Category Archives: Iceland Travel

ICELAND 2016 2: Reykjavik to Hvolsvöllur

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          We had an uneventful flight and drive into Reykjavik, arriving at our first night’s lodging around 1 a.m. The drive into the city takes about fifty minutes from the Keflavik airport. There is a convenient and moderately priced FlyBus that shuttles arrivals to (and from) their hotels as well as rental cars, and private drivers if you are with an organized tour. Eric the Red’s is my usual guesthouse in Reykjavik, and the hosts had let me know how to get into our room after midnight.

We were quick to bed and rose in time for the usual buffet breakfast that seats twelve at one large table in the dining room. It is a great way to meet travelers from around the world, most of whom are fluent in English and eager to talk about their travels or plans in Iceland.

1800811_r1_044_20aEric’s is conveniently located across the street from Hallgrimskirkja, a hilltop landmark church visible from most of Reykjavik, making finding the way “home” very easy. The day was partly cloudy and pleasantly cool (50s F) when Susan and I walked downtown after breakfast to shop for lunch foods and stretch our legs. The grocery did not open as early as other shops, so I had a chance to browse a bookstore while waiting for BONUS to open. Several of my favorite Icelandic authors have new books available in translation. Which ones will be readily available in Northwest bookstores and libraries, and which should I buy here?

It being Susan’s first visit to Reykjavik, I pointed out some favorite eateries and landmarks. BONUS finally opened at 11 a.m. and we had our first language challenge of the trip. Grocery stores in Iceland don’t bother with English labels, so visitors need to recognize what they are looking for. We stocked up on bread, cheese, peanut butter, fruit and yogurt. I also introduced Susan to skyr, a thick delicious non-fat dairy product that Icelanders have made since long before Greek yogurt appeared on the market.

Day 1                                                                                                  On our return trip we stopped to admire the Harpa Concert Hall, located right on the Reykjavik waterfront. It is quite interesting architecturally and has great acoustics, too. We went inside about a week later, so watch for more about Harpa on another day.

After a picnic lunch in Eric’s back yard, we visited the Einar Jónsson sculpture garden  at the end of the block. Einar worked in the first half of the 20th century, producing dramatic statues of mythical, religious and historic figures. It is one of several free sculpture gardens in the city, but probably the most centrally located.

P1030072Bragi picked us up promptly at 1 p.m. and we headed for Iceland’s south coast on Highway 1, the country’s ring road. Our first stop was Hveragerði, Iceland’s leading greenhouse town. The area’s landscape is geothermally active, supporting both greenhouses and large geothermal power plants.

 

My particular interest was the geothermal pools, or hot pots thatP1030076 appeared after a series of earthquakes in the spring of 2008. I had hiked through the area in 2007, and had been amazed to return the next summer and find boiling mud pots a quarter mile uphill from the busy town. I was curious to see if they were still as active now, and what kind of visitor information had been added to the site.

I have to say that we probably would not have been aware of the geothermal pools if we had been casual visitors there. An agricultural university has grown up along the access road to the site, and there are no directional signs to the pools. There are safety ropes to keep visitors at a safe distance and occasional signs reminding of the danger of the very hot water:

 

SeljalandsfossFrom there we drove to Seljalandsfoss, one of the landmarks easy to spot while driving the coastal highway. It is a tall waterfall (foss means waterfall in Icelandic) that is visible for miles as it plummets about 200 feet off the coastal ridge. This one’s secret attraction is the opportunity to walk behind the falling water in a shallow overhang. The bad news is that every tour bus on this section of Highway 1 has an obligatory stop here. The parking lot is large but the trail is narrow and there is usually a line for the restrooms.

 

 

Tour buses stop long enough for their passengers to take the quarter mile hike up past the P1030079waterfall and return. Independent travelers can continue on the trail another half mile and view two hidden waterfalls in slot canyons. At that point in the summer, ladders necessary to view the first one easily and safely were missing. Bragi and I climbed high enough to get a glimpse of the falling water, but I don’t consider it worth the effort. The second falls were as I remembered— a surprising sight visible through a very narrow gorge. I had forgotten the watery access and wasn’t wearing waterproof boots, so I resisted entering the cavern for a closer view.

