Iceland Trip Account - Day 13

Day 13

• Second to last blog for this Iceland trip *crowd goes “Awwwww”*
• Today we had a lie in as we had no intentions on doing any expeditions of the grand variety for that day. I love that the French say “faire la grasse matinee” for “to lie in” which literally translates to “"to do the fat morning". Such a beautiful language.
• Despite having what the British would describe politely as “torrential rain” pouring down onto us, we did venture out of the house before lunch to walk to the nearby farm/campsite that was a couple of kilometers down the road to us called “Ulfljotsvatn”. There was a Scout camp and a quaint little church perched on the coast of the little lake that goes by the same name of Ulfljotsvatn.
• I stayed in the house after lunch whilst everyone else went shopping. I did want is known as a “coffee nap”, the idea being that you have a mug of coffee; have a twenty minute nap (in which time you have absorbed the caffeine); and you wake feeling more refreshed. Okay, I didn’t sleep, so I compensated by getting up and having another coffee.
• The remaining time of the day was, and has been, spent packing and being ready to fall out of bed, into a car then into an aeroplane. Even as I write this now, it is still raining. But it is a refreshing transition from holiday and to getting back home.
• Up at 3:00 so relaxing with a cup of tea and some reading before bed. Good stuff.

Iceland Trip Account - Day 12

Day 12

• Just as I thought we were getting up later, we broke the short term tradition and got up earlier because the weather was forecasted to rain at 2:00 so we wanted to get ourselves a walk in before that.
• We left for a location just north of a cluster of mountains called Hengill. This is located on the south side of the Thingvallavatn area which is the lake with the famous Thingvellir (see day 3). Hengill is almost directly parallel across the lake to us on the lower half but because it is off road tracks going below the lake we had to drive aaaaaall the way round the top of this 11km lake rather than a 15 min drive beneath it.
• As with everywhere else in Iceland, the landscape is what stands out. An electrical power plant sat at the base of these mountains creating an enormous plume of smoke acting as a compass point as we walked up and round one of the ridges. We made sure we settled down for lunch at 1:10 before the rain started and just as planned the drizzle started coming down as we reached the car.
• By the time we were home for hot tub time, the rain had really picked up. Once in the hot tub the juxtaposition of the exterior cold rain at the 38 degrees celsius water was unusual yet oddly refreshing. It was like enjoying the refreshing feel of being under the rain yet being pleasantly warm at the same time. It was also hilarious to watch the other hobble over the patio from the back door in their swimming trunks to find the comfort of the hot tub.
• Being home earlier than usual we also enjoyed some board games, reading and general chillaxing before having our crepes and pancakes. Good stuff.
• Oh and on a side note, we found this buried blue barrel just a few meters off the path that, after we surrptitiously opened, found that it was lined with some sort of insulator but nothing at the base. We had no idea what it was, so if anyone has any ideas let me know! [Photos included at the end]. 

Iceland Trip Account - Day 11

Day 11

• Alex earnt us a little lie in this morning for his Birthday, so thank you for being born today when I needed some catch up sleep.
• Today was another hike. Everyone is getting a bit more tired everyday. I don’t think we’re used to being so active which is a bit embarrassing really! We started near the Reykjanes Peninsular where the walk started with a friendly reminder of some ground vents that were coughing up some nose-wrinkling sulphur smells so we were soon well on our way on the walk. The ground was bizarrely the most interesting aspect of this hike. The blends of iron deposits and dust volcanic rocks made for a unique scenery. Something out of a Sci-Fi, really, and it’s not the first time I’ve said that about Iceland.
• When it wasn’t dusty red tracks, the ground was laden with fluffy white/bluey kind of moss which was as comfortable as it was pretty. It made for a suitable lunch spot whilst we had lunch in front of a lake. I assume the colour has something to do with the volcanic deposits, but I couldn’t say for sure.
• In the evening we celebrated Alex’s 18th. Champagne, prawns and chocolate cake galore. It was great. We even fired up the garden’s barbeque to cook the fish in. Alex got some of his gifts too of course and now everyone is winding down with their own business as usual before bed. Good stuff.

