Our trip to Iceland requires many blog posts (1, 2, 3, 4). We drove the country, saw a lot of amazing sights, but this post is dedicated to the incidentals. The details that you need to be aware of when you’re in a foreign country and being prepared for the differences. I spent hours searching Trip Advisor forums prior to the trip and a lot of the same questions about credit cards and how good the roads were came up. However, things like how a gravel road varies in condition from one part of the country to the other or there being single lane tunnels would have been good information to know and mentally prepare for before you’re suddenly there and not sure if it’s right or not.

Transactions
Nearly every payment was put on a BMO MasterCard (which had a chip and PIN). Only once did we have to pay for something with cash, and that was only because the POS machine was taking a while to process. We used the credit card for small things like yogurt (Skyr) all the way to larger meals. I didn’t find that I was prompted for a PIN very often, it was usually signing a transaction slip.

PIN enabled machines were more common in Reykjavik and Akureyri, as well as self serve gas stations. MasterCard and Visa appeared to be the primary cards accepted. We brought an American Express but I don’t think I noticed it being accepted at many places (at least according to the stickers on the outside of businesses), so you are probably okay to leave home without this one.

According to the Lonely Planet and Frommer’s travel books tipping isn’t required and we never did. The only time we left an extra amount was when it was convenient to unload a large Icelandic krona.

Gas Stations
The process for paying with a credit card at a gas station changed depending on if it was a Shell or an N1. Typically you inserted your card first, entered your PIN and then you had to enter in the dollar amount of fuel you wanted. I made the mistake of entering in “20” (assuming $20CDN) and the transaction was denied because it was such a small amount. I then entered “20000” (now understanding it to be in ISK) and the transaction was declined because the amount was too high. On the third try I entered “10000” and everything went smoothly. Only a few times did I have to go into the station and ask if I could pay inside instead of at the pump.

After a few days of driving I suspected the air pressure in one of the tires was low. Halfway through the trip we explored an N1 and found the best air pump. Not only was it free but it was intelligent. You would enter in your desired PSI on the machine (which had simple diagrams), attach the hose to the tire and the machine did the rest. It would test the pressure of the tire and either add or remove air. When it reached the desired number it would beep several times and you were done. All tire pumps should be this amazing.

Driving
Once outside of Reykjavik the crowd of cars on the Ring Road thinned out and you went thirty minutes or longer before seeing another vehicle. The speed limits in Iceland are not like in Canada where they are seen as a suggestion. If there is a turn in the road and the speed sign indicates 45, you do 45 because it’s probably a tight turn along the edge of water and it has a blind rise in it and you could potentially meet oncoming traffic. 90 felt like a fine speed limit, but if someone wanted to pass you there was more than enough opportunity for them to do so.

I passed more cyclists and tractors than cars. There were a few cars that passed me on long stretches but I was happy going 90 to enjoy the scenery.

Single lane bridges are very common in Iceland. It’s usually not a problem because there is no oncoming traffic but every bridge you approached you had to make sure there wasn’t someone rushing towards it on the other side. Most bridges were fairly short, but longer ones in Skaftafell National Park stretched for long distances over the sandur and had pull out points every hundred meters in case you met another car. I wasn’t particularly fond of the one by Jökulsárlón. It was a long bridge where you couldn’t see the other side and you were right beside the glacier lagoon so there was plenty of distractions that made this unpleasant to cross a few times.

What was really fun was going in a single lane tunnel! These only existed in the Westfjords, and even though it’s a remote area with few vehicles it was still a little nerve wracking. There were pull outs to navigate oncoming traffic but I still breathed a sigh of relief when I got through.

Road Kill
I think sheep would cause more fatalities in Iceland than anything else. Most of them are usually in the ditch or far enough away that they aren’t a threat of darting out onto the road but every time you passed them you had to make sure the babies weren’t separated from the mother and they weren’t going to sprint across the road.

Arctic Terns were incredibly annoying on the road too. Sure, they just migrated from the Antarctic, but for all the wide open space they have to sit on the road? Most flew out of the way before you got close but they changed directions so fast I expected one to accidentally dive bomb into the wind shield.

There were other birds and goats on the road, a few times I had to stop and honk the horn to motivate them to cross.

Security
After travelling to areas where pick pockets and tourist traps are rampant we instinctively kept our guard up in Iceland. We were cautious and didn’t leave anything immediately visible in the car when we went to walk to a sight, we always locked our doors and we emptied the car every night. None of this was necessary because everywhere we went we felt safe. We didn’t need a ‘money belt’ or worry about people fingering through our bags in a public place. Iceland was safe and everyone (locals and tourists alike) was friendly. You would say ‘hello’ to someone and they would respond in German or French. It’s a very diverse crowd of tourists but everyone was all smiles.

Language
English is Iceland’s second language but we found everyone spoke it, which was a relief because we couldn’t even come close to speaking Icelandic. People were friendly and were not put out by repeating something in English. There were a few occasions my “hello” was interpreted for the Icelandic “halló” and the native would say something in Icelandic and I would get a confused look on my face.

Weather
There was always wind. It may not be significant but it was always there. It prevented us from doing a map holding out in the open air several times. We found that we always had a few layers of clothes on but the wind would get you.

We had several toques and gloves and were worn nearly all the time. The thermometer would read +7 but if it was cloudy and windy it would feel colder. Days where there was no wind and the sun was out was amazing. Bring sun screen if you’re going in longer daylight hours because it may not feel like you’re going to get burnt but the sun was always high and could cause some damage.

Umbrella’s are useless and not needed. If it’s raining there is probably wind and the umbrella will be turned inside out and turn into a weapon. There’s no place for them in Iceland even though some tourist stores did sell them.

Our daily attire consisted of a long underwear top, a mid layer and then an outer shell. Depending on the weather and what we were going to see we would change the type of outer shell but having the base and mid layer on allowed us to be comfortable in the car but still be warm enough for quick explorations out of the car. On the bottom we usually wore long underwear with a quick dry pant or a fabric that was breathable.

One of the best investments we made was the purchase of Smart Wool socks. We wore these for several days in a row and every day we put them on the sock felt fresh, held its form and never had that tired and used sock feeling. They kept our feet cool and dry on hikes, and after a few days of wear they produced no odour. They were an expensive upfront purchase but completely justified when we were wearing them day after day.

Iceland Unlimited
The comfort I got from having a tour company arrange accommodation and car rental for me was worth the additional cost. Planning out the trip to allow us to see all the attractions without spending a whole day driving was a huge asset. If something were to go wrong on our trip we had a safety net and it was nice knowing we had someone watching our back.

I would recommend Iceland Unlimited to anyone. They were helpful in my original request, modified and customized the itinerary to suit our needs and their passion and enthusiasm about their job was evident when we met them in person.

Our experience with Iceland Unlimited wasn’t without a few hiccups, however minor they were, it did impact our schedule.

The first issue was when the car rental company didn’t pick us up from our guesthouse at the arranged time. The car rental company wasn’t aware that a pickup was arranged, so either the rental agency misplaced this booking or Iceland Unlimited didn’t make the call. We called our tour guide on the provided phone and within a few minutes everything was sorted out and a short time later a van arrived to pick us up. A minor set back but we were left waiting for nearly an hour when we could have been on the road starting our adventure.

The next issue, and the biggest, was receiving the wrong information for the ferry departure near the end of our trip. Instead of departing at 12PM it departed at 6PM. To make the two hour drive to the 12PM ferry we cut sightseeing short and worked our day around this departure time only to find out we had the wrong information. Nothing could be done to correct this, there was a misunderstanding over what schedule the ferry was running on but this mixup impacted our chance to explore the Westfjords on the one good day of weather we had. We made the most of this by driving back through a fjord that was covered in cloud the day before and explored the beach at low tide, but if we had this time in the morning we would have used that time differently.

