FINALLY!  I guess I needed a break from writing and truthfully, my Iceland trip was such a success in my book, nothing at the moment compares and seems blog-worthy.

 

Unless I’m fishing…………………………..

Boat taken in for yearly maintenance – √

Boat cleaned and polished – √

Good weather here and along the Gulf coast – √

 

Time to go fish!

Pete’s Pier in Crystal River was this day’s destination.

Sights seen are fairly typical of a marina on the water.

Two important things are needed when fishing:  bait and ice.

Today’s bait of choice was live shrimp.

One last check of the weather and radar…………

………………we’re ready to head down the river and explore the Gulf.  Let’s get the boat into the water!

While the weather looks good, it is chilly when the sun goes behind clouds.  It has been a looooong time since we had to get this wrapped up to fish.  Eric was awful glad he brought along this jacket – he never has in the recent past.

First catch was not a desired species – puffer fish, its obvious where the name comes from.  Not a keeper and after deflating, he was thrown back in the water.

His next two catches drug up the bottom.  Again, nothing to keep.

Our usual ‘honey hole’ was not productive.  We motored to another spot, near the bird racks.  Eric got two mackerel fairly quickly and I was starting to feel shut out.  Not a good feeling (for me or for Eric – just saying).  But then I got a bite.

Picture it:  the line was zinging off the reel, sometimes coming straight at me, with too much slack in the line.  I followed the fish as it circled the boat, keeping the rod tip up (barely).  My ‘coach’ giving me direction and tips as he got the net ready.  We were anticipating another run from the fish, but, the net dipped into the water, the fish (practically) swam into it and eureka(!) the fish was on the boat.  Photo wasn’t taken until we got home.  Man – it was a beauty!

All in all, we got 4 keeper macks.  Yep, the one on top was the biggest one and was mine.  🙂

Swimming in the morning and sushi at night!  You can’t get much fresher than that.

Sliced avocado, poached shrimp and pickled carrots topped the sushi rice for our poke’ bowl dinner.

Great (first) 2020 day on the water.

Ginny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve come to the realization that I hate to write (type) my last post for any trip.  It’s so final – the trip is done and that’s the last chapter in the book (yes, hence my blog post titles this time).  Maybe part of it is that coming back I’ve had to get back into the ‘work mind-set’, which seems to be harder these last several years.  😦

Regardless, I’m pushing through this and pulling together the final chapter of Iceland 2019.  Let’s start with Reykjavik.  We stayed here at the very beginning of our week before heading to Vik and spent our last several nights here before catching our flight.  Nothing is more fitting for a visit to this island than their (well-known) icon – Hallgrimskirkja.

A few notable facts:

• Stands guard over the city and is the largest church in Iceland.
• Concrete façade is an ode to modernism and a reminder of the Icelandic landscape and took 41 years to build.
• Named after Iceland’s most celebrated religious poet.

This time I got to the very top since the elevator rehab was complete, unlike in May.

After driving along the Southern coast, we spent our last several nights in Reykjavik.  Teams were putting this together earlier in the week, but we had no idea what it was.  Upon our return, it had been completed.   It is supposed to be huge, scary with blazing red eyes.   We learned the legend of the ‘Christmas Cat’.

It is among the best-known Icelandic Christmas creatures.  Legend has it, the Cat eats those who don’t get new clothes for Christmas (Oh, don’t forget the cat is humongous).  To avoid this, everyone needs to do their chores to receive a gift at Christmas, no matter how small or simple.

Since we’re on the topic of cats………..we did find this guy as we were walking through town.  He was definitely getting his share of attention, especially since someone had placed a wool blanket on the ledge.  He was almost as popular as the Christmas cat.  He does not look terrifying, just perturbed.

 

From cats to bras……………….Uh?

Yeah, I didn’t know how to make that transition flow smoothly.  We drove past this earlier in the week and when returning to Reykjavik we stopped for a quick photo.

HAD to google it (bra fence Iceland) and found this info.

• Said to have started in 2012 as some locals were having a party and stole some bras from a local lady nearby.
• 10 to 20 people contribute undergarments daily.
• Local farmers and the landowners chuckle at the colorful site and remove items once the fence gets weighted down.

Let’s talk ice- glacial ice.  Adrienne had some great photos she let me include.  I’m giving a shout-out to her sister.  Adrienne picked up photography tips from her through the years.

And was able to catch the ice water drip as they slowly dissolved.

From ice to snow….…………

My favorite ‘secret lagoon’.