Iceland Trip Account - Day 10

Day 10

• Double digits, yay! This morning when I got up mum, dad and JC had already left for car tyre replacement. Once they got back it had pushed out time forward than our usual leaving time of 9:00 to 10:20.
• Our first stop was Thjodveldisbaerinn [location shown on map marker] which is a mockup of a long house which settlers from around 1,000 years ago would have lived in. Although a little bit more wood was used in the mock up (for safety reasons) than the original (when wood was very sparse for them back then) it was still very close and was very interesting to go in and experience a hint of what life was like back then.
• We originally wanted to go up another mountain which overlooked the the volcano Hekla but unfortunately access to even get to the base of it was shut for power stations being built and new roads so we bailed and went down river to Hagafjal. This valley started just off the road at a cluster of farm houses where we made friends with two very friendly labradors and their owners kindly allowed us to park on their land to start our trek. I never anticipated the sun to be like it was today. I am so glad I packed a sleeveless top and shorts as well as lathering myself in sunscreen. I was laughing to myself last night because I have a gradient tan from sunburnt on my forehead to pale white on my chin. This is from looking down at where I am going on the uneven terrain whilst the sun is beating down on us!
• As we neared the highest point of the valley; Marion, Francis and Alex headed up a small mountain on the side of the valley whilst the rest of us relaxed on some super soft and comfortable moss on a saddle of rocks at the base of said mountain. We chatted and relaxed whilst watching the silhouettes of the 3 mountaineers reach the little peak.
• On the descent we encountered the farm horses who were keen for some fresh grass that was of course out of their reach as well as some curious calves feeding. At the car we were greeted once again by the dogs (one older and one much younger), the younger one brought a palm sized block of wood that we threw endlessly before leaving whilst Alex and I filmed as it charged through the dusty gravel to catch it’s prey.
• Once home we settled eagerly into the hot tub before eating. Tonight Cathy and Mum watch Frozen seen as Catchy has not watched it before. Good stuff.

Iceland Trip Account - Day 9

Day 9

• That’s it. I failed. It’s terrible. I know. I missed a day. But there is a good reason for it! And we shall get to that later.
• Our first visit was returning to the waterfall “Skogafoss” for more of a walk that just being tourists. There is a steep stairway of 528 steps to get up to the stop of Skogafoss waterfall and once you’re on top you follow the river up. There are supposedly around 25 waterfalls up this river but after several kilometers of the same thing we turned back. Picturesque of course, but they were essentially less visually appeasing versions of the first one.
• Once we had returned from the walk we headed back towards Vik to “Reynisdrangar” where we had also visited previously however not quite as far as Vik. We had misunderstood the guide as to which black beach was the more famous one with the basalt columns so seen as we were nearby we decided to check it out. As soon as Alex and I saw it, we recognised it to being the set of Game of Thrones where the Dragon Glass is buried. The spectacular compressions and contortions of hexagonal basalt are formed from them cooling slowly hence forming a crystalline structure. If you look on the photo on the top half you will see it’s a bit more of a mess but below they are a lot more uniform. This is because of the different rates of cool each one has undergone.
• On our way back, soon after leaving the black beach of “Reynisdrangar” we were going down a gravelly road (not uncommon for Iceland) when suddenly we started hearing a loud thudding sound coming from one of the back wheels. 2 minutes later we pull up on a lay-by to examine and our concerns had become reality. The back right tyre of the Citroen was dead flat. Luckily there was a spare tyre tucked under the car (which took about 10 mins to work out how to get to) and we were efficient enough to get it up, removed and replaced within good time. from pulling up and then leaving however we had consumed a good half hour to and hour. So it was belly rumbling all the way home only getting in at 9:00.
• After eating, clearing up and showering I was far from ready to write a blog and took an early night in whilst Dad and JC made phone calls to the car hire to explain and get a tyre replacement first thing tomorrow morning. All in all we made it home though all together and I am now well equipped to change a tyre now. Good stuff.

