Adelaidean

Stunning photos, Mel.

Melnq8

Why thank you Adelaidean. And here I was cursing the bad light

Bostonblondie226

Thanks for your suggestion -- very helpful!

Continuing to enjoy your report. And the photos are great!

Melnq8

Day 5 –

We woke to more rain and gloom and news from the owner that we’d missed quite a sight the evening before – whales right in the harbor. Arrgh...

After lattes, ham and cheese rolls at Heimabakari (2.300, about $23) we popped into the Netto grocery store so that I could pick up some of my favorite Icelandic protein and report back to annhig that yes, grocery stores in the sticks of Iceland do sell produce, and while not beautiful, it looked okay, if rather limited.

We backtracked on 85 and joined 87 to Reykjahlíð to explore ‘the geological marvels’ of Mývatn and Krafla. We saw a sign for Hveravellir, so we drove in to investigate, but only found a geothermal greenhouse that didn’t appear to be open to the public.

I’ve since seen references to Hveravellir, Nature Reserve but I can’t reconcile what we saw with what appears online. Perhaps there’s another entrance?

The road turned to rather rough gravel; soon we were crossing an incredibly ugly, stark, completely flat stretch of brown nothingness that seemed to go on forever.

Things improved ever so slightly as we drove through Reykjahlíð and approached the volcanic Lake Mývatn, enveloped in a dark gloom and ringed by distant mountains. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was our moods, but neither of us understood the attraction of this area.

We briefly considered walking the rim of one of the craters, but the tracks were completely exposed, it was cold, wet and windy, and honestly, we just couldn’t garner the interest – what can I say, volcanologists we’re not.

We continued towards Krafla, stopping at the Mývatn Nature Baths en route. The powerful smell of sulfur just about knocked us over – the water temps of the nature baths range from 36-40 Celsius, admission is steep (4.300 ISK, about $43 per person during summer, 3.800, about $38 from Jan-May). Note: The Blue Lagoon and the Nature Baths weren’t of particular interest to us. We live in a state with hot springs...and they don’t smell.

The smell of sulfur became overwhelming as we approached the Krafla geothermal station. Bill would have loved to visit, but it wasn’t yet open for the season (the visitor center is open every day from 10-5 from June 1 to Sept 17).

Next up was Viti, the Crater Lake; it’s probably lovely on a sunny day; today not-so-much, the blue muted, the sky grey. Hverir, the nearby geothermal area, was mildly interesting, but selfie-central and a muddy mess. For anyone who has been to Yellowstone, it’s all rather underwhelming, or at least it was to us.

We backtracked and circled Lake Mývatn, hoping for better views, but not finding them. East of the lake we explored Dimmuborgir, a large area of bizarre lava fields and rock formations. Now this was interesting...we love to hike, but somehow it loses its appeal in a cold rain, so our walk was short.

We then sought out the Vogafjos Cowshed Café, where we lunched while gazing at the views of the farm, amazed at the sheer number of black flies clinging to the inside of the restaurant windows and swarming outside. We felt like we were back in Australia, but fortunately these flies (midges?) didn’t try to climb into every orifice.

Bill tried the Artic char on Geysir bread appetizer, which smelled suspiciously like single malt scotch (99O ISK, about $10). I went for the Vogel Sandwich with fresh mozzarella, leek sauce and vegetables on homemade bread – it was good, but drippy – more like leak sauce - 19 ISK, about $19.

http://www.vogafjos.is/en/restaurant

We backtracked across the vast otherworldly nothingness, detoured to a hydroelectric dam on 854 (it was seriously green back here), made another detour to Grenjaðarstaður, the site of a church, and ‘one of the most famous turf farms in Iceland’. Huh.

We continued, turning onto to 852 - we have a habit of following roads to their very end, for no other reason than we’re curious. Here we found a sign that read Sandur – I’m not sure if that’s the name of the area or a reference to an outwash plain, which are common in Iceland. There was nothing else back here except for a hostel.

Then it was back to Húsavík to breathe more of that fish scented air – I’ll admit that I have a certain intolerance for the smell of fish, especially the rotten kind, but even Bill seemed put off by it.

It’d been a cold, gloomy, underwhelming day.

Photos here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...57685539620895

To be continued...

Melnq8

Day 6 –

Bill was hankering for a hot breakfast on this cold gloomy morning, but we couldn’t find a place that offered one, so it was back to Heimabakari for another round of ham rolls and lattes (2.360, about $24) and a nip into Netto for a cup of Baked Apple Skyr (152 ISK, about $1.50) to round out the protein.

We gassed up with the remainder of our 100,000 ISK (about $100) pre-paid gas card, and left Húsavík via 85, heading north through rolling countryside with red and green roofed farmhouses, fringed by the light blue sea. Soon the landscape changed; we were now driving alongside brooding cliffs, surrounded by rocks, rocks and more rocks.

