Category: Travel

We had to get right up this morning because though we are returning here after our all day tour, we need to check out. Happily we have our car and can stash our luggage there for the day. We have a quick breakfast of instant grits and instant coffee which we brought with us; load the car and stand in the drizzle waiting for our driver. It’s cold!

We are his first pickup (8:45a.m.) and soon the little van is almost full. Our driver, who’s name is unpronounceable as well spell, tells us just to call him Number 1.  Number 1 is a true Viking and his family has been in Akureyri for hundreds and hundreds (thousands?) of years. He points out the island that his family owns and lives on; the mountain that was left to the family by is maternal grandmother and is very knowledgeable. Turns out he is also an opera singer!

Apparently singing is very important in his family and his grandfather was a noted Icelandic singer in his time.

We mention having had dinner last night at the fish and chips restaurant and he asks how it was. “Delicious” “We’re still full”. He is pleased and then tells us that his family owns that restaurant and if something weren’t right he would tell them.  His brother owns the local flight school.

The ride to Myvatn is about 90 minutes, but we don’t go straight there. In fact, there really isn’t a “there” to Myvatn as there is no town. It is close to Husavik. The point to Myvatn is that it is known as Iceland’s Yellowstone (though on a much smaller scale.)

Our first stop is the dramatic waterfall, Godafoss Waterfall which plays an important part in the Icelandic sagas and in it’s history. In 1,000 A.D. the speaker of the Alpingi (government back then) had to decide whether Iceland should remain pagan or convert to Christianity. He choose Christianity (under duress from Norway) and to show that he was serious about his decision, he became a Christian, went home and got all his carved pagan statues and tossed them into the waterfall; the name of which translates to “Waterfall of the Gods.”

Godafoss isn’t very tall (maybe 40 feet) but it is about 90 feet around and feels huge!

Very beautiful!

We all took many photos, and soon were on our way again. Number 1 asked if any of us were “Game of Throne” fans. No one in the van was, but he stopped at the Grjotagja Thermal Cave. Apparently this is a well known filming location for Game of Thrones.

I took this photo for those of you who would like to see the spot. You can get down into  that crevasse into a steaming pool but it was really uneven footing and no guardrails or barriers, so none of us walked down. This was a short little stop.

I’m excited about our next place. Actually, I’m excited about the whole tour because these are all the things I had hoped to see in Myvatn (well, except for the Grjotagja thermal cave). We arrive at the Skutustadir Pseudocraters, which for some reason, I insist on calling “pseudo cones.” Oh! Pseudocraters are also called “rootless cones” which is probably why I keep confusing the name. Anyway, these aren’t real volcanic craters, but they are what is left of gigantic bubbles of molten lava.

Water under the lava boiled into steam, rose to the surface and then popped! Except for one place in Hawaii, this is the only area in the world where pseudo-craters can be found. There was a nice trail around the area; and there was a second, much longer trail for birdwatchers.

 

I think they look like little volcanoes. It was a nice half mile walking trail and there were a couple of places with stairs up to the rims of the craters.

 

When Jeff, Tom and I were in Iceland in November 2016, we visited Pingvellir,  a rift valley where the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart. There was an enormous valley between the two walls.  On this sightseeing trip, we are once again at a rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates! The gape in the Earth’s crust was a bit unsettling and the gaping trench was deep, deep, deep. This rift is tiny compared to Pingvellir, but somehow I found it more powerful.

Tom bravely straddled the rift and while the sides are not far apart it was scarier than it looks!

Number 1 told us that under the rift, there was a thermal cave with a pool and a river. It is unmarked and you aren’t supposed to go into it. So, of course, Jeff and I did. It was a steep climb in near darkness, but worth the trip. I did keep thinking though “if there’s a tremor now, I’m dead.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I crouched down close enough to get my fingers into the water, and it was very hot. What an amazing place. Getting out of the cave was tricky because of the low rock “ceiling” which you can’t really see here because Jeff is almost out.

