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| Kirkjufell in the evening |
As I mentioned
when I started the series, I like to plan my long-distance trip with as quick
and direct flights as possible. And, I like to visit places I have not been
before. My original itinerary had us
going through London, but I just wasn't feeling it. I love London, but it's a
crowded big city. It did not seem to be the best way to end a trip to the
arctic.
I was using American Airlines miles, so I did a lot of searching.
 |
| A waterfall on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula |
I discovered that
American Airlines had a direct flight from Reykjavik to DFW (the
route one must take to Colorado Springs). SAS (the airline we were using in Europe) flies from Tromsø to Reykjavik,
so it was a simple change. We were set for an adventure in Iceland (and a relatively quick trip home).
This did break one rule: I have visited
Iceland three times before. But, it seemed like the right place to go at the end of this trip. I have also blogged about Iceland before, here, here, here (a series)
and here (another series).
 |
| A church on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula |
This time, I
set up a quick agenda to visit the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, where Caty and I had
visited, but Scott hadn't.
 |
| Typical Icelandic view |
Since Caty and I went in winter, I expected this to
be different for me as well.
 |
| View from Ólafsvík |
In my previous posts, I talked about some peculiarities of customs and immigration in Norway. The trip to Iceland was particularly interesting. Scott dropped me off at the airport in Tromsø for our (very) early morning flight to Reykjavik while he returned the rental car. Since I had so much luggage, I thought I would check mine in immediately and then help Scott with his when he arrived.
After looking around a bit for SAS, I finally found a kiosk where I could get my boarding pass. I pulled out my passport, prepared to scan it and entered some initial info. The machine immediately spit out all of our boarding passes without asking for ID. I guess nothing was required at that point. The ticket agent wasn't there yet to check luggage, so I waited until Scott arrived. Then, I wheeled all the bags to the counter, passports in hand, ready to check the luggage. The agent took my boarding passes and checked the four bags WITHOUT looking at the passports. OK, next checkpoint maybe?
The airport security gate had a barcode scanner that I assumed would require both my boarding pass and passport. NOPE. Just the boarding pass.
After looking around a bit for SAS, I finally found a kiosk where I could get my boarding pass. I pulled out my passport, prepared to scan it and entered some initial info. The machine immediately spit out all of our boarding passes without asking for ID. I guess nothing was required at that point. The ticket agent wasn't there yet to check luggage, so I waited until Scott arrived. Then, I wheeled all the bags to the counter, passports in hand, ready to check the luggage. The agent took my boarding passes and checked the four bags WITHOUT looking at the passports. OK, next checkpoint maybe?
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| Enjoying the scenery as I left Norway |
Then, through security for a thorough inspection of my cameras, but no look at my passport.
And, then we were on the plane without anyone looking at an ID.
Maybe when we arrive in Oslo, where we would change planes?
We got off in the international terminal in Oslo and did not have to pass through any checkpoints before getting on the plane to Iceland. We did have to scan our boarding passes, but not our passports.
When we landed, Scott and I were first off the plane and when we reached the end of the walkway, entrance to the terminal was blocked with a marquee rope and a door to the side was locked. We assumed we would be directed through the door to immigration.
We waited, as a line formed behind us, until our flight attendant and a Reykjavik gate agent had a chat and the agent removed the rope. Perhaps we were in an international terminal and would pass through immigration on the way out.
Maybe when we arrive in Oslo, where we would change planes?
We got off in the international terminal in Oslo and did not have to pass through any checkpoints before getting on the plane to Iceland. We did have to scan our boarding passes, but not our passports.
 |
| No one wanted to see them |
We waited, as a line formed behind us, until our flight attendant and a Reykjavik gate agent had a chat and the agent removed the rope. Perhaps we were in an international terminal and would pass through immigration on the way out.
I did walk BY an immigration desk, but nothing indicated we had to go THROUGH it. On to baggage claim. Perhaps there? Nope. We got out bags and walked into the terminal and then out into the sunlight.
Three airports, two planes, two countries. No ID. Weird.
As I was flying in (obviously not being suspected of being suspicious), I was able to get some video of the flight in (here) and some very nice views of the island.
Three airports, two planes, two countries. No ID. Weird.
As I was flying in (obviously not being suspected of being suspicious), I was able to get some video of the flight in (here) and some very nice views of the island.
 |
| Coming in over the South Coast |
Ironically, Iceland is an island and the name in Icelandic is Island,
pronounced Ice-land and meaning Ice Land, not island. Make sense?
Anyway, Iceland
is a relatively new landform, born of volcanic activity and sitting exactly
where the North American plate intersects with the Eurasian plate. The fault
is clearly visible, both from the ground and the air. As are the
remnants from past volcanic eruptions ...
 |
| Volcanos and the fault line |
When we arrived in Reykjavik, we needed to pick up our rental car and head north about three hours to Ólafsvík. Piece of cake, right?