A pretty drive this, even in the gloom. We crossed over at 861, a sign announcing that we’d arrived at Vatnajokulspjodgardur National Park, which I’d love to know how to pronounce. We popped into the rather nice Visitor’s Center, where Bill had the presence of mind to enquire about the route ahead, 862 and 864, which we’d planned to take around the tip of the peninsula and back down, incorporating Dettifoss into today’s drive to Seyðisfjörður. Ummm...no. We were told both roads were closed until June 1, due to water on the road. Oops, best laid plans and all that.

http://www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is...an-your-visit/

So, we followed the road into the park and to its end, admired the fabulous canyon and wished we had time to explore some of the many hiking trails.

The mountains we faced as we retreated to Húsavík were spectacular; snow-covered with a long white cloud at their base and the pale blue sea in the foreground – a beautiful scene I found impossible to adequately capture with my camera. And the bird life, incredible.

This little detour added about two hours to an already long drive day, but we thoroughly enjoyed it - both times.

Back in Húsavík, we re-gassed the Clio at N1 and retraced our steps of the previous day. As we rumbled across the 16 km of ugly barren moonscape for the third time in two days, I had to wonder if this is what the rental car companies had in mind when they offered to sell us ‘gravel damage coverage’.

Lake Mývatn was considerably more inviting today in the sunshine; and because my photographer bits go all atwitter with good light, we detoured to Krafla again for another shot of Crater Lake...what a difference a day makes.

Our borrowed itinerary (which we now knew was rather stale) indicated that we should take 864 from the Ring Road to Dettifoss, but when we stopped to consult the roadside information board, 864 had a big black X through it, so we took 862 instead (and it was paved, woo-hoo!).

The 24 km trek to Dettifoss reminded us of the Australian Outback - albeit the black dirt and rock version - a vast stretch of desolate, barren, flat nothingness.

Although we’d seen few people on the drive in, the unpaved, water filled pot-holed parking lot was almost full. Happy to see facilities, I made a beeline to the row of ten porta-loos. Big mistake. They were the most foul, disgusting, gag-inducing toilets I’d ever encountered. Virtually every single one was overflowing. The stench was overwhelming. I watched person after person approach, open one door and move to the next, trying to choose the best of the worst; eventually giving up. It was truly shameful, a prime example of Iceland’s inability to keep up with its tourism boom. Here was a large captive audience - without decent facilities to do its business.

We walked the path to Dettifoss, reputed to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe, futilely swatting the annoying midges. It was rather spectacular, all the more so with the rainbow dancing above.

https://www.northiceland.is/en/place...foss-waterfall

We also walked to Selfoss, located one km south of Dettifoss, which while not high, was still mighty impressive, although I actually preferred the views away from the waterfall and down through the valley – photo nirvana.

Back on the Ring Road we forged on towards Egilsstaðir, through the barren starkness that we began referring to as the ‘Brown Center’. It was seriously desolate out here; our eyes hungry for something...anything...to make the drive more interesting.

During our six days in Iceland, we’d learned that roads outside of the cities don’t have shoulders; they’re narrow and built-up (presumably to prevent flooding), with steep ditches on both sides, and more often than not, surrounded by lava fields. It feels as if you’re driving along a narrow ledge. In other words, these are not roads you want to stray from. All of those warnings about winter driving in Iceland began to make perfect sense. I would definitely not want to be stranded out here in the middle of NoWheresVille, with the ferocious Icelandic wind whipping snow across the road and obscuring visibility. Thanks, but no.

Then, finally, something to look at; we began to descend into a valley alongside a river. Swaths of green suddenly appeared with ewes and their ubiquitous twin lambs, and most surprisingly, one impressive waterfall after another cascaded into the valley from above. The views continued to improve dramatically, a mountain range now lay before us, flat topped and snow capped. As we finally approached Egilsstaðir, buildings suddenly appeared, looking weirdly highrise-like.

We gassed the Clio (for the third time that day) and picked up some Skyr at N1 – by now I was determined to try every flavor – this stuff is seriously good.

We eventually found 92/93 and began the final push to Seyðisfjörður, surprised at the sudden abundance of trees and blooming lupines. The drive became progressively more interesting as we ascended the hill above Egilsstaðir with its expansive views of green valley below.

Then suddenly, we're crossing an area of black rock covered in snow, with the occasional glimpse of glacial blue lake. We head upwards again, and then begin the steep and unsettling descent (thanks to our Clio’s lack of compression brakes) into the tiny settlement of Seyðisfjörður, passing yet another lovely waterfall en route.

We didn’t know it at the time, but we’d just crossed the Fjarðarheiði mountain pass, which connects Seyðisfjörður to the rest of Iceland.

Eight and a half hours since leaving Húsavík (the first time), we were in East Iceland, greeted with more pungent fish scented air; making me wonder if the inhabitants of Iceland’s many fishing villages even notice it.

Seyðisfjörður has a population of about 700, and not a whole lot of accommodation options, but I was rather intrigued at the prospect of staying in an historic former hospital that had been converted into a hostel, not to mention, it seemed to be the best option in town.

http://www.visitseydisfjordur.com/pr...jordur-hostel/

Neither of us had ever stayed in a hostel before, and we weren’t sure what to expect. After being asked to remove our shoes, we were led upstairs our tiny double room, which came with an even tinier sink (Room #23, 12.140 ISK, about $121).