Iceland Trip Account - Day 8

Day 8

• Okay so the last few nights of bad sleep (whether it be being too warm, random noises from the refrigerator or Alex doing some sort of gymnastics in the neighbouring bed) have finally caught up on me so apologies in advance because this is probably going to read like a 7 seven year old wrote it.
• Today was Reykjavik day. The capital of Iceland holds almost half of the entire country’s population. The throng of people is almost juxtaposing to the normal rural environment that I relate Iceland with - but it was a refreshing change of scenery all the same even if I’m not much of a city person myself.
• The winding dual carriageways are the first indications that you’re off the country roads. It did take a good 30 mins to find somewhere to park without having to take out a small loan just to visit the city for short amount of time as well as a family domestic on map directions. But at last we found a free spot off a main road which we were all very suspicious about actually being free or if we’d get back to find the car had been pulled. Nevertheless we head for the info centre to get the ball rolling.
• The first thing you notice in Reykjavik is the cranes that poke over all the building. I read online how people complain about it ruining the city however renovation is key in a city for people to visit it in the first place. The other thing that stands out - somewhat more positive than cranes - is the insane street art on the walls of buildings. Photos didn’t quite do them justice but on every couple of corners there would be some form of art or mural that was good enough to make crowds stop and look at. I’ll add a couple at the end of course.
• One of the main attractions Reykjavik is the Hallgrimskirkja church which is a beautiful white building that stands at the end of one of the main roads. Standing proudly in front of it is the explorer Leif Eriksson (lived around 970AD and 1012AD) which was a gift from the US in 1930. This makes for a very picturesque scene and you can also go into the church (and the steeple, but it wasn’t open that day unfortunately). It stands at 74.5 meters high and took 41 years to build starting in 1945. Like most churches it is undergoing constant rejuvenating repairs, including when we were there.
• After lunch we stopped off at one of many bakeries (chosen because passed some people eating just outside it and asked “is it good?” and the couple replied with a mouth of “Mhm!”). So we bought a variety of cinnamon bun each and I tucked into mine as we headed to a museum.
• The museum called “The Settlement Exhibition 871 +/- 2” is an exhibition showing the dig site of an actual settlement that dates back to one of the earliest settlements in the history of iceland. Even if it is solely the foundations that remain, along with the odd trinket, it was still fascination to see what archeologists were able to determine and piece together based on a ruin that had even been built on in the 1800s. The basement of this building housed the actual site that you walk around reading and interacting with all the information provided about the site. I did also enjoy using the colouring station to make my own Icelandic warrior colouring in picture… It is relaxing to colour in, okay!
• Tomorrow we are up at 8:00 for a hike… fingers crossed my knees survive it! Pasta and spinach tonight which always goes down well… Good stuff.
• Oh and thanks Derek for the great idea to add map markers!

Iceland Trip Account - Day 7

Day 7

• It’s 8:40 this time round. I think we are gradually accumulation tiredness. We're going to need a hybernation to catch up. But there is plenty to get through in the day. After yesterday’s escapade, my poor knees had received a bit of a battering. A bout of pain from “Patellar Tracking Syndrome” was well overdue. And I wasn’t the only one; dad and Francis both had their own knee issues. It’s like being on one of those pensioner’s escapes with everyone’s aches and pains. Bizarrely enough, I found that Alex’s tripod made for an excellent make-shift thigh massager and without it I don’t think I would have made it out the door.
• With the group being weighed down by 3 cripples and everyone being tired from the previous day's’ hike we took it easy today. A tour of the southern coastal towns was the perfect way to do so, hence first stop was Stokkseyri. Known primarily (and perhaps solely) for its former fishing port. The little village is protected by a small stone storm wall which made for a quant wonder whilst we snapped photos of old boats and... rocks.
• Eyrarbakki slightly larger than the previous Stokkseyri. It boasts the title of the best harbour in Iceland (during the early 1900s that is) though boats were not easily launched as there is a decent stretch of beach to them to sea first. Aside from sand and water, what makes this town unique is Iceland’s largest prison which is the main source of employment for those living locally. The houses built from the early 1900s still stand and were fairly picturesque.
• Lunch at 12:42.
• Grindavik was the last location before home [see map marker for location]. Just south of Keflavik (where the airport is) and 5km from the Blue Lagoon. This was a key trading centre back in the day. Enough so that it was raided on multiple occasions by pirates. Nowadays, large amounts of fish are caught and processed there. The local chippy scents waft through the town so with our pining stomachs calling for relief we headed home for spinach, omelettes and the remaining fish cakes. Good stuff.

