Departure to the USA

8/25/2016 - Departure to the USA

Reflections on Iceland...

This is the land of IKEA - where the instructions for working the hotel showers and airport bathroom sinks were as challenging as the directions for assembling their products.

This is the land of incredibly resilient people; impending volcanic threats; and water in many forms - geothermals, waterfalls, blow holes, glacial rivers and ice caps.

This is an expensive country because it is an island that heavily relies on imports, but it is one where many tourists camp; buy groceries instead of eating out; and rent vehicles to explore the island (they drive on the same side of the road as we do in the USA). 

This is the land of fish!  I think I ate more fish on this trip than I have in my entire life - and it was absolutely amazing! 

This is the land of National Geographic photographic gems! I've never seen such biodiversity in my life!

And this is the fantastic group I traveled with.
Our intrepid leader, Hlif Ingibjornsdottir, is on the left in the purple sweater.
(photo courtesy of Hlif Ingibjornsdottir)

The Blue Lagoon and National Museum

8/24/16 - The Blue Lagoon, National Museum and Farewell Dinner

Reykjavik, home to more than 200,000 people (more than half the population of Iceland), means "smoky bay."  Iceland's first settler, Ingolfur Arnorson, built a farm there in AD 874,  in the midst of a lava field containing mineral-rich mud. Today this best-known geothermal pool, the Blue Lagoon, is the highlight of visitors to Iceland.

Clockwise from upper left: A Finnish couple with their GoPro had the best application
of the Lagoon's skin care product for youthful-looking skin; the Lagoon bar;
massage waterfall; massage treatment; our youthful group members
(after rinsing off their white faces) - Roz, Larry, Greta, Lee and Barbara.

Flowers, River Rafting, Geothermal Power Plant

8/23/16 - Flowers, River Rafting, 
Geothermal Power Plant, Icelandic Theater

Our first stop was a local flower farm specializing in cut flowers for retail customers. It was very enlightening to see how this family (for many generations) took advantage of the geothermal energy to grow amazing lilies, roses, Gerbera daisies and other species.  They were also replacing the soil in each starter pot with pumice from the area volcanoes - pretty much eliminating the threat of invasive insects and bacterial infections to the plants.

The young manager/owner finally unlocked the mystery for us as to how the rose stems turned out so tall and straight for perfect floral arrangements. (They bend down any outside stems to slow down their growth, and that forces the inside stems in the interior to grow taller, stronger and straighter).

The undeniable highlight of the day was river rafting on the Hvita glacial river. (The biggest challenge, besides negotiating the rapids, was squeezing into the wet suits, booties and life vests). We split up into 2 groups, and our group of 6 was led by Helke, a young Icelandic guide.  About 4 people opted out of the adventure so we relied on them for any and all photos (mostly shot from an overhead bridge).

 Photos by Tom Divers...

 In full gear & loading the bus for the launch point.

 Tom thought it was funny how my spiked hair stuck out of my helmet.

 Helke, our fearless leader.  
I told him he had a nice smile, and, without missing a beat, 
he said, "Barb, are you hitting on me?"

 Both of our rafts tuck into an eddy to let the rafts with the young people get out in front (for their own safety)

 Our "cougar" raft - George was an honorary member.  I'm in the bow with Lynn.

 We actually look like we know what we were doing.  
Turns out we were much better going through the rapids backwards (ha ha).

Our other raft of seniors.

The first rapid was the most challenging, and Lynn and I - positioned at the front of the raft (the bow) dictated the pace after Helke gave the instruction. It didn't take long for us to be totally soaked.  It felt like the river came pouring through the holes in the top of our helmets, traveled down the length of our wet suit before finally settling in our booties.  What an adrenaline rush!

Negotiating the second rapids with an open mouth yelling "yeehaw!" resulted in a huge intake of sulphur water that almost made me vomit. (After that one, the rapids were calmer so my mouth was not as open).

Once we returned to Reykjavik about 8 of us took the bus to the Harpa, the beautiful downtown concert hall for the theater and symphony. After enjoying dinner in the Bistro on the first floor, we climbed the stairs to enter a small intimate theater to watch Icelandic Sagas - The Greatest Hits in 75 Minutes.  These 40 stories about the first settlers of Iceland were summarized and condensed by 2 actors with various costume and gender changes. It was hilarious and quite enjoyable.