Adrienne has the new I-phone 11 which captured interesting photos at the black sand beach – sunset and moon rise.

There’s a subject I’ve been holding until the last post – The Northern Lights.  There’s never a guarantee, some make multiple trips without every seeing them and I had no expectations that we would see them.  Our last night in Vik, walking back to our place, the sky had faint coloration that was not moonlight.  Yes, we were seeing The Northern Lights.

A number of years ago, I went parasailing and the company was called YELO – You Only Live Once.  Who would have guessed that I would find this along a deserted stretch of the ring road in Iceland.  I definitely believe that phrase – I’m not trying to be a ‘daredevil’ but experience interesting things along life’s journey..

Okay, there you have it – the final Iceland post for my November 2019 trip.

The last photo I’m included is a smaller version spotted during my first trip.  We unknowingly walked past it our last night in Reykjavik.  I love to travel and squeeze in trips whenever possible – even if only a long weekend.  I don’t need more ‘stuff’ to remind me of my travels, but experience-gathering is my focus.  Don’t get me wrong, I still pick up an occasional souvenir, but I go more for something edible or wearable to remind me of moments I’ve experienced, thousands of miles away or nearby.

Goodbye Iceland for now, I will be back.

Ginny

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whhhaaaattttt?  How does a lagoon and tomatoes combine for a blog post you might ask?  You would be surprised.  Read on to find the connection.

 

Our last full day in Iceland and we woke to this……..

Overnight rain had turned into ice on our windshield with a smattering of snow.   Good thing our rental car included an ice-scraper!  I haven’t used one of those in years (Okay, actually decades.  A Florida ice-scraper is any available credit card, HA!)

Plans had been made to visit the ‘secret lagoon’, an hour away from Reykjavik.  Plugged in our route and Adrienne started driving.  We had to drive over a mountain pass and the sprinkling of snow we saw in town was turning into this.

Before I knew it, we were following two snowplows, trying to keep the road cleared.

Soon enough, we were traveling through the countryside and saw Icelandic horses enjoying the snow.

Along with some sheep.   Yep, not the best photo but we never did get another chance for a sheep photo during our trip.

The last half mile before reaching the secret lagoon………….we’re driving through this.

The Secret Lagoon – which is kind of a misnomer – is not really a secret.  Eric and I did this as part of our Golden Circle tour in May and I really enjoyed it.  I was looking forward to this as soon as we started planning this trip.

There are specific instructions before getting into the geothermal-heated water – what you can and cannot wear.

Shoes are removed first in a communal room.

Lockers (separate men & womens in case you’re wondering) are provided to secure your clothes and any other necessary items.

The next step is taken very seriously and important – a shower sans clothing.  Nothing fancy, kind of sterile, almost like being back in gym class – except cold!  The door to exit to the lagoon was at the end where I’m standing.

Signs were everywhere……………………..

My first visit was humorous.   Those that had not done their homework were shocked when the group was given their instructions……..and asked the cashier to repeat the instructions, several times.

I saw a phrase  “There is no shame, we are the same.”  The shower idea makes sense once you realize that no chemicals are used to clean and monitor the water.

So, you’re wet, head to toe, slip on your swimsuit and head outside – it’s cold!  But you are greeted by this sight.  Those little white specks you see in my photo……….snow!  The fog in the background, actually steam from boiling water.

It was magical – truly!  The water is (steaming) hot, you’re quickly warmed up upon stepping into the chest-deep pool.  Notice the white stuff on my head – yep, snow.  It quickly melted, but they were large, wet, sloppy snowflakes.

The edges are local rock and the bottom is pebbled with volcanic rock.  Some enterprising individuals created their own stacked rocks.  Full disclosure…….my stack is on the right and another’s on the left – they had waaaaaay more patience than I did finding the right size rocks and getting them stacked.

Past the fence is a series of thermal spots where water bubbles up and flows into the pool.

 

Signs were posted to ensure everyone is aware of the absurdly hot temps when the water erupts.

There are at least 3 lifeguards keeping an eye on the water and its participants:  1 inside looking through a glass sliding door, another is walking the perimeter and occasionally 1 guard is inside this box – staying warm.

Afterwards I grabbed a coffee to end my time, others selected different options.

I love this place!  Not sure I would enjoy any other geothermal heated pool and with the snow, even more magical. Man – wish I could step into this pool at least once each week.

 

So now you’ve heard about the ‘lagoon’ in the title, what about ‘tomatoes’?

 

I’d been reading about a family greenhouse business:  Fridheimar.

