Mum's been to Iceland, or "round Iceland with a cucumber"
Jan 5th, 2013, 03:37 PM
#141
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What a lot of fun this was to read Ann. The longest vacation we ever took had precisely two bad days, which isn't bad considering. They came complete with steely silence as you say, as both issues involved travel and slight errors in judgment.
Jan 6th, 2013, 06:21 AM
#142
we rode here at this hotel http://www.eldhestar.is/?c=webpage&id=60 there was a general coral at the start of the day and we were brought to the hotel from Reykyavik (in the price). Then we were broken into groups, riders, non-riders and finally sent off with a local girl to try the gait. Certainly some people got it, though I felt I spent my half day having a sofa bashed into my bottom (your stirrups are lowered so you cannot get into a riding trot).
After getting off I lay down for an hour in our hotel room and then walked (like John Wayne) to the town spa (about 1 km away) where I lay in a hot tub for the rest of the day.
Mrs Bilbo said the riding was great and the restaurant pretty good.
After getting off I lay down for an hour in our hotel room and then walked (like John Wayne) to the town spa (about 1 km away) where I lay in a hot tub for the rest of the day.
Mrs Bilbo said the riding was great and the restaurant pretty good.
May 3rd, 2013, 05:49 AM
#145
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Not at all! My mom and I are going this summer and I'm even more excited after reading your report. I have to confess to being glad we're taking the wimpy way out by doing a small-group tour so we don't have to drive on those A, B, or F roads but doing it on your own you definitely had an amazing adventure.
I loved learning UK sayings & slang from your report. I had to keep googling to get the meaning: Hobson's choice, curate's egg, blowing a hooley, chuntering. Fun!
I'll check out some of your other TRs - you're a great writer. It does make for an interesting piece when a trip isn't 100% perfect. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and not sugarcoat it!
I loved learning UK sayings & slang from your report. I had to keep googling to get the meaning: Hobson's choice, curate's egg, blowing a hooley, chuntering. Fun!
I'll check out some of your other TRs - you're a great writer. It does make for an interesting piece when a trip isn't 100% perfect. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and not sugarcoat it!
May 3rd, 2013, 08:57 AM
#146
Thanks, Leslie, that's very encouraging - i might get round to finishing some of the unfinished ones!
I think that your decision to join a small group is a very wise one; it's possible to drive for long distances in Iceland without seeing much of interest and hopefully being with a group will keep that to a minimum, whilst also allowing for some individual exploration.
do ask if you've got any queries before you go, and I'd be very interested to hear about your experiences when you get back.
I think that your decision to join a small group is a very wise one; it's possible to drive for long distances in Iceland without seeing much of interest and hopefully being with a group will keep that to a minimum, whilst also allowing for some individual exploration.
do ask if you've got any queries before you go, and I'd be very interested to hear about your experiences when you get back.
May 3rd, 2013, 09:32 AM
#147
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annhig said:
<i>Thanks, Leslie, that's very encouraging - i might get round to finishing some of the unfinished ones! </I>
Why start now?
You even have 2 trip unfinished trip reports for the same city (Rome), don't you?
<i>Thanks, Leslie, that's very encouraging - i might get round to finishing some of the unfinished ones! </I>
Why start now?
You even have 2 trip unfinished trip reports for the same city (Rome), don't you?
May 3rd, 2013, 12:57 PM
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Haha, if I didn't finish within a week of returning I'd never remember a thing to report on. I'll try to look for the ones that are completed so I don't get left on tenterhooks!
Thanks for your kindness in not poo-poohing the tour. I know group tours are anathema to fodorites but sometimes they work for me.
If the tour experience is especially good - or bad - I'll report back.
Thanks for your kindness in not poo-poohing the tour. I know group tours are anathema to fodorites but sometimes they work for me.
If the tour experience is especially good - or bad - I'll report back.
May 3rd, 2013, 01:51 PM
#152
I know group tours are anathema to fodorites but sometimes they work for me.>>
that makes us sound terribly narrow-minded - justifiably, on occasion.
there are some places where I do find it difficult to see the point of a tour eg mainland europe, but Iceland is definitely not in that category, as it's quite difficult to negotiate and get the best out of, as I think our story demonstrates.
Were I going to Albania or China, or North Vietnam [which is unlikely] I would also take a tour.
horses for courses!
that makes us sound terribly narrow-minded - justifiably, on occasion.
there are some places where I do find it difficult to see the point of a tour eg mainland europe, but Iceland is definitely not in that category, as it's quite difficult to negotiate and get the best out of, as I think our story demonstrates.
Were I going to Albania or China, or North Vietnam [which is unlikely] I would also take a tour.
horses for courses!
