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nataliemariesjourney · 7 years

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Iceland - February 2017

A trip to Iceland. The mysterious island of fire and ice. It’s been on our bucket list for as long as we can remember and so six months ago we finally decided it was time. We explored loads of different options but as soon as we saw Rent.is we were sold! Having the flexibility to drive wherever we wanted (except of course the highlands) so that no matter where we ended up, we would have our own little space with us – what more could you want? WiFi, you say? Look no further! There is WiFi in the van and it was ten times better than ours back home in Scotland.

Arriving at Keflavik airport, we were frantically looking out of the window, waiting to see the land we had been waiting years to see! Unfortunately, we only saw the runway and landed in weather much like the weather we were used to back home but fortunately, picking up our little home for the week was effortless and we were off on our little adventure before you could say “Eyjafjallajökull”. We grew up hearing of the sagas, being close to and regular visitors to Orkney, and they had turned us into adventurers ourselves so finally venturing to Iceland was a huge deal for us.Top Tip: Buy the Premium Insurance Package when booking your camper.

The weather can change very suddenly in Iceland and you want to make sure you’re covered for most things. It also lowers your self risk so you don’t have to worry about credit card limits (Thanks to Eleanor for the help with that one!)

We kicked off our road trip by heading north towards Borgarnes – home of The Settlement Center and a definite must see! It’s a great place to start off where you can learn all about the first settlers of Iceland and the famous Egil’s Saga, written by Iceland’s greatest viking chieftain and poet. Here we learned about the ‘Locatify SmartGuide’ which took us to a number of cairns dotted around the town marking important locations mentioned in the saga. This is also where we did our first food shopping in Iceland. We thoroughly recommend Bónus over all the other stores as it seemed to be the cheapest!A perfect follow up to Borgarnes would have to be the Golden Circle, especially now accompanied by the Smart Guide app and lots of snacks! It guided us round the road (thanks again, on board WiFi) passing some amazing places like þingvellir national park.

We had previously read that it was home to the oldest existing parliament in the world – named Alþingi – going right back to the good old vikings, and so of course it was on our list of things to do! Then on to Geysir, home of the geyser…no seriously! This place is the reason for the other worldly natural phenomenon’s name across the globe and we probably could have stayed here all night, just watching. It’s awe-inspiring and just pretty darn cool!

THE SECRET LAGOON

We started our next day with our first dip in a geothermal pool. The ‘Secret Lagoon’ or ‘Gamla Laugin’ – meaning ‘old basin’ – is no longer a secret but has not lost it’s charm. It was an amazing experience and one which we would one hundred percent recommend! Swimming around with volcanic sand between your toes while a local geyser erupts every few minutes sending streams of more hot water into the pool – What more could you want? Word of warning though – it’s hotter than you would usually run your bath! They let us camp out in their carpark so we were first in in the morning too! It’s the oldest swimming pool in Iceland and by far the best!

After we were washed and cleaned, it was time to make our way along the southern edge of the ring road. First stop: Vík, where we stretched our legs and had a quick lunch before carrying on our journey. Vik is said to be the rainiest place in Iceland and it sure lived up to it’s reputation as it was cold and raining both times we passed through it. (It could give the west coast of Scotland a run for it’s money!)

We have to say, the best part about the camper was waking up to absolutely stunning views – no matter what the weather and no matter the location. Best of all was probably waking up and seeing the massively beautiful Skaftafellsjökull – a huge glacier visible, like most, from the Ring road. We rose early that morning and made our way towards it, mesmerised by the sheer size of this great barrier of ice. I don’t think there could be anything better to do in the morning and we had the whole place to ourselves. A spectacular sight to behold, especially with a cup of tea in hand! On our way back to the Skaftafell Centre we made sure to make use of the facilities, including using the sink in the washing and drying room to wash our pots and pans and grabbed ourselves some coffees for the road.