Iceland Trip Account - Day 6

Day 6

• Up at 8:19. Bang knee on tripod. Bruise. Walk it off… Okay that didn’t work, get the pain killers.
• After a couple of days of touristic attractions we sought for adventure. Glymur waterfall [see location marker] is the second tallest waterfall in Iceland at 198m above sea level and you have to earn the right to see it with quite the hike. The first kilometer from the car park is simply a dusty gravel path that takes to the bottom of the cragg (valley). The change in the crossroads (literally) is when we come to a cave that you enter at one level and climb down to the river at the bottom. A short walk up and we come to our first river crossing where someone had installed a chord to hold on as you hobble across the flowing water and rocks. Once everyone is across we then begin the inclined route upwards. The paths that follow the valley up give you sneak peaks of the enormous Glymur water as you get closer and closer to it.
• 1:56pm. Lunch. Ham was exceptionally nice. Great view too of course
• Reaching the peak of the valley the waterfall is right below and it is nothing far from epic. Definitely worth the effort! Approximately 300 million photos later it is time to cross back over the river. This time there is no chord so it’s boots, socks off and camera in back ready for the coldest river crossing experienced yet. I’m glad I had my flip flops because those who didn’t had to hobble across and hence prolong the time time spent in close to freezing water. The descent was a lot easier than the sometimes vertical ascent and we were briefly joined with some New Yorkers who were in a touring group. We chatted briefly and the Icelandic tour guide took a fancy to conversing with Marion. Sorry mate if you’re reading this but she’s getting married to my cousin in October (maybe the beard doesn’t work on every lass you come across).
• As we settled into our evening drinks and prepared dinner two hitchhikers knocked on our door and asked us for a lift! They were scouts so we felt slightly obliged to help seen as they had been there for about 2 hours since we had got home from our own hike. I accompanied JC to the take the total 3 of these German lads up to Thingvellir. They asked for any world news seen has they had been hiking for 3 weeks (4 week trip in total) completely disconnected from the world. I was sad that the only news I had for them was that there had been terrorist attacks in Paris, Barcelona and Finland… Sad times.
• Fish cakes for dinner followed by chocolate cake. Good stuff.

Iceland Trip Account - Day 5

Day 5

• 8:20. Slow start. Big bowl of cereal. No one slept well that night. Might have been the wind… maybe it was Icelandic trolls whistling. Who knows.
• We head to the very South of Iceland to a town called Vik (appropriately meaning “bay” in Icelandic) and on the way we stop off at the viewing point of Eyjafjallajokull - the volcano that erupted in 2010 that caused a bit of flight chaos in Europe) and I spend the best part of 30 minutes learning to pronounce the dormant beast. The phonetic pronunciation to the English tongue sounds like “Eya - fiyat - la - yoku - ch” except the “ch” is more of a click - or “shh” - between the side of your teeth and your cheeks. An unusual sound that does not exist in the Standard English language unless your name is Louie Spence.
• Anyway… the coasts of Vik are primarily known for their black sand beaches. This naturally forming visual juxtapositions are formed from the basalt rock that is erupted from the nearby volcanos. The basalt rock is refined over time by the tide leaving an incredibly fine sand that lines the coasts of southern Iceland. There are a handful of examples of this across the globe, most notably in Hawaii, where they are very protected due to them relying on volcanic activity. Hence: no volcanic activity equals no black beaches.
• Whilst there, we were graced by some incredibly photogenic and curious puffins. I could safely say that puffins are one of - if not - my favourite birds. Quant little wings on a little body and a toucans beak, rocking a penguin style costume: they are always a pleasant and unique sight to see. Nice and all but especially nice when they are 5m in front of you. My long lens felt like a macro lens at this distance in terms of bird photography.
• Lunch with the view of the coast and then we drove round the bottom of the bay.
• I walked up the black beach bare foot, curling my toes in the soft black sand like it was my first time standing on a beach. I did of course put my stone skimming skills to the test but I didn’t walk in the tide for long as the North Atlantic Ocean is unforgiving in temperature. 100-200m of coastal strolling brought us a seal bobbing around nearby and diving for fish; some washed up orange fish eggs; and some unusual stones and volcanic geological findings.
• On our return we stopped off at Skogafoss waterfall. You will have undoubtedly seen this waterfall in photos before. The rainbow formed at the bottom which made it almost too picturesque!
• Shop stop for carrots and a new pair of overly priced sunglasses then we’re home for 6:23. It’s a spag bol night so I’m on cooking duties. Another Martini to help the chef of course. Good stuff.

