips on you. I found it drafty and unpleasant, and quickly moved to the next phase, where you slather a salt scrub all over your body, then sit in a steam room, which was crowded enough that there wasn’t enough seating. Then there’s a shower and you drink a shot of crowberry juice, which was nice. Outside the hut, there’s a cold plunge pool. Someone was in it when we came out, and he was somehow smiling. He laughed when I touched the frigid water with my toes and said, “Not a chance!”

We got back into the water and drank at the bar. Each patron over age 20 is allowed a maximum of three alcoholic beverages per visit. Naturally, I maxed that out. I’m sure the limit is to prevent people from getting too drunk and obnoxious. They have beer, wine, champagne, sparkling wine, cocktails, and a variety of non-alcoholic drinks served in plastic drinkware. I noticed later that the salt scrub had made my skin very soft.

Our driver had agreed to meet us at 1:30 PM and told us to let him know if we needed him sooner or later than that. We were done right at 1:30, so it worked out great. He took us back to the hotel, and later, we went out for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, of all places. I wanted a cheeseburger in the worst way. I wanted it to taste good… as I have discovered that sometimes European restaurants can’t do decent burgers. Below are some photos from our visit to the Sky Lagoon and Hard Rock Cafe.

After we ate lunch, we walked around a bit more, and then ended up at The Downtown Bar, which was just steps away from our hotel. We spent some quality time in this establishment, where they played really good music that I kept Shazaming and downloading. I have missed good bars! They just had mostly beer and wine, but the service was very friendly, and again… the music really made the atmosphere. I guess I should thank Spotify for that!

By the time we were finished at the bar, it was well into the evening. We picked up more Sbarro at the market and went back to the hotel room to watch the news. Yeah, we’re boring… but we’re also middle aged. And cold, windy, rainy weather has a tendency to make us sleepy. It was our last Sbarro run, though. I might not have it again for the rest of my life!

*I do miss American pizza. God help me!*

That about does it for Thursday… Stay tuned for my post on the last full day, and then the journey back to Germany!

beaches, Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland, tours

Our first Icelandic adventure: The last day with Ivar… (part ten)

It was still beautiful and sunny when we arrived at the lovely Hotel Búðir in Búðir, Iceland on the late afternoon of September 3. I was enchanted by the hotel’s setting, alone on a lava field, at the westernmost tip of the Snaefellsnes peninsula. The landscape had changed again, as we were right on the water, having passed a few mountains with waterfalls to get to this isolated haven. Just up the hill, there was what appeared to be a charming black church. If I hadn’t been so exhausted from the day’s many activities, I think I might have wanted to walk up there for a look. Maybe I should have worked up the gumption to do it, anyway.

It turns out this hotel is pretty famous for being one of Iceland’s most beautiful places to stay. I must agree that it really is a beautiful, restful place, mainly for the gorgeous surroundings. I also found the hotel to be very restful. It’s the kind of place where one might hole up and just sleep, read books, or watch the tides come in and out as sheep graze peacefully, completely free to wander. In fact, one sheep even came around and peeked into the window by the bar area. I wish I’d been quick enough to get a photo.

Ivar said Iceland Luxury Tours once had a client who only wanted them to drive him to the little black church for three hours and then pick him up again. They were puzzled by the request, but did it. It turned out the guy was getting married there. When we arrived at the hotel, I heard Ivar ask about a wake up service. I think it was in case the northern lights appeared. September is when they start becoming visible, and the hotel is clearly in a great place to view them. I don’t think they appeared on the night we were there.

We checked into our “superior double” and made dinner reservations, then enjoyed a glass of wine in the bar, before we had a pleasant dinner in an almost empty restaurant. Well, it was almost empty until about thirty minutes into our reservation, when a large party showed up for a set dinner. I wasn’t sorry about that. The dining room was pretty quiet, especially compared to the bustling restaurant at Hotel Geysir the night before!

Below are some photos from our afternoon and evening at Hotel Búðir…

I wish I could report that we had beautiful weather the next morning. Unfortunately, it was raining again when we awoke, and the previously sunny outdoors was cold, foggy, and wet. We went down to the dining room for breakfast, then packed up for our last full day with our guide, who would be taking us back to the Saga Hotel in Reykjavik at the end of the day. I think Hotel Búðir was my favorite of the hotels where we stayed. I think I would have enjoyed an extra night there. Maybe we’ll have a chance to return.

I made it down to the lobby before Bill did. Ivar had just walked in, and when he saw me, he grabbed my bags and took them to the Land Cruiser. He asked me where my rain jacket was. I said it was in the Land Cruiser. He offered to get it for me, and I said I’d be okay… Boy did that turn out to be a crazy statement. Bill checked out of the lovely hotel, and we made our way back to our journey.

A short time later, we stopped at a huge monument for Bárður Snæfellsás. Ivar patiently told us the story about this mythical being, but to be very honest, I was focused on the sideways rain and wind that had picked up. The story of the troll can be found at the above link… as well as a nice, sunny picture. I got a rainy picture.

