Eric found direct flights to Iceland from Orlando and after conferring with Adrienne, we found a week to head north.
So excited to be on another journey to one of my (current) top places to visit. In my excitement, forgot a few steps after landing……………….deplaning outside before catching a bus to the terminal. Had to dig out the scarves, gloves and headwear from the backpack!
Yep, a great way to get used to the chilly temps for us Floridans.
Going in November we got to see the beginning of Christmas displays.
We all were able to utilize carry-on luggage and a backpack (each) so no waiting at the luggage carousel.
Short walk to the BLUE rental car company and we were quickly on our 45-minute drive to Reykjavik. We rented an apartment and got really good directions, even though we went around the block a few times. OOps. There was a parking garage underneath the building and after a few trial & errors……. we got inside and parked.
The place was next door to Hotel Borg and the key box was in the opposite alley. Eric went upstairs where another key box happened to be located, and we procured both sets of keys!
Our place was the middle balcony overlooking a square.
We made the decision to pay for the prior night of our arrival thus ensuring we had immediate access upon arrival. Flights from the U.S. arrive very early Icelandic time. Five hours was the time difference from home. My body thought it was 3am.
Two bedrooms, a living area and a small kitchen was perfect for our needs.
First order of business was breakfast after dropping off luggage and no better place than right next door at Hotel Borg at their buffet. They had a variety of offerings but truly, I wanted the basics then some sleep. Two cups of coffee had absolutely no effect on my sleeping at that point.
Four hours of sleep truly made a difference for the afternoon plans……Sky Lagoon. Originally, it seemed a bit at odds to jump into water in Iceland but LOVE their thermal baths and lagoons.
This visit (yes, there is another one) was part of a package, but more on that in another post. Here are a few highlights:
Steaming water viewed after showering and putting on swimsuits.
Three delighted participants.
Eric leading the way into the main body of water.
Liquid refreshment.
Hour+ later we met at their bar for other nourishment.
An initial tasting of lamb stew – Icelandic lamb was the only reason I now enjoy lamb.
Even in this climate, I found flowers. The center flowers are related to cabbage and tolerate colder temps and looked great.
They were surrounded by a pink heather.
Even in their winter, we found plenty of activities and as long as you’re dressed in layers, you can brave almost anything here. Hang tight, more posts to come.
Food and drink are part of life and seems like our vacation spots revolve around them. Our arrival on a Sunday evening pared down those choices. We found a local brewery, Proof Brewing Company, that also had a food truck as part of their business model.
They had a really nice outside eating & drinking area, ensuring families felt comfortable stopping by with yard games and room for kids to run around.
Local beers were the plan.
Along with fish & chips (Eric) and pork BBQ sliders & fries.
Eric knew that Apalachicola’s Oyster City Brewing had an establishment here and we stopped one afternoon.
My Icelandic sheep made a few appearances. I had the Legacy Lager – a beer that tasted like beer.
Here’s a quick shot of what was on tap.
Eric ordered the Red Right Return – glass on right – a perennial favorite.
One last shot before leaving. Everyone has to have a ‘instamgrammable’ wall nowadays. Okay, I guess it worked. I got a shot and I’m posting it on the internet.
We stayed downtown with plans to walk for dinner. In the past we went to an establishment called Cypress. Alas, it no longer existed. We found another restaurant within walking distance…..
Guess what? Same place – different menu and name but same building. Go figure. Started with some drinks, selecting a pink cocktail for me, a tropical sangria. Delicious!
Eric stuck with iced tea as he was feeling a bit under the weather.
The starter recommended was an excellent choice: pickled veggies amd eggs.
Eric ordered grilled octopus along with a bowl of soup (sorry, no photo).
My filet mignon with a demi-glace was excellent and I had plenty to bring home.
Desserts were a great end to our meal. My selection highlighted glazed bananas and ice cream – an excellent choice. The photo of Eric’s ice cream (2) scoops didn’t make the cut. 🙂
Unfortunately, we cut the trip a few days short. A hurricane had been brewing in the Gulf and looked like it was headed to Central Florida. We needed to prep our house and likely go into work to assist with efforts.
