Iceland
They call it the Icelandic Stopover, because so many people stop for a few days on Iceland on the way to their European destinations. Well I was no different. Heading to Barcelona in February for a conference , I planned to meet a friend to explore Iceland for a few days.
I have wanted to see Iceland for years and that desire was made stronger by the amazing views in the movie “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”
The only issue, was that my friend’s travel plans fell through and I had to decide whether or carry on, on my own.
I started to research it and thought , why not? It will be an adventure!
Not to mention it gave me a few days to get close to the right time zone.
I couldn’t be happier that I went! Iceland is so beautiful... it’s an amazing place, so different than any place I’ve been. Almost felt like a different planet to me.
I signed up for a few Viatours. I used to look down on organized tours but at the right time and place they can be both relaxing and informative! Not to mention when you are jet lagged it’s not a bad thing to be driven around.
Reykjavik
I ended up getting some time back in my first day, because the weather was too foggy and overcast to see the Northern Lights. When that tour cancelled I decided to walk around Reykjavik and take a look.
In Reykjavik, I stayed at the Storm Hotel by Keahotels. Side note great location, great service and located next to bus stops where the tours pick up. I walked everywhere I wanted to go.
The first thing I noticed was the ocean with snow covered mountains in sight. Being from California this is not a common sight and I found it to be beautiful .
I did quick search and found That Hallgrimskirkja Church was worth seeing. It was a nice walk and I really liked the cathedral’s unique design. Inside I was very impressed by the giant organ and enjoyed hearing it played during my brief visit. I also found the way up to the top of the church tower which was 73m high.
The view of the city from the top was very pretty and worth seeing.
On my way out I walked by a very trendy small bar and restaurant with a cozy loft area called ROK and stopped for a delicious Irish Coffee which warmed me up!
Finished my walk wandering down the city’s main shopping street, Laugavegur, found a nice noodle bar and walked back to my hotel to get some sleep.
The next night after my outing, I found a spot for dinner near my hotel that was an old bus station turned to a Food Hall with a group restaurants and bars in a cool setting with good food! and bars. It is called Hlemmur Matholl. I recommend checking it out on your visit to Reykjavik!
Blue Lagoon
My first stop on Day One was to see the Blue Lagoon near the Reykjavik airport.
The Blue Lagoon is a geothermalspa in southwestern Iceland. The spa is located in a lava field near Grindavíkon the Reykjanes Peninsula,
It’s one the most popular tourist spots in Iceland.
The lagoon itself was spectacular! The aqua color of the water in contrast with the black rocks was so serene. It was an overcast drizzly day. Steam came off the top of the water.
Well a few things about this place. It’s very popular. If you want a chance to go in the water; make a reservation, in advance if possible. And then be ready to wait in long lines to get checked in and get your robes.
If any of you have seen the movie “Defending Your Life” with Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep, you will get that this place felt just like Judgement City!
I avoided that step and although I hear it’s amazing to bathe in the blue mineral waters, I did enjoy a lovely walk around the lagoon and a delicious lunch in the very cool Lava restaurant with a cave like decor overlooking the lagoon.
Skogafoss Waterfall
The second day I woke up early to head out on an all day tour of Southern Iceland. With such a short Visit I had debated between this tour and the Golden Circle tour which is one the most popular for tourists.
My photographer friend highly recommended the southern tour because of the beautiful waterfalls.
I was so happy with this experience.
The tour bus was large and comfortable and I’m not gonna lie, I snuck a few naps in, between the stops.
The tour I took was on Viatours.com
The guide and driver were professional and informative but not over the top.
It was a rainy cold day but I loved seeing this new and foreign country and terrain as we headed south.
First stop was Skogafoss Waterfall. One of the largest waterfalls in Iceland. It was breathtaking. You have enough time to hike up the stairs to the top and see the rivers feeding into the falls and the drop off, and then to come down and walk on icy ground to get extremely close to the cascading waters dropping 60 meters.
We also stopped at an incredible black sand beach called Reynisfjara near a town called Vik.
There was a beautiful cave right on the water and the most amazing rock formations, called Basalt Stacks.
Iceland is a minefield of explosive energy, and because of this beautiful shapes and patterns are formed across the landscape.
As basaltic lava cools over an extended period of time, beautiful geometric forms emerge; incredible columns of hexagonal basalt rock.
Mýrdalshreppur glacier.
From there we went to the Mýrdalshreppur glacier. Wow! Didn’t have time to get all the way to it, but what a sight. The views of the water and the glacier from a distance walking there was incredible .
Seljalandsfoss Waterfalls
The last stop of the trip was Seljalandsfoss waterfalls. In some way this was the highlight of the whole trip. It was getting more rainy and weathery and the evening was coming soon. We were told that although in the summer you could walk behind these falls, it wasn’t allowed during this weather or time of year. As I walked closer to the falls there was a staircase to the right. The wind was blowing the water onto the stairs and my first thought was to avoid it, it may be slippery or dangerous. But I looked ahead and saw small children heading up with their parents And figured I should go for it. I ended up going behind the falls and it was exhilarating! It was cold and windy and I was soaked but I loved every minute! I think looking back, the fact that I pushed past feeling afraid made it so much more special to me!
