Iceland -- Doing the Right Thing the (Slightly) Wrong Way #1

Sun Voyager in Reykjavik

I always preach that you should make travel decisions based on your (and your traveling companions') travel preferences. So, then, I broke those rules because I was seduced by a good deal.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy my recent (and third) trip to Iceland. 

Ah, Iceland!

And, it's not to say I would have gone had there not been a good deal. It's just recognition that I would have enjoyed a differently planned trip a lot more.

A couple of months ago, I saw an  Icelandair Holidays deal – round-trip airfare and lodging plus mountain hot springs and aurora-watching for less than $1,000 each. 

Scott was game, so I booked the trip that included the airfare, the spa/aurora and five nights in Reykjavik for $1,818 for two people! Great! We added an overnight trip out to Jökulsárlón to visit the south coast and tour an ice cave (but kept the hotel room in Reykjavik because it was cheaper than checking out, skipping a night and checking back in). We had a good time, but:

• We aren’t really city travelers (well, I like cities, but Scott doesn’t) and Reykjavik doesn’t offer as much for us as the Icelandic countryside does.
• Initially, we didn’t plan to rent a car (we ended up renting one for two days).
• By taking a tour to Jökulsárlón rather than driving ourselves, we sacrificed some autonomy.
• Scott hates tours. Plus, although I don’t dislike tours, I would have preferred being on our own.

I’ll explain all of this as I describe the trip. I just got a valuable reminder that travel preference is important and cheap isn’t always the best way to go.

Dyrhólaey

So, this was my third and Scott’s second trip to Iceland. Click here and here to see previous coverage -- and note that there are multiple posts in those areas about my previous trips to Iceland. Why do I go back? It’s just such a magnificent place – just look at the pictures. 

South Coast farm

Plus, there is always a chance you’ll see aurora borealis without having to endure sub-zero temperatures. 

I took this in Búdir in 2015

I think my accounts of some of the difficult driving I encountered in Iceland in January spooked Scott more than it had spooked me. He was pretty adamant he didn’t want to rent a car. 

Not my favorite adventure

I was concerned because all the good stuff is outside the city. We dealt with that on site.

Photo: Centerhotel

Before I describe the trip, a word about Icelandair Holidays: the prices they offered were great and the hotel – the Centerhotel Skjaldbreid – was in a great location but was so-so (the price, however, made it tolerable). 

By so-so, I mean that the room was very small, it had a tendency to get very damp (I think the heat was central; we didn't seem to have any controls), some of the light fixtures were broken and the breakfast was meager. Scott never likes European breakfast because he’s an egg guy, but I generally like the bread, veggies and fruit. 

The Skjaldbreid, however, offered just mundane bread and very few other options.  Also, it didn't really have a lobby -- that's a pharmacy on the first floor -- the hotel entrance is down on the end and has stairs up to the elevator. 

Initially, we were going to just try to get an early check-in when we arrived, but I ended up booking the room for the day we arrived so that Scott could nap (our flight arrived at 6:35 a.m.) and it was 300 euros!!! That was too much for such a tiny room.

Icelandair Holidays doesn’t work on the weekends, so all questions/concerns can be addressed only during Icelandic work hours. That was bit of an issue, but not too much. 

The bigger issue was that I requested seats and received a confirmation of the seats only to check later and discover no seats had been assigned, so I had to re-request seats. Fortunately, I was still able to get two window seats on the north side of the flight to Iceland. This is critical for watching for aurora, which we did see on the way there.

From the plane

So, the flight to Reykjavik is pretty cool – just seven hours and 20 minutes direct from Denver. You can’t beat that. You leave at 4:15 p.m. and arrive at 6:35 a.m. It works for me because I read and dozed. Scott never sleeps on planes and he needs lots more sleep than I do. So he is always pretty miserable on arrival. That’s why I booked a room rather than just crossing fingers for early check-in. Plus, we did get breakfast upon arrival. Meager, but not an extra expense. (Photo:Icelandair)

Our package also included Flybus transfer from the airport, which is about 45 minutes out of town. It is a bit of a pain because you have to go on a big bus to a transfer station and then schlep your luggage to a smaller bus. It wasn’t too bad, except that Reykjavik had had a huge snowstorm two weeks before and there was still a lot of slush and snow around. They don’t seem to plow and dragging luggage through slush ain’t fun! Scott didn’t like it at all. So, despite having a return ticket for Flybus, we took a cab back to the airport when we left ($15 vs. $150! – you decide if it is worth it).

