Our first Icelandic adventure: Ivar ushers us into Iceland! (part four)

Good morning, folks. I was hoping I could have written this post yesterday, but I was feeling kind of poorly. This morning, I took a COVID test, and it came up positive within seconds. That will probably slow down my progress in putting up this series. Fortunately, I don’t feel too terrible right now. It just feels like I have a cold with a low grade fever and body aches. Still, I am rather fatigued and achy, and will probably want to go back to bed before too long.

I just broke the news to Bill, who is also feeling badly this morning. I’m sure he’s got COVID, too, but he’s on a business trip. I’m not sure what that will mean for him. I had to get him to cancel a vet appointment for Charlie today, because I don’t want to be spreading this. Just a reminder than COVID is still out there, so be advised!

Anyway… back to Iceland.

Saturday, August 31, Bill and I got up and had breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Then, at about 9:00 AM, we went down to the lobby to wait for our guide from Iceland Luxury Tours. Bill checked out of the hotel while I watched for someone looking official. All of a sudden, I noticed a very tall SUV with huge tires. Bill saw the Iceland Luxury Tours logo on what we found out was a very well-equipped Toyota Land Cruiser.

I took one look at that vehicle and said, “I’m going to need a mounting block!” It was very high off the ground for me.

Bill went out and spoke to the driver, who turned out to be Ivar (pronounced Ee-var), the man who would be guiding us around the hinterlands of Iceland for the next five days. I immediately noticed that Ivar is very fit and quite handsome, but he’s married, and likely at least ten years younger than I am. Besides, I don’t think there’s anyone for me but Bill, who is definitely my soulmate.

Ivar helped us put our bags in the Land Cruiser, then invited us to “mount up”. I was immediately reminded of my days as an avid equestrienne, trying to mount an especially tall horse. I really did need a mounting block to get into that vehicle! I’m not as strong or as lean as I once was… not that I was ever especially lean. It was cold and rainy, which made getting into the Land Cruiser even more of a challenge. Fortunately, I had spunk and determination, and on that day, I didn’t have COVID. I managed to scramble into the backseat, while Bill sat shotgun. We headed to our first destination, Thorsmork Nature Reserve, in the southern highlands. It is one of Iceland’s most popular hiking destinations.

Driving through the nature reserve gave me insight as to why we needed the Land Cruiser. The terrain was full of rivers that the vehicle was capable of driving through without flooding. I also realized why wearing a seatbelt in the backseat isn’t just the law, but a really good idea. The roads are very bumpy, and it would have been easy to hit my head on the ceiling of the SUV. Just before we went into the reserve, we stopped by a convenience store/restaurant for a bathroom break. I had a real time getting back into the SUV! I also got soaked!

Ivar stopped to let out some of the air in the tires to make the ride more comfortable. I can’t imagine what it would have been like with fully inflated tires! Not that I minded, of course. Even with the steady rainfall, the nature preserve was beautiful and remarkable. I didn’t get a whole lot of photos during that segment of the tour because the weather was bad, and there was a lot of rain. Still, I did manage to get a few pictures…

On our way through the reserve, we ran into other brave souls in massive trucks passing through the wild, other worldly Icelandic terrain. We got to one spot where it looked like someone was stuck on the side of the river. We watched some guides with Russian clients go across, but Ivar wasn’t keen to try it himself. That was fine with us. We’re definitely not thrill seekers.

The three photos in the second row above were taken at a very inhospitable spot that was incredibly beautiful. Bill got out and took those pictures for me, while Ivar spoke to other guides who were there. One guy, a Russian with lots of money, had brought a professional photographer along with him to capture the moments in this brutal landscape!

After we drove through the nature preserve, we headed back the way we came. The rain continued to fall steadily, while the wind blew. We stopped at a beautiful waterfall called Seljalandsfoss, which Ivar said we could walk under if we wanted to. Unfortunately, the weather was so terrible that we weren’t tempted by the waterfall’s charms. I did get some pictures of it, though, and availed myself of the handy WC. Meanwhile, Ivar used the Land Cruiser’s internal air compressor to reinflate the tires.