Because we were six hours behind schedule it had a domino effect on our sightseeing plans for when we drove off the ferry and the following day. We essentially had to do two days of exploring in one, and return the car back to Reykjavik. Through this mixup we were in constant communication with Iceland Unlimited, discussing alternatives or modifying our next few nights but we decided on sticking to the original plan and then putting two days of sight seeing into one. Iceland Unlimited notified the car rental agency that we would be dropping the car off late and that any additional charges would be covered by them. A nice gesture to correct something that could have been avoided.

These are minor complaints on what was otherwise a smooth operation. The vouchers we were given at the beginning of the trip were accepted without question and there was no issue checking into any of the guesthouses or surprised looks from people saying “We don’t have your reservation”. Our suggested itinerary was informative but not the end all be all for things to see, and it helped us research nearby sights we may have missed otherwise.

Music
Not directly related to the enjoyment of our trip but it did enhance it. Prior to leaving I created an “Iceland Playlist” full of Iceland artists like Sigur Rós, Bjork, Of Monsters and Men and Ólafur Arnalds. Driving through an eerie landscape with oo’s and aa’s of Sigur Rós was pretty amazing. If an artist was able to capture the beauty of a country with music Sigur Rós did it. I wonder if people visit Canada, put on Bryan Adams and do flying kicks and fist pumps as they navigate the Trans Canada over the Rocky Mountains.

And that concludes posts about our fifteen days in Iceland. Five months later I still think about Iceland on a nearly daily basis and I believe a part of why it has taken so long to write these posts is that I wasn’t ready to admit that this trip happened and it is finally over.

And so begins the conclusion of our Iceland trip, which takes us out of the Westfjords and back to Reykjavik. For the previous updates you can read about Day 1 through Day 5 here and Day 6 through Day 10 here.

Day 11 / May 26

With a full stomach from breakfast we prepared for our day on the road by returning to Gamla Bakery to pick up some food for lunch. We also didn’t know when we would see another gas station so we fueled up at the nearest N1 and decided to check the tire pressure. For a few days I have been thinking the tire felt off and it was 13PSI when the pressure should have been around 23! Having proper tire pressure was crucial for a day like we were about to have.

The air machine was incredibly intuitive () and helpful (more on the machine in the next post), something like this should at every gas station in North America.

With everything in place we left Ísafjörður and headed into the unknown.

Fjord Exploration
Connected through a series of tunnels there are small communities outside Ísafjörður, which form up the municipality of Ísafjarðarbær. With a curiosity to see what a village of a few hundred looks like we did a little sightseeing in each as we went south in the Westfjords.

We first went to Suðureyri, Flateyri and then Þingeyri. The weather was raining and windy so the thought of stopping to walk around wasn’t very appealing so what we did see was from the comfort of our car. The tour books didn’t have much to say about any of these towns so they may not be worth visiting again but a small town in an isolated region of the country will always have a certain quirkiness to it.

From one town to the next our view of the landscape was hindered by the weather so we could barely see much of the water or mountain ranges, which was probably the biggest shame on this fjord exploration.

Dynjandi (Fjallfoss)
To get to Dynjandi we took a “summer only” road (#60) and things on our trip started to get worse. The weather was still rainy and windy and the climb up this gravel road was terrifying with a single lane. There was terrible visibility, fog and sheer rock on one side and 15+ feet of snow on the other. This was a white knuckled experience and it felt dangerous to move the car out of the first gear. After what felt like hours navigating up and over Mount Kaldbakur we arrived at Dynjandi.

The falls are impressive from the parking lot but we didn’t drive several hours in bad conditions to watch from afar so we put on our rain gear and prepared to get wet. The walk up was about 30 minutes to get the most accessible height of the falls. If we weren’t wet from the rain we would have been soaked by the water coming off the falls, and once you’re wet you’re wet so we tried to make the most of our time at this stop. It is too bad that what I remember most from Dynjandi, besides the weather, was the climb up and making sure not to take a wrong step. On better days I imagine Dynjandi would look beautiful.

We returned to car, put the heat on and tried to thaw ourselves. We ate our Gamla Bakery lunch and headed out back on the road. We left Dynjandi around the same time as another vehicle and little did we know how much we would see that SUV for the next few days. Forty minutes on the road I pulled over a bit to let the SUV go by and the Hyundai couldn’t recover and get back on the road. I didn’t think I pulled over that much but I drifted the passenger side of the car into some soft gravel and came to a stop. I tried to reverse and go forward but nothing was happening.

Thankfully the panic of “how we get out” didn’t last long as the SUV I pulled over for saw our predicament and came to push me out. We created a little caravan together and when we landed on pavement at Tálknafjörður we went our seperate ways. We went in search of food and found a convenience store at Patreksfjörður where we bought dried cup of soup, cheese and crackers. Our journey was far from over as we still had at least an hour to go until we got to the guesthouse and that time estimate before we saw that the remainder of our journey was on rough gravel roads.

The road (#62) to Breidavik would probably be fine in normal conditions but the days of rain had made it very tedious, especially after the roads we had seen today. There were large pot holes filled with water, parts of the road were underwater and on some sections of the road that hugged a large rock cliff there were actually boulders that had fallen on the road. This was the first time we saw a “falling rocks” sign actually be useful while driving.

It felt like we were never going to get to our guesthouse but at 7PM we saw the Farm Holidays flag indicating a guesthouse and we knew this had to be us. On a normal day the drive would have been beautiful but today was one of the worst driving conditions I have ever experienced.

Látrabjarg Cliffs
One of the main attractions of Breidavik Guesthouse is the proximity to Látrabjarg cliffs. Not only is this the western most point in Iceland it is home to an incredible number of birds, specifically puffins. While not a priority for the trip when we left the cliffs gained a certain level of hype in my imagination and now that we were so close to them I had to get there.

With our schedule being tight the next day to catch the ferry (leaves at 12PM with a two hour drive) we only had this evening to go to the cliffs. We had supper and waited for a bit before deciding to go back out again or not. Shortly after checking in the sun came out and it looked like a totally different day. We left for Látrabjarg at 8PM but when the road approached the beach we came across another hurdle for the day.

The sandy road appeared to be under a bit of water and there was no easy way to drive around it. You only want things you can’t have and to be this close to the cliffs but foiled by water was frustrating. Not wanting to get stuck for the second time that day we decided to return back to the guesthouse. On our way back we saw our couple in the SUV that pushed us out of the road drive to the cliffs, as well as a smaller car than ours. For the rest of the night we wondered if either vehicle had any problems getting through the water or any other issues further along.

Back at Breidavik Guesthouse for the night we walked around the beaches, drank wine and did research while unwinding from this bad weather day.

Breidavik Guesthouse
Breidavik has a run down appearance when you pull in but don’t pass up on it. The large house looks neglected and the white canisters of rooms in the back look like compartments for live stock. However, you don’t judge a book by its cover as the interior of the reception/dining area was very nice and comforting. At the reception there were guests and, I assume, locals enjoying the company of each other in the lounge area.

The compartments we slept in were very comfortable and cozy. They may not look like much from the outside but the inside had private bathrooms, large windows looking out to the beach, two comfortable beds and a mini kitchen complete with a kettle; which was critical since we bought dried noodle soup earlier in the day.

This was a very nice guesthouse that was clean and functional. The beds were soft and the roll shutters blocked out all of the light. Breakfast was the same of what we have had on the trip with cereal, yogurt and cold cuts. They were the first place to not have a toaster available but they did have peanut butter, so we felt it was a fair trade.

Day 12 / May 27

We woke up at 7AM after having a solid sleep. Breakfast was busy (the spread is reviewed above) with others and there was talk of those who went to the cliffs last night and commented on how active the puffins were. Our SUV couple made it through, as did the small car, and both spent several hours last night there. We planned to catch the ferry at 12PM and with a two hour drive on roads that may not have improved since yesterday there wasn’t much time for sightseeing or a chance to go to the Látrabjarg cliffs so we packed up and hit the road.