Not knowing what grocery stores or gas stations would be looking like, we gassed up before leaving the city and picked up a few groceries. Stories abounded on social media of shortages in both arenas and we wanted to be prepared. Driving was great – on our side of the road. Only us, some semis hauling supplies and electric companies were headed south.
The governor opened up the far left ’emergency’ lane – crazy – and it was full of drivers.
I looked over once……………..and no vehicles heading north. Oh no. Yep, accidents were seriously delaying the escaping traffic headed north.
So glad we were not on that side of the road.
We made it home safely and prepped for the impending storm. Things like removing potential airborne outside objects, strengthening outside doorways and sand-bagging windows on the house expecting driving rain. One of the biggest challenges……..clearing space in our garage for 2 vehicles! Here’s proof we did it. It wasn’t pretty, but space was found. The guys were waiting on the storm to arrive.
Connor stepped outside for a brief moment, getting soaked in a short minute.
It reached our house at 3:20am. The force of the wind picking up branches, leaves and other debris was nerve-wracking – woke me up. Thanks, hon, for staying up the entire time to keep us safe. 🙂
Did we have any damage? Not directly, but a number of branches were down or broken from the trees we had recently pruned – thank goodness for that.
Plenty of cleanup in the days to follow. Now just waiting for the debris to get picked up.
Saw this post and it seemed fitting – and oh so true. I was talking to the neighbors 7am that morning as we all surveyed the damage in the daylight.
Exciting times are coming with my next series of posts. Heading north again, waaaaaaayyyy north. We will be packing warm clothes. Any thoughts or ideas about our destination? Three of us are going back to one of my favorite spots. Posts will be coming soon.
The weather was going to be wet, very wet. Why you might ask? It’s hurricane season and one was brewing in the Gulf at that time.
We drove up via the interstate system and once we turned onto the main east/west route, we quickly ran into tree damage. A recent hurricane had gone through this part of Florida and the damage was still visible.
We could see exactly the path of the storm as the trees were broken differently on the opposite sides of the storm and eyewall.
Work was progressing for tree removal but ever so slowly.
We had one side trip planned before getting into Tallahassee. We own a plot of land and we hadn’t seen it in awhile. I’ll admit……………..we took a few wrong turns until we found the right turnoff.
Yep, the property was still intact – more overgrown than our last visit but no squatters had claimed it.
Rolled into Tallahassee later that evening and stopped at the rooftop bar for a nightcap and view of the city.
Our plan for the first full day in Tallahassee was to drive to Bradley’s Country Store via one of the ‘canopy roads’.
Canopy Roads are designated highways in the county protected by law and have a governing board.
They came into existence from old Indian trails that turned into market roads. Plantation owners lined both sides of the roads with LiveOak trees which gradually grew together to form a tree canopy.
Hurricanes and windstorms do a number on these roads and work was continuing when we visited. Right after the storm passed, looked like some of those roads were blocked.
Just a few minutes and twelve miles northeast of Tallahassee was our destination: Bradley’s Country Store – linking the present with the past.
It stands just as it did in 1927. Their trade, plain and simple, is selling the best, old fashioned, country smoked and fresh sausage that money can buy. Their front porch invites customers to sit awhile and enjoy the view. Indeed, while we were there a number of customers stopped, picked up a sausage sandwich and ate their lunch.
The tradition has endured through four generations of the Bradley family and still attracts thousands of customers from around the area and Southeast. They have expanded their offerings and while supplying a number of Tallahassee families and business with their products, they also ship upon request.
We also enjoyed a sausage sandwich before leaving and had the foresight to bring a cooler in order to bring home some of their sausage.
Okay………………………I’m only a few weeks/months behind from completing the last Iceland post. If you’ve read some of my other trip posts, this is usually the hardest one for me to write – as the trip is over. 😦 Regardless, here you go.
Back to the Storm Hotel in Reykjavik and we got an upgrade! We were on the top floor with our own balcony. Woo Hoo!
Loved it!