Below is a short video that shows the conditions we were working under when we got to this waterfall. I’d love to go back there on a better day. The whole area was surrounded by waterfalls, and even in the rain and wind, it was very beautiful. But I did see a few folks trying and failing to use umbrellas!

It was a challenge to get to the waterfall, as you can see! We got soaked again!

Below are some photos from our visit. I managed to get one of a guy trying to use his umbrella. It was a fail! I wish the weather had been nicer, but Iceland is one of those places in which you just never know what you’ll get from the Norse gods…

After we visited the waterfall, we went to a restaurant for lunch. All the while, Ivar was telling us about growing up in Iceland, and his very adventurous grandfather. He seemed to know the roadside eatery where we stopped. As we got out of the Land Cruiser, I looked at the skies and wondered if we were in for that weather the whole time…

*As you can see, Iceland isn’t a place where you should care about your hairdo.*

As we were about to leave the restaurant, I asked Ivar if the weather was typical in Iceland for this time of year. He said it wasn’t, but then very quickly realized that we weren’t really prepared for the elements. He offered to stop by Icewear, a large outdoors retailer in Iceland, where folks can load up on outdoor clothing essentials. I ended up getting a raincoat and new hiking boots. I wish I’d gotten rain trousers, too, but the place was packed with people who were as unprepared as we were, buying up better gear so they could enjoy their trips more.

After we dropped about $500 on clothes, we made one last stop at a beach before stopping at our first hotel on the road, we stopped at a beach… and to be honest, I can’t remember what it was called, mainly because I was focused on the weather. But I did get some photos. I got a lot of photos like this over our time in Iceland… I also got a video of the rough seas, but I got so many of those during our tour that I think I’ll just add it to a longer video that I’ll do when I’m closer to the end of this series (when I’m hopefully feeling better).

Once we visited the rocky beach, we headed to our first hotel of the night, Skalakot Manor. I will start the next part with our experience at that hotel, since it included a stable visit. For now, I need to go lie down for awhile. 😉

Damned COVID!

art, Bars, Champagne Bucket trips, churches, Iceland

Our first Icelandic adventure: A day in Reykjavik! (part three)

Whenever we travel with the intention of cruising or touring, I like to schedule free time that allows us to explore on our own. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not that good at group tours. I like to look at things at my own pace and wander, as this means I might find things I wouldn’t have ordinarily found. However, I know that doing things on my own can mean that I will miss out on “important” stuff.

For instance, when Bill and I went to Bulgaria in June, I had wanted to see caves that I had read about before our journey. Unfortunately, I got sick and needed a day in bed, which significantly cut down on our time to see things. Consequently, we missed out on the caves. Maybe if we’d hired a guide, I would have hauled my ass out of bed.

For our trip to Iceland, I knew I’d want to have a look at Reykjavik before we left the city for more rural locales. We asked Iceland Luxury Tours to give us Fridays off, which they happily did for us. Bill and I spent the day getting the lay of the land, visiting museums, and drinking local beers.

The first morning in Iceland, we went down to the buffet breakfast offered at the hotel and found ourselves a table in the bustling restaurant. I immediately noticed a very busy “mama bear” type, trying to get her family ready for an excursion. She had two bored looking teenagers with her, both of whom had their noses buried in their phones. I kept hearing her address one of them– “Colby”– which she said over and over again in imperative language. She ordered them to hurry up and finish breakfast. She ordered them to go to the bathroom. She ordered them to get ready for the trip. Soon enough, “Dad” showed up to let them know that their driver was there for them. Another woman– maybe the mom’s sister, based on her looks– came over to help mom herd the teens out of the restaurant.

Once again, I was struck by how very loud Americans are compared to Europeans. I used to be a lot louder than I am now, but changed my ways after years of living here. A lot of times, people think Bill and I are Germans. Then they hear us speak. Maybe I should try to trip them up by wearing Jack Wolfskin clothes and moving my wedding ring to my right hand.