Rauðisandur
Our drive out took us by a turn off towards a 10KM stretch of beautiful red beaches called Rauðisandur. If we couldn’t see Látrabjarg we felt this was a good consolation prize. The gravel road up and over the mountain was a slow 10KM that took us nearly 20 minutes. Only having an hour to spare this didn’t leave us much time to explore when we arrived at Rauðisandur. This was definitely a regret on our trip and wished we could have seen more of it, especially when we looked at photos online of what the view looked like further down, but we had a time limit today and didn’t want to be late for the ferry.

Even stopping to photograph a rusted ship was timed. Once we landed on paved road I sped and rushed to the Baldur Ferry area. We arrived around 11AM and noticed that the ticket office was closed so we went to a nearby house to ask about information. We were told that the ferry departs once a day and it leaves at 6PM instead of noon. What?!

Our whole day was turned upside down. We called our tour guide with Iceland Unlimited and tried to sort this out. There was a misunderstanding in summer hours (starts in June instead of May) and this is why we were given the wrong time, even though everyone at Breidavik said it left at 6PM we thought we were on an earlier ferry. We discussed itinerary change options (ie: extra day in the Peninsula and one less day in Reykjavik, etc.) but he said he would call back with options.

The nearest attraction by Baldur Ferry is the Vatnsfjörður Nature Reserve, which we headed to to pass time until we heard back from Iceland Unlimited. We weighed our options and when our tour guide called back we decided to make no changes and just suffer with a late night tonight. Iceland Unlimited would pay for after hour car drop off since any sightseeing we didn’t do today would be done tomorrow and put us back in Reykjavik well after the originally proposed 5PM drop off time.

With a whole afternoon open we took a few minutes to pose in front of a beautiful waterfall we found by the Nature Reserve. When I saw a sign for Látrabjarg I did another “super sad” face. With that out of our system we carried on with our day and did some exploring under beautiful blue skies.

Lunch was approaching so we returned to Patreksfjörður (60KM away), bought some food and enjoyed it overlooking the fjord. After a rough day on the road yesterday we gave the car some attention by checking the tire pressure and washing the mud out of the rims that was still there after getting stuck the day before.

We now had over five hours to pass so we took our time and tried to see what we missed with bad visibility yesterday and the difference was remarkable. The Westfjords transformed from a gloomy world into a beautiful world with rich blue water and inspiring vistas between fishing villages. At low tide we walked onto the beach and remarked that mountains and waters felt like something you would see in a tropical place and it turned out that the ferry time mix up gave us some of our best memories of Iceland.

With the afternoon sufficiently passed we headed to the Ferry and saw our SUV friends. We talked about our respective days and they showed me photos of the puffins they got the previous night and from that morning. My jealousy is high but it was interesting to see their photos and how close they were able to get to the puffins. When we return to Iceland we’ll be in a larger vehicle and make the Westfjords a top priority, especially Látrabjarg.

The ferry was over two hours long, complete with a stop over in Flatey. We stayed above deck for the first half of the trip but with a rushed schedule we had to prioritize what to see today and tomorrow so we went down below to plan, warm up and have some supper.

Snæfellsnes Peninsula
The ferry arrived at Stykkishólmur on the Peninsula and we entered “super duper tourist sight seeing” mode. Unfortunately we missed some of the sights and the relaxing pace we were used to but we tried to make the most of our time on the Peninsula.

We arrived at Guesthouse Hof shortly after 11PM and were given our own building because they didn’t want us disturbing anybody by coming in late. We knew there were hot tubs at this guesthose and have been saving a bottle of sparkling wine for this moment () for the last few days and it did not disappoint.

We must have spent 90 minutes in the hot tub listening to the ocean waves in the distance, watching the birds fly in the sky, all the while seeing a beautiful pink sunset over the Snæfellsjökull range. It was well passed midnight and was still very light outside. It isn’t possible to capture how amazing this experience was but this video I took helps show the kind of view we had from the hot tub.

Guesthouse Hof
Guesthouse Hof was a very large accommodation and in a great location. We were fortunate to have a place all to ourselves and this definitely made us enjoy the stay a little more. There are many sleeping areas, even a loft above the kitchen, and had a large living room with clean bedrooms.

The location is ideal being on the southern side of the Peninsula and it was relatively easy to navigate around and get back to the northern part of the Peninsula. Breakfast was delivered to our room and outside of the photo I took of it I can’t recall anything particular about it. It was an average spread, better than some places but not the best. It filled us up and that’s all you can ask.

Day 13 / May 28

We were slow to start the morning because of the late night we had, but with a full day we didn’t delay for long and were mobile around 7:30AM. To see sights we missed yesterday we back tracked and took a short cut through the Peninsula and started going counter clockwise on the Peninsula at Ólafsvík.

Skardsvik Beach
Our first stop on exploring the Snæfellsnes Peninsula was to the Caribbean like beaches of Skardsvik. The entire area of Snæfellsnes Peninsula is covered with lava flow from past eruptions and then out of the black and grey is this view you wouldn’t think to ever see in Iceland with gold sand and blue waters.

Epine on the Djúpalónssandur
Epine, a ship from England, ship wrecked on the beaches of Djúpalónssandur back in 1948 is still visible on the sand. Most of the boat has been worn away over years from the elements but you walk on the beach and can still see large chunks of twisted and rusted metal. We walked amongst the ruins, explored the rocks and built a stone monument on the beach.

Drivtik
Although Drivtik is in the same area as above I’m separating this out because it deserves special attention.

Further down from the ship wreck we were on the beaches of Drivtik. Jenna called this the highlight of the trip and one of the most beautiful places she’s ever seen, and I’m inclined to agree with her. Stones turned into small rock to small pebbles the closer to the water you got and all the while they were jet black and smooth. Water would crash in, causing the rocks beneath to make a loud crunching sound, the water would pull away exposing exposing wet rock and come in again. It was very mesmerizing and we must have stood here for over 10 minutes just watching. Beyond that was a sea stack to one side, cliffs on the other and endless water beyond.

Lunch at Fjoruhusid
Across from the bird cave of Badstofa, by Hellnar is a little cafe called Fjoruhusid. We had lunch on the patio and enjoyed doing people watching and see the activity by the bird cave. For lunch we had seafood soup and it was so delicious it claimed the spot of second best on the entire trip. First place went to the lamb soup at Gullfoss cafe and third was tomato and basil from Dimmuborgir. For desert we shared a Skyr cake and were ready to carry on our busy day of sight seeing.

Hraunfossar (Husafell) Falls
Our way to Reykjavik was full of attractions and once we were off the Peninsula we headed to Hraunfossar Falls. Arriving here was a bit tricky as we took a wrong turn and ended up driving on gravel for over 45 minutes. We returned to the main road and not more than a few kilometers from where we prematurely turned off to the access for Hraunfossar Falls.

This was our last waterfall on the trip and it’s a pretty unique by covering nearly a kilometer of distance and water cascaded down from lava formations. We knew we weren’t in a rush to return the car to Reykjavik but we saw as much as our tired bodies would carry us, got in the car and started on the last two hours of our drive around the country. To speed up our return we spent the 1000ISK ($7.82CDN) to go on the Hvalfjörður Tunnel, which goes under the fjord and allows you to greatly reduce your travel time. Thankfully this tunnel was multiple lanes and carried traffic in both directions.

With the assistance of our GPS, “James”, we were able to get into the heart of Reykjavik and check in at the Salvation Army Guesthouse. We emptied the car, changed clothes from 12 hours on the road and took the Hyundai back to the rental agency, ProCar, which was just over a 1KM so we could easily walk back after returning the car. Our Hyundai i30 was good to us. Overall we travelled 3438 km in it and thankfully didn’t return it with any dings, scrapes or serious damage.