*The statue is very impressive, but the rain and wind were pretty brutal.*

After we visited the monument, we went to an overlook that offered more views of the stormy sea… I also got a very short video clip of the sea, but I think I’ll save it for a composite Iceland video.

I got fairly wet at that stop. Then after about twenty minutes, we went to another stop near a lighthouse, which led to a visit to Djúpalónssandur, a beach where a trawler wrecked in 1948. Remnants of the wreckage are still on the beach. However, by the time we got there, the rain and wind were such that one could lean back and be supported by the air. It was positively miserable climbing down to the beach and then back up again.

I got thoroughly soaked, and I told Bill that I didn’t want to spend another day climbing in and out of the Land Cruiser, getting wetter and crankier. I’m not sure if Ivar heard me over the howling wind, but even he seemed to realize that trying to tour these sites in that weather wasn’t going to be pleasant or educational for any of us. So we spent most of the day driving in the car, with the exception of one special impromptu stop, which I’ll get to… Below are some photos from Djúpalónssandur. I can’t deny that even when the weather sucks, it is a beautiful place.

*Wreckage is still on the beach from a trawler that crashed in 1948.*

As we drove around the peninsula, we visited small fishing villages, stopping in one for a bathroom break. At one point, I mentioned that we hadn’t yet seen a rainbow. About five minutes later, as if by magic, an incredible rainbow appeared. I got many pictures! But before we saw the rainbow, I got even more evidence of the powerful wind. In the below photos, you can see a man standing alone. It was some guy with long hair… he was standing in the wind, letting his long hair blow in the wind like a flag!

Below are some pictures of the small fishing village where we stopped before we saw our rainbow…. You can see that besides natural beauty and friendly people, Iceland also has a “cool factor”– cool in the vernacular sense, that is.

Soon we were traveling by the wild Atlantic Ocean, and I mentioned the lack of rainbows as the sun peeked from behind the clouds. Ask and ye shall receive! The rainbow stuck around for a long time– I’d say, at least a half hour. It was incredible! It almost felt like a grand finale to our tour outside of Reykjavik.

Soon we came upon a sign for a shark museum. Ivar had never been to that particular tourist attraction, but the weather was getting rougher and we could have used another potty break. So we made our way there, and soon found ourselves at the Bjarnarhofn Shark Museum learning about Greenland sharks about how people used to die from eating their meat because they were full of urea. Eventually, people learned that the meat could be safely eaten if the shark was properly prepared through fermentation.

A young woman who had an engaging manner and a very American sounding accent explained the whole story to us, and before we knew it, Bill and I were tasting the delicacy, known as Hakarl. I even got Bill on video. It starts with stormy seas, shows him gamely eating Hakarl, then ends with another small waterfall.

The most memorable part of tasting the shark meat was the slight hit of ammonia on the aftertaste. If you can get over that, it’s not too bad at all. And we lived to tell the tale!

If the weather had been better, we could have gone into the area where they ferment the shark meat, which the proprietors of the museum say they get when Greenland sharks are accidentally caught and killed. Although they used to hunt the sharks, they no longer do. Still, they had plenty of products for sale in their little gift shop. The wind was so strong, however, that we could barely open the door to leave the premises! I liked Iceland, but I think that weather would drive me batty!

Once we were finished with the shark museum, it was time to head more toward Reykjavik. We continued toward the city, stopping at a cute little restaurant called Vegamot Biludidal (crossroads). I can see by its Trip Advisor reviews that many other people enjoyed it as much as we did. I really enjoyed my barbecued chicken, while Bill had the local fish soup. I wish I could have either of those dishes today… especially if someone else prepared them. 😉

After lunch, it was pretty clear our incredible tour with Ivar was winding down. Soon, we were back in Reykjavik, and Ivar was pointing out a few more points of interest, offering advice for what to do on Thursday and Friday, our last two days before we flew home last Saturday. Here are a few more photos from the last minutes in the Land Cruiser…

By mid afternoon, we were once again in front of the Hotel Reykjavik Saga. Ivar unloaded our bags and helped us take them into the hotel. We shook hands and Bill handed him a hand written thank you note and a large wad of Icelandic bills. I don’t know how much the tip was. I hope it was enough… although Ivar did tell us ahead of time that tipping is entirely optional and discretionary in Iceland.

As Americans, it’s ingrained in us to tip… and many of us fret about how much it should be and how to present it without being tacky. Personally, I would prefer to do away with the practice and just see to it that everyone is paid fairly for the work they do. Having worked as a waitress in the United States, I know that will probably never happen in my lifetime. Too many people in the service industry prefer things the way they are. But then the whole tipping drama spills over to other countries, who don’t want to feel like they have to tip for everything. I hasten to add that I certainly don’t fault Bill for tipping Ivar, because he absolutely deserved an extra something for all he did for us. Plus, he was genuinely very knowledgable, kind, and nice to be with. I felt like he became a friend. I was sorry to say goodbye.

When we checked into the Saga Hotel, we were given the same room we had at the beginning of our trip– 237. I’m not sure if that was by luck or design. In any case, we retired to the room and I didn’t venture out again. Bill went out to get us slices of Sbarro pizza from the local market and we relaxed and watched TV. On Thursday, we would have our last day of service with Iceland Luxury Tours… a trip to the Sky Lagoon. More on that in the next post.

Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland

Our first Icelandic adventure: Sunshine, many waterfalls, hot springs, and a beautiful hotel… (part nine)

After we visited the geysers, Bill, Ivar, and I loaded up the Land Cruiser and headed off to our very first stop on the Golden Circle tour, the most photographed waterfall in Iceland– the incredible Gullfoss Falls. These falls are located in the canyon of the Hvítá River in southwest Iceland. Ivar warned us to wear rain gear, as this waterfall is so powerful that it’s easy to get wet just standing near it. Even though we finally had sunny skies and relatively warm temperatures, I was pretty glad I had a rain jacket during our visit.

We started by looking at the falls from the parking lot, which was at a lower level than where the visitor center is. Ivar moved the Land Cruiser to the upper parking lot by the visitor center, while we climbed a couple of flights of stairs for a higher view of these incredibly powerful waterfalls. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people have been unlucky enough to go over the falls; then I kind of shuddered when I felt the power of them. It was extraordinary.

The sound and the fury of the Gullfoss Falls are not to be forgotten!

Below are some still shots I got at the Gullfoss Falls…

After we visited the waterfalls, we went into the visitor center for a quick bathroom break. I might have liked a few minutes to look around the visitor center, as it had a lot of cute merch for sale…

But we had other things to do and see, and our next stop was probably my favorite of al of our waterfall stops– Bruarfoss. Here we had a peaceful place with bright blue water flowing through black rocks and dirt. The colors were striking, and there was a little bridge that made filming easy. These falls are known as a “hidden gem” and Iceland’s bluest waterfalls. Check out the video to see why!

No, they aren’t the most powerful falls, but they sure are beautiful!

Once we visited Bruarfoss Falls, we got back on the road to a place known as the “birthplace of Iceland”, Thingvellir Park. Ivar explained the history of how Iceland came to be in the year 1944, as it was previously a territory of both Norway and Denmark before it became its own country. I could see that the place was huge, and we really only got a short visit there. Some people might spend a couple of days camping at this park. Ivar said there were folks who went diving there, as the water is very clear. Still, it was good to walk around and see even more waterfalls, including one where women who were suspected of being witches were thrown into as a test to see if they were witches. It was considered kinder to drown them than do to them what was done to the men– beheading or burning at the stake!

We still weren’t done with waterfalls after this!

And some still photos… Ivar told us about a burial ground at this site where the most honorable people of Iceland are invited to be buried. At this writing, there are only a couple of people buried here, and they were moved after they died. No one else has felt worthy enough to be buried at Iceland’s birthplace… but Ivar says he thinks that will soon change. 😉

I had to tell him that I don’t think we have that “problem” in the United States.

*This was where the “witches” were thrown… At least it’s a pretty spot, right?*

As we were about to leave Thingvellir, Ivar was talking to another guide who had a group of Indians with him. They apparently didn’t speak English, so the guide was having quite the trip with them. Maybe my constant chatter was less of a problem than that. 😀

From Thingvellir, we headed back into the Highlands to get to our next stop. Ivar asked if we needed lunch before we started our journey. Bill answered “no”, but then thought to ask me. I reminded him that I had a whole bunch of granola bars in the back from the previous day, in case I started feeling bitchy.

Iceland is also where it’s technically possible to be in North America and Europe, as the North American and European tectonic plates meet there. The eastern part of the country is on the Eurasian plate, while the western part is on the North American plate. In a weird way, it’s kind of like Istanbul, being divided between Europe and Asia. No wonder Iceland is so “otherworldly”. But, of course, Iceland is considered part of Europe for all other intents and purposes.

The next part of the trip was interesting, as the landscape changed again, to orange rocks, grey silty waters, and the occasional moss green. I took lots of photos of that, too… It reminded me of pictures I’ve seen of Mars.

*And the convenience stop did come in handy…*

After awhile, we came out on the other side of the Highlands and stopped at a hotel for lunch. They had a buffet, which Ivar went for, while Bill and I ordered a la carte. Fish and chips for me, and a chicken Caesar salad for Bill, washed down with draft beer…

Then it was back on the road to…. more waterfalls! Perhaps these were kind of a “showstopper”– Barnafoss and Hraunfoss.

At the beginning, you can hear me talking about Natural Bridge, Virginia, a place near and dear to my heart. It’s where my dad was born and raised, and where a lot of my family still lives.

Barnafoss, the smaller falls, is translated as the Children’s Falls, as there’s a myth about how two boys got bored waiting for their parents and decided to try to find them. They crossed a stone bridge at the water, but got dizzy, fell in, and drowned. Their mother put a spell on the bridge so that anyone else who tried to cross it would also drown. The bridge was later destroyed by an earthquake.

The larger falls are Hraunfossar, which flow from a lava field. They take their name from the Icelandic word “Hraun”, which means lava. They’re pretty awesome, aren’t they? I’m so glad we had nice weather for all of these waterfalls! On another note, imagine this place in the middle of fall! I’ll bet it’s just glorious!

