Day 1: Settling inDay 1: As tight as our budget was after spending the summer getting our house re-sided, we went against our better judgement and booked a trip to Iceland which conveniently fell during my February break- because after 2 years of Covid we were both itching to travel outside the country. After a 4.5 hour sleepless flight from Boston, we arrived in Keflavik airport in the dark hours of the arctic-circle morning. We were fortunate to get an early check-in to our room and sleep for a handful of hours before our scheduled trip to the Sky Lagoon. For those who haven't heard, the Sky Lagoon is a lesser-known newer geothermal pool, like the Blue Lagoon except with an infinity pool overlooking the water. It was so relaxing to sit in the warm water with the cold mist cascading across the glassy surface. When we arrived back in Reykjavik we warmed up with some delicious lamb stew in bread bowls at Svarta Kaffid. Day 2: Highlights of ReykjavikDay 2: The next morning after breakfast we headed down to the harbor where we were practically blown into the ocean by strong gusts of wind. We stopped at the Kolaportid flea market where I found some lava-rock earrings. The Saga Museum provided a quirky and fun experience (and came with a beer!) We had fun trying on Viking-wear and posing with the wax figures. It was here that we got a message explaining that our South Coast Tour scheduled for the next day was cancelled due to the impending storm. Disappointed, but determined to make the most of our time, we ventured through the snowy streets towards the National Museum of Iceland, petting all the friendly cats along the way. We walked across Tjornin Lake to Hallgrimskirka- the iconic church where we rode the elevator to the very windy top. It was neat to see the bursts of bright colored houses lining the snowy streets. We made our way down to Reykjavik Chips, which specializes in french fries and lots of different dipping sauces for a quick snack before our beer tour. After a shower and refresh at the hotel we met Astor, our beer guide in the Central Plaza. We first drank a flight of different beers at Skuli bar and then two beers at Session- which had a raspberry sour that tasted like a smoothie. We ended our tour at a dive bar called Olstofa. After the tour ended we walked to a karaoke bar and joined the other three people from our beer tour at a table. After many more beers and some hilarious singing, we closed the bar and began walking back to our hotel. We managed to try the famous Icelandic hotdog at Beajarins Beztu Pylsur along the way. It was everything I hoped and more! Day 3: The Strange and QuirkyDay 3: With our South Coast tour cancelled due to weather, we decided to sleep in and meet with the rest of the group (Brad's cousin Alison, her friend Leslie, and a handful of their college friends) to explore the weird and quirky sites of Reykjavik. We walked to get a bite to eat at Reykjavik Fish which had the best fish and chips I have ever tried. After eating and feeling more refreshed after our late night, we ducked into the tiny Icelandic Punk Museum that is underground in a converted public toilet. We learned about the history of Punk music in Iceland and listened to some interesting music. Then we finally met up with the group to check out the infamous Icelandic Phallological Museum (yes- Penis museum). We checked out all the many a-hem..."specimens" and regretted eating beforehand because we were too full to try the "savory penis waffles" on the phallic-themed menu. After quite a few giggles we made our way back up the street to our hotel. We stopped for a few drinks at Bravo (grungy and weird- but good drinks) and Kaldi (dark and small, but classier). Back at the hotel we tried to re-book our South Coast tour, but the storm was actually supposed to be worse in the coming 2 days so that was cancelled as well. We ate a comforting and delicious dinner at the GrillMarket, I had tender lamb chops with potatoes drizzled with cheese. It was heaven. Day 4: Mini Golden Circle TourDay 4: We woke up early to meet the group for our Golden Circle- Blue Lagoon Tour. Unfortunately we found out as we were boarding the bus that the Blue Lagoon would need to be cancelled because the impending storm would be closing roads later in the day. We were bummed, but planned to rebook it for another day. We drove first to Thingvellir National Park to see the gap between the tectonic plates. Despite the wall of white snow engulfing the whole of the lava-rock scenery- it was still very beautiful. After that we drove about an hour out to the Geysir to watch the geothermal explosions of steam. We ate lunch at the cozy café at the park and we were still able to see the geysir from the giant windows. We were then told by our tour guide that the tour would need to be cut short because the snow was moving into Reykjavik at a rapid pace. We missed Gullfoss, which I was very disappointed about. As we were slowly driving the bus through the snow we saw the trucks closing off the road behind us. Back in the city the snow and wind was relentless. We walked to the Food Cellar for our reservation and ate some delicious spicy duck wings. Dreading our trudge back through the snow, we reluctantly left the cozy dark wooden corner of the restaurant and braved the wind. It was only about 9pm, but we were so exhausted from walking in the weather, we decided to call it an early night. Day 5: Last Night in ReykjavikDay 5: We woke up disappointed, but determined to make the best of it. Listening to the howling unrelenting wind and freezing rain all night told us that our South Coast tour was definitely not happening. We attempted to get a cab to drop us off at the covid-testing site so we could get our negative results to flay back the next afternoon, but even the cabs didn't want to brave the weather. We bundled up and walked at an angle to combat the pushing wind and flying flakes of snow. We finally made it and were relieved that we both tested negative. We rested at the hotel, then purchased tickets for Fly Over Iceland, so we could at least get a simulated experience of all of our cancelled tours. We drank delicious lattes while we waited for our ticket time and it may not have been the real thing- but it was a worthwhile experience. After exploring the harbor the storm died down and it even started to clear up a bit. We stopped for a snack at Bruggian Brugghus and even ordered beer flights. The pesto butter and potatoes were delectable. After another rest at the hotel and warm showers we made our way to the food hall to have drinks with the rest of the group. We broke off to eat dinner at a restaurant that served a simple menu, but had amazing wings. Later we walked down a side street to meet the whole group at 3 Coats- a traditional Icelandic restaurant that served some of the more "exotic" chocies, like puffin, horse, whale and the fermented shark. The shark was not as bad as I had thought it would be, but I probably will never eat whale or puffin again. We capped off the night back at Olstofa (our beer tour guide's favorite dive). Brad and I were able to book new tickets to the Blue Lagoon which we planned to do the following day en route to the airport. Day 6: The Blue LagoonDay 6:
I realize now why so many people do the Blue Lagoon either coming into Reykjavik, or leaving. It is so relaxing to go before or after a long plane ride. The sun was rising and the storm had moved out. Clouds of mist danced across the surface of the bright blue water. We stored our luggage and made our way to the showers. It felt a little more rushed and touristy than the Sky Lagoon, but it is large enough to find your own pocket of lagoon to yourself if you want to escape the crowds. We vegged in the water with a few glasses of wine before heading to the airport to leave. I would for sure recommend Iceland, knowing that weather wherever you go cannot be predicted or changed!
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AuthorI believe that travel is essential to exist in this world and that it is the perfect medicine for staleness. Archives
August 2022
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