Iceland July 12-August 2, 2016
July 11-12, 2016: Arrival in Reykjavik; Harbor and Volcano House
The flight began on July 11, 2016. It was Icelandair. Flight left on time but be aware that the Reykjavik Airport is under construction and baggage claim is a mess. There was a long wait and the flight arrived just before midnight. Of course, with jet lag and one of my exchangers waiting for me outside the customs area, there was anxiety, but, yes, the bag finally arrived. Whew!
Given that it is now July, the sky has light 24 hours a day, although the sun slips below the horizon for a brief time at night. AlteCocker had had that experience once before in Finland, but it is still weird. Winter, of course, is very dark here. People living in or near the Arctic pay for the long summer day.
The apartment is a cozy one bedroom with a second room--which could be used as a bedroom--used as an office. It is much smaller than AlteCocker's home but about the same size as the condominium AlteCocker will move into after she sells her house next spring.
Arriving at the apartment, there were 4 hours for sleep, as the home exchangers were leaving for the US in the morning and we had to return to the airport; fortunately a tired AlteCocker had a Garmin in the car; while she carries a European GPS with her, it was nice to have one all set up. With jet lag, if AlteCocker got an hour or two of sleep, that was about it; fortunately she slept for an hour or so on the flight. There was one funny moment unpacking: There was a noise coming from AlteCocker's suitcase. What was it? We thought it was coming from a suitcase lock (cheap Chinese suitcase bought to carry shopping home from Thailand in 2015). We tried slamming it with a hammer but it wasn't the lock. It turned out to be her battery operated toothbrush reminding AlteCocker to brush her teeth. The moment she discovered the overactive toothbrush, AlteCocker realized she for got AA batteries for her camera. She always forgets something. At least it wasn't underpants this time. That did happen, years back. You start unpacking and realize "uh oh". She bought some new undies in Germany that time.
Returning to the house, AlteCocker set up all her computer equipment and set up her new netbook. Her old netbook died on July 10th. It had been going for awhile but, when it self installed Windows 10 at night, that was the kiss of death. Fortunately, it happened before she left for Iceland. Unfortunately, the day of the funeral was the last day at home when she was busy cleaning up the house for the exchange. Not fun to have 2 hours of computer installation that she needed like an enema. She is still working on getting everything to run smoothly. The new netbook is much better than the old one, but the kerfluffle was not appreciated. There is always the problem of the shit hitting the fan before an exchange.
After a serious nap (a much needed 5 hours), AlteCocker hauled herself down to the old harbor in Reykjavik. Unfortunately, not knowing any Icelandic is a problem when you program a GPS. You don't know what to call thing. It also does not help that my Lonely Planet guidebook appears to have been left on the plane. Another vacation piece of stupidity. In the harbor, AlteCocker had a fish called wolfish in the Volcano House Restaurant; the fish was excellent' the waitstaff appear to be from Eastern Europe. Then she saw the film in the adjacent "musuem". The movie was excellent. The "museum" was just a little exhibit that basically a recapitulation of what the movie is about. They can also suggest tours for you. No thanks, but AlteCocker does recommend the film. It would be a good thing to do on a rainy day. Iceland has a lot of those.
Parking is free in the harbor lots after 6:00pm, so not paying for parking is nice--especially if your damn American credit cards don't always work. Nicely, you exchangers have a handicapped parking permit--something AlteCocker would be eligible for in the US due to her back problems. It entitles you to free parking and she will use it.
Good internet means the photos will go up day by day. Much easier than a terrible chore when AlteCocker gets home.
Given that it is now July, the sky has light 24 hours a day, although the sun slips below the horizon for a brief time at night. AlteCocker had had that experience once before in Finland, but it is still weird. Winter, of course, is very dark here. People living in or near the Arctic pay for the long summer day.
The apartment is a cozy one bedroom with a second room--which could be used as a bedroom--used as an office. It is much smaller than AlteCocker's home but about the same size as the condominium AlteCocker will move into after she sells her house next spring.
Arriving at the apartment, there were 4 hours for sleep, as the home exchangers were leaving for the US in the morning and we had to return to the airport; fortunately a tired AlteCocker had a Garmin in the car; while she carries a European GPS with her, it was nice to have one all set up. With jet lag, if AlteCocker got an hour or two of sleep, that was about it; fortunately she slept for an hour or so on the flight. There was one funny moment unpacking: There was a noise coming from AlteCocker's suitcase. What was it? We thought it was coming from a suitcase lock (cheap Chinese suitcase bought to carry shopping home from Thailand in 2015). We tried slamming it with a hammer but it wasn't the lock. It turned out to be her battery operated toothbrush reminding AlteCocker to brush her teeth. The moment she discovered the overactive toothbrush, AlteCocker realized she for got AA batteries for her camera. She always forgets something. At least it wasn't underpants this time. That did happen, years back. You start unpacking and realize "uh oh". She bought some new undies in Germany that time.
Returning to the house, AlteCocker set up all her computer equipment and set up her new netbook. Her old netbook died on July 10th. It had been going for awhile but, when it self installed Windows 10 at night, that was the kiss of death. Fortunately, it happened before she left for Iceland. Unfortunately, the day of the funeral was the last day at home when she was busy cleaning up the house for the exchange. Not fun to have 2 hours of computer installation that she needed like an enema. She is still working on getting everything to run smoothly. The new netbook is much better than the old one, but the kerfluffle was not appreciated. There is always the problem of the shit hitting the fan before an exchange.
After a serious nap (a much needed 5 hours), AlteCocker hauled herself down to the old harbor in Reykjavik. Unfortunately, not knowing any Icelandic is a problem when you program a GPS. You don't know what to call thing. It also does not help that my Lonely Planet guidebook appears to have been left on the plane. Another vacation piece of stupidity. In the harbor, AlteCocker had a fish called wolfish in the Volcano House Restaurant; the fish was excellent' the waitstaff appear to be from Eastern Europe. Then she saw the film in the adjacent "musuem". The movie was excellent. The "museum" was just a little exhibit that basically a recapitulation of what the movie is about. They can also suggest tours for you. No thanks, but AlteCocker does recommend the film. It would be a good thing to do on a rainy day. Iceland has a lot of those.
Parking is free in the harbor lots after 6:00pm, so not paying for parking is nice--especially if your damn American credit cards don't always work. Nicely, you exchangers have a handicapped parking permit--something AlteCocker would be eligible for in the US due to her back problems. It entitles you to free parking and she will use it.
Good internet means the photos will go up day by day. Much easier than a terrible chore when AlteCocker gets home.
July 13, 2016: Borgarnes Settlement Museum and some Steam vEnts
AlteCocker looked at the adverse weather report and decided to head for a museum in Bogarnes--which is north of Reykjavik. First she stopped at a store that sort of looked like Home Depot but turned out to be the German chain "Bauhaus"--which looks inside almost exactly like Home Depot. AlteCocker had neglected to pack AA batteries for her camera and it did turn out to be a good place to resolve the impending camera battery crisis. It was.
Back on the road to Borgarnes, she got diverted by a sign to the Thingvellir National Park; now mind you, in Icelandic "Thingvellir" lookes like "Pingviller". "Thingvellir" is actually spelled with a funny Icelandic letter that sort of looks like a "P"at the beginning that is pronounced roughly "th". Pingvellir/Thingvellir was on the list, so she decided to go there. It didn't exactly work out. The weather up ahead was ominous and AlteCocker worried about not being able to see anything. Then she saw some tour buses turning off a side road. Tour buses go where the sites are so AlteCocker turns down that road and abandoned the idea of Thingvellir; that is saved for another day. There were two either sulphur venting either geysers or just vents down a side road. They were clearly harnessed for heating (all of Iceland's heat and not potable water [such as for hot water showers] is provided by geothermal energy, as there were huge pipes laid along the road above ground. The first vent seems to have a bit of an arduous walk in. Still recovering from a spinal fusion and limited in the walking she can do, AlteCocker passed on it. The second looked easier but AlteCocker missed the turn off and there was nowhere to safely turn around. AlteCocker bagged it. The road itself was amazing--and is not plowed in winter. It was difficult enough on a nice summer day. There were unfortunately almost nowhere to turn off and take photos, so there aren't any. Getting involved in some car mess on a mountainous road, is not what AlteCocker had in mind. The road went on and on and AlteCocker finally got to a turn off where the GPS told her to turn right to get to Borgarnes. She ended up on a dirt road but it finally ended up back on Route 1--which AlteCocker knew would lead her to Bogarnes.
Bogarnes, by the way, is only about an hour from Reykjavik going north, but AlteCocker clearly took a more circuitous route. Back on the main road, she drove to a 6 kilometer tunnel. You pay a toll upon the exit. Did AlteCocker mention that she still has no Icelandic cash? Iceland is an almost cashless society. They use cards for almost everything. At the airport she tried to get cash out of the ATM and no one was getting cash. The machine was apparently out of it. When AlteCocker asked her exchangers where the nearest ATM was, they asked her why she needed cash. The toll booth took one of her credit cards. By the way the one with chips appear always to work here. The cards that don't have chips sometimes need pins, so pack both. None of AlteCocker's cards have foreign currency conversion fees, by the way. The ones that do, simply do not come abroad.
And so, after her meandering journey seeing some spectacular, if unphotographed, scenery, AlteCocker finally got to Borgarnes. She ate lunch at the Settlement Centre Restaurant--probably a mistake; the cafe adjacent would have been cheaper. There was an O.A.T. tour group in the dining room eating off a vegetarian buffet. There are not a lot of places that can accommodate groups in Iceland--in fact there are not a lot of restaurants period once you get out of Reykjavik. Tourist sites and hotels seem to be where you eat when on the road. AlteCocker ordered from the regular menu. Having guided many tour groups, a buffet has to be spectacular to entice her. It was vegetarian and really looked awful--especially after being decimated by the tour group (they did clean it up later). She had wolfish again (must be in season) but it was cooked differently than the wolfish she had the day before. Wolfish is basically a white fish generally served with some sort of sauce. AlteCocker finished off her meal with a chocolate volcano cake with a scoop of locally made vanilla ice cream. She sort of ignored the price of the meal. Warning: Everything in Iceland is expensive. Expect to pay about twice what you would pay at home--which is why AlteCocker returned home rather than driving further on. Her home exchange does not cost. Hotels do.
After lunch she visited the Settlement Centre . She had seen it mentioned on the Icelandair plane flight. It explained how Iceland was settled by people from Norway--yes, the Vikings. The museum is focused on the area around Borgarnes. In addition to the exhibit about the settlement of Borgarnes, there was another focused on one of the many Icelandic sagas. Much of the information in the sagas is regarded as historic. You get an an acoustiguide tour with admission for museum with your admission. The offer 15 languages! In fact, you get two tours, one of the upstairs area on the settlement of Borgarnes; the other for the downstairs area focused on the saga. There was a medieval author Snorri Surtuson who wrote down some of the sagas. There is a museum devoted to him somewhere within reasonable commuting distance from Borgarnes, but AlteCocker was done for the day after the Settlement Centre. She was sorry to miss it, but so it goes. She drove back to Reykjavik and arrived a little after 4:00pm. It was sufficient for one day and time for a nap. Besides her back hurt. It did not react well to the flight from the US and has yet to recover.
Back on the road to Borgarnes, she got diverted by a sign to the Thingvellir National Park; now mind you, in Icelandic "Thingvellir" lookes like "Pingviller". "Thingvellir" is actually spelled with a funny Icelandic letter that sort of looks like a "P"at the beginning that is pronounced roughly "th". Pingvellir/Thingvellir was on the list, so she decided to go there. It didn't exactly work out. The weather up ahead was ominous and AlteCocker worried about not being able to see anything. Then she saw some tour buses turning off a side road. Tour buses go where the sites are so AlteCocker turns down that road and abandoned the idea of Thingvellir; that is saved for another day. There were two either sulphur venting either geysers or just vents down a side road. They were clearly harnessed for heating (all of Iceland's heat and not potable water [such as for hot water showers] is provided by geothermal energy, as there were huge pipes laid along the road above ground. The first vent seems to have a bit of an arduous walk in. Still recovering from a spinal fusion and limited in the walking she can do, AlteCocker passed on it. The second looked easier but AlteCocker missed the turn off and there was nowhere to safely turn around. AlteCocker bagged it. The road itself was amazing--and is not plowed in winter. It was difficult enough on a nice summer day. There were unfortunately almost nowhere to turn off and take photos, so there aren't any. Getting involved in some car mess on a mountainous road, is not what AlteCocker had in mind. The road went on and on and AlteCocker finally got to a turn off where the GPS told her to turn right to get to Borgarnes. She ended up on a dirt road but it finally ended up back on Route 1--which AlteCocker knew would lead her to Bogarnes.
Bogarnes, by the way, is only about an hour from Reykjavik going north, but AlteCocker clearly took a more circuitous route. Back on the main road, she drove to a 6 kilometer tunnel. You pay a toll upon the exit. Did AlteCocker mention that she still has no Icelandic cash? Iceland is an almost cashless society. They use cards for almost everything. At the airport she tried to get cash out of the ATM and no one was getting cash. The machine was apparently out of it. When AlteCocker asked her exchangers where the nearest ATM was, they asked her why she needed cash. The toll booth took one of her credit cards. By the way the one with chips appear always to work here. The cards that don't have chips sometimes need pins, so pack both. None of AlteCocker's cards have foreign currency conversion fees, by the way. The ones that do, simply do not come abroad.