Eric agreed to go back to a gastro pub that Adrienne and I visited that we loved. If I was totally truthful (and I strive to be), it wasn’t quite as good as my memory served. We enjoyed it but there were different things on the menu during my 2019 visit, as there should be, but still…….. I had built it up in my memory. Reality was my tastes and tastebuds have changed in 5 years. We’ll go with that.
But during our walk to the restaurant, I chuckled at their street corner lights……..
Leave it to the ‘girls’ to follow the traffic rules – just saying.
Back inside the restaurant, we started with local beers.
Add in a few veggies – Brussel sprouts and spicey edamame.
Next small plate that arrived was this spicey tuna.
Ordered ‘goats on horseback’…………huh? Bacon-wrapped dates, stuffed with goat cheese. I really enjoyed them.
Naturally wanted to finish with dessert. 🙂
This is also the city where elaborate graffiti is encouraged.
A few examples we passed as we traveled the city centre.
Always need to visit one of the most iconic places in the city…….Hallgrimskirkja Church. It is the largest church in Iceland and amongst the tallest structures in Iceland, being a Lutheran parish.
In front is a statue gifted to the Icelandic people from the United States commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the convening Iceland’s parliament at Pingvellir (930 A.D.). No, that is not a typo, it was the 1000th anniversary.
Another iconic street is this one – a top photo spot. Iceland is a very accepting society. We came across a number of these rainbow streets throughout our trip.
Since our last visit, food halls have become more prevalent in Iceland and elsewhere. We came across this one and went inside to check it out – and get warm.
The time was well spent with a cup of coffee for me in the green floral mug and beer for Eric.
And some snacks.
They have r.e.a.l.l.y good French fries.
I discovered this Icelandic chocolate a few days before leaving home.
And while it was a hike to get there, we made the trek. Omnom Chocolates was started by two Icelandic friends in 2013 and their goal was “bean to bar” using the finest cacao beams sourced worldwide. Sustainability starts with traceability, and they buy ingredients by direct trade.
They specialize in small-batch chocolates, originally creating single origin chocolate bars and expanded by adding in unique Icelandic elements to their ingredient list. Their chocolate-wrapped graphics are inspired by fantastical creatures, surrealism, pop art and contemporary Nordic design. Basically, I LOVED all of the designs. Here is one example along with my Icelandic sheep. While the sheep always made me smile, I would get ‘looks’ whenever I included it into a photo. It always made people smile – which in turn made me smile that I added a bit of fun and whimsy for someone else.
One last restaurant we visited was BRUT established in 2021. They specialized in small plates, which is a style of eating we both enjoy.
Started with home-made chips & hummus dip and Icelandic Sea snails. I’m fairly new to eating snails and our waiter warned us they had a unique texture. Yep, he was right. I tried one and Eric got to eat the remainder that was on the plate.
I really enjoyed these shrimp with herbal mayo. The ‘burned’ lemon was not something we had seen, and added another layer of flavor. Yum.
This fish was something new for us to try: Skate, served with brown butter, capers, parsley and lemon. The tender flesh resembles strands as it cooks and the flesh has a mildly sweet flavor. It was good – I would order it again.
The morning we left, Eric did a bit of walking and found a barber. Nothing else to do……….Eric went in for a shave and trim. He has plans to stop in on the next trip to Iceland………………….which may be happening sooner than most would expect.
That’s right. I’m always up for a trip to Iceland but Eric originally said his one trip in 2019 was enough. This trip was more about knocking something off of my bucket list. He truly enjoyed himself sooooooo much more than he expected, we’re planning a shorter trip in the Fall. Yeah!!!!!
We had two choices to head back. One, go over the mountain pass which was the shorter route. Two, follow the coastline which would be longer. Overnight Eric got an email from the rental car company and sent me this text.
We had just been on all of those roads. Yikes. We wanted a safe journey. We went with option two – follow the coastline.
We had two additional planned stops for the Snaefellsnes peninsula. First up, a lava cave, Vatneshellir.