JÖKULSÁRLÓN ICE LAGOON

Next up was Jökulsárlón. Probably the most popular glacier lagoon which you actually pass on the Ring road. You can take a walk from the visitor centre here down to the coast line and watch icebergs battle their way towards the sea after breaking off from the glacier, Breiðamerkurjökull. This is also one of your best chances to spot seals on your trip as they’re often seen chilling out on the ice.

The icebergs here are incredible and just standing, watching, you can hear them creaking as they move about and smash into each other. The lagoon itself is not that old and actually a result of the warming climate but at 250 meters deep, it’s the deepest lagoon in Iceland and a place we recommend you save lots of time for.

A very brief stop over in Höfn was next (probably the funnest place name to pronounce by the way!) and after realising we were too late and everything was already closed we decided to head back along the road, finally spotting a few reindeer by the road side, before setting up camp for the night.The next morning there was sun. We could actually see the sky! Deciding to make the most of this weather, we went for a walk along Fjaðrárgljúfur, a great canyon in the Katla geopark, and took in the crazy heights and views of this ancient gorge. Of course the wind had picked up by this point, as had our appetites, so we headed back to our little home on wheels for lunch. Driving east we had spotted a few huge waterfalls (including Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss) which we were desperate to visit on our way back and so we kept our eyes peeled until eventually we spotted the familiar ‘foss’ (meaning waterfall) on the road signs and made our way towards them.Top Tip: If you’re looking for a nice dry visit, maybe don’t get too close to the waterfalls. On the other hand, if, like us, you don’t care about getting wet and muddy, do a circuit of those bad boys and get behind them if possible. It’s totally worth it and a bit weird, like looking at a painting from inside the frame…

REYKJAVIK CAMPING

As we approached Reykjavik we were desperate for a nice hot shower…or maybe we could find a geothermal pool? Look no further than Laugardalslaug Swimming Pool. We wandered in like lost little lambs and out pop some very friendly locals to show us the way. A nice relaxing hour or so spent in their 40 degree baths and steam rooms and we were good to go….and get lost in the city centre.Honestly, we’re usually very good with map reading but could not make sense of where we were…Finally we found what we were looking for – The Settlement Exhibition. An original tenth century long house still stands here, although now beneath the street level, and is now surrounded and protected by an underground exhibition detailing life during Viking times.Continuing with our viking adventure, we headed towards the Saga Museum and dressed up like the locals once would have. I like to think we would have fitted in quite well…The models in this museum have all been life-casted from local people which initially can be quite scary when you turn around thinking someones standing behind you but actually, it’s just a life-casted man in his late 30’s holding an axe. The models were so real that we thought there was a man sitting watching a short film for the whole duration of our visit, obviously so enthralled by the show that he hadn’t managed to move for the past hour…

We’d been invited round for Sunday dinner at a local’s house tonight so we whipped out the Sat Nav and made our way towards her family home. Upon arrival we were gifted with lovely Icelandic woollen hats which had been knitted especially for us – perfect for the cold weather we’d expect when we returned home! A Sunday Roast in Iceland is slow cooked lamb with a delightfully creamy sauce, potatoes and an assortment of vegetables. Foodie tip: ALWAYS try the lamb!It was late by the time we left their home and so we decided to look for the campsite we’d heard about. Right next to the swimming pool we visited this morning? SCORE! Upon arrival the campsite seemed to be closed so we popped in to the neighbouring hostel to ask about it and were directed into a field full of other campers and motorhomes. I spy with my little eye, something beginning with R….RENT.is!! (By the way, it is customary that when passing another explorer in a rent.is camper van, you give a little toot and a wave – you’re family now)In the morning we were guided (thankfully) around Reykjavik with our wonderful host from the night before and her daughter who was “starving”. This meant we got a wonderful locals tour of the city AND a stop at the famous Icelandic hot dog stand. We were told to get one with ‘the lot’ on it and quite frankly, I could have eaten the whole hut they were that good! Anybody care to share the recipe?

