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Iceland 2021

July - August 2021
Two week camper van trip around the Ring Road and the Westfjords Read more
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  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021

    Thórsmörk and Reykjavik

    August 5, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 57 °F

    We ran to Reykjavik to get our COVID tests done Wednesday morning. I had scheduled rapid antigen tests for us at 9:00 am. Fortunately, our line and wait time was very short. The PCR test line snaked out of the building and all around the health center property. 😳

    While we waited for our results, we walked around downtown Reykjavik, stopping for what we thought would be great pizza 🍕, but let’s just say we ended up eating some outstanding Pad Thai instead. 🙂 With our negative COVID test certificates emailed to us, we drove to the Hamragardar camping spot to spend our final two nights. We have a view of Seljalandsfoss waterfall ( and two others) from our van. 🙂

    Today, we went on a super jeep tour into Thórsmörk ( Thor’s Valley). Our first Mercedes super jeep overheated and broke down and our poor driver was sprayed and burned a bit by the water from the radiator. He rallied, though. After the tour company replaced the Mercedes with a couple of super jeep Fords, he gave us an amazing trip of hikes into caves, hikes across rivers and streams, and a culminating hike into a “Land Before Time” type of valley to an amazing waterfall.

    We will fly home tomorrow with memories of this breathtaking country stored away for a lifetime. ❤️    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021

    Skogafoss and Dyrhólaey

    August 3, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    We are at the tail end of our trip here in Iceland and it has definitely been a bucket list of a trip. 🙂 Today, we hiked up Dyrhólaey for the views down the black sand beaches and were surprised to find a bunch of puffins! Then we hiked up above Skógafoss along the river and next to the green hills…breathtaking! ❤️ We even zipped up to Geysir for a tiny bit. Tomorrow, we will go to Reykjavik for our scheduled COVID tests…praying we will be negative so we can board our plane on Friday 🙏. We have had an awesome time, but are getting anxious to get home. 🙂Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021

    Vik

    August 2, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    We spent time in Skaftafell National Park today hiking to Svartifoss and to the old turf house and farm at Sel. Svartifoss means black falls because the waterfall is surrounded by dark lava columns. The hexagonal basalt columns were created when lava cooled very slowly so that the molten rock could crystallize. These columns inspired the design of the National Theatre building, the Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavik and the striking church in Akureyri.

    There aren’t many waterfalls that drop of a cliff with basalt rocks looking like an church organ. 🙂

    We are staying in Vik tonight and hiked up above the church to the cemetery. I love the view of the church and town from up there…so much beauty!    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021

    Jökulsárlón

    August 1, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Today was all about the ice - Glaciers and Icebergs.

    We spent our entire day at Jökulsárlón - Glacier Lagoon. We checked out Diamond Beach first. This is where remnants of icebergs wash ashore after floating out to sea from the lagoon. The smaller ice pieces sit on the black sand and sparkle like diamonds. 💎

    We also stood along the short river watching the big pieces of iceberg break apart and float under the bridge and towards the sea. Birds circled and dove snatching up small fish every time an iceberg rolled or broke apart.

    To end our day, we took a zodiac boat tour of the lagoon, getting right up close to the glacier right after a huge chunk calved off. It was awesome floating by huge, beautiful icebergs, but also sad to learn of how fast the glacier is melting. 😞

    Highlights:
    1. Deafening roar of the ice breaking off the face of the glacier
    2. Zooming over the waves
    3. Our Zodiac guide, Teddi, who is an Elvis fan and can’t wait to visit Memphis 🙂
    4. The seals 🦭
    5. Diamond Beach sparkling ice
    6. Watching an iceberg flip and break apart
    7. The turquoise blue of the ice    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021

    Höfn

    July 31, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    Today was a driving day around the Eastfjords.

    Memories from this Day:

    1. The waterfall on our way up out of Seydisfjordur
    2. The harbor in Djupivogur
    3. The rest stop along a black sand beach with the nesting birds and the sounds of the waves 🙂
    4. The random red chair attached to a rock on the side of the road
    5. Trying to get a view of Vestrahorn mountain
    6. First sighting of the glaciers of South Iceland from the edge of the water in Höfn
    7. Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for dinner 🍽 😋😋    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021

    Seyðisfjörður

    July 30, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    So many things to see and do on our way to Seyðisfjörður!

    1. Hverir Geothermal area - cool, boiling mud pots and steam vents everywhere, but SO, SO stinky!!!
    2. Kafla Crater Hike with its gorgeous blue water
    3. Dettifoss and Selfoss waterfalls - Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe!
    4. Seeing the Perpetual Shower
    5. Driving through an area that looked like Mars
    6. The stunning drive down into Seyðisfjörður

    We are now in Seyðisfjörður for the night camped near the rainbow 🌈 road and light blue church. This town is in a stunning location and it’s picture perfect. Tomorrow, after a hike to Hengifoss, we will continue around the Eastfjords. 🙂    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021

    Mývatn

    July 29, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    Today was the day we broke out the head nets!! We spent the whole day along the shore of Lake Myvatn and the midges are plentiful! We explored the Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters and then went to the Dimmuborgir (dimmu "dark", borgir "cities" or "forts", "castles") area of unusually shaped lava fields. We thought we were only doing about a 30 minute loop, but somehow we ended up following a loop that was WAY longer.

