One More Day

Today is our last day in Iceland. We had dinner with a friend last night; I was too tired to write when we got back to the hotel, so here's the recap of Saturday.

We thought about taking a six-hour drive to a national park on a western peninsula, and decided that was too much, so we headed for Reykjavik and figured we'd find something to do on the way or in town after we arrived. We got a late-ish start after hunting down breakfast -we spent Friday night in a cozy cabin, not a hotel - and headed toward Reykjavik, planning a stop at (of course) a waterfall along the way. It was actually above 0 C!

David pulled off to look at something geological and I stayed in the car - until he pointed out a waterfall I hadn't noticed. Frozen waterfalls are still gorgeous.

Frozen in mid-waterfall

Iceland has a lot of signs at viewpoints along the road that tell you what you're looking at and what else is in the vicinity. David spotted a cinder cone and a marker, so we pulled off, and realized there was a hiking trail up the cone. We put on our hats and gloves and headed up.

There were stairs most of the way up. This is at the crater.

We climbed the larger cone and looked down at the smaller one.

Iceland: Where the views don't suck.

It was a bit slippery going down, because there was snow and ice between the sets of stairs. We made it safely to the bottom and back to the car. Next stop: a waterfall!

Hraunfossar is different from the other waterfalls we've seen. It flows out of lava rocks rather than over them. 

The color of the water- just gorgeous.

I also love the sound of a waterfall.

Barnafoss is just up the trail. I thought it was going to be smaller, since"Barnafoss" means "Children's Waterfall." Nope.  

There's a gruesome story about drowning that account for the name.

We ate lunch at the café near the falls and drove on to Reykjavik, where we checked in to the hotel, took a soak in the hot tub, and put our feet up for a bit before heading out to dinner with friends who happened to be in Iceland at the same time. 

Now it's Sunday morning. I'm going horseback riding and David will explore the city, and then we'll have to face the fact that it's time to go home. We have a whole list of things to do on our next trip to Iceland - sometime in the summer (not this summer. Some other year). I guess if I wanted to go home, it would mean the trip was too long, so this one must be just right. I hate to see it end.

Random Thoughts on Travel

We've come a long way - literally and figuratively - from our first trip together. In August of 1982 we drove from New York to California before we started grad school (him) and med school (me). We learned a lot about each other on that trip, starting with how long a day was going to be. David was determined to log as many miles as possible on travel days. I thought we should stop before dinner and relax in the evening. Since I'm writing this at 5:00 PM and we're about to go soak in the hot tub before we shower and change for dinner, you can see how that one worked out - eventually.

It's important to find the right rhythm when you're traveling with someone else. How many planned stops? How much extra time for the drive to allow for impromptu side trips? Souvenir shopping? Other kinds of shopping? Picnic by the roadside or lunch indoors? Sleep late? Set an alarm? It requires a lot of negotiation. Nearly 40 years on, we have a basic schedule we like - we plan a few things, and always leave room for sudden discoveries. We didn't plan either of today's stops ahead of time, unless you count 11:00 last night, when I found the waterfall we went to see. The other stop was "oh, look, that's interesting."

It feels odd to me to put on hiking boots and hiking pants to basically climb a staircase. Iceland has a lot of infrastructure in their parks and national recreation areas (or their equivalent thereof). There are stairs, boardwalks, arrows, informational signs, and ropes to keep you on the trail. Given the number of tourists we saw and knowing it's not anywhere near peak, I understand why. It still feels odd to climb up a wooden staircase when I'm dressed for the wilderness.

See what I mean? There was also some actual hiking.

English is the lingua franca in Iceland, which makes it very easy for us, but does make me feel a bit like the ugly American who expects every to speak my language. Yesterday at lunch we sat next to a couple who must have been on their first date. She was German, he was Icelandic, and we knew it was a first date because they were speaking English. The guide for our ice cave tour was Australian and the marine biologist on the whale cruise yesterday was from the UK.

I'm trying to live in the moment but I can't help thinking about the next trip. We want to come back to Iceland in the summer, and there are so many other places to go....

A Whale of a Day

First, here are some more photos of last night's aurora. The shots I posted last night were not as well-focused, and my photographer is picky.

