The Wet and Cold of Iceland
For a country like Iceland, we can only describe it in its elements. While I will argue Magic being it’s fifth element, and Moss it’s sixth element, it is truly a land of fire and ice. Within a span of a few hours in the car, we would pass a volcano, a glacier, volcanic rock covered with moss, hayfields with roaming horses, cliffsides with cascading waterfalls, and steaming patches of natural lagoons or tempered geysers.
The Blue Lagoon was our first touch of the landscape. It’s creamy, mineral rich waters penetrated the muscles as much as the mind. It had two bars - one for drinks, and one for facial masks. While sipping a Fresh Forever drink (carrot, orange, apple, ginger) I would let the face mask harden before repeating the process. We had flown into Iceland that morning, and as the lagoon was near the airport, we went after a short nap, and before we hit the Golden Circle. And, as it was Jamie’s 38th birthday, the spa was a perfect celebratory event. Bronte was such a travel rock star as well. She slept on the plane and in the car, and we took turns playing with her and feeding her in a lounge area while the others were in the lagoon.
We stayed our first night in a town named Fludir within the Golden Circle at The Hill Hotel. The food was excellent, and Jamie got a birthday dinner after a day of travel. I remember going to bed early for Bronte, but we were so scared to miss the Northern Lights, should they show, if they show - that we got out of bed and peered through our curtains every hour till 2am. No lights occurred, and Bronte was all the better for it.
Since we spent most of our first day at the Blue Lagoon, we didn’t see much of the Golden Circle until our second day. Gullfoss Falls was our first stop, and it was a mighty introduction to the dynamic landscape. The wind was piercing, the atmosphere frosty, and the water thunderous. We stood for photos, realizing we are not as equipped gear wise for the wild weather of this country, and zipped Bronte up to her nose in my coat. Thankfully this was also the visitor’s center where we got introduced to their meat soup, which brought us back to life, and had excellent shopping. Yes - we geared up with better hats and gloves for the remainder of the trip!
Geysir was our second stop in the famous Golden Circle (a popular scenic route), and the eruptions were enormous. There is one geyser there that does even larger eruptions, but significantly less frequent than its neighbors.
Our second and third night were spent in a town called Vik, and we made sure to stop at two waterfalls along the way. At Seljalandsfoss Falls, we were able to walk a ways to see a multitude of tiny waterfalls, and this is where I got a coffee and donuts. Jamie and Jane were already addicted to the meat soup, and so they ordered more for the road. What is so fun about Iceland, is how accessible everything can be. You pop in and out of your car to see stunning waterfalls just along the roadside, or hikes to glaciers that aren’t more than a mile away from your car.
Skogafoss Falls was wild and immense. The spray was refreshing, and Jim dared to go as close as you can without swimming at its base. The closer you get to waterfalls of this magnitude, there becomes a beautiful eeriness to it as the mist pulls you in, and obscures what surrounds you.
While at Vik, we enjoyed staying at Black Beach Suites, which only had views of the open fields, but we woke up to sheep outside our door. It was tucked away from the town, which was optimal for viewing the Northern Lights, and close to Black Sand Beach. What wasn’t optimal for viewing the Northern Lights was the immense fog and rain that accompanied our stay in Vik. Iceland reminded us each day that nature is nature, and wild is wild. You can only see and feel what is given to you, and that beauty comes in what you do not seek.
I was very excited for Vik - the small town with an adorable chapel and gorgeous beaches that have basalt columns and caves, resembling Giants etched in mountainsides. It turned out to be a great place for pizza, craft beer, and we also discovered Faxi Bakery between Vik and the waterfalls we mentioned, that made wonderful drinks and delicious toasties. It was at Faxi Bakery that one night Jamie and I took the car out between 12-2am in search for pockets in the overhanging fog - searching in vain for those pretty lights up North.
At Black Sand Beach, Bronte’s largest struggle was not the cold wind or the strong currents of the coastline. It was the immense amount of clothes we stuffed her in. We got a couple photos of her sitting upright, but be aware that it did not last long. She was Randy from A Christmas Story, though without the verbal ability to shout “I can’t move my arms!” Did that upset her though? She looked at the crashing waves, fantastical columns of the land mass surrounding her, and observed. She knew she was along for the ride, and was our best companion.
Our last stop before returning to Reykjavik was journeying to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. We stayed at Hótel Jökulsárlón, which was such a treat. It had beautiful scenery all around, it was remote, and we felt secluded and content. The hot tubs outside afforded us a leisurely way to watch for the Northern Lights (which again, were hidden by fog if they were present). We went to view the glacier lagoon one day, where bright blue icebergs littered the waterways, and we then braved the wind and rain at Diamond Beach - appropriately named for the beach line was dotted with washed ashore icebergs. While we did not see the elusive Northern Lights, we left the Eastern coast of Iceland with a heart full of admiration for all it offered us.