Whales of Iceland was up next. A museum filled with life size models of these gentle giants who grace our coastlines. We would have loved to see whales for real but were told before we arrived that February wasn’t a great time for spotting them in Iceland and so instead of heading off in a boat, we headed off to the world famous Blue Lagoon for our last chance at bathing in our new favourite geothermal pools.Iceland is a mysterious and beautiful wonder of the world and one which, for us, could only be captured with the freedom we had on the road. Our camper van was the perfect accompaniment to our journey and made our whole trip easy and stress free. We wanted to stay longer so we can’t wait to one day return to this wonderful island and explore some more!P.S. I miss our wee van!

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theglobalspan-blog · 7 years

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Day 5 - Kálfafellsstaður - 13th August

We had an enormous itinerary planned today, with so many things we wanted to see on the south-eastern side of the country. Unfortunately the only available accommodation was over 6 hours drive away along the ring road. I snatched it up over a month in advance and it was a quaint bed and breakfast for $220 for the night - a little steeper than the $70 we had been paying for everywhere else but I thought it was a slightly better idea than Matthew's suggestion of sleeping in the car. Aside from having a massive drive ahead of us, we were going to try our hardest to still see everything we wanted to, so woke up at the crack of dawn, filled our struggling tyre with air (and said a little prayer) and then excitedly set off. First was a quick petrol and coffee stop at Selfoss, an area we had become very familiar with over the past couple of days, and then further on to new pastures. After a short while we made it to our first waterfall for the day, Seljalandsfoss, which billows out from the overhanging rock face. It was quite chilly this morning and the spray from the falls didn't help, but it was worth it to be able to view the world from behind an Icelandic waterfall.

About 800 metres down the track, past groups of tents filled with travellers just stirring, was a second unique waterfall, Gljúfurárfoss, hidden amongst a narrow chasm. Matthew climbed the steep and slippery rocky incline to get a view from the top, whereas I was happy to appreciate it from ground level. Somehow again once he started the climb a whole group of copy cat people seemed to appear out of nowhere to make the climb.

With no time to lose we were back on the road again. It hadn't been long when we came across the viewing area and visitor centre for Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano that erupted back in 2010 and basically put Iceland on the map. If you didn't know what to look for you would easily miss it, just a mound off in the distance overshadowed by higher peaks. It caused a heck of a lot of chaos for such an unassuming little mound. Anyway it was something to tick off the list before heading on to check out the Selvajallaug thermal Pool, which was something I had been excited to check out after seeing it on Instagram making for really unique photos. I don't think it's as well know by tourists, especially being about 15 minutes down a side road and then another 15 minute hike away. The pool is Iceland's oldest manmade pool and was originally built in 1928 In order to teach locals to swim. It just happens to be in the most picturesque location - even just the beautiful and lush mist covered valley was worth seeing in itself. Unfortunately we just didn't have the time to go for a dip, but spent a bit of time observing those who did.

Matthew took a bit of a tumble while we were exploring the valley, so washed the mud off his sleeve in the luke warm waters of the river.

Back on the ring road and a little further down was Skogafoss, arguably the most popular and photographed waterfall in Iceland. The area was very equipped for tourists with a huge car park, tourist centre and restaurants. We were competing with other tourists to get as close as possible in order to have an unobstructed view. We also climbed the many stairs and observed from the top.

I get now why they call them ‘rock faces’, because I couldn't help but seeing mystical rock covered faces poking out everywhere we went.

An Asian tourist watched me take this photo and she thought it looked so nice that she asked me to take the same of her on her big high tech Canon camera. We thought she must have been a solo traveller...but then a few of her large group of friends jumped into the shot. She was obviously just very impressed with my photography prowess.

Next stop down the road was Solheimajokull (glacier), where we ignored the sign saying you must wear a helmet to get close, and walked to the foot and marvelled at its sheer size and majesty. We also had a bit of fun skimming volcanic rocks into the lake that it met, something you don't get to do everyday.

By this time we were feeling pretty famished and ready for lunch but decided to push on and see just one more thing before stopping for lunch. Little did we know, the next activity would be extremely long and arduous. Again it was an Instagram find, possibly not so much on the main tourist plan these days as it takes a little to get to (which I hadn't realised). I couldn't possibly not see this though, as the photos I had seen were so unique and eerie looking. I kept it as a surprise to Matthew, so he had no expectations.