 

From there we headed to the village of Hvolsvöllur and our first lodging on the road, Guesthouse Kristján’s. I booked it through AirBnB.com, but the only room listed on that website has a double bed. The guest house offers several inexpensive rooms that share the basement kitchen, bath and laundry room. Until this trip I had understood an Icelandic double to mean two twin beds pushed together. It is clear that entrepreneurial Icelanders have figured out that a small room can be rented as lodging for two with a double bed when two twins won’t fit. Susan and I managed, but were not enthusiastic about the accommodations. Lesson learned. I will be more careful in the future.

The guesthouse is a two block walk from the ring road, where we found a nice café for dinner, the Eldstó Art Café/Bistro. It features a pottery gallery in the back rooms and should be a nice quiet local coffee shop in the off season. During the summer the place was hopping with tourists and a staff of college age young people who were very friendly, but seemed to have trouble figuring out which table was waiting for the order in their hands. My notes say I had a burger and a Tuborg light, but I just remember a good meal in interesting surroundings our first day on the road.

ICELAND 2016 1. Thoughts on Planning a Trip to Iceland

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            I have been to Iceland a number of times, in fact this summer’s trip was number eleven in ten years. So what I share here is based on experience over those years.

I think it is a good idea to make air reservations as early as possible—as soon as you have your travel dates identified. Setting those dates can depend on a number of factors. One of the biggest when traveling to Iceland is the weather. If you want to see the northern lights, October through March are the best months, and you can find inexpensive packages, because the weather will not attract other tourists. If you want to spend your time outdoors and camp, hike or backpack, July and August are best. The weather starts improving in May, but rain is frequent most months except the two summer months mentioned, and the higher trails are rarely snow-free before July. I had already decided that I would be there during the high summer months this year for hiking to some high peaks. Beyond that, my schedule would depend on who I would be traveling with, both coming from the U.S. and Icelandic companions.

I knew I would be traveling in Iceland with my good friend, Bragi, a retired professional Icelandic guide this year. Getting to some of the peaks and other destinations that had shown up in my volcano research (Skjaldbreiður, Snæfellsjökull, and Hekla; Fimmvörðuháls Pass and the Kerlingarfjöll´s Hveradalur) meant facing the additional expenses of the high summer season, so I also needed a travel companion to share the costs. When my husband refused to leave the Pacific Northwest during our home territory’s best weather, I sought a companion among my western Washington hiking friends to share expenses and help keep my costs down. My friend Susan decided that she could, and wanted to come, so we selected the trip’s two weeks in late July and early August together.

With a date range identified, we immediately sat down at a computer to see what flights and what class seats were available. Icelandair is known for cheap flights to Europe, but all flight costs are relative. When an Icelandair flight is empty, the cheapest seats are available. As it fills, only the more expensive seats are left: when Economy seats are no longer there, only Economy Flex and better remained; then only Economy Comfort and Saga Business Class, etc. I had paid a range of prices from below $800 to over $1000 for roundtrip airfare to Iceland over the last decade, so I am always eager to buy early.  www.icelandair.US/Flights/information/travel-guide/comparison.

It was a surprise for me to discover that Icelandair now has two flights per day arriving and leaving from Seattle. My first thoughts were: How long has this been going on? Is it only during the summer months? I have been visiting Iceland during the shoulder seasons for most of the last decade; it was quite possible they had added a second summer flight without my being aware.

As someone who suffers from jetlag in both directions, having a choice of flights going to Europe makes a difference. There is a seven or eight hour difference (less when we are on Daylight Savings Time), and the flight takes seven and a half hours. For a decade I have been taking the late afternoon flights that arrive at Keflavik International Airport at 6:30 a.m. This year we had an opportunity to take a flight leaving Seattle in the a.m. and arriving at 11:30 p.m. We could arrive, go to bed late, get up at an almost normal hour, and get right into a natural Icelandic schedule. What an improvement!

