I know, I know…this post has been a long time coming.  In my defense, I’ve struggled with writing this because I can’t help but feel, that on some level,  it symbolizes the definitive end to my 3 month adventure with my best friend.  I’ve been back in Canada for a few weeks now and in between readjusting to my real life, returning to work, and bidding adieu to my

bestie as she prepares to return to Australia, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy to be home, let’s face it, there’s a certain peace of mind that comes with waking up in your own bed every morning and not having to worry about sharing a shower or bathroom, for the matter.

This 3 month odyssey was quite simply, amazing.  We visited some beautiful cities and had the opportunity to cross a few things off our bucket lists, however Iceland, well, it kinda blew my mind.  I could not have imagined a place more stunningly beautiful.

We arrived via an unbelievably efficient AirBerlin flight.  I know I should not have been surprised that we both boarded our plane and took off with startling accuracy.  The flight crew was amazing and we were even given heart shaped “I love airBerlin” Lindt chocolates as we deplaned.  Added  bonus, our bags were too heavy to considered carry-on, so we had no option but to check them – AT NO EXTRA CHARGE!!!  Given some of the issues we’d encountered on other airlines (some of which charged us as much as 100 Euros to check our bag) this was a most pleasant surprise.  Needless to say, I do love AirBerlin.

Our apartment was centrally located and our airbnb host just happened to work in Iceland’s tourism industry – lucky for us!  He provided us with guide books, road maps and various booklets and pamphlets filled with information on everything we needed to enjoy our time in Reykjavik.

 

Since we arrived under cover of night and made the 40 minute drive from the airport in complete darkness we did not have an opportunity to take in any of Iceland’s STUNNING scenery.  The first thing that struck me as we drove from Reykjavik to Hveragerði the next morning, was this feeling that we had been transported to another planet.  

 

The volcanic landscape, rolling hills, geysers, and glaciers revealed a land that appeared to be almost otherworldly.  This place is so beautiful, it will take your breath away, it certainly did mine.  The drive to the village of Hveragerði (the hot springs capital of the world) took about 40 minutes, and once there we began our hike into the valley of Reykjadalur (translated it means Steam Valley).  

The estimated hike time of 45 minutes actually ran a bit longer, due to us stopping every few steps to snap photos.  The hike wasn’t very demanding, though quite steep at times and the scenery breathtaking.

Luckily, we had recently ended our Portugal leg and were quite accustomed to climbing hills, stairs and all manner of inclines.  After about an hour of picking our way along the path and through the hillsides, we spotted the columns of steam rising from the geothermal stream in the valley below us.  We had arrived and it was beautiful!

 

We quickly changed out of hiking clothes into our bathing suits – they’ve constructed privacy screens and walkways for the many visitors to the springs.  We crossed paths with several other visitors on our way into the valley and there was a constant stream of people arriving while we we soaked in the geothermal waters of the spring.

After a restful soak in the beautiful hot springs, we made the hike back to the car, just as the winds picked up and the rain started to fall.  You would think that hiking in the rain would dampen our spirits, but not at all. The rain added yet another dimension in which to appreciate this stunning landscape.

We made the drive back to Reykjavik, making sure to stop by the grocery store to pick up some staples for dinner that night at the apartment.  Iceland may be stunning, and access to their parks free, but groceries my friend? Groceries are RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE!  I am not kidding you…$10 for a bag of Doritos, $7 for a package of spaghetti, $6.00 for ONE green pepper. In all, our grocery bill was about 50 euros and with that we managed to buy enough food for a spaghetti dinner – basic bolognese, some garlic bread, a bag of snacks for a movie, and breakfast for a couple of mornings…YIKES!

 

After a long day of hiking, you would think that all we’d want to do is relax, am I right?  Hell no!  We were only here for 4 days, we had things to see.  So, at around 11pm, we bundled ourselves up and drove to an isolated spot outside the city recommended by several bloggers and fellow travelers in hopes of seeing the famous Northern Lights.  We had checked the Aurora Forecast online earlier in the day and the conditions for viewing the lights on that evening looked quite promising, whereas not so good in the days following, so it was a ‘now or never’ kind of situation.

We parked the car next to the lighthouse and we knew we were in the right spot, because clearly we were not the only people on a mission to see this spectacle.

 

After setting up our cameras and looking up to the skies for what seemed like an eternity, we began to notice a green light dancing amidst the stars above our heads.  My camera was at the ready and I started snapping away, I had come all this way and certainly did not want to miss this!

Now, I realize that my photos are not perfect, but I was just thrilled to actually capture these images.  It was an absolutely perfect night, cuddled up in my blanket, looking up at the skies in absolute wonder at the beauty of the world around us.

The following morning, there was more beauty to behold.  We had plans to visit the Golden Circle…we were beyond excited!  I couldn’t wait to take in even more of this country’s stunning countryside.

Our first stop was Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Þingvellir was the location of establishment of the oldest parliament in history, dating back to 930 A.D.  It also happens to be a protected park due to its geological significance.  You can actually see the canyon between two tectonic plates!

Alright, I admit the tectonic plates were awesome, but the true jewel of this park has to be the lake!  Lake Þingvallavatn, a lake so clear and pristine that we could actually see the fish in the water while standing on a bridge.

 

Simply stunning and a place so peaceful and serene, it’s hard to believe that it’s located in one of the most visited parks in Iceland.

After wandering through the park and snapping a gazillion pictures, we piled back into our tiny car and drove to our next stop, the Geyser fields.  Admittedly, I wasn’t as impressed by the geysers as I had been by the park.  They were interesting, but very touristy and crowded.  The geysers were cool to watch nonetheless, but not what I would consider a highlight.

