‘I’ve been to a lot of countries. This is the most spectacular scenery I’ve ever seen.’ JR, Day 4 of Iceland trip.
Landing in the Capital
As we descended into Reykjavik, the wind buffeted the plane so much I wondered if we’d be routed back to Oslo. JR peered down into the North Atlantic Ocean and saw what he thought were huge icebergs floating around. Closer study revealed they were huge whitecaps. (Post Script – met a guy from of all places, Greymouth. He landed a week after us on a very calm day and proved to me, with photographic evidence, that they were indeed icebergs.) Anyway, it was very windy! But all in a day’s work for the Icelandair crew who landed without drama.
First Impressions
I thought the terrain looked a bit like brain matter with moss and tussock growing in the crevices but apparently most people think it looks like the moon. So much so they sent Neil Armstrong and crew mates here for training before the moon landing. There were lava fields as far as the eye could see and it made for a cool ‘Welcome to Iceland’.
As we got close to downtown Reykjavik there was a tranquil lake that locals call ‘The Pond’. I was struck by the pretty, coloured houses, many which were clad in painted corrugated iron and the historic buildings around the edge. The driver told us that in 2009 an annual horse race took place on the frozen pond but the ice cracked and 20 horses and riders fell through. They were saved and warmed with heat lamps but that was the end of the horse race. The driver also pointed out the house where in 1986 Reagan and Gorbachev met for a summit aimed at reducing nuclear weapons. The talks broke down at the last minute but ultimately led to agreement the following year and are viewed, by the Icelanders anyway, as a significant step in ending the Cold War. The driver also told us a joke…prompted by our observation that there weren’t many trees in Iceland. The joke: What does an Icelander do if they get lost in the forest? They stand up. 😉 Forty percent of the country had been extensively forested at one stage but the Vikings and sheep grazing have been credited with their destruction. Ironically the lack of trees contribute to the big sky and open, panoramic vistas.
Plump as Prunes
That evening we did one of the instagram-famed hot pool experiences – the Sky Lagoon. I’d booked it in advance to force us to go out and avoid falling asleep too early. The geo-thermal lagoon had a sheltered entrance, but we soon found ourselves outside where the lagoon was unprotected and an infinity side dropped to the exposed harbour. The North Atlantic wind was at the ready with a free chilling facial scrub. It was a bizarre experience to have most the body toasty warm while the head and shoulders were almost numb with cold. We did the seven step ritual, a cycle of different soaking/sauna/scrubbing/salt experiences and for the completely crazy, a ‘cold plunge’. It was wonderful and with the aid of an Aperol Spritz from the swim up (or shiver up) bar we were plump, relaxed and very sleepy prunes by the time our heads hit the pillows that night.
The Plan
At a pip over 100,000 km2 Iceland is the 18th largest island in the world (smaller than NZ’s South Island which is 12th largest, larger than Tasmania which is 26th). We’d decided to spend 10 days driving around the Ring Road that circles the island. There is much debate on the socials about the best direction of travel. We were advised counter clockwise – easier to access the pull off zones and possibly offering a better balance of weather. The downside being that the busiest part of the drive is in the first few days so it could be wiser to do this at the end when you are over jet lag and have adjusted to the local ways including 24 hour sunshine, driving on the other side of the road etc.
At a minimum, we realised, we should have allowed an additional buffer day in Reykjavik to adjust. But being gluttons for punishment we collected the rental car with 7110 kms on the clock and headed off for the infamous Golden Circle and its many attractions.
The Golden Circle
When we opened the car doors at the first viewing spot, the wind wrenched the doors out of our hands. We had to really battle to get them closed again. I expect many rental cars sustain their first bit of damage here. Weather warnings were cautioning care and we’d heard some travellers had come to grief the previous evening. We were resigned to thinking the wind must be just how it was (and why the hell would anyone live here).
The Golden Circle is a collection of stunning National Parks, lagoons, geysers, craters, canyons, waterfalls, lava formations and other natural sites and sights. Most of them have long, difficult to read names. In summary, the landscape was mind blowing, other worldly, raw, powerful. Neither words nor photos do it justice. We were gob smacked at the scenery and excited as we realised this was going to be a REALLY great trip.
And it wasn’t all geography and volcanology. Additionally we had icecream-ology, enjoying some home made icecream (chocolate and licorice) at a dairy farm that has been in the same Icelandic family since the 1600s. And tomato-ology visiting the most northern tomato farm where we enjoyed a beautiful home-grown tomato and prawn soup in a wine bar in a huge, old, converted glasshouse. JR was intending to have the tomato beer but fortunately thought to check the blood alcohol driving limit – 0.02 and very severe penalties. I immediately offered to drive, confident my offer would be declined as it was so I enjoyed a glass of Pinot Grigio with my soup and JR is still wondering what tomato beer might taste like.
Key attractions visited:
Thingvellir National Park – We had a long stroll around the park despite the wind. Easy walking. The Park was an ancient assembly site from 10th to 18th Century, the focus of celebrations in 1944 when Iceland gained independence from Denmark and is where the continental rift splits the North American and Eurasian continents (we enjoyed watching snorkellers floating down the very clear water of the rift.)
Waterfalls – Gullfoss which is unique for having 2 tiers is a 32m drop, Bruarfoss which is known for being very blue is a 2 to 3 m drop (sadly a foreign tourist in her forties drowned here the day after we visited. Lots of signs cautioning the risk and probably all for a photo but very sad and sobering.)
Geysers – Geysir (dormant), Strokkur (erupts every 10 minutes)
Other – Fridheimar Tomato Farm & Wine Bar, Efsti-dalur Dairy Farm for homemade icecream
Overnight – Selfoss
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