I had told Susan that we could keep our costs to about $100 per day after airfare by staying in shared lodging that averaged $100 per night. This proved to be much more difficult than I anticipated. My favorite Reykjavik B&B, for instance, charges close to $200 for a double with private bath in the summer, almost twice what I have paid previously during the shoulder season. I started my search by Googling Iceland lodging accommodation and soon found almost all the links to lodgings in our price range were to www.AirBnB.com and www.Bookings.com listings. I had sketched an itinerary on a map of southern Iceland with one excursion into the interior and one to the western peninsula of Snæfellsnes. Then I tried to match available lodgings to the various locales. It was a real challenge.

Even looking for bookings six and seven months ahead, I had a hard time finding housing in convenient locations in our price range. It was soon obvious that we would be staying primarily in places set up as hostels—they provided private rooms, beds and linens along with shared bathrooms and cooking facilities. These were in a variety of settings, from separate buildings on working farms to an old residential school dormitory not far from popular rural tourist sites.  We also booked two nights in a Reykjavik basement apartment (via Airbnb.com), one night in a Reykjavik hotel that is a university dormitory during the school year and one night in a highlands dormitory—with our sleeping bags on two-level bunk-beds among hikers from all over Europe.

Not being sure of the exact location of our lodgings in relation to the nearest desirable café or restaurant, we decided to carry some freeze-dried dinners with us, and other packable foods for lunches and breakfasts, just for convenience.

Fortunately, Icelandair has a generous baggage allowance: www.icelandair.us/information.baggage-information. Two bags are checked free per passenger; a carry-on bag and a personal item are also allowed in the cabin with each person. Free checked baggage would easily carry our sleeping bags, towels, trekking poles and food. It turned out that Icelandair’s standards for carry-on bags are substantially smaller than US domestic flights. It is important to check the specifics on baggage allowances. Ticket agents can decide your carry-on has to be checked. As we had not planned to use all of the checked baggage allowance, that inspection at the ticket counter did not prove a problem for us.

You may be wondering about other flight options to Iceland from the U.S. Icelandair is the only airline with for non-stop flights from the Northwest. If you are traveling from the US East Coast, you should check on Wow Airlines. They offer truly budget flights (very limited baggage allowance—you cannot even pay for an additional bag), and pretty tight quarters. My husband and I tried it once when we were already in New York, and were not too surprised to see all the other travelers were a generation younger. I would probably do it again in the interests of saving money, but flying with Icelandair is really more enjoyable.

STYKKISHÓLMUR FOR THE ARTS

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During a brief May visit to Stykkishólmur, we visited both a a ceramics gallery and a wood sculptor preparing a summer installation. The two represent the serious artists colony that is growing in the community.

Ingibjörg H. Ágústdóttir is a native daughter of the town. She is a woodcarver who specializes in interpretation of Icelandic folk tales. This year´s project is a series of island-based works, representing stories from the islands in Breiðafjördur, just outside of town. Her total production will probably be less than two dozen, but several of her works in progress were quite intriguing, even with their final coat of colorful paint incomplete.

One piece features a black and white ram facing off with an orca whale on one end of a small green island surrounded by blue water, while a small white lamb chats with a similarly proportioned seal at the other.

Another island was topped with several long-haired Valkyries in peaceful 1-P1020707swan maiden mode. Valkyries are best known as warrior-women who escort to Valhalla those heroes who have fallen in battle. In the sculptor‘s view of them, the blue-gowned ladies are resting with detached swans’ wings resting on their laps or arms.
 

 

 

 

 
A third carving with a vivid blue base shows a white polar bear — an occasional 1-P1020705visitor to these waters — on a low dark boulder at the foot of a steep island cliff. Above the bear is a large round stone stuck in a cleft. Legend had the rock thrown by an angry crone, trying to chase the bear away. The truth of the legend is supported by viewing the rough sphere which does not match the rest of the island, which sits in the bay not far from Stykkishólmur. It was probably delivered to the site by a volcanic eruption, but it is nice to have folktales providing interesting alternatives to dry rational explanations.

