Mum's been to Iceland, or "round Iceland with a cucumber"
Jun 18th, 2013, 08:32 AM
#161
Martha, the western Fjords were just wonderful - another wonderful memory is lying on top of the cliff and looking straight down into a puffin burrow and having the puffins looking straight back up at us. but the journey there is hard work, particularly if you go the long way round as we did, just coming back via the ferry. when we got to Snaefellnesses it was the beginning of August and the glacier was too melted to do anything so adventurous like that, even if we'd wanted to.
if you were interested in that sort of thing, June/early july might be better.
micheline, i'm glad you've enjoyed the trip report. it was fun writing it, even though not everything worked out. sometimes that makes it easier to write!
if you were interested in that sort of thing, June/early july might be better.
micheline, i'm glad you've enjoyed the trip report. it was fun writing it, even though not everything worked out. sometimes that makes it easier to write!
Jun 18th, 2013, 09:31 AM
#162
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thanks for sharing your tripreport annhig! i enjoyed reading it. the thing about traveling is that not everything goes according to plan. it's how we "adjust" that dictates whether it was an adventure or a disaster 
wish i had a fraction of the travel experience that you do
wish i had a fraction of the travel experience that you do
Jun 18th, 2013, 12:13 PM
#163
Tailsock - we've not been to many places outside europe, or even outside western europe. certainly not enough places. living in the UK makes it relatively easy to get to some places but living in Cornwall makes some aspects quite difficult, especially the sort of short trips we used to enjoy doing when we lived near Gatwick airport.
anyway, i'm glad that you enjoyed reading this.
our next stop is Oz and NZ in November and Dec - I'm hoping to do some trip reporting, but i think it'll have to be more like a blog else I'll have forgotten it all by the time i get to the end.
anyway, i'm glad that you enjoyed reading this.
our next stop is Oz and NZ in November and Dec - I'm hoping to do some trip reporting, but i think it'll have to be more like a blog else I'll have forgotten it all by the time i get to the end.
Mar 25th, 2014, 12:08 PM
#164
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My partner has wanted to go to Iceland ever since I have known him [over 25 years]. I resisted and resisted [not hot, not a foodie destination, looks expensive] until this year I ran out of excuses and gave him the trip as a Christmas present.
We set off in late February 2014 with aim of seeing Northern Lights and Orca Whales. Neither made an appearance despite my son texting us from his University telling us that Northern Lights had, highly unusually, been seen spectacularly right across England that week.
However, to my great annoyance it all turned out to be one of the best holidays we have ever had!
We felt that the short cheap flight from London and no cost amazing sights counterbalanced the expense of food and drink. We learnt from your experience Annhig and booked comfortable hotels {Reykjavik Marina, Ranga, Framnes and Glymur]. We took a selection of light snacks, but no cucumber, and some duty free to tide us over the difficult bits but found relatively good food and drinkable wine for our evening meals [and in case of Hotel Ranga excellent food].
We were lucky and had wall to wall blue skies and sunny days and, against a backdrop of glistening white snow and cascading ice, everything was hauntingly, unbelievably beautiful. Completely empty roads meant we sped in our hired 4WD through mile upon mile of breathtaking scenery with black sand beaches, glaciers, waterfalls, hidden valleys, cliffs and volcanos. Down to Vic and then heading North around the Snaefellsnese peninsular.
So thanks Annhig for your amazing account which was such a useful resource. Only thing I would do differently next
time is to take more windproof gloves as my warm but woolly gloves were no match for the searing gale force February winds!
Our next holiday is 'my choice' and will be somewhere hot and with great food and hence I am already reading your more recent trip reports with great interest !
We set off in late February 2014 with aim of seeing Northern Lights and Orca Whales. Neither made an appearance despite my son texting us from his University telling us that Northern Lights had, highly unusually, been seen spectacularly right across England that week.
However, to my great annoyance it all turned out to be one of the best holidays we have ever had!