The hostel offers a variety of rooms – those next to us were quad dorm rooms. We figured we were in for a noisy night in a house full of young backpackers, but we were pleasantly surprised. Our night was fairly peaceful. Like us, most of the other guests crept around quietly, and were very respectful of one another.

The internet was pitiful – we were never able to connect – probably too many people trying to use it at the same time.
The bathrooms were scattered over three floors, and the showers, three of them, were downstairs. Evidently there was a shower on our floor too, but it was out of commission.

Fortunately, the hostel wasn’t full, so there were no queues for the loo or showers. There was a large communal kitchen and dining area, which looked rather nice, but other than boiling water for coffee, we didn’t use it.

It’d been a long day without much food, so we headed over to a place I’d scoped out in advance for dinner – Skaftell Bistro, which the proprietor of our hostel also recommended. There didn’t appear to be any other food options in town, so we got a little worried when we walked up and the place looked deserted.

We entered, and were surprised to find the tiny space packed to the gills. It took a very long time to get our spicy pepperoni pizza, but it was pretty good, and typically Icelandic expensive – 3.650 for a pizza and one bottle of beer – the beer was 1.300, $13), no wonder our hostel was so quiet, no one could afford to drink, although the water in Seyðisfjörður was very good

http://skaftfell.is/bistro/

It was well after 9pm, but bright as mid-day as we walked back to the hostel, admiring the colorfully painted wooden buildings along the way.

Photos here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...57682768184143

To be continued...

Melnq8

Day 7 –

Once again, we were thankful we’d brought eye shades; a very thin curtain was the only thing that came between us and the Icelandic summer light. It was light when we went to bed at 11 pm, light when I woke up at 3 am and light again when I woke up at 5 am. I like long days, but Icelandic summer days are a wee bit too long.

After showers in the basement, stripping our beds and depositing our used linen and towels into the laundry basket as instructed, we left the hostel and walked out into a spectacular clear day. Our stay had been short, but interesting.

We drove through town and along the edges of the fjord, trying to understand the draw of this little village. There didn’t seem to be much to it, other than several tiny art galleries, brightly painted buildings and some nice fjord views.

I’d read that the ferry from Denmark docked here, but there was no evidence of any activity – I’ve since learned that the ferry only comes in once a week, and the journey from Denmark takes 48 hours (!) I’ve also since learned that Seyðisfjörður has two cinemas, the only two in all of East Iceland.

There did appear to be some hiking options, which we’d have loved to explore, but our tightly orchestrated driving itinerary prevented it. I suspect that if we’d had more time, we’d have uncovered a wealth of interesting bits and bobs.

We looked for a place to eat breakfast, and finding none, retraced our steps up the hill, over the Fjarðarheiði mountain pass, and down into the green oasis of Egilsstaðir, which just begged to be photographed from above.

We popped into the first café we found, Salt Café and Bistro, but they weren’t serving food until 11:30, so we had lattes instead (1.150, about $11, very good, the dark chocolate square a nice bonus). Our waiter suggested we seek out sustenance at the Netto (grocery store), so we obliged, finding tables and a microwave at the front of the store where customers could heat and eat what they’d just purchased. We noshed on cheese rolls and Skyr, our cheapest meal so far - .879 ISK, about $9).

We left Egilsstaðir via the longer more scenic route, 92 towards Reyðarfjörður surrounded by trees eye-popping in their greenness; it was the warmest it’d been since we arrived, 14c – 57F.

As we motored on, we both agreed that the east side of the island with its plentiful streams, waterfalls and mountains, was far more spectacular than what we’d seen of the west.

We turned on 96 toward Höfn (pronounced Hup), drove through the six kilometer long Fáskrúðsfjörður Tunnel and skirted around the edges of the Eastfjords, the low cloud clinging between the fjord and the rocks sending me into a photo snapping frenzy.

Before long we were driving through thick fog; we knew the sea was somewhere to our left but it was impossible to see. It cleared a bit as we reached Stöðvarfjörður, where we drove down to the wharf to poke around; it was much colder here along the coast. Our itinerary mentioned Steinasafn Petru, ‘a local granny’s magnificent rock collection’ - we saw a bus parked outside the front of a house and figured that must be it, but the allure was lost on us.

We rejoined the Ring Road at Breiðdalsvík and worked our way through the startlingly green landscape with its rugged mountain fringe – gorgeous – the asphalt soon turned to gravel.

We detoured to Djúpivogur, a pretty little seaside town located on a peninsula, and an obvious tour bus stop. We walked to the top of a rock cropping for some nice views over town, then popped into the bright red Langabúð for a latte, beer and a lovely slice of French Chocolate cake (2.300, about $23). When we left town around 2:45, it was deserted – the buses were long gone.

We returned to the Ring Road under overcast skies and were soon surrounded by hills of black scree for as far as the eyes could see. We passed a car that had gone off the road - the driver couldn’t have picked a worse place if he’d tried – his front tire was completely buried in deep black sand. Two other cars had stopped to help, and because there was no shoulder, the caravan was blocking the entire lane.

A short time later we saw another car stopped in the middle of the opposite lane, the occupants looking frantically about as if they’d just hit something, while a ewe and her two lambs trotted down the embankment.