After breakfast, we headed out into the city… which really feels more like a big village, compared to other European cities. The weather was rainy and windy, but not very cold. A large group of Americans were behind us, making me feel kind of nervous. I don’t like it when any big group is right behind me, but the loud talking was making me feel more on edge. I decided to turn left, off the main drag, and head in another direction. Very soon, we found ourselves standing at the entrance of a very interesting museum…

The Icelandic Phallological Museum is a museum dedicated to the penis. The museum was founded in 1997 by a retired teacher named Sigurður Hjartarson. Hjartarson’s fascination with all things penis related began when he was a child and someone gave him a cattle whip made out of a bull’s penis. From there, he collected all sorts of specimens from a variety of different animals, to include human beings. The museum also features art– sculptures, paintings, and other items that are related to his interests.

I don’t actually like looking at penises myself, but I’m kind of obnoxious. I could never pass up the chance to visit a museum dedicated to dicks, even if I’m not really interested in looking at them. I have to admit, the Phallological Museum was interesting and educational. I got a bunch of photos, and was almost tempted to buy a t-shirt. It wasn’t a terrible place to spend an hour, although our guide later told us that he’d never been to the museum. He said the founder was racist and against women’s rights. I don’t know how true that is… but that’s what our guide told us. Anyway, we didn’t know that before our visit. Even if we did know about it, we probably would have still visited. Below are some photos from our visit to the world’s only museum dedicated to penises…

*People were allowed to write on this white board…*

After we visited the phallological museum, Bill and I walked around a bit, until we wound up at the Harpa Concert Hall, a state of the art music venue that houses the Icelandic Symphony and Opera. The Harpa Concert Hall also includes exhibits, shops, restaurants, and even a very nice children’s area. Bill was going to visit the restroom, but he lacked Icelandic coins. Actually, he probably could have used his credit or debit card; Iceland is pretty much cashless nowadays. As we were about to leave the building, I noticed a place with a bunch of egg shaped chairs. It was a “virtual reality tour”, using special virtual reality glasses.

On a whim, we decided to try the Saga VR tour. I had never used virtual reality glasses before, but I had seen them offered by Apple. Using the glasses, we could watch short films about the different regions of Iceland as if we were there. The chairs were designed to offered a 360 degree experience with sort of a private feeling. While we didn’t experience all of the really cool stuff featured in the films, the virtual reality tour did kind of whet our appetites for our guided visit to Iceland’s hinterlands. The videos were made with drones and the whole thing took less than 15 minutes, but it was still kind of an interesting experience for us. I also got a few photos…

*The ceiling of the Harpa Concert Hall.*

After we finished our VR tour, we walked back into the wind and rain, passing by the SH Vega, a brand new luxury cruise ship by Swan Hellenic, as well as the Windstar Star Pride, a ship that used to be owned by Seabourn. I’m actually kind of interested in the SH Vega. I might have to read up on that ship. I took a few more photos from the harbor area…

Finally, we found our way to the Reykjavik Art Museum Hafnarhús, one of three related art museums in the city. The ticket we purchased was good at all three museums, but we only had time to go to one, which wasn’t all that large, but did include some fascinating exhibits. I especially enjoyed one called Flood (Flóð), done by an artist named Jónsi. The exhibit is a spatial, scent, and sound sculpture. We spent some time in there, listening to the sounds, smelling the scent, and walking on what felt like sand.

Cool!

There were also other thought provoking exhibits at the museum. Naturally, I took photos!

Part of another exhibit in the art museum.

*This exhibit was about seasonal affective disorder.*

It was about lunchtime when we left the art museum. We walked around a bit, in search of food that was appealing. Instead, we ended up at an Irish pub called The Dubliner… supposedly the first one in Reykjavik. We had a round of beer…

But then we moved on, since The Dubliner didn’t appear to have food available. After walking around a bit, we found ourselves at an interesting bar called Lemmy. We really enjoyed Lemmy, as the bartender was super friendly, and they had a bunch of beers on tap. They also played great music. But something odd was happening during our visit. There was a film crew there, making a movie in one of the bathrooms. They had put a toilet in the dining area… I didn’t get a close look at it, but Bill said they’d fixed the toilet to look like someone had used it and didn’t flush. The crew was there during most of our visit, which probably lasted longer than it should have.

Lemmy did have food, although the menu was very limited. I ordered chicken wings, but they were too spicy and messy for me. I didn’t enjoy them. Bill had nachos that were marginally better than my wings were. The music and beer, though… that was all top notch! You can see the heavily graffitied bathrooms in the photo. I guess that was why they were filming in there.