Nope. I had booked our rental car through Thrifty, which is off-airport, so we needed to take the rental car bus.
The ONE bus that goes to all off-airport rental car agencies.
Nope. I had booked our rental car through Thrifty, which is off-airport, so we needed to take the rental car bus.
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| Lots of companies for one bus |
The ONE bus that had a line a block long waiting for it.
The ONE bus that did a complete circuit before picking up the next load.
The ONE bus that we had to watch load and leave twice before we could get on. That's an hour there.
Then, there was Thrifty. I had rented from them in Iceland before and knew the staff wasn't particularly quick. I was not prepared to be third in line and still have to wait over an hour before I even made it to the counter. I wasn't prepared to watch whatever was happening with the people in front of me who were, I assume, having Thrifty build them a custom car for their party of 12 or more, including several very badly behaved children. I mean, when your child RIPS the chained pen holder out of the counter that you are letting him sit on, shouldn't you at least make him get down (and stop kicking the counter)?
So, never again, Thrifty. I'll use SIXT, the company I used in Tromsø.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Then, there was Thrifty. I had rented from them in Iceland before and knew the staff wasn't particularly quick. I was not prepared to be third in line and still have to wait over an hour before I even made it to the counter. I wasn't prepared to watch whatever was happening with the people in front of me who were, I assume, having Thrifty build them a custom car for their party of 12 or more, including several very badly behaved children. I mean, when your child RIPS the chained pen holder out of the counter that you are letting him sit on, shouldn't you at least make him get down (and stop kicking the counter)?
So, never again, Thrifty. I'll use SIXT, the company I used in Tromsø.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula
But, now to the good stuff. The volcanic
past becomes far more pronounced on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, a 55-mile-long
arm that juts west into the Atlantic Ocean.
 |
| Map: Google Maps |
At the end is Snæfellsnes National
Park, which features the 700,000-year-old glacier-capped stratovolcano named Snæfellsjökull that is often regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland and is also
known as the setting of the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. With its height of 4,745 ft., it is the highest
mountain on the peninsula and it has a glacier at its peak (jökull means
"glacier" in Icelandic).
 |
| A crater in front of Snæfellsjökull |
By the way, Snæfellsnes means “Fortress of
Fire.” Appropriate when you look at the lava that spewed across the entire
peninsula. In August 2012
the summit was ice-free for the first time in recorded history. While we were
there in June, it still had a small covering of snow.
 |
| Snæfellsjökull at sunset |
The last time I
saw Snæfellsjökull, the mountains were completely covered in snow.
So, I was surprised at
how extremely volcanic the non-covered part looked. It literally looked like a
lava flow.
 |
| Winter, 2015 |
 |
| The mountain looks like an active lava flow |
I was also
surprised – and Scott was disappointed – at how brown everything was in this
part of Iceland. It reminded me of Nome, Alaska, where the sedges and water
grasses turn a deep golden in the late fall.
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| The grasses turn coppery in the summer |
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| Icelandic flowers |
 |
| Ólafsvík; Photo: Wikipedia |
We stayed in
Ólafsvík, a cute little town with a small harbor where Láki Tours offers Whale-watching trips. Caty and I went with them back in 2015 (except, we went out of their winter harbor
in nearby Grundarfjörður).
Even though Caty and I didn't see any Whales on that trip, we liked the
company and the people.
Both Caty and I follow them on Facebook and see lots of
whale sightings and variety. But, back to that later.
We didn't spend much time in town, but rather we used it as our base to tour the Peninsula.
While in town, we did eat (twice!) at a food truck called the "Secret Spot" that had reasonably good fish and chips and insanely good "Secret Fish Soup."
We didn't spend much time in town, but rather we used it as our base to tour the Peninsula.
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| Ólafsvík from the water |
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| Delicious |
Made with a few veggies, a few tomatoes, broth, a
little bit of cream and very fresh cod dropped in at the last minute, it was
steamingly hot and oh-so-yummy. We have made it at home twice (with Alaskan
halibut) since we got back.
Oh, and I also had a famous Icelandic hot dog there
(actually two – during both stops). I had had a hot dog at a convenience store
in Iceland on a previous trip and wasn’t very impressed. This was different.
Yummy. And, dressed in the Icelandic manner: raw white onions, crispy fried onions, ketchup, sweet brown honey
mustard called pylsusinnep and remoulade sauce. Messy but good.
We never made
it all the way around Snæfellsnes National Park, because Scott just wasn’t into
it. There are many things to see there, but I had visited them before – and this
was a short trip. We did, however, visit some of the lava flows and a waterfall.
