Iceland

What a trip.  Kara and I were fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to Iceland with her family this past January.  It had been a while since either of us had been out of the country, and we were thrilled at this truly unique opportunity.

The concept of this trip all came from Jeri, who wanted to celebrate her 60th birthday by going somewhere with her family.  She didn't have a location in mind, but really wanted to go somewhere where she could see the Northern Lights.  As we started researching, we looked at many locations (including Alaska, northern Canada, Sweden, Norway, and others), but Iceland continued to drift to the top of the list.  It was extremely reasonable travel (both cost and time...check out WOW airlines), and offered amazing sights, incredible landscape, and a totally new culture to experience.  Sign me up!  Because we had never been to Iceland, we did a semi-guided tour from Nordic Visitor, which turned out to be fantastic - can't recommend them enough.

After buying some layers to keep us warm, our trip started on Tuesday January 19th. We handed the boys off to Grandma and drove up to O'Hare to catch a plane.  Jeri and Evan were with us, and Joe and Hannah left the week before to check out some other parts of Europe before meeting us in Iceland.  Our flight left at 5pm CST, and was nonstop to Reykjavik.  After a 6 hour flight, we landed at 5am local time, meaning the only sleep we got was a couple hours on the plane.

Day 1:  Downtown Reykjavik and the Blue Lagoon

A car service was waiting for us at the airport, and took us to our hotel in downtown Reykjavik (about an hour from the airport).  Our hotel in Reykjavik was the Skuggi Hotel, and it was a great hotel in a great location.  Because it was so early in the morning, our rooms weren't ready for us, so we dropped our bags off and spent a good portion of the day walking around Reykjavik and exploring the city.

Coastline in downtown Reykjavik.  Amazing scenery was just everywhere.

In front of the Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral, a Lutheran parish church in downtown Reykjavik.

Early afternoon, we went back to the hotel, got our rooms, and headed to the bus stop to hitch a ride to the Blue Lagoon.  The lagoon is one of Iceland's most famous attractions, and is located in the middle of a lava field between the airport and Reykjavik.  Essentially it's a mineral-rich water pool that formed as a result of a neighboring geothermal power plant.  The water is milky blue and naturally the temperature of a hot tub.

We spent a few spectacular hours in the lagoon.  There were underwater benches to sit on and a walk up bar that didn't even require you to get out of the water.  In addition, they had silica face masks to exfoliate your skin and help you relax.  The place was amazing.

Quick random note - as we gathered our things to leave the Lagoon, there was a person there who passed out and hit their head on a hard table.  Nurse Kara spent over an hour treating the patient and helping the staff until the ambulance got there.  So proud of her, once again.

Day 2:  Super Jeeps and Volcano Huts

Thursday Morning we got picked up early and traveled about an hour outside of Reykjavik, where where we pulled into a gas station and transferred to a massive 4x4 van that they call a "Super Jeep".  In this monster, we turned off the highway onto a small road in a state park, and eventually, the road just ended.  We continued to drive, testing the might of the 4x4 as we crept our way across the rough terrain that surrounds the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano.

Eyjafjallajökull, which is a ridiculous word that nobody can pronounce, sits underneath a glacier, and was dormant for 200 years before erupting in 2010.  When it erupted, the glacier turned the lava to ash.  The mountain spewed 600 tons of ash a second, according to our guide.  So much that it shut down European flights for a period of time because the visibility all over Europe was so poor.  Crazy.

As we drove around the lava fields at the base of the volcano, we literally crushed frozen rivers and drove through some of the most incredible terrain I've ever seen a vehicle traverse.  I had the opportunity to sit in the front seat for this part of the trip, and I was like a kid in a candy store.  It was amazing what this vehicle could do - there were times when the water came halfway up the doors of the van. 

Before we headed directly to the Volcano Huts, we stopped at an area called the Gígjökull glacier tongue.  This was an area that was carved out by the massive floods that resulted when the 2010 eruption melted the glacier.  We went for a brief hike across somewhat dangerous terrain to see the glacier up close.

A portion of the glacier - you can see the crystal blue ice in the middle of the picture.

After that, we got back into the 4x4 and headed to The Volcano Huts at Þórsmörk.  The place was incredible.  Small but cozy cabins surrounded by mountains, glaciers, and volcanoes on 3 sides.  No sign of human life for as far as you could see in every direction.  It was  the most serene place I've ever seen.

The Volcano Huts at the foot of a mountain.

A view of the Volcano Huts from Joe's Drone

The inside of the eating area at the Volcano Huts.  

We got settled in our cabin, met the staff of the huts, and had lunch.  After that, it was off for a hike.  We picked a short hike to start with because we were running out of daylight.  (After all, there's only five or six hours of sunlight in the winter in Iceland).  We hiked along a ridge and up a mountain to the top of Markarfljót Canyon, which offered spectacular views of the bustling river below, as well as the canyon that stretched endlessly in both directions.