A little internet research and it was within 15 minutes of the secret lagoon – yeah!!!

A few facts:

• It is a family business, focusing on greenhouse production of (4) tomatoes.
• 1995-purchased the farm with 2 greenhouses on site.
• 2002-expanded and upgraded their greenhouses to produce tomatoes year around, while also traveling to nearby countries (primarily Finland) specializing in greenhouse tomato production.
• 2007-added an equestrian center.
• 2012-developed food products and greenhouse tours. 
  

We did need a reservation and finally the stars aligned and they could seat the two of us Saturday afternoon.  We had been emailing back and forth for several days.  They only serve 12 noon to 4pm and are open every day of the year (except for a few holidays).  While waiting to be seated, we stopped at the bar for a red tomato beer and a green tomato beer.

Surprisingly, the beer wasn’t bad.  The red beer (left) had a lingering tomato taste, the green one (right) did not.

It was a simple menu – tomato soup and bread.  Yes, that’s basically it.  If you don’t like tomatoes – don’t stop.  You could add skewers of protein and they also had a salad on their menu.

LOVED their olive bread.  No olives inside the bread like many recipes, so the olive taste was not overwhelming.

At each table setting, these centerpieces were multi-functional – snip basil leaves to add to your soup. Or, you could add a chunk of butter, sour cream or shredded veggies to your bowl.  Even the water had tomatoes slipped inside for a slight tomato flavor.

A bloody mary was added to enjoy the meal.

And yes, even the desserts were created from tomatoes.  The left was the tomato ice cream (served with 2 different sauces, green tomato & vanilla and the other red tomato & strawberry) with the right being the cheese cake (topped with tomato jam containing cinnamon and thyme).  Don’t wrinkle your nose – they were both delicious and had no overriding tomato flavor. Being served in clay flower pots added to their charm.

There was opportunity to walk among the tomato plants and production was similar to what I did when I worked at The Land at Epcot.

Man, wished we had those rolling ladders when I worked in a greenhouse.  We had to carry and move the ladders ourselves.

 

The more I read, the more I became fascinated.

• 18% of Iceland’s tomatoes come from this one facility.
• They are very ‘eco’ focused and specialize in natural resources, being recognized locally and nationally for their dedication and direction.
• Resources being geothermal water to heat the greenhouses and ‘green’ electricity from hydro and geothermal power plants.
• Climate controlled computer system, which monitors weather and light, reacting to their ever-changing environment.
• Glass panes are only 4mm thick to maximize sunlight.

You are literally dining in one of their production greenhouses, surrounded by vining and ripening tomatoes.

This is not really ‘farm to table’ but ‘plant to plate’  🙂  One more Icelandic post coming.

Ginny

 

 

 

 

Isn’t it all about the food?  Well, maybe for some and others not so much.  Food definitely enhances my travel experience and this was no exception.  Even though my ‘foodie’ husband was not with me, he must be rubbing off.  Here’s a few highlights of our favorites from this trip.

A top-rated restaurant was Sudar Vik, described as restaurant, café and bar, with European cuisine.

After our zipline adventure this place was recommended for dinner and it was a winner.  It had a high rating on Trip-Advisor and we agreed.  We started with a delicious cream of asparagus soup, which in hindsight was really all I needed.  It was a bowl of soup, not a cup.  We added the bread service with butter and a tomato tapenade – not needed.  I added smoked salmon while Adrienne had arctic char finished with a dill sauce.

What took the meal over the top was the skyr cheesecake topped with berries and nut crumbles.  If you’re not familiar with skyr, its Iceland’s version of yogurt. The desert was so good, it gets a solo picture.  We shared this treat with coffee to finish our night.

Another top pick in Vik was Smidjan Brugghus.

A brewpub that opened April 2018, featuring burgers, BBQ ribs and hot wings.  Their website doesn’t talk about their pulled pork sandwich, but it was the bomb (along with their unique French fries)!  We had it our first night in Vik and went back our last night in Vik.  Yes, it was that good.  Later we talked  it was the only place that we saw pork offered on a menu while in Iceland.

We also tasted some of their brews as they have 10 Icelandic brews on top along with offering 40 craft beers from around the world.  Adrienne favored the Skyr Sour and myself their holiday craft beer – Cho Ho-Ho.

They had a dessert offering which didn’t sound like much on their chalkboard menu, but OMG (!)  it was excellent.

Something we learned quickly, very, very, very few places have offerings for breakfast and only in a few hotels which are pretty sparse in this region.  Trip Advisor listed Vikurskali as a good place for breakfast and that was our destination.