And so, after her meandering journey seeing some spectacular, if unphotographed, scenery, AlteCocker finally got to Borgarnes. She ate lunch at the Settlement Centre Restaurant--probably a mistake; the cafe adjacent would have been cheaper. There was an O.A.T. tour group in the dining room eating off a vegetarian buffet. There are not a lot of places that can accommodate groups in Iceland--in fact there are not a lot of restaurants period once you get out of Reykjavik. Tourist sites and hotels seem to be where you eat when on the road. AlteCocker ordered from the regular menu. Having guided many tour groups, a buffet has to be spectacular to entice her. It was vegetarian and really looked awful--especially after being decimated by the tour group (they did clean it up later). She had wolfish again (must be in season) but it was cooked differently than the wolfish she had the day before. Wolfish is basically a white fish generally served with some sort of sauce. AlteCocker finished off her meal with a chocolate volcano cake with a scoop of locally made vanilla ice cream. She sort of ignored the price of the meal. Warning: Everything in Iceland is expensive. Expect to pay about twice what you would pay at home--which is why AlteCocker returned home rather than driving further on. Her home exchange does not cost. Hotels do.
After lunch she visited the Settlement Centre . She had seen it mentioned on the Icelandair plane flight. It explained how Iceland was settled by people from Norway--yes, the Vikings. The museum is focused on the area around Borgarnes. In addition to the exhibit about the settlement of Borgarnes, there was another focused on one of the many Icelandic sagas. Much of the information in the sagas is regarded as historic. You get an an acoustiguide tour with admission for museum with your admission. The offer 15 languages! In fact, you get two tours, one of the upstairs area on the settlement of Borgarnes; the other for the downstairs area focused on the saga. There was a medieval author Snorri Surtuson who wrote down some of the sagas. There is a museum devoted to him somewhere within reasonable commuting distance from Borgarnes, but AlteCocker was done for the day after the Settlement Centre. She was sorry to miss it, but so it goes. She drove back to Reykjavik and arrived a little after 4:00pm. It was sufficient for one day and time for a nap. Besides her back hurt. It did not react well to the flight from the US and has yet to recover.
July 14, 2016: Reykjavik 871+/-2; learning to be Icelandic
Well, lousy weather has arrived, so AlteCocker explored Reykjavik City. It was not a day for puffin or whale watching--although those with limited time probably dove right in because they had no choice. AlteCocker, with a long stay, obviously had more options. As she had awakened in the middle of the night and made a reservation for two nights in Hofn on the South Coast, she needed more sleep later and did not get out of the house until after 11:00am. That is OK on a gray day. In Iceland this time of year it never gets really dark outside and you can just do your day starting later. No problems there.
First she headed for downtown programming her GPS for Reykjavik 871 +/-2--basically the Reyjavik version of the Borgarnes Settlement Center but a totally different look at the same thing. The remains of a long house used in the year 871 +/-2 (the dating of the long house and hence the name of the museum). Unfortunately, she had the exhibit mixed up with a different museum. That meant she got stuck in the narrow streets of the old downtown with the same parking conundrum. She did, however, discover some free parking in the harbor that will serve her well for the remainder of her stay. You have to walk a bit more, but that is the way it goes.
So she walked back towards the old town stopping for lunch at a restaurant on the waterfront that had been recommended by locals: Kopar. She had what was labelled redfish this time. To tell the truth, she liked the food at the Volcano House restaurant better, but lunch was fine and cheaper than at the Volcano House restaurant--cheaper being relative in Iceland. All the tourists are talking about the prices, by the way. The portion at Kopar was huge, so don't get talked into the deal on an appetizer/catch of the day combination. AlteCocker couldn't even finish her main course. She just had a coffee after eating and then began to walk towards where she thought Tourist Information was located.
Arriving where she thought Tourist Information was, AlteCocker asked some tourists. They didn't know and then looked up. Everyone was standing directly in front of it! Duh. She went in and got some brochures and a good downtown map. Then she walked up towards Reykjavik 871 +/-2 to take in the exhibit.
Always ask for the price for seniors if you are an AlteCocker. If you are 70, the exhibit was FREE (AlteCocker's favorite word on vacation). Alas, AlteCocker will not achieve the magic age until October and she opened her wallet. The helpful girl at the desk asked her if she would turn 70 in 2016. That was in fact the case, and the deal included anyone born in 1946 and the museum was free to AlteCocker! There was a helpful audioguide available in several languages. Most people seemed to have forgotten to ask for it; don't you do that, as it is very well done and included in the admission. The star of the exhibit was the long house that had been dug out by archaeologists on the site. The museum had been built around the site. You can actually look down into into the site from a window on the street. Fascinating site.
After viewing the archaeolgy site, there was also a small exhibit on the sagas with some medieval copies on display. One had amazing handwriting. AlteCocker is told that modern day Icelanders can read the original sagas. Obviously AlteCocker could not, but the old manuscripts (not the original copies which have disappeared, but later copies of them) were still impressive.
Then AlteCocker had to make a decision of what to do next. She had considered going to the Fakasel Horse Park but then saw something about a show at the Harpa Concert Center entitled "How to Be Icelandic in 60 Minutes". Harpa is a striking modern entertainment facility on the waterfront between between AlteCocker's apartment and downtown Reykjavik, so a stop was made to check it out. The show was a hoot; the autovisual of Americans newsmen trying to pronounce "Eyjafjallajokull" was hilarious; the guy also has a hilarious take on everyone--not just his own countrymen. The horse show will be "banked" for another day. After laughing out loud for 60 minutes, it was time to head for home and play blog catch up. She also saw a 15 minute "in the round" presentation about Iceland offered at Harpa; definitely worth--especially if you have only a few days. Tomorrow promises, alas, promises to be another gray day. Probably another museum and some sort of entertainment in the evening.
First she headed for downtown programming her GPS for Reykjavik 871 +/-2--basically the Reyjavik version of the Borgarnes Settlement Center but a totally different look at the same thing. The remains of a long house used in the year 871 +/-2 (the dating of the long house and hence the name of the museum). Unfortunately, she had the exhibit mixed up with a different museum. That meant she got stuck in the narrow streets of the old downtown with the same parking conundrum. She did, however, discover some free parking in the harbor that will serve her well for the remainder of her stay. You have to walk a bit more, but that is the way it goes.
So she walked back towards the old town stopping for lunch at a restaurant on the waterfront that had been recommended by locals: Kopar. She had what was labelled redfish this time. To tell the truth, she liked the food at the Volcano House restaurant better, but lunch was fine and cheaper than at the Volcano House restaurant--cheaper being relative in Iceland. All the tourists are talking about the prices, by the way. The portion at Kopar was huge, so don't get talked into the deal on an appetizer/catch of the day combination. AlteCocker couldn't even finish her main course. She just had a coffee after eating and then began to walk towards where she thought Tourist Information was located.
Arriving where she thought Tourist Information was, AlteCocker asked some tourists. They didn't know and then looked up. Everyone was standing directly in front of it! Duh. She went in and got some brochures and a good downtown map. Then she walked up towards Reykjavik 871 +/-2 to take in the exhibit.
Always ask for the price for seniors if you are an AlteCocker. If you are 70, the exhibit was FREE (AlteCocker's favorite word on vacation). Alas, AlteCocker will not achieve the magic age until October and she opened her wallet. The helpful girl at the desk asked her if she would turn 70 in 2016. That was in fact the case, and the deal included anyone born in 1946 and the museum was free to AlteCocker! There was a helpful audioguide available in several languages. Most people seemed to have forgotten to ask for it; don't you do that, as it is very well done and included in the admission. The star of the exhibit was the long house that had been dug out by archaeologists on the site. The museum had been built around the site. You can actually look down into into the site from a window on the street. Fascinating site.
After viewing the archaeolgy site, there was also a small exhibit on the sagas with some medieval copies on display. One had amazing handwriting. AlteCocker is told that modern day Icelanders can read the original sagas. Obviously AlteCocker could not, but the old manuscripts (not the original copies which have disappeared, but later copies of them) were still impressive.
Then AlteCocker had to make a decision of what to do next. She had considered going to the Fakasel Horse Park but then saw something about a show at the Harpa Concert Center entitled "How to Be Icelandic in 60 Minutes". Harpa is a striking modern entertainment facility on the waterfront between between AlteCocker's apartment and downtown Reykjavik, so a stop was made to check it out. The show was a hoot; the autovisual of Americans newsmen trying to pronounce "Eyjafjallajokull" was hilarious; the guy also has a hilarious take on everyone--not just his own countrymen. The horse show will be "banked" for another day. After laughing out loud for 60 minutes, it was time to head for home and play blog catch up. She also saw a 15 minute "in the round" presentation about Iceland offered at Harpa; definitely worth--especially if you have only a few days. Tomorrow promises, alas, promises to be another gray day. Probably another museum and some sort of entertainment in the evening.
July 15, 2016: An all Harpa Day
AlteCocker had coffee and a roll at a local coffee place. Exiting the cafe, well, it was wet, cold, and a nice rain had started. That sort of thing just can sap one's energy on vacation. When you think about holidays the sun is always shining. Of course, that is not usually as it happens. The line on bad weather is that someone always tells you, "You should have been here last week." Quite frankly, AlteCocker does not want to hear that line. She has heard it enough.
So, caving in, AlteCocker repaired to Harpa. Factored into that was that she can park right there. Her home exchangers helpfully left her a handicapped parking permit. Since, she would be eligibile for one had she wanted to tackle the process. Bottom line: AlteCocker has no compunction about using it.
First order of business was to line up tickets to pass the day inside. Going to outdoor attractions was obviously not in the cards--nor was parking blocks away and walking when it was wet, cold and damp. So Harpa was it. She got a ticket for a 12:30pm concert, a 1:30pm tour of the building and a ticket for a comedy performance entitled "Icelandic Sagas: The Greatest Hits". It would put a wet day to good use and avoid much time getting damp.
The concert at 12:30pm was French flute music. While it was excellent, it was only 30 minutes. AlteCocker leaves it up to you as to whether you want to spend money for a 30 minute concert. If you have limited time, it might be worth it to just get into the concert hall. The tour was a much better investment. The guide was enthusiastic and even sang to us in the concert hall. Iceland went through a huge financial crisis as a result of bank failures. It put the completion of Harpa in question, but completed it has been. The building is the star of the show. Outside it is all glass and, when the darkness comes, it can be lit up in various colored lights. The lighting is sensitive to the level of light outside, so AlteCocker won't witness much of it because there isn't much darkness right now. It's the Arctic summer. The concert hall and some smaller spaces are set up to change acoustics depending upon what event is going on. The lighting can change and resemble the Aura Borialis--something else AlteCocker will not experience.
The tour gives you a 10% discount in the Harpa restaurant, so AlteCocker decided to eat there for lunch. She had a crab sandwish on sort of hot dog bun which came with something wrapped in seaweed sort of leaf shaped thing that included smoked salmon and red Icelandic caviar. Lunch was fine but nothing special. AlteCocker indulged herself in a piece of chocolate cake for dessert.
Contemplating the museum logistics downtown in the rain, AlteCocker decided to go home and put her feet up and return later for tonight's show. The "Saga" show was very funny, but, if you have to choose, go to the show about becoming Icelandic in 60 minutes. That was the best! After the show, AlteCocker went to, gasp, Ruby Tuesday in her neighborhood. It was chosen because it is cheaper than the fish places downtown.
So, caving in, AlteCocker repaired to Harpa. Factored into that was that she can park right there. Her home exchangers helpfully left her a handicapped parking permit. Since, she would be eligibile for one had she wanted to tackle the process. Bottom line: AlteCocker has no compunction about using it.
First order of business was to line up tickets to pass the day inside. Going to outdoor attractions was obviously not in the cards--nor was parking blocks away and walking when it was wet, cold and damp. So Harpa was it. She got a ticket for a 12:30pm concert, a 1:30pm tour of the building and a ticket for a comedy performance entitled "Icelandic Sagas: The Greatest Hits". It would put a wet day to good use and avoid much time getting damp.
The concert at 12:30pm was French flute music. While it was excellent, it was only 30 minutes. AlteCocker leaves it up to you as to whether you want to spend money for a 30 minute concert. If you have limited time, it might be worth it to just get into the concert hall. The tour was a much better investment. The guide was enthusiastic and even sang to us in the concert hall. Iceland went through a huge financial crisis as a result of bank failures. It put the completion of Harpa in question, but completed it has been. The building is the star of the show. Outside it is all glass and, when the darkness comes, it can be lit up in various colored lights. The lighting is sensitive to the level of light outside, so AlteCocker won't witness much of it because there isn't much darkness right now. It's the Arctic summer. The concert hall and some smaller spaces are set up to change acoustics depending upon what event is going on. The lighting can change and resemble the Aura Borialis--something else AlteCocker will not experience.
The tour gives you a 10% discount in the Harpa restaurant, so AlteCocker decided to eat there for lunch. She had a crab sandwish on sort of hot dog bun which came with something wrapped in seaweed sort of leaf shaped thing that included smoked salmon and red Icelandic caviar. Lunch was fine but nothing special. AlteCocker indulged herself in a piece of chocolate cake for dessert.