*Maybe we should have done the walking tour…*

After lunch, we walked to the other side of the city and ventured toward Hallgrímskirkja, an iconic Lutheran church that was opened in Reykjavik in 1986. We took the Rainbow Street (in honor of Reykjavik Pride) to get there, mainly so I could take photos. On the day of our first visit, the inside of the church was closed because a bishop was visiting. Because the weather was poor, we decided not to go up the tower on that day. We did go up a week later. I’ll provide information on that experience when I get to that post. For now, here are more photos.

After all of that activity and walking, we decided to go back to the hotel. It was so dark and dreary outside, we decided to just stay in and enjoy the evening in our room. At one point, Bill went out and bought us slices of Sbarro Pizza from a grocery store and soft drinks, since one must go to a liquor store to buy booze. The Sbarro pizza was kind of a treat. I used to enjoy Sbarro a lot when I was younger, but now that malls are disappearing in the USA, so is that pizza. But you can still get it in Iceland. Go figure!

I know we should have had dinner somewhere, but I have to ease into activity… Besides, the next morning, we would be starting our tour with Iceland Luxury Tours. More on that in the next post!

adventure, Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland

Our first Icelandic adventure: From Frankfurt to Reykjavik– August 29, 2024 (part two)

On August 29, 2024, I wrote a blog post on this site about our much anticipated trip to Iceland. That day had been months in the making. I didn’t know what to expect that morning, as I packed my bags for our trip to a most unusual destination. In Germany, it had been very hot. It was still hot when we returned yesterday, although today it’s a bit stormy and much cooler. It seemed counterintuitive to pack sweaters, pants, and waterproof shoes in my bags. I also threw in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, just in case it was warmer than expected. I’d seen the rainy forecast for our trip, but I’d heard Iceland’s weather was unpredictable. Plus, not bringing cooler clothes when it was still so warm in Germany seemed wrong somehow.

Even though I did my best to plan my attire for the trip, I kind of failed in my preparations. I was missing waterproof clothes. Until we went to Iceland, I didn’t own a raincoat. I still don’t have waterproof trousers. I dread the idea of trying to shop for them, because clothes shopping is a massive pain in the ass for me. But, I may go ahead and look for them, even though our trip to Iceland is done now. I can use them in Germany, too… and I’ve learned that I really need to walk more.

I think the combination of the pandemic and menopause has done a real number on my body. I’ve gained weight and lost fitness, plus I recognize that when I walk, I physically feel better. Maybe if I walked more, I wouldn’t have to consider consulting another physician about these gut problems I’ve been having… since the last doctor blew me off. I noticed that when we were in Iceland, my gut bothered me much less. The symptoms didn’t go away completely, but they were much reduced. So now I think the German doctor’s diagnosis might have been correct… but I still can’t trust him again after he twice tried to do a colonoscopy before I was unconscious.

Anyway… after Bill took Noyzi and Charlie to the Hundepension Birkenhof, we ordered a taxi to the airport. Bill has determined that it’s a lot easier to get a cab to the airport than try to drive there himself and park. I can’t say I blame him for that, although the guy who picked us up seemed a bit clueless. The driver missed the exit for the airport, and I could see Bill getting upset, even though we had plenty of time to get to the gate. At least the cab driver knocked some euros off the fare.

Even though it was hot that day, I wore pants, because I knew it would be chilly in Iceland. I wasn’t wrong about that.

There was a large queue of people in line to check in for our flight to Iceland. I was surprised by that, but as I would come to learn on our trip, Iceland is a very popular tourist destination right now. It wasn’t always so. I think the proliferation of fantasy oriented television shows and movies have put Iceland on the map. But maybe I’m wrong about that.

Since I booked Saga Class (business) on Icelandair, we were able to check in using the business class line. It was quick and easy, as was getting through security. Once we did that, we were on our way to the Air France business lounge, which Icelandair Saga Class passengers are allowed to use at Frankfurt Airport.