Iceland Trip Account - Day 4

Day 4

• Wake up at 8:10. Dad threatens with dad tactics to get me out of bed. I get out of bed promptly.
• First stop was the famous Strokkor Geysir [see map marker for location] which draws quite the crowd. Strokkor is surrounded by bubbling geysirs but this one stands out a bit more. The 4 - 6 minute intervals bring varying explosive fountains of boiling water into the air - the average being about 15 - 20 meters but, the highest ever recorded was about 40m in the air. A circle of tourists stand around it like some sort of cult poised with a range of phones to professional cameras in order to capture the unnaturally-natural phenomenon. It made me laugh every time everyone grows bored of waiting for it to go off then it would explode out of nowhere followed by screams and gasps - and amongst the gasps would be a few sighs and “awe I turned away and missed it” exclamations. [Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BX6OcsvjHHq/?taken-by=bastionfm]
• 12:06 we are back in the car and heading to the next location.
• Next stop is Gullfoss Waterfall which is one of the many dramatic waterfalls in Iceland [Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BX6RfylDlXD/?taken-by=bastionfm]. A 2 minute walk from the car park brings you to several different views of this powerful mass of water. With 3 main tiers, each level of it brings different water formations and patterns which is what makes it so unique. the first drop splits the river into lots of small streams of water separately however the drop between the second and third level is a lot bigger and more dramatic. Photographers line the wooden path all itching for front row of the barriers. The language barrier makes me laugh as people result to tacky sign language and gestures in order to shift the crowd out of their family photo.
• We drove for 10 minutes down the road to be away from the throng of tourists for a pit stop lunch and a view before heading to Kerith - a dead volcano which has dug itself into a hole. Essentially it collapsed into itself and a pool of water formed on top. The level of the water varies according to the water table level. It also sports a fantasy-esque shade of blue in the water as well as the iron rich cliff walls that were once the cone of the vulcano. We could walk around the top of cliff and the lake at the bottom too making a nice wind down for the afternoon.
• Home at 6:00 and of course it’s straight into the hot tub before mum, Aunty Cathy and Uncle JC get home. I ventured to putting some bubbles into the water as it filled up but I only dared put a drop in so it didn’t last long. Oh and we cracked open my first Martini - which I love by the way, James Bond had it right - as well as it being my parents’ 24th anniversary so it was promptly followed with Prosecco. Lavish some might say - yet necessary all the same. I was on cooking duties tonight because it was omelette night. My famous recipe was put to the test as I was cooking for 8 but it turned out well and was complimented with Mum’s improvised stir fry. Good stuff.

Iceland Trip Account - Day 3

Day 3

• Wake up at 8:43. A blend of Kellog’s and cornflakes await as well as a day of exploration.
• Head to Thingvellir where the Vale is filmed in Game of Thrones. This is the division between the North American and European tectonic plates - and it’s more than noticeable. Despite my research, it was very difficult to find the exact locations of where parts were filmed. Across the main 2km stretch of the cragg (crack) there were many potential locations, but my reassurance was the prolific use of CGI in Game of Thrones was likely used to “touch up” the scenery hence the lack of recognisable parts. It nonetheless felt real and you can really see why they chose the location even if it isn’t exactly how the book describes it. Then again would you rather it be all CGI and close to the book or mostly realistic and further from the book?
• This was also the location of where the chieftains of early Icelandic settlers decided to hold their first of many governmental meetings over a thousand years ago (circa 980 AD) where they would discuss laws and justice. Also where trials were held and were described as reminiscent of the 1 to 1 vengeance combat as described in the the Sagas of Iceland.
• We stumble through the front door yearning for food and - wait… first it’s hot tub and cocktail! Tonight is fish curry and discussions of tomorrow’s plans.