Contemplating the museum logistics downtown in the rain, AlteCocker decided to go home and put her feet up and return later for tonight's show. The "Saga" show was very funny, but, if you have to choose, go to the show about becoming Icelandic in 60 minutes. That was the best! After the show, AlteCocker went to, gasp, Ruby Tuesday in her neighborhood. It was chosen because it is cheaper than the fish places downtown.
July 16, 2016: The Golden Circle
Well it was cloudy but not raining. AlteCocker has realized that waiting for a perfect day might end in visiting all the museums of Reykjavik and never getting outside the capital. Rain and clouds are just the norm here.
So having a reasonable if not perfect day, AlteCocker headed for The Golden Circle. This consists of a ride around ICeland's largest late. The main sites are Thingvellir, Geysir and Gulfoss. You basically return the same way you go if you are staying in Reykjavik. The round trip was just a little more than 200 km for AlteCocker because she is located north of downtown Reykjavik. It was, however, an exhausting day. Please note that many tourists do this route in package tours. It would not be a bad way to go, but it is a lot more expensive--even factoring in the cost of gasoline. Oh, gasoline? That was another problem. Your credit card will not work to pay. Going inside to pay, you have to buy a prepaid card. The shop adjacent to the gas station was run by a different entity. The problem is that people in Iceland use exclusively credit/debit cards with pin codes. Your credit card has no pin code? It won't work even if it has a chip. So AlteCocker bought a prepaid card--only useful in certain gas stations, of course. The trick is to make your prepaid card run out exactly as you end your trip. At least AlteCocker will be able to leave whatever is left on her prepaid card for her home exchangers instead of just waste money--something you do not want to do in expensive Iceland. AlteCocker wanted to be sure to fill up before leaving on her swing around the greatest tourist hits for those who have limited time. It did turn out that gas was available at major intersections--along with other services.
So AlteCocker headed north to the sign for Thingvellir (spelled a bit differently in Icelandic). It's a right turn going north out of Reykjavik. You drive 33 kilometers to the turn off for the park. The lot is a "pay and display" lot. Iceland is slowly pulling apart in the middle where two tectonic plates meet causing a lot of Iceland's volcanic activity. At Thingvellir you can stand on the point where the two plates meet. This was the big hit of the day for AlteCocker, as there is no other place like that that she has ever expected.
The next stop was Geysir, which is, duh, a geyser. The geyser erupts every 8-10 minutes. It might have been more entertaining if AlteCocker had not seen a geyser before, but, if you have been to Yellowstone, Geysir cannot hold a candle to Old Faithful. Still, it's there and worth a short stop. You won't have to wait long for an "eruption", but it's fast. You will probably get only one photo, but have it ready ahead of time or you'll miss it. AlteCocker got one photo and departed.
Then it was Gulfoss ("Golden Falls"), a spectacular huge waterfall. Stop at the lower lot. The upper lot is for the shop and toilet. Having been warned that it was less interesting than the lower overlook, she took a brief look in the shop and decamped for her car. At that point AlteCocker was done for the day. It was time to head back. A young kid was hitchhiking and she picked him up. He was from Hannover, Germany, and helped AlteCocker stay away on the return journey. No stops were made for photos as AlteCocker had taken all she needed--and she was looking forward to a nap upon her return. Since Luke, her German hitchhiker, was able to direct her to his campground, she took him right there. It was located less than 1 km from her apartment, so there was no reason to not to be nice--and he had a lot of stuff. Lots of kids go around Iceland by camping because hotels can be limited (and outrageous) in the more remote areas. Again, Iceland is expensive.
Warning: There are a lot of photos from this day!
So having a reasonable if not perfect day, AlteCocker headed for The Golden Circle. This consists of a ride around ICeland's largest late. The main sites are Thingvellir, Geysir and Gulfoss. You basically return the same way you go if you are staying in Reykjavik. The round trip was just a little more than 200 km for AlteCocker because she is located north of downtown Reykjavik. It was, however, an exhausting day. Please note that many tourists do this route in package tours. It would not be a bad way to go, but it is a lot more expensive--even factoring in the cost of gasoline. Oh, gasoline? That was another problem. Your credit card will not work to pay. Going inside to pay, you have to buy a prepaid card. The shop adjacent to the gas station was run by a different entity. The problem is that people in Iceland use exclusively credit/debit cards with pin codes. Your credit card has no pin code? It won't work even if it has a chip. So AlteCocker bought a prepaid card--only useful in certain gas stations, of course. The trick is to make your prepaid card run out exactly as you end your trip. At least AlteCocker will be able to leave whatever is left on her prepaid card for her home exchangers instead of just waste money--something you do not want to do in expensive Iceland. AlteCocker wanted to be sure to fill up before leaving on her swing around the greatest tourist hits for those who have limited time. It did turn out that gas was available at major intersections--along with other services.
So AlteCocker headed north to the sign for Thingvellir (spelled a bit differently in Icelandic). It's a right turn going north out of Reykjavik. You drive 33 kilometers to the turn off for the park. The lot is a "pay and display" lot. Iceland is slowly pulling apart in the middle where two tectonic plates meet causing a lot of Iceland's volcanic activity. At Thingvellir you can stand on the point where the two plates meet. This was the big hit of the day for AlteCocker, as there is no other place like that that she has ever expected.
The next stop was Geysir, which is, duh, a geyser. The geyser erupts every 8-10 minutes. It might have been more entertaining if AlteCocker had not seen a geyser before, but, if you have been to Yellowstone, Geysir cannot hold a candle to Old Faithful. Still, it's there and worth a short stop. You won't have to wait long for an "eruption", but it's fast. You will probably get only one photo, but have it ready ahead of time or you'll miss it. AlteCocker got one photo and departed.
Then it was Gulfoss ("Golden Falls"), a spectacular huge waterfall. Stop at the lower lot. The upper lot is for the shop and toilet. Having been warned that it was less interesting than the lower overlook, she took a brief look in the shop and decamped for her car. At that point AlteCocker was done for the day. It was time to head back. A young kid was hitchhiking and she picked him up. He was from Hannover, Germany, and helped AlteCocker stay away on the return journey. No stops were made for photos as AlteCocker had taken all she needed--and she was looking forward to a nap upon her return. Since Luke, her German hitchhiker, was able to direct her to his campground, she took him right there. It was located less than 1 km from her apartment, so there was no reason to not to be nice--and he had a lot of stuff. Lots of kids go around Iceland by camping because hotels can be limited (and outrageous) in the more remote areas. Again, Iceland is expensive.
Warning: There are a lot of photos from this day!
July 17, 2016: National Museum of Iceland; Fakasel Horse Show
After yesterday's long drive, AlteCocker was not about to do another one of those right off. In fact, she did not even get out of the house until after 1:30pm. She slept hard and long.
First stop on the tour was the National Museum of Iceland. On the way she passes the local airport, so now AlteCocker knows where to go for her day trip to Greenland. The National Museum is adjacent to the local airport. Hmm. . . .
The museum was excellent. It deals with the history of Iceland from the first settlement in 871 +/-2 to the modern day. As AlteCocker loves history, she loved the museum. She got the acoustiguide but found it less useful that it was at the Settlement Museum.
Then it was off to Icelandic Horse Park Fakasel for their daily show at 7:00pm. It is a sort of dramatic presentation about the history of the Icelandic horse. It looked better in the promo AlteCocker saw on the flight to Reykjavik on Icelandair than it was but it satisfied AlteCocker's need for evening entertainment now that she has almost exhausted the offerings at Harpa. You get to say "hello" to the horses afterward. There were only 40 people or so at the show. AlteCocker booked ahead at the urging of the website, but it really was unnecessary. Of course, masses of tour groups could show up, but the staff said that on most nights the crowd is small. AlteCocker ate in the restaurant before the show, as it had been recommended by a local tour guide. To tell the truth, it was mediocre. The pasta with lobster turned out to be pasta with shrimp and some unnamed seafood. If there were any bits of lobster in that dish, AlteCocker did not find them. After the show, AlteCocker had coffee and a strawberry topped dessert. It was OK and AlteCocker did want some coffee before driving back home. Time from Reykjavik to Fakasel was about 45 minutes with the help of a GPS. If you don't have one, just go towards Vik and you will run into Fakasel. It's on the right with good signage. It would be a really good activity for those non AlteCockers with kids. In the barn some of the kids seemed more interested in the barn cats than the horses. You never know what will enchant kids. There is, of course, a gift shop. Small Icelandic horse models seemed to be popular with the young girls.
The day ended with a round of laundry and figuring out how to set the dryer so it actually completely dried the clothes. Predictably, AlteCocker set it wrong.
If tomorrow is the promised good weather, AlteCocker will be doing a puffin tour. We'll see.
First stop on the tour was the National Museum of Iceland. On the way she passes the local airport, so now AlteCocker knows where to go for her day trip to Greenland. The National Museum is adjacent to the local airport. Hmm. . . .
The museum was excellent. It deals with the history of Iceland from the first settlement in 871 +/-2 to the modern day. As AlteCocker loves history, she loved the museum. She got the acoustiguide but found it less useful that it was at the Settlement Museum.
Then it was off to Icelandic Horse Park Fakasel for their daily show at 7:00pm. It is a sort of dramatic presentation about the history of the Icelandic horse. It looked better in the promo AlteCocker saw on the flight to Reykjavik on Icelandair than it was but it satisfied AlteCocker's need for evening entertainment now that she has almost exhausted the offerings at Harpa. You get to say "hello" to the horses afterward. There were only 40 people or so at the show. AlteCocker booked ahead at the urging of the website, but it really was unnecessary. Of course, masses of tour groups could show up, but the staff said that on most nights the crowd is small. AlteCocker ate in the restaurant before the show, as it had been recommended by a local tour guide. To tell the truth, it was mediocre. The pasta with lobster turned out to be pasta with shrimp and some unnamed seafood. If there were any bits of lobster in that dish, AlteCocker did not find them. After the show, AlteCocker had coffee and a strawberry topped dessert. It was OK and AlteCocker did want some coffee before driving back home. Time from Reykjavik to Fakasel was about 45 minutes with the help of a GPS. If you don't have one, just go towards Vik and you will run into Fakasel. It's on the right with good signage. It would be a really good activity for those non AlteCockers with kids. In the barn some of the kids seemed more interested in the barn cats than the horses. You never know what will enchant kids. There is, of course, a gift shop. Small Icelandic horse models seemed to be popular with the young girls.
The day ended with a round of laundry and figuring out how to set the dryer so it actually completely dried the clothes. Predictably, AlteCocker set it wrong.
If tomorrow is the promised good weather, AlteCocker will be doing a puffin tour. We'll see.
July 18, 2016: Puffins, walk thru reykjavik & Icelandic Songs
And so we finally have a bang up day weatherwise. AlteCocker tries a new coffee place by a buidling that she thought had something to do with boats to an island but "Iceland" is "Iceland" in Icelandic. The building has something to do with the Icelandic bureaucracy. When she parks in the lot, she is reminded by one of the "helpful" Icelanders that it is a "pay and display" lot. The handicapped permit left by her home exchanger (arthritis in various body parts) just means she throws up the permit and doesn't pay. AlteCocker, who could have gotten such a permit after her mobility limiting back surgery, now regrets not getting one in Virginia, as it would have helped her exchangers. She just kept hoping her back would get better and she would not need it because the whole process--involving a note from the doctor--takes time. In any event, she has no compunction about using the permit in Iceland, as she still has limitations on just how far she can walk. The new coffee place is next door to the old one and is much better. As she later has a frappacino (this was a junk food day) at another coffee shop with the same name, she assumes it was a local chain. Good sandwiches and muffins. They even have bagels--which AlteCocker will try on another day. The shop is called "Te and Kaffi". For the record--and in case anyone cares--Starbucks has not reached Iceland. Starbucks has lousy food anyway.
Driving to the area where the whale/puffin tour boats dock, AlteCocker stops at the Viking ship sculpture. It is a fine day and she gets a fine photograph. She also snaps a photo of a mountain with snow across the harbor and another of Harpa--where she has spent a lot of time time hanging out and seeing shows on rainy days. There will be a lot of photos today due to the good weather.
Due to the fine weather--which, of course, is not slated to last--AlteCocker books a boat tour out to the puffins in the harbor. Whale watching is also offered but AlteCocker has done that before in other places--and it is mostly either no whales or plenty of whales and everyone gets seasick. So, whale watching is off the list. The puffin business costs about $40; there are 2 companies doing exactly the same thing. AlteCocker chooses the first one she sees because it is the first one she sees. Both companies do basically the same thing at the same times; the name of the boat AlteCocker shipped out on was the "Christina". The tour AlteCocker takes goes out at 2:00pm; the other company goes out at 2:00pm. Just shop around when you need to go. Puffins are in Iceland during the summer. They show moves to Newfoundland in the fall through winter; the puffins apparently swim there. They do not fly there! More information on puffins can be found here.
By the way, don't expect grand photos of the puffins. The little guys don't pose. They are busy fishing to feed their young in the nest. The boat moves and rocks and, even with a tripod (which AlteCocker does not possess), taking a good photo is bound to be difficult. Just watch them flit across the water. There are also--boo, hiss--lots of seagulls. AlteCocker has seen the puffins and is very satisfied--and puffin viewing is off the check off list.