The tourists have arrived! I can certainly see how these little rental cars get put through their paces.

We forged on, across numerous wide river crossings, the mountains now just sheets of loose black rock. We began to wonder if this drive would ever end. It was raining, the clouds low, visibility poor.

We finally turned left on 99 and drove the final four kilometers to wet and foggy Höfn, “the lobster capital of Northern Europe” arriving seven hours after leaving Seyðisfjörður. We located and checked into Guesthouse Dyngja, where our host Cyrus informed us that it had been raining in Höfn for the last six days.

http://dyngja.com/

Nice place this. We were chuffed to have so much space, not to mention a refrigerator! The room was clean, fresh and modern and had a large bathroom, an open living area, and a breakfast bar which worked perfectly for setting up our laptop. Our stay included breakfast, which had been left in our refrigerator, although the very strong smell of pink salami was a bit off-putting.

That, and the lack of curtains dark enough to keep out the endless sun, were the only drawbacks of our stay here. Oh yeah, and the people who kept coming to our door and trying to walk in – evidently other guests who kept forgetting which room they were in (18,000 ISK, about $180).

We asked Cyrus for dinner recommendations, and he pointed across the street to Pakkhaus, which also happened to be on my list. He said it was the best restaurant in town.

We’d read that food options were non-existent between Höfn and our next stop, Vik ( this turned out to be inaccurate), and Cyrus confirmed that the only grocery store in town (Netto) didn’t open until 10 am the following day, so we high-tailed it over there to pick up some provisions for tomorrow’s drive before they closed (1.800, about $18 for a large bottle of water, two croissants, a couple of rolls, a few pats of butter and some Skyr).

Our dinner at the Pakkhaus (overlooking the completely socked in harbor) was indeed good – a fried feta starter for the non-seafood eater (1.890, about $19), an Einstock white beer (1.000, about $10) and the fish of the day, Lingcod in a cream sauce (3.790, about $38) for Bill, which he said was excellent. The restaurant was full when we left, and it was still early.

http://www.pakkhus.is/

Photos here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...h/35487964361/

To be continued...

Melnq8

Day 8 -

We ate our Skyr, used our breakfast provisions to make a packed lunch, and left our accommodation. It was still foggy and wet. We drove around town, but never did see the harbor or Europe’s biggest glacier, Vatnajökull, which is said to dominate the town.

Unable to find a place for a proper coffee (filter coffee was available at the gas station, thanks but no), we left Höfn, feeling let down and a bit depressed.

Our itinerary had promised a nonstop procession of stunning scenery on today’s drive from Höfn to Vik.

We retraced our steps on 99, joined the Ring Road, and within minutes the fog lifted. We worked our way south, the tops of the surrounding mountains cut off by low cloud. Views of distant glaciers began to appear to our right, and then abundant outcroppings of moss covered black rock. The landscape kept changing, flat green pasture turned to dry ochre tussocks, fields of blooming purple Lupines followed dark grey mudflats. It was a feast for the eyes, all the more so when the sun finally came out.

The further south we drove, the more traffic we encountered, and the more we understood the popularity of this side of the island. Here vibrant green pushed up against a backdrop of inhospitable black; simultaneously moody, weird and wonderful.

Mt. Hvannadalshnjúkur, Iceland’s highest peak came into view (2,110 meters, 6,900 feet) and soon we were pulling into the car park of Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon bordering Vatnajökull National Park.

Wow. Now this was something. I don’t know what excited me more, the lagoon or the brilliant light with which to photograph it. It was stunning. As we walked from one end to the other, I overheard a woman tell someone that she had been here five times and had never seen it like this, making us feel pretty lucky.

Other than at the waterfalls, we’d not seen a large concentration of tourists, but Jökulsárlón was hopping; its car park an obstacle course of deep pot holes, rough gravel and pools of standing water.

Ten kilometers west of Jökulsárlón, we found Fjallsárlón Glacial Lagoon, where we walked around a bit in the seriously fierce cold wind, reminding me that Iceland is not a good place to have long hair.

We continued our drive, the fog and wind moving back in. We took a break at Foss Hotel at Glacier Lagoon, where we settled in for caffeine (tasty AND pretty, 1.200 ISK, about $12) and a chat with the barista, who told us that a few weeks prior to our visit the Ring Road had closed due to poor weather; no one could get in or out. The hotel is located in Hnappavellir, Iceland´s most popular climbing area, and while open year round, we were told that it’s busier in the winter months, and like today, fogged in more often than not. The view from the hotel might be pretty on a clear day, but today there wasn’t much to look at.

We continued our drive south, the atmosphere a bit otherworldly; rugged mountains barely discernible in the eerie fog. So many glaciers, so little time.

Next came Skatafell, now part of Vatnajökull National Park. The parking lot was heaving, so we parked in the overflow lot (it must be a complete zoo in the high season), poked through the visitor’s center and then walked the 5.3 km trail to Svartifoss, swatting midges en route. We were a bit underwhelmed with the views of the barren flood plain from the top, and even less impressed with the masses of people, so we retreated to the car and high-tailed it out of there.

At this point we realized we’d only driven half the 272 kilometers from Höfn to Vik, yet it was already mid-afternoon.

