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!

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!

Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland

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!

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Iceland

Ten things I learned in Iceland!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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