That is until we followed google maps, discovered it was a grill in a gas station and their website was not up-to-date for the winter.  They opened later than indicated (lunch not breakfast).  😦  For the next several days my breakfast  turned into a typical ‘french’ breakfast with coffee and a croissant.  I also included a shot of their pastries – self-serve.

The previous post talked about the glaciel lagoon and diamond beach and  I referenced it was a long drive.  That translates into minimal dining options.  Another gas station was recommended on trip advisor and for basically being our only choice, it was decent.  Adrienne got a lamb burger while I had a hamburger.  It was quite the spot (being the only around for miles………….).  When we left most of the tables were filled and a bus had stopped and there was a line to place their orders.

Driving back to Reykjavik late in the week, Adrienne found this brewery and wood-fired pizzeria.  Google maps were set.  Olverk turned into a great find!  Yep, at this low latitude, it was raining, but that definitely changed when we drove over the mountain pass – just saying.

Opening in 2017, their in-house brewing is powered by geothermal energy.  The owners passion is premium wood-fired pizza and fine Icelandic craft beer.  This is a local family business with the owners growing up in the town of Hveragerdi (it’s location).  All I can tell you is the pretzel & cheese and pizza were awesome.  It was the only place during my two Iceland trips that I bought an Icelandic t-shirt (and was wearing it when I finished this post!).

Once back in Reykjavik, we revisited the Public House Gastro Pub.  We had two repeats, but added a few more selections:  Wagyu dumplings and fried duck breast (clear winners).

We had to taste one of their desserts and settled on the passion fruit cheese cake.  It was excellent.  The waitress could not tell us what the fruit ‘garnish’ was but I tried it and it was sweet, but couldn’t define its origin – an (unsolved) mystery.

Our last night in town was a repeat from my visit in May:  Bryggjan Brugghus.

It was an easy walk from our Airbnb towards the harbor.  They were the first independent microbrewery in Iceland.  Their restaurant is retro, mixed with historical things from the Icelandic fisherman culture.  I also found out their building has a interesting history beginning as a fish processing & shipping company, then a freezer plant and a canning plant before becoming a microbrewery& restaurant.

Our meal started with more octopus, but this was my least favorite version on the trip.  I got the fish & chips while Adrienne ordered her last chance for a local favorite, arctic char.  You can hardly see it under all of the greens, but she was hankering for some veggies – she got them.

  

My previous visit we met a bartender from Alabama and he was still there.  We talked and got a photo as we were leaving.  He was a character and a real charmer.  🙂

We had an amazing last (full) day in Iceland and I’m saving those details for the next post.  It was an ‘interesting’ drive, an ‘interesting’ experience and an ‘interesting’ meal.

Ginny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the natural wonders of Iceland. 

Late one morning, we mapped our journey to include another popular waterfall – Skogarfoss.  It was a popular spot and had lots of tourists.  I wasn’t patient enough to wait for a clear shot.

However, I was able to capture a shot with a rainbow from the mist.

The mist made the (smooth) rocks extremely slippery.  This was one of our coldest mornings and yes, ice was prevalent.

While the falls were amazing, there was a chance for another view………..up these stairs.  Really?

Yes, really.  I told Adrienne go ahead, let me go at my own pace.  I did see this little bird on the way up.  Yeah, that’s the reason I stopped midway, several times.  Had to take a photo, ha! He popped out of a little burrow in the hillside looking for something to eat.

450+ steps later, I made it near the top.

And pushed myself the final 50+ steps for this view.  No puffins on this trip, those are seagulls nesting since we’re so close to the arctic ocean.

In my first post, I mentioned these 1-lane bridges.  We kept running into these signs as we were driving the ring road.

I did some reading and discovered they are easier to replace than 2-lane bridges.  Why would this matter?   A glacial melt caused flooding to such a degree this bridge was washed out.  And, in my opinion, this looked like a sturdy bridge.

As a reminder of the power of glaciers and water, nearby were the bridge girders at a convenient pull-off with details.  The  background below (left side) was our first glimpse of a glacier.

So………..bridges.  We had crossed numerous 1- lane bridges but we ran across this bridge with 2 spots for wait & pass within the span of the bridge.  We didn’t need it, but it would have been tight depending upon who we were meeting.  There were lots of tour buses on these roads – even in November.

We saw some amazing landscapes driving the ring road around the perimeter of Iceland (hence the name 🙂 ).  My pictures during our drive cannot truly do it credible justice – you have to go see if for yourself.  Maybe if I had the new I-phone with the awesome camera…………………hon?

