2022 Iceland
August 14. Cincinnati to Reykjavik
Today started with a lot of doubt. Dean had had Covid. After a week of illness the test would come back almost negative and then suddenly started testing quite strong and this persisted for over a week. The day before we were to leave he had a strong positive antigen home test. The doctor said he was no longer infectious so we packed and decided to go to the airport. A test was scheduled at the airport lab. Positive, we turn around and go back home. Negative, we proceed to the airline counter, check our bags and head off to Iceland. Much to our surprise both of our tests came back negative! Were we surprised? Yep, but we don’t question grace and we masked up and headed to the counter, checked our bags and headed to our gate. First leg was to Minneapolis, where we had a 5 hour layover. It is a very pleasant airport with a mall and lots of restaurants and is the home of Charles Schultz so fun Peanuts Characters popped up around the airport. We had a very long relaxed lunch, walked the airport a couple of times and waited for Mark and Nancy Dawes, our travel companions for the first time since Covid hit in 2020, to return from a visit with their son and daughter in law. As they returned, we learned our 8 pm flight was now 10 pm as our plane was on route but would be very late. So we all found a wine themed restaurant to enjoy a very long conversation, and work with a very new waitress to get food and drink. We were in no hurry and that was a very good thing. About 9:30 we boarded the plane for a 5 hour flight to Reykjavik.
And we are off!!!!
At airport in Minneapolis. We definitely have the same feeling as Snoopy!
August 15. Reykjavik
We arrive at 8:30 am. The sun is shining, the weather is about 50 degrees and everyone’s luggage arrived as planned. With the issues that the travel industry has been having we felt that the negative antigen tests, the flawless flights (maybe a little delayed, but nothing too major), and the arrival of our luggage with us made for an already extraordinary trip. After passing through customs and gather in our luggage, we found a cab to take us to The Blue Lagoon for a day of relaxation and pampering after the long trip. We had booked 5 hours in the Retreat Spa. This part of the Blue Lagoon was quiet and separate from the large lagoon. It had a number of hot pools of geothermal warmed, high mineral content water, saunas, a mineral/algae series of rubs for your skin, lots of quiet places to relax, a bar, and a restaurant. Who would have thought that swimming in 50 degree weather would be enjoyable? The lagoon was very warm and the large mineral content made your body almost float. We could have sat enjoyed it for hours but with so many other ways to feel pampered and relaxed, we did have to get out to check out the other options. The 5 hours went quickly and we all felt relaxed when we finished. We road into Reykjavik and checked into our rooms. The bed looked very inviting, so we took a nap before heading out to walk around the city and meet Mark and Nancy for dinner. We had been in Reykjavik in 2018 and the number of new buildings was rather remarkable. After exploring a bit of the city we savored a lovely dinner at Apotek restaurant. We enjoyed fresh fish dishes and lamb dishes and then took a long walk around the city together. Reykjavik is a small and very walkable city (about 130,000 people). It is filled with art: drawings on buildings, lots of sculptures, art museums, art galleries and interesting architecture. The city has some older buildings, some that are clearly Victorian, and many newer buildings made mostly of stucco or corrugated metal. The clean, simple lines are very pleasing to the eye. Thoroughly exhausted by 9 pm we said good night. Dean and Sue went to the rooftop bar at our hotel to enjoy the sun set and a drink before giving in to much needed sleep.
August 16 Reykjavik
Today we can get on the ship starting at noon so we savored a slow breakfast in the roof top restaurant with sun shining in the windows, remembering once again how the Europeans are masters at making breads and how lovely their breakfast spreads are. Fully sustained and with our suitcases once again packed, we went for a couple hour walk around the docks and coastline and local neighborhoods. It is so fun to see where people live, watch the children playing on the playgrounds and see how people start their mornings off. There was art everywhere and the architecture was again simple, clean and interesting. After enjoying the homes and gardens and a large pond called “The Pond”, we checked out of our hotel and walked the several blocks to our ship. After passing the health screening area, we officially checked in and received our room key. The rooms are rather large suits with tiny French balconies. We explored the Star Pride, one of the new ships in the Windstar fleet. It is a sister ship to the Star Legend that we traveled on in February and looks like a carbon copy. This time masks are not required but a number of folks are wearing them. Indoor restaurants large and small are open. In February we often ate outside on the deck rather than inside. Iceland has weather in the 40’s and 50’s this time of year so we appreciate the indoor eating options.