It is one of Iceland’s older lava tubes that can be explored and was formed during an eruption 8000 years ago. Here’s a schematic of our path. We entered where the lava tube reaches the surface with a short stairway to the smaller chamber on the left of the snapshot below.
Our guide pointed out some rock formations at the end of the smaller chamber.
Also pointed out the remains of an arctic fox that got curious and then couldn’t get out.
This crack in the ceiling is a good thing. Really? The guide said these cracks allows for shifting rock and prevents the lava cave from falling in on itself. Okay, I guess.
Here is a shot of the middle chamber after we retraced our steps. These lava caves were created when during an eruption, a river of molten rock begins to cool from outside in. The effect left a crust of flowing lava and a hollow tube.
He pointed our several colors in the rocks. red = iron, yellow = Sulphur and green = copper.
One last chamber to explore required navigating this spiral staircase downward.
Our view of the last chamber…………before shutting off all of the lights to ‘feel’ total darkness. Got to say, I wasn’t surprised when this happened (we had a warning) since every cave tour I’ve been on, the guide always does this. It is VERY dark.
To get out, you had to retrace your steps. All in all, the tour was an hour, we had 14 in our group, a nice stop. BTW – in addition to the helmets, each person was issued a small flashlight on a lanyard for the duration of the tour.
At the top I said we had two planned stops on the peninsula. Next up was a black church – Budakirkja. It is popular with tourists for a few reasons, one of which is the color – black. The black is pitch, used to protect the wood during winter.
Why so important? There’s a story…………..
It was built by a Swedish barn merchant using his own money and consecrated in 1703. Over time the church fell into disrepair and a royal letter in 1816 made it official it was no longer considered a church. In the mid 19th century, a wealthy widow changed that. On a spring day, she was working nearby and suddenly was overcome with fatigue, laid down and fell asleep. A man came to her in a dream and wanted her to take up the challenge of rebuilding. She woke up and realized it was the original Swedish merchant. She accepted the challenge and in 1847 she applied to have the building decreed but was refused. She appealed to the King of Denmark, who gave his blessing. She is one of those buried in the nearby cemetery.
The church is not open for tours, but local events are held here throughout the year. They have had people from around the world plan their weddings here. I found this photo online on their website. Before plans are made, guests are made aware there is (1) no heat, (2) no facilities and (3) holds generally 50 guests.
So, what is next……………head back to Reykjavik. But not before seeing their only native mammal, the artic fox – IN The Wild. Eagle-eyes Eric, saw the fox cross the road several hundred yards ahead of us.
He definitely blended in with the countryside. Okay, okay, not the best photos, but hey – who expected to see an artic fox?
We weren’t so excited for our next sighting – traffic. After having minimal cars on the road during most of the time, this was a shock to the senses.
Looking to the driver’s left, Eric could see Reykjavik in the distance, but it seemed we were going the wrong way. Yep, another tunnel, but this one under water for almost 6 km.
All of the other tunnels we experienced on the ring road were through mountains. I liked those better – just saying.
We are staying at the same hotel (Storm Hotel) where we started our adventure. We had one more photo to get…………….Sun Voyager, the place we began the Ring Road journey and the place we ended the Ring Road experience.
While technically we were no longer on the ‘Ring Road’ since we turned off to explore the Snaelfellsnes Peninsula………..I wanted continuity with my posts. There you go.
Grundarfjordur
Our city for the night was situated on the North Snaefellsnes peninsula, exactly in the middle of the northern peninsula coast. The town was between a mountain range and the sea. Due to its natural harbor it was a center of trade for the peninsula since the 15th century. Fishing boats come in and out, offloading their catches – except when we were there. We arrived on the weekend AND it was an Icelandic holiday. Even their grocery store was closed – not good, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
My previous post ended with wind and rain. That’s where this starts. We stayed at a former post office that had been converted into guest rooms. Yep, still raining. We should be using an umbrella but we don’t have one and it seemed silly to drive in the small town – so we walked and got soaked.
We were on the ground floor, with our own bathroom and an extra bed.