Finally, we got back into the Land Cruiser for one last stop before we ended at Hotel Budir for the night. We went to see natural hot springs… much hotter than the ones at the campground we saw the day before. This was a very short stop, and I don’t even remember the name of the springs. I do remember the smell of sulfur, though, and the tremendous heat.

There were many signs warning about how dangerous these hot springs are… hence the fencing!

And a few photos from there…

Well… since this has been a very full posting with lots of photos and videos, I think I’ll stop here. Next post will be about Hotel Budir and our last day with Ivar. Stay tuned!

adventure, Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland

Our first Icelandic adventure: Geyser blowing at Hotel Geysir, and SUNSHINE at last! (part eight)

At the end of the day on Monday, Bill, Ivar, and I arrived at Hotel Geysir, a family run hotel that opened in 2019. Ivar did not stay at this hotel with us. I got the sense that it was pretty expensive. However, of the five hotels we stayed in, I think it was probably the most luxurious. The room we stayed in, a deluxe double, was huge by Icelandic standards. There was a little balcony, plenty of outlets for our electronics, and a super comfortable bed.

The bathroom didn’t have a shower; instead it had a large tub with a sprayer. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to turn on the water (you press buttons instead of turning knobs). Once I figured it out, I didn’t mind the tub. It was plenty big and deep.

Below are a few shots of the room and bathroom…

*I would have liked to have taken the bed home with me. It was very comfortable.*

Below are a few photos I should have put in part seven, but I forgot. If you notice the caption of the photos with the people in them, I was immediately reminded of convicts in the USA cleaning up the roadsides. We had to explain that to Ivar, who didn’t know we had that in the States. But actually, they weren’t convicts. They were just people about to go riding, and most of them wore blaze orange rain gear.

*At first, I thought these were convicts getting ready to clean up the roadside…*

After we checked into the hotel, and I got cleaned up in the tub, we went to the bar area to enjoy a drink or two before dinner. I was kind of enjoying the piano music they were playing, no doubt from Spotify. I kept Shazaming it. Ivar told us that the hotel had been built around an old school house, which we could see from the restaurant. I got a couple of photos of it at breakfast.

The restaurant was pretty crowded and busy, and we were seated at a “couch”, with two tables in front of it. I don’t usually like these kinds of set ups, because they can be awkward and weird. Indeed, the hostess tried to seat another couple next to us and they quickly moved. I don’t think it was necessarily because we offended. Based on what happened next, it looked like maybe the table rocked. They fixed that and seated a single man next to us.

Bill had his chance to try lamb, while I went with the sole. Both dishes were very good, although it was more than I could possibly eat. Sole is also kind of hard to eat because it has a lot of bones. I noticed one American woman sitting near us who actually needed a tutorial on how to eat fish on the bone. But anyway, below are some photos…

After dinner, we decided to have dessert drinks instead of dessert. The bar area was much quieter, plus the bartender was very personable. She turned out to be from Liepaja, Latvia, a place we visited last summer. I noticed that a lot of people from Latvia work in Iceland. I also noticed quite a few from other eastern European countries, but Latvian workers really stood out. I would imagine that the climate is fairly easy for them to get used to, although maybe Latvia is a little bit less hostile in the winter? I honestly don’t know.

I had a Lemon Cheesecake cocktail, and Bill had a drink named after a waterfall… And apparently, one of us had a beer… LOL…

*The Lemon Cheesecake drink was delicious!*

The next morning, we got up bright and early, only to find that there was no electricity. Ivar told us that there was none in his hotel either, and for some reason, that happens in the area near the geyser on some occasions. We were wondering if breakfast would be affected when the lights suddenly came back on, and when we went back to the restaurant to eat, everything was all set up. Ivar was there, too, as his hotel didn’t offer breakfast. I guess he just paid for it at Hotel Geysir, which has a very generous buffet that even includes cava. I made mimosas for Bill and me…

Hotel Geysir is located right across the street from Strokkur Geysir, one of the world’s most powerful geysirs (spelled “geysers” by us English speakers). I had never seen a geyser in person before our visit to Iceland, and as it turned out, the area around the dormant”big” geyser at this site was closed and, according to Ivar, is no longer as exciting as it once was. But that was okay, as the so-called “little geyser” was plenty impressive… Below is a video I made showing the geyser going off, and our guide explaining it to us.

The ending is the best…

I also took some still photos of the area around the geysers… As you can see, pickpockets have become a problem at this site. Fortunately, there weren’t a lot of crowds there during our visit.

*The big geyser, which used to be larger than the one I videoed, was closed during our visit. Ivar said it is dormant, anyway.*

I was going to write up the whole day in this post, but it’s getting kind of late and I’m still pretty tired from COVID. We also did a lot, and visited several awesome waterfalls that require making videos and posting many photos. So I’m going to stop with this, and resume tomorrow with more sunshine and waterfalls! See you then!

adventure, camping, Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland

Our first Icelandic adventure: Journey to the Highlands! (part seven)

In the late afternoon of September 1, Bill, Ivar, and I landed at Hotel Klaustur, a pleasant hotel in Kirkjubaejarklaustur. This was the one hotel Ivar stayed in with us. It was the least fancy of the five hotels we visited, although it was perfectly fine for a night. I was just happy to see that it had a bar, because after all of the traipsing around in the wind and rain, I really needed a drink. Ivar had suggested stopping for a short hike to a waterfall, but I was cold and wet and not in the mood. I noticed neither he nor Bill objected when I said I’d rather not.