Lunch was wonderful with many choices and a sunny wall of windows warming us as we ate. Today we learned more about the shore excursions coming up and the options of things to do on board. Since February the Covid restrictions have eased. We can now serve ourselves at the food lines for breakfast and lunch, masks are no longer required although the staff all wear masks while in public areas and only one Covid test was required for the voyage. What hasn’t changed, the hospitality of the crew, the attention to detail, the delicious food and drink, and we could dance the night away. Tonight the band played an Abba medley that had the room dancing. The energy was high. This group has come to enjoy a week of fun. One more change to note is that the ship feels fuller. In February we had about 100 guests on a 300 passenger ship. This ship has about 150 guest and those added passengers change the feeling of the ship. One disappointment was that a large storm is coming in. It was remarkable that we enjoyed two sunny days in Iceland, but this storm is coming with gale force winds. They caught up with us about 9:30 pm and we were told that our trip to Heimaey Island will not happen for safety reasons. We are disappointed as this is where one of the biggest puffin colonies exists, but safety is paramount.
August 17
All night long and all day today we had large winds, rain, and large sea swells. The ship sways and bounces slowly up and down. Sea sick medicine was being passed out all day to those with weaker stomachs. Breakfast didn’t have that many people but more people surfaced for lunch. Two feet must be planted on the floor while sitting in a chair so that you didn’t go sliding across the floor. Every once in a while a big swell would come and you would see a number of people slide a bit across the room as well as any objects not set on the rubberized placemats. Those mats have the right amount of friction to withstand the ship movement. Trying to plant yourself in a chair and stop your plate and cup from sliding is challenging and humorous. We sort of gained our sea legs and re-remembered how to walk with legs rather far apart so that you can withstand the movement of the ship while going from point a to b. The many guard rails in the public spaces were also greatly appreciated. The various lounges have a wall of windows to allow folks to sit and watch outside, in this case watch the storm and lurching sea.
About 1 pm we made it across the south side of Iceland and started to head north. This helped with the winds a bit but the wind had shifted from Eastern to Southern so we still had large swells the rest of the afternoon. By evening we can see the sky and horizon again. It is beginning to clear up!
The ship has a lecturer on board who is giving lectures about the weather and geology. Today he talked about the volcanos and geothermal geysers and lagoons that dot this tiny island country.
There are two music groups that entertain us this voyage, a duo and a 5 piece group. Both have very good singers and play popular music. Last night we really enjoyed dancing but tonight we are mostly sitting and enjoying the music as walking is still challenging. We tried one dance but spent more time laughing over our unexpected movements as the ship gently rolled than actually dancing, so it seemed prudent to watch and enjoy while enjoying the adult beverage of our choice. The sea has calmed quite a bit from what it was doing this morning, but we are still enjoying slow large waves that gently rock the boat. All day people have walked like they are drunk or are suddenly knocked off balance while standing. I don’t know how the women singing stand in heals for an hour and don’t seem to mind the swaying of the ship. They definitely have their sea legs. Tonight Steve, who is the entertainment manager, put on a show in the lounge. His voice is very nice to listen to. People on this small ship seem to wear several hats and do it well. Tomorrow we will arrive at Seydisfjordur early so we will have 2 full days in this town to explore the town and area.
August 18 Seydisfjordur
We woke this morning able to see the coast through the soft rain. The coastline, which is mostly shrouded in fog, is dark, tall, rocky cliffs that look like an ancient volcano in places. Mostly, we see almost nothing due to the thick fog. The ship turns westward and appears to be heading directly for the coast. Just as we get close the fog lifts to show a fiord with tall mountains covered in green plants and dotted with a series of waterfalls dropping from the mountain top to the water below. The fiord is beautiful and we start to see small farms with large bailed hay that looks like giant marshmallows dotted across the fields. Islandic horses, which are many colored, short, stocky and strong, are in the fields with sheep which are black or white with black faces. The sun is shining as we work our way to Seydisfjordur at the end of the fiord. Then the clouds start rolling in.