Bill and I usually fly Lufthansa from Germany, since I am slowly collecting points. I could have booked Lufthansa again for this trip, but their prices were significantly higher, while their business class experience is nothing to write home about. I might have paid the extra money anyway, except the available flights weren’t offered at times convenient for us. I also wanted to experience a different airline.

Now that we’ve flown on Icelandair, I can say that I’m really pleased that I chose them over Lufthansa. Both of our flights were very pleasant, with good food, entertainment, and comfortable seats. The planes were very clean, and the service on board was attentive and friendly. I wouldn’t hesitate to book them again, especially for flights to and from Iceland. Below are few shots from the Frankfurt airport, along with the Air France lounge… It was no frills, but did the trick of refreshing us before our flight.

On the flight to Reykjavik, we were seated in seats 1D and 1F. Instead of giving passengers regular seats with a free spot between them, Icelandair offers deluxe seats, which are a bit larger. It was like flying first class in the USA. The seats were outfitted with pillows and bottled waters, and we were offered Bose headphones and blanket throws to use during the flight. Saga Class also offers free WiFi when it’s available, drinks, and food, along with a generous baggage allowance and use of the lounges. We had great weather going to Iceland, and. the flight was very smooth and comfortable. I think the business class product by Icelandair is better than what Lufthansa offers.

*They had a pretty good drink selection, including several interesting gins.*

We were told we’d be met by a driver who would be holding up a sign. It took a little while for us to get our luggage, but once we collected all of our bags, it was easy to find our first driver, a tall, handsome man who came to fetch us in a large, luxurious Mercedes van. He was holding a sign up with Bill’s name on it. I never caught the driver’s name, but he said he was an independent contractor. The driver obviously knew all about Iceland Luxury Tours, and was very friendly as he talked about how Iceland went from a place of punishment for the US sailors who were once based there, to a hot tourist destination. Wikipedia says that US forces have since returned to Iceland, since the base was closed in 2006, although I don’t think the US military presence is anything like what it once was.

We were fortunate on our ride to Reykjavik, as we passed an active volcano. I managed to get a few photos of the mountain, which by yesterday, was only sending off smoke, rather than lava. Below are some photos from our drive. This was the only active volcanic action we saw during our time in Iceland.

*I had to take this from a distance. I’m glad I had a zoom lens!*

Iceland Luxury Tours booked us for two nights in a deluxe room at Hotel Reykjavik Saga. This hotel is extremely convenient to downtown Reykjavik, which was a good thing for us. We had planned for Friday, August 30, to be a “free day”, to be spent wandering around the city and maybe doing some city tourist stuff on our own. Although we probably could have gone out and done something Thursday evening, we were kind of overwhelmed by the activities of the day. We decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant and go to bed early.

I had been wanting a steak when we went to dinner. I don’t know why. I was just craving one. I ordered a rib-eye, while Bill had pasta made with squid ink and topped with shrimp. We paired it with a French red, and watched as one of the waiters kind of botched service with a European couple sitting near us. They had ordered a round of drinks that they wanted to enjoy before dinner.

Unfortunately, their waiter put the order for their food and wine in before they had their drinks. The food came out before the wine did, and before they had finished their cocktails. I could see the female half of the couple getting upset, and even begging for a few minutes to enjoy their drinks. I tried to explain what was happening on Facebook, but I think some of my American friends don’t understand that things tend to be less rushed in European restaurants. Wait staff don’t depend on tips to make a living, so there’s no need to turn tables fast.

Still, I got the sense that the waiter was in need of some training. This wasn’t a case of people obnoxiously taking their time, which a lot of Americans would fault them for. Even as an American server, I was taught to pace meals appropriately. I have a feeling that couple’s food ended up sitting under heat while they drank their mixed drinks, which may have made the food less enjoyable for them.

Then a huge group of people showed up, and the restaurant started to sound a bit like a middle school cafeteria. I wasn’t in the mood for that, so Bill and I finished up our desserts and went to our room for the night. I was surprised to find the TV had mostly British networks. It was kind of a treat to watch the BBC again. As for dinner, it was okay, but expensive for what it was. My steak was pretty small, and had kind of a weird flavor. Bill liked his pasta more. We didn’t have dinner at the hotel restaurant again. Its menu was a bit too limited.