On the way back to the dock and absolutely huge yacht is exiting the harbor. It is the Galielo 2 and is from London. No, AlteCocker was not invited on board. It was escorted out of the harbor by a tug. Cruise ships dock further down and presumably the tourist boat harbor is shallower. The cruises go to Arctic destinations. If there is a pool on those ships, it better be indoors.
After docking, AlteCocker takes a long walk into the shopping area of Reykjavik. It is somewhat pedestrianized. Her energy gives out before reaching the church that dominates the Reykjavik skyline. She is still somewhat limited after her back surgery when it comes to schlepping around, but, surprisingly she has done more walking than on any day since her spinal fusion at the end of March. While the area where the fusion was done still causes pain and limits her, she has walked at least a couple of miles and that is a huge--and satisfying improvement. She does look in a number of the shops but, with the prices being what they are in Iceland, she buys nothing except a frappacino in another "Te and Kaffi" coffee shop. The shop is on an upper floor of a book store that has tons of English books in case you've forgotten your Kindle. While she is drinking a frappacino a frantic American comes in looking for his passport. At least it is not AlteCocker--this time. Her passport is safely at the apartment.
Then checking her watch, she notices that it is just after 5:00pm. She stops at Harpa to see if the "Pearls of Icelandic Song" performance is on and it is. She buys a ticket for the show and, after the show, she is not hungry (must have been the highly caloric frappachino) she simply goes home and does the blog and catches up on the Republican Convention and other disgusting news. Boy was the internet ever slow at the apartment. It took awhile. Another day of vacation bites the dust.
Driving to the area where the whale/puffin tour boats dock, AlteCocker stops at the Viking ship sculpture. It is a fine day and she gets a fine photograph. She also snaps a photo of a mountain with snow across the harbor and another of Harpa--where she has spent a lot of time time hanging out and seeing shows on rainy days. There will be a lot of photos today due to the good weather.
Due to the fine weather--which, of course, is not slated to last--AlteCocker books a boat tour out to the puffins in the harbor. Whale watching is also offered but AlteCocker has done that before in other places--and it is mostly either no whales or plenty of whales and everyone gets seasick. So, whale watching is off the list. The puffin business costs about $40; there are 2 companies doing exactly the same thing. AlteCocker chooses the first one she sees because it is the first one she sees. Both companies do basically the same thing at the same times; the name of the boat AlteCocker shipped out on was the "Christina". The tour AlteCocker takes goes out at 2:00pm; the other company goes out at 2:00pm. Just shop around when you need to go. Puffins are in Iceland during the summer. They show moves to Newfoundland in the fall through winter; the puffins apparently swim there. They do not fly there! More information on puffins can be found here.
By the way, don't expect grand photos of the puffins. The little guys don't pose. They are busy fishing to feed their young in the nest. The boat moves and rocks and, even with a tripod (which AlteCocker does not possess), taking a good photo is bound to be difficult. Just watch them flit across the water. There are also--boo, hiss--lots of seagulls. AlteCocker has seen the puffins and is very satisfied--and puffin viewing is off the check off list.
On the way back to the dock and absolutely huge yacht is exiting the harbor. It is the Galielo 2 and is from London. No, AlteCocker was not invited on board. It was escorted out of the harbor by a tug. Cruise ships dock further down and presumably the tourist boat harbor is shallower. The cruises go to Arctic destinations. If there is a pool on those ships, it better be indoors.
After docking, AlteCocker takes a long walk into the shopping area of Reykjavik. It is somewhat pedestrianized. Her energy gives out before reaching the church that dominates the Reykjavik skyline. She is still somewhat limited after her back surgery when it comes to schlepping around, but, surprisingly she has done more walking than on any day since her spinal fusion at the end of March. While the area where the fusion was done still causes pain and limits her, she has walked at least a couple of miles and that is a huge--and satisfying improvement. She does look in a number of the shops but, with the prices being what they are in Iceland, she buys nothing except a frappacino in another "Te and Kaffi" coffee shop. The shop is on an upper floor of a book store that has tons of English books in case you've forgotten your Kindle. While she is drinking a frappacino a frantic American comes in looking for his passport. At least it is not AlteCocker--this time. Her passport is safely at the apartment.
Then checking her watch, she notices that it is just after 5:00pm. She stops at Harpa to see if the "Pearls of Icelandic Song" performance is on and it is. She buys a ticket for the show and, after the show, she is not hungry (must have been the highly caloric frappachino) she simply goes home and does the blog and catches up on the Republican Convention and other disgusting news. Boy was the internet ever slow at the apartment. It took awhile. Another day of vacation bites the dust.
July 19, 2016: Arbaer Open Air Museum
Well, the weather gods have deserted AlteCocker. It rained today but just sprinkles. AlteCocker finally gets over to Te and Kaffi at about noon. The cleaning woman is supposed to arrive at 1:00pm. She is heavily pregnant and was supposed to arrive last Friday. So AlteCocker makes herself scarce--as it turns out for nothing. In any event, not knowing the cleaning woman was not going to come, AlteCocker heads for the Arbaer Open Air Museum. It's one of those places where they move a lot of old buildings so that one can see what live was like in the olden days. The museum focuses on life in the 19th and 20th century. The photos below show what you will see. There is a great area for kids to play with old toys. AlteCocker had Swedish style pancakes with jam and whipped cream. Apparently Swedish pancakes are the same as Icelandic pancakes.
AlteCocker did stop in the shop but, once again, did not buy anything. As usual, she sees things she wants, but not at Icelandic prices.
After the museum (which took about 1 1/2 hours), AlteCocker heads home (about 5 km from the museum) making a stop at the supermarket for a few things. When she arrives home, she has an email that the cleaning woman will not come because she is having "cramps" which might be labor. To be quite frank, AlteCocker is sick of all the back and forth with the cleaning woman. Back in the US mine is not pregnant (she is just a little younger than AlteCocker) and she does come. She might have lounged around longer if she had not been told the cleaner was coming. There are apologies, but this is twice, not once. At this point, she assumes the cleaner will have her baby and never show up. She hasn't made much of a mess anyway.
Then it is time to do the blog and relax. Tomorrow will be a long driving day--and it probably will be weather similar to today.
AlteCocker did stop in the shop but, once again, did not buy anything. As usual, she sees things she wants, but not at Icelandic prices.
After the museum (which took about 1 1/2 hours), AlteCocker heads home (about 5 km from the museum) making a stop at the supermarket for a few things. When she arrives home, she has an email that the cleaning woman will not come because she is having "cramps" which might be labor. To be quite frank, AlteCocker is sick of all the back and forth with the cleaning woman. Back in the US mine is not pregnant (she is just a little younger than AlteCocker) and she does come. She might have lounged around longer if she had not been told the cleaner was coming. There are apologies, but this is twice, not once. At this point, she assumes the cleaner will have her baby and never show up. She hasn't made much of a mess anyway.
Then it is time to do the blog and relax. Tomorrow will be a long driving day--and it probably will be weather similar to today.
July 20, 2016: Long Drive to Hofn
Oh boy. It was a long day driving to Hofn. AlteCocker picked up a few hitchhikers to help her stay awake. And the weather? It stunk. Pouring rain where AlteCocker wanted to see glaciers. The photos were few. Finally she reached the glacial lagoon where everyone rides with the icebergs. It was raining cats and dogs. AlteCocker will have another shot at it returning to Reykjavik. She did not go. If it is raining like that returning, she will just take a few shots and bag the boat ride. She could barely see some of the glaciers. The weather for tomorrow is for slightly less rain. Welcome to AlteCocker on vacation!
There is only one road to Hofn from Reykjavik and pretty impossible to get lost. The reason it is so difficult to find accommodations is that there aren't any. In Vik there is a modern hotel that is on the Icelandair network. AlteCocker figures it is pretty much occupied catering to groups. Many people going around Iceland camp because it is the safest alternative if you don't want to totally regiment your trip. AlteCocker made a reservation at House on the Hill in Hofn, checking the weather forcast first. It was supposed to be nice. Weather.com showed a nice sun in its picture. Well, if there is sun, it must be elsewhere. Even without the assistance of the sun, the scenery going to Hofn is very dramatic--a combination of the remains of volcanic eruptions and glaciers. It really looks as if you have landed in an other worldly place at times.
To give you an idea of prices in Iceland, the room AlteCocker has in House on the Hill is very nice modern but without a private bath. It's $220 a night. Yes, you read that correctly. $220 a night. AlteCocker is just glad she is only spending 2 nights in hotels because, at those rates, the vacation would be severely abbreviated if she were not home exchanging.
Dinner was at Pakkhus in the harbor. Someone at the guest house recommended it. AlteCocker went all out with langoustine (small lobster) tails, a glass of wine and a delicious Icelandic skyr (a kind of yoghurt concoction); it was called a "volcano"; she got a review of the dessert from a woman at an adjacent table before ordering. The meal was also memorable because a waitress accidently touched a glass with a serving dish and the glass on AlteCocker's table (an empty one opposite her seat) shattered into a gazillion pieces.
After dinner it was time to spend a king's ransom on gas again. The guest house does not provide breakfast so some appropriate noshes were bought at the local supermarket. Then it was up to the $220 room without a private bath to do the blog and, you guessed it, the internet was out. It eventually came back on--pretty self evident if you are reading this. No comment.
There is only one road to Hofn from Reykjavik and pretty impossible to get lost. The reason it is so difficult to find accommodations is that there aren't any. In Vik there is a modern hotel that is on the Icelandair network. AlteCocker figures it is pretty much occupied catering to groups. Many people going around Iceland camp because it is the safest alternative if you don't want to totally regiment your trip. AlteCocker made a reservation at House on the Hill in Hofn, checking the weather forcast first. It was supposed to be nice. Weather.com showed a nice sun in its picture. Well, if there is sun, it must be elsewhere. Even without the assistance of the sun, the scenery going to Hofn is very dramatic--a combination of the remains of volcanic eruptions and glaciers. It really looks as if you have landed in an other worldly place at times.
To give you an idea of prices in Iceland, the room AlteCocker has in House on the Hill is very nice modern but without a private bath. It's $220 a night. Yes, you read that correctly. $220 a night. AlteCocker is just glad she is only spending 2 nights in hotels because, at those rates, the vacation would be severely abbreviated if she were not home exchanging.
Dinner was at Pakkhus in the harbor. Someone at the guest house recommended it. AlteCocker went all out with langoustine (small lobster) tails, a glass of wine and a delicious Icelandic skyr (a kind of yoghurt concoction); it was called a "volcano"; she got a review of the dessert from a woman at an adjacent table before ordering. The meal was also memorable because a waitress accidently touched a glass with a serving dish and the glass on AlteCocker's table (an empty one opposite her seat) shattered into a gazillion pieces.
After dinner it was time to spend a king's ransom on gas again. The guest house does not provide breakfast so some appropriate noshes were bought at the local supermarket. Then it was up to the $220 room without a private bath to do the blog and, you guessed it, the internet was out. It eventually came back on--pretty self evident if you are reading this. No comment.
July 21, 2016: Jokulsarlon gLacier Lagoon
It isn't a good day. AlteCocker knows she sounds like a broken record, but that is the truth. So, what to do? Hofn is what AlteCocker would call a one horse town. There are no museums or tours from here. It is a small village whose main industry (aside from tourists in expensive accommodations) is fishing. In fact it is the langoustine capital of Iceland. She wasn't done with langoustine--stay tuned.
Really not knowing how she wanted to spend her day, she commenced with a tour of Hofn. That took 15 minutes--and the coffee shop she sought out did not open until 11:00am. There is really no place for early morning coffee in Hofn. They are going to have to change that as tourism has exploded in Iceland. There aren't enough places to eat or sleep in Iceland. Fortunately AlteCocker had hit up the supermarket for some food the day before. She a piiece of the breakfast pastry she had purchased and left the remainder for others at the House on the Hill. She thought she would have coffee at the coffee place, but, no, that would not work.
Then it was off to discover Hofn. She did find a viewpoint with a view of two of the Jokulsarlon Glacier's "feet" that you can see from there. Photos taken despite the lousy weather. There is also informaiton there to a local artist. Can't say AlteCocker remembers what his name is. There is a notice by the plaque that no parking is allowed overnight. With the price of accommodations here, it is not surprising that some people sleep in their cars--or try to.
Then, because she heads for Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. When she passed it by on the drive to Hofn, it was because it was raining cats and dogs. Not fun with cats and dogs. So she gives it a second try and there is a brief break in the weather and she gets to take the amphibian vehicle tour that drives into the lagoon; the zodiac tour, which approaches the glacier more closely was booked up. As it was more expensive, AlteCocker was not sorry to take the "cheaper" amphibious vehicle tour (like a "duck" tour in the US--without the quacker). You float in the lagoon among the icebergs. The overcast weather, said the guide, enhanced the blue color of the glacier bits. Of course, maybe he was just trying to make the hapless tourists feel better with the nasty weather. Anyway, the lagoon cruise was off the list. Then it was back to Hofn (distance 70+ kilometers each way--and AlteCocker will have to pass the lagoon one more time to return to Reykjavik). She picks up an Israeli hitchhiker and he points out where you can hike in to one of the Jokulsarlon Glacier's "feet". She has been told about it by some people who had spent 4 nights at the House on the Hill as well. By the way, any glacier you see in the Hofn area is the part of the same Jokulsaron Glacier. It takes up a good piece of Iceland here and exits in many places. You just need good weather to get good photos--sigh.
