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A short but fine adventure by Bron Read more
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  • TravelerLand of Fire and Ice
    1
    Day 15

    In Summary

    September 3, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Off home today on the 10:15 flight, a taxi to the airport is £136, so we took the bus for a bargain £31 each!

    Everything in Iceland has been expensive and even the things that aren't imported like fish and lamb were still expensive. However, it is a stunning place to visit, the empty roads, the expanse and clarity of the views, the air quality and the people. Everyone we met were friendly and spoke great English.

    It's taken me 30 years to persuade Carol to come here, because of the cold, but even she is a convert now, so that is saying something.

    All in all we drove 1,833 miles over 11 days (ave 166 miles per day), which is a fair distance for what I thought of as a little island. However, the drives were broken up with so many things to see and do along the way. Though the driving itself, up gravelled mountain passes, through glacial valleys, back and forwards along fjords and single lane two-way tunnels was an experience in itself.

    Weather: 13 degrees, sunny.    Read more

  • TravelerLand of Fire and Ice
    1
    Day 14

    A Shandy or Two

    September 2, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    I'd booked a walking tour for this morning at 10:30, so we took it easy, had breakfast, took it a bit more easy and then headed out. I always seem to feel more tired though the less I do.

    The walking tour was really interesting, not so much the buildings and monuments but more the social history. Such as in Iceland almost everyone is related to the first settler Ingólfr Arnarson who arrived in 874 which means everyone is your cousin! So to marry someone they need to be at least a 3rd cousin or more distant. They even have a genealogy app containing everyone's family tree for you to check.

    After the walk we went for an all you can eat and drink in 2 hours lunch, which at £43 each must have been the cheapest place to eat in Iceland. Needless to say the place was pretty busy, surprisingly the food was excellent and we made a pretty good stab at getting way more than our monies worth.

    We chatted to a couple of women, Sandra and Maggie (that's the easy version of their names) on the table next to us during the lunch who then took us to a great little bar round the corner for happy hour which then stretched on into the evening. Got back to the hotel about 9pm and we still had a voucher for a commentary drink at the hotel bar. It was the last thing I needed at that point as we'd started speed drinking at 2pm, but it would have been rude to have turned down the hospitality!

    Weather: 13 degrees, sunny intervals    Read more

  • TravelerLand of Fire and Ice
    1
    1
    Day 13

    Walking, No Driving

    September 1, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Was strange today not to be packing and heading out early, missing the driving already.

    Spent the day sightseeing, visiting the Lutharian church, the concert hall and the old port which is now a mix of shops, restaurants and bars. So having made the effort to get there it would have been rude not to have tried some happy hour cocktails.

    Got chatting to a local, middle aged guy in one of the bars and after telling him of all the places we'd been to on the trip he said that we'd seen more of Iceland than he had. Later in the conversation I'd said that though we travel a lot I'd never actually been to the British Museum in London. To which he said 'oh I've been there 3 or 4 times'. Interesting how you never have time for stuff on your own door step!

    Weather: 13 degrees, showers in the afternoon    Read more

  • TravelerLand of Fire and Ice
    1
    11
    Day 12

    Final Drive

    August 31, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    This morning had to drop the car off in Reykjavik for 10:00, so had a whistle stop tour of Geysir on the way, you can't come to Iceland and not see Strokkur blowing it's top.

    For the first time in 11 days I encountered heavy traffic entering Reykjavik, well first time I've seen any traffic at all really in the whole of Iceland. It was raining hard most of the day so spent a fair chunk of it at the Perlan museum. Which showcased everything Iceland, from volcanos, to glaciers, to an ice cave, to waterfalls, to the northern lights. It was really interactive and very well put together.

    The evening was off to a sports bar to watch Arsenal v Aston Villa. The pub must have had at least 40 local Arsenal fans watching the game, was like watching in a north London pub, great atmosphere and obviously winning 2-1 helped.