We eat lunch and then head out to town to explore. It is a small town of around 600 with small colorful houses. We are told the houses first arrived from Norway as kits in the early 1900’s. Up to this point people lived in homes made of stone, mud and sod. The Main Street looks like the yellow brick road only all the colors of the rainbow and this ends at a blue church. Iceland has many ways of showing they appreciate inclusion of all and this is one of their ways, and it is beautiful to see rainbow colored roads leading to the town church. At the edge of town is a waterfall that you can hike beside, so we hiked up and enjoyed the waterfall and the view of town. Late afternoon we return to the ship for a wine tasting comparing wines from the old world and new world. It was fun and we learned a bit about the wines and had some interesting cheeses to enjoy with the wines.
About 5 pm we head out for our first excursion, a hike to various waterfalls. Since we had seen so many waterfalls along the fiord, we were curious as to which one we would be visiting. The bus stopped about 10 minutes out of town and we hiked by a river that lead to 4 waterfalls that fed the river. We continued on following the river above the biggest falls which lead across rolling meadows to many more waterfalls. We would stop to explore the bigger falls and, every once in a while, the sheep that graze on the side of the mountains all summer. This 5 mile hike gave us a sampling of the vast rolling hills and mountains that fill this island. The mist or clouds moved up and down the mountains all day. At one point we were walking in them and then it started to rain in earnest. Everyone was prepared for this and it may have slowed us a bit due to wet rocks but did not keep us from enjoying the beautiful countryside. The bus was waiting for us and took us back to the ship where we dried off, had a great dinner and then listened to a show by an Icelandic duo who told stories and sang local songs for us. This was our first lesson of many on Elves and Trolls. We topped off the evening getting to know some fellow travelers who happened to live in Ohio and dancing a few dances. It was a very full and rich day.
August 19 Seydisfjordur
We woke early to have breakfast before starting out on a tour of a local nature preserve. Outside it was blowing rain and hail. The clouds are so low that you can barely see above the housetops. Just as we were about to leave we were told that our tour was cancelled. Disappointed but not surprised we changed back out of our hiking clothes and had a relaxing morning. After a couple of hours we decided to go for a long walk in the rain as we knew we would be on ship for the rest of the day on our way to our next port. Having all the proper clothing makes a walk in the rain or dry, cold weather comfortable. During the 5 mile walk down a road we had not explored yesterday we saw more waterfalls, the remains of a mud slide that had buried 13 homes in 2020, worn out tractors and boats and even a car on its roof that was riddled with bullets. All sorts of stories popped into our heads concerning the car. Was it taken out with a machine gun or was it being used for target practice after it had an accident? The broken window glass still lay beside the car. Why was it simply left there? No answers but it was fun making up possibilities.
The ship pulled away from the dock in the afternoon. The fog was so thick that we couldn’t see the mountains that lined the fiord and could only occasionally see the shore. We knew when we left the fiord for the ocean as the big waves returned. We could see nothing for most of the rest of the day and the fog horn blasting periodically from the bridge kept reminding us that we were in a thick fog. We enjoyed a tapas style dinner in the Spanish inspired restaurant. Where else would we say “bring us one of everything in the small plate list”? Later in the evening as we enjoyed the live music, we were told that we were crossing the Arctic Circle. They had a fun ceremony where everyone got a strip of blue fluffy looking solid on our nose. It came complete with a certificate. Silly can be fun!