So ends my report of our first day… Please stay tuned for more!

adventure, Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland, Nordic

Our first Icelandic adventure: How did we end up there? (part one)

Bill and I just got home from Iceland yesterday afternoon. I’ve been itching to write about our visit to the mysterious island nation for days now, but have held off on starting the series until we got home. Although I sometimes start writing before trips end, this time, this time I decided I needed to wait. I wanted to be near my desktop computer, where I have more tools to edit photos and make videos. I also find writing on the desktop much easier than writing on the laptop; that’s important, because I have a lot of ground to cover.

But, really, the main reason I waited was because we have been VERY busy. Seriously… it seems like we’ve been gone a month, even though our trip was only for about ten days. One of our drivers estimated we saw about 30 percent of Iceland on our trip. My guess is that we saw less than that, mainly because Bill and I are older and less willing to traipse through the wilderness. There’s a lot of wild country in Iceland, and the weather can be brutal, especially if you’re not adequately prepared.

I’m sorry to report, I was not quite ready for Iceland’s hostile climate. Bill had, at least, done some shopping on Bergfreunde.de for new shoes and a hat. Luckily, there are businesspeople in Iceland who anticipate tourists like me, and there are quite a few Icewear stores scattered about the more populated areas. When we stopped by Icewear, we saw many other people who were in the same situation we were… buying raincoats, shoes, beanies… and the smarter ones probably invested in waterproof pants. I sure wish I had!

Nevertheless, in spite of being somewhat underprepared, Bill and I managed to enjoy our visit unscathed. Neither of us got sick or injured. And… according to the pedometer app on my iPhone, we covered about 17 miles walking… which may not seem like a lot to younger, fitter people, but for a fatass housewife like me, it’s a pretty good deal. Especially when one considers the weather! It wasn’t super cold, but the rain and wind were incredible; I had never experienced anything like it before. I wasn’t prepared for that on this visit, but if we manage to go to Iceland again, I will definitely be more ready for it.

So how did we end up going to Iceland in the first place?

Bill and I have a ritual of choosing our vacations by luck. We used to be fans of Eurowings’ “blind booking” program, in which you book a flight somewhere, but don’t know where you’re going until after you’ve paid. We did that a few times when Eurowings was still called Germanwings. But then we later had more money, and less desire to fly places on the cheap. I’m sure my expanding ass had a lot to do with that. 😉

We also have two dogs who have to be accommodated by the local Hundpension, which makes it harder for us to be too spontaneous. When we still had our comparatively small beagles, Zane and Arran, it was sometimes easier to just take them with us when we went places. But now we have Noyzi, who takes up all the cargo space in the back of the Volvo. And we have Charlie, who is still kind of afraid of riding in the car. It’s better to board them when we go places.

We started planning trips with the same “surprise” idea of blind bookings, only instead of letting the airline decide, we let the champagne bucket choose. We put scraps of paper in the bucket and Bill picks one. If the selection is feasible for when we want to travel, we book it. At some point in the spring, he picked Iceland. We were delighted with that result, because Iceland was a place we both really wanted to visit before we shove off the mortal coil. Iceland isn’t cheap, so it’s good to go there when the cash flow is good… and it’s also potentially physically challenging, so it’s best to visit when one has the stamina and ability to get around somewhat easily.

I did have some worries about the weather, even though we were technically visiting in the summer… but then I saw memes like the one below…

*Don’t let that “green land” fool you… Bring a jacket!*

I got fooled into thinking Iceland is more temperate than it is. I mean, it is temperate, considering where it’s located, but it’s certainly not temperate like Germany is. When we left Germany, it was hot as the dickens! The funny thing is, when Bill went to Reykjavik in 2009, it was around the time of my June birthday. He brought me a wool scarf and a CD of Icelandic folk tunes sung acapella by people with very ordinary voices. I was confused by the wool scarf in June… until now. 😉

Finding Iceland Luxury Tours…

So anyway, Bill picked Iceland out of the bucket, and the responsibility came down to me to plan the trip. I don’t know why I was inspired to hire a guide for our visit to Iceland. We’ve never done a private tour before, although we have done at least one group tour together (which I’m not very good at). I guess, somewhere in my brain, I realized that visiting rugged Iceland, with its unpredictable weather and rough roads, might go better if we had a local doing the driving. I wasn’t as wise about the weather in terms of dressing, but I did at least have enough common sense to look into finding us a guide/driver. Somehow, in the process of planning, I came across Iceland Luxury Tours.