We forged on, crossing a very long one way bridge over a river (complete with several passing zones), the landscape becoming flatter and flatter, feeling increasingly desolate, a sea of seemingly endless black dirt.

It began to rain, then the sun returned, then it began to rain again. Imposing walls of volcanic rock with bits of green running up the sides came into view, then waterfalls, then sporadic patches of green; the landscape changing as quickly as the weather. Contrary to what we’d read, there seemed to be sufficient food options along this route, we need not have worried about going hungry.

The black rocks were now covered in a yellow-green moss, a bizarre sight; then suddenly it was so green my eyeballs hurt.

We stopped at Dverghamrar (Dwarf Rocks), where we wandered the path through the basalt columns surrounded by more vibrant green countryside. A nearby farm backed to the cliffs, a waterfall practically in the back yard. The sun was out again; it was photo nirvana.

We exited on 206 just past the village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur, where we inched along to Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, dodging tire eating potholes. It was beautiful through here, and I was chuffed to find a well maintained porta loo near the parking lot.

We walked the rim trail (one hour return), taking in the spectacular views of the Fjaðrá river flowing through the steep-walled serpentines of the gorge below.

Back on the Ring Road we continued south towards Vik, alongside more black rock, barren flatness and then field after field of blooming Lupines. Just wow. By now we’d seen so many waterfalls that we didn’t bother to stop anymore.

It had taken us almost nine hours to drive the 272 kilometers to Vik, population 318. It had indeed been a day of non-stop scenery. We were pretty wrecked, but we still weren’t ‘home’.

Near starving, we sought out Strondin Bistro, a place I’d run across during my trip research. We knew it was attached to a gas station; we figured we should eat in at least one to complete our Icelandic experience. As it happened, this one probably didn’t qualify, as it was a proper independent restaurant; it just shared space with the petrol station. Or so it seemed anyway.

Researching places to eat in Vik was probably a waste of time; this appeared to be the only game in town. In fact, the entire town of Vik seemed to consist of just a petrol station/restaurant.

We shared yet another pizza (2.400 ISK, about $24, and each had a drink, 2.500 ISK, about $25). Our Polish waitress was helpful and friendly...and amused...because although we’d finished eating, we told her we wanted to stick around and watch the expressions of the two women at a neighboring table, who against her advice, had ordered fermented shark as a MAIN.

They sniffed, examined and gingerly took bites, but they didn’t gag and spit it out as we’d expected. No dinner theatre here.

We gassed the Clio and continued driving the 16 km beyond Vik to our accommodation, arriving just before 8 pm. What a day.

Back in February when I made all of our initial accommodation bookings, the only area I had trouble finding a place was Vik, the southernmost village in Iceland. There’s just not much accommodation on offer between Vik and Höfn, and what does exist is in high demand, enabling the owners/operators to basically print money.

Enter Guesthouse Steig, the most expensive accommodation of our trip ($235). The guesthouse is essentially a narrow one story building added to an existing farm. We stayed in #16, one of 19 rooms with a bathroom down the hall. I was surprised that there were only two bathrooms/showers in the entire guesthouse, which I’d assumed were shared by all 19 rooms. I’ve since read that some of the rooms have private facilities, how many I don’t know. Unfortunately, none were available when I booked.

Our room was small and ordinary, comfortable and clean, and while completely adequate, not what we considered good value. The shower was a mere trickle and the bathroom was in need of an overhaul. A completely forgettable breakfast was included. The owners were friendly, their dogs greeted us when we arrived, and we were able to procure a pitcher of ice which we much appreciated, but I had much higher hopes for Guesthouse Steig.

Photos here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...h/35679935156/

To be continued...

Adelaidean

It's a moody landscape, for sure.

Melnq8

Glad to see someone is still reading!

Melnq8

Day 9 –

Up and out early, we backtracked to Vik to see what we’d missed the previous day due to time and energy constraints. We’d hoped to take the three hour walk along the Reynisfjall sea cliffs, but the torrential rain and ferocious cold wind was more conducive to curling up in a warm duvet (5C, 41F).

We settled for walking down to the black sand beach to gaze at the Reynisdrangar basalt sea stacks, then followed 215 to black pebbly Reynisfjara beach for the obligatory peek into the Halsanefshellir sea cave, which was about as exciting as we expected it to be.

I was pleased to see a public loo, 200 ISK, about $2, credit cards and vouchers only, presumably provided by tour operators, as this area is most definitely on the bus tour route.

Back on Route 1, we drove the stretch of road where an RV had been destroyed the previous week; evidently unable to cope with the strong gusty wind and hills. Our little Clio zipped along without a care in the world.

It was seriously green again; we passed a lamb standing on top of another sheep, probably Maw. We detoured on 218 to Dyrhólaey, described in our itinerary as ‘another enticing side trip, especially for birders’. There were indeed plenty of birds through here, and while it might be gorgeous on a pretty day, today it was pretty ho-hum.

On the upside, they’re in the process of installing public toilets back here to accommodate the crowds, so future visitors will at least have a place to do their business.