August 20 Akureyri
This morning it is still raining as we turn into the fiord on our way to Akureyi. The fiord is 37 miles long so it was a few hour cruise where we could sometimes see the shoreline. Our whale watching tour was cancelled due to the rough seas, so we chose to take a tour that took us to Godafoss Waterfall, a huge and powerful waterfall. Yes, it was raining and the wind was blowing so it was difficult to know if it was rain or the water from the falls being blown on us. Rain suits are a good thing! After taking in this awesome falls, we traveled through the farmlands seeing horses and sheep and even a few cows, we came to Lake Myvatn, a very large lake surrounded by many craters and filled with tiny islands, many of which looks like craters. All the formations are a result of ancient volcanoes. We saw a number of different kind of water birds enjoying a swim or diving for food in the icy water as we took a hike around one side of the lake. After enjoying a lunch of typical Icelandic food, char, potatoes, cabbage salad, tomato soup and breads, while getting to know some of our fellow travelers, we set off for a long hike around Dimmuborgir, a dramatic landscape formed by ancient lava flows. We could see faces and shapes in the tall columns, arches and other formations. Our guide told us stories of Elves and Trolls that supposedly live or lived in this area. The fun stories did make for an enjoyable hike. Our next stop was Namaskard, a geothermal field full of mud-pots, steam vents, boiling springs, sulfur deposits and fumaroles. The boiling sulfuric acid springs reeked of sulfur odor and gave off lots of steam that blew across the valley. It was an other worldly type place. What a long and very full day, some of it without rain, that gave us a glimpse of the geothermal activity on this island and how it shapes the landscape.
Back on the ship we enjoyed dinner as the ship left the dock and went back up the fiord. This time we could enjoy the mountains on either side of the fiord. It is nice that you get two chances to enjoy a fiord, once in and once out as you might have full site or see the tops of mountains but not the bottoms or the tops could be hidden in the fog.
The crew put on a show tonight. There are so many talented people working as officers, in the maintenance department, in our hotel and restaurant departments, and in the excursion department. So much fun. By the time the show started we were out of the fiord and the large waves that were still in the sea gently rocked the ship this evening again.
August 21 Isafijordur
We woke up this morning to smooth seas and sunshine in the Arctic! What a delight to have a relaxing morning on calm sees watching the shore as we passed the cliffs and snow capped mountains. It is so good to see the sun again. Today we are climbing a local mountain called the Trolls Throne. The local legend says that the craggy mountains provide a home to the island’s remaining trolls. One troll was walking in the fiord and got tired so he sat down on one mountain and put his feet in the fiord to relax. Being a rather large guy, his incredible weight squashed down the mountain and left an indentation that is now known as the Trolls throne. Our guide took us straight up the mountain. Dean asked if they have ever heard of switch backs here and he claimed the two steps to the right and then left were switch backs! It was a steep climb and we felt like we had gotten a good workout when we reached a large amphitheater. This is the trolls throne. The view was amazing and the tiny plants that cover everything looked like the most beautiful rock garden possible. All the mountains have many waterfalls cascading down the sides. Where do they all start? Some from lakes or streams, some from glaciers but the one we walked beside on our way to the top of this mountain simply disappeared when we were at the top. It rains so much here and the snow is slowly melting, so some streams pop out of the side or top of the mountains and the water tumbles down to the fiord below. We are told there are over 10,000 waterfalls on this island which is about the size of Kentucky. It is easy to believe once you have been here a few days.
Our guide told us that he leads ski groups in the winter time. Not seeing a ski lift I asked how they get to the top of the mountain to ski. His answer was that they simply climb up with grippons on their feet. He says folks typically ski once each day but some visitors can go up to 4 rounds a day before getting tired. Needless to say, he is in very good shape.
We wandered around the town and found a local brewery that Dean said made good beer but no other shops were open on Sunday. The homes are small or multi family units. We see the same corrugated metal or stucco walls that we have seen in other towns.
Tonight is the ship’s bbq. Typically, it is on the top deck but up here above the arctic circle it was set up in the dining room. The decorations carved from various fruits and vegetables were breathtaking. The guest of honor was a roasted pig sporting sunglasses and a face mask. Food was extremely plentiful and delicious, all sorts of appetizers, breads, salads, vegetables, and meats. The fish this whole voyage have been straight from the sea. Tonight we had delicious haddock and shrimp. Dean said the pork and steak were also cooked to perfection. We danced the night away and then went to bed. There is a chance of seeing the Northern lights tonight but we forgot to set our alarm to see them in the 2 hour window of darkness. Those who did said that they saw faint color.