A nice restaurant was fairly close and easily walkable. Website indicated it was open and cars were in their parking lot. Closed for a private event that evening. Uh oh. Find a plan B. Googled more eating establishments and walked to Harbour Cafe – it’s open, but everyone not part of the private event was there. BTW – still raining.
It’s generally bad news when you enter and a person asks ‘Do you have a reservation?’. Another couple was ordering and being seated at a table for five with the caveat it needed to be vacated at 7pm. She asked if we could join them – they gave us a thumbs up and said yes. Thank you!
I needed a beer. The lighter one on the right was mine and I was keeping up with Eric.
They also had a bar, beer on draft and wines – pretty nice for this very small establishment.
Eric started with the langoustine soup – fitting for tonight. It was steaming hot, filled with veggies and BIG. He had enough for all of us.
My lamb steak was just what I needed that evening. The potatoes were crunchy and the salad crisp – delicious.
Eric was staying with seafood, ordering Icelandic cod.
When we got our beers, they put a slip of paper on the table, 7pm. We were fine with that and not offended. Our ‘new best friends’ were from Belgium and had gotten their food fairly quickly. Did we make it out by 7pm? We could have but……….not a chance nor our fault. The waitress came towards our table, looked at me and said ‘What? Where is your food?’ That was exactly what we were thinking and it was 7:10pm. Needless to say, it came fairly quickly after that.
The next morning breakfast was at the same locale. It was the only thing open we could find. It was near the harbor and we discovered the Icelandic Coast Guard was in port.
A few houses had graphitti, not to the extent in Reykjavik. It is generally sanctioned in Iceland and there have been some fabulous ones.
But why had we deviated off the ring road? Why were we here? To see one of the most photographed places in Iceland – Kirkjufell, which means church mountain. The mountain generally looks like a steeple on a church.
The free-standing mountain with volcanic rock was 463 meters or 1519 feet tall.
It is not a volcano but a nunatak – a mountain that protruded above the glaciers surrounding it during the ice age. The word nunatak is Greenlandic. It is the result of glacial erosion. BTW – Alaska has the largest nunatak called ‘Great Nunatak’. Who knew?
The view most seen encompasses the nearby falls. Have you seen it? If you’ve done any reading or research about Iceland, there’s no doubt you’ve seen this.
Turned around and got this shot. The town we stayed in was at our backs. The sun is trying to shine through the cloud cover. Still very windy.
It was a short hike to get here with the parking lot beyond the waterfalls. While the rain had stopped, the wind did not. You had to lean in headfirst to make any progress. It was the strongest wind felt since arriving. We definitely held onto our car doors!
The mountain can be hiked by an experienced mountain climber but truly only with an expert guide. My reading indicated there had been three recent fatalities.
My last shot as we got back onto the road passing by Kirkjufell and looking back.
I say ‘my shot’ as I’m including some shots I found on the internet. The color changes during the passing seasons.
Summer & lush growth:
June equinox and the midnight sun:
Winter -barren, white and brown
September and months onward for the Northern Lights:
We were driving five+ hours and jumping off the ring road with Grundarfjordur being the night’s destination. This drive gave us the opportunity to see a variety of landscapes. This post was about transitions.
Let’s talk trees.
My previous post talked about how the land was deforested 1000+ years ago. When the Vikings arrived 25-40% of the land was forested. At the beginning of the 20th century .5% of Iceland was covered by trees. In 1907 the Icelandic Forestry Service was established. While trees had been planted it was in the 1950s the first large scale tree planting occurred, with mainly native birch. The hope is that 12% of Iceland will be forested by 2100.
They were planting poplars, Englemore spruce and Alaskan willows. Plant growth has been slow due to low nitrogen in the soil and the cooler growing temperatures. Millions of seedlings are planted yearly.
Let’s talk farmland.
The North has extensive areas of green acres supporting crop and livestock farming. Today farming is practiced by 5% of the population with sheep and cattle being the two most farm raised.