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
After a few hot dogs on the road we finally went to the best hot dog stand in the world, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur. I had two with everything and loved it. Jenna wasn’t convinced by its greatness and thought the first hot dogs we had by the Reykjavik square (Ingolfstorg) on our first day were better but I couldn’t agree with this. Most of the hot dogs in Iceland are similar with being made from lamb, but these ones were special because of the toppings. I have eaten a lot of hot dogs in my life but these two stand out as the best ever.

Salvation Army Guesthouse
We were put up in a different area of the Guesthouse so we weren’t exposed to as much noise coming from the Reykjavik square (Ingolfstorg) but there was still traffic noise but after a long couple of weeks we had no problems sleeping. My opinions of the Salvation Army Guesthouse remain unchanged, it looks dirty and feels more like a hostel than a guesthouse, however it’s close to amenities of down town Reykjavik so it is the price you pay for convenience.

Day 14 / May 29
The day started with a small breakfast () by what we are used to, however it was average for what you can expected at the Salvation Army Guesthouse.

Today was a full day in Reykjavik so we layered up, packed light and began exploring. We wandered up streets, did window shopping, walked through parks and eventually made our way up to Hallgrímskirkja. We explored the grounds and went inside to look at the 15 meter tall organ inside as well as the architecture inside the church. We window shopped and just wandered the streets.

For an afternoon pick me up I had another “one with everything” hot dog from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur followed by chocolate dipped ice cream. The weather was amazing with the sun out and hardly a breeze. In the two weeks we were on the road Reykjavik started to explode with color as plants and flowers began to bloom. It was nice to wander the city feeling comfortable with where everything was located and knowing you weren’t on a time schedule.

A full day on our feet meant a large meal and for that we went to the Reykjavik Restaurant for the fish buffet (). This was a little expensive at 5300ISK/person ($41.50/person) but we at a lot of different fish we wouldn’t have tried otherwise so it was a justified expense.

We returned back to the Salvation Army Guesthouse and finished the last bits of wine we had and started to reminisce about the trip and prepare to pack up to leave tomorrow.

Day 15 / May 30
A slow start to the day but our bus ride to the Blue Lagoon came for us at 10:30 so following another disappointing breakfast we still had 90 minutes to pack everything up. Packing was a simple process, since we have essentially been packing and unpacking our suitcase every day so we were pretty efficient at doing it one last time.

Blue Lagoon
We arrived at the Blue Lagoon around 12PM and with our shuttle to the airport leaving at 2PM we only had 90 minutes to enjoy the Lagoon and that wasn’t nearly enough time. The admission was fairly steep at 35€/person ($45 CDN/person) but had we been able to stay a little longer we may have been able to get our monies worth. However, it was nice to be fully relaxed and mellow before getting on a long flight back home.

We explored the pool in search of warm vents. Put on several applications of silica mask cream (available for purchase here, the fact they can charge $100USD for a bottle is sad but it really worked, our skin felt great for days after) from the buckets stations set up around the lagoon. Unlike Lake Myvatn Nature Bath there were more areas to explore in the warm water plus multiple steam rooms and hot tubs you could go in to. It was nice to have been to the Lake Myvatn Nature Bath to compare to the Blue Lagoon, they each have their benefits and I would gladly return to both.

We were on our shuttle to Keflavik Airport at 2PM and so ended the best trip I have ever experienced. Our trip back to Edmonton, by way of Seattle, was uneventful, and that concludes our trip. I have a final post to publish that talks about things we learned on the road that may be useful to others visiting Iceland.

Our trip recap of Iceland picks up where the first one left off and will cover the next five days of our stay in Iceland.

Day 6 / May 21

We bid farewell to the east coast and went toward Egilsstaðir. The scenery constantly changed and through green and lively lands we entered barren mountains with no sign of live. Some of Prometheus was filmed in this area in Iceland it really could be a foreigh world. Not only were the amount of cars on the road fewer there was no wild life on the roads and no fences designating farmland. There was just a freshly paved road winding in and around snow covered peaks and valleys of a black mountain scene. The sights were minimal but this was an incredible drive with the feeling of isolation crushing down around you as you followed a dashed line through the country.

Five hours after leaving Hotel Framtid we arrived at Dettifoss. We approached from the West side, which up until a few years ago was not accessible with small cars. After researching Dettifoss I decided to approach from this side because there were better views. The waterfall is so incredible I think the East side would have been amazing too, it’s just to bad that getting to the East side is about an hour drive so you can’t easily change your mind if you want to switch.

Dettifoss
The most powerful waterfall in Europe was a sight you heard before you saw it. The walk was over a kilometer from the parking lot and the terrain was tricky with snow, water, lava rocks and general slipperiness. Closer to the falls the noise and wind kicked up and you climbed up a little ledge and were face to face with a powerful gust of wind and an incredible waterfall. You could lean into the wind coming off the falls, which is risky since there were no barriers on the path so you could get as close to this scene as possible.

We walked around Dettifoss for about half an hour, getting different vantage points and trying to comprehend how large this area was. Once back in the car we resumed our voyage to Lake Myvatn and our home for the night.

The scenery closer to Lake Myvatn changes from black and white to oranges, reds and rolling hills. The color change is due to the sulfur coming out of the earth and being stained from the active geothermal nature of the area. Getting a first hand look at this you can stop at Hverier and look at the steam vents, hot mud bubbles and get a mouthful of disgusting smells. This was a confusing day for us since it was cold and windy but the steam vents were warm but smelt, so if you wanted to get warm you had to pay the price.

The clothes we wore this day were given a healthy dosage of Febreze so the “yuck” smell could be eradicated. Like most things we saw this day the weather was a bit of a damper but it was definitely worth stopping at Hverier, especially since it is located a stones throw away from the main road.

After a long day on the road we arrived at Reykjahlíð and went to the nearest gas station/grocery store and picked up some few hot dogs. It’s not glamorous but not knowing what the guesthouse has to offer for supper it was probably the best choice we could think of.

Dimmurborger Guesthouse
Situated a few minutes south of Reykjahlíð along Lake Myvatn is an unassuming guesthouse which offers incredible views of the lake, amazing food and beds of amazing comfort.

This was our second multiple night stop at a guesthouse and our favorite of all the guesthouses. When I checked in we were offered the option to have a room with a private bathroom and shared facilities (instead of all facilities being shared) and I took it without hesitation. From our window we could see several psuedocraters on the Lake and the roll shutters blacked out the room entirely. Breakfast was a typical spread but in addition to the quantity of food it offered large cups of coffee and trout that was smoked on site. We would not hesitate to return to Dimmurborger Guesthouse.

Day 7 / May 22

We were staying at the same guest house tonight so we had two days to explore Lake Myvatn and surrounding sites. Extra time here is necessary because there is so much to see and a bit of walking around the sites is required.

Hverfjall
Our first stop today was to Hverfjall, a volcanic ring that is 1km in diameter. This sight was a stones throw away from where we were staying so it made sense to stop here first. Unfortunately the wind was immediately noticeable as we began our climb up and once to the top of the rim we only walked a small distance around. If the weather was better we may have been more inclined to stay longer so this was only a forty minute stop on our day. The view from the top was pretty amazing, you could see a large area from up here and appreciated how close items in Myvatn were located to each other.

Dimmurborger
The volcanic activity in Lake Myvatn has caused some extremely unique lava formations and you can walk among them at the Dimmuborgir Lava Maza. There were multiples paths to take through the maze and we took the Kirkjan (Church) hike which lasted an hour. This was a great activity to do and would recommend it. Plus, when this area was covered for water and the volcano erupted it caused some formations that can only been seen at the bottom of the ocean.