    Weather: 13 degrees, heavy rain

    Mileage: 75 miles    Read more

  • TravelerLand of Fire and Ice
    111
    Day 11

    A Busy and Damp Day

    August 30, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    Today, the last full driving day, we were catching the 08:15 ferry to Heimaey, the main island in the Westerman Islands, just off Iceland's south coast. So set off at 06:00 so we could stop off along the way at the black beach at Reynisfjara, with its sea stacks and basalt cliffs. Despite the mist/drizzle, the breeze and the crashing waves it was beautiful, and oddly enough at 06:15 we were the only ones on the beach. We also stopped off at Skagafoss waterfall as it was right by the road and got a soaking from the spray as we tried to get as close as we could. That was two soaking and it was only 07:30.

    By the time we boarded the ferry the wind had really got up and it made for an uncomfortable 40 minute crossing with the little ferry pitching and rolling all the way to Heimaey. It is supposed to be a beautiful island but through the mist we could see very little of it. We had a tour booked but cancelled it due to the weather and instead went to a museum telling the story of the 1973 eruption that was so large it increased the island's size by 20%. In the centre of the museum was a house that had been completely engulfed by the pumice spewed out. Some of the items inside had actually survived, giving it a much more real feeling.

    The first stop after arriving back on the mainland was the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, the angle of which and a shallow cave behind it meaning that you can walk round the back of it, though the spray means you still get pretty damp wet. It was areally interesting seeing it from behind but as we came out it started raining very heavily, so much so I had to change my trousers as they were completely dripping.

    The heavy rain continued all the way to tonight's hotel, so we knocked on the head the other things we had planned and concentrated on getting dry and drying our dripping wet clothes.

    Weather: 13 degrees, heavy mist then heavy train

    Mileage: 135 miles    Read more

  • TravelerLand of Fire and Ice
    Day 10

    A Chilly Start

    August 29, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Earliest start on the road of the trip so far, left the hotel at 7am arriving at Jokulsarlon lagoon just after 8am. This is one of the areas where Europe's largest glacier breaks away into a lagoon and then floats out to sea. We did a tour of the lagoon on a rib, was fascinating getting so close to the icebergs and then also the glacier itself..

    Then an hour's drive to Svartifoss, a waterfall framed by basalt columns. The guide book said it was an easy 1.8km walk. It didn't mention the fact that 75% was uphill, at least coming back was quick.

    Tonight we are staying in Vik, which apparently is the wettest town in Iceland's and it certainly hasn't disappointed. As we got within 30 miles a heavy drizzle set in for the rest of the day and night.

    Weather: 12 degrees, constant drizzle from mid aft

    Mileage: 175 miles    Read more

  • TravelerLand of Fire and Ice
    Day 9

    A Quieter Day

    August 28, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Today's drive was beyond scenic, a mix of mountains, valleys and coastal roads, the only problem with driving is that you don't get to look at it long enough. We stopped in Stodvarfyordur for breakfast, the location of east Iceland's most popular tourist attraction, a local women's, lifetimes collection of mineral rocks. Obviously not much happens in eastern Iceland.

    Today was a relaxing day, after arriving in Hofn, we went on an hours walk along a nature trail catching our first views of glaciers, ones that we will be much closer to tomorrow. Then in the late afternoon went to the swimming pool, they all seem to be outdoor heated pools here, and spent an hours or so in the hot tubs. They had a tv in reception showing the Spurs game, I was seriously tempted to give the pool a miss and take a seat in reception.

    However, much to my surprise and delight the tv in today's accommodation also had BBC1, so MOTD2 is on the cards tonight.

    Weather: 13 degrees, sunny

    Mileage: 153 miles    Read more

  • TravelerLand of Fire and Ice
    1
    111
    Day 8

    A Whale of a Time

    August 27, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    Today the weather changed for the better, the strong wind of the last two days has disappeared completely, the sun was out and we reached the heady heights of 8 degrees in time for the rearranged whale watching trip at 09:00. The trip was good fun, saw a Minkie whale several times and numerous dolphins.