By now we were wondering what all the fuss was about. I guess for those who have never seen a black sand beach or a sea cliff, Vik might be rather exciting, but we were underwhelmed (although I fully acknowledge that the crap weather was major a factor).

We next detoured to Solheimajokull glacier, where we called into an unpromising café, for some surprisingly good lattes (1.200 ISK, about $12).

Then it was on to Skogafoss on the Skógá River, one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, where we joined the throng for the short trek to the waterfall. It was abundantly clear that we were now in the heart of the busiest part of the island. June through August must be chaos. Takk, but no.

We forged south, passing numerous wind-blown waterfalls dropping from staggering heights, slowed by a puttering camper, our doors blown off by another, the driver seeing fit to speed past in a no passing zone on a blind corner.

One hundred kilometers from Reykjavik and there wasn’t a thing to look at...until we passed the town of Selfoss, where black hills covered with chartreuse (moss?) provided an eyeful of bumpy relief.

Some five hours after leaving Vik, we arrived in Reykjavik, promptly getting lost amongst a myriad of apartment blocks and short squat buildings; Reykjavik felt as if it had grown since the previous week.

In an attempt to regain our bearings, we searched the skyline for Hallgrímskirkja. Once spotted, we used it as a beacon, following it into the city. By sheer luck we found a parking spot on the main shopping street of Laugavegur mere steps from the restaurant we were looking for, Svarta Kaffid, We paid for parking, not realizing until later that parking is free on Sundays.

Svarta Kaffid does one thing - soup. They have two offerings a day, a meat soup and a vegetarian option, both served in bread bowls. The carnivore predictably went for the lamb soup and I predictably chose the curry vegetable, both were demolished, bowl and all. By Icelandic standards, it was a reasonably priced fill-up, 3.700 for one bowl each, about $37).

https://www.myguidereykjavik.com/res.../svarta-kaffid

Our plan for this afternoon was to find the Phallological Museum which had previously eluded us. I asked for directions in a nearby shop. The young woman said “You mean the Penis Museum?” She then pointed down the block and advised me to not miss a specific Nazi donation (which I later learned was the first human penis donation made by Páll Arason, evidently a womanizer and Nazi sympathizer, at the ripe old age of 95).

The Phallological Museum is the only penis museum in the world, how could we possibly resist? We paid our 1.5 ISK each admission (about $15) and stepped into a world of male appendages from some 46 species of mammals.

Was it interesting? Absolutely? Was it educational? Without a doubt. Was it giggle-inducing? You have no idea. Did I buy a souvenir? Oh yes I did.

http://phallus.is/en/

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel...ses-180947667/

After our fill of phallic specimens and penile parts, we figured it was time for Happy Hour, so we had a round at Hlemmur Square’s Pulsa Bar 1.500, about $15 (which I just this minute learned is also Reykjavik’s first artisanal sausage restaurant).

The wheat beer drinker was hankering for some Einstök White Ale on draft, so we wandered the streets looking at menus until we stumbled upon Sushi Social, where we had Happy Hour drink #2 and a nice chat with a waitress in their very quiet relaxing bar (1.800 ISK, about $18).

Hydrated, we walked back to our car, picked up some Skyr at the Bonus grocery en route, and headed out into the ‘burbs to find our accommodation for the next two nights, Maxhouse Reykjavik ($394 for two nights).

http://maxhouse-reykjavik.hotels-reykjavik-is.com/en/

What an ordeal. After navigating a highway, wandering through a couple of neighborhoods and numerous traffic circles, we finally found what I expected to be an apartment in a quiet area with easy access to town.

Wrong. What we got was a room in the basement of a new concrete home, in the middle of a construction site, complete with heavy equipment and rubble. This is indeed a suburb, a brand new one, surrounded by similar homes in various stages of construction. Central it’s not.

The owner lives above, three posh bedrooms with a beautifully decorated kitchen fill the lower floor.

It’s not an apartment at all, but rather a flashy room with private bathroom. Everything else is shared.

Granted, it was a very nice room, but more style than substance. I would have traded the flashing northern lights feature on the ceiling (which mysteriously turned on unbidden and wouldn’t turn off), the IPAD and other gadgetry for more space, better functionality and a central location. Room darkening shades would also have been much appreciated.

It was clean, comfortable, upscale and compact. There was a coffee machine and refrigerator in the kitchen. The free coffee capsules, milk, water and Pepsi were a nice touch. The bathroom had a nice rain shower.

I’d done my research and knew there was a coin operated laundry in the city (in the basement of the Laundromat Cafe), but we asked the owner of our accommodation if there was a closer one. We needed to do laundry before we left for Switzerland. She seemed perplexed and wasn’t even aware of the one in town. She said she sends her laundry out and it takes four days to get it back. Huh.

We then asked if there was a restaurant nearby – we were tired and didn’t want to drive back to the city – she suggested the KFC/Taco Bell near the highway, and said it was either that or the grocery store; which is how we came to share a box of ‘poppers’ at KFC – 1.270 ISK, about $13, and a pint of Häagen-Dazs (790 ISK, about $8). Dinner of champions.

Photos here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...h/34921686644/

Winding down...