She banks it for later and heads for Hofn and lunch. This time she has in mind the restaurant the restaurant Humarhofnin this time. It's located diagonally across the street from Pakkhus. It advertises itself as "gastronomy langoustine". Having had the lobster tails the day before at Pakkhus, she tries the entire langoustines. It turns out to be a lot more difficulat than eating the tails. Langoustines are more like large shrimp in size than lobsters. After you you get the big piece of meat out of the tail, it is a lot of work to get the small bits in the other parts--as much work as eating Maryland bay crabs. Having said all of that, the langoustine was delcious and, with the double dose of the crustacean, she is done with it for the rest of the trip (especially in view of the price). The langoustine, by the way, came with a placement with directions for how to eat it. AlteCocker ate all of it; she did not need directions. There is a photo of the banquet below. AlteCocker, who has discovered she likes skyr, has it for dessert again. As between Pakkhus and Humarhofnin, AlteCocker would advise Pakkhus because it is cheaper. They are both about the same quality. There are cheaper items on the menu if you don't want to indulge yourself with langoustine, but, hey, Hofn is the langoustine capital of Iceland--and AlteCocker will never be here again, so, why not?
Then it was time for the search for the hike in to the glacier. She finds the turnoff OK, but when it is time to turn onto the road to the glacier "foot", she notices a big warning sign. She has a Subaru, but it is someone else's car and that's it. She notices a number of cars parked by the hike. It's 4 km to the glacier and, therefore, 4 km back. It's also cold and, yes, the rain has started again. The mist covers everything. That's it. AlteCocker heads for the House on the Hill--where she runs into a group of Australians she met at Thingvellir. Iceland is a rather small place and you do continually run into the same people. They had been taking the ring road around clockwise, so they are about finished with their trip. They are off to the local thermal swimming pool (it's on AlteCocker's list but she will do it in Reykjavik). The Icelanders cleverly use geyser water for swimming pools. Icelanders need them when the dark descends in winter. Most of the hot water and heat in Iceland is also furnished with geothermal water. You will smell the sulfur odor when using hot water--although not everywhere. The shower water in the House on the Hill does not have the odor but AlteCocker's home exchange apartment in Reykjavik sure does.
AlteCocker takes the easy way out and takes a nap. She doesn't get up until 9:00pm and then it is blog time. Tomorrow is the, sign, long drive "home" to Reykjavik.
Really not knowing how she wanted to spend her day, she commenced with a tour of Hofn. That took 15 minutes--and the coffee shop she sought out did not open until 11:00am. There is really no place for early morning coffee in Hofn. They are going to have to change that as tourism has exploded in Iceland. There aren't enough places to eat or sleep in Iceland. Fortunately AlteCocker had hit up the supermarket for some food the day before. She a piiece of the breakfast pastry she had purchased and left the remainder for others at the House on the Hill. She thought she would have coffee at the coffee place, but, no, that would not work.
Then it was off to discover Hofn. She did find a viewpoint with a view of two of the Jokulsarlon Glacier's "feet" that you can see from there. Photos taken despite the lousy weather. There is also informaiton there to a local artist. Can't say AlteCocker remembers what his name is. There is a notice by the plaque that no parking is allowed overnight. With the price of accommodations here, it is not surprising that some people sleep in their cars--or try to.
Then, because she heads for Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. When she passed it by on the drive to Hofn, it was because it was raining cats and dogs. Not fun with cats and dogs. So she gives it a second try and there is a brief break in the weather and she gets to take the amphibian vehicle tour that drives into the lagoon; the zodiac tour, which approaches the glacier more closely was booked up. As it was more expensive, AlteCocker was not sorry to take the "cheaper" amphibious vehicle tour (like a "duck" tour in the US--without the quacker). You float in the lagoon among the icebergs. The overcast weather, said the guide, enhanced the blue color of the glacier bits. Of course, maybe he was just trying to make the hapless tourists feel better with the nasty weather. Anyway, the lagoon cruise was off the list. Then it was back to Hofn (distance 70+ kilometers each way--and AlteCocker will have to pass the lagoon one more time to return to Reykjavik). She picks up an Israeli hitchhiker and he points out where you can hike in to one of the Jokulsarlon Glacier's "feet". She has been told about it by some people who had spent 4 nights at the House on the Hill as well. By the way, any glacier you see in the Hofn area is the part of the same Jokulsaron Glacier. It takes up a good piece of Iceland here and exits in many places. You just need good weather to get good photos--sigh.
She banks it for later and heads for Hofn and lunch. This time she has in mind the restaurant the restaurant Humarhofnin this time. It's located diagonally across the street from Pakkhus. It advertises itself as "gastronomy langoustine". Having had the lobster tails the day before at Pakkhus, she tries the entire langoustines. It turns out to be a lot more difficulat than eating the tails. Langoustines are more like large shrimp in size than lobsters. After you you get the big piece of meat out of the tail, it is a lot of work to get the small bits in the other parts--as much work as eating Maryland bay crabs. Having said all of that, the langoustine was delcious and, with the double dose of the crustacean, she is done with it for the rest of the trip (especially in view of the price). The langoustine, by the way, came with a placement with directions for how to eat it. AlteCocker ate all of it; she did not need directions. There is a photo of the banquet below. AlteCocker, who has discovered she likes skyr, has it for dessert again. As between Pakkhus and Humarhofnin, AlteCocker would advise Pakkhus because it is cheaper. They are both about the same quality. There are cheaper items on the menu if you don't want to indulge yourself with langoustine, but, hey, Hofn is the langoustine capital of Iceland--and AlteCocker will never be here again, so, why not?
Then it was time for the search for the hike in to the glacier. She finds the turnoff OK, but when it is time to turn onto the road to the glacier "foot", she notices a big warning sign. She has a Subaru, but it is someone else's car and that's it. She notices a number of cars parked by the hike. It's 4 km to the glacier and, therefore, 4 km back. It's also cold and, yes, the rain has started again. The mist covers everything. That's it. AlteCocker heads for the House on the Hill--where she runs into a group of Australians she met at Thingvellir. Iceland is a rather small place and you do continually run into the same people. They had been taking the ring road around clockwise, so they are about finished with their trip. They are off to the local thermal swimming pool (it's on AlteCocker's list but she will do it in Reykjavik). The Icelanders cleverly use geyser water for swimming pools. Icelanders need them when the dark descends in winter. Most of the hot water and heat in Iceland is also furnished with geothermal water. You will smell the sulfur odor when using hot water--although not everywhere. The shower water in the House on the Hill does not have the odor but AlteCocker's home exchange apartment in Reykjavik sure does.
AlteCocker takes the easy way out and takes a nap. She doesn't get up until 9:00pm and then it is blog time. Tomorrow is the, sign, long drive "home" to Reykjavik.
July 22, 2016: On the Road Again--Gravel Roads
graIt was time to hit the road again for the long journey west. She slept badly at night and knew she should not drive all the way back to Reykjavik. At about 5:00am, she was able to book a room at Hotel Fljotshlid through booking.com. $148 a night for a room with a private bath and, wonder of wonder, breakfast is included.
So off AlteCocker goes on the interminable road east but this time she hit the jackpot--the sun was out. She takes a lot of photos including ones at the Glacier Lagoon. She decides that her duck ride of yesterday was a waste of money. Just go to the Lagoon and take photos if the sun is out. No photos from the tour were equivalent to the photos she took today. Warning: There are a lot. They will need to be edited.
It was about two thirds of the way to Reykjavik to reach the hotel. Since she stopped a lot, it took a long while for her to arrive. On the way she took a diversion to a dirt road to photograph a glacier "foot". After all was said and done (and much time wasted), the views of the glacier from the route 1 highway would have sufficed. She keeps running into the same people over and over again. Some Germans she met during the dirt road diversion turned up getting gas at the same station (there are not a lot of them) later in the day. They actually went to the end of the dirt road. AlteCocker went about 3 km, snapped from an overlook and turned around before she got into tire trouble. More on dirt roads later.
She picked up a couple of French Canadian hitchhikers and they told me about their summer working on a small farm. She dropped them off at the farm (slight diversion from the main road). The farm was, you guessed it down a gravel road. It took a long while for AlteCocker to follow the gravel road until it joined the highway. On a positive note, she did see a surprise waterfall on the property. Waterfalls are all over in Iceland. It's about melting glaciers. The water has to go somewhere.
And then she had to find the hotel. The GPS directed her 12 km down a gravel road. That was not fun as the last thing she wants on a holiday is a flat tire. After checking in, of course, she learned that there was a non gravel road way in. The GPS took the as the crow flies shortest way in. Of course, it wasn't in driving time and the GPS does not factor in aggravation.
The hotel is on a farm with horses just outside. The offer horseback riding. Since AlteCocker's recent back surgery makes that a no go, she can't tell you if it would be good or not. The hotel suffers from being a place that is mainly just open in summer--meaning hap hazard staff. The kids running the desk were the waitstaff. And then there's the kitchen. For dinner, AlteCocker chose the set price meal (5900 krona or about $50). There was a big build up about everything being locally grown and the meat came from the farm.. The starter of tomato soup was excellent as was the sort of brownie dessert, but the main course was another story. After asking for her meat rare, she received meat that was almost well done. To her taste, it was almost inedible. She did not have the energy to send it back. The vegetables were overcooked as well. You can't win them all.
Then it was back to her room to crash and prepare for her day tomorrow. Stay tuned.
So off AlteCocker goes on the interminable road east but this time she hit the jackpot--the sun was out. She takes a lot of photos including ones at the Glacier Lagoon. She decides that her duck ride of yesterday was a waste of money. Just go to the Lagoon and take photos if the sun is out. No photos from the tour were equivalent to the photos she took today. Warning: There are a lot. They will need to be edited.
It was about two thirds of the way to Reykjavik to reach the hotel. Since she stopped a lot, it took a long while for her to arrive. On the way she took a diversion to a dirt road to photograph a glacier "foot". After all was said and done (and much time wasted), the views of the glacier from the route 1 highway would have sufficed. She keeps running into the same people over and over again. Some Germans she met during the dirt road diversion turned up getting gas at the same station (there are not a lot of them) later in the day. They actually went to the end of the dirt road. AlteCocker went about 3 km, snapped from an overlook and turned around before she got into tire trouble. More on dirt roads later.
She picked up a couple of French Canadian hitchhikers and they told me about their summer working on a small farm. She dropped them off at the farm (slight diversion from the main road). The farm was, you guessed it down a gravel road. It took a long while for AlteCocker to follow the gravel road until it joined the highway. On a positive note, she did see a surprise waterfall on the property. Waterfalls are all over in Iceland. It's about melting glaciers. The water has to go somewhere.
And then she had to find the hotel. The GPS directed her 12 km down a gravel road. That was not fun as the last thing she wants on a holiday is a flat tire. After checking in, of course, she learned that there was a non gravel road way in. The GPS took the as the crow flies shortest way in. Of course, it wasn't in driving time and the GPS does not factor in aggravation.
The hotel is on a farm with horses just outside. The offer horseback riding. Since AlteCocker's recent back surgery makes that a no go, she can't tell you if it would be good or not. The hotel suffers from being a place that is mainly just open in summer--meaning hap hazard staff. The kids running the desk were the waitstaff. And then there's the kitchen. For dinner, AlteCocker chose the set price meal (5900 krona or about $50). There was a big build up about everything being locally grown and the meat came from the farm.. The starter of tomato soup was excellent as was the sort of brownie dessert, but the main course was another story. After asking for her meat rare, she received meat that was almost well done. To her taste, it was almost inedible. She did not have the energy to send it back. The vegetables were overcooked as well. You can't win them all.
Then it was back to her room to crash and prepare for her day tomorrow. Stay tuned.
July 23, 2016: Volcanic Islands
Ok, it shouldn't been a total loss. There was a reason AlteCocker did not head directly back to Reykjavik. She had the Westman Islands in mind. These are volcanic islands off the southern coast of Iceland. So, she ate breakfast at the hotel--which was very good after the disasterous of meal of the previous evening. After breakfast she headed right off leaving her key at the desk. They had my credit card and presumably a charge will appear on my credit card for the meal. It was off to the ferry at Landeyjahofn to Vestmannaeyjar. The car was left in the parking lot. While AlteCocker saw no reason to bring the car over for one day, there were no available reservations for cars anyway. AlteCocker got a round trip ticket. Each ferry holds only 320 people. AlteCocker wanted to return at 6:30pm but that ferry was booked out so she had to make a reservation for 9:00pm. Such is the luck of travel that is impulsive and not booked in advance. The ferry is on time and in 45 minutes AlteCocker landed in Vestmannajar on Heimaey, the only island in the Vestmann islands that has a population.
What to do in limited time was decided by taking tours. It was, for once a spectacular sunny day! Viking Tours had a boat tour at 11:00am that went around the main island and we saw countless seabirds including more puffins than AlteCocker saw during her Reykjavik boat tour. Lots of other birds as well. The boat even went into so called "caves"--more like grottos. There were two large groups on the boat--a Spanish tour group that was constantly in an uproar and a group of Icelanders having a weekend together. One had worked at the Icelandic Embassy in Washington. The Icelandic group was extremely nice. In fact one of the grottos was known as the Capri of Iceland. When we got there, the group had some limoncello--the liquor of Italy. When they passed it out, they gave AlteCocker a shot. Very nice. The woman married to the embassy employee and AlteCocker exchanged notes about podcasts we listen too. There were, alas, lots of questions about Donald Trump. AlteCocker runs into that everywhere and, dear readers, she hates Donald Trump. He is, in her opinion, an international embarassment. How many times does she have to tell people she is NOT voting for him?