Economic actives include animal breeding, offering accommodations and activities for tourists. The second offering someone might question – accommodations. Really? Really. A number of properties and farmland had small individual tiny houses for guest to rent. Riding horses, especially along a beach is a popular activity. Icelandic horses are a pure breed and garner world-wide interest. Once a horse leaves Iceland, they are not allowed back for fear of spreading disease.
You’ve got to keep your eyes on the road. Never know what you may be following.
The production of meat, dairy and eggs is sufficient for the country’s needs. Meaning Iceland does not have to import these goods. Despite a seemingly uncultivable environment, Iceland grows over half of its own vegetable produce, all with 100% green renewable energy. Crops such as potatoes, rhubarb, turnips, radishes, carrots, cabbage, kale and cauliflower to name a few. Subtropical crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper and bananas (yes, bananas) are grown in greenhouses.
Let’s talk stark beauty.
While not ‘pretty’ in a traditional sense, the landscape can change in a blink of an eye.
Eric was a little worried about the weather, but up to now there were no issues.
Occasionally you would come upon a car – and pass them.
We were driving between ranges, meandering along route 1. A few guidebooks called this boring and a few suggested driving this first and save the ‘best’ (south Iceland) until last. I like our route and direction.
The weather can change quickly.
When we turned off the ring road, we ran into rain and WIND. BTW – your insurance doesn’t cover car damage caused by blowing sand nor door damage if you lose control of the door when opening it. We kept a tight handle on the doors. The other we couldn’t control. Yes, it is that windy. And rainy. And windy with more rain.
No lie, this vehicle HAD to be having a tricky drive. I would not want to be in a vehicle this tall.
It was still gray, raining and extremely windy as we drove into our destination. Small town, majestic views, but I will save that for the next post. There was a reason we strayed off the ring road for one of the last legs of our Icelandic journey.
We don’t have far to go for our next stop – Akureyri. It is the second largest city in Iceland and has one of the rarest sights………an actual forest. The Vikings denuded almost 90% of the forests over a thousand years ago by building boats and weapons.
I wanted to chuckle at the sign before heading into this tunnel. I suppose people have tried to ride their horses and bicycles through, hence, the sign.
Another sign………..we’re approaching Akureyri, having to cross a causeway before getting into the city.
We stayed in the downtown area, with minimal street parking, but a large city parking lot is fairly close AND it was the weekend, so no charge. Sweet. I put in the hotel name using google maps. Centrum Hotel. As we were getting closer, I noticed that google maps was calling it a hostel. Uh Eric, are we staying at a hostel or hotel? Yikes, I think I put in the wrong place. Found the hotel’s address and did this again, nope same end point. Really? Eric was still driving so he couldn’t confirm anything, but I think for a few moments, even he was concerned. We are waaaaaaay past the age of staying in a hostel. Nope, we are staying in a hotel.
Check-in was at the bar on the first floor. There was no reception desk. What kind of place were we staying in?
Fourth floor opened the door and VERY nice. It is a kitchenette – nice, but not part of our plan for this trip around the ring road. No cooking happening this time.
We had an early dinner, ultimately eating at the same place we checked in – which was below us. The crowd is ‘hip’ and I’m going to guess it continues to get younger as the night wears on and the bar has more action than the restaurant.
To celebrate our time on the ring road, we started with a bottle of prosecco.
I ordered a shrimp & langoustine flatbread for my dinner. While a tad unusual, it was tasty. I really liked the pickled red onions and the spicy mayo on top.
Eric ordered the grilled arctic char. He liked his meal. We don’t get arctic char so every chance he can, he seems to order it.
We both ordered desserts and really enjoyed them. Looking at the photos afterwards, they kind of look like a ‘crime scene’. Regardless, we were scraping every last bit of goodness from the plates.
Eric’ – mango & passion fruit Ginny’s – chocolate and red fruits with mango
I’m going to admit right now, we didn’t spend enough time in Akureyri. There were a number of places that in hindsight I wished we had seen. Guess that means I’ll have to plan a trip back! We did a tiny bit of exploring in the morning.
At the end of the block was a cute children’s area with seating for the parents.
The street was fairly deserted the morning we left. The night prior there were plenty of people walking around, hitting the bars and socializing.