The colors aren't all visible with the naked eye. David tells me this has something to do with the long exposure on the camera. A bit of research adds the info that the cones in our retina, which see color, require higher light levels than the rods, which see black-and-white, and so our night vision tends to be lacking some color. The camera - especially modern digital SLRs - has a much greater ability to capture light with a long exposure. It was still spectacular to watch in person, and I'm glad we have the photos as well. This is why we came to Iceland in winter.

I kept reminded myself of that when we left the hotel this morning. We had a brilliant aurora last night because it was crystal clear - no clouds. Clear weather in winter is colder weather. The car thermometer told us it was -20 C when we headed out today. We found our way to (yes) another waterfall and had a short hike in from the road. A short, COLD hike. It was worth it.

Godafoss - the waterfall of the gods

We had no other specific plans for the day except to head west toward tonight's lodgings. We stopped in Aukreyri for lunch. Aukreyri is the largest town we've seen since we left Reykjavik - they had stop lights!

Side note: Iceland stop lights and road signs are kinder than those in the US. The stop lights in Aukreyri were changed after the 2008 financial crash to make the world a happier place.

They also have the same kind of speed monitoring signs we have the US, with one difference: if you're under the limit, you get a thumbs-up or a happy face. When you leave the city limits, you see this:

When you arrive in town, you see the same thing without the red line

They also have electronic signs that tell you the weather conditions up ahead. Very handy when driving through unpopulated mountain areas.

So back to Aukreyri. We found a parking spot and figured out what they meant when they said "clocks for parking are available in banks and gas stations." Parking is free and limited to two hours. At the bank, David picked up a cardboard clock, which we set with the time we parked and left on the dashboard.

We had delicious mussels in an Asian-flavored broth for lunch (mmm) and looked out over the harbor while we ate. We noticed the whale-watching boat, and checked their website to learn that yes, there is whale-watching in winter. So we headed over there and bought tickets for a three-hour tour after I retrieved the scopolamine patch from my suitcase. You never know when you might need it.

They can't guarantee whales, of course. We got lucky - again. This gorgeous creature was feeding in the fjord and we watched him? her? for nearly an hour. David took pictures. I just watched in awe.

Humpback whale heading down for a dive.

We could hear the whale breathing.

Rolling around, just for fun.

And a waterfall on shore for good measure.

I took advantage of the insulated overalls they carry on board. That went over my leggings, turtleneck, hiking pants, rain pants, sweater, scarf, and parka. It's a wonder I could move. I also bought hand heaters for my gloves and I was toasty - except for my feet, even though I had wool socks and silk sock liners inside my boots. It was totally worth it.

We defrosted in the car on the way to our lodgings in a cabin on the hillside in Hvammstangi. Here's the view from the living room window.

David suggests that Iceland's tourist slogan should be "views that never suck."

We had yet another delicious meal with (of course) delectable homemade bread. Local lobster (tempura for David, soup for me) and lamb steak (David).

Tomorrow we head back to Reykjavik via (of course) a waterfall and whatever else catches our fancy along the way.

Aurora Borealis

photo credit: David Smith

In Which We Are Reminded That It Is Winter

Notice the snow.

We tried to see waterfalls today. We tried to see two. One was just outside the town where we spent the night. It was billed as a 30 minute walk from the parking lot. We made it about ten minutes - maybe - through the snow before we decided this wasn't a good idea. The trail wasn't cleared, it was steep and icy, and we didn't have crampons.

We decided to try for the next waterfall - about a one-hour detour - and found the roads closed on both sides. We added both of them to our list for "Iceland in the summer." That list also includes a Zodiac tour of the ice lagoon, and a trip to the interior volcanic area which is inaccessible in winter. We're clearly coming back.

Stymied in our waterfall hunt, we continued to the north. Our next stop was Hevrir, a geothermal area. That means the groundwater is heated by the underlying hot rocks and forced up through the surface. That means there is sulfurous smoke and bubbling water - and mud. 

Be glad we don't have Smell-O-Vision

This is what it sounded like.

And this is a mud pot.

We walked around there until we'd had our fill of sulfur, and then drove on to Myrvatn where we found our hotel, checked in, and headed out for lunch. We found a farm-to-table restaurant that brings the table to the farm - we were looking out at their fields as we ate their lamb. That was the best lunch we've had - and they had decaf espresso! 