Although this was an off-season trip, but was pretty crowded with tourists. Two weeks before, as I mentioned, they had had a terrible snow storm that closed most roads. One week before, it had been unseasonably warm and clear (as in cloudless skies in a country that usually experiences 89 percent cloud cover) and they had had mind-blowing aurora. The forecast for our visit was pretty gloomy – rain, snow and overcast. It actually turned out much better than predicted, but not the glorious weather of the preceding week.

Meh weather

When we arrived, we rested and then I went for a walk along the waterfront.  Although this was my third trip, this was really the first time I explored Reykjavik. 

But, winter can be glorious

It was quite pretty along the harbor – with snowy mountains.

There was also a flock of Common Eiders. These ducks live in only arctic and subarctic coastal areas, so it was a treat to see them. They are known for providing feathers and down for pillows and duvets. The males are especially beautiful.

I had wanted to photograph these

As I was walking along the Sæbraut Road trail, I finally got to see the Harpa, Reykjavik’s famous concert hall. 

Interesting building

Harpa has a steel framework covered with geometric glass panels of different colors. 

Outside sculpture

Built in 2007-11, Harpa houses the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the offices of the Icelandic Opera. In 2013, the building won the European Union's Mies van der Rohe award for contemporary architecture.

The exterior

I also got to see the Sun Voyager (Icelandic: Sólfar), Reykjavik’s iconic sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason, which commemorates the 200th anniversary of the city. Unveiled in August 1990, the stainless steel structure looks like a Viking ship, but the sculptor claims that it is not (!) He said that it is a “dreamboat” ode to the sun, symbolizing light and hope. It is quite striking -- especially against the snowy mountains.

This is the best backdrop possible for this gorgeous statue

After walking almost the entire length of the harbor, I headed to the Hallgrímskirkja, another iconic Reykjavik landmark. 

This time we were not graced with the spectacular ruby-red sunset of my last visit, left

The interior was open and I got to go to the top of the tower (about $10 to visit the tower),

The tower affords a spectacular panoramic view of the city

Commissioned in 1937, this Lutheran church took more than 40 years to build. The crypt beneath the choir was consecrated in 1948, the steeple and wings were completed in 1974 and the nave was consecrated in 1986. Inside the sanctuary is a large pipe organ. 

We love pipe organs

While I was there, a young woman was being given instruction on how to play it, so we got a few strains of music. I checked to see if there was a concert in the offing. There was not.

Celebrating Iceland's roots

Outside is a statue of Norse explorer Leif Eriksson (circa 970  -- 1020). It was a gift from the United States to Iceland in honor of the 1930 Alþingi Millennial Festival, commemorating the 1,000th anniversary of Iceland's parliament at Þingvellir in 930 AD. Þingvellir is just outside of town and is now a national park.

Scott had hurt his knee before our trip, so he wasn’t into strolling the city. Originally, I thought we could go Whale-watching out of Reykjavik, but online reviews said that they hadn’t seen a Whale in four months. So, that was out. Tours in Grundarfjörður were seeing whales, but that's another story.

The weather was looking tolerable, so we decided to rent a car the next day to head out of the city before our spa evening. 

We drove to Gullfoss, an astonishing waterfall about an hour and a half outside the city. 

Always worth the drive

It is part of the “Golden Circle,” which also comprises Þingvellir National Park and Geysir, a geothermal area featuring several geysers.

Iceland's main (but certainly not only) geothermal area

Geyser – derived from the Icelandic word “geysir,” is one of the few Icelandic words that have made their way into the English language. Other words include:

Not a language you hear much

Saga -- from the Icelandic word saga, meaning story or tale.