Our goal this day was a drive to our eastern most destination point – the glacial lagoon or Jokulsarlon.  We’re (okay Adrienne)was  driving, driving, driving and the landscape is flat:  water on one side, rising rock formations on the other side.  Then………..you drive through another (1-lane) suspension bridge and go “WOW!”  Yes, that was the exact word out of my mouth, very prophetic.  The lagoon was hidden behind some large rock piles and unseen until you were driving through the bridge.

It was an amazing (sorry, I keep using that word) site!  Hope you can play the video I included below.

A few points to note:

• Only 10% of the iceberg was visible above the water level.
• The icebergs melt rapidly due to warm saltwater entering the lagoon.
• Glacial ice is a mixture of ice, sand, gravel, tephra (material produced by a volcanic eruption) and air bubbles.
• The blue color of the dense ice is due to the fact ice absorbs all colors of the spectrum, except blue.  Clear ice appears blue.

Seems like there are always ‘interesting’ signs at these sites.  Got to believe that someone did these actions, otherwise no signs would be needed.

The temps were ice-cold (pun intended) and I had a hard time paring down all of the photos I took.  This was one of my top personal choices for Icelandic sites I had seen thus far.

While the glacial lagoon was eye-catching………….not as much as the Diamond Beach on the other side of the 1-lane bridge.  I think this site quickly became my top personal favorite.  The icebergs escaping the lagoon were headed out to sea.  Back in the distance you can see waves crashing.

Ice sculptures abound, man-made or not.

I walked along the surf and couldn’t stop the picture-taking.

I can’t say this was an original idea but as I was walking back to the car (Adrienne had given up on my wandering and her hands were cold.) I made a few adaptations on the idea  from the glacier shards along the beachfront.

An amazing (yes, used that word again) day seeing amazing sites.  Next up, food!

Ginny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zip-lining!  Yes, it is done in Iceland.  They have daily departures, all year long.  Yes. All. Year. Long!  Only bad, windy weather would cancel a trip.

Ever since my first trip to Iceland, seeing an advertisement for zip-lining, I have wanted to do it.  NEVER guessed it would happen.  Regardless, reservations were made over a month ago and we hoped the weather would hold – it did.

We met at a hostel in Vik, got suited up with our harness and straps, jumped into their van and we were on our way.  We were the only two guests on that day’s trip.

For this experience, there are 4 zips: 120, 240 30 and 140 meters long.

<1 meter = 3.1 feet>

The first zip is called ‘Little Rush’.

Our guide, Sammi, shared some historical facts about early visitors to this area during our hikes between the jumping off points.

The second zip is the Gentle Giant’, the longest one.

Our third zip was the shortest……………….but called ‘Leap of Faith’.  Our safety guide went on the zips before our arrival, and I should have paid more attention to what he was doing.

The safety clasp is  behind you with nothing to grab onto.  I had to convince myself this was going to be fun………before I took my own leap of faith.   I was able to capture this video of Adrienne when she crossed.

Hiking involved crossing several fences to get to our zips.

Our last zip was over a waterfall.

But they had one last surprise for us.  They’re testing a few new things not mentioned on their website and wanted our thoughts.

We were under no obligation to experience it – yeah right.  Of course we were going to do it!  They said ‘think of it as a bungee jump’.  Adrienne did a much better job following their instructions than I did.

I did like the last part………upon your return, they grab, pull down and off you go again.  The bounce definitely gave you the feeling of weightlessness.  That was fun – for me.  🙂

Our third guide finished the day, accompanied by Panda their dog, taking the bungee plunge.

This is the only zipline in Iceland.  These friends met through their love of paragliding.  The zipline idea was born on a rainy day when there was nothing else to do.  If you ever go to Iceland, you must do it!

• Zipline Iceland
• Sudurvikurvegi 5
• 870 Vik, Iceland
• +354 698 8890

 

Ginny

Here’s a shot of the volcano that made headlines in 2010 when the ash plumes were so high they interfered with international traffic to Europe.  Eyjafjallajökull.

We stopped at the LAVA Center in Hvolsvollur and by the time we left, I was pretty impressed with their exhibit.  Every museum/exhibit is pricey and (luckily) only a few times not really worth the kronor being spent.

Viewing a film started our visit, but if given the choice, I would not watch it again.  Just not much to it – no depth.  We walked into the actual exhibit and several of the ‘rooms’ were interactive.  The hallways connecting the rooms also had sensors and caused a surprise the first time, with loud noises and shaking simulating an eruption.  The last room had three walls, floor-to-ceiling screens of Iceland volcanos.