Fortified by lunch, we headed out to Dimmuborgir. I'm amazed at the number of different-looking rocks we've seen. It's all the same rock - it's all basalt from volcanic activity - but there's a lot of variation in appearance depending on the type of volcanic activity and the speed at which it occurred (I'm paraphrasing. If you want details, ask David). Dimmuborgir contains the remains of a lot of lava tubes. 

The opening in the top is an old lava tube.

We walked about two miles through the snow. We were rewarded with sights like this.

Not surprisingly, this is called The Church.

 It was even more interesting up close.

Those are drips of lava. Seriously.

I was all for turning back, but David suggested we walk through the space instead.

I was dubious.

It was worth it. This is what we found.

Two generations of lava tubes. When the first one cooled, a crust developed and the next one formed on top.

We then climbed up the other side and walked back to the car. After that, we deserved some relaxation, so we went to the Myrvatn Nature Baths and soaked in the warm (albeit sulfurous) water for a while before heading back to the hotel for a shower, drinks, and dinner. 

The remains of the day.

The day started out cloudy, but you can see from the picture above that it ended clear. Fingers crossed; we're signed up for the hotel's aurora wake-up call. We did see the Northern Lights on Tuesday night - a faint glow just above the horizon, too brief for pictures - and we're greedy enough to want more. No disappointment if that doesn't happen, though. This is still one of the best vacations ever.

And So It Begins

It's 8:45 PM on Sunday in Iceland, which means it's 3:45 PM at home, which means we left for the airport 24 hours ago. I've probably slept a total of three hours since then - not consecutively and mostly not in a bed. It was still a great day.

We stopped in Reykjavik on the way to Paris a few years ago, and the airport was just as I remembered it - reminiscent of an IKEA store. Clean lines, lots of wood, and chocolate for sale. We retrieved our luggage (eventually) and got a rental car (eventually) and headed into the city for breakfast.

Reykjavik is about 45 minutes from the airport. Our glimpse of the city was breathtaking: mountains and ocean, modern architecture and simple old structures, glossy office buildings and small churches. We found a cozy café for breakfast and then headed for Þingvellir, about 45 minutes away from Reykjavik.

The Anglicized name of the national park is Thingvellir. The park contains a large lake created by the mid-Atlantic rift zone, where the Eurasia and North American tectonic plates are separating from each other. Iceland exists because of the volcanoes created by the rift zone. The Althing, Iceland's Parliament, was founded here as a meeting of chieftains in 930 CE, making it the oldest existing governmental body in the world.

This was a great place to start our trip. The visitor's center has a high-tech display that explains the history of the country and the geology of the region, all of which was new to me. David knows the geology, of course, but he enjoyed the exhibits anyway. We ate lunch in the visitor's center and I had my first experience of Icelandic yogurt. Yum. After lunch, we spent the afternoon hiking around the park.

In his natural habitat

Panorama of the area near the Visitor's Center

Rift valley with mountains in the distance

You will see a lot of waterfalls this week.

We finally tore ourselves away and drove another 40 minutes to our hotel. We're staying in a different place every night and the others will have a hard time living up to the Ion Adventure Hotel. The Ion sits on the flank of the rift zone, right next to a geothermal plant that takes advantage of the hot springs. It's a small hotel - only two floors of rooms - and again everything is clean and fresh with lots of wood and stone and Scandinavian design. We checked in and took our complementary glasses of sparkling wine down to our room. Given the effects of the wine, the travel, and the lack of sleep, the next order of business was a nap. The king bed is made up with two twin-sized down comforters laid crosswise over a bottom sheet with one additional blanket. Interesting. Also comfortable.

We roused ourselves and went downstairs to the hot tub (also taking advantage of the local hot springs) and had a nice soak. We started our evening in the bar for cocktails, which we sipped while we gazed at the mountains through the walls of glass. We took the drinks with us to the restaurant for dinner, also within view of the mountains. We shared an appetizer plate that included smoked trout mousse, chicken liver paté, olives, and flatbread with a red pepper dip. Yum. David had arctic char for dinner that was perfectly cooked, and I had an appetizer-sized portion of glazed pork belly. Also yum. We lingered over herbal tea. It was a the perfect end to our first day.

I am tired - the very good kind of tired that comes from a lot of physical exertion and great contentment. It's time for bed. Tomorrow: more hiking! More waterfalls! More food! If you don't like waterfalls, you may not want to read the rest of my entries.