On the boat tour, we got a glimpse of Surtsey, the newest of the Vestmann Islands. It arose from the sea in 1963 as a volcano broke through the sea. No one, except researchers, is allowed to set foot on the island. The experts are studying how life arises in such islands.
After the boat tour, AlteCocker had a cake and coffee (a larger meal is planned for later). Then she took a van tour with Eyjatours to see the dramatic island from the land side; the tour was entitled "Puffins and Volcanoes". Heimaey is basically a bunch of volcanoes extinct and active. 43 years ago a volcano started in someone's backyard. Overnight everyone had to evacuate. They did not come back for months and most lost everything. However, Heimaey came back from the dead due to its fishing industry. The islanders call the smell of fish "the smell of money". In addition to being taken to the place where the eruption finally ended we also saw a demonstration of how the islanders climb the cliffs to collect bird eggs by swinging from a rope. They are careful to take leave enough eggs to ensure the continuance of the bird population. Our guide gave us the demonstration. The islanders eat the eggs raw. The tour ended at the local aquarium where a puffin was kept as a pet because he had been rescued and cannot be returned to the wild. Some tour members took photos with the puffin on their heads. One island, by the way, had a sign for smoked puffin. AlteCocker was not inclined to try it. We even saw locals out for the day on a black sand beach. The black sand is a result of volcanic rock being ground down. The locals will go into the water. As the guide said, "It hurts for a few minutes and then you feel nothing." The water is frigid, of course.
After the tours, AlteCocker thought about going to Volcano House--where a house dug out of the ashes is preserved. However, AlteCocker's back had given out. The problem is too much sitting in the car and not enough walking. She was done in. So she found the restaurant recommended to her by everyone, called "Gott". The fish was delicious. The place was full of locals. There was no possibility of shopping after dinner, as all the shops were closed. The Islanders do not let tourists affect their schedules. She simply went to the ferry building and waited for the 9:00pm ferry. When she boarded, she accidentally showed her morning reservation to the censor and it worked. Apparently, she could have used that ticket to board at 6:30pm, but she didn't know. It was a long drive back to Reykjavik. She arrived at 11:30pm and she looked forward to crashing. She had a lot of dirty clothes and European washers and dryers are much smaller than US ones. The first load was thrown in the wash before AlteCocker went to sleep. She had no trouble sleeping. She was out as soon as her head hit the pillow.
AlteCocker ended up enjoying her day in the Westman islands even more than the glaciers. It was, after all, a sunny day, and that did it.
What to do in limited time was decided by taking tours. It was, for once a spectacular sunny day! Viking Tours had a boat tour at 11:00am that went around the main island and we saw countless seabirds including more puffins than AlteCocker saw during her Reykjavik boat tour. Lots of other birds as well. The boat even went into so called "caves"--more like grottos. There were two large groups on the boat--a Spanish tour group that was constantly in an uproar and a group of Icelanders having a weekend together. One had worked at the Icelandic Embassy in Washington. The Icelandic group was extremely nice. In fact one of the grottos was known as the Capri of Iceland. When we got there, the group had some limoncello--the liquor of Italy. When they passed it out, they gave AlteCocker a shot. Very nice. The woman married to the embassy employee and AlteCocker exchanged notes about podcasts we listen too. There were, alas, lots of questions about Donald Trump. AlteCocker runs into that everywhere and, dear readers, she hates Donald Trump. He is, in her opinion, an international embarassment. How many times does she have to tell people she is NOT voting for him?
On the boat tour, we got a glimpse of Surtsey, the newest of the Vestmann Islands. It arose from the sea in 1963 as a volcano broke through the sea. No one, except researchers, is allowed to set foot on the island. The experts are studying how life arises in such islands.
After the boat tour, AlteCocker had a cake and coffee (a larger meal is planned for later). Then she took a van tour with Eyjatours to see the dramatic island from the land side; the tour was entitled "Puffins and Volcanoes". Heimaey is basically a bunch of volcanoes extinct and active. 43 years ago a volcano started in someone's backyard. Overnight everyone had to evacuate. They did not come back for months and most lost everything. However, Heimaey came back from the dead due to its fishing industry. The islanders call the smell of fish "the smell of money". In addition to being taken to the place where the eruption finally ended we also saw a demonstration of how the islanders climb the cliffs to collect bird eggs by swinging from a rope. They are careful to take leave enough eggs to ensure the continuance of the bird population. Our guide gave us the demonstration. The islanders eat the eggs raw. The tour ended at the local aquarium where a puffin was kept as a pet because he had been rescued and cannot be returned to the wild. Some tour members took photos with the puffin on their heads. One island, by the way, had a sign for smoked puffin. AlteCocker was not inclined to try it. We even saw locals out for the day on a black sand beach. The black sand is a result of volcanic rock being ground down. The locals will go into the water. As the guide said, "It hurts for a few minutes and then you feel nothing." The water is frigid, of course.
After the tours, AlteCocker thought about going to Volcano House--where a house dug out of the ashes is preserved. However, AlteCocker's back had given out. The problem is too much sitting in the car and not enough walking. She was done in. So she found the restaurant recommended to her by everyone, called "Gott". The fish was delicious. The place was full of locals. There was no possibility of shopping after dinner, as all the shops were closed. The Islanders do not let tourists affect their schedules. She simply went to the ferry building and waited for the 9:00pm ferry. When she boarded, she accidentally showed her morning reservation to the censor and it worked. Apparently, she could have used that ticket to board at 6:30pm, but she didn't know. It was a long drive back to Reykjavik. She arrived at 11:30pm and she looked forward to crashing. She had a lot of dirty clothes and European washers and dryers are much smaller than US ones. The first load was thrown in the wash before AlteCocker went to sleep. She had no trouble sleeping. She was out as soon as her head hit the pillow.
AlteCocker ended up enjoying her day in the Westman islands even more than the glaciers. It was, after all, a sunny day, and that did it.
July 24, 2016: Laundry, Rain, 2 Museums and a Fish Buffet
Well, the good weather was bound not to last. It was a good day for laundry. This trip was a packing challenge because AlteCocker has 2 destinations with very different weather. You don't wear shorts in Iceland. There are only 2 pairs of long pants and AlteCocker, barring dinner dumping, wears each 3 times before washing them. It makes for very limited wardrobe options and lots of laundry. It was time for that.
After dealing with the wardrobe emergency (meaning all the underwear was dirty), AlteCocker hit Te and Kaffi for a sandwich, cookie and cappacino. She also finished a chapter of a long and technical book she has been reading "Empires and Barbarians: The Fall of Rome and the Birth of Europe" by Peter Heather. It is long and technical with lots of footnotes. AlteCocker started reading it in connection with the Italian leg of her trip but it also has information on the settlement of Iceland. She has been hearing a lot about the settlement of Iceland on the trip so the book fits in on two counts. She should finish it in a couple of days if it rains some more. Hopefully it doesn't but you never can tell.
Then there doesn't seem to be any alternative but to hit a museum or two. She visits the Saga Museum and another one on the Northern Lights. There is a fish restaurant across the street to one that seems to be advertising hamburgers. She chooses the fish restaurant and has the buffet. She tastes an Icelandic specialty called "volcano bread". There are places where the ground is hot and Icelanders place the bread in the ground and cook it there in special containers. Pretty amazing and ingenious. The restaurant is opposite the Northern Lights Museum and called "Seafood Restaurant". AlteCocker cannot spell it in Icelandic because she doesn't have the letters on her computer. It is run by Filipinos. The people of the Philippines are their country's best export--everywhere. It was a good value for money because it is not in the intense tourist center of the harbor but just behind.
After chowing down, AlteCocker heads for home and the awful chore of loading all of yesterday's photos. Don't ask what she tossed. As she works, she listens to podcasts about the Italian unification as she prepares for part two of the trip.
After dealing with the wardrobe emergency (meaning all the underwear was dirty), AlteCocker hit Te and Kaffi for a sandwich, cookie and cappacino. She also finished a chapter of a long and technical book she has been reading "Empires and Barbarians: The Fall of Rome and the Birth of Europe" by Peter Heather. It is long and technical with lots of footnotes. AlteCocker started reading it in connection with the Italian leg of her trip but it also has information on the settlement of Iceland. She has been hearing a lot about the settlement of Iceland on the trip so the book fits in on two counts. She should finish it in a couple of days if it rains some more. Hopefully it doesn't but you never can tell.
Then there doesn't seem to be any alternative but to hit a museum or two. She visits the Saga Museum and another one on the Northern Lights. There is a fish restaurant across the street to one that seems to be advertising hamburgers. She chooses the fish restaurant and has the buffet. She tastes an Icelandic specialty called "volcano bread". There are places where the ground is hot and Icelanders place the bread in the ground and cook it there in special containers. Pretty amazing and ingenious. The restaurant is opposite the Northern Lights Museum and called "Seafood Restaurant". AlteCocker cannot spell it in Icelandic because she doesn't have the letters on her computer. It is run by Filipinos. The people of the Philippines are their country's best export--everywhere. It was a good value for money because it is not in the intense tourist center of the harbor but just behind.
After chowing down, AlteCocker heads for home and the awful chore of loading all of yesterday's photos. Don't ask what she tossed. As she works, she listens to podcasts about the Italian unification as she prepares for part two of the trip.
July 25, 2016: When it rains, it pours; Whale Museum
The weather was the worst day of the trip. In the afternoon it really poured, after lunch at Te and Kaffi, AlteCocker set out for the Maritime Museum just past the harbor. The parking lot was full due to everyone having the same idea in the rain. So, AlteCocker drove a bit further and the Whale Museum had room in its lot. She went there instead. The museum consists of a lot of actual size replicas of whales. The acoustiguide tour explains most of it and, when you finish you can return and see a short film on tagging whales and some interactive exhibits. They offer free coffee in the cafe at the end of your stay. The museum is worth about an hour--or however long your kids can tolerate if you have them. The Whale, Maritime, Saga and Northern Lights Museums are all in the same general area just past the harbor. There is plenty of free parking available once you pass the pay lots after you pass the the tourist harbor out of which the whale watching and pufffin tours operate. The rain, however, made everyone head for the museums and no one wanted to be far from museum entrances.
Many Reykjavik museums have deals if you book ahead. There are also museum passes and, best of all for AlteCocker, sometimes discounts for seniors. AlteCocker thought she was going to do the Maritme Museum after the Whale Museum, but it was pouring rain. She heads for the shopping mall as she is out of ideas for rainy day activities. She gets there but the signs are all in Icelandic and she is not sure whether or not she has to pay to park.
The long and short of it is that she went home. It was a good day for another load of laundry, reading and a nap. The rain finally stops in the evening and promises to be without rain for at least several days. Fingers crossed.
Many Reykjavik museums have deals if you book ahead. There are also museum passes and, best of all for AlteCocker, sometimes discounts for seniors. AlteCocker thought she was going to do the Maritme Museum after the Whale Museum, but it was pouring rain. She heads for the shopping mall as she is out of ideas for rainy day activities. She gets there but the signs are all in Icelandic and she is not sure whether or not she has to pay to park.
The long and short of it is that she went home. It was a good day for another load of laundry, reading and a nap. The rain finally stops in the evening and promises to be without rain for at least several days. Fingers crossed.
July 26, 2016: Snaefellsnes Peninsula
When the rain stops here and the sun comes out, Iceland is a drop dead gorgeous country. So AlteCocker hauled herself out of bed, but she didn't get started for the peninsula right away. She ran into a woman in the parking lot and the next thing she knew, she was having coffee with a neighbor. She never says "no" to such comraderie as it is a way to gain insight into life here. The woman has children in the US. In fact, a lot of people here have children in the US. Iceland's biggest export appears to be her people.
After consuming coffee and toast, AlteCocker was off to the Snaefellnes Peninsula, a peninsula that juts out north of Reykjavik. It was north of Borgarnes--where she went on her first driving trip. She drove through the 6.4 km tunnel under the fjord because it is a real time saver and headed west towards the Snaefellesjokull glacier via Olafvik, picking up some Spanish guys hitching. Arriving in Olafvik, she had a lunch of fish and chips in the first place she saw (always a good reason to stop after a long drive) and, of course, used the toilet. A lot of photos were snapped on the way out. There are some drop dead gorgeous views on the Snaefelles Peninsula--and NO tour groups (at least that she saw). It certainly was a much calmer experience than driving south to Hofn with mobs of tourists.
After lunch, it was back in the car for some photos of the glacier. The glacier is most famous as the one where those in the Jules Verne novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" descended. It acually is quite small relative to the monster glacier in the south of Iceland. She did not try a descent into the "Jules Verne" glacier but just snapped a view at a turn off where a church is at the foot of the glacier. When she got in the car, the home exchangers' GPS would not turn on. It appears to have burnt out. Trying to let it wait and plug it in a while later did not work. Fortunately, AlteCocker has her own GPS for Europe purchased a few years ago in Toulouse when she got tired of being lost finding home exchange homes. There are plenty of signs to tourist attractions, but, alas, none to your house. A GPS can save a lot of problems. It also can create problems if you rely on it exclusively and forget to pack maps.