May 3rd, 2013, 04:22 PM
#153
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Oddly, I visited both Vietnam and China without tours, but I did use some day tours for Iceland, as I don't drive. But I'll agree that it's easy to get around and make your own choices in many respects! I'd love to return; it's been too long.
Jun 17th, 2013, 07:32 AM
#156
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Hi annhig,
I enjoyed your trip report, and all the comments here, before I went to Iceland on June 8th. I returned to the US on June 13th, determined to go back. It's a beautiful country and I didn't have time to do and see all that I wanted to. We stayed in the southwest area. Hotels: in Reykjavik we stayed at The Grand for our first night and again our last night. It was very nice, with excellent staff, wonderful breakfast buffet, and very convenient to walk down to the water, or take a longer walk into town (the Phallological Institute is not to be missed, and it's right next door to a nice convenience store, 10-11, where we picked up Skyr, cheese, wonderful bread, cookies, and some fruit. The boys working there were very helpful and cheerful). We stayed at the Edda Vik in Vik (naturally). It's a bit plain but very comfortable and served a nice breakfast buffet. We were fortunate to stay at the Gullfoss Hotel in Brattholt -- what a gem! More like an oversized B&B than a hotel. Very comfortable, and they have 2 large hot tubs that no one was using, so we had one to ourselves both nights. Excellent breakfast buffet. The woman who manages the place is lovely --considerate and welcoming.
We went whitewater rafting at Arctic Adventures in Drombosdottir (near Reykholt) and I heartily recommend them to everyone! I'd had no experience with rafting and my friend is a very experienced whitewater kayaker, and we both had a great time. They provided all equipment; the guides were fantastic; the BBQ afterwards was delicious.
We took the ferry from Landeyjahofn (sp?) out to Westman Islands. We were booked with RIB Safari for a motorboat cruise around the islands, but the weather and water conditions were too rough and they were forbidden from taking the boat out of the harbor. However, they gave us a tour of the harbor, into the Singing Cave, and around to see the nesting Puffins and other birds on the side of the main island. The guys were absolutely terrific: Himmi, Hilmar, Stanji, Fridrik. And the other Hilmar then took us around Himaey in his car, giving us a stellar private tour of the place, including up to a 'bird blind' on the side of a hill overlooking the ocean, where we saw more nesting Puffins. He keeps his lambs up there. We mentioned that we wanted to try some roasted Puffin, and he made a phone call to his friend the chef at Einsi Kaldi, and we got a takeout box of roasted puffin and vegetables to eat on the way back on the ferry. It was delicious.
He took us to the midwife's house, and down to the shore to see the restoration of the first settler's cabin, and drove us into the volcano (erupted 1973 and destroyed half of the village; there are still hot spots up there). Hilmar Jennson- very knowledgeable and entertaining guide.
We had a wonderful time there.
Back in Vik, we walked on the black sands beach and hiked up the trail to the top of the mountain overlooking the beach. And then up to Gullfoss, stopping for the Geysirs. Eating again! Great cafes in the shopping areas at both places.
On our way from Gullfoss back to our hotel we detected a short cut on our map. That's how we came to wander out in the Tungufell. Thank goodness for the long hours of daylight. You do not want to be lost out there in the dark. We went from paved road to gravel to dirt path, from 2 cars' wide to one, the moonscape got more and more menacing,NO guardrails! and finally we turned a corner (this MUST be it!) and were stopped by a fence with a sign "Private Road" on the gate. Back we went and finally found our way to the hotel. Quite a scare, but now it's a fond memory
Leaving the area on Wednesday, just past the Geysirs we picked up two hitchikers, young ladies from Lithuania who were on their way to Reykjavik to meet their sister. So we changed our plan a bit and took them to the city, then turned around and went back out to Thingvellir.
Please make note: the shops will give you the VAT receipt in an envelope that says there is a VAT reimbursement office in Reykjavik inside the Tourist Center. It has been closed for a year, as we found out after searching for the place in the Old Harbor area for about 30 minutes.
Must say that Thingvellir is stunning. No one there but us, which made it even more intense. It has a vibe like Stonehenge's, or Newgrange's.
In Vik we had an excellent dinner at the Strondin restaurant. We had asked the hotel manager for a recommendation for dinner, and he gestured across the road at what we took to be a gas station. Well, part of it is, and around on the side is the entrance to the Strondin! We were not expecting much and were really suprised at the great food.
Back in Reykjavik we wanted a nice dinner on our last night, and ended up at the Reykjavik Restaurant --big yellow place in the old harbor area. We chose the buffet so that we could try small portions of all of the fish dishes; everything was delicious. They even had whale meat, smoked or marinated; we tried the smoked, as directed by the very attentive chef we spritzed it with fresh lemon and dipped it in Teriyaki sauce-- it was good! On our first night in Iceland we ate in a restaurant directly across the square from this one and I can't recall the name of the place. We had a delicious dinner there, too, and the very friendly staff didn't mind that we were still eating dessert while they cleared up -- turns out they had closed half an hour befor. We were surprised that the sidewalks of Reykjavik get rolled up at 10 pm during the week!