We had plans that I was VERY excited about. Eric was kind of getting into the geothermal pools and asked me to see if there was another one somewhere along our route.
Forest Lagoon near Akureyri!
I remembered reading about it in 2022 when it first opened – never dreaming that I would get a chance to experience it, but here we are. We had reservations for 12 noon, when it opened.
It was a short hike from the parking lot passing this nearby waterfall.
Couldn’t resist a quick photo with the forest in the background. It really was unusual to see trees.
And then we arrived.
As I mentioned earlier, shoes come off before going into the changing room. Yep, not too many people here first thing.
I scoped out the facilities then stripped for my shower. One of the best things…………..being shielded from the wind when stepping and submersing yourself into the water. LOVE that. After our visit to GeoSea in Husavik, the 20 feet walking to/from the pool took courage. The outside temps were about the same, but here we were protected.
Eric joined me soon after. In the background is a bar if you so choose.
Even though you’re in the water, can’t forget to hydrate.
It really was lovely, quiet and peaceful with everyone being respectful of your space in the pools. The bay and Akureyri was the view beyond the infinity pool’s edge.
Yes, pools – plural. The larger pool was kept at 37C or 98F. They had a ‘hot’ pool which was smaller. Eric didn’t want any part of that, but I did. I moseyed on over to test the waters.
The smaller pool was 40C or 104F. I could feel the difference, but still enjoyed the hotter temps. This wasn’t a place you could spend all of your time. It was draining on your body. Twenty minutes max and I needed to get to the other pool.
Something very unusual for me, instead of a selfie one of the other patrons offered to take my photo and I said yes. 🙂
There was a Finnish dry sauna with a really cool-looking reflection window. Nope, didn’t check it out.
I paddled over to find Eric as he was contemplating this experience.
Forest Lagoon has a tranquil atmosphere, relaxing hot pools and majestic views of the Icelandic wilderness. It was a perfect place to listen (via my hearing aids) to Taylor Swift and her new album. I mean come on. Really good music that I enjoy, good company and great surroundings. It couldn’t get better.
The geothermal spa was actually a ‘happy’ accident. During nearby construction a geothermal water source previously unknown was found and while it was an issue with the construction company the resourceful Icelanders came together as a community with this as a result.
Notice another ‘non-selfie’? While in the hot pool these ladies were the ones that offered to take my photo. They were from Manitoba, Canada and driving around the ring road the opposite direction as we were. They had family in Iceland and were meeting up with them throughout their time here. Milestone birthdays were being celebrated. Nope – not sharing anyone’s age. 🙂
We really enjoyed meeting and talking with them, staying longer than planned. With the recent electro-magnetic activity seen recently, they shared the Northern lights had been awesome in Canada. I will see them in my lifetime……….
Since they graciously allowed me a photo, I shared the blog address with them.
“I hope you get a chance see this and know you are one of our fond memories of Iceland. Enjoyed all of the time spent together.”
We thought of them the next day when our rental car company sent an email about road closures. Three of the roads we recently traveled were closed due to weather – and that was the way they were driving.
The next leg of our ring road was going to be the longest stretch of driving…….. 5+ hours. It was time to get going. We reluctantly got back into our rental and continued west.
Opened in 2018, GeoSea Is one of the northern-most geothermal baths located on the cliffs of Husavik, overlooking the Skjalfandi Bay. It was the last thing we planned before getting back on the ring road. What was the temperature? Yep, it was that cold. It was early afternoon.
While drilling for hot water in the mid-20th century, hot sea water was found. It was mineral-rich and heated from the earth’s core – unusable for heating houses. Instead of letting this hot water go to waste, a barrel was installed for the residents to enjoy the health benefits of hot seawater.
There is a long traditional of geothermal bathing in Iceland. There is where locals gather to socialize, find out what’s happening and catch up with the latest news. Every town has a pool, or it’s not considered a town. Bathing occurs year around.
But there are rules about bathing etiquette. Quite frankly, by now we’ve gotten used to it until I started sharing updates with friends in the states and remembered, oh yeah, those outside of Iceland tend to be uncomfortable with the rules. What are they?