Notice the white dots on the screen?  We didn’t initially.  Then we saw the diagram pointing.  There were sensors that followed your ‘point’ and more info popped up on the screen.  Pretty neat!  I had to go back to the first screen and find all of the dots and take myself around the room again.

We were told that the Katla volcano is 100 times larger then the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. WOW.

The photo below is interesting.  Every two minutes they have a seismic map in their exhibit which updates indicating  ‘real time’ earthquake occurances in Iceland.   Most of these are never felt.   Yes, this map shows the south coast of Iceland, where we’re going.

Out of the fire……………….into the water, the Seljalandsfoss waterfall.

A little research discovered:

• Water comes from the Eyjafjallajökull glacier.
• The water drops 210′ feet.
• This is one of the few that has a trail behind the waterfall which can be traversed – but not by me.

A short flight of wooden (wet and slippery – just saying) stairs were to the left of the waterfall and I found this sign.

Hope you can see this video.  It gives you 7 seconds of pouring water.  Behind it you can see people on the trail.

One last photo of the waterfall , with my friend in the background.  🙂

Giving you a short break from nature.  We stayed in an AirBNB in Vik, using the town as our jumping off point for activities.  Eric and I have stayed in these in numerous countries and have not had a problem yet.  Keeping fingers crossed.  With the short days in Iceland, it was dark when we arrived.  We knew the street, but no number.  We kept driving (only one turn-around needed) until I found the place from the photo. Trust me.   It was much darker than the photo shows when we arrived.  I took this the following day.

We each had our own bedroom, but I only captured one shot.  It was pretty chilly inside when we arrived.  We looked for a thermostat and soon found individual wall heaters in each room.  They were turned up on high – quickly!  We both went to bed with extra sleeping clothes on.

Vik is along the coast with a black sand beach from the volcanic rock.  Ten minutes away was ‘the black sand beach’ that everyone talks about.  After parking and walking a short distance, here is your first view.

This area is noted for the volcanic basalt columns.  I left the lady in the photo for size comparison.  No, people shouldn’t really be climbing on the columns – tourists.

Walk around the corner and more basalt columns can be seen, along with this cave.

Eric made Adrienne promise to keep an eye on me so I didn’t get caught in ‘sneaker’ waves.  Apparently every 8th (or so) wave can become particularly strong and catch people unaware.  The wave below was noticeably bigger than other ones.

These warnings are seen walking to the beach.  People should not ‘Follow the Leader’ as the sticker indicates below.  They need a new sign.  Or at least, people should read the board next to this sign as seen in my next photo.

And unfortunately, this has occurred more than anyone wants.

I was reading the signs and another tourist said earlier this morning his group saw some young adults get hit with a wave that came up mid-thigh.  They were safe – this time.  I (literally) just read that another tourist was injured on November 11, 2019 when toppled by a wave, but managed to grope his way back to shore – with a shoulder injury.  Yikes!

This area is not actually part of Vik and we had to drive on the other side of the mountain to get there – 10 minutes.  It is part of a town called Reynisfjara.  There was a lovely old church, visible from the main highway (Ring Road 1) that gets lots of photographs.  It is pretty typical architecture but usually surrounded by homes and not the nearby graveyard.  We couldn’t resist a photo stop also.  I tried to find more info on the internet about the church, but only got ‘lovely’ old church in Reynisfiara.  I wanted to know more.

Another thing we noticed.  Once darkness arrives, churches are spot-lighted and can easily be seen from miles around – a beacon of light for all.

Going to’ the black sand beach’ was another things to  √  off my Iceland list.  Stay tuned.  Next up is something I love doing, but very few have done it……….in Iceland.

Ginny

 

 

 

 

The great meal alluded to in the preivous post……………..was at the Public House Gastropub.  It had ‘small plates’ and ultimately, we had four.  Some of the names were cute and ultimately led to our last choice.

‘Tako’ – fried octopus, chorizo, aji Amarillo and butternut squash.

‘So Not Pizza’ – picked beet root, gyoza cracker, goat cheese and figs.

‘Taco’ – tuna taco, avocado, wasabi tobilo and truffle mayo.

‘Goats on a Horseback’ – bacon wrapped dates, chili jam and goat cheese.OMG!  The first and last choices were our favorites, but it truly was hard to rank them.