August 22, Grundarfjordur
Today we pulled into another small fiord that is a shoot off of a larger fiord. All around Iceland the fiords have been beautiful. Any bare rock is usually black as it came from deep inside the earth. Mostly, the rock is covered with green which is a vast array of tiny plants that feel like pillows when you walk on them. We haven’t seen a mountain lining the fiord without a large number of waterfalls. It does rain frequently here but we have been reminded that the glaciers are melting at a faster pace and all are shrinking more each year. As we approach Grunarfjordur we see a tiny town with a very tall waterfalls on the left and a short, wide falls on the right. Today we are going underground to a cave near the edge of Snaefellsjokull Glacier in the National Park. We drive around the mountain with the glacier on our way to the sea and our destination. Our guide gives us helmets and flashlights and we head down a hole that has a very long circular staircase which opens into a large cave. Along the journey through the multiple “rooms” we see the various formations in a lava cave and learn how they are formed. We see the round room formed from a circular flow of lava, stalactites, popcorn looking formation, smooth layers that form when a second lava flow flows over lava rock from a previous flow, various colors in layers formed by different minerals, but mostly black surfaces with small and large rocks. It was very interesting and different from the limestone formed caves that we have seen in the USA.
The bus took us around the other side of the mountain following the edge of the island on our way back to the ship. We walked around the small town after lunch and into the countryside. We not only saw a large number of Icelandic horses but a few came over and let us pet them. Were there water falls? Yep. Tonight is our final night onboard so we went to the Captains reception and said thank you to the entire crew of 198. Yes, they outnumber us on the cruise because the ship is only half full. We really enjoy this cruise line and want it to succeed so we were happy to learn that the next cruise will have 300. The ships crew will be happy to see a full ship, too. After dinner we enjoyed our last evening of dancing and packed our suitcases. We did get up at midnight to see if we could see the Northern Lights as there was about a 50% chance of doing so. But, no luck. Some people saw them last night so we thought that we would try.
August 23, Reykjavik
We are up early putting our suitcases out into the hall so that they magically appear in the tent outside the ship for us to pick up on our way out later in the morning. After our final breakfast on the ship we reluctantly head off the ship, recover our suitcases and head for our hotel. We are staying only a few blocks from the dock so we walk to the hotel and have them hold our luggage until it is time to check in. After the four of us have done this we head off to explore more of Reykjavik and to do some shopping. We spend a couple of hours in the National Museum. This museum does a wonderful job of telling the story of Iceland from the first humans around 990 AD to today. This small island isn’t terribly hospitable to humans with its harsh weather, active volcanoes and land covered with volcanic rock and glaciers. They have found a way to make it work and those who live here love it. After lunch of traditional Icelandic hotdogs with craft beers and wine we spent time in the large cathedral, Hallgrimskirkja. The soaring structure looks like the basalt columns formed by volcanic action around the island. We have seen some of the formations on our travels around the island. The structure is modern and extremely simple inside except for the organ that takes up the entire back wall. The backs of the pews can move so that one can face forward toward the alter or back toward the organ. We would have loved to have heard an organ concert but none were presented while we were in town. An elevator ride and short climb of stairs gets you to the bell tower with a magnificent few of Reykjavik, the harbor and mountains in the distance including one of the big glaciers. It was breathtaking. But, every 15 minutes the huge church bells which were hanging not far overhead chime so we hurried down to the level below the bells when it was time for them to ring. They are loud!
After this it was time to do some serious shopping. There are many art galleries with works from local artist, many stores with woolen goods, stores with outdoor clothing and your regular tourist stores. We had fun picking out items and then after a much needed rest we met at our hotel’s roof top bar to enjoy the view. The Windstar ship full with its new passengers headed out of the harbor while we watched. It is a pretty ship and the deck was full of people enjoying the sunny day for the sail away. We wondered if we should tell them to enjoy this beautiful sunny day as tomorrow could be quite different. Dinner was at a nearby restaurant. It was packed the whole time we were there. Once again another great meal. We are really getting spoiled with all this fresh fish and lamb to choose from on top of items we regularly see at home.