Ingibjórg´s work is on display in the Tang & Riis building near the Stykkishólmur waterfront June 13 through August 3, 2015, during afternoons Wednesday through Saturday. If you are in the area this summer, I recommend visiting the gallery and enjoying her work. For photos of her other carvings, see http://www.bibi.is.

A second venue we managed to visit just before closing was Leir 7 (at Aðalgata 20, on Stykkishólmur´s main road). It is an interesting ceramics gallery and studio, staffed by local artists a few hours each day and by appointment (phone 894-0425). The center was inspired by an urban ceramics artist who brought her craft to the coastal town about twenty years ago. She shared her enthusiasm for using Icelandic clay with local artisans and this attractive work and display space opened in 2007 as a result.

Lest you imagine heavy pottery dependent on colorful glazes in traditional Icelandic patterns, let me correct your expectations. The majority of the useful products here (cups, mugs, butter savers, sushi plates with tiny sauce cups) are amazingly delicate and light, while also appearing sturdy enough for frequent use. Another intriguing offering are sets of ceramic bone segments in two sizes and colors, brown and white. These could easily rest on a coffee table, inspiring assembly by adults or creative children while they share snacks and conversation.

On previous visits to the town I became acquainted with The Museum of Water, Eldfjallasafn Volcano Museum and the Norwegian House (historic home and eider duck husbandry display), all well established institutions that merit an interested visitor´s time. The addition of a permanent ceramics gallery and seasonal art shows provide a more balanced presentation of the community´s interests and talents, and diversify the opportunities available to visitors in this interesting area.

STYKKISHÓLMUR FOR SCALLOPS

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Modest houses of Stykkishólmur

Stykkishólmur is one of my favorite places in Iceland. It is a small town perched at the end of a peninsula that protrudes into Breiðafjörður, the ‘broad fjord.’ The town of about 2000 is composed of small homes with colorful roofs and a few hotels and museums clustered around a small harbor that is protected by a high rock outcropping. The older wooden buildings reflect its history as a Danish trading port, starting in the 16th century. In contrast, an elegant modern church sits on a hill above the town, with the sea clearly visible to the east and north. The broad fjord appears as a large bay, intriguingly splattered with islands of all sizes and shapes. A few islands support summer homes and one, Flatey, has a small permanent community.
On my recent visit to the area I learned that many of the smaller islands are inhabited by sheep, in addition to seabirds. According to a tour boat deckhand, the ewes are left on the islands permanently. In late May we saw ewes and new lambs on several small grassy islets near the town. The young man also shared with us the tale of a ram that swam from island to island, playing havoc with the farmers´ plans to manage the lamb birthing schedule. The farmers generally move rams from island to island and thus control when lambs are born by transporting rams to the ewes at the humans’ convenience. The unscheduled pregnancies meant the farmers were less likely to know when to help the ewes birthing their lambs, but the ewes didn´t seem to mind.
An unexpected feature of a boat trip through the islands was a dish identified as ‛Viking Sushi’ in the tour´s brochure. This turned out to be raw scallops, scooped from the sea while we cruised and promptly offered to passengers on the half-shell. Scallops eaten this way are a bit saltier than the cooked variation, but surprisingly similar to the taste, texture and appearance of freshly cooked scallops that have been obtained from a seafood store. I would offer my apologies to the squeamish, or anyone offended by this haphazard harvesting of sea life for the entertainment of random tourists, but scallops are one of my favorite seafoods, and these were surprisingly and truly delicious in this very fresh form.

Casual bounty from the sea

Casual bounty from the sea

Sumardagurinn fyrsti

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When I first traveled to Iceland in 2007, I was intrigued to learn that Icelanders had long found two seasons enough – summer and winter. It was the short summer with its very long days, and the long winter with very long nights that ruled the basic aspects of their lives. Summer (sumar) started in late April and winter (vetur) began in late October on their old calendar.