 

 

 

Back into our little van… and we are off to the Dimmuborgir lava formations. I’ve never heard of these and I think if the three of us had been on our own, we might have missed them. “Dimmuborgir” translates as “Dark Castles” and it is aptly named.  First of all, it is cold, overcast and a little rainy; second, they are definitely ‘dark’.

According to the sign I read (the signs are all in Icelandic and English) this whole area was underwater. It was a huge lake, and then magma leaked up and solidified forming  spiky, stalagmite columns.

There were a lot of walking and hiking trails here and we opted for a short 15 minute one. It got cut short because the path was covered in snow and ice and was slick. Brrr…

Like I mentioned earlier in this post, the area around Myvatn is very active geothermally. And our next stop was the Namafjall geothermal area. This area doesn’t have a spouting geysir like the one we saw in November 2016 at Geysir, but it pretty much has everything else! You practically have to plug your nose becuase the smell of hydrogen sulfide is so strong.

There was a large bubbling pool (and I’m excited that I figured out how to upload this very short little video for you)

There were fumaroles which look like stacked rocks spitting steam

Here’s a couple closeups of the fumarole and 

 

 

 

a photo of Jeff standing in the warm (but smelly) steam it is putting out.

There were mud pots and because of all the sulfur and chemicals in the soil, the terrain was pretty colorful.

What there wasn’t, was no crowds, very little signage and kind of beaten down areas where it was safe to walk. A couple of the very dangerous spots had wooden walkways, but not the over abundance of cautionary signs you’d see in the United States.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last stop on our tour today is the Myvatn Nature Baths (Jarobooin vio Myvatn). Every town in Iceland has a hot pool, but the Myvatn Nature Baths are said to rival the famous Blue Lagoon. Well, I’ve never been to the Blue Lagoon, but if it’s anything like this…

There are two big pools with rocky walls and a semi-rough pebbly bottom and when you are in it you can see out over the volcanoey countryside. You can see black rock and steaming vents which would make me think twice before taking an unguided walk in the area.(pg 301-311)

Apparently the water here is the naturally heated excess from a nearby geothermal power station. It’s fresh water and relaxing in it was wonderful!! Getting in, was not, however, wonderful.  When we visited Iceland previously, we went to another nature bath and we knew the ‘rules.’ First of all, you take off your shoes in the hallway and put them onto racks,a and hope you can remember where you put them.When you check in you get a tag or something with a locker number on it and that’s where you put all your clothes and stuff.  Everyone has to shower naked, with soap, before entering the baths; so you put your suit on after you shower. There are women in the locker room to be sure everyone does this. The final step, and, this was not fun today, is scurrying from the exit down outside into the bath. BRRRRRR…. It was windy and cold! But we remembered that the last time, we had also had to content with ice on the walkway in and were happy that it wasn’t that cold.  I think we were in the baths about an hour and I could have stayed an hour longer. Tom, Jeff and I walked and floated around, searching out hot spots and made our way to the divider between the two pools. The other pool seemed much cooler than ours, so we stayed put.

When you get out of the pool (reverse freezing run back into the building) you shower to get the sulphury water off you, your suit and out of your hair. Then you have to dry off completely before going to your locker. This keeps the locker room floor nice and dry.

Oh, so relaxing!! Because I knew we’d been hitting some thermal pools, I packed our waterproof beach bag and everyone’s suits, water shoes, shampoo, hairbrushes were in there for easy handling. I let Jeff and Tom take the bag since there were two of them. Jeff said carrying the gaudy striped beach bag didn’t make him feel very manly. LOL

Speaking of bags, between the three of us we have 3 backpacks, a camera bag and a beach bag. Tom bought a few things at this stop and when he added that bag to our stash, which took up all the space between the driver and passenger seat, Number 1 said “More bags?! You have so many bags!?”