Leaving Iceland on Icelandair was interesting. No boarding groups or special lines to go through. Everyone simply lines up and boards. I thought it would be chaos but instead it was absolutely a smooth flow. I travel a lot, and this was an eye-opener!
The flight attendants on both our flights were friendly and attentive and professional to a T.
shopping: I didn't go out of my way to shop, but we did buy some small souvenirs in the shops at Gullfoss and Geysir. There were Lopapeysurs in both places, as well as at the Grand Hotel, but the quality for the prices wasn't impressive. At the airport, of all places, I found a beautiful one --with a hood! Bonus! I love hoods!-- at a very reasonable price. At Geysir (I think) I found a heavenly, lighter-than-air wool flyaway that is perfect for work when I don't care to wear a jacket. A bit pricey but I will get a lot of wear from it.
Came home weighing 5 pounds more than when I left, but back to the old routine they will come off quickly. A couple hundred photos to look through and label before I forget the names of the waterfalls and mountains. I'm already planning to go back once more to see a few things I missed.
Thanks for your excellent report, annhig; it helped me prepare for my own trip.
I enjoyed your trip report, and all the comments here, before I went to Iceland on June 8th. I returned to the US on June 13th, determined to go back. It's a beautiful country and I didn't have time to do and see all that I wanted to. We stayed in the southwest area. Hotels: in Reykjavik we stayed at The Grand for our first night and again our last night. It was very nice, with excellent staff, wonderful breakfast buffet, and very convenient to walk down to the water, or take a longer walk into town (the Phallological Institute is not to be missed, and it's right next door to a nice convenience store, 10-11, where we picked up Skyr, cheese, wonderful bread, cookies, and some fruit. The boys working there were very helpful and cheerful). We stayed at the Edda Vik in Vik (naturally). It's a bit plain but very comfortable and served a nice breakfast buffet. We were fortunate to stay at the Gullfoss Hotel in Brattholt -- what a gem! More like an oversized B&B than a hotel. Very comfortable, and they have 2 large hot tubs that no one was using, so we had one to ourselves both nights. Excellent breakfast buffet. The woman who manages the place is lovely --considerate and welcoming.
We went whitewater rafting at Arctic Adventures in Drombosdottir (near Reykholt) and I heartily recommend them to everyone! I'd had no experience with rafting and my friend is a very experienced whitewater kayaker, and we both had a great time. They provided all equipment; the guides were fantastic; the BBQ afterwards was delicious.
We took the ferry from Landeyjahofn (sp?) out to Westman Islands. We were booked with RIB Safari for a motorboat cruise around the islands, but the weather and water conditions were too rough and they were forbidden from taking the boat out of the harbor. However, they gave us a tour of the harbor, into the Singing Cave, and around to see the nesting Puffins and other birds on the side of the main island. The guys were absolutely terrific: Himmi, Hilmar, Stanji, Fridrik. And the other Hilmar then took us around Himaey in his car, giving us a stellar private tour of the place, including up to a 'bird blind' on the side of a hill overlooking the ocean, where we saw more nesting Puffins. He keeps his lambs up there. We mentioned that we wanted to try some roasted Puffin, and he made a phone call to his friend the chef at Einsi Kaldi, and we got a takeout box of roasted puffin and vegetables to eat on the way back on the ferry. It was delicious.
He took us to the midwife's house, and down to the shore to see the restoration of the first settler's cabin, and drove us into the volcano (erupted 1973 and destroyed half of the village; there are still hot spots up there). Hilmar Jennson- very knowledgeable and entertaining guide.
We had a wonderful time there.
Back in Vik, we walked on the black sands beach and hiked up the trail to the top of the mountain overlooking the beach. And then up to Gullfoss, stopping for the Geysirs. Eating again! Great cafes in the shopping areas at both places.
On our way from Gullfoss back to our hotel we detected a short cut on our map. That's how we came to wander out in the Tungufell. Thank goodness for the long hours of daylight. You do not want to be lost out there in the dark. We went from paved road to gravel to dirt path, from 2 cars' wide to one, the moonscape got more and more menacing,NO guardrails! and finally we turned a corner (this MUST be it!) and were stopped by a fence with a sign "Private Road" on the gate. Back we went and finally found our way to the hotel. Quite a scare, but now it's a fond memory
Leaving the area on Wednesday, just past the Geysirs we picked up two hitchikers, young ladies from Lithuania who were on their way to Reykjavik to meet their sister. So we changed our plan a bit and took them to the city, then turned around and went back out to Thingvellir.