August 24, Reykjavik
After a hearty breakfast we head out on a tour of the golden circle. Our tour guide was delayed so we caught up on news and email while enjoying time in the lobby. We were picked up and headed for Thingvellir National Park. As we drove, we pass by Langjokull glacier. It looks like it goes on for ever with the snow cap shining against the blue sky. Thingvellir National park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is unique because of its historical significance and its magnificent geology. We learned about the roots of Iceland’s formation and how the settlers formed their leaderless society. The parliament met yearly at Thingvellir to determine the fate of those who had done serious wrong like killing someone. They also discussed important topics like how religion would be allowed and accepted. They decided to allow the new Christianity religion while allowing the old ways to continue for those who wanted to follow this practice. Pretty open minded folks back in 1000. Norway took over the country about 500 years after the first humans arrived and held onto the country until 1944. The documents were signed in this park. The park’s unique geology is due to its location between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, which create the Rift Valley that runs through Iceland and is the only place that the Mid-Atlantic Ridge can be seen above sea level. The tectonic plates are still separating and are the reason for the volcanic activity here and the continued growth of the island.
After stopping at a local farm to enjoy some home made ice cream while watching the cows who provided the milk enjoy their grass we stopped at the Gysir Geothermal area. This island definitely has multiple spots with boiling mud pots and geysers! The main geyser here goes off every 4-10 minutes and is impressive in its strength.
We are driving all day around a lush valley full of farms. They are growing grass and hay and raising sheep, horses and cattle. At one point we drive by a small forest that we learn is one of the national forests. Most trees were cut down long ago and not replaced until the last 100 years, so the forests are young and not very large yet. Our next stop is a huge waterfall, Gullfos Waterfall. This powerful waterfall is very wide and has two major drops and a height of 105 feet. Almost 5000 cubic feet of water from the Lanjgkull Glacier falls over the falls every second. It was Mesmerizing to watch! This falls is known for its rainbows but it is mostly cloudy and we don’t see any.
Next stop was a greenhouse that grows 1/3 of the tomatoes in Iceland where we enjoyed a lunch of tomato soup and bread. Dean even tried a tomato beer. He said it was pretty good. The hydroponic system and lights in the greenhouse were impressive. The vines are thick and long, they look like they are about 20 feet long and covered in tiny tomatoes. One person is trimming the top of the vine and another is harvesting the tomatoes. There are pollinator flowers growing around the corner of the greenhouse that is the restaurant and bees are flying around the pollinator flowers and the tomato plants. As we walk around the greenhouse we find the bee hive. It has a clear wall so we can watch the bees in action.
After lunch we stop at a huge crater and stroll around it before the long drive home. Due to the volcanic activity on this island we have seen many lava fields, a lava cave and some craters. In the areas where there have been volcanic activity in the last couple hundred years, there are few homes and only tiny plants like moss and lichen. It is pretty desolate looking. A volcano near Reykjavik was active when we arrived, but we were told yesterday that the flow stopped so it is once again dormant but are several other volcanos around the island that could have activity at any moment. This is the norm here and people take it in stride.
We make it home in time to change for dinner and walk to our final destination, a fish restaurant on the old pier. It was in an old building that had lots of character and the chef prepared food that was fresh and creative. It was a lovely dinner. Mark has not been with us today as he was feeling sick yesterday and is staying home to rest today. This is our last evening in Iceland. We have had a great trip but will be up very early tomorrow to head to the airport so cut the evening short.
August 25
Today we are up before dawn which is difficult to do around here in the summer. We head for the airport and the flight home. The flights were on time and uneventful, and our luggage made it home with us. All the horrors we heard about late and cancelled flights and lost luggage were fortunately something that we did not experience. We made it home around 4 pm EST. We had been up since 11:30 pm the previous day EST so it has been a long day, but we arrived home safe and sound.
We FINALLY found a Troll! All the the way through Iceland we heard the stories of elves and trolls. Had to get to the airport to meet one of the trolls.