We had lunch at the Dimmuborgir Cafe with the soup of the day and geysir bread. The soup was a simple tomato and basil but it was ridiculously delicious. The server even offered me a free second serving, something I would never expect in North America. The geysir bread is boiled rather than baked and it takes about 24 hours for the bread to cook. Geysir bread is unique because they bury the bread underground and the heat from the area cooks it through and it comes out super moist and incredibly delicious. It isn’t the kind of bread you would spread jam on but it’s good with some butter; which was a great compliment to warm soup on a cold day.

We completed driving around Lake Myvatn and decided to back track from yesterday and see some attractions we missed. Instead of turning to Hverier we went the other direction up to Viti and Krafla.

Viti
Viti crater has beautiful blue water, except when it’s covered with snow. When we got to Viti we were barely ten feet away from the car when we realized that the trip up here was a bit of a waste. This started the trend of us posing for photos with disgruntled faces on (later seen at Látrabjarg and our final day in the Westfjords).

Viti isn’t the only site in this area so we continued on the road to the Krafla volcanic area. Like Dettifoss from the day before we had to cover a bit of ground until we saw anything and the snow and mud were made a little more uncomfortable with the rain that was lightly falling.

It took us about twenty minutes to arrive at the nearest attraction but we weren’t sure what we were looking for. The area that wasn’t covered with snow was brightly colored and steam could be seen rising in some areas but we didn’t feel like exploring so our stay was cut short. Between Krafla and Viti this excursion was a bit of a letdown. However, in warmer weather it would probably be a really beautiful area but in late spring it wasn’t quite worth it.

On our way back to Lake Myvatn, just outside of Reykjahlíð we stopped at an incredibly blue lake called Bjarnarflag. When you come down the hill and see this shimmering lake you think it’s an oasis. This beautiful lake shouldn’t be confused with the Lake Myvatn Nature Bath, since this lake is not safe to swim in with water coming out of bore holes at temperatures up to 200 Celsius. This blue lake is the site of Iceland’s first geothermal power plant and Bjarnaflarg became slang for us on the trip if we wanted to express excitement or frustration.

Viti crater was a big let down because it was covered in snow…bjarnaflag!

Lake Myvatn Nature Bath
After a day of hiking and exploring the area in chilly conditions we headed to the Lake Myvatn Nature Bath. The Nature Bath doesn’t has many amenities or upgrades as the more famous Blue Lagoon but it was definitely worth the trip, even with the high admission of 2500ISK/person ($20CDN/person). The warm water and numerous resting spots were a great way to unwind but we spent more time in the hot tub area with a temperature exceeding 40 Celsius. Below you will find a minute long video of the Nature Bath that I took.

An hour of relaxing our body felt like an eternity and when we were tired and like jelly we packed up and headed back to the Dimmurborger Guesthouse.

Day 8 / May 23

We had another solid sleep at the Dimmurborger Guesthouse and felt rested after our trip to the Nature Bath. We took advantage of the great breakfast at the Guesthouse, which was the best of all the places we stayed at. We had a large serving of coffee, cereal and smoked fish. The view of Lake Myvatn from the sunroom was incredible and it felt like a place you could spend hours just sitting and watching the outdoors. The sun was up this day and eventually became the warmest day of our trip exceeding +19! Comparatively, back in Edmonton a cold front moved in and it was only +8.

Goðafoss
On our way to Akureyri we stopped at Goðafoss. Waterfalls were feeling a bit repetitive after a week of seeing so many amazing ones and I feel like we didn’t appreciate how beautiful this one was until we were back home. The falls are beautiful and can be viewed from far back as you approach it, across a bridge or up close but all we did was park, briefly walk around and return to the road. We weren’t in a rush, the weather was amazing but for some reason we thought Goðafoss wasn’t worth our time. Learn from our mistake and take time to appreciate Goðafoss because looking at photos of what we missed was a fairly big disappointment.

Akureyri
The second largest city in Iceland with a population of 17,000 was a spot I looked forward to on this trip but it left me wanting more. The city has charm, complete with little hearts on their red lights, a selection of art and culture but none of that appealed to us when we got here. Maybe we were put off by the difficult check in process at Gula Villan (more on that below) but we didn’t have the excitement of exploring Akureyri I felt earlier in the trip.

The weather was beautiful in Akureyri with a temperature above 16 we didn’t need a coat and it felt like a heatwave compared to the windy single digit temperatures we experienced before. Being in a major city we were able to get some wine at the Vinbudin and were pleased to have our first taste of alcohol since we arrived. Akureyri also has free parking as long as you indicate what time you parked your car. Residents of the city have transparent clocks on their windshield and they move the hands to show when they parked but writing the time on paper and leaving it on the dash worked just as well. Parking was limited by the guesthouse so it was nice not to have to worry about paying for parking while we were on foot for a few hours.

We had almost a whole day to explore the city but after a few hours of walking around we were bored and walking in circles. Nothing in the near vicinity stood out to us so we did what was natural for us, we got in the car and drove. We left the city behind and were soon travelling up a quiet road along beautiful Eyjafjörður. We had no purpose for this midday drive than to get on the road and explore, and it didn’t disappoint.

We drove up to Dalvik (44 KM outside of Akureyri) and drove back. The area was beautiful with snow capped mountains, rich blue waters and green farms. We were back in Akureyri around 4:30PM, bought some food for our drive tomorrow and went in search of supper. We were in a city with plenty of food options yet the day felt a little anticlimactic so we went for something simple and familiar opting for SubWay before returning to the guest house.

Gula Villan
Located a stones throw away from the downtown area and waters edge guesthouse Gula Villan has no right housing as many people as it does. There is one bathroom upstairs for at least four rooms. If this place was full capacity it would be a bit complicated. The check in process was frustrating when no one answered the door or phone at 11. We were forced to leave and return 30 minutes later and finally someone answered. Perhaps this is what we expected guesthouses to be like in Iceland but the last week has spoiled us with a quiet sleep and amazing breakfasts; both of which were lacking here.

There was no sound protection from people watching the television down the hall or from the sound of doors opening and closing. We were the only guests having breakfast in the morning so a special container was set aside for us in the fridge that contained meat, bread and yogurt. Compared to previous meals we had this was a small spread. Knowing we had a big drive ahead of us and how limited road food would be we skimped on our portions for breakfast so we could make a sandwich for the road.

Day 9 / May 24

Because of the distance we were covering today we had dreaded this part of the trip. This was a long day in time and distance from Akuereyi as we made our way from the middle of the country to the doorstep of the Westfjords.

Immediately outside of Akuereyi we saw some Icelandic horses by the fence near the road. These horses always looked amazing when driving and I took full advantage to pull the car over and get close to one. A few others were curious what I was up to and came to the fence too. The ability to stop the car on the road, not have to worry about blocking traffic and taking a moment to get out and look at your surroundings was something I never got tired of in Iceland.

When we crossed into the area of the Westfjords we saw the quality of roads decrease instantly. We were on narrow and bumpy gravel roads with steep grades on switchbacks and felt that we were a careless turn away from driving into danger.

The gravel slowed our drive and we tried to break up the distance by making detours to look at attractions along the way. We tried to break up our drive by making detours and looking at attractions along the way. The best stop we made was going to the authentic sod houses in Glumbaer. We didn’t pay to enter the houses seeing the turf roof was interesting enough.

Around 3:30PM we approached the Kirkjubol Guesthouse (after leaving Akuereyi at 9AM). We checked in, unloaded our luggage and decided to carry up the road to see Holmavik and Dragsnes, which have a population of 375 and 67 respectively. We took advantage of the cooking area at the guesthouse and picked up some supplies at the grocery store in Holmavik. We didn’t know what kind of pots or pans the guesthouse had so we played it safe and picked up frozen pizza and some vegetables.