One different thing on this trip was getting a rental car.  We were definitely going to do more exploring outside of the capital.  Waking up early (in the dark) we headed to our first stop – Pingvellir.  Driving was interesting, to say the least.  It was dark when we ran into the rain, turned snow – probably a good thing.

Yep – snow!  Our rental is 4WD and we have on snow tires.  Remember, this was two ladies, one from Florida and the other a recent Florida transplant from California.  Let’s just say I had a moment of concern when shortly after leaving Reykjavik, we were following a snowplow – then we passed him.  Eventually the sun came up.

Pingvellir:  Google maps had us heading for a road, that was blocked off and not driveable.  I was happy to see we weren’t the only ones fooled by Goggle maps.  After turning around and following the signs (old-fashioned directions) we got there.

A short refresher:

• Site where all the chieftains gathered annually since 930 AD.
• Considered the world’s oldest parliament.
• The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet – or not.  Those are the cracks you see.
• The lake fills in the deepest crevices.

Next up was Gullfoss.  It was much different than when I visited in May.  The first photo you can barely see the path we took leading us to the upper section of the falls – it was closed for the winter.

Let’s just saw it was extremely windy overlooking the falls from the top vantage point!

Next priority was lunch.  We decided upon a local ‘Farm turned Restaurant’ that was within 30 minutes from the falls.  It was an excellent choice.

After sending photos of our selections – my husband made fun of me for my selection.

Whaaat?  I love a good burger and this was their farm-raised beef.  I selected the top-listed burger.  It was delicious!  The egg was an extra layer of goodness when I cut the sandwich in half.

Adrienne had the trout, of which each fillet was cooked differently.  She loved her choice as much as I loved mine.

We were too full for dessert (their hand-made ice cream – I know I know) but got back onto the road heading towards VIK, with a few more stops along the way.

We kept running into these one-lane bridges, but this design was way over the top and not seen again.

I show you this nice (boring) road below which seemed innocent enough.   There were some ‘warning-ish’ signs when we turned onto a gravel road, but not blocked off.  We can’t read Icelandic.  We were halfway through the 5 km ‘short cut’ and huge dirt movers had turned the road into a rutted mess.  We were already committed, sooooooooooo, Adrienne kept driving.  I had major concerns, but she showed no fear and kept going.  We made it.

Animal life is Icelandic horses and sheep.  We had a nice pull-off and got a few horse photos.

Unfortunately, not so lucky with sheep photos.  We pulled off, the sheep ran and all I got was the tail ends.

This seemed a fitting end to today’s post.  We actually had a few more stops before getting to Vik, but that will come in ‘Chapter 3’.

Ginny

Who would have guessed that I would have a chance to visit Iceland twice within a year.  Certainly not me.  So just how did this happen…………..

• Each fall Eric goes deer hunting, leaving me at home.
• I have a friend that enjoys traveling and is game for anything.
• I was commenting (ok, maybe that’s not quite strong enough word) that I would be stuck at home.
• A suggestion was made – somewhat in jest – and was quickly accepted!  Voila!  A trip was planned for the Land of Fire & Ice.

This trip required some different prep for shoes (water-proof desired) and clothing based upon the time of year – mid November.  I also had a helper when I was packing.

We called for an Uber to get to the airport and spent a bit of time at The Club MCO Lounge with our Priority Pass privilege to grab some snacks and drinks.

Before you knew it, we were on the flight and heading north-ish, then east.

The trip was uneventful.  Iceland was experiencing some heavy winds and flights from Europe were either delayed or canceled.  Since we wouldn’t be landing for 7+ hours, we were good to go.

A snack mid-way tied me over until landing.  The beer was a special holiday beer available for a limited time – it was tasty.

The Kevflak Airport was empty.  I believe we were the first overseas flight to arrive.  We were greeted by this.

Since we’re staying only one night before heading out, Eric found the Storm Hotel with availability, breakfast included.  We paid for the previous day so that we could crash for a few hours as soon as we arrived – good idea!  Right after breakfast.

Sleep, a shower, a change of clothes and we were ready for our walking food tour, which met at the Harpa – their concert hall.

But not before a quick stop at the Sun Voyager statue.

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I had heard about these rock sculptures after my last trip, but had no idea their location………right next to Harpa and the bay.

This was the ‘same’ tour that Eric and I did when we arrived – however, not exactly.  A few stops were the same and a few were not.  The route was also a bit different.  First a traditional Icelandic soup and bread – described as comfort food and every recipe is different, depending on what your grandmother put in the soup.  🙂

We have an interesting group:  a couple from UK (next to Adrienne), older couple from Miami, FL (opposite them), our guide and one young lady traveling by  herself also from UK.