After we checked in to the hotel, I ended up making our dinner reservations, because Bill had urgent personal business to attend to. When the guy asked how many would be dining, I looked at Ivar, mainly because I didn’t want to be rude. And he, probably just as eager not to be rude, quickly said he was going to be dining with friends in town. I have a feeling that might have been a “white lie”, since I noticed the Land Cruiser in the parking lot while we were having dinner. But then, he could have walked or maybe his friends picked him up… Either way, it was no big deal, as I could certainly understand a guide wanting to take a few hours away from their clients.

Bill and I enjoyed a drink in the bar area. I had an Irish coffee that really hit the spot. Bill had a beer. We heard many American voices, especially when we sat down to dinner. I was a little crabby because I think I just wanted a quiet dinner, but everyone was seated in a sunroom, rather than in the larger dining room. The food was okay, although it wasn’t really my favorite of what we had on this trip. I have a feeling there aren’t a lot of nice hotels in the area, but I can’t confirm it.

After dinner, we went to our room, which Bill really had to push hard to get into. He was confused at first, and actually went to reception, where he was told he had to put his shoulder into opening the door. I was glad to see an extra pillow on a stand near the door, because the bed was made up in a style we’ve come to know in German gasthouses. But it had everything we needed, and we were soon watching the end of a movie with Heath Ledger in it. I wasn’t familiar with Ledger when he was still alive, but I can see why he was so famous. He was quite a hottie… and he had a lot of charisma. He reminded me of a filled out Andy Gibb. 😀 Below are a few photos of our room and the hotel itself.

In the morning, we saw Ivar in the restaurant. He invited us to sit with him, which we did. We bonded a little more. I think he was amused when Bill brought me a cappuccino without being asked. For some reason, Bill is very invested in making sure I drink coffee. When we met, I wasn’t that much of a coffee fan. Even today, I could take it or leave it, although I do like really good coffee. Bill needs it every day, and it’s the one thing I join him in, even if sometimes I’d rather have hot chocolate.

Ivar told us that where we were going in the Highlands is short on restaurants or other food sources. We would stop at a convenience store before leaving the area to stock up on water and snacks, and hopefully the “mini mall”, where we were headed, might be open for business. Fair enough. It turned out the snacks weren’t necessary, but they came in handy later.

This part of the trip is where the weather started to improve. I was continually stunned by how beautiful the landscapes of Iceland are, and the many vibrant colors in every place we visited. Even in the rain, Iceland is extraordinary. But it’s more enjoyable for me when it’s not raining… and on Monday, the rain finally let up a bit for us.

I took a whole lot of photos and a few videos as we headed into the Highlands…

A short video offering an idea of what the landscape looked like.

As we were making our way into the wilderness, Ivar explained that in the summer, sheep are allowed to run wild in the hills and mountains. Then, in the fall, they are rounded up and brought back to civilization. The lambs are taken for slaughter. Supposedly, Icelandic lamb is among the best in the world. I don’t like lamb myself, so I wouldn’t know. Bill does like it and he said it was very good. Anyway, during our visit, the sheep were still running free, but it’s about time for them to be rounded up by their respective owners. They are identified by markings left by the farmers.

Continuing on, we passed several deserted shacks, which Ivar said are used by the rangers who stay in the park for a couple of weeks at a time. We eventually stopped at a parking area, where there was a female ranger on duty. She informed Ivar that the WC wasn’t working, so Bill and I ended up finding a bush. Ivar laughed and said that Americans are always so private about peeing, while Icelanders are fine with just letting ‘er rip. Germans are pretty much the same way. When you gotta go, you gotta go.

We took a short hike that perhaps would have been longer if we (or I) had been fitter. I could have gone longer, to be honest. But it was just as well that we didn’t take a longer hike, because the day was very full, anyway. Below are some photos from our entry to the Highlands:

I found this part of the trip mesmerizing. It looked like something out of a different world, with happy sheep all over the place, peacefully grazing with no worries about predators. Ivar told us the only animal native to Iceland are Arctic foxes. Every once in awhile, a polar bear from Greenland might try to venture close. When they do, if they are spotted, they are usually shot by the authorities. Some reindeer were also introduced, although a lot of them died. The ones that survived are still around. I saw reindeer offered on a menu at a subsequent hotel.

After our brief hike, we got back into the Land Cruiser and continued on to a campground called Landmannalaugar, where there was a natural hot spring, bathroom facilities, and the aforementioned “mini mall.” To be honest, I didn’t find the campground that beautiful, but it was a very interesting stop. A lot of people go to this camp so they can hike the Fjallabak Nature Reserve.