    Once off the boat it was a long drive to Egilstadir, the destination for tonight. I don't know where the time has gone, this is day 8 already. Only 4 more driving days to go after today and the length of Iceland still to cross, so a few more long days but I'm thoroughly enjoying it .

    After the drive managed to check into the hotel early and went on a 25 min drive over a very scenic mountain pass to Seydisfjordur. A small coastal town made up of colourful houses around a port.

    I couldn't have booked a better hotel in the whole of Egilstadir, I turned the tv on to find it had BBC1, on a Saturday night and Arsenal were playing today, heaven.

    Weather: 13 degrees, sunny

    Mileage: 168    Read more

  • TravelerLand of Fire and Ice
    1111
    Day 7

    Revised Itinerary

    August 26, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Up before 7am this morning for my workout, today of all days!! By 08:45 we were at our first stop of the day, the Godafoss waterfall. So named because in the year 1,000 when the local chieftan decided that everyone should convert to Christianity he went to the waterfall and threw all his statues of the pagan gods they followed into the water.

    From there we had a drive round lake Myvatn, a very scenic lake scattered with volcanic outcrops. Would have been more scenic if there wasn't a low mist, it wasn't drizzling and it was a bit warmer than 5 degrees, all the same still worth the drive.

    From there it was onto the Dettifoss waterfall, we mistakenly took a back road there, bloody satnav, the road was badly potholed and rutted so progress was slow until I worked out that if you go quicker you tend to float over them, well until you hit a big one with a massive clatter that is. The waterfall is Iceland's biggest and was very impressive. You could literally stand metres away from the falls and staring at the water cascading down was mesmerising, I found myself leaning forward as though it was trying to suck me in.

    Arrived in Husavik around 17:30, after what was a wet, windy and cold, but throughly enjoyable day. In the evening after dinner we went to a thermal spa, called Geosea, set on the cliffs overlooking the water and snow capped mountains beyond. It was a lovely way to end the day, well whilst in the hot water anyway, getting out to switch pools was bracing to say the least as it was 4 degrees and there was a gale blowing.

    Weather: 5 degrees, mist and rain

    Mileage: 204 miles    Read more

  • TravelerLand of Fire and Ice
    Day 6

    A Change in the Weather

    August 25, 2022 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    Five days without rain is good going in Iceland, but all good things... Today has been very wet and cold, a high of 8 degrees, which turned out to be a very good day for visiting the Herring Era museum in Siglufjordur. Not the most exciting sounding museum, but I have to say one I thoroughly enjoyed and it was all indoors! It charted the rise and fall of the the herring fishing industry from 1903 until the late 1960s when over fishing decimated fish stocks. I love industrial museums and ended up spending 2.5hrs there.

    It was a short drive today to Akureyri, helped by the fact that there were 3 long tunnels we passed through rather than going backwards and forwards along the fjords. However, two of these were of the two-way but one vehicle width variety. That's 3 I've driven now and have had priority in all of them, so oncoming traffic has had to give way. Though it still keeps you on the edge of your seat as the distant headlights get closer and closer and closer.

    Tomorrow was whale watching day which I'd booked for my birthday, however, we received an email today saying that tomorrow's trips may be cancelled on the day due to adverse weather. So rearranged it for the next day and the plan now is to do a couple of things we would have done on Saturday tomorrow instead. Lucky that we actually checked the emails.

    Ended up in a restaurant tonight that overlooked, across the water, a mountainside that is the main road into Akureyri from the east. I soon realised that 11 years ago when I spent two weeks cycling round Iceland that we had cycled down that road into the town. It reminded me of the cold, the rain, but then the jubilation of finally arriving here and the last few miles being all downhill, a warm hotel and a few shandies afterwards!

    Weather: 8 degrees, heavy rain and cold

    Mileage: 89 miles    Read more

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