With supper taken care of we made the 33km drive up the fjord to Dragsnes to see two sea stacks. The story of the sea stacks being trolls who were trying to separate the 7KM stretch of land that connected the Westfjords to the rest of the country was more interesting than the stacks themselves as they were a little disappointing. Perhaps I was expecting stacks like what we saw at Vik but these were a little of a let down. Still, we were able to explore the countryside and stayed busy so it was an enjoyable trip for that reason. Dragsnes also has hot tubs located right beside the road that look out over the rocks into the water. We didn’t see anyone in there and with our bathing suits left at the guesthouse we didn’t stop to look, but on a warmer day it might be a nice way to relax.

We returned back to the Guesthouse, cooked our pizza, drank the other bottle of wine we bought the day before and played a game of Yahtzee after making the game sheet from scratch. With no one else in the house we were able to spread out and unwind after a long day. Compared to our stay in Akuereyi the quiet was incredibly welcomed and made for a nice evening.

Kirkjubol Guesthouse
I described this guesthouse like an oasis on the the fjord. We were a stones throw away from the water, a spot frequented by seals was visible just outside the window and in addition to having full cooking facilities we were the only people in the guesthouse. A space large enough for 10 adults was all to ourselves. Perhaps if there were other guests we may have thought differently about this place but this was definitely a benefit of coming in the off season.

There was a full cooking facility, multiple bathrooms and a large living area with a table, couch and TV. The Guesthouse is usually full in the summer and they cater to families with children.

Breakfast the following morning was ready for us right at 8:00AM (the host came in at 7:30 to prepare it and was done by 7:50). We are becoming used to these “traditional” breakfasts and knew what to eat in order to fill up for another full day on the road.

Day 10 / May 25

In a country as isolated and closed off as Iceland is the Westfjords are even more isolated and reserved. This area is often neglected by tourists due it not having the same glitz and glamour of the rest of the country, but here you trade in signs of active volcanoes for quiet fishing villages. A “large city” is described as having a few thousand people and the further north you go up a fjord the more unique and peculiar they become.

The Westfjords were the best, and worst, part of our trip. The weather impacted our enjoyment but between the rain and terrible road conditions we would occasionally glimpse beautiful blue waters and mountains that fall off the edge of the world and know we were in a remarkable area.

We left the Kirkjubol Guesthouse shortly after 9AM and made our way north. The elevation change in the drive saw the temperature drop from 8 to 4 and suddenly we were driving in an area that was mostly snow covered. Some banks of snow by the ditch must have been 10 feet tall. Every time the fjord road would take us by the water the wind would sway our vehicle and as we retreated back into the protection of the land the drive became calmer. We stopped to take a few photos along the way but mostly got out of the car and marveled at how strong the wind was.

We arrived at Ísafjörður around 12:30PM and headed straight to our pit stop for the night at Gamla Guesthouse. We arrived between the time of no one being at the front desk so we had to go a few blocks over to get our room key from Hotel Ísafjörður. Our room was still being made up so we changed into warmer clothes and went out exploring the city.

The weather hadn’t improved while we drove so it was still rainy and a bit windy. The weather impacted the sights we could see around Ísafjörður, especially some of the nice hikes that would look down upon the city. After a few minutes you had covered the main shopping area and were going in circles. Amongst the dreary weather we found an incredible bakery in the center of town called Gamla Bakery. The selection was impressive, the cost was reasonable and what we bought tasted delicious. This bakery was a definite highlight, not only in Ísafjörður but on our trip as a whole.

There are only a few places to get food in Ísafjörður but Gamla Bakery is one that should be your first stop if you’re up that way. With food in our stomachs we drove up the peninsula to Bolungarvík. The guide books suggested visiting a fishing museum and a chance to drive through multiple kilometres of mountain tunnels () Some tunnels were even single lane!

There are so few people that live in this area that it made sense to build a single lane tunnel instead of a multiple lane one (none were photographed). There are turn outs every few hundred meters but it’s terrifying to be driving through the heart of a mountain not knowing if you’ll be headlights to headlights with another car as you go around a corner. Thankfully the tunnels are straight and there was few vehicles but it was definitely something that caught us by surprise, even with the guide book preparing us for these.

While in Bolungarvik we went north up the gravel road and reached a distance milestone: we crossed the 66th parallel. We made it to N66° 09.699′ – W023° 14.88′, took some photos and headed back.

Back in Ísafjörður we were limited for supper options so we opted for a nice meal at Hotel Ísafjörður. It was nice to get out of the rain and enjoy a catfish special looking out at the harbor. Entertainment in the evening is limited so with a full belly we went back to the guesthouse, had some wine (which we picked up at Vinbudin earlier in the day) and did research and used the wireless connection to see how things were back in Canada.

I wrote a lot about Ísafjörður, and I think if the weather had been better this may have been one of our favorite stops on the entire trip. When we are ever this way again we’ll make sure to properly explore Ísafjörður and the surrounding area.

Gamla Guesthouse
A nice Guesthouse located near the heart of Ísafjörður (I suppose you would have to be out of town to not be near the heart of this small town). The rooms were large and there was plenty of space for us to spread out our bags and dry out from the wet weather. There were multiples showers and bathrooms on the main floor and even though there were others staying here you couldn’t tell. The room also had a sink in it, which is convenient and something we always appreciated. The curtains let in a bit of light but it did a good enough job. With a comfy bed, soft pillow a quiet hall and some wine we had no problems getting to sleep.

This Guesthouse may have been the cleanest one we have stayed in, plus they also had an amazing breakfast. Like places before it there was a traditional spread of meat and bread but what separated this breakfast from others was the amount of food that was available. When you don’t know when, or where, in the day you’ll have lunch or supper it’s good to fill up with one good meal and Gamla Guesthouse did breakfast right.

Our trip to Iceland has come and gone and I have struggled with how to write a recap of the trip. This post has been written and re-written. There is no way to describe each day in Iceland without a thousand word post to accompany it, let alone trying to write up two weeks of adventures in an easy to read post size, so I will split up the trip recap into thirds.

Apologies in advance if this is long but Iceland’s beauty can’t be described easily.

Day 1 / May 16
We arrived in Keflavik International Airport shortly after 6:30 AM. A taxi driver holding up a “SEAN GURSKY” sign drove us the forty minutes to Reykjavik and by 8:00 AM we were at the Salvation Army Guesthouse.

After checking in and having a several hour nap we orientated ourselves in the downtown area, walked to the harbor, saw the Harpa Concert and Conference Hall and made our way to Solfar. The downtown area is very walkable and it’s quite easy to spend hours going in the shops, window shopping and enjoying delicious Icelandic hot dogs.

Our first day in Iceland was all about orientating ourselves and preparing for our two weeks on the road. We received plenty of travel information from Iceland Unlimited, our tour company, and before falling asleep in the bright room (Salvation Army didn’t have blackout curtains and the windows did little to block the noise coming from a surprisingly loud downtown region) we began the ritual of researching our next days events and looking for important landmarks.

Salvation Army Guesthouse
A very simple and modest accommodation. The highlight of this building is the close proximity to the harbor, downtown square and shopping. A little bit of comfort is sacrificed for being this close to attractions. The rooms had a sink in them which reduced the number of trips to the shared bathrooms, but there were enough bathrooms and showers on the floor that you never had to wait for one.

The street noise was surprisingly loud for a weekday so ear plugs were definitely appreciated. The noise inside the Salvation Army Guesthouse was very minimal, but that may change during high tourist season.

There is a nice kitchen with a few fridges and a stove, a good thing to keep in mind if you need to have something to eat following the simple offerings of their continental breakfast.

Day 2 / May 17

At 10:00 AM we left Reykjavik in our car rental and were heading to see the tourist trifecta of the Golden Circle. Leaving the city was painless but made easier with a GPS.

The first stop was Þingvellir National Park. There are two areas to view this from, the first lookout gives you a high perspective of the divide and vistas, and the stop below allows you to walk between the Continental Divide and enjoy a nice walk. We preferred the lower lookout because you were able to appreciate the size of the Divide.