As we start our return trip to Akureyri, Number 1 points out our hotel. Super nice of him and know we know we’ll easily find it.  He talks about Myvatn while driving. Myvatn is famous not only for the geothermal aspects of the area, but also for the “midges”.  You know, midges, teeny tiny aquatic flying bugs? Well, in the summer here everyone (locals and tourists) wear nets over their heads to keep the midges out of their ears, mouths and noses. They don’t bite, but apparently there are massive swarms of them that even make driving difficult as they obliterate windshields when you drive into a swarm. Ick.

Soon we’re back in Akureyri and as Number 1 drives away, Jeff and I walk up to the guesthouse. We’re hoping that the front door is still unlocked and we can use the bathroom. It is and we do!  Then, we walk back down the hill a ways to the Vinbuden (liquor store) to stock up before we hit the road.

Jeff is driving, Tom is riding shotgun and I’m in the back and we retrace our steps back to Myvatn and the Foss hotel.

Wow! This hotel is super nice and modern (and expensive).  There is a fancy lobby with a nice restaurant and bar, and elevator and on the second floor where we are, there is a sauna. The door locks are electronic keys which are very common in the US, but not in Iceland. Tom’s room is just down the hall from ours and we all have a very nice view of the pseudo-craters.  The wind has picked up and it is cold out as we lug our stuff in.

As I mentioned earlier, there is not a “town” in Myvatn, so no nearby restaurant except the hotel eatery.  We check the menu, expensive! Always prepared, we regroup in Jeff and my room and enjoy our inexpensive ‘just add water’ dinners.

We don’t have any plans for tomorrow, but please check in to see what we’ve been up to.

We all slept wonderfully. Tom said that was the longest he’s slept in his life. Happily we remembered to set alarms so we would not miss our free breakfast. Our buffet breakfast was yummy with a nice variety – eggs, a waffle iron, yogurt, fresh fruit, baked beans, lunch meats and cheeses, toast – very European.To my surprise there was also a jar of peanut butter. I love peanut butter; in fact, there is a jar of peanut butter in my suitcase!  We sit, enjoying our breakfast and review the day’s itinerary.

We know that in Varmahlid, between here and Akureyi, which is several hours away, is the Glaumbaer Museum (Skagafjorur Heritage Museum) but it is only open from 10a.m. to 4p.m.  Since it’s already 10a.m. we know we’ll have to skip that as much as we’d love to see some traditional turf houses.  But we have some other sightseeing plans in mind (always a backup plan).

We check out, load the car and Tom takes the wheel. The Snaefellsnes Peninsula, where we are now, is the middle of three peninsulas jutting west off the coast of Iceland. The peninsula is known for its beautiful mountain, Kirkjufell and the waterfall next to it, Kirkjufellfoss. I have an Icelandic candy bar with lava salt for the first person who can tell the answer to this question: Kirkjufell (Mountain) is featured prominently in what classic Christmas movie (in looks, not by name.) Here is a photo to help you.

We spent about an hour at Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellfoss wandering around and taking photos. Time to get back in the car as we have a long ride. We stop a couple of times to stretch our legs, gawk at the scenery, and marvel over what looks like hiking cairns that run next to the road for miles and miles and miles. Turns out that they are cairns because we go over Holtavorduheidi or “Hill-Cairn Heath” a pass at almost 1,400 feet.  We can see where the fjord almost meets the road (Ram Fjord  or Hrutafjordur)

Here we stop at Stadarskali, a big rest-stop complex. Kind of like a truck stop – free bathrooms, burgers, etc.  Coffee seems in order since we’re not half way to our destination yet.

Driving on, each of us, pretty much at the same time, sees a wonderful mountain spire. Tom pulls over and we get our photos. Turns out this is a notable area, and the sign along the side of the road tells us that we are in front of Hraundrangi, a national landmark, and Hraun, the birthplace of Iceland’s most beloved poet, Jonas Hallgrimsson. The valley is called Oxnadalur.