The view from the top of Markarfljót Canyon.  You can see the small cabins we stayed in on the left edge of the picture.

That evening, we had a traditional Icelandic dinner, and settled in for the night.  We hung out in the dining area with the staff, asking questions about Iceland and also became familiarized with Brennavin.  (Brennavin is to Iceland as Vodka is to Russia.)  We also crossed our fingers that we'd be lucky enough to see the northern lights.  Because it's a natural phenomenon, you never know when they are going to come out - some people go to Iceland and don't see them at all.  For most of the evening, it looked like the Northern Lights would be a no show, but suddenly about 10pm, we checked the Aurora Borealis website one last time and the forecast had updated to perfect conditions.  We were ecstatic - we grabbed our cameras and rushed outside. 

Setting the northern lights aside, the sky was spectacular.  There were millions of stars, and we spent a great deal of time finding different constellations.  I can't even explain how it felt to be totally surrounded by stars.  While we were out, the northern lights also peeked their head out, and we got a quick glimpse.  The streak of brilliant green light was really cool to see, and we were happy with that.

We went inside, warmed up, and polished off the last of my whiskey flask (for warmth of course), and began chatting.  Late that night, Jeri happened to look out the window and noticed that the Northern Lights were back, and they were back in all of their glory.  She grabbed us right away, and I'm so glad she did.  This second viewing was ten times what the first one was - gone was the single streak, and in it's place was a dynamically shifting, dancing light show that filled the sky with bright green light.  It was completely surreal.  The power and beauty and expansiveness of the universe really took your breath away.

Standing there in the middle of Iceland, totally separated from civilization, and seeing one of God's most unbelievable creations was something that I'll never forget. 

This picture does not do it justice - trust me.  

Day 3:  Hiking to the Top and The Return to Reykjavik

Friday morning we woke up and had breakfast, and then headed out for a day of hiking.  Our first hike was to Sönghellir Cave, where we saw a beautiful glacier formed from dripping water.

After that, the guys on the trip decided to go for broke and hike to the top of the Valahnúkur mountain.  This was an extremely challenging and extremely fun hike.  The path traversed difficult inclines and steep runs of wood stairs that were built into the side of the mountain.  In addition, because it was winter, everything was covered in about a foot of snow, which not only made everything slow going, but also taught us a lesson in the importance of having the right footwear when climbing a mountain :) However, I'm so glad we did it - we successfully conquered it and the views from the top were spectacular.  After celebrating our accomplishment and walking around the top of the mountain for a while, we headed back down, opting to speed up our progress by sliding most of the way down the mountain on our backsides.  So much fun.

That night, we were forced to pack up and head away from the Volcano huts. I think we all could have stayed for another month.  On the way back to normal roads, we stopped at Seljalandsfoss waterfall which was yet another spectacular viewing opportunity.  We went for a walk there before jumping back into the 4x4 and heading back to Reykjavik.  That night was low key as the time change had started to catch up to all of us.   We had a nice dinner out in downtown Reykjavik before heading back to the Skuggi hotel and getting some desperately-needed sleep.

Day 4:  The Golden Circle and Horse Steak

Saturday was the only day we had designated for a guided tour.  The tour went in a loop they call the Golden Circle, and while I was a bit apprehensive about being shepherded around all day by a tour guide, it ended up being a fascinating day.  

We hopped in a bus early that morning with about ten other people, as well as an extremely knowledgeable tour guide.  Our first stop was a local coffee shop to help us wake up for the day, and then we were off to the Gulfoss Waterfall.  One of Iceland's main tourist attractions, the three-tier waterfall is really a sight to see.  This day it was pretty cold and windy, so after taking in the sights, we hit up the gift shop, where more coffee was required to warm up.   

After the waterfalls, we hopped back on the bus and took a short trip to the geothermal area of Haukadalur, where we got to see the Great Geysir erupt.  It goes off every 8 minutes, so we got to watch it shoot up in the air three or four times.  We also had lunch at Geysir Center, and relaxed a bit before heading off to our next stop.

After the Geysir, we headed to the last stop, but before we got there, our tour guide suddenly pulled off to the side of the road and let us get out and pet some Icelandic horses.  The horses there are stocky, short, and look a lot like our ponies (as they are conditioned for the difficult weather).

Do not call them ponies.  The locals do not like that.  :)

The Icelandic Horse.  This turned out to be a bit of
foreshadowing for Evan and I....

The final tour stop for the day was Þingvellir National Park.  This was the stop I was least excited about and it ended up being my favorite.  The park is located in the continental drift between the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates.  The rift valley between the two plates has high volcanic activity, frequent earthquakes, crystal clear water lakes.  In addition, you can clearly see the cracks and faults in the region, some going extremely deep.