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| A waterfall in front of Snæfellsjökull |
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| Smile! Photo: Scott Stevens |
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| Kirkjufell |
Kirkjufell
Twice, we
visited Kirkjufell, which is Icelandic for “church mountain.” It got its name because some thought it resembled a church and the mountain next to it, Stöðin, is said to resemble a congregation hall. I don't really see it.
Danish sailors, who frequently visited this area during the early whaling days, called it "Sukkertoppen" or the Sugar Top. Maybe, when it snows ....
Located just
outside of Grundarfjörður, Kirkjufell is a conical 1,500 ft. mountain that is famous as
a foreground for Icelandic Aurora Borealis. It is claimed to be the most
photographed mountain in the country and was a filming location for Game of
Thrones (remember the "Arrowhead Mountain" that the Hound was looking
for?).
Danish sailors, who frequently visited this area during the early whaling days, called it "Sukkertoppen" or the Sugar Top. Maybe, when it snows ....
 |
| Kirkjufell and Stöðin in winter, 2015 |
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| Photo: Wikipedia |
When Caty and I
visited, we stayed close to Kirkjufell, hoping to see Aurora there, but
it was cloudy. This time, we knew it would be too light. We visited in late evening and very early morning, getting lovely reflections and, in
the morning, mist rising off the nearby stream.
 |
| Morning mist |
It truly is a
special place.
 |
| Kirkjufell |
Maybe someday I can see Aurora there. Maybe. But, I was happy with the summer visit.
Across from the
iconic mountain is Kirkjufellfoss, the mountain’s equally iconic waterfall.
 |
| Photo: Scott Stevens |
 |
| Me at Kirkjufellfoss (outside without a jacket!) |
They
last time I saw it, it was partially frozen and covered with plates of ice.
This time, it was delightfully summery.
 |
| Kirjufellfoss ice in winter, 2015 |
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| Kirkjufellfoss is one of three waterfalls, all with the same name, on the Kirkjufellsá River |
We walked
around, taking pictures from every angle ...
 |
| Kirkjufellfoss with summer flowers |
... and even found an Arctic Char Fry ...
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| Look at those green eyes! |
The
day was actually warm! Warm in Iceland! Imagine that.
Stykkishólmur
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| Stykkishólmur |
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| Boat with a convenient spelling reminder |
Today, Stykkið is artificially connected to the mainland to better protect the harbor.
The largest businesses in Stykkishólmur are fishing, tourism and Heilbrigðisstofnun Stykkishólmi, a hospital run by nuns.
When Caty and I went to Iceland in January 2015, we were originally going to take the ferry from Stykkishólmur to the Westfjords region of Iceland, but the weather did not cooperate (terms like “worst roads in Iceland” and “impassable” made us rethink our plan). So, we never made it into town.
Stykkishólmur,
built around a natural harbor by Danish and Norwegian merchants, is the largest
town on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. It has 1,200 residents.
 |
| Stykkið looking out over Breiðarfjörður |
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| A Hurtigruten Cruise Ship (a Norwegian line), Leaving the harbor |
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| Breiðarfjörður looking toward Flatey |
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| Icelandic Horses |
Birds
While visiting
all the sights, I also saw a couple of birds, including a new one, the cute
little Ringed Plover ...
 |
| Ringed Plover |
And, even
cuter, a baby Eurasian Oystercatcher …
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| Eurasian Oystercatcher Chick |
Attended by its
very observant and protective parent …
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| Eurasian Oystercatcher |
I also saw more
Common Redshanks ...
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| Common Redshank |
Red-necked Phalaropes
…
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| Red-necked Phalarope |
Whimbrels …
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| Whimbrels: Adult and a Chick hidden in the grass |
White Wagtails …
 |
| Juvenile White Wagtail |
Common Eiders …
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| Common Eider Hen and Ducklings |
Northern Fulmars
…
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| Northern Fulmar |
Purple
Sandpipers …
 |
| Purple Sandpiper |
And, some very
vocal Black-legged Kittiwakes nesting on a cliff-side …
 |
| Kittiwake conversation |
That’s a lot
more than I saw last time I was in Iceland – in mid-winter, where only Whooper Swans, Eiders and Snow
Buntings are around.
Sunset!
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| Whooper Swan, Common Eider and Snow Bunting |
One of the highlights
of out visit was sunset. Yes, an actual sunset! Most of Iceland sits below the Arctic Circle, so it never experiences the midnight sun. It does, however, come close.
This sunset was the first one we had seen since arriving in Svalbard two weeks earlier. Scott wanted to try some night sky photography, but, although the sun did set …
This sunset was the first one we had seen since arriving in Svalbard two weeks earlier. Scott wanted to try some night sky photography, but, although the sun did set …
 |
| Actual sunset! |
... it never really
got dark. Between the 11:56 p.m. set and the 3:05 a.m. rise there was a deep
twilight, but no actual dark.
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| Cormorant enjoying twilight |
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| A lovely evening |
Trip date: June 15-July 4, 2019
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