Exploring South Iceland

8/22/16 - Exploring South Iceland 

After breakfast we visited the Thorvaldseyri visitor center, which opened in 2011, so we could watch a 20-minute film about the spectacular eruption in Eyjafjallajokull in 2010.  I remembered how this particular event singlehandedly brought most of Europe's air travel to a screeching halt from April 15-23.

This is the family farm buried in ash from Eyjafjallajokull in 2010 and fully restored 

by the neighbors and family in an incredible display of resilience and resolve 

to start over again.

Next stop...Skogarfoss waterfall (below)
https://youtu.be/qSo-H-4FcPk

 It was so windy I was almost blown into the sea at this black beach.

 The super jeep tour took us to Kotlujokull glacier, but when we stopped to get out of our jeep for a closer look we were pelted by sleet.  So we had to satisfy ourselves with some quick, distant photos. You can still see some of the glacier that maintains its snowy base.

The last stop before we arrived at our hotel was Vik village and Seljalandsfoss waterfall - 200 ft. deep with a passage behind it for anyone wanting to see the waterfall from behind it.
https://youtu.be/yBNy9sQTfec

The Golden Circle

8/21/16 - Where did all these tourists come from???


This morning we flew from Akureyri to Reykjavik to circumnavigate the Golden Circle, a ring of natural highlights: Thingvellir National Park,   Geysir hot spring area and the Gullfoss waterfall.  

In other words, pretty much all the tourist traps for those visiting Iceland.  After enjoying the solitude of the Icelandic countryside, we were suddenly feeling claustrophobic with the sudden increase in population - kind of like the snowbirds invading Sarasota:)

Thingvellir National Park is the location of the major rift between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.  This rift is illustrated by the dramatic fissure which dwarfed the many travellers who hiked through it. Nearby you can see snow capped mountains, canyons, caves, streams and springs. And the world's oldest Parliament was formed here as well.

Anyone who wasn't at Thingvellir National Park seemed to be hanging at Geysir - the geyser from which all others take their name.  Even though it's pretty tame these days, the Strokkur geyser more than makes up for it...

good...https://youtu.be/kWcxdveWYgw

better...https://youtu.be/iA6cUGhTaQE

better...https://youtu.be/vbiiHGD71RQ

wait for it...https://youtu.be/83bqkIH6KHY



The last stop of the Golden Circle tour was the phenomenal Gullfoss waterfall - 3 tiers of rushing whitewater flowing into a 100-foot deep crevice...

https://youtu.be/Cl9wD4h5dSM

Whale Watching

8/20/16 - Whale Watching in Dalvik

Ahoy matey!  On the seas searching for minke whales, local marine life, white-beaked dolphins, harbor porpoises and humpbacked whales.

 Here's most of our crew (left). Greta gets into her "Michelin man" suit. 

Lee is so bundled up he looked like Santa Claus.

The crew fillets the fish several folks caught for the BBQ we enjoyed later.  

We had cod, haddock and mackerel.  Talk about fresh!

Some whale tail spottings (I apologize in advance for the camera movement - I choose to blame it on the boat)...

https://youtu.be/50G3A6brkuE

https://youtu.be/z4L5xn60NjQ

https://youtu.be/C1zX6jvsPLc

https://youtu.be/MJParmBhjIU

 The Dalvik fishing village harbor.

Back to Akureyri for dinner on our own and exploration of downtown art - in this case 

the ever-present trolls.

Skrimslandi/Monsters - Free the Nipple Troll, 2016 by Jonborg Siguroardottir. No idea what this means, but plenty of freed nipples.

https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/a3g7mk/free-the-nipple-icelandic-style

 (Left) Five of us went to the hot dog/ice cream stand for dinner so we could sample 
the ever-present and much discussed Icelandic hot dog - a hot dog with everything - 
raw and caramelized onions, mustard, ketchup and remolade. 
Too sweet tasting for my taste buds.

(Right) There are outdoor pools, wave pools and slides in every town and village. 
(The water is toasty because the air certainly isn't).