As a person who has lived most of her life in regions that feature – and appreciate – four seasons, the idea of two seasons seemed quite unusual. It seemed to signify a simpler way of life, but also one with a less complicated plant world. Certainly important features of the seasons of spring and autumn are the leaves that unfurl in spring, and color and fall off in autumn. The landscape in Iceland definitely turns green as the snow melts and temperatures warm. Leaves are not as important a component of that landscape as they are farther south.

Iceland officially adopted the twelve month Julian calendar when they accepted Christianity in 1000, and words for spring and autumn were added to their everyday vocabulary somewhere along the way. The Icelandic Weather Service currently identifies autumn with the months of October and November and spring with April and May. Despite this, Icelandic calendars continue to show the first day of summer on a Thursday late in April.

Recently my thoughts turned to Daylight Savings Time. This annual shift of the time by one hour happens twice a year. This has been happening in the United States since the end of World War I. In 2006 Daylight Savings was brought to its longest annual period, starting the second Sunday of March and ending the first weekend in November. Its start does not mean the beginning of summer, but I think that most of us consider it an indication of warmer weather on its way.

Daylight Savings Time and traditional Icelandic seasons: Isn’t it interesting that a minor shift in perspective can help us realize that what appears initially to be another culture’s strange practice is almost identical to a familiar part of our own?

Iceland (and Eyjafjallajökull) at the movies

Kirkjufell

Kirkjufell

A friend told me that gorgeous Icelandic scenery is featured in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, so I went to see the film as soon as I could.
She was right! The very first Icelandic scene was on the highway southwest of Stykkishólmur, on the Snæfellsnes peninsula. I took a snapshot of Kirkjufell, the symmetrical hill that appears early in the Icelandic sequence, the last time I was in that area.
After that, the Walter Mitty character (Ben Stiller) executes a trade with a trio of Icelandic lads for a skateboard, and zooms off down the highway. Although seeming to understand English, the kids discussed the deal in Icelandic. I didn´t quite catch what they said, but I doubted that the English subtitles really captured their dialogue. Then their father called from the car. He very clearly said‚‘‘Núna! Núna! Núna!‘‘ which meant ‚‘‘Right Now!‘‘ and they went running.
The Icelandic scenery that the movie´s lead character (anti-hero?) flew past on the newly acquired skateboard could serve as tourist board marketing footage for a section of Iceland. Then he skates past a very large pipeline – which in Iceland carries very hot water from a geothermal plant or well – to a city hot water system. I don´t remember seeing such a pipeline near Stykkishólmur (the small town that is mentioned in the film script), but I have seen them outside of Reykjavik.
So where does Eyjafjallajökull come in? Mitty is pursuing a globetrotting photographer in search of a particular photo for the last print cover of Life Magazine. The trail led from New York to Greenland to Iceland. After gaining the skateboard he meets a man who cannot help him – but soon returns – too excited to speak English: ‘‘Eldgos!‘‘ he shouts.
Few in the theater realize he is warning of a volcanic eruption, and the subtitle gives little information. But suddenly a very large, very dark cloud appears above the village buildings, Mitty hops into the moving car and they race off, trying to outrun the volcanic cloud.
Eyjafjallajökull – nicknamed E15 for non-Icelandic speakers – is located on the other side of the country from the west coast town Mitty nominally arrived in from Greenland. The volcano´s 2010 eruption may still be in viewers´visual memories of the TV news that featured it. Big dark ash clouds were certainly part of its reality!
I have since learned that all of the international footage in the movie was filmed in Iceland. The island nation has the landscape to represent a village in Greenland, itself, and the mountains of Afghanistan – and showed off its splendor in this film. I don´t think that we actually saw any of Eyjafjallajökull´s glacier or volcanic landscape, but the cloud did a good job of representing the most memorable aspect of its spring 2010 eruption.