Here the tour deviated somewhat.  A very ‘touristry’ thing to try is fermented shark.  A capped bottle of cubed pieces was brought out, along with some fish jerky.

 

I couldn’t do it, but Adrienne could!

Second stop was  smoked salmon, smoked lamb and rye bread ice cream.

Third stop was a repeat from my earlier food tour Meisson, specializing in seafood.  There was a seafood mash and grilled arctic char.

Followed by the ever-popular Icelandic hot dog……at an outdoor food stand, open year-around.

Our last stop appealed to the sweet tooth in all of us – well, maybe in most of us.   The coffee was most appreciated after walking in the chilly temps and wet weather.

Adrienne and I walked around the downtown and she noticed this phenomenon………..snow!  Who would have guessed, snow in Iceland in November. Ha!

After we wandered through a few shops, we had a fabulous meal which will be revealed in my next post.  Between both of us, it was hard to rank our favorite dish.

Ginny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No trip  is complete with out a post dedicated to food.  We had many great meals during this trip and here are a few highlights.

This place was recently voted as ‘Favorite New Restaurant in Lexington’.  Their philosophy is ‘simple good food, prepared using the freshest ingredients available’.  We began our meal with drinks and appetizers.  Drinks (l to r) – white sangria (me), rose’ sangria (Alice) and a pawpaw old-fashioned (Eric).  Appetizers were deviled eggs and ham biscuits.  Yum!

I had the (absolute) best choice with a burger.  Eric ordered the pot roast and was disappointed.

If room allows, desserts are desired………..and we had room.  We all struck a hit with our choices:  bourbon chocolate-pecan pie, lemon pavlova and ice cream.

It was a nice evening out on the town.

One night we stopped at a local Italian favorite – Paisano’s.  As their menu says ‘Best Kept Secret Since 1984’.

It was good, solid Italian food, made locally.  Stuffed shells was my choice with Eric selecting Spaghetti with meatballs.  Nothing fancy, but mighty tasty!

It was another fine evening of dining out.  Yes, there was wine, leisurely sipped that added to the enjoyment of the evening.

Lest you think that all meals were eaten out, several nights Eric cooked.  It was a combined effort for the prep.

Earlier I mentioned that he was disappointed with his pot roast choice.  He thought he could do better – and he did. He proved it that night.

One morning before heading out to orchards, we (and by that I mean me!) had a hankering for coffee and a pastry.  Googled Lexington’s best pastries………………….Magee’s Bakery was a top contender and just as important, we would be driving near its location.

It had that neighborly feel, kind of open-air industrial, but cozy.  You could see young moms meeting here, along with some business men and others just popping in for a sweet treat.  That was my choice!  I got an apple fritter, Eric ordered a croissant sandwich and a few donuts to top that off.  And he says he doesn’t like sweets.

Loved my fritter!  If I had one comment………………too many apples – ha.  Probably not a common thought.

As Eric and I were doing errands one morning, a few hunger pains started gnawing at us.  We ultimately choose one of our personal local favorities…………….Saul Good Restaurant & Pub.

Eric had chili and a wedge salad while I ordered pulled pork sandwich with fries – I won, just saying!  Normally the big draw for me is their fondue dessert – I love it.  Today with only the two of us, there was no room for dessert.

One of our last restaurants we visited was Halls on the River.

They have been involved in hospitality since 1781 when this establishment was a tavern in the early days of settlement.  They serve Southern comfort foods at a historic Kentucky River restaurant.  They are known for their beer cheese, served with crackers and veggies.

       

It was invented and developed in Kentucky more than a half a century ago.  I’ve heard there is even a Beer Cheese Festival that happens – who knew.

Our selected meals ran the gamut – Beercheese burger for me, fried catfish for Mary and lamb fries for Eric.  What, you say are lamb fries………….lamb testicles parboiled, cut in half and seasoned, often served breaded and fried.  Yep, Eric ‘wins’ for the most interesting choice.  Not my choice – just saying.

Towards the end of our stay, we stopped at a few local breweries.  Our first stop was West Sixth Brewing.

They had a ton of taps and a nice selection of their beers bottled.

A locally-made pretzel and (beer) cheese was available.

Our last stop was Country Boy Brewing.

They had tons of beers to choose from and we shared a sampler.

They had this really cool piece of artwork on their wall, which were their handles.

So there you have it.  A small sampling (pun intended) of Lexington eats.

Ginny