The Golden Circle

 Every country has it's version of Iceland's Golden circle - A group of must see attractions close enough to a major city that makes visiting them relatively easy. The upside is that seeing the sights is easy, the downside is that they can be crowded. Like really crowded. The parking lots at the sites we visited were jam packed with tourbuses, cars and campervans, and there were so many people, we spent the whole day trying to take pictures without other people in them. The Golden circle consists of Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir geyser (it's the geyser that gave us the word geyser to describe all geysers) and Gulfoss waterfall. Colleen checked on the volcano, and it looked like the area was closed for the day, so Thursday was our Golden Circle day. 

We started off the day with a drive from Bogarnes. Once again, the GPS sent us on a "shortcut" (we really have to get that map). Another bumpy dirt road. Uncomfortable ride yes, but stunning views and we had the road pretty much to ourselves (I suppose the tour busses prefer paved roads). Our first stop was Þingvellir (pronounced Thingvellir). Thingvellir has two things going for it. First, it is historically and culturally important as the location of Iceland's original parliament dating back to 930AD. Iceland was colonized by people from Norway (and their mostly Irish slaves) unhappy in one way or another with their lot there. When they settled, they left kings behind and settled on a democratic assembly to settle disputes and make laws (all 700 years before the United States declared independence from their king). Standing on the very spot where a bunch of midievil vikings hashed out their differences was evocative. The second thing that makes Thingvellir worth visiting is that it is geologically important. Iceland sits atop the mid Atlantic ridge where the European and North American tectonic plates meet, drifting apart at just under one inch per year (which means Iceland is growing). This tectonic activity accounts for Iceland's amazing geology. The rift itself passes right through Thingvellir, giving rise to some pretty neat rock formations. There is a walking path through a rift valley with America on one side and Europe on the other. you are standing literally on the boundary between continents. Pretty cool.

America on the left, Europe on the right

Next stop Geysir. Geysir itself is in a period of dormancy, but the adjacent Strokkur geyser erupts on a pretty regular 5-10 minute cycle. Watching water that has been heated by subterranean lava explode 50  meters into the air is pretty spectacular. The anticipation is fun too. You can get fairly close to the the geyser pool (15 meters), so you can see it go from relatively calm to slight movement to churning to finally erupting. The cycle is not exact, so you never know when the eruption will come. In other words, it is always a surprise. 

Strokkur geyser

 

You Never Know When it Will Erupt

 

Next stop Gulfoss waterfall. We've seen a lot of waterfalls on this trip, and they've all been beautiful. However, they've all been moderate to small in size. Gulfoss was a big one. It has two stages, the first, an 11 meter drop followed by the second 21 meter drop. During the summer, 140 cubic meters per second flow over the waterfall. Getting close to something that raw and powerful is impressive. 

Gulfoss

Final stop Reykjavik.We stayed at the Reykjavik Campsite, basically a big parking lot with a building with showers toilets and cooking facilities a bit of a ways out from the center of town. We didn't make it in to town, but we did take a walk through the neighbourhood the camp was in and ended up getting a nice dinner at a restaurant (I think it was our first restaurant food for the whole trip). We couldn't stay out late though, Friday was a big day - up early for the 10 mile hike to the volcano.

Reykjavik "campsite"
 

Michael

Montpelier VT

The Puffins that Weren't

Wednesday was supposed to be all about the puffins. The Westfjords are out of the way, even for Iceland, and the Latrabjarg cliffs are out of the way for the Westfjords. One visits the cliffs for the puffins, who apparently congregate there in great numbers in late July / early August. It is supposed to be an incredible experience, and is listed as one of the top things to do in Iceland if you can put up with getting there. Make no mistake, getting there is no small task. We had to drive hours over difficult roads, basically giving up a whole day to the endeavor. Visiting Latrabjarg was my idea, and I had to convince Colleen to add it to our itinerary. She had misgivings about the long drive, but eventually agreed, which was very generous of her. She was even more generous in not letting me have it when we didn't see a single puffin. 