 

Thermal Springs and Waterfalls

8/19/16 - Thermal Springs and Waterfalls

Panorama of the eastern side of fjord...

"Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and cauldron bubble..."

Photos of the Lake Myvatn area and its volcanic eruptions. 

Clockwise from upper left: the bakery; covered thermals where rye bread is being baked; a boiling cauldron.

https://youtu.be/3iVMjXPxBBo

https://youtu.be/0cCiuic6RqI

https://youtu.be/FGOknlnAhac

https://youtu.be/2tmtzxfOkZ8

https://youtu.be/wpulGlG-FUg

Sulphur, midges and trolls...

A hike through the black castles lava formations of Dimmuborgir - home of a lonely troll.  Clockwise from upper left: trying to defend all facial orifices from the midges, while lessening the sulphur smells of the geothermals; George & Kaye in their stylish nets; 

Barb & Lynn as bandits; Roslyn modeling her upper-body midge protection; 

Kaye & Barbara under cover.  

Sights and sounds of Godafoss (waterfall of the gods)...

The rushing water of the glacial river falls 40 feet. The waterfall was named when one of the parliament members removed the statues of the Norse gods from the waterfall 

after Christianity was declared the national religion in 1000.

https://youtu.be/pgQV6jdUJhQ

https://youtu.be/uMbcPW9USfY

On the Road to Akureyri

8/18/16 - Stykkisholmur to Akureyri

Our first stop this morning was the site of the home of Erik the Red, father of the legendary Viking Leif Eiriksson (AKA Leif the Lucky), who discovered America around AD 1000.

Entrance to Eiriksstadir Museum.

We gather inside the Eiriksstadir Museum.

Greta dons the Viking gear in preparation in war.

Then onto the Guaksmyri Horse Farm to meet and watch Icelandic horses brought by the Viking settlers.

https://youtu.be/bjNZdqbAt-M

https://youtu.be/rCYmK0LROfE

https://youtu.be/6RVPT3-Kh_I


The final stop along our journey is Varmahlid to visit an old turf farmhouse depicting 18-19th century life in rural Iceland.

Snaefellsnes Peninsula National Park

8/17/16 - Hiking from Arnarstapi to Hellnar

This morning we started our day exploring the entry point to Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth.  

Some adorable sea lions near Arnarstapi.

Clockwise from upper left: farmhouse near Strondin; Hlif bracing tripod-like 

while photographing sea lions and birds; fantastic lava flow mountains; 

seashore; Roslyn and Larry searching for shorebirds.

Highlights along our hike...

The blowhole at Gatklettur: https://youtu.be/OFn9R7lvwXM

More arches, basalt cliffs and blowholes along the trail...

On to Londrangar...

The foss (waterfalls) are getting larger and louder:

https://youtu.be/PMB3Eq8751A

https://youtu.be/0Jiu9S7MASo

Our last activity for the day was a visit to a shark farm - where we learned about the Icelandic maritime history and the processing of shark meat. 

We sampled a national delicacy, hakarl (fermented or putrefied shark meat).  It was very chewy and the longer you chewed it the worse the taste.  Prior to popping it into our mouths we allowed it to soak in a tiny shot glass of Brennivin (Black Death) 37-40 proof alcohol for a few seconds.  This certainly helped take the edge off the fishy taste while numbing your taste buds. 

Journey to Borgarfjordur

8/16/16 - Reykjavik to Borgarfjordur

The morning view from our hotel before departure.

Our first stop - and the first of the many waterfalls and thermal springs on our journey to Borgarfjordur - was the Hraunfossar waterfalls, a 2900 ft. stretch of lava  with multiple springs, and the Barnafoss waterfall. The translation of Barnafoss is "waterfall of the children" because, according to the legend, 2 children from a nearby farm fell to their deaths from one of the bridges - since destroyed at the insistence of their mother.

Clockwise from left: a section of the Hraunfossar waterfalls;
Barnafoss waterfall; bridge over Barnafoss. 