Melnq8

Day 10 –

We’d enquired about the Golden Circle the previous day at the Visitor’s Center; we were told it would take about five hours. I’d asked if there was a preferred direction, such as going opposite the buses, but we were told it made no difference, which led me to believe we were doomed.

So, with the hope of getting a head start on the anticipated bus traffic, we set out at 6:30 am. It was gloomy and raining as we made our way north to 36 via Route 1, and drove the 28 km to Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir) which is located in an active volcanic area, just 49 km east of Reykjavík, and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We passed Pingvvallavatn, which looked nothing like the photographs we’d seen. It might be beautiful on a clear day, but today, well, we were a bit mystified...were we missing something grand?

We eventually joined 365 towards Geysir, thinking that surely things would improve, on this, the most popular tourist route in Iceland. So far the most interesting thing we’d seen was lambs wiggle their tails while they nursed.

We turned onto 37 and drove the final 30 km to Geysir, spotting Efstidalur Farm, which was on my list, but it was only 8 am, too early for ice cream, even for me.

http://efstidalur.is/

At Geysir, we walked around the geysers and watched Iceland’s most famous geyser, Strokkur, blow its top (eruptions every 6-10 minutes). We only saw about 10 people, evidently it was still too early for the bus crowd.

We continued, driving the final 10 km to Gulfoss, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland, but not before coming up on some idiotic tourists who’d seen fit to park in the middle of the road, vacate their car and watch horses. Really?

Gulfoss is situated on the Hvítá River; the water spills down 32 meters in two stages into a canyon. It has an interesting history:

http://gullfoss.is/about-gullfoss/

We walked all the pathways and ogled the waterfall from every viewing platform, freezing our bits off in the ferocious cold wind and rain with dozens of other hapless tourists (still no buses). It was a damn unpleasant day. And yes, Gulfoss has a loo (!) 200 ISK, about $2.

The gloom began to clear a bit as we retraced our steps to Geysir; the landscape quite pretty now that we could see it. We joined 35 to Reykholt, surrounded by horses frolicking in pastures so green we had to squint.

We saw our first bus just after 10 am. We located Friðheimar Greenhouse, which was on our radar for lunch, but it was too early, so we did the next best thing and backtracked to Efstidalur Farm and had pre-lunch dessert with the cows, in the form of white chocolate/strawberry for me, vanilla/mocha for Bill (1.400 ISK, about $14). I rarely find ice cream I don’t like, and this was no exception; we had the place to ourselves.

Friðheimar didn’t open until noon, but when we returned, we saw a bus and people milling about, so we took a chance and wandered in and enquired about lunch. Although it was only 11:40, we were seated right away. And a good thing too, as by 12:15 they were turning people away.

We settled in for an all-you-can eat tomato soup and bread extravaganza, in the middle of a geothermal greenhouse, surrounded by some of the biggest tomato plants we’d ever seen. It was fascinating, educational and delicious (2.290, about $23 each). The copious amounts of butter, sour cream, and the fresh basil plants on each table for snipping into one’s soup were a very nice touch.

I hate to say it, but Fridheimar was the highlight of my day on the Golden Circle. Had we not already seen so many spectacular waterfalls, Gulfoss would no doubt have ruled the day.

http://fridheimar.is/en/restaurant

We returned to Reykjavik via 35 (Selfoss), hoping to get a second chance to see those otherworldly black hills covered in chartreuse, but it was not to be. The fog was thick; had we not driven this same route the previous day, we’d not have known there was anything to see.

It took seemingly forever to get back to Reykjavik, our day on the Golden Circle had taken 7.5 hours, and involved entirely too much sitting in a car for our tastes.

Then it was off to the Laundromat Café, where we spent two incredibly painful hours washing and drying two small loads of laundry (.750 ISK to wash, .750 to dry, two loads, about $30), in between trips to the car to pay the parking meter (1.100, about $11 for five hours).

The dryer seemed to have a mind of its own, stopping, starting, changing cycles; many trips were made upstairs to get replacement tokens for the ones the machines had eaten, and to request help. Extra tokens and words of advice were passed from those leaving to those arriving. It was all a lot more complicated than it needed to be, and rather surprising that a city the size of Reykjavik only has one Laundromat (and this one in the basement of a café and bar).

http://www.thelaundromatcafe.com/en/home

After the laundry fiasco we figured we needed an adult beverage, so we sought out Skuli Craft Bar, which had been recommended to us the previous night by our waitress at Sushi Social.

What a great little place, and as luck would have it, home to Bill’s favorite local beer of the trip, Snorri (two rounds of beer and wine, 3.300, about $33, Happy Hour prices). We were amused to find a box of Cards Against Humanity on the bar; evidently Icelanders are as despicable and awkward as we are

Dinner found us at the unassuming Hraðlestin where we had some surprisingly good Indian food – lamb vindaloo for Bill, a very tender chicken tikka masala for me (5.800, about $58 with rice and naan).

http://www.hradlestin.is/

We gassed up the Clio one last time, and temporarily misplaced our accommodation...again...where we packed and went to bed.

Photos here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...57683545273731

Departure and final thoughts...

Melnq8

Day 11 -

Up at 3:45 am, out the door by 4:15 am, we returned the car and were at the airport by 5:30 am.