I’m a big believer in reading reviews, although I do realize that a lot of people tend to write them when they’re either pissed off or very happy. I found many positive reviews of Iceland Luxury Tours on multiple sources, including Trip Advisor, which in my experience, often turns out to be the most accurate source of all. I review most of our travel experiences, and I try to be as honest as possible, even if I’ve had a mediocre time. I was impressed that Iceland Luxury Tours had many five star reviews and glowing comments, and only three four star ratings. It had not been rated lower by anyone. On Google, there were far fewer reviews, but the ones they had were all raving. So I asked Bill to contact them to see what they could do for us.

Bill sent an inquiry to Iceland Luxury Tours, and the owner, Sveinn Sigurður Kjartansson, was quick to respond. After Bill offered a budget, Sveinn proposed some itineraries. Then we tweaked the trip to suit our interests. For example, I am a big time horse lover. Iceland is famous for its Icelandic horses (and they are horses– not ponies). Sveinn added a visit to a horse farm to our trip. We like spas, so he added a visit to the Sky Lagoon. We’re not super fit or thrill seeking, so those kinds of activities were omitted. Later, when I realized that flying home on Friday, as we’d planned, would be significantly more expensive, we added a day. Sveinn added activities for that extra day.

How much did it cost?

Well, folks… I’ll be honest. This was a very expensive trip. Iceland Luxury Tours planned everything for us, to include our luxury hotels, breakfasts, private tours/tickets to several attractions, transfers to and from the airport, transportation to the Sky Lagoon, and five full days with our guide, Ivar, and a very capable Toyota Land Cruiser. I think Bill said it all came to about $17,300 or so… And then I booked round trip Saga Class (business) tickets on Icelandair, which was well worth doing, but not a cheap endeavor. I think the tickets were about $2500 for the two of us, give or take $100. Fortunately, we had the money to cover it, and a new travel credit card from PenFed that offers generous travel benefits.

Now, I do realize we could have done this trip much more cheaply, even with a guide. We could have scaled down the budget significantly and still had a memorable experience. But these days, I like to travel in comfort. I’ve had my fill of traveling cheaply… and believe me, I’ve done plenty of that in my lifetime! Luckily, Bill doesn’t mind being more comfortable, and we currently have the means to travel that way.

Although we don’t usually spend that much on our trips, it did occur to me that last year, we spent a couple of weeks in Scandinavia and spent well over $20,000. That trip included about a week on our own in Norway, a week on the Regent Splendor, and then a couple of nights in Denmark. So, this trip to Iceland, which is probably going to be our one big vacation this year, isn’t that far out of line for us. But I do want to reiterate– you don’t have to spend that much yourself. You can do fewer days with a guide, concentrate in a smaller area, do group tours instead of private ones, eat cheaper food… and avoid drinking alcohol. 😉

I do recommend hiring a guide, though, especially if you want to go to any rugged parts of the country. There will be more on that in the coming posts. When I start sharing photos and videos, you’ll certainly see why!

So… now it’s time to write the story of our first trip to Iceland. I hope you’ll join me on this very bumpy but exhilarating ride!

Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland

So long, Iceland… it’s been a real trip!

We’re headed back to Frankfurt this morning. I woke up at about 4:30 AM and couldn’t get back to sleep. It’s now 6:30 AM, and in an hour, we will be picked up and shuttled to the airport, which is about 45 minutes away from Reykjavik.

Hopefully the flight will be smooth and painless, and we’ll arrive home safely. I’m ready to do laundry and start writing about this amazing vacation we’ve had in Iceland. It really has been an incredible experience, especially when we were out in the “country”. We had a great experience with Iceland Luxury Tours, so I can’t wait to add a positive review on Trip Advisor for them. I also really want to get back to creating song parodies and other videos. Most of the next week, I suspect, will be spent writing the story of this trip and making travel videos.