 

Our visit to the geysers was short and sweet, but I still managed to snap quite a few pics.

 

From Geyser fields, to the Gulfoss Waterfall.  Gulfoss translated means ‘Golden Falls’ and located in the canyon of Hvítá river in southwest.  It’s long been rated as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland, and it’s easy to see why.  

I was simply awestruck.

 

 

 

 

Driving the Golden Circle on your own rather than hiring a tour proved to be the better option for us, as it allowed us to make a few stops along the way and take in the scenery.  We packed a lunch so that we could take advantage of one of the many roadside picnic spots, where we ate our lunch while watching the Icelandic sheep roam through the brambles.

 

Our final stop was Kerið, a volcanic crater lake located in the south of Iceland.  The crater is approximately 55m deep and 170m wide.  The Kerið caldera is estimated to be approximately 3000 years old, however, it’s thought to be about half the age of other nearby volcanic features Seyðishólar and Kerhóll.

Unfortunately, we had arrived a the crater quite late in the afternoon and the sun was setting.  As beautiful as it was, the photos I took just do not do it justice.

After a long day of sightseeing, it was time to head back to cozy apartment in Reykjavik.  I slept very well that night my friends.

 

 

 

 

The next day, we visited the famous Blue Lagoon.  It was a particularly cold and windy day, so we were looking forward to relaxing in the geothermal waters of the lagoon.  The lagoon’s waters originate some 2,000 metres below the surface where seawater and freshwater combine at extreme temperatures.  On its way to the surface, the water combines with silica, algae and minerals, turning the water white – the blue colour is actually caused by the reflection of the sun on the silica.

Fun fact: Five major geothermal power plants exist in Iceland.  In 2014, roughly 85% of primary energy use in Iceland came from indigenous renewable resources. Thereof 66% was from geothermal.

The average temperature of the water hovers at about 38 degrees Celcius and it is glorious!  The lagoon contains approximately 6,000 litres of self-cleansing water – the water from the lagoon renews itself every 40 hours.   Once we were given our admission bracelets (35 euros for the standard admission), we were shown the change room and shower areas.  Showers were quite nice, stocked with the Blue Lagoon’s spa line of shampoo, conditioners and body wash – and they smelled amazing.   After a quick shower we headed outside to the lagoon.  It was unbelievably cold and windy, walking out onto the deck in nothing but our bathing suits and flip flops, the 15 second walk into the water felt like an eternity.  However, once submerged in it’s steamy healing waters, it was easily to ignore the blistering cold winds whipping at our faces.  I mean really, who cares about the cold when you’re neck deep in hot water with a cocktail in your hands!  Some areas of the lagoon were much hotter than others, and those ‘hot spots’ are pretty much where we installed ourselves.

Our admission provided us access to the lagoon, sauna and steam hut, as well a free cocktail from the lagoon bar.  Bar offerings range from healthy green juice concoctions to beer and sparkling wine.  In addition to the vats of free silica face and body scrub available, they also have staff from the spa offering complimentary face masks and moisturizing treatments to lagoon visitors.

We left the lagoon about 4 hours later, totally relaxed, revitalized and moisturized and ready for a dinner at lovely restaurant, The Old Iceland, recommended by our friend Nanna, a Reykjavik native we met on our food tour in Porto.  Funny thing, the entire time we traveled together we made a point of each ordering something completely different from the menu in order to allow us an opportunity to taste each others food.   However, on this particular night, we all ordered the exact same thing…tradition be damned.  Our meal, on our last night in Iceland consisted of grilled lamb and a chocolate cake with caramel sauce and homemade ice cream – and it was incredible.

The following morning, we were up early to pack our bags and make our way to Nanna’s home for brunch.  As mentioned above we had met Nanna during our food tour in Porto and hit it off.  We had asked her for restaurant recommendations at the time and she was kind enough to give us her email address.  I reached out to her while we were in Munich and in addition to providing us with amazing resto recommendations, she was so kind enough to invite us to her home from brunch!

That’s not even the best part…the best part?  Nanna is an amazing chef, who also happens to have written 17 cookbooks on Icelandic cooking!  We arrived at her home and were treated to an amazing and delicious array of Icelandic foods, each dish more delicious than the last.  It was such a fantastic meal.  Nanna had prepared a brunch of Kleinur (traditional Icelandic doughnuts, flavoured with caraway seeds), crepes with fresh picked blueberries, whipped cream and skyr (an Icelandic cultured dairy dish), freshly baked bread (one loaf contained seaweed and will be included in her next cookbook), cured and smoked lamb from her family’s farm, dried cod, and a salmon spread for the bread.  Just incredible.

It was wonderful to sit with Nanna and catch up.  She had just returned from Portugal and shared with us that she had joined a wine and food tour in the Douro Valley, which she quite enjoyed.  We told her about our time in Iceland and the things we’d done.  She regaled us with stories of growing up in Iceland, her passion for cooking and her family.  We had a wonderful time, and I admit I was sad to leave her cozy apartment when we finished brunch.  She is such a kind lady and it was beyond generous of her to do such a wonderful thing for us.  That brunch could not have been more perfect and there couldn’t have been a better ending to our 3-month European odyssey.

Our drive to the airport was a solemn one, it was difficult to come to term with the fact that this wonderful, amazing, trip of a lifetime was coming to an end.  

We checked our bags and waited for our flight home.  As I sat there waiting to board the plane, I couldn’t help but smile and be grateful for having shared this amazing adventure with my best friend…and it was nice having Andrew join us for the last few weeks.

Though this adventure is over, I know there will be other trips and more stories to tell.  Stay tuned!