The brochure for Latrabjarg...

off the beaten path

We got up early, put on some warm clothes (it was very cold and windy) and headed for the cliffs. One nice thing about living out of a van is that you never have to pack up before you go, just get in the driver's seat and drive, so we got an early start. The drive to the cliffs was another beautiful but difficult one (bumpy dirt roads, mountain passes etc.). The parking lot for the cliff walk is adjacent to the most forlorn and shabby lighthouse I have ever seen. You could not imagine a lonelier place, this was truly the end of the road. I grabbed my camera and we set off on our walk in anticipation of a once in a lifetime wildlife experience. It took about 20 minutes to admit to ourselves that there weren't going to be any puffins. Oh it was a stunningly beautiful place, there were other birds roosting on the cliffs (mostly gulls), and the sheer height of the cliffs was terrifyingly thrilling, but no puffins. Madeleine and Colleen were generous about the disappointment, but I felt awful about dragging them all the way out there for nothing. The Westfjords were absolutely stunning and I'm glad we had a chance to see them for ourselves, so it wasn't a total loss. Still, it would have been nice to see those puffins...

 

Don't Fall off the Cliff (and no dogs)

 

Looking for Puffins

Still Looking for Puffins

 

Not a Puffin

 

Beautiful
 

No use dwelling on something you cant change, so we brushed it off and adjusted our plan. The next stop on our Itinerary was going to be a day in the Snaefelsnes peninsula. there is a national park there with more geological wonders to explore. However, the next peninsula over, Reykjanes, had an active volcano.. The Litli-Hrutur volcano began erupting on the 10th of July. We had already made our itinerary by then, so it wasn't really on our list. However, being in a country with an active volcano and not going to see it seems the height of folly, so we decided to cut out Snaefelsnes and replace it with Litli-Hrutur. The plan was to drive to a campsite outside of Reykjavik and spend the night there. If the conditions were good (the authorities sometimes shut the area down based on which way the wind blows the dangerous gases from the volcano) we would hike to the Volcano, if not we would get back to our itinerary. We chose the town of Bogarnes for our campsite. 

 

Beach with a Boat (I Never did get the Story on That)

Bogarnes is a nice little town. It had a grocery store, the campground was nice enough, and there was a neat museum we visited where we learned about Iceland's fascinating early settlement history (did you know Iceland is the world's youngest country - humans have only lives there for 500 years). However, the best part of the town was its pool. All of the towns in Iceland have heated public pools with hot baths, saunas and other amenities. Bogarnes' pool was awesome, it even had water slides. We had a soak in the hot tub, a swim in the pool, and Madeleine had a go at the waterslides. Colleen and Madeleine even had a dunk in the ice bath (I chickened out). What an incredible place. Everyone was super friendly and welcoming and the facilities were great. Madeleine was unimpressed with European sensibilities with respect to open shower areas ("dad, I've never seen so many naked ladies in my life"), but aside from that, it was a great experience. 

The Pools at Bogarnes

 an icy dip

The day had one more treat for us. Back at the campsite that night, Madeleine made a friend. She spotted a girl doing cartwheels, gave her a wave and next thing I knew they were chatting like best friends. I think they were just happy to get away from their parents. The girl was German, but her English was great. It was really nice to watch them play together. They exchanged information and have been chatting online for days now. Pretty cool.

 

 

Lots of driving

So the day started off with disappointment and ended in, if not triumph, then at least a good measure of success. Beautiful drive, new experiences and a new friend. Still, it would have been nice to see those puffins...

Michael

Montpelier VT

Rolling with it

Tuesday was going to be our longest driving day of the trip. A 700 km (435 mi) 8 hour drive from Reykjalid (Myvatn) to Melanes in the Westfjords. With a few sightseeing stops along the way, we were figuring on at least 10 or 11 hours on the road. When we planned the trip, we knew this would be a challenging day, but we had a long list of things we wanted to do and see in our 10 days in Iceland, and this was pretty much the only way we could get it all in. So we did it. Of course it did not go as expected.