She did not have any maps in the car but had examined one of the Snaefellnes Peninsula before leaving. Her intent was to drive via Stykkisholmur but she found out that you can't do that so she had to double back picking up a French couple hitchhiking. Stykkisholmur is a cute town and the terminal for a ferry to the West Fjords (no time for that on this trip). She wouldn't mind spending time there if she ever returns to Iceland. She hustled back to Borgarnes and dropped the French kids off at the intersection with Rte. 1--the route that goes all around the island. They were going north and AlteCocker was going South. A crossroads is always a good place to be if you want to hitch. AlteCocker enjoyed practicing and butchering her French with them, but she did worry about getting home without the GPS.
Then it was through the tunnel and back to the apartment. As she pretty much knows where she lives by now, there were no wrong turns finding the house although she did worry about it. Congratulations to AlteCocker's sense of direction. She sure was glad when she saw the Grand Hotel. That is the hotel closest to "home". Whew. It was time to catch up on the Democratic Convention and do the blog.
After consuming coffee and toast, AlteCocker was off to the Snaefellnes Peninsula, a peninsula that juts out north of Reykjavik. It was north of Borgarnes--where she went on her first driving trip. She drove through the 6.4 km tunnel under the fjord because it is a real time saver and headed west towards the Snaefellesjokull glacier via Olafvik, picking up some Spanish guys hitching. Arriving in Olafvik, she had a lunch of fish and chips in the first place she saw (always a good reason to stop after a long drive) and, of course, used the toilet. A lot of photos were snapped on the way out. There are some drop dead gorgeous views on the Snaefelles Peninsula--and NO tour groups (at least that she saw). It certainly was a much calmer experience than driving south to Hofn with mobs of tourists.
After lunch, it was back in the car for some photos of the glacier. The glacier is most famous as the one where those in the Jules Verne novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" descended. It acually is quite small relative to the monster glacier in the south of Iceland. She did not try a descent into the "Jules Verne" glacier but just snapped a view at a turn off where a church is at the foot of the glacier. When she got in the car, the home exchangers' GPS would not turn on. It appears to have burnt out. Trying to let it wait and plug it in a while later did not work. Fortunately, AlteCocker has her own GPS for Europe purchased a few years ago in Toulouse when she got tired of being lost finding home exchange homes. There are plenty of signs to tourist attractions, but, alas, none to your house. A GPS can save a lot of problems. It also can create problems if you rely on it exclusively and forget to pack maps.
She did not have any maps in the car but had examined one of the Snaefellnes Peninsula before leaving. Her intent was to drive via Stykkisholmur but she found out that you can't do that so she had to double back picking up a French couple hitchhiking. Stykkisholmur is a cute town and the terminal for a ferry to the West Fjords (no time for that on this trip). She wouldn't mind spending time there if she ever returns to Iceland. She hustled back to Borgarnes and dropped the French kids off at the intersection with Rte. 1--the route that goes all around the island. They were going north and AlteCocker was going South. A crossroads is always a good place to be if you want to hitch. AlteCocker enjoyed practicing and butchering her French with them, but she did worry about getting home without the GPS.
Then it was through the tunnel and back to the apartment. As she pretty much knows where she lives by now, there were no wrong turns finding the house although she did worry about it. Congratulations to AlteCocker's sense of direction. She sure was glad when she saw the Grand Hotel. That is the hotel closest to "home". Whew. It was time to catch up on the Democratic Convention and do the blog.
July 27, 2016: GPS Crisis resolved; HallgrimsKirkja
It's another gorgeous day but another car ride is out of the question. AlteCocker is again exhausted. So, it is a good day to install the GPS she brought from home. When you only do it occasionally, you need to relearn the procedure each time. When installed it works just fine with the cord already in the car--which means the source of the home exchangers' GPS failure is the GPS itself. Not great news, but AlteCocker is told that the GPS is under warranty. In any event, it is a problem the home exchangers will need to deal with upon return.
After dealing with the new GPS and wasting an hour or so, AlteCocker heads for the local airport just to be certain she knows where it is for her July 31st Greenland tour. It's teeny, just outside the town and, best of all, has an infinite amount of FREE parking. Small airports can be nice!
Noting she is near Hallgrimskirkja, the tall modern church that dominates the Reykjavik skyline. She takes the elevator to the top (charge, but ask for the senior discount if you are an AlteCocker) and takes a lot of photos from the top--including one focused on the apartment building in which she is living. Totally worth it and there is FREE parking on site--just all around just great. Having had a sandwhich at Te and Kaffi, AlteCocker does not need lunch but has dessert at a restaurant named Kol. The dessert was delicious but the photo was out of focus, so you are not being subjected to it.
After the dessert, AlteCocker is thinking about going "home" so that is what she does. There is no need to be doing something 24/7. Driving back to the apartment, she stops at the Hofdi House--where Reagan and Gorbachev started the process that ended the Cold War (at least until Vladimir Putin churned it up again). Unfortunately the house is not open to the public so you can just take photos from the outside. AlteCocker's apartment was aabout 5 minutes from Hofdi House--one of the most conveniently located exchange places she has had (not to mention clean!). In any event, Reykjavik is more like a small town than a large city and easy to get around.
After the stop at Hofdi House, two huge tour buses show up schlepping German speaking tourists around from a cruise ship in at the cruise port. She has to wait until they disembark from the buses before she exits the parking lot and heads home to do the blog and listen to podcasts to play catch up with the Democratic Convention.
And so ends another day in AlteCocker's exchange in Iceland.
After dealing with the new GPS and wasting an hour or so, AlteCocker heads for the local airport just to be certain she knows where it is for her July 31st Greenland tour. It's teeny, just outside the town and, best of all, has an infinite amount of FREE parking. Small airports can be nice!
Noting she is near Hallgrimskirkja, the tall modern church that dominates the Reykjavik skyline. She takes the elevator to the top (charge, but ask for the senior discount if you are an AlteCocker) and takes a lot of photos from the top--including one focused on the apartment building in which she is living. Totally worth it and there is FREE parking on site--just all around just great. Having had a sandwhich at Te and Kaffi, AlteCocker does not need lunch but has dessert at a restaurant named Kol. The dessert was delicious but the photo was out of focus, so you are not being subjected to it.
After the dessert, AlteCocker is thinking about going "home" so that is what she does. There is no need to be doing something 24/7. Driving back to the apartment, she stops at the Hofdi House--where Reagan and Gorbachev started the process that ended the Cold War (at least until Vladimir Putin churned it up again). Unfortunately the house is not open to the public so you can just take photos from the outside. AlteCocker's apartment was aabout 5 minutes from Hofdi House--one of the most conveniently located exchange places she has had (not to mention clean!). In any event, Reykjavik is more like a small town than a large city and easy to get around.
After the stop at Hofdi House, two huge tour buses show up schlepping German speaking tourists around from a cruise ship in at the cruise port. She has to wait until they disembark from the buses before she exits the parking lot and heads home to do the blog and listen to podcasts to play catch up with the Democratic Convention.
And so ends another day in AlteCocker's exchange in Iceland.
July 28, 2016: Geothermal Power, Akranes, Concert
The day began with coffee at Te and Kaffi. There is a pattern here. On almost every trip AlteCocker finds a coffee shop where she spends a lot of time. With the prices in Iceland, it is also a lot cheaper to make a lunch of a sandwich there as opposed to a 3 course lunch every day (never mind the calories in those giant lunches).
Then AlteCocker sets off to go to Akranes, where there is a lighthouse. It is back through the tunnel towards Borganes, but you turn off earlier. However, on the way, she recalls that she wanted to tour one of the Geothermal Power Plants. She had passed one out by the Fakasel Horse Show a few times in Hellisheidi. So she diverts off the main road to see it. Iceland gets much of its hot water and electricity from geothermal power. They dig a bore hole to get to the hot area and eventually send out the hot water to Reykjavik. That is why much of the water in Iceland smells of sulfur. Visitors often complain to the hotel front desk because the shower water smells "funny". AlteCocker knew it would--and did in the apartment. In the hotel in Hofn, however, it didn't. AlteCocker was told that not all the hot water was geothermal. Wind and water power provide a lot of energy here with some of the highest winds in the world and a lot of waterfalls large and small. There are so many that AlteCocker has stopped taking photos of them. There is such a thing as waterfall overload. There is scenery overload here as well. In any event AlteCocker visits the power plant.
She then sets out for Akranes to see the lighthouses. There are two major ones. For some reason, it is the old one that has been reactivated and still in use. She asks for some lunch suggestions, but could never find the restaurants suggested and just heads back to Reykjavik. She has a frappacino at Te and Kaffi for lunch. Very nourishing.
Then it is back to the apartment to relax for a few hours before going to a concert at the Sijurjon Olafsson Museum scheduled at 8:30pm. AlteCocker gets there early and takes some photos of the grounds--which are interesting in their own right with lots of sculpture. Apparently Sigurjon Olafsson is one of Iceland's most famous modern sculptors. What does AlteCocker know from Icelandic sculpture? Well, a little bit more than she knew before going to the museum.
The concert is labelled as focused on Icelandic song, it is definitely not traditional music. AlteCocker generally does not like modern music, but the concert is really inventive and AlteCocker loved it. The artists were Anna Jonsdottir soprano, Ursel Schlicht on piano and Ute Volker on the accordian. Volker plays accordian like you have never heard it before. In fact it is a different kind of accordian from those generally played by kids playing "Lady of Spain." The concert was sparsely attended but it really was an education on what the accordian can do. After the concert the museum coffee shop is open and AlteCocker has coffee and chocolate cake. It has been a junk food day.
The last act of the day was taking a photo of the sunset. It is 10:00pm when she takes the photo and the sun is not close to setting. There is only 3-4 hours of darkness here this time of the year. They do pay for it in the winter, however.
Then AlteCocker sets off to go to Akranes, where there is a lighthouse. It is back through the tunnel towards Borganes, but you turn off earlier. However, on the way, she recalls that she wanted to tour one of the Geothermal Power Plants. She had passed one out by the Fakasel Horse Show a few times in Hellisheidi. So she diverts off the main road to see it. Iceland gets much of its hot water and electricity from geothermal power. They dig a bore hole to get to the hot area and eventually send out the hot water to Reykjavik. That is why much of the water in Iceland smells of sulfur. Visitors often complain to the hotel front desk because the shower water smells "funny". AlteCocker knew it would--and did in the apartment. In the hotel in Hofn, however, it didn't. AlteCocker was told that not all the hot water was geothermal. Wind and water power provide a lot of energy here with some of the highest winds in the world and a lot of waterfalls large and small. There are so many that AlteCocker has stopped taking photos of them. There is such a thing as waterfall overload. There is scenery overload here as well. In any event AlteCocker visits the power plant.
She then sets out for Akranes to see the lighthouses. There are two major ones. For some reason, it is the old one that has been reactivated and still in use. She asks for some lunch suggestions, but could never find the restaurants suggested and just heads back to Reykjavik. She has a frappacino at Te and Kaffi for lunch. Very nourishing.
Then it is back to the apartment to relax for a few hours before going to a concert at the Sijurjon Olafsson Museum scheduled at 8:30pm. AlteCocker gets there early and takes some photos of the grounds--which are interesting in their own right with lots of sculpture. Apparently Sigurjon Olafsson is one of Iceland's most famous modern sculptors. What does AlteCocker know from Icelandic sculpture? Well, a little bit more than she knew before going to the museum.
The concert is labelled as focused on Icelandic song, it is definitely not traditional music. AlteCocker generally does not like modern music, but the concert is really inventive and AlteCocker loved it. The artists were Anna Jonsdottir soprano, Ursel Schlicht on piano and Ute Volker on the accordian. Volker plays accordian like you have never heard it before. In fact it is a different kind of accordian from those generally played by kids playing "Lady of Spain." The concert was sparsely attended but it really was an education on what the accordian can do. After the concert the museum coffee shop is open and AlteCocker has coffee and chocolate cake. It has been a junk food day.
The last act of the day was taking a photo of the sunset. It is 10:00pm when she takes the photo and the sun is not close to setting. There is only 3-4 hours of darkness here this time of the year. They do pay for it in the winter, however.
July 29, 2016: Basically a Day off
Sometimes AlteCocker just gets exhausted on her travels. This has happened less often on this trip than it did during last year's trip to SE Asia. The cause is the successful spinal fusion AlteCocker had last March. She is still healing but she is in better shape than she was last winter. At least this major health issue is off the table. AlteCocker does have, however, bouts of back pain as the fusion slowly heals. It also makes it difficult to walk long distances. She is not a spring chicken and the kind of travel a 20 year old does simply can't be done anymore. AlteCocker is almost 70.
A morning muffin and coffee was, where else?, at Te and Kaffi. AlteCocker wishes that local chain would open in the US. Much better food and coffee than Starbucks. The grilled sandwiches are delicious. Please open a shop in McLean, Virginia, AlteCocker's town. Thanks.