A short drive up the highway took us to Gullfoss. Our first waterfall on the trip impressed us but it wasn’t our favorite. Being able to walk down closer to where the water drops off was a neat experience but the view from further back made you appreciate the height of the falls and how it was tiered as it dropped down. If this was the only waterfall you see in Iceland it’s still impressive, but when compared to what is located elsewhere in the country this one is more convenient than it is special.

On the recommendation of a friend and our travel books we had the lamb stew at the Gullfoss Cafe () located at the main parking lot. It felt like an expensive soup at $10 per bowl but it was worth that amount and then some. This was a great way to warm up after the damp walk to the falls and it filled us up for the rest of the afternoon. We had different types of soup on this trip but this lamb stew was the best we had on our whole trip.

The final stop on the Golden Circle was Geyser. The more powerful of the geyser’s is dormant but the smaller one erupts every 10 minutes so it was very easy to walk around the thermal area, see an eruption, and by the time you loop back around another eruption is happening.

The “tourist attraction” symbol on the side of the road pointed us to Kerið crater. This was a nice pit stop on the drive but it was hard to appreciate the size of the crater from the rim.

With the touristy “Golden Circle” behind us we set the GPS (who was affectionately known as “James” later in the trip) to our pitstop in Hvollsvelur.

Food in Hvollsvelur was limited but on the recommendation of our guesthouse owner we went to Gallery Pizza and had a fantastic meal. There were strange pizza toppings on the menu but the one with olives surpassed our expectations ().

Gardsuki Guesthouse (Hvollsvelur Area)
A guesthouse located just outside of Hvollsvelur was situated on an actual farm. The check in process was a little awkward here when we couldn’t find the owner and there didn’t seem to be anyone around to help, but after a few minutes we were greeted and shown to our room. The guest house is in the basement of the families’ house, complete with two loud kids above. Any worry about the kids being noisy or keeping us up was eliminated when we slept for 9 hours. The quiet of the farm and mostly dark room was a great recipe to have a sound sleep.

Breakfast was delicious with homemade cheese, farm fresh eggs, bread that just came out of the oven and strong coffee. I indulged and made a breakfast sandwich (meat, cheese, vegetables and bread) to compliment my cereal and coffee.

The owner of the guesthouse does a great job and is working on adding more rooms to the basement. He was one of the more memorable people we met on the trip.

Day 3 / May 18

Of all the sights I wanted to see in Iceland the southcoast was number one. It’s a shame to have driven by here in a single day, but we had two days to explore Skaftafell National Park and Jokarlson lagoon but the drive from Hvollsvoler to the National Park is one I redo and take more time on.

The weather was good for our big sightseeing day, but the sky was bland and gray. As long as it wasn’t raining a bland sky was okay with us. The day started with Sjelinfloss, a waterfall where you can walk behind it. A great experience and worth doing when you are there, because how often do you get to walk behind a waterfall? There were several other waterfalls down from Sjelinfloss so we walked over to them and had a great start to the day.

The next waterfall was one you could walk to the top of, Skógafoss. From the road the waterfall didn’t look that impressive but when you get to the base, and the top, of it you appreciate how large and forceful these falls are. It was a long walk up the stairs to the top but it offered a great perspective on this wonder.

After that it was a detour to see the fuselage of a downed DC-3 plane. I saw photos of this plane and knew I had to see it in person. It’s not really a tourist attraction, you won’t find it in Frommer’s or Lonely Planet, but with GPS (63°27,5477′ & 19°21,8912′) coordinates we were able to navigate our way here. The access to the plane is off of the main Route 1 highway from a tiny dirt path that was fenced off (the fence was opened, otherwise I may have been more hesitant).

The terrain was covered in rocks and very bumpy so we covered 4KM very slowly. With each passing kilometer I doubted we were going in the right direction or that we would even see the fuselage but betweens the subtle peaks and valleys of the black beach a surreal sight emerged with this airplane appearing on the sand with nothing else around it. The sand appeared to get a little loose closer to the plane so we parked a few hundred meters away and walked the rest of the way in.

Dyrhólaey
If the world was suddenly torn away from itself and you stood on the piece that remained, this is what Dyrhólaey felt like. With tall outcroppings, sea stacks, black beaches, jagged rock and birds flying around it really felt like a different world. I would have liked to spend more time here, exploring the rest of the peninsula and see some of the formations but in a day full of sights there just wasn’t time.

Basalt column beach
Before reaching the town of Vik we pulled off to Reynisfjara Basalt Columns and saw the sea stacks from up close and were able to look back towards the beautiful Dyrhólaey peninsula.

Vik
A gorgeous town, but the black beaches, sea stacks and basalt columns were better seen from before you enter the town.

Driving through the Skafatfall National Park was a beautiful experience. There were long bridges spanning glacial washout plans called “sandur”, to your left was the gigantic Skaftafellsjökull glacier and to your right was the ocean. It felt like you were never making any progress around the coast because the scenery repeats itself over and over but the feeling of isolation on the road was immense.

We did a lot of driving around the National Park but this was a part of the highway we never repeated. The southern coast from Vik up to the National Park was beautiful. The scenery changes were drastic and we had everything from moss covered lava deposits, to black beaches to gigantic mountain ranges.

Smyrlabjorg Guesthouse
The drive here was longer than expected, but due to the National Park being so large the options for reasonable accommodation are limited. However, this place was fantastic and worth the extra travel time once we arrived. The view of the coast from our window, the blackout curtains and private wash room made it more like a hotel than a guest house but it had the simple pleasures of being on a farm and having lambs and goats right outside your window.

Our love affair with the sheep started at this moment, from here on out we couldn’t see a sheep on the side of the road without laughing.

Between the Vik and Smyrlabjorg Guesthouse there are few options to eat. The sandwiches at the N1 gas station became tiresome and planning for more portable car-friendly meal is something we would do different on these long drives between stays. Supper this evening was at Smyrlabjorg Guesthouse and was priced a little high. However, with no other nearby options we were grateful that their kitchen was still open when we checked in at 7:30PM so it beat the alternative of not eating anything. This was also the first time we noticed how fresh the water tasted in Iceland. Cold water straight from the tap tastes as though you were drinking bottled water.

Day 4 / May 19

This was our first of two mornings at Smyrlabjorg Guesthouse. Today was spent at the Skaftafall National Park. We back tracked down Highway 1 and explored the Park.

The main reason to hike here is to see the beautiful basalt waterfall called Svartifoss but it’s also a National Park that offers a lot of trails. On the easy 1.5 km hike up to the basalt waterfall Svartifoss we enjoyed the scenery and beautiful weather. The hike was easy but we were over dressed. It may have been cold in the parking lot but on the mountain with the sun beating down we got warm quickly.

Following our stop at Svartifoss we followed our Lonely Planet guide book up a trail that would take us around behind the Svartifoss and then down by the glacier. We took a wrong turn or were misinformed because we spent a few hours hiking aimlessly up the mountain. We don’t know how long or how far we hiked for but after an hour we sensed something was wrong and turned around.

We had been outside in the sun all day and were getting a little run down so we had a quick snack in the car and walked to the tongue of the nearby Skaftafellsjokull. The last 10 minutes of the walk were so uncomfortable from the wind that every step was painful. We left back for the car almost as soon as we arrived just because there was no way to escape the wind coming off the glacier.

Knowing that food was limited between the Park and the guest house we bought some food from the National Park cafeteria and nearby gas station and returned home.

When we got back to the Guesthouse we noticed that I had sunburn on my nose. Only in a country of snow and ice could I get a sunburn. We were exhausted from the day of hiking so our activities in the evening were light. We researched for the next day of travel and got a good night’s rest.

Day 5 / May 20

Behind seeing the downed DC-3 plane going to Jökulsárlón Lagoon was number two on my things to see in Iceland. We went back down Highway 1 to the Lagoon area and bought a ticket for the first boat ride of the morning.