We felt that the short cheap flight from London and no cost amazing sights counterbalanced the expense of food and drink. We learnt from your experience Annhig and booked comfortable hotels {Reykjavik Marina, Ranga, Framnes and Glymur]. We took a selection of light snacks, but no cucumber, and some duty free to tide us over the difficult bits but found relatively good food and drinkable wine for our evening meals [and in case of Hotel Ranga excellent food].
We were lucky and had wall to wall blue skies and sunny days and, against a backdrop of glistening white snow and cascading ice, everything was hauntingly, unbelievably beautiful. Completely empty roads meant we sped in our hired 4WD through mile upon mile of breathtaking scenery with black sand beaches, glaciers, waterfalls, hidden valleys, cliffs and volcanos. Down to Vic and then heading North around the Snaefellsnese peninsular.
So thanks Annhig for your amazing account which was such a useful resource. Only thing I would do differently next
time is to take more windproof gloves as my warm but woolly gloves were no match for the searing gale force February winds!
Our next holiday is 'my choice' and will be somewhere hot and with great food and hence I am already reading your more recent trip reports with great interest !
Mar 25th, 2014, 01:52 PM
#165
loncall - i'm glad that you found my musings useful.
I di think that it's a good idea to include the bad as well as the good, not just because it makes it more interesting, but because others may earn from our errors.
Iceland in February? you are brave indeed.
if you've been reading my more recent TRs, for somewhere hot with great food, it's got to be Sri Lanka!
I di think that it's a good idea to include the bad as well as the good, not just because it makes it more interesting, but because others may earn from our errors.
Iceland in February? you are brave indeed.
if you've been reading my more recent TRs, for somewhere hot with great food, it's got to be Sri Lanka!
Apr 2nd, 2014, 08:36 PM
#167
Friends went to Iceland recently and absolutely loved it>>
mmm - not sure that you could characterise our reaction to the place quite like that.....but welcome to the thread, anyway.
mmm - not sure that you could characterise our reaction to the place quite like that.....but welcome to the thread, anyway.
Aug 19th, 2014, 07:21 AM
#168
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Came across this six years late and then only via a link in another thread, but just wanted to say brilliant report, Ann, great writing, had me salivating at the thought of the scenery (if not the food!) and giggling all the way through. Iceland is now firmly on my bucket list.
Aug 19th, 2014, 08:02 AM
#169
you're very kind, RM.
We didn't really get the planning right on this one [if you've got the time, a trip all the way round the island is most probably a better way to go] so if someone else can benefit from our mistakes, I'll be very pleased.
There's no doubt that it's a terrific place to go if you like wildlife, especially birds.
We didn't really get the planning right on this one [if you've got the time, a trip all the way round the island is most probably a better way to go] so if someone else can benefit from our mistakes, I'll be very pleased.
There's no doubt that it's a terrific place to go if you like wildlife, especially birds.
Aug 19th, 2014, 05:31 PM
#170
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This was one of the first trip reports I read when I joined Fodor's and I loved every bit of it! I can't remember now if I commented but I so enjoyed the humor and honesty. Iceland has been on my list ever since (NOT in February), but so far no travel partners seem very interested. I think I'll print this out and send it to them and maybe that will increase my chances of finding a travel companion.
Aug 19th, 2014, 05:40 PM
#171
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I do love this report.
Challiman, you might want to print this out, too, to help your chances: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-iceland.cfm
I'm feeling the urge to get back to Iceland now!
Challiman, you might want to print this out, too, to help your chances: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-iceland.cfm
I'm feeling the urge to get back to Iceland now!
Aug 20th, 2014, 10:11 AM
#172
Ahh - how nice to be appreciated. it really ought to act as a spur for me to get on with my Australia/NZ TR, but at the moment I have trip report writer's block, or TRWB for short. and tips on how to unblock myself?