Berserk -- from the words björn (bear) and serkur (shirt) referencing the Berserkir, Norse warriors who worked themselves into a frenzy before battle and fought with insane fury and courage.

Jökulhlau – still in its original form meaning "glacier run," a type of glacial outburst flood.

Fellow -- derived from the Icelandic word félagi (partner or colleague).

The goal was Gullfoss

Gullfoss is phenomenal. I have now seen it in three seasons – summer, winter and spring. 

I think it is most spectacular in winter; this was taken in January 2015

The wide Hvítá River makes a sharp right turn right before the falls and flows down into a wide curved three-step "staircase" and then abruptly plunges in two stages (36 feet, 69 feet) into a crevice 105 feet deep.

But, March wasn't bad (and not as cold)

When I was there in January, it was brutally cold, icy and windy. This time, it was chilly but comfortable and walking was not treacherous. I visited both the lower and upper observation areas (Scott didn’t do the walk at the top). 

For scale, look at the people in this photo

Following the falls, we drove back to Reykjavik, completing the circle (although this time we drove through but didn't stop at Þingvellir or Geysir. We did eat lunch at the restaurant at Geysir.

A small country with big vistas

Ironically, we drove past the spa we were scheduled to visit that evening.

We had originally planned to return the car that afternoon, but extended it because we enjoy the countryside much more than the city (and, Scott’s knee continued to plague him).

The Reykjavik Excursions spa/northern lights trip, which was part of the package, was underwhelming. We went via a big bus to Laugarvatn (“washing water”) Fontana Geothermal Baths first where we had a generally awful buffet dinner (which we were not even sure was included in the price until we asked) followed by some time in the pools. There are several pools of varying heat (we did the middle “just right” one). They are on the shore of a lake, where you can take a dip – if you are CRAZY – but, at night, you can’t really see the lake, so it just feels like you are at a pool.

The spa; Photo: Laugarvatn Fontana

The Fontana was formerly part of a boarding school where children from the countryside came to be educated. Neighborhood hot pools are pretty standard in geothermal Iceland – often serving as the center of the community. In some area, they remain local in nature and, in some areas, they have become tourist spots, like Laugarvatn. It was far cozier than the Blue Lagoon (and far easier to reach sufficiently warm water on a cold evening). But, I think I would have enjoyed it more in daylight where I could have seen the scenery. Or, had there been clear skies, some aurora would have been nice.

Following our spa time, we went on a ridiculous pursuit of aurora. It was entirely overcast, so we had no luck. Our tour guide presented generally accurate information about aurora and how to photograph it, but it seemed more memorized than understood. But, then, if I had to explain aurora in Icelandic, I would fail. So, I should give an Icelander who is speaking English a break. By the way – all Icelanders study English and most speak it really well.

We still had the car, so we had to decide which direction to go. I really wanted to head up to Grundarfjörður to show Scott some new scenery an, perhaps, grab a whale-watch. Laki tours, where Caty and I had taken two trips (without seeing whales), had been seeing orcas, humpbacks and sperm whales, so it seemed like a good idea. 

Kirkjufell, Grundarfjörður, 2015

But, weather forecasts for Grundarfjörður were awful and the south coast forecast looked more promising. Plus, Google maps said it would take about 95 minutes to get to Grundarfjörður, but our car GPS said four hours!

So, we decided to go south.

Skógafoss

It was a good call. We drove all the way out to Reynisdrangar, where there were lots of great views.

The Dyrhólaey promontory looking toward the Mýrdalsjökull glacier

The black lava columns of the Reynisdrangar

The black beach coastline

In front of the peninsula, there is a gigantic black arch of lava standing in the sea, which gave the peninsula its name. 

Dyrhólaey means the hill-island with the door-hole

A lighthouse sits on top of the Dyrhólaey promontory.

A typical Icelandic lighthouse design

Reynisdrangar are basalt sea stacks situated under the mountain Reynisfjall near the village Vík í Mýrdal. Legend says that the stacks originated when two trolls tried to drag a three-masted ship to land and, when daylight broke, they became needles of rock.