The boat ride was good but I was disappointed that it didn’t get closer to the icebergs or do anything more than go around the perimeter. There was an option to ride a Zodiak through the icebergs which would have been amazing, but at the time I didn’t think the cost was worth it but now I could see the appeal of it. If we were to return I could explore the south side (opposite of where the ticket booth is) of the Lagoon as well as the mouth of the Lagoon that feeds into the ocean. The Lagoon covers 18km2 so you can’t see it all but I now wish I could have seen more than what was visible from the main parking lot.

Our time in Skaftafell National Park has come to a close so we drove north on Highway 1 towards Hofn and, according to our guide books, the promise of a nice meal at a local restaurant. After freezing at the Lagoon the warmth of the car was welcomed. We drove north and arrived in Hofn for lunch.

The restaurant we ate at was Hafnarbudin and you definitely got the sense it was a restaurant locals went too. Everyone who came in knew everyone else, conversations among tables took place and the staff were mingling with people at the drive through window or those in the dining room. With a population of 1,600 it’s quite possible that everyone does know everyone else.

Hofn has wonderful views along the cost, especially of the five glacier tongues from the National Park. To unwind after the drive and lunch we took a walk by the ocean before getting in the car and pointing James in the direction of Djúpivogur.

I feel like I am repeating myself but the drive to Djúpivogur was another one of my highlights. Driving along the coast with Búlandstindur Mountain Range in distance was breathtaking. This was our first true experience at life in a fjord and we were amazed. The road was windy but never steep or dangerous and driving up the coast continued to amaze us with the ever changing landscape.

The weather had become drizzly when we arrived but we didn’t let that affect our urge to explore. After checking in to Hotel Framtid we walked to Eggin í Gleðivík, a sculpture of 34 large eggs, each one representing a different species of bird.

For supper we ate at the Hotel Framtid restaurant and were excited to try the seafood soup. Perhaps our expectations were unrealistic, what with the hotel being on the harbour, but the soup didn’t satisfy us.

Hotel Framtid at Djúpivogur
Due to the low season we got upgraded to a room with a private bathroom. The main part of the Hotel is set in a 100 year old building that used to be a church and it gives the building a certain charm. The room and bathroom were very clean, everything looked tended to. The beds were incredibly soft and the blinds did a decent job of blocking the light out. One of the highlights at this stop was a nearby washing facility so we could clean clothes that needed it and replenish our sock and underwear count.

Hotel Framtid was a very nice place to stay at, perhaps one of our favorites. It was in a great location by the harbor and the town itself had a very quaint vibe to it. The weather wasn’t great when we checked in so that affected our sightseeing but we would have liked to see more of this town because there was more to see than just the Eggin í Gleðivík.

In May Jenna and I went to Iceland and travelled the countryside by car. I have been anticipating this trip for a year and a half and it was everything I imagined and then some.

Why Iceland?
In October 2010 there was a medical emergency on our return flight from England that forced us to land in Iceland. The emergency was dealt with but we were unable to leave due to a mechanical issue. The crew was unable to resolve the issue on the tarmac and a mechanic had to be flown in, but it would take some time. Instead of leaving us on the plane or in the airport we were put up in a hotel in Reykjavik and were heading back to Canada 16 hours after we originally landed.

Being in Iceland in late October the sun set early so by the time we left the airport there was very little to see and we weren’t dressed for the cold and the wind so we stayed in our hotel for the few hours we were there. I didn’t see much of the country but it made me realize that getting to Iceland wouldn’t be impossible and after doing some initial research as to what Iceland looked like in daylight I knew we had to return and do it properly.

The Plan
At the start of 2011 I began preparing for the 2012 Iceland trip. I spent several months researching weather patterns from April to October, compared it against flight costs in 2011 and looked to see what attractions were open during that time frame. I settled on arriving in the middle of May because boat rides on Jökulsárlón were running, the road to Dettifoss would be open and we would be arriving in one of the dryer times of the year.

In addition to all of that, we were on the shoulder part of the off-season so while everything was opened we avoided the higher summer rates that run from June to August.

Getting There
The only way to arrive in Iceland is through Icelandair. Unfortunately Icelandair only departs from certain cities so we had to decide of going to Toronto, Seattle or Boston for our connection. We went with Seattle for the smallest layover with our Edmonton arrival and we wouldn’t need to department Edmonton too early. It is a little counter productive to go west and then head east but we only needed to do that at the beginning and end of the trip so it was a minor annoyance we accepted.

I used Hipmunk to determine the cheapest days to fly out and return on. Then I set up daily email notices from Kayak to see what the cost trends were. After months of monitoring airfare we bought our tickets in August 2011.

Iceland Unlimited
With our timeframe set I began to look at accommodation and car rental. I spent several months writing down rental rates from different companies, pieced together a few guest houses to stay at on the road but wanted to get some assistance on the logistics. Self drive tours are common in Iceland and there are several companies that will offer packages for visitors to purchase. The tour company will make all arrangements for car, accommodation and make recommendations on your trip. I felt like this was a safe way to go, especially having a safety net to look out for us if something went wrong or a volcano erupted and affected travel plans.

There was an increase in costs compared to doing it yourself but the costs were easy to accept when you are dealing with a lot of unknowns. After researching tour companies, and being in contact with most of them, we bought a self drive tour package through a company called Iceland Unlimited. They were one of several companies offering packages in May and received top marks on Trip Advisor from people who have dealt with the company. In November we ordered our 15 day tour and our logistics were taken care of.

The itinerary they provided was full of informative things to see every day, included sights we wouldn’t have thought of otherwise to look for in our Frommer’s and Lonely Planet books. We were put up in 11 different guest houses throughout Iceland and had several 2-day layovers where there was plenty to see (Skaftafell National Park, Lake Myvatn, Reykjavik).

How did it go?
This question requires a separate blog post to itself, which will come soon, but in short: it was amazing.

Iceland is full of natural beauty. It has a constantly changing landscape throughout it. One day we were in regions with snow-capped mountains driving alongside some of the largest glaciers in Europe. The next day we were in small fishing villages that had a population of less than 100. The day after that we were driving through a barren land of rock and snow that could have been from a different planet entirely.

There is never a shortage of things to see or do in Iceland. We saw waterfalls almost daily and each one was unique in their own way. We saw things that were otherwise only visible on the bottom of the ocean. We witnessed a sun that never set, tasted some of the best hot dogs in the world and drank some of the purest water you could find straight from the tap. We took impromptu hikes to sights off of the road, visited all four National Parks and spent as much time exploring outside the car as we did driving. We went beyond the 66th parallel, something that is only accessible to Canadians at the furthest reaches of Yukon and North West Territories.

300,000 people live in Iceland with 200,000 of them living in the capital so once you left Reykjavik you were immediately on your own and had this sense of incredible peaceful isolation. The primary language in Iceland is Icelandic, but the majority of the country speaks English so even though you are alone communicating with people in towns or others in your travels wasn’t a problem.

This wasn’t a warm weather lay on the beach kind of vacation, and there were some negatives due to the weather. It was usually above zero but with the wind it wasn’t by much. A day we weren’t wearing three layers was a good day, and when we didn’t wear long underwear it was especially noteworthy.

However, all of that made Iceland unique and special. You blended in with others, tourists and locals alike, because you were wearing Gore-Tex and hiking boots. You wore a toque and gloves most of the time and no one noticed. When you’re driving around the country you can’t stop sight-seeing because of bad conditions, so you layer up and see the beauty.

Pictures
Yes! Photos of food we ate, places we stayed at, views from our window, churches, beaches and vistas from our trip around the country and more are coming. I’m trying to trim down the 1200 photos to a reasonable size and then will edit and add them to the Gallery soon, which will then be accompanied by a more detailed blog post outlining our progress through the country.

In the mean time the Project 365 photos from the trip can provide a taste of what was a highlight from each day.

Edit: The remaining posts in the Iceland saga can be found here: 1, 2, 3 and 4.