Hotel Natura, Reykjavik.
My room was clean, spacious and the bed was comfortable, so I woke early, ready and waiting for breakfast to commence. And what a breakfast it was. The choices available were enough to satisfy the pickiest of eaters and serving plates were filled as soon as they were emptied.
The previous evening my Icelandic Experiences nearly came to a fiery end after I totally overloaded the power point in my room by charging every electronic device I had on the one adaptor. The loud bang and flash scared the daylights out of me, then I became worried! I had no power, no lights, no air conditioner. What if I’d fused the whole hotel floor, or worse, the whole hotel! I peered outside my door – huge sigh of relief – the lights were on, but that didn’t tell me what had happened or what I had to do. Truth be told at that point I thought it was the fault of the hotel and the crappy power point, so I went downstairs to tell the handsome young man on reception that there was a problem. I took him up to my room 😉 where he eventually determined that my adaptor had tripped the safety switch. Thankfully he tripped the switched back and generously offered to lend me an adaptor till the end of the tour.
After breakfast I repacked and made my way downstairs where I met with my fellow travelers (several were Aussie couples) and where we were introduced to our guide, Petre. As we drove through Reykjavik and headed out into the countryside I have to admit I was a bit disappointed, where were the mountains, lava and snow?
It seems in Iceland there is no spring or autumn, just summer and winter, but although winter was slowly losing its grip, the fields were still covered in tufts of brown, dry grass. Shallow rivers stretched through the landscape as we made our way towards the Hvalfjordur Tunnel, a 5.77km long feat of engineering which cuts a one-hour journey round the Hvalfjordur fjord to a seven-minute ride under the fjord at a depth of 165m below sea level. Of course, Petre provided this information at the time but my memory isn’t so good that I would’ve retained for any length of time so good ol’ Wikipedia came to the rescue!
The flat, light-brown, tufty landscape soon changed to hills of lava covered in grey-green moss. Harsh, but it was somehow compelling and so different from anything I’d ever seen before. Happily, I was sitting next to the window so I was able to snap merrily away.
Our first stop was Bogarnes where we had morning tea, and where I was lucky enough to be able to buy a new adaptor for an absolutely exorbitant price. The one I borrowed from my kind rescuer of the previous evening had a mind of its own and staying horizontal in a power point wasn’t on its itinerary. It hung perilously from the wall by the last millimeter of its plugs and unless I actually held it in, it declined to transfer any current into my devices. I lived in dread that I would be the one zapped and not a room safety switch.
We re-boarded the bus eagerly as our next stop was the Grabrok Crater – our first introduction to Iceland’s volcanic landscape. The 555 wooden steps to the top of the now dormant crater were a daunting sight to this septuagenarian but I figured I could start and if I started to stagger I could make my way back down. Formed in a fissure eruption about 3000 years ago the crater is the largest of 3 craters and stands about 173m above sea level.
Much to my delight I made it! I even negotiated the path around the rim, anxiously checking behind me to make sure I wasn’t going to be the last one back on the bus. I’d been the recipient of a very stony glare on a previous bus trip when I’d lingered too long with my camera and some delicate wildflowers.
The view from the top was magnificent. In the far distance snow topped mountains edged the horizon and huge, bare stony outcrops of lava filled the landscape in between. The vast lava-filled valley was spread out below with only a few buildings and the long, grey road which wound snakelike through the countryside. Grey, moss-covered lumps of jagged lava formed the cone and a tinge of yellowish green coated the inner slopes.
As I walked around the rim, the cone of Grabrokarfell came into view. It was smaller than Grabrok but none the less spectacular. I made my way down on wings – I’d conquered the 555 steps without feeling as if my lungs and heart were going to burst!
Such was my excitement that I forgot to listen to Petre’s instructions for lunch so I missed out on what everyone told me was an excellent soup. I ate my less inspiring sandwich trying not to listen to their exclamations on how tasty the soup was and how refills were free. I consoled myself by booking a whale watching tour for the following morning.
On the way to Akureyi where our first night’s accommodation was waiting, we passed through magnificent snowy mountains, stopping frequently to take photos. We took a walk to Þrístapar where the last execution in Iceland occurred. The story of the execution was written on plaques set in the ground and is worthy of a separate post. It definitely took us back to a time when not only the environment was harsh! Link: Þrístapar
Trivia: Something which intrigued us all was the lumpy grass. These hummocks, called Thurfur, form when water in the soil freezes and thaws. It pushes up lumps of soil, often in large groups. Some can be more than 50cm high and can last from year to year.
Next, the Viking village of Glaumbaer. Although the present buildings vary in age from the mid 18th century a farmhouse is said to have stood in the valley since 900 AD. Glaumbaer consists of 13 buildings with the hall, passages and south entrance providing access throughout the building.
The traditional farmhouse is made of turf, stones and timber. Stones form the foundation with turf fitted around a timber frame in a herringbone pattern. The floor would be covered with wood, stone or earth depending on the use of the building.
The sharing of common areas and the insulated, layered walls kept the villagers warm in the harsh, Icelandic winters.
It was a long drive through magnificent country and we were so lucky to have a tour guide and driver who didn’t mind stopping for photos and when we did stop, we weren’t hurried back onto the bus – unfortunately something I’ve experienced on previous tours. How annoying is it to arrive somewhere really awesome only to be told you’ve got 15 minutes to go to the loo and take photos? If you don’t shove your way off the bus quickly you end up spending said 15 minutes waiting in a queue at the toilet door. Cynical I know but there is a reason why I enjoy my independent travels so much. I love immersing myself in those times when I look around me and absorb the wonder of what I’m seeing, and the times when all I see is what is shown through my lens and any worldly, outside distractions fade into oblivion.
As we travelled north the snowy mountain tops formed a jagged outline against a blue sky liberally spotted with white fluffy clouds, and the dry grass of the valleys below were split by streams of icy water. This was the Iceland of my dreams!
It was very late in the afternoon when we eventually reached Akureyi, a city at the base of the Eyjafjordur Fjord in Northern Iceland where we were to spend our first night on the road. It was great to stretch the legs and walk down to the city centre where we all branched out searching for dinner. I opted for something quick – Subway quickly eaten at the lake front and a chilly walk afterwards! As usual my desire to explore and take photos took precedence over food!
Our drive north turned out to be everything I expected of Iceland, and I could feel my excitement building at what was to come over the next 10 days.
Continue to » Iceland Tour, Day 3
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