I'm usually an early riser. Even with the time change, that has held true here in Iceland, I'm usually up at least an hour or two before Madeleine and Colleen. No big deal, I either write or just read a bit. Our van is essentially an apartment on wheels though, so we thought we would use this to our advantage and leave for our drive as soon as I got up. This way we could get some miles behind us before the girls woke up. So with the girls sound asleep, I set off for the Westfjords around 5 am. The sun is up at 4 am, so I didn't miss any scenery, and literally every inch of Iceland is beautiful, so I was having a great time. Hot coffee, the road to myself, beautiful views... couldn't ask for more. I was enjoying it so much, I wasn't paying attention to the time or to my route. 

 

 

Waterfall (Godasfoss) on the way out of town

 As I mentioned in a previous post, the GPS directions we have been using have taken us on some interesting roads, so much so that we felt we should get a road map to check on the routes the GPS came up with. Of course we never got the map, and of course the GPS sent me up another dodgy white knuckle mountain pass. How the girls slept through that part of the ride, I have no idea, but sleep they did. I didn't want to wake them, so I just kept driving. And driving. And driving. By the time they finally woke up and we stopped to have a bite to eat it was mid morning. We set about figuring out which of the attractions Northern Iceland had to offer that we would visit. That's when we realized just how efficient our plan to leave early had been. We had driven clear across northern Iceland and in order to see any of the sights on our list, we would have to backtrack. We still had a ways to go, so backtracking wasn't really and option. Grr. Stuff like this happens on the road, and you just have to roll with it. Colleen excels at that. Within 10 minutes, she had a plan. We would stop at a little historic church for lunch, then drive to the town of Hvammstangi to get some groceries, stop at a fishing village called Drangsnes for a dip in a hot bath, then on to our final destination at the campsite in Melanes. 

Þingeyrakirkja Church

 The church was pretty, and Hvammstangi was a beautiful and picturesque fishing village, but the highlight was the hot bath at Drangsnes. Drangsnes is another incredibly picturesque fishing village (Iceland has no shortage of those), worth a visit on it's own, but we went for the hot baths. Being so geologically active, Iceland has an abundance of geothermal hot springs. Where they occur, local towns harness the hot springs for power, hot water, and best of all public baths. Drangsnes' baths are special in that they are set into the rocky shores of the bay (as a matter of fact, they are so close to the ocean, there are another set of baths further up the hill for when the waves are too high). We parked on the street next to the baths. There was a small building across the street where you could change and shower (Icelanders are strict about showering before entering baths - there are signs at all baths warning tourists to shower and wash before entering). Walking back across the street was a bit unpleasant because it was a bit cold and windy and we were wet from the shower, but all is forgotten when you get in the bath. After all that driving, a soak in 40 degree water (104 Fahrenheit) not 10 feet from the north Atlantic ocean looking out over mountains, fields a village and a beautiful blue sky. It was an awesome experience.

 

 

a chilly walk across the street

 

 Drangsnes Hot Baths

Thus refreshed, we set out for our final destination. The Westfjords are one of the more remote areas in Iceland, and as such, the roads can be a little rougher than in the rest of the country. It is also a mountainous region with most of the settlements along the coast. The ride was stunning if somewhat bumpy and windy. The GPS got us turned around again (we really need to get that map), but we finally made it to our campsite around 6pm. What a campsite. It may be the most beautiful campsite I've ever stayed at. Imagine a grassy field adjacent to a horse farm that backs up to an enormous white sand beach. Cold winds blowing from towering cliffs pushing low hanging clouds out to the Atlantic over a beach the size of a small town. Absolutely stunning. 

Melanes Campsite

 

Wednesday is all about the puffins. At least it was supposed to be...

Michael

Montpelier VT

Another Big Day

Monday was another big day. Myvatn is a lake in northern Iceland that is located in a geologically active area. It boasts mud cauldrons, steaming vents, lava  fields, volcanos, and hot springs. We had one day to pack it all in.

Myvatn campsite

Making dinner

Doing the dishes

First stop Hverir. We were up early, so we had the place pretty much to ourselves. It was surreal. Imagine a barren brown landscape dotted white and yellow mineral deposits. Eerie boiling mud puddles, some small, some big, some simmering, and some at a rolling boil. There were 4 foot high cones emitting vigorous jets of white steam reeking of the rotten egg smell of sulfur and ammonia, and everything was covered in the billowing mist and smell from the vents. It was surreal and pretty neat, although Madeleine did not care for the smell. 