The first thing we did was use the WC, which was very much a communal affair with many signs advising users what not to put in the toilets. Then we visited the natural hot spring. Some people were bathing in it. I was content to just crouch down and touch the water, which was fairly warm, but not that hot. After that, Ivar asked if we wanted to visit the “mini mall.” We agreed, so off we went… and that’s where we encountered a guy named Alex who cooks hot dogs and does boat tours from Iceland to Greenland.

Alex and his colleague(s) work out of several green US school busses that make up a small restaurant and shop. I got a kick out of one of the busses, because it was a Blue Bird Bus, probably made in my mom’s hometown of Buena Vista, Virginia. We made the mistake of going into the restaurant part of the “mini mall” first, and Alex kindly asked us to visit the first bus, make our orders and pay, then bring him the receipt. He also asked me to bring him a six pack of Stella Artois and promised me a freebie from the pack!

So we went into the little shop in the first bus and ordered hot dogs with cheese. Later, I told Bill I wished I’d gotten the hot dog without the cheese, since it was a little “musty”. Both Ivar and Bill were surprised, since they hadn’t tasted the cheese at all. We asked the shop dude for the six pack of beer. I noticed he was selling coffee to people and prompting them to buy shots of Bailey’s Irish Cream. They were doing a brisk business!

We went back into the bus where Alex was working. A female couple were there joking around with him. It turned out they knew him from his other business, sailing people from Iceland to Greenland. Alex is apparently popular on Instagram and has a business called The Laid-Back Company. After talking to him, I can see why he named his business that. He was quite a character. Dirty jokes were flying as we enjoyed the hot dogs. One of the women, who turned out to be from Alaska, presented Alex with a gift she’d brought back… it appeared to be some kind of baton. Alex asked if it was a dildo. She said it was a whale penis, and she was afraid it was going to be confiscated before she could present it to him!

Alex invited us to pick up a couple of stickers from the first bus, after he handed me the aforementioned free beer. I guess he figured we were laid back enough to join his laid back boat tour! The woman who gave him the gift said she loved Alex’s boat tour because he interviews all participants before the trip and makes sure they will be compatible with everyone. I will admit, it did sound like an interesting concept, and they were obviously very happy with Alex’s services. Maybe if we ever plan to go to Greenland, we’ll look into it, although if I know myself, I think I might get irritated by the non-stop dirty jokes. I do like jokes, but I have limits. As we were leaving, Alex was talking about a polar bear rug he had somehow acquired and was planning to hang on his wall. It was probably the right time for us to be going! Below are some photos from our stop at Landmannalaugar.

I enjoyed meeting the folks at the “mini mall”, and they gave me a surge of energy for our next stop of Lekafossar… an incredible waterfall system that wasn’t too far away. That was a good thing, since it had started raining again and was getting cold and windy. I’m still so glad we stopped here for this:

As beautiful as those waterfalls are in my pictures, they were even more beautiful from our vantage point. But we couldn’t stay long, because the skies were darkening. So we climbed back into the Land Cruiser and continued our journey toward Hotel Geysir, our Monday night accommodations. On the way there, we stopped for one more waterfall… Unfortunately, I don’t know what this one is called. I’ll see if I can find the name of it and will update accordingly, if I am successful.

Well, this post is now pretty long, so I think I’ll end here and pick up in the next post with our check in to Hotel Geysir. See you in the next part!

adventure, beaches, Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland

Our first Icelandic adventure: Icebergs, sneaker waves, Star Wars, auto wrecks, and diamond beaches… (part six)

After several hours of rest, I decided to rise from my sick bed and do some more writing. I might as well, since no one is here to entertain me. 😉 Poor Bill also has COVID, but he’s on a business trip and is supposed to be working overnights. It sucks to be him. He’s going to need another vacation to recover from Iceland and his business trip!

Anyway… back to Iceland.

Ivar arrived promptly at nine o’clock to take us on our Sunday adventure. I was sorry to say goodbye to the horses, although I would see many more of them during our travels. Icelandic horses are all over the place, based on what I saw during our trip. I saw many more horses than dogs!

One thing I was very happy to see was that Ivar had borrowed a step stool from his father-in-law. That stool made a huge difference in easing the task of getting in and out of the Land Cruiser. Even Ivar, who is a bit taller and much fitter, said that as much as he loves driving the Land Cruiser, it’s not easy for him to get in and out of the vehicle. I was pretty glad that in spite of my leisurely lifestyle, my body is still fairly healthy. I have friends my age who would have had a lot of trouble getting in and out of the Land Cruiser, even with the stool. I even felt a flash of gratitude for my body, even though I usually hate it.

Our plans on Sunday involved visiting a couple of sites near the hotel, as well as the South Coast, the Jokusarlon Glacier Lagoon, and icebergs, courtesy of the Fjallsarlon Boat Tour. I’ll be honest. I really had very few expectations whatsoever, as I didn’t even know what most of the plans were. Bill handled booking the trip through Iceland Luxury Tours, and they sent him all of the information. I think I glanced at it once or twice before we left Germany, so I was blissfully unaware of what we would be seeing.

Bill did warn me about “sneaker waves”, which is a phenomenon involving giant waves that suddenly sweep unsuspecting people out to sea, often drowning them. We went to Reynisfjara, a “black beach”– black because the sand was mixed with volcanic ash– and there was a big sign warning of the sneaker waves. I made sure to stay well away from the water.

