Three days in Iceland: 3 – The Golden Circle

14 August, 2014

The second tour, on my last day in Reykjavik,  was what they call the Golden Circle because it’s a circular tour and visits Gullfoss, the golden waterfall. You need to use your imagination to see the golden tinge to the cascading water!

Does this look golden to you?

Gullfoss - The "smoke" is spray, not steam

This tour took in the geyser field at Geysir. I was surprised to learn there is in fact only one such field in Iceland. I’d imagined them all over the place.

Looking down on the geyser field

The largest geyser rarely erupts these days but a smaller one does about every five minutes. Water shoots to about 30 m but I think 20 m would have been more like it when I saw it. And, after waiting, waiting, waiting ... it really is a case of “blink and you miss it”. Another belief of mine shattered. The water goes up and down, that’s it, it’s not a prolonged spouting. It’s also accompanied by massive clouds of steam, hiding most of the water anyway.

Big Geysir - rarely blows these days

Little Geysir blowing

There were lots of bubbling pools about and en route you saw pockets of steam dotted across hills and lava plains. You couldn’t mistake it for a fire, the “smoke” is too pure white.

Bubbling away

Puffs of steam on the hillsides

More typical Icelandic scenery, this time lava fields

The third main stop was at Thingvellir where the first Icelandic “parliament” – Althingi – was held, starting way back in about 930 AD and held there until the mid 19th century. There were no structures here, it was more of a natural amphitheatre, of sorts.

Looking down on the Althingi site

So not really anything to see in that respect but it is the location where tectonic plates meet, the cleaving line between Europe and North America. The crack obviously wasn’t too deep at that point and it was fascinating to be able to walk in that small valley between the plates.

Path in the rift between
the European and American tectonic plates

Rock face of the rift wall

Coins in a pool of the river between the tectonic plates

At the start of the day we drove through clouds.

Driving through cloud

And most places you drive you see Icelandic horses. They’re like Shetland ponies with long legs! The horses are both raced and eaten … by humans.

Icelandic horses

A completely different sight – and sound – finished the day. After having (not particularly good) pizza for tea, a ramshackle band came shuffle-marching down the main street, introducing Reykjavik’s jazz festival.It was a happy note upon which to finish my whistle-stop visit to Iceland.

Jazz band - everybody in!

I went to Iceland because the cheapest flight from Boston to London was with Icelandair. I mentioned this to two of my daughters before I booked. One said “I’d love to go to Iceland” to which I replied “So would I but I won’t be stopping, just an hour at the airport.” At which they chorused “You can’t do that!!” Upon investigation I discovered you can stop over for up to seven days for the same airfare as not stopping at all. Great! But beware, everything else, accommodation and food, are top dollar.

Three days in Iceland: 2 – The Shanks’ Pony Tour

14 August, 2014

The middle day of my Iceland stay, Wednesday August 13, was spent walking about Reykjavik, and it really is walkable for the most part. Even crossing the city back and forth, as I did, is no great chore. I’d have loved to be there longer to get to the sites a bit further afield. The main reason I chose that day for my walkabout was because at midday there was a free 30 minute midday concert at Hallgrimskirkja by Iceland’s Schola Cantorum. They were wonderful, I’m so glad I didn’t miss it.

Hallgrimskirkja

Hallgrimskirkja itself is interesting. Unmistakably different externally, with a very plain Protestant interior and a few well-chosen adornments.

Interior of Hallgrimskirkja

Inside Hallsgrimkirkja

From the tower you get 360 degree views of the nation’s capital, and only, city. Spot City Hall!

View from Hallgrimskirkja's tower

There seemed to be churches dotted all about the place. Most were small, except for the mid-sized Catholic church, and Hallgrimskirkja, of course. You can see the relative size of the Cathedral by noting the size of the altar in the background of the photo of the older baptismal font.

Baptismal font, Hallgrimskirkja

Baptismal font at the Cathedral

The Catholic church is home to a beautiful medieval Madonna and Child statue.

Medieval Madonna and Child

Across from Hallgrimskirkja is the Einar Jonsson Museum. The rather stark building wasn’t open at the time but I did spend a while wandering the grounds, looking at the sculptures there … and dodging children on a school picnic outing.

Einar Jonsson Museum, front

Einar Jonsson Museum, back

Einar Jonsson Museum, sculpture garden

There are sculpture pieces dotted about the city, mostly modern and quirky. I particularly liked this chunky water carrier.

Water carrier

And along the sea front, a modern take on an ancient Viking sailing ship.

Sun Voyager, a representation of a Viking settler ship

I’d heard some excellent music early in the morning, albeit briefly. First thing, I went on a tour of Harpa, Reykjavik’s new concert hall. A fabulous building. We went to go into one of the spaces but had to quickly stop at the door, for as a long a ‘brief moment’ as we could!, because the (I think) Iceland Symphony Orchestra was rehearsing. They too sounded wonderful.

Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik

View of Reykjavik Harbour from Harpa's rooftop balcony

Iceland’s President was attending a conference that was also going on at Harpa. His car and driver were waiting outside. No security, no escort, no special parking compound, no back door entry and exit. Nice safe Iceland. (Crime fiction aside!!)

The President's car, waiting outside Harpa

One of my current favourite authors is an Icelandic crime writer. I have some of his books on my Kindle so it was good to see the print version on his home territory, if not in his language.

Icelandic crime - The Reykjavik Murders

Iceland’s Parliament building is impressive but modest in size. By contrast, Reykjavik City Hall is quite large and also impressive, if in a different way (depending on what you think of modern architecture!).

Parliament

Reykjavik City Hall

After visiting the 10th century ruins found when excavating for a new building, the library and the Photography Museum, it was time to head off to a memorable evening! I took the No.14 bus to the Laugardalslaug swimming pool. There you can swim and also sit in hot pots (still water) and spas (spa jets so strong there are straps to hold on to so you don’t get whooshed into a stranger’s lap!). It’s a very Icelandic thing to do apparently and certainly, there were crowds there and, when I got out of the water at 8pm, people were still arriving. This is outdoors and the temperature was about 10 degrees! And it was fine! 

The Laugardalslaug swimming pool

What was truly memorable for me was “acting like a local”. You have to shower before getting in the pool, and shower naked, in communal showers! I can’t think that I’ve been naked in public for 60 years!!! To be honest, it was almost liberating. No one looks – but, all the same, I couldn’t help noticing, with relief, that amongst all the trim bodies there were some like mine, and some a lot more so!!! I also had cause to thank the honest Icelanders. I hadn’t closed my locker properly but when I got out of the pool, everything was intact – including my passport and a reasonable amount of cash.

After the pool it was dinner, then a walk back to my hotel. At 10.00 pm the sun still hadn’t set.

10 pm in Reykjavik

Three days in Iceland: 1 – The South Shore

12 August, 2014

At point of departure from home I wasn’t as happy with my organisation and planning as I have been in the past. It showed up in Iceland, even before I left home. I’d do it differently if I had it to do again. For a three day stop-over I decided two x 1-day tours and one day walking about Reykjavik would be my best chance at a taste of the country. The airport at Keflavik and Icelandair leave a bit to be desired (poor service, bag delay from plane with no information) but everyone and everything else was brilliant.

Typical Icelandic countryside

Because of the bag delay I was panicking about missing my first tour but the bus people smoothed it all out so efficiently, pleasantly, no fuss. That was to the south coast as far as Vik to a beach with black sand (gravel, pebbles and stones, in fact!), basalt columns, caves and amazing rock formations. Oh, and a paraglider!

The South Shore, Iceland

Cave and basalt pillars, South Shore

Spot the paraglider!

On the way there, there were glaciers.

Farm at the foot of Eyjafjallajokull,
the glacier topped volcano that erupted 2010

“Black” glacier – still covered with ash
following the 2010 volcano eruption

Two weeks before this visit, the glacier had become unstable so people were barred from walking where they had been allowed to up until then. The Icelanders have an attitude to safety that assumes a measure of common sense, as typified by the danger sign and how it was posted!

Safety notice, Icelandic style!

On the way back there were wonderful waterfalls.

Waterfall with double rainbow

Seljalandsfoss waterfall

Walking behind Seljalandsfoss -
a damp experience and a slippery scramble over rocks!

And also on the way back there was a museum of Icelandic life, including turf houses. The houses were largely built of stone with turf padding/insulation up the external walls and over the roof. The stone part of the construction reminded me of the houses from 5,000 BC discovered at Scara Brae on Orkney.

Turf houses - insulation when it's freezing!

Stonework, very similar to a Scara Brae kitchen

The latter part of the day gave me one of my worst travel experiences ever. Earlier, I’d asked the Chinese woman in front of me not to lean her head on the window, it was blocking my view. On the way back her husband “defended her honour”. They swapped seats and he reclined his seat – I didn’t know bus seats could recline so far. I asked him to sit up a bit, explained I was being squashed. He wouldn’t budge. But then he complained that my knees were in his back …. well they were being crushed, every move to relieve the pressure, of course he’d feel it. And his head was almost in my lap. If the bus had stopped even a little suddenly I’d have (very unwillingly!) been kissing his bald spot. Oh yuk!!

That night I did treat myself to a better meal than I usually settle for (cheaper meals being a big way of saving money). Boston host Piers had asked an Icelandic colleague for eating out suggestions. I couldn’t find the recommended one I chose but on the strength of the effort they both went to, I found a very nice alternative. Then walked home in ‘daylight’ afterwards in spite of it being after 10 pm!

Hallsgrimskirkja at 10.45 pm