 

It is only about 4:30p.m. or so when we arrive in Akureyri, which bills itself as the “Reykjavik of the North.” We zero in on our guesthouse and walk around and around trying to figure out how to get in. Finally, Jeff opens an unlocked door and we find ourselves in a foyer. There are two antique suitcases open on a shelf and in each there are several binders; one with a sticky note that says Barnes and the other is Delaney. This must be the place!  We have a room on the first floor and a room on the third floor…Jeff and I take the room on the 3rd floor. This place is great!

Here are some shots of our room (Jeff liked the funky shower and bath curtain), and a bird’s eye view of the town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The check-in binder has information that we need. For example, parking in Akureyri is free, but is timed; so you either use a little paper clock (that you can pick up at tourist info or just about anywhere) or there was a piece of paper in our binder. You write down what time you park and put that paper on your windshield. The paper had several slots, so if you’re shopping or going different places, you just write the times down.

There is a business card in the binder for a couple of local restaurants. The fish restaurant sounds good to all of us, but first we need to go to the grocery store for a few things. We head to Bonus supermarket, only to discover that they closed about 15 minutes ago at 6p.m! There is a Netto grocery store very close by so we go there and just in time! It is 6:20 and they close at 6:30! Just in the knick of time.

We have fish and chips, and Jeff samples a local microbrew, at Akureyri Fish.

Definitely a local place and very good though the servings of chips was massive. One serving would probably have sufficed for all of us.

It has been another long day and we’re stuffed from dinner. I go back to the hotel to write, Tom goes to his room and Jeff decides to go for a walk.  The church in Akureyri is famous because it was designed by Gudjon Samuelson, the same architect who designed the Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran Church in Reykjavik. You have probably seen photos of that church and the church in Akureyri certainly displays the similarities.  Jeff also walked by the public library which was right next to our guesthouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I kind of messed up our itinerary for tomorrow but I think it will be okay. We are going on an all day “Myvatn Classic” tour.  Myvatn is an area about an hour from Akureyri – the tour will pick us up here at the guesthouse and at the end of the day return us here. And then because I wasn’t planning very well, we will get in our car and drive back to Myvatn to spend the night. Can never spend too much time traveling, I suppose!

Please join us tomorrow for some really interesting geological and thermal sights. Oh! And here’s a photo of the prize for today’s post!

As we begin our Ring Road adventure all three of us laugh at our “little lady” the GPS voice we’ve dubbed Katie. At the first 8 or 9 round-abouts she directs, in her British accent, “Enter the round-about and take the 2nd exit.” Always the 2nd exit.

Jeff, Tom and I have spent a bit of time planning this trip and have designed an itinerary for the first three days. This being day one, the top 2 things on our checklist are 1) get car (check) and 2) get groceries. Spotting a Bonus supermarket, we rudely take the 3rd exit of a round-about. Our detours send Katie into a “recalculating route” chant.

Good grief. It is 8:30a.m. and the grocery store doesn’t open until 10. But, the gas station next door has a Dunkin Donuts sign. We trot over there, it is  too early for donuts, who cares? They have real coffee. Hooray!

Part of our planning was also driving responsibilities and as I am the person most likely to sleep on an airplane, I will drive the first day. This first stretch is 8 hours. Because the 3 of us were in Iceland in November 2016 and did the popular Golden Circle tour then, we are going to skip that area and do the Ring Road (also called simply “Highway 1”). We are going in reverse order heading west today.

And we’re off. The clouds are hanging low giving an overcast and foggy atmosphere. Our first stop today is Borgarnes, about an hour away.

We drive through the 3.5 mile long Hvalfjordur Tunnel which runs beneath the fjord. Although the tunnel area is not actively volcanic, the undersea rock is warm (up around 135 degrees (F) on one end!)

After the tunnel (and paying the  1,000 kroner toll), we pass between Akrafjall and Hafnarfjall Mountains. It is a serious understatement to say the scenery is incredible. Even though it is raining and we cannot see the tops of the mountains, what we can see is breathtaking.

