Recently I checked off an item on my bucket list with an eight day journey to Iceland. To share my adventure I guested Corbin, my twenty one year old grandson.
We explored the geysers, waterfalls, glaciers, lava fields, caves, countryside, and black volcanic sand beaches of Vik during our stay. Remarkably, Iceland is where the moving continental plates which divide North America and Europe exist. It also has Europe's tallest waterfall, largest glacier and desert. While the temps remained in the 5-9 C degree range, it was far from a wasteland of ice. The people were warm, the Icelandic ponies friendly, and while the land was sparse of trees, evergreens and some hardy flowers were in early May bloom.
We ate lamb soup, cod, lobster, monk fish, lamb chops, and the unique hot dog of Iceland made of lamb. We did not dare sample the fermented shark, horse meat, whale, or puffin dishes. We enjoyed the local brews of Gull and Viking beer. We took boat excursions to see humpbacks, dolphins, minke whales, seals, and a wondrous variety of airborne creatures including the curious puffins. We soaked in the Blue Lagoon and shivered when we had to exit the volcanically warmed pools. We enjoyed the 18-19 hours of May daylight and motored many kilometers through the hills and valleys encountering sparse traffic. Combined, Corbin and I snapped nearly 3000 photos of the countryside, seaside villages, and Reykjavik. Around every corner, mile after mile, photo opportunities popped up like huge colorful postcards. Much of the landscape looked like an alien moonscape or sets from a Hobbit or Game of Thrones production.
In Reykjavik we visited museums, pubs, and the working waterfront crammed with fishing vessels and pleasure craft. We enjoyed a satirical performance of the Viking Sagas at the magnificent Harp Performing Arts Center. Two incredibly talented players gave an irreverent review of seventy five Sagas in seventy five minutes with audience participation from Corbin and others. We browsed the capital city's premier thrift store and walked blocks and blocks along the colorful harbor. We found Kringlan Mall with it's 150 stores which was a pleasant flashback to our enclosed shopping malls of a few years ago. Iceland has a total population of three hundred thousand with two thirds of it's population living in Reykjavik and it's suburbs. Tourism is a booming business with nearly a million visitors in 2014 up from only eighty thousand in 1980. However, commercial fishing remains the island nations number one industry. The best travel deals are during their fall/winter and shoulder seasons. Peak tourist time occurs between June and September. Their route #1 is an 800 mile circuit around the entire island, but we barely trekked more than 100 miles to the east, west, and north in our travels.
Most Icelanders speak English. We mingled easily with the locals and vacationing folks from Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Caribbean. While I never quite mastered the five speed manual transmission of our rental, the metric system, the krona conversion rate or endless roundabouts, we got along just fine in our explorations. Iceland Air provided a smooth five and a half hour nonstop flight out of Dulles and return flight from Keflavik .
An outstanding May adventure I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys dressing in layers, hiking a bit, and having a good supply of krona coins and bills.
We explored the geysers, waterfalls, glaciers, lava fields, caves, countryside, and black volcanic sand beaches of Vik during our stay. Remarkably, Iceland is where the moving continental plates which divide North America and Europe exist. It also has Europe's tallest waterfall, largest glacier and desert. While the temps remained in the 5-9 C degree range, it was far from a wasteland of ice. The people were warm, the Icelandic ponies friendly, and while the land was sparse of trees, evergreens and some hardy flowers were in early May bloom.
We ate lamb soup, cod, lobster, monk fish, lamb chops, and the unique hot dog of Iceland made of lamb. We did not dare sample the fermented shark, horse meat, whale, or puffin dishes. We enjoyed the local brews of Gull and Viking beer. We took boat excursions to see humpbacks, dolphins, minke whales, seals, and a wondrous variety of airborne creatures including the curious puffins. We soaked in the Blue Lagoon and shivered when we had to exit the volcanically warmed pools. We enjoyed the 18-19 hours of May daylight and motored many kilometers through the hills and valleys encountering sparse traffic. Combined, Corbin and I snapped nearly 3000 photos of the countryside, seaside villages, and Reykjavik. Around every corner, mile after mile, photo opportunities popped up like huge colorful postcards. Much of the landscape looked like an alien moonscape or sets from a Hobbit or Game of Thrones production.
In Reykjavik we visited museums, pubs, and the working waterfront crammed with fishing vessels and pleasure craft. We enjoyed a satirical performance of the Viking Sagas at the magnificent Harp Performing Arts Center. Two incredibly talented players gave an irreverent review of seventy five Sagas in seventy five minutes with audience participation from Corbin and others. We browsed the capital city's premier thrift store and walked blocks and blocks along the colorful harbor. We found Kringlan Mall with it's 150 stores which was a pleasant flashback to our enclosed shopping malls of a few years ago. Iceland has a total population of three hundred thousand with two thirds of it's population living in Reykjavik and it's suburbs. Tourism is a booming business with nearly a million visitors in 2014 up from only eighty thousand in 1980. However, commercial fishing remains the island nations number one industry. The best travel deals are during their fall/winter and shoulder seasons. Peak tourist time occurs between June and September. Their route #1 is an 800 mile circuit around the entire island, but we barely trekked more than 100 miles to the east, west, and north in our travels.
Most Icelanders speak English. We mingled easily with the locals and vacationing folks from Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Caribbean. While I never quite mastered the five speed manual transmission of our rental, the metric system, the krona conversion rate or endless roundabouts, we got along just fine in our explorations. Iceland Air provided a smooth five and a half hour nonstop flight out of Dulles and return flight from Keflavik .
An outstanding May adventure I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys dressing in layers, hiking a bit, and having a good supply of krona coins and bills.
No comments:
Post a Comment