Aug 20th, 2014, 11:40 AM
#173
All Bran Ann, it works wonders. We went to Iceland back in 2002 and coming across your trip report brought back a lot of memories. Awful roads, mediocre 4star hotel in Reykjavic, techtonic plates et al. The food doesn't seemed to have changed much either.
We were there around Christmas and there was a lot of reindeer on most menus. I remember we ate at a restaurant on top of a gas holder where a faint sulphurous aroma accompanied dinner, reindeer I think.
We were there around Christmas and there was a lot of reindeer on most menus. I remember we ate at a restaurant on top of a gas holder where a faint sulphurous aroma accompanied dinner, reindeer I think.
Aug 22nd, 2014, 01:27 PM
#174
lol, rubicund, i hadn't thought of that. or syrup of figs, perhaps.
what bemused us was what the local Icelanders ate, particularly for vegetables. We were in a supermarket somewhere outside Reykjavik when a local was berating the shop keeper for the quality of the potatoes on offer - they were inedible. yet some restaurants managed to get hold of decent produce.
We didn't have any reindeer, but we did try guillemot.
what bemused us was what the local Icelanders ate, particularly for vegetables. We were in a supermarket somewhere outside Reykjavik when a local was berating the shop keeper for the quality of the potatoes on offer - they were inedible. yet some restaurants managed to get hold of decent produce.
We didn't have any reindeer, but we did try guillemot.
Aug 23rd, 2014, 01:31 AM
#175
To paraphrase John Clease, was it seabird flavour? Here's the website for the Pearl, the restaurant I mentioned:
http://perlan.is/?lang=en
They're still doing their "famous" Christmas buffet it appears, but I hope it's better than it was.
http://perlan.is/?lang=en
They're still doing their "famous" Christmas buffet it appears, but I hope it's better than it was.
Aug 25th, 2014, 01:31 AM
#176
Rubicnd - we didn't get to the Pearl- but by the sound of it we didn't miss a lot. as you say, let's hope it's improved since you were there.
The Glymur was definitely the best place we found for food. It was very expensive, but by then we were prepared to pay almost anything for a decent meal. The viking restaurant at Hafnarfhordur wasn't bad, but terribly over-priced, and the restaurant at the Blue Lagoon was actually quite good and not too expensive. Apart from that, restaurants were very thin pickings; cafes were generally better quality and cheaper.
i think that we can agree that you don't go to Iceland for the food.
The Glymur was definitely the best place we found for food. It was very expensive, but by then we were prepared to pay almost anything for a decent meal. The viking restaurant at Hafnarfhordur wasn't bad, but terribly over-priced, and the restaurant at the Blue Lagoon was actually quite good and not too expensive. Apart from that, restaurants were very thin pickings; cafes were generally better quality and cheaper.
i think that we can agree that you don't go to Iceland for the food.
Nov 22nd, 2014, 03:51 AM
#179
Oh, annhig,
I just discovered your wonderful trip report -- for once, the hour+ wait at my doctor's office passed by quickly! I'm sure the others in the waiting room thought I was a bit of a crazed person, as I kept laughing aloud! I'm wondering what DS's memories of this trip are like -- he certainly was a major player in the family's dramatic trip to Iceland!
I now have to add Iceland to the (long) list of places to visit -- retirement does not come soon enough!
I just discovered your wonderful trip report -- for once, the hour+ wait at my doctor's office passed by quickly! I'm sure the others in the waiting room thought I was a bit of a crazed person, as I kept laughing aloud! I'm wondering what DS's memories of this trip are like -- he certainly was a major player in the family's dramatic trip to Iceland!
I now have to add Iceland to the (long) list of places to visit -- retirement does not come soon enough!
Nov 22nd, 2014, 04:37 AM
#180
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annhig, I read this trip report not long after joining Fodor's. It was so much fun reading it and I had forgotten who wrote it, had wanted to re-read it this year after seeing Walter Mitty. Loved every bit of it!