The DC-3 plane crash is not sign posted, but I had worked out a general idea of its location and once we saw numerous cars parked together on the side of the road we decided it must be the spot. Little did we know it was then a 4km walk away down essentially a flat, barren black sand desert. Looking in front, we could see nothing but the blue sky and tiny ant-like people walking towards us from who knows how far away. Behind us were only the main road and an escarpment of mountains. It was just dead flat and the sun was blaring down on us and it just felt so long. I'm still not sure whether once we got there we were actually looking at the plane crash or it was just a mirage. Still, it was so worth it.

We couldn't have been more excited to eat our sandwiches by the time we got back to the car, but we wanted to do them justice by enjoying them in a more scenic location rather than the side of the road, so we decided to drive the half hour or so to our next attraction, Dyrhólaey, and the area of the famous black sand beach. We enjoyed our lunch in the comfort of the car, whilst listening to the Les Miserables soundtrack, and then went exploring, with the area being the perfect setting for peering out to sea. We stood for a long while on the rocks and took it all in. I was intently watching a solo little sea lion who was popping it's head out of the raging sea at regular intervals. I was also looking out for puffins, but there were none to be seen unfortunately. All the while I was still struggling to believe I was in this part of the world.

The hours were getting away from us, so we were back on the road and ready for the home stretch. We had about 2.5 hours more driving ahead of us and a couple of final stops. We went through the cute seaside town, Vik, which we had been hoping to stay at and sad we couldn't spend more time exploring. Then it was a quick stop at some moss covered lava fields and then Fjaðrárgljúfur- a beautiful, picturesque, kind of fairytale-like mossy canyon.

The final drive up the bottom of the east coast of Iceland to our final destination was the most amazing drive I have ever done. On our right was black sand beaches, the flat sea and then standalone rock platforms jutting out which thousands of years ago were part of the mainland. On our left were snow capped mountains and glaciers. We went around a bend and had two almost symmetrical glaciers staring at us. So incredible.

We made a quick stop at the glacier lagoon, Jökulsárlón, and the bright afternoon light was just hitting it perfectly. There is a bridge going over the part where the lagoon meets the sea, and I think we drove over that bridge about 8 or 10 times over the next 24 hours, because of the various activities we were undertaking. I also had the most incredible toilet stop a little way down the road with a giant glacier as a backdrop.

This is me being proud of our little car for being a trooper so far.

I stupidly hadn't mapped where we were staying that night, I only had a general idea. We got to the little 'township' which was actually just a few farmhouses, a tiny stone church and an Inn which was clearly overbooked and buzzing with activity with numerous motor homes out the front. We assumed the Inn was where we were staying, as there were no other options, so Matthew stayed in the car while I went in to check. It looked so dingy and I walked straight into the kitchen, which looked like an absolute mess hall. I was starting to get really worried, which turned into panic when the receptionist said I didn't have a booking and there was nothing available. I went back out to Matthew feeling defeated, but we decided to drive around to the back of one last place, which just looked like a farmhouse. Luckily it had a tiny little sign, Kálfafellsstaður, and I could not have been more relieved. The owner greeted us with a kind smile as soon as we walked in the door, and we were taken to our quaint, clean, warm, nice smelling room with a view onto the lush green lawn and church. Just what we needed after an overwhelmingly massive day.

But it wasn't time to relax yet! We had half an hour or so for quick eats and a rest before we were off again on the 45 minute journey back to the glacier lagoon. We were lucky enough to be in this part of the world on the night of the annual charity fireworks event. What a treat. There was a great crowd of what seemed like mostly locals and I liked how the volunteers were carrying eftpos machines so we could pay the 1000 kronas on card - you don't often get that in Australia. It was also amusing seeing the person frantically whizzing along on his little boat manually lighting each firework. It was all so incredibly magical though seeing the lagoon and its icebergs lit up and a very fitting end to one of the best days of my life.

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