This place stinks

Next stop was Dummuborgir. Dummuborgir is a lava field with strange vertical formations that are pretty impressive. It is also supposed to be the home of trolls and the Yule Lads, 13 mischievous trolls with names like sausage swiper, spoon licker and window peeper who figure prominently in Icelandic Christmas traditions. We had a pleasant stroll through the area and met a lovely German couple that we kept bumping into the rest of the day.

Next stop was Hverfjall, a nearly perfectly symmetrical volcano crater. As I understand it, this volcano erupted under a lake. Under those circumstances, the magma ejected from the volcano is turned into ash and small stones rather than jagged rock formations. This is what led to the volcano’s shape. Whatever the reason, it was pretty neat, and there was a fairly easy path to the top. Wow, walking up a volcano, then around its rim was a pretty fantastic experience. The path along the rim was wide, but the drop offs on either side were pretty steep, so that got you attention. However the volcano’s perfect slopes and the dormant caldera with its central dome were showstoppers. 

Hverfjall

After along day of sightseeing and driving around, what better way to end it than with a hot bath. Not in a tub mind you, but in a powder blue mineral rich natural outdoor hot spring with a walk up bar and panoramic views. I didn’t book much in advance for this trip, but I did book the Myvatn nature baths because I didn’t want to miss it. I’m glad I did too, it was fantastic. The pool is about the size of a public pool and there were a hundred or so people there so it wasn’t crowded. It was a bit cold getting in and out, but once in, it was heaven. The minerals that make the water its special color are said to do wonders for your skin (they sell products in the gift shop for a small fortune), but to me, it was worth it just for the soak. 

Back to the campsite relaxed and ready for tomorrow, which will be our longest drive day of the trip (at least 8 hours). As we were getting ready for bed, we noticed something. The sun is setting here around 10:30 (although even after it sets it doesn’t really get dark, the sun just drops below the horizon then pops back up at 4 in the morning), but we noticed that the path it takes as it sets is a much shallower angle with respect to the horizon than latitudes further south. In other words, the sun travels a significant horizontal distance as it sets. I know that the sun does this, but to see it in person was pretty cool.

Wait! I almost forgot about the roadside shower. So I guess someone installed a perpetual shower (there’s no on or off or temp control) over a hot spring next to a road out of town. No one knows who or why. We heard about it from a friend of Colleen’s that had been to Iceland. Of course Colleen had to check it out…

Michael
Bogarnes campsite 
Iceland

We Need a Map…

Our day Sunday basically consisted of a drive from Hofn to Myvatn, with a stop for a hike to the Studlagil canyon. About 4 or 5 hours of driving with an hour or so to check out the canyon. Actually, one of our lighter days. The van came equipped with a gps enabled tablet that we have been using for directions (it’s also a wireless hotspot, so we have access to all our electronic conveniences - for better or for worse). The tablet has been great and we’ve been able to get around with ease, until today. It started off about an hour and a half into the ride when we ended up on a pretty dodgy gravel road. Up to now, we’ve been driving on fairly well maintained (if somewhat narrow) 2 lane highways. The road got worse and worse as we climbed higher and higher. Potholes, switchbacks, steep drop offs, and some white knuckle turns. We kept checking the tablet and it kept telling us we were on the right track. Well we got through it and back to the main road, but we checked our guide book and found out we had taken a mountain pass and listed as option 3 out of 3 for way to get to where we were going “route 939: a summer only gravel shortcut. Not a good option in bad weather or fog, and closed in winter.” The tablet got us turned around  again later on the way to the canyon. Time for a paper map.

Bye bye Hofn

Hello dodgy mountain pass

Anyway short entry today, aside from some driving mishaps our only stop was Studlagil canyon. I guess the canyon kind of “revealed itself” about 10 years ago when a new dam lowered the water level in the river. The distinguishing feature of the canyon is its azure blue water and basaltic column formations. Pretty spectaculalar really. While hiking, the canyon though, we met and had a chat with a lovely Icelandic couple who strongly recommended we visit the active volcano outside Reykjavik. More on that later…

Studlagil canyon

Michael
Bogarnes campsite
Iceland