Please make note: the shops will give you the VAT receipt in an envelope that says there is a VAT reimbursement office in Reykjavik inside the Tourist Center. It has been closed for a year, as we found out after searching for the place in the Old Harbor area for about 30 minutes.
Must say that Thingvellir is stunning. No one there but us, which made it even more intense. It has a vibe like Stonehenge's, or Newgrange's.
In Vik we had an excellent dinner at the Strondin restaurant. We had asked the hotel manager for a recommendation for dinner, and he gestured across the road at what we took to be a gas station. Well, part of it is, and around on the side is the entrance to the Strondin! We were not expecting much and were really suprised at the great food.
Back in Reykjavik we wanted a nice dinner on our last night, and ended up at the Reykjavik Restaurant --big yellow place in the old harbor area. We chose the buffet so that we could try small portions of all of the fish dishes; everything was delicious. They even had whale meat, smoked or marinated; we tried the smoked, as directed by the very attentive chef we spritzed it with fresh lemon and dipped it in Teriyaki sauce-- it was good! On our first night in Iceland we ate in a restaurant directly across the square from this one and I can't recall the name of the place. We had a delicious dinner there, too, and the very friendly staff didn't mind that we were still eating dessert while they cleared up -- turns out they had closed half an hour befor. We were surprised that the sidewalks of Reykjavik get rolled up at 10 pm during the week!
Leaving Iceland on Icelandair was interesting. No boarding groups or special lines to go through. Everyone simply lines up and boards. I thought it would be chaos but instead it was absolutely a smooth flow. I travel a lot, and this was an eye-opener!
The flight attendants on both our flights were friendly and attentive and professional to a T.
shopping: I didn't go out of my way to shop, but we did buy some small souvenirs in the shops at Gullfoss and Geysir. There were Lopapeysurs in both places, as well as at the Grand Hotel, but the quality for the prices wasn't impressive. At the airport, of all places, I found a beautiful one --with a hood! Bonus! I love hoods!-- at a very reasonable price. At Geysir (I think) I found a heavenly, lighter-than-air wool flyaway that is perfect for work when I don't care to wear a jacket. A bit pricey but I will get a lot of wear from it.
Came home weighing 5 pounds more than when I left, but back to the old routine they will come off quickly. A couple hundred photos to look through and label before I forget the names of the waterfalls and mountains. I'm already planning to go back once more to see a few things I missed.
Thanks for your excellent report, annhig; it helped me prepare for my own trip.
Jun 17th, 2013, 07:39 AM
#157
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oops: correction needed: The Tourist Center is still there. The VAT office is no longer in the building. It is closed.
Reimbursements can be gotten at a VAT office in a shopping mall near Reykjavik or at the Airport. I had been hoping to avoid the one at the airport because they are usually a mob scene, but pleasantly surprised to find this one ran very smoothly and we were out of there fairly quickly.
Finally had a Pylsa while at the airport! We recommend that you have one every chance you get! Delicious!
Reimbursements can be gotten at a VAT office in a shopping mall near Reykjavik or at the Airport. I had been hoping to avoid the one at the airport because they are usually a mob scene, but pleasantly surprised to find this one ran very smoothly and we were out of there fairly quickly.
Finally had a Pylsa while at the airport! We recommend that you have one every chance you get! Delicious!
Jun 17th, 2013, 08:49 AM
#158
Hi Martha,
I enjoyed your mini-trip report too and you can't say this every day, can you?
<<and we got a takeout box of roasted puffin and vegetables to eat on the way back on the ferry.>>
i think that you did better with the food than we did; I think that my planning was a bit off and Iceland rewards as much planning as you can possibly do. but you're right that it's a great and interesting place and the ferry trip that we did from the Western fjords back to the Snaefellnesses peninsular was one of the most memorable things I have ever done on a holiday.
I enjoyed your mini-trip report too and you can't say this every day, can you?
<<and we got a takeout box of roasted puffin and vegetables to eat on the way back on the ferry.>>
i think that you did better with the food than we did; I think that my planning was a bit off and Iceland rewards as much planning as you can possibly do. but you're right that it's a great and interesting place and the ferry trip that we did from the Western fjords back to the Snaefellnesses peninsular was one of the most memorable things I have ever done on a holiday.
Jun 18th, 2013, 06:47 AM
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Ann, the Western fjords and the Snaefellsnesses peninsula are on my list for the next trip over. On the plane coming home I sat with 2 young women who have been to Iceland several times and on this trip they hired a guide from "Wild Boys" (love that!) who took them out onto a glacier where they hiked and even went sledding down a snow-covered hill. Their photos were fantastic, and I'd like to get up close to a glacier but have no desire to go sledding or do anything that requires crampons and ice picks