    So… after already doing 6 miles, we still had the climb up to the top of Hverfjall crater. We hiked around the whole rim with great views of Lake Mývatn and the steam vents all around.

    We spent our evening at the Myvatn Nature Baths, soaking in the blue, mineral rich water. Alan says he feels healed of all his ailments already. 😂 Seriously, it was very relaxing and the swim up bar was a bonus. 👍🏻

    One other thing…we ran into some sheep on a trail this morning and the one sheep leading the way was SO BEYOND pregnant!! I felt bad for her, but she was zipping along like it was nothing. 😂

    Tomorrow, we will continue exploring this volcanic area and then head to the Eastfjords.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021

    Grafarkirkja, Akureyi, and Godafoss

    July 28, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    We were able to see Grafarkirkja in North Iceland today. It’s the oldest turf church in Iceland. Parts of the church date back to the 1600's, while the rest is from 1884. The black trim has an old Norse design that was carved by a well-known wood carver of the time, Guðmundur Guðmundsson. Back in the olden days, Icelanders used to live in turf houses and the churches were made of turf. Now only a handful of turf churches remain in Iceland. The wind was calm (and the midges didn't attack us) so I was able to use the drone. 🙂

    We then drove around the peninsula through Siglufjordur and into Akureyi for lunch. Akureyi is the second largest city in Iceland and it’s smaller than Olympia. 😳

    After lunch we drove to Godafoss on the Skjalfandafljot river. The name Goðafoss means either waterfall of the gods or waterfall of the 'goði' (i.e. priest/ chieftain). The reason for this is its fascinating history.

    When Iceland was first settled in the 9th and 10th Centuries, the vast majority (who were not slaves, at least) were Norwegians who followed the Old Norse religion, worshipping deities like Thor, Odin, Loki and Freya. However, after the Commonwealth was established in 930 AD, pressure to convert began to push from Christianizing Europe.

    By 1000 AD, it seemed that Norway would almost certainly invade if the country were to stand by their pagan beliefs. The issue was thus discussed at Þingvellir, where the parliament met once a year. The lawspeaker at the time, the Ásatrú priest (or goði) Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, was given the responsibility to make the decision.

    It is said he lay under a fur blanket for a day and a night in silence, praying to his Old Gods for the right decision. Eventually, he emerged and said, for the good of the people, Christianity would be the official religion, but pagans could practice in private. To symbolize his decision, he returned to his home in north Iceland and threw idols of the Old Gods into a beautiful waterfall. Since then, it would be known as Goðafoss.

    We are camped 10 minutes away from Godafoss in Laugar. Tomorrow, we head to the Mývatn.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021

    Hvammstangi

    July 27, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F

    We had a five hour drive from Isafjordur all along the fjords to Hvammstangi today. We were blessed with sunshine as we weaved our way along the water and had magnificent views of the mountains nearby and far off in the distance. I attempted to use the drone since the wind was calm but we were attacked by midges. We’ve decided the wind is a good thing if it keeps those pesky bugs away. 🙂 Maybe drone footage won’t happen this trip, we’ll see.

    We stopped at a small turf roofed house called the Litlibær Café and had yummy grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. Adorning the wooden walls inside are pictures of families past who used to live in the turf house. Some of the people represented on the photos are the ancestors of the family who currently own the house.

    Today was all about the drive…admiring the cascading waterfalls through gorges, dodging the sheep along the roads and stopping to get close ups of some Icelandic horses.

    We are camped in Hvammstangi, which is the seal capital of iceland (maybe tomorrow we will see some). Near our campsite is the Kirkjuhvammur church. Kirkjuhvammur was an assembly place in 1406 and a place of farming. Farming stopped here in the 1940’s, but the 1882 church is still standing.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021

    Isafjordur

    July 26, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    We left Breidavik just after 6 am and ventured back over the dirt and gravel roads for a bit, then had a short reprieve before going up and over a pass from Flokalundur to Dynjandi. It was a very rough section at first that had us spinning our tires in a few spots (and maybe a few choice words were said😂) but then improved as we crossed over a landscape that I can’t even describe. Waterfalls were everywhere in all directions and snow patches on the mountains and hills. HUGE fjords would come into view and then we entered the Dynjandi area at the end of a fjord called Arnarfjordur. Seeing Dynjandi in person is impressive! It cascades some 320 feet, looking exactly like a beautiful bridal veil. On top, it’s about 100 feet wide and widens up to almost 200 feet at the bottom.

    There are 6 other waterfalls below, which we passed on our climb up to the base of Dynjandi. Alan walked back down and took a picture of me and I look SO, SO tiny in comparison. The best thing about this experience was we were only 2 of 4 people there!!! As we were leaving, more cars showed up as well as a few tour busses from a cruise ship.

    Other highlights:
    1. The Simbahöllin cafe for amazing late breakfast of Belgian waffles with rhubarb jam
    2. The 🌈 that appeared over the fjord while visiting Dynjandi
    3. The old fishing village called Osvor in Bolungarvik
    4. The three crazy tunnels through mountains (all being 4-5 k long) and one being a one lane road 😳)
    5. Bakery for lunch in Isafjordur
    6. 3D crosswalk in town
    7. Absolutely amazing fish buffet dinner at a restaurant called Tjöruhúsið.    Read more

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