However, that's not why it's a national park.  Because of way plates separated, it created a sort of natural amphitheater.  Early Icelanders figured out that you can stand in one particular place in the valley and be heard by thousands, as your voice echoes off the walls of the tectonic plate.  Because of this, they established this as the location to hold Parliament.  Every year from 930AD to the late 1700's, they held assemblies and important government events at this location.   In addition to being the central area for government activities, it also became a cultural epicenter, where thousands flocked each year for celebrations, trading, games, and feasts.

This is the walk path up to the top of the Eurasian tectonic plate.  The plate itself
is on the left side of the picture.

We hiked up to the top of the tectonic plate and enjoyed the views over the nearby lake, and then ultimately boarded the bus to return to Reykjavik. 

Standing atop the Eurasian Tectonic plate, overlooking the rift. 
The parliament location was halfway down the wall behind us. 

The view from the top of the tectonic plate.  Spectacular.

That was the conclusion of our Golden Circle tour.  It was a full day (eight hours), but it was a lot of fun, and we got to see a lot of interesting things.  We headed back to Reykjavik that night to our beloved Skuggi Hotel and started making plans for dinner.

Ultimately, at the request of Evan and I, we decided to try an authentic Icelandic place that had all kinds of food we'd never tried.  The place was called 3 Frakkar, and it was outside of the city center and not in a touristy location at all.  Check out some pictures below for some of the unique food we tried.

For an appetizer, Smoked Puffin.  A bit gamey but delicious.

Another appetizer, Whale sashimi.   This was fantastic

My main course - Horse Steak, medium rare.  Just as
tender as beef with a slightly different taste.

Evan's main course - wild sea bird breasts, cooked medium rare

The restaurant of course has less unique dishes as well - lots of fish options, lamb, etc.  We had a great dinner there and really enjoyed ourselves.  After that we headed back to the hotel, packed up, and went to bed early to get ready for a long day of travel the next day.

Well, some of us did.  I was actually laying in bed, but a sudden change of heart convinced me that it was Saturday night in Reykjavik and I may never be back.  I decided I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see the city night life.  In addition, this was the perfect opportunity to get one of Iceland's infamous street vendor hot dogs.  Joe and Hannah had a really early flight, and Kara was tired on account of being pregnant, but Evan was in.  We threw on all of our layers and headed back out into the cold.  When in Rome.....

We ended up having a fantastic time.  Reykjavik night life is indeed a lot of fun.  Our first beer was at the Chuck Norris-themed bar that was clearly mocking us as Americans.  (But the joke's on us, because we still spent money there...)  The next place had an open rooftop balcony that was packed.  No matter that it was 20 degrees out and snowing.  (We had a big laugh about redefining the term "room temperature" beer.)  We also hit up a night club for just long enough to confirm that we are too old for Icelandic night clubs also.

Drinking Icelandic milk stouts in a bar that had Chuck
Norris sayings posted all over every surface.

Enjoying the rooftop patio.  I'm wearing 4 layers. 

Finally, after bar hopping our way down the main street in Reykjavik, called Laugavegur, we ended up at the holy grail:  The hot dog street vendor.  I am not exaggerating when I say that these might be the best things I've ever eaten in my entire life.  The hot dog is made out of premium lamb meat, and has grilled onions, fried onions, remoulade, and a special mustard on them.  They were life alteringly good, and before I knew what happened, I had eaten three of them.

After gorging on hot dogs, we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep.  So glad we decided to check out the city even though we were tired.  It ended up being a lot of fun.  The next morning, which was Sunday, we were up early and beginning the long journey home.

What are my overall thoughts on the trip?  It was a perfect mix of touristy stuff (like guided tours and tourist spots) and authentic local stuff.  In fact, it hit a little bit of everything - outdoorsy stuff, city life, history, time to relax, experiencing a new culture, and delicious horse steak.    What else can you ask for?  Nordic Visitor and Wow Airlines were both really great.

Iceland as a destination is a fantastic place.  It's a drastically different place in the summer and the winter - but has a year round temperate climate - For the most part, their temperatures in the southern parts of the island stay between 20-60 degrees year round.  It's cheap to get to, has endless opportunities to explore, and has a fascinating history tied to the Norse, the Vikings, and Greenland.

We're so thankful and humbled that we got to go on this trip.  Special thanks to Jeri for the idea, and for helping make it financially possible. In addition, a huge thanks to Grandma, who watched the boys the entire time we were in Iceland.

Also, thanks to this cat - who is the reason we have all these great pictures above.  (I highly recommend traveling with a photographer at all times and then just pilfering their pictures unapologetically).  Love ya Joe!