And for your enjoyment, here's a couple of video links for you to enjoy the sight AND sounds of the water...

https://youtu.be/qnJ2R1O4wu8

https://youtu.be/sGB9fiydvcE

Clockwise from upper left: scene of 13th-century poet and native son, Snorri Sturluson's death at the hands of an assassin; Deildartunguhver thermal springs; Borgarnes bridge; Stykkisholmur Lutheran Church; sculpture of Asmund Sveinsson. 

The sounds of Deildartunguhver thermal springs...

https://youtu.be/u4ZJWF0I4IY

Hlif prepares a common Icelandic snack before we tackle the Helgafell (holy mountain), 

a sacred hill about 250 ft. high. We had malt and dried cod with butter. 

(I thought the malt was OK, but I would have reacted like Deb did on the right 

if I ever had to eat dried cod again in my lifetime).

Just as we reached the top of Helgafell, a gorgeous rainbow appeared.  

Top right, the nearby church; lower right, Kaye makes her way to the top.

My view from the hotel in Stykkisholmur.

Exploring Heimaey

8/13 and 8/14/16
Heimaey (hay may a), Westman Island, Iceland

So very glad I decided to add this pre-trip location. I knew nothing about this small island filled with 4400 incredible and resilient people whose lives were shaped undoubtedly by the tragic volcano eruption in 1973. 

Clockwise from upper left: most impressive outdoor mural located down by the harbor; views of the harbor; our pillow-top and pillow-bottom incredible bed; 
one of many lava rock caves at the harbor entrance; harbor ships; 

Eagle Air 21-seater I flew in from Reykjavik to Heimaey; more ships.

Before you read any further, click on the following youtube link for the devastating massive eruptions of lava from the Eldfell volcanic cone and its affect on the people of this small island January 23, 1973...  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghl33n26d44

The Eldheimar Museum.
Clockwise from upper left: excavated home buried by ash for 40 years; Hlif, our trip leader, stands next to the cemetery memorial pole indicating the depth of the volcanic ash that covered the local cemetery; Eldheimar Museum; another photo of the excavated home; lava rocks and debris behind a neighborhood home.

The Trolkerlingin statue by Eftir Asmund Sveinsson.
The Icelandic trolls originated from the Scandinavian folklore. They lived far from humans, were not Christian, and were considered dangerous to human beings. Depending upn the region from which they originated, their appearance varies greatly. They may be ugly and slow-witted or look and behave exactly like human beings, with no particularly grotesque characteristics about them. This statue is female in gender - the very pointed breasts are not as visible from this angle - and looks quite intimidating.

Net cutter used by the Icelandic Coast Guard in 1972 when other countries 

started fishing in waters that Icelandic fishermen relied upon for their livelihood.

Boat tour around the Westman Islands. Clockwise from upper left: lava elephant formation; some of the group before we departed; one of the more incredible caves; 
lava rock erosion; the harbor entrance.

We enjoyed a gourmet meal at the home of Helga and Arnor. While Arnor prepared and served us, Helga shared her story (and her "most beautiful boyfriend's" story - the boyfriend turned out to be Arnor) about their personal experience as teenagers that morning of January 23, 1973 and their journey back to the home Helga grew up in.  Afterwards they entertained us with 5 songs. 

Since the 1973 eruption, on the weekend following July 3rd, the people of Heimaey celebrate the day in 1973 when the eruption was officially declared at an end. On Saturday night pubs open their doors and floors to all types of musicians who are encouraged to sing and play to their hearts' delight.  A great number of former islanders choose this weekend to come back home for a visit.

This is one of those songs performed by Helga and Arnor...

https://youtu.be/vWAVs9AydkA


...and this is their favorite song since their teens and throughout their 40+ years of marriage...

https://youtu.be/psSq2PB4J_I

The Atlantic Puffin Parade.

The Atlantic puffin is the most common Icelandic bird with an estimated population of 10 million. One of the most unique and favorite times of the year is the annual migration of the baby puffins leaving their nests around early to mid-August. They are attracted to the lights of the town and confused by their new surroundings, but the children come to their rescue with cardboard boxes used to transport them to the shore where they are released into the sea.

 Our fearless leader yields to the sheep while we hike at Storhofdi.

Contemplating which way to continue...

One of the puffin roosting areas.

My favorite fish at the Aquarium.