A short video showing how loud and powerful the surf was during our visit. I got quite a few of these snippets. The first part of the video was actually from Saturday.

Unfortunately, the weather on Sunday was as inclement as it was on Saturday, and I was destined to get pretty wet over the course of the day. But I did get some interesting photos, including some in a cave that had the look of Yoda, which we found at a place called Viking Park, near the town of Vik… I’ve never actually seen Star Wars, which astonished Ivar, but Bill saw it right away. He’s a big Star Wars fan.

*This was at Viking Park, which is near the Reynisfjara Beach.*

Our visit to Viking Park was short, although it was probably one of the nicer stops of the day, because the weather was relatively temperate in the sense that there was not much rain or wind. Like I said… I was blissfully unaware of the “cool” attractions awaiting us later.

We took advantage of convenience store in Vik to use the facilities, and then were on our way east, with a planned stop at the Instagram famous “Diamond Beach”. I do have an Instagram account, but I rarely use it, and I sure don’t hang out much on it. I had not heard of this beach or its icy black environs. Apparently, many people come to Iceland with cameras just to record a glimpse of its icy, glittery shore.

On our way to the famous beach, Bill and I chatted easily with Ivar, probably oversharing way too much. I later told him that I spend a lot of time alone, which means I have a tendency to run my mouth. Fortunately, he seemed to be a very patient and easy going man and took my constant yammering in stride. 😉

At one point, we were passing an unusually shaped mountain. I might have wanted to take a picture of it, but was distracted by some unlucky people who had pulled their rental car off the side of the road and parked too close to a river. Their car went into the river, and was about half submerged as we passed. I saw them looking forlorn in the rain, standing next to their suitcases, which they’d managed to rescue from the back of the car before it slid further into the water. Nobody was hurt. I did manage to capture a photo.

Then we stopped at another convenience store/restaurant for a potty break. The restaurant was positively overrun with a large bus group of Asian tourists who were all there for lunch. Ivar had suggested the place for lunch, but it looked like they really had their hands full, so we decided to wait and have lunch at the Frost Restaurant, a little place next to where we were having a “boat tour”. I had been picturing a somewhat civilized tour, maybe like one I’d seen on La Lido Loca, a YouTube channel I watch sometimes. Tony, the guy who runs that channel, recently went on an Iceland/Greenland cruise and he and his companion viewed icebergs. But their tour was NOT at all like the one Bill and I went on…

After a quick lunch at the no frills Frost Restaurant, we were booked on a private zodiac tour at Fjallsarlon Lake, where there are many small icebergs. However, unlike Tony and his buddy, for our tour, we had to put on heavy rain gear provided by the tour guide. I have to admit, I kind of dislike any attractions where I have to put on special clothes. It’s kind of mortifying for me. I was also already a bit wet, which I’ll admit is my fault. Ivar could see the doubt on my face, but he assured me I would enjoy the tour. He was right. It all turned out okay, and in the end, I was glad I did it, even though I did get cold, and walking to the zodiac was challenging in the heavy outerwear. I was sure glad I had the rain gear/outerwear, though… because Brrrrr.

Our guide was a very friendly and charming young Frenchman named Tomas, who insisted on taking photos of us. He took about twenty pictures on my iPhone! I got many more photos of the icebergs as I buried myself under the hood of the jacket. I wished I had worn a beanie, like Bill did.

This company does group tours, but it also has some more extensive offerings that probably would excite athletic, adventure seeking types. If I were younger, thinner, fitter, and less lazy, maybe I would have enjoyed one of the more involved tours. But, alas, I am just a fatass housewife whose sweet bird of youth has flown away. 🙂

After we did the boat tour, we visited another area where there were more icebergs, as well as a couple of seals. By the time we got there, the rain was coming down harder and there was more wind. I was pretty wet and my mood was starting to take a turn south. I did get some pictures, though, carefully avoiding the extremely excited people who were posing in front of the icebergs.

*No drones, and no swimming! You’d have to be nuts to swim!*

After we stopped to see the icebergs, we moved on to “Diamond Beach”, which was just beyond the bridge at the Jokusarlon Lagoon. Ivar told us that the beach actually has an official name, but thanks to Instagram, everyone calls it “Diamond Beach”. The rain was pretty much sideways by the time we got there, and I was getting a little grumpy. But, given that we were on vacation, I plucked up enough gumption to get out of the Land Cruiser again and head to the famous beach. I’m glad I did, because even in shitty weather, it was well worth seeing. One woman came there wearing boots and nothing else on her legs. That’s hardcore!

We then got back on the road heading west to our hotel, stopping once again at the convenience store/restaurant that had been crowded with bus tours on the way out. Bill took awhile in the bathroom and Ivar asked me if I thought maybe he’d fallen in, or something. I said, matter-of-factly, “I think he’s having some prostate issues.” Bill later confirmed it, and said there was other business he needed to attend to. I didn’t mind. It gave me time to take a couple of photos of Icelandic horses grazing near the parking lot. I took more photos on the way to the hotel, which included some very picturesque scenes.