Iceland Air’s check-in and bag drop-off at KEF was as efficient and fast as their check-in at DIA was chaotic and slow. Security was quick and streamlined.

We had sufficient time for one last nibble (baguette with cheese, 1.090, about $11) and a poke through Duty Free to relieve us of our last bit of Icelandic Krona* with a bottle of water and an Omnom chocolate bar (990 ISK, about $10, I saw the same chocolate bars in the city for 1.400 ISK, about $14). I’m glad I waited until departure to try one as the Dark Milk Tanzania was fabulous; I might have gone broke.

*We’d gotten about $200 USD worth of ISK from an ATM when we arrived. It probably wasn’t necessary, as Iceland is well set up for credit cards, even parking meters and toilets accept them. The cash did come in handy for the odd Skyr run, an occasional honesty box, parking, road tolls, etc, but wasn’t really necessary.

Our flight boarded a bit late, but once again, was incredibly efficient, even though we were all allowed to board at the same time instead of by row number. We just scanned our own boarding pass, and viola!

Some 3-1/2 hours and a smooth flight later, we were in Zurich. Hello Switzerland!

The numbers:

Kilometers driven – 4,180

Amount spent on gas – ~$400 USD

Tubs of Skyr consumed - ~20

Observations & Impressions:

After the photographs I’d seen, the enthusiasm and positive experiences of others that I’d read, I thought Iceland might become my new favorite place.

I thought wrong. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Perhaps I’m just jaded from years of traveling to and living in beautiful parts of the world, but Iceland left me feeling confused and ambivalent.

Many parts of Iceland are spectacular, no doubt, and I'm glad we went, but...

I can’t help but think that Iceland is poised to become a victim of its own success. Natural attractions are crowded, basic facilities and infrastructure in heavily visited areas is sadly lacking. Airlines continue to tout free stopovers, bringing in more and more tourists, yet the country doesn’t seem ready to accommodate them.

Anyone who has looked into going to Iceland probably knows that it has a reputation of being quite expensive. What’s worse is that it’s very low value, or at least it was to us.

Would we go back? Unlikely. Unless, like so many others, we’re enticed into a short stopover with an-impossible-to-resist low airfare and promises of the Northern Lights.

Adelaidean

Glad of your honest thoughts, I like to weigh up all the opinions that I read to make up my wishlist, and somehow I thought it sounded like a lot of driving to get to the sights ... anyway, I did enough long roadtrips in Oz, looking for 'easier' travels now.

But still, now you can start your Switzerland report

Melnq8

You are a patient soul Adelaidean!

I've started my Switzerland trip report, but it will probably be more of summary, as we've been so many times before.

wtm003

Mel, I can't wait to read this! I've barely been home since we returned from Iceland in late June and it already seems long ago so it'll be fun to read your trip report.

Sberg

Thanks for your detailed report. We visited for 2 days on the way to Norway 2 years ago and loved it! We did not even go into Reykjavik but drove to Vik. I guess we loved it because we had great weather, saw the puffins and did some great hiking. We did the Golden Circle the next day and I agree there were too many busses! The food was not great but adequate. I may return someday but maybe we will brave it in the winter in an effort to see the northern lights.

vickiebypass

Mel,

THanks for taking the time to write this report which I found very interesting. I went to Iceland in Sept 2016 for 9 days (Rek and driving the southern half) and returned in Jan 2017 for horse school. I had wonderful weather in Sept, mostly sun with a bit of rain each day and some gusts, but not the sideways, bone chilling weather that you had. That kind of weather would make it difficult for me to enjoy sightseeing, for sure! I liked Vik very much and spent a lot of time on their town black sand beach (the polished rocks and pebbles standing on end, sculpted by the wind) and the little red-roofed church & cemetery. I did a glacier trek at Skaf national park (amazing) and the Jok glacial lagoon, although I think I liked wandering around the ice clusters on the beach across the highway from Jok.

I've been debating returning to do the northern half, but think I'll pass on that. Perhaps the Snaesfaellnes Peninsula as a 3-4 stopover en route to somewhere in Europe.

Anyhoo, I enjoyed reading your detailed report (including the lodging descriptions - boy, are they a wake up call in terms of cost and no-frills!)

Melnq8

Sounds like you were lucky with the weather vickiebypass.

The bits of the north that stood out for us were our stay at the farmhouse near Sauðárkrókur and the side trip we took to Dalvik,
Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður.

There were fewer tourists up that way too, which was a very good thing

Songdoc

I've missed you! ;-) I'm so glad you found me on the Hawaii forum.

This was an amazing report and fantastic photos. It's interesting...while you were somewhat underwhelmed, your pix and report stoked my desire to visit Iceland. But I will say the prices and food choices are daunting.

I can certainly see the resemblances to New Zealand. I also saw aspects that reminded me of Norway and parts of Ireland. These are all favorite places.

Thanks for the vicarious trip!

Melnq8

Aloha stranger, good to see you here!

I'm glad my photos inspired you - the photos we saw before we went to Iceland sealed the deal for us as well. If you ever go, I'd love to hear your impressions.

I hope you're loving your new life in Hawaii - how could you not?

At least I know where to find you now!