After her morning ritual, AlteCocker, drove and parked downtown and made her way to a t-shirt shop. While she has a huge--and unnecessary--collection of t-shirts at home, she just had to buy one in Iceland. Note that everything is expensive here--including t-shirts. So, AlteCocker had to choose carefully. It was going to cost $30. There would be no multiple t-shirt buy. At that price, just one. She settled on one that said "What part of EyjafjallaJokull don't you understand?" Eyjafjallajokull is the name of a volcano that erupted in 1973. It is also a word that no one but native speakers of Icelandic seem to be able to pronunce. In fact, in the show "How to Become Icelandic in 60 Minutes", a big issue was made of it, The hit of the show was a tape of of American newsmen trying to pronounce Eyjafjallajokull--one of them giving up halfway through. It is prononuced eya-fitla-jokult"--at least to AlteCocker's ears. Anyway, the t-shirt mission is now accomplished.
After the t-shirt buy was done, AlteCocker tried to rent one of those electric bicycles you will see among the photos on July 19th. You have to put your feet behind you to rest them while you ride. AlteCocker just didn't get her balance and doing that as an activity was nixed. AlteCocker thinks the rental place was sort of relieved. Part of the problem was that, riding a bicycle, you put your feet under you--not behind you. Another part of the problem was that the electric bike was in a fixed height and AlteCocker is not very tall. AlteCocker neither wanted to crash the bike nor brake bones, so, no, she didn't do it.
Then she stopped at Cafe Paris opposite the Icelandic Parliament (not open in the summer for visits). She had a small portion of langoustine and then a dessert at Cafe Paris. It was an interminable wait for dessert and then they brought the wrong one. AlteCocker did not return it as she might have had a second interminable wait if she did. The place was very disorganized--typical of restaurants/bars that have a lot of temporary help that will be let go at the end of the summer tourist season when they all return to school. The bill was all screwed up as well--adding to the dismal experience. When you are unconcerned about tips (and no one tips in Europe), the service can be shoddy. Not a place AlteCocker would recommend or return to. On the other hand it was a nice day and AlteCocker did enjoy some socializing in the sun. The sun is not always available in Iceland.
Then AlteCocker returned to the house and collapsed into a nap falling asleep listening to "Ken Rudin's Political Junkie" podcast. She replayed what she missed after a 3 hour nap. Then she did some cleaning in the house knowing that she will check out and move on to Italy. With all the bad weather, AlteCocker has really enjoyed her time in a country most people do not get to visit. Sometimes the best experiences can be in those less visited places.
A morning muffin and coffee was, where else?, at Te and Kaffi. AlteCocker wishes that local chain would open in the US. Much better food and coffee than Starbucks. The grilled sandwiches are delicious. Please open a shop in McLean, Virginia, AlteCocker's town. Thanks.
After her morning ritual, AlteCocker, drove and parked downtown and made her way to a t-shirt shop. While she has a huge--and unnecessary--collection of t-shirts at home, she just had to buy one in Iceland. Note that everything is expensive here--including t-shirts. So, AlteCocker had to choose carefully. It was going to cost $30. There would be no multiple t-shirt buy. At that price, just one. She settled on one that said "What part of EyjafjallaJokull don't you understand?" Eyjafjallajokull is the name of a volcano that erupted in 1973. It is also a word that no one but native speakers of Icelandic seem to be able to pronunce. In fact, in the show "How to Become Icelandic in 60 Minutes", a big issue was made of it, The hit of the show was a tape of of American newsmen trying to pronounce Eyjafjallajokull--one of them giving up halfway through. It is prononuced eya-fitla-jokult"--at least to AlteCocker's ears. Anyway, the t-shirt mission is now accomplished.
After the t-shirt buy was done, AlteCocker tried to rent one of those electric bicycles you will see among the photos on July 19th. You have to put your feet behind you to rest them while you ride. AlteCocker just didn't get her balance and doing that as an activity was nixed. AlteCocker thinks the rental place was sort of relieved. Part of the problem was that, riding a bicycle, you put your feet under you--not behind you. Another part of the problem was that the electric bike was in a fixed height and AlteCocker is not very tall. AlteCocker neither wanted to crash the bike nor brake bones, so, no, she didn't do it.
Then she stopped at Cafe Paris opposite the Icelandic Parliament (not open in the summer for visits). She had a small portion of langoustine and then a dessert at Cafe Paris. It was an interminable wait for dessert and then they brought the wrong one. AlteCocker did not return it as she might have had a second interminable wait if she did. The place was very disorganized--typical of restaurants/bars that have a lot of temporary help that will be let go at the end of the summer tourist season when they all return to school. The bill was all screwed up as well--adding to the dismal experience. When you are unconcerned about tips (and no one tips in Europe), the service can be shoddy. Not a place AlteCocker would recommend or return to. On the other hand it was a nice day and AlteCocker did enjoy some socializing in the sun. The sun is not always available in Iceland.
Then AlteCocker returned to the house and collapsed into a nap falling asleep listening to "Ken Rudin's Political Junkie" podcast. She replayed what she missed after a 3 hour nap. Then she did some cleaning in the house knowing that she will check out and move on to Italy. With all the bad weather, AlteCocker has really enjoyed her time in a country most people do not get to visit. Sometimes the best experiences can be in those less visited places.
July 30, 2016: The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is a huge production. You have to reserve in advance. AlteCocker tried to reserve an in water massage as well, but the appointments were taken when she tried. It was her own fault but, to tell the truth, she was not sorry. The Blue Lagoon is expensive. The reason for all the bother is that absoluetely every visitor to Iceland goes there. Tour groups book up a lot of the appointments. The end result is that AlteCocker should have scheduled this activity from the US, but she only did it about 5 days before the big event. It was because she was a bit ambivalent about going. Please note that the Blue Lagoon is not far from the airport and many do this just before departure. They have storage for suitcases. AlteCocker thought this would be too ambitious to do it on August 2d just before she leaves. So July 30th at 11:00am it was.
AlteCocker gets up extra early to hit Te and Kaffi before her excursion, but, wouldn't you know? It's Saturday and the shop opens at 10;00am, so no morning coffee. Absolutely no one is on the street at 9:30am. AlteCocker guesses everyone is exhausted--whether from work or tourism. Reykjavik is clearly sleeping in. AlteCocker makes her way to the Blue Lagoon through miles of volcanic scenery. It was interesting when she first came in from the airport at the beginning of her stay, but, right now, it has lost its allure. It is getting all too similar. Interestingly you can see the Snaefellnes Glacier from the road but AlteCocker has enough photos of that too.
The Blue Lagoon gets its color from the minerals in the water. AlteCocker stops on the way out to watch some people try and get into a small lava cave at the side of the road on the way. Consistent with her policy of preferring to go home in a seat rather than in a box, AlteCocker snaps a photo and moves on to the Blue Lagoon. If you like spas and spending money, AlteCocker assures you that the Blue Lagoon will be something you will enjoy. AlteCocker ends up believing the whole experience is way overpriced. She is glad she did it, but, quite frankly, she would not recommend that you do it unless you feel the guide book list of "must dos" demands that you do. It was OK. It's off the check list and she didn't spend a penny in the shop.
After that, she is off to the Viking World Museum in Reykjanesbaer just a few miles from Keflavik Airport. If the Blue Lagoon is not your thing, you might try the museum. AlteCocker spends a couple of hours in the museum looking at the exhibits, watching and old film, snapping photos in a reproduction Viking ship and snacking in the cafe. Everything is well presented but no one is visiting. The museum definitely needs to do some promotion, and build more toilets and a larger cafe to attract the bus groups. If you have time, it is definitely worth it.
After finishing with the Museum, it is back home with a detour to buy gas and then a stop at Tee and Kaffi. Then it is time to do laundry, listen to podcasts and regale all of you with the blog.
Tomorrow is the big excursion to Greenland. Just follow that one in the separate blog.
AlteCocker gets up extra early to hit Te and Kaffi before her excursion, but, wouldn't you know? It's Saturday and the shop opens at 10;00am, so no morning coffee. Absolutely no one is on the street at 9:30am. AlteCocker guesses everyone is exhausted--whether from work or tourism. Reykjavik is clearly sleeping in. AlteCocker makes her way to the Blue Lagoon through miles of volcanic scenery. It was interesting when she first came in from the airport at the beginning of her stay, but, right now, it has lost its allure. It is getting all too similar. Interestingly you can see the Snaefellnes Glacier from the road but AlteCocker has enough photos of that too.
The Blue Lagoon gets its color from the minerals in the water. AlteCocker stops on the way out to watch some people try and get into a small lava cave at the side of the road on the way. Consistent with her policy of preferring to go home in a seat rather than in a box, AlteCocker snaps a photo and moves on to the Blue Lagoon. If you like spas and spending money, AlteCocker assures you that the Blue Lagoon will be something you will enjoy. AlteCocker ends up believing the whole experience is way overpriced. She is glad she did it, but, quite frankly, she would not recommend that you do it unless you feel the guide book list of "must dos" demands that you do. It was OK. It's off the check list and she didn't spend a penny in the shop.
After that, she is off to the Viking World Museum in Reykjanesbaer just a few miles from Keflavik Airport. If the Blue Lagoon is not your thing, you might try the museum. AlteCocker spends a couple of hours in the museum looking at the exhibits, watching and old film, snapping photos in a reproduction Viking ship and snacking in the cafe. Everything is well presented but no one is visiting. The museum definitely needs to do some promotion, and build more toilets and a larger cafe to attract the bus groups. If you have time, it is definitely worth it.
After finishing with the Museum, it is back home with a detour to buy gas and then a stop at Tee and Kaffi. Then it is time to do laundry, listen to podcasts and regale all of you with the blog.
Tomorrow is the big excursion to Greenland. Just follow that one in the separate blog.
August 1-2, 2016: Finis Iceland
Remember that AlteCocker went to Greenland on July 31st, and that blog is separate.
Well, after the competion of the Greenland excursion, AlteCocker was really finished. She was sore in places she didn't even know existed. So, on August 1st she made her way into lunch at a place called Fishkar on the street that extends downhill from Hagrimskirche. Choice was limited as August 1st was a bank holiday in Iceland. AlteCocker has no idea if it was regularly a holiday or a special one as Iceland was inaugurating a new president. AlteCocker could have gone to the Parliament House to watch him wave to the peasants, but her back would not permit long standing. She ended up watching the whole business on TV in Icelandic--which meant she didn't understand a single word. It was still quite a spectacle with the president wearing a gold chain and his wife, a Canadian, dressed in traditional Icelandic costume. AlteCocker was still in mega nap mode for all of the 1st. She did make a sortie out to eat a small dinner in the evening back at the seafood place opposite the Northern Lights and Saga Museums. And that was it for the day interspersed with laundry.
Then on the 2nd there was just the matter of getting to the airport. That was easily achieved, but in the morning, once again at Tee & Kaffi, her well loved travel purse hit the dust. The zipper broke. She has a gazillion options at home, but none here. So, after figuring out how to get into the long term parking (across the street from the terminal at Keflavik), she was anxious to get a new purse--even at inflated duty free prices. First there was flight confusion to deal with--and a delayed flight. At first the flight was not even listed on the board. AlteCocker was worried that WOW Airlines had put her on a flight to Rome. A huge sigh of relief when the flight appeared--albeit delayed. At least she was going to Milan and not to Rome. Her ride, the home exchangers' daughter was contacted with all the flight mischigas. So, it was time to shop for a new purse--$55 down the tubes but it was at least something a large infusion of cash could resolve (unlike, e.g., a burglary in Istanbul or a Rome shoulder smash up). She certainly could not use a purse with a deceased zipper in Italy.
So, faced, with excessive time in the airport, AlteCocker used the time to finish her blog and post the last photos from Iceland.
For those of you desiring to waste more time with AlteCocker on this trip, the blog continues here.
Well, after the competion of the Greenland excursion, AlteCocker was really finished. She was sore in places she didn't even know existed. So, on August 1st she made her way into lunch at a place called Fishkar on the street that extends downhill from Hagrimskirche. Choice was limited as August 1st was a bank holiday in Iceland. AlteCocker has no idea if it was regularly a holiday or a special one as Iceland was inaugurating a new president. AlteCocker could have gone to the Parliament House to watch him wave to the peasants, but her back would not permit long standing. She ended up watching the whole business on TV in Icelandic--which meant she didn't understand a single word. It was still quite a spectacle with the president wearing a gold chain and his wife, a Canadian, dressed in traditional Icelandic costume. AlteCocker was still in mega nap mode for all of the 1st. She did make a sortie out to eat a small dinner in the evening back at the seafood place opposite the Northern Lights and Saga Museums. And that was it for the day interspersed with laundry.
Then on the 2nd there was just the matter of getting to the airport. That was easily achieved, but in the morning, once again at Tee & Kaffi, her well loved travel purse hit the dust. The zipper broke. She has a gazillion options at home, but none here. So, after figuring out how to get into the long term parking (across the street from the terminal at Keflavik), she was anxious to get a new purse--even at inflated duty free prices. First there was flight confusion to deal with--and a delayed flight. At first the flight was not even listed on the board. AlteCocker was worried that WOW Airlines had put her on a flight to Rome. A huge sigh of relief when the flight appeared--albeit delayed. At least she was going to Milan and not to Rome. Her ride, the home exchangers' daughter was contacted with all the flight mischigas. So, it was time to shop for a new purse--$55 down the tubes but it was at least something a large infusion of cash could resolve (unlike, e.g., a burglary in Istanbul or a Rome shoulder smash up). She certainly could not use a purse with a deceased zipper in Italy.
So, faced, with excessive time in the airport, AlteCocker used the time to finish her blog and post the last photos from Iceland.
For those of you desiring to waste more time with AlteCocker on this trip, the blog continues here.