I love traveling, but after awhile, it’s just time to go home. But there were a lot of things we didn’t manage to do on this trip, so maybe we’ll have a reason to come back to Iceland. And if we do, I will come better prepared, with at least one pair of waterproof pants! I can see why Iceland’s sporting goods chain, Icewear, is everywhere in this country.

Here are a few more photos before I head off into the friendly skies… These were taken yesterday, as we walked back to the big church (proper name forthcoming) and took the elevator up to get a view of the city.

Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland

Still more photos before I go home tomorrow…

Today is our last full day in Iceland. We’ve had a really good time over the past eight days. I’m a little sad to be leaving, yet I’m also glad to be going home. I have a lot of laundry to do, plus I’ve missed my dogs. I also have big plans to write up this trip, making some videos– travel and musical– and perhaps reconsider some of my lifestyle habits. 😉

Overall, Iceland has been fantastic, though. The people are very nice; they have great taste in music; and the scenery is stunning, even if the weather often sucks. Bill has especially enjoyed himself. I think he’s going to be talking about this vacation for a very long time. It goes down as one of our best… at least as I write this. We still have tomorrow’s flight and transfer to the airport to consider.

Below are a few more photos from our vacation to Iceland. I truly do hope we can come back.

Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland

And here are a few more photos from the past couple of days…

I don’t have much time to write, as we are checking out of our hotel in about twenty minutes. But I did want to put up a few more photos for the curious…

I will definitely have a lot to write about when I get back to Germany! We have seen so many eye popping geological fascinations this week. Yes, this trip is costing a lot, but it is money well spent!

adventure, Iceland, outdoors

I have a few minutes, so here are a few more photos…

We’re getting ready to venture to the highlands, which I think are going to be very austere. Our guide warned that food options would be limited. We are going to hit a gas station for snacks before setting out. This has definitely been one of our more rugged trips.

Since I have a few minutes before I need to pack up and get out, here are some more photos from our trip so far…

We are definitely more active than usual on this trip. It’s a good thing. My body can still do stuff, even though it’s broader and stiffer than it once was. It looks like we might have some sunshine today, too. Hallelujah for that!

Champagne Bucket trips, horses, Iceland

It’s been a busy couple of days…

And there’s a lot to report from Iceland. The main thing is, the weather has sucked… But tonight, as we were finishing dinner after a rough day battling rain and wind, the sun finally came out. Maybe we’ll see it tomorrow, too.

I don’t feel like writing a lengthy post, because I kind of want to chill out and relax a bit. But I will share a few photos from today. There will be a lot more next when I write my trip report, starting September 7th.

Even when the weather sucks, Iceland is very special… And judging by the number of Americans who are here, I am not the only one who feels that way. 😉

Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland

A very quick check in from Reykjavik…

Hi folks… We’ve just spent our second night in Reykjavik, Iceland. This morning, our driver from Iceland Luxury Tours will be picking us up and taking us south, where we will visit a nature preserve and a waterfall, I think…

So far, the weather here has been chilly and windy. We made good use of the time, though, by visiting a museum dedicated to penises. Then we took a virtual tour of Iceland with cool headsets. We walked around the harbor, where we saw the Windstar Pride and a new ship called the SH Vega, which I will be checking out when we get home.

We toured the art museum– one of three related in the city, then had a beer at the city’s oldest Irish pub. After that, we went looking for lunch and ended up at another pub, where they were using one of the toilets for filming a movie. There was a literal toilet by the door when we entered the establishment! More on that when I blog about this trip!

We then took a walked on the rainbow street and visited the famous church that I can’t yet name… Again, more details when I write a proper blog entry.

So far, I haven’t found food that I’ve really loved. But I did have a piece of pizza from Sbarro last night. Haven’t had one of those in many years, but I was a big Sbarro fan when I used to go to malls in the United States. Apparently, they have a presence in Iceland. McDonald’s, on the other hand, doesn’t have a single restaurant here. Or so I’ve read. I hope to find some good fish in our next location.

We’ve run into a bunch of our countrymen, too… Apparently, we all had the same idea about visiting Iceland this time of year.

Anyway… so far, so cool. Here are a few photos!