*Ivar says this is the highest cliff in Iceland, and he’s climbed it.*

Finally, we arrived at our destination for Sunday night, Hotel Klaustur. I will continue the story with checking in there in my next post.

Champagne Bucket trips, horses, Iceland, videos

Our first Icelandic adventure: Meeting some Icelandic horses! (part five)

At the end of our first day with Ivar, we were taken to our first hotel on the road, Skálakot Manor Hotel. We went there, in part, because it was convenient to our route, but also because we requested to meet some Icelandic horses. As some of my regular readers might know, I grew up riding and showing horses, and even had a horse of my own for several years. I have really missed being around horses, but I gave them up for college and life hasn’t yet presented me with the opportunity to get back into that world. But, even though I don’t ride anymore, I still love horses. Just the smell of them takes me back to wonderful days spent hanging out with my Appaloosa, Rusty, dreaming about the future. So I was pretty excited to get to visit the Icelandic horses at Skálakot Manor, in spite of the inclement weather.

Skálakot Manor itself is a lovely property, and obviously the horses are a big selling point to their business. When we checked in, we received our room key, which was attached to a small horseshoe. The hotel was decorated with equine inspired art. Iceland Luxury Tours booked us in a Grand Double, which I think was one of the few rooms with a balcony. I might have enjoyed the balcony, if not for the rain, but it did give me a vantage point to watch the mares and foals in the front pasture.

As for the visit with the horses, that also went very well. We met a very young looking stable manager, along with a young lady who appeared to be in her teens. They gave us a demonstration with a lovely bay Icelandic horse named Naffy. I didn’t record the demonstration, but it was fun to watch the teenager put Naffy through his paces. Icelandic horses are gaited, meaning that they have at least one, and often two, “special” gaits that other horses don’t have. Below is a YouTube video I found demonstrating the gaits: walk, trot, canter/gallop, tölt, and flying pace. If you watch the video, you can see how the gaits differ in how the horse moves his legs.

A very useful video!

I think the stable manager quickly realized that I had some horse experience, as she asked me questions. Her first question was what made the horses different. I said that where I come from, they would be considered ponies, due to their height. But Icelandic horses are, in fact, horses, in spite of being short in stature. She also asked me what I noticed about the saddle. I said it looked like a dressage saddle. She agreed. I also mentioned that Naffy wasn’t wearing a saddle pad, which I always used on my horse. The manager showed me the simple bridle the horses wear, and said they don’t use other equipment, like martingales (a piece of tack that has a strap keeping the horse’s head down– I never needed to use it myself.)

I was impressed by the lovely seat the young lady riding Naffy had. She looked beautiful on him. My own equitation was never as graceful as hers was, but I think it helps to be very slender, which I have never been. I did win some equitation ribbons, back in the day, but I was never that good at it.

The stable manager also explained how the horses were marked. Icelandic horses can be any color. And she explained that the horses at the farm were marked, showing where they came from. If you look in my video, you might see a horse with an S on his back. That means he was born at Skalakot. The hotel has other horses that were born elsewhere and marked accordingly. I don’t know how many horses Skálakot Manor Hotel has. The manager said they had “fitter” horses for people who were regular riders, as well as gentle horses for beginners. I could see that the horses were all getting winter coats, even though it was still technically summer. But, of course, we were in Iceland, right?

After the demonstration, the two young ladies rounded up all of the horses in their muddy paddock and herded them to a pasture on the other side of the property for the evening. I got a video of that, although I’m sorry to say, it’s not quite perfect.

This was probably my favorite part of the trip.

I also got some photos of the barn and relived my many days shoveling manure as I breathed in the smell of horse pee and poop. The folks at hotel have done things right, though, as the stalls are built so the waste mostly goes under the barn. 😉 You can see that in the pictures.

The horses were all very calm and friendly… and they made me feel the same way. I was smiling as we went back into the hotel to prepare for dinner.

As we were sitting in the dining room, I could tell that a lot of the guests where there to ride horses. One very loud gentleman, clearly from the United States, was talking about the American Saddlebreds he owns. I don’t have much personal experience with Saddlebreds, except for when I used to judge them in 4H horse judging competitions. But the loud guy was going on and on, and the whole dining room could hear him. I found myself explaining Saddlebreds to Bill. Like Icelandic horses, they are also gaited, though they’re much larger and their gaits are different.

Below are some photos of our room, and from dinner… which was pretty good. The room was very cute and comfortable, although the bathroom was pretty tiny.

I sound a little drunk in this… Sorry!

Breakfast, which was included in the price of the room, was also very good. They had great coffee, and a buffet set up. Those who wanted to order something hot could also do so, although we were fine with what they had laid out for us. I was kind of sorry to leave, as the hotel had a spa area (extra charge) and I would have liked to visit the horses again. Oh well. Maybe we can go back someday. Below are a few more horse photos that I took on our way out.

Although there was a lot more that happened on Sunday, I’ll put that in the next post. This one is full enough, and I’ve got some major ground to cover with what happened on Sunday…

Stay tuned!

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Category Archives: Iceland