We safely arrive in Borgarnes and set out to find our first attraction, the Settlement Center (Landnámssetur). This is said to be the prime place in Iceland to learn about the Settlement era.

 There are two distinct exhibits: the first discusses why and how the Viking Age settlers came to Iceland, and the second is “Egils Saga” (Skallagrimssonar).

The Settlement Center’s entry fee pays for both exhibits and for each you get an audio narration (required).  The settlement exhibit was very interesting providing much information about the Vikings, where the various original settlers arrived – you push buttons that correspond with the narration, lighting up the locations on a big map. There was a fun prow of a Viking ship to stand on.  (looks like we’re sailing into the sunset.) It rocked as the sounds of waves and seabirds played on the audio. It was a well done exhibit.

 

 

The downstairs exhibit, Egil’s Saga, was very different both in information and presentation. It was illustrated by locally carved figures and carvings. That woodwork was amazing.

In short, Egill was a poet-warrior who got in all kinds of trouble in Norway and in Iceland. He wrote his first poem at age 3 and at age 7, after losing a game, “buried an axe down to the brain in the head of his opponent.”

It’s unknown how much of the Icelandic sagas are historically based and how much is fictionalized, but it looks as though Egill would have benefitted from some anger counselling. You can read about Egill’s Saga here.

This exhibit also took about 30 minutes – its time for lunch, but first we have to get by this scary Viking.

Our itinerary for the day includes having lunch at the Settlement Center and what a good idea that was! Upstairs in the restaurant there is a huge vegetarian buffet (includes coffee and tea).

 

 

 

 

 

and this wonderful gigantic loaf of warm bread. The bread was covered with a heavy tea towel to help keep it warm and for you to hold onto the loaf as you sliced off however much you wanted.

Jeff and I both chose for the buffet,  while Tom opted for a burger of local beef, which he pronounced “delicious.”

Time to drive on. We are now going to the village of Reykholdt where we will leave the Ring Road to visit two waterfalls. As we drive out of Borgarnes, I glance up a hill and catch sight of “Brákin” a big monument that looks like a giant wheel with wings. Because it was raining and “way up there” we decided not to stop. (The story of the monument is very interesting and I do suggest you Google it.)

Along our drive I pull over when I spot a sculpture beside the road. Interesting.  

The drive to the waterfalls is only about 20 minutes (one-way) out of our way and we hope they will be worth the detour.

The Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls are close together and share an easy walking path. The Hvítá (White) River runs through here but it is not the cause of the Hraunfossar (Lava Waterfalls). See, part of the valley above the falls is new lava which is very porous. Groundwater streams have sunk into the lava fields and (across the river) there a rivulets of groundwater coming out from under the lava field and falling into the river. It looks like water on top in the photo, but it is black lava. Like 1,000 bridal veil falls – gorgeous!

About 100 yards upstream, the Hvítá River does create the Barnafoss. Barnafoss translates as “Children’s Waterfall” and there is part of what looks like the remains of a natural bridge over it. The legend is that 2 children were supposed to stay in the house while their parents went to Mass on Christmas Day. Of course, they didn’t. They went out to play, fell off the bridge and drown. So, their mother destroyed the bridge to save other children. A dark story, but a beautiful waterfall.

It is cold and still raining, but we spend quite a bit of time enjoying the falls .

 

but now its time to get back in the car and drive to Grundarfjördur near the tip of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The weather is clearing and I’m having a tough time keeping my eyes on the road, not because I’m tired (I am) but because the scenery is seriously spectacular.

Tah-Dah! We have arrived at Hotel Framness. It is 5:30p.m. and we have all been awake 29-30 hours; and I think we’ve held up remarkably well. It has been a wonderful first day, and it has been a LONG first day! We unload the car and lug our suitcases, backpacks and “food bag” up the stairs. Tom’s room is directly across the hall from ours.

Jeff and I resolve to stay awake until 7p.m. at which point we collapse into bed. Dead to the world.