Iconic Iceland

We were very pleased that we went because we got to see the area with some sunlight (although still somewhat backlit). 

Then, we meandered back, stopping at the south coast’s two popular waterfalls: Selandjafoss and Skogafoss. I discovered that I had been pronouncing both wrong – it's seh–lee-ah-lange–foss and Sko-wa-foss. But, Icelandic is very tricky.

Selandjafoss drops197 feet and is part of the Seljalands River that has its origin in the volcano glacier Eyjafjallajökull (which is on the mountain that had the famous 2010 eruption that shut down European air travel for six days). 

Selandjafoss

Visitors can walk behind the falls into a small cave – but I wouldn’t recommend it on a cool day. It’s very wet and slippery. This time, however, it wasn't icy. So, getting around was much easier.

Skógafoss, which is on the Skógá River at the cliffs of the former coastline, is 82 feet wide and drops 200 feet.

This is a magical place

Due to the amount of spray, the waterfall consistently produces a single or double rainbow visible on sunny days. 

See? A magic rainbow

According to legend, the first Viking settler in the area, Þrasi Þórólfsson, buried a treasure in a cave behind the waterfall. 

My favorite waterfall

The legend continues that locals found the chest years later, but were only able to grasp the ring on the side of the chest before it disappeared again. 

The ring was allegedly given to the local church. The old church door ring is now in a museum, though whether it gives any credence to the folklore is debatable.

The waterfall was a location for the filming of the Marvel Studios film Thor: The Dark World, as well as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (where it was supposed to be in Nepal). 

You can walk up to the top, which I did the first time I visited. But, the view is really better from the bottom.

Wrong!

When I planned my first visit to Iceland, a photo of Skógafoss was incorrectly captioned in my tour book, indicating that it was on the black beach at Vik (just past Reynisdrangar). 

I was confused for a long time.

Both falls were glorious on the sunny day – although without winter snow or summer green, the area was a bit drab. 

This was taken in the summer

On our two days with the rental car, we also saw birds! Before I left, I had considered not taking my beloved Tamron 150-600mm lens. But, I took it was glad I did. 

Whooper Swan

Light morph Northern Fulmar

We also spent a little time with those adorable Icelandic horses that you see everywhere.

I love these guys

As we were driving about, Scott decided he wanted to sign up for one of Reykjavik Excursions’ northern light tours. I was leery – it is a big bus tour and he hates tours. But, I signed up anyway. It was pretty bad. First of all, we were picked up in small bus and taken to the big bus terminal. 

After standing in line for the 14 (yes 14!) buses lined up for northern light tours, we were dispatched to a bus that was completely full when we boarded. So, we were sent back and then put on another bus where the only seat was in the back squeezed with five across. Not comfy – especially for Scott’s knee. 

We drove and drove until we reached Selfoss, which has way to many city lights to make Aurora viewing possible. It was cloudy, so that was a bust.

But, ever optimistic, the tour guide (ironically the same one we had had the night before at the spa), decided we should go to Þingvellir, which was much more appropriate because it is dark.

 Although there were clouds, we did have a tiny bit of aurora

It was only slightly visible to the naked eye, but I got to practice my aurora photography. The pictures look way better than what we could see (cameras pick up the green better than the eye). The crowd was generally annoying – taking flash photos and constantly illuminating the area with their cell phones. It was not the way to go if you are serious about photography. I knew better, but did it anyway. We should have booked a – way more expensive – private or small group tour. Oh, well, the aurora wasn’t very visible and I did get to practice.

A bit disappointing

I will give Reykjavik Excursions props for letting us stay out later (we got back at 1:00 a.m. rather than midnight) and declaring the tour a bust even though we did see lights. If they make the declaration, you can go out again (although I doubt that most people can fit it into their schedules). We should have kept the car and gone out ourselves!

I'll cover the rest of the trip in the next post.

Trip date: March 5-11, 2017