First, prior to entering the changing area (yes, separate for men and women) shoes are removed. There are shelving units to set them on.
~Shower time! Soap and water, scrubbing your body. This is not the time for a quick rinse. Why? There are no chemicals in the geothermal waters, so a clean body is essential for sanitation. Sounds okay – right?
~These are communal showers. Time to strip, put your clothes in a locker, secured with your electronic water-proof bracelet and walk to the showers, along with anyone else in the locker area. Body scrub was provided.
~Instructional signs are posted in multiple language so no one can’t say they didn’t know or understand. BTW – it was also discussed when you checked-in for your reservation. They are serious about this.
~Dry yourself off. We needed to rent a towel for each of us and that was always an option available.
~Put on your swimsuit and you’re ready to go out to the geothermal pools. Here’s a tip I discovered. After putting your swimsuit on, get back into the showers, warm up with the heated water before heading outside.
~Go to the pool, there’s no jumping or messing around. This is a place to relax and chat with people.
Enough talk, let’s get wet.
There are a couple spots where you can see and feel the water seawater bubbling up in the pool. Not sure if you can tell, but this is another infinity pool.
The day prior we were whale-watching in the bay.
The water spills over the edge before dropping down into the bay. No lie, it was windy enough that occasionally the water was coming back into the pool!
Even in this climate, some plant life is blooming.
The yellow lighthouse was built in 1956 and stands 164 feet tall. It also sits on the cliffs of Husavik.
After an hour of soaking in the pool it was time to get on the road.
No lie, the twenty feet to the door from the pool was daunting.
Eric had already gone in and I was enjoying my last few moments…………and drumming up the courage to get out of the water.
Here’s a short video of the facility.
Cleaned up and dry, we were ready to head to our next destination: Akureyri.
I really liked the town of Husavik. The name means ‘The Bay of Houses’. It is considered the oldest settlement in Iceland when a Swedish Viking built a house here in 860 AD.
While this is obviously not my photo, I included it go give a perspective of what the city looks like.
We stayed at the FossHotel, an Icelandic hotel chain. It was only a few blocks from the harbor. It was easy to walk to everything we needed. It has a bar, restaurant and 24/7 front desk service.
This church was in the center of town. Built in 1907, the style resembles a Swiss chalet. It is also their civic museum for culture.
There is also a golf course, campsites, communal geothermal pool and skiing if whale watching was not enough. And let’s not forget their brewery.
I read about a whale museum which sounded REALLY cool, but unfortunately, we didn’t have time. There was also a EuroVision museum, which is big in Europe and a movie was based in Husavik.
There were a few places to eat but Eric had read about the fish soup in Naustio, which opened in 2011. Their goal was to offer fish soup and fish skewers in a small, unpretentious restaurant. The first two summers their food was noticed by locals and travelers alike and flourished.
In 2016 they found their current location in a ‘catalog house’ ordered at a co-op store in Norway and assembled in Husavik in 1930. The locals have a colorful history of those that have inhabited the house.
Yep, Eric ordered their fish soup and it was delicious. I got to dunk some of his bread in it. 🙂
The meals were wolf fish and a Smashburger! Guess what I ordered? It was time for some beef.
It was a nice homey place to eat.
What else was happening that evening? Snow.
Then a few minutes later……………it wasn’t snowing. This was 10:30pm. Definitely happy that all of our sleeping choices have had black-out curtains. It was needed.
There was a delicious bakery that we stopped at before leaving the following morning.
There was a lot to choose from. We bought a few things for the road.
We had an appointment at 12 noon, so needed to kill some time. We stopped in at the government-run store which sells anything over 2% ABV – and it is expensive! That is why most Icelandic people stock up once they return in the Duty-free store before leaving the airport. Really enjoyed looking at all of the different beers.
What was happening at 12 noon? We are going to GeoSea, a saltwater thermal spa. Brrrrrr – it was cold but the experience was exhilarating. That will be the next post.
Darden Travels 