We arrived back in Reykjavik on October 28 and spent our first night back in the campground where our whole adventure started. We visited the flea market in Kolaportid and found two really interesting tables; one that had a lot of vintage Icelandic post cards and photos, and one with a lot of great bones and whale-tooth carvings. We spent the rest of the day doing a $14 load of laundry and re-packing everything and cleaning out the car.
The next morning we picked up our friend Grace at the airport, returned our rental car and picked up a new one and then headed back South on Route 1 to take her to some of our favorite spots before the music festival. We stopped in Hveragerdi to get Grace her first Icelandic hot dog then drove to Gljufrabui and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls. We hiked into the canyon to see the falls again then drove another 30 minutes to Skogafoss and then took a quick hike down the valley path to Kvernufoss. We stopped at the fish and chips truck for dinner and then made our way all the way across the Southern coast to Hofn to camp for the night. On the way we stopped again at the black sand beach outside of Vik, and this time the tide was low so we were able to see so many more of basalt columns as well as access the much bigger cave further down the shoreline.
The next day we took Grace out to Flaajokull glacier along the stone road in front, since that was our favorite of all the glaciers we had visited, then stopped at Jokulsarlon to see the glacier lagoon and the beach. It looked completely different than when we had been there before...there were almost no small pieces of ice and all the huge chunks were crowded together at the mouth of the river. The beach had none of the huge icebergs that we had climbed on the first time, and not even that many small pieces...I preferred how it looked the first time we got to visit it, but it was nice to see how it changes so we could better appreciate it.
The next morning we picked up our friend Grace at the airport, returned our rental car and picked up a new one and then headed back South on Route 1 to take her to some of our favorite spots before the music festival. We stopped in Hveragerdi to get Grace her first Icelandic hot dog then drove to Gljufrabui and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls. We hiked into the canyon to see the falls again then drove another 30 minutes to Skogafoss and then took a quick hike down the valley path to Kvernufoss. We stopped at the fish and chips truck for dinner and then made our way all the way across the Southern coast to Hofn to camp for the night. On the way we stopped again at the black sand beach outside of Vik, and this time the tide was low so we were able to see so many more of basalt columns as well as access the much bigger cave further down the shoreline.
The next day we took Grace out to Flaajokull glacier along the stone road in front, since that was our favorite of all the glaciers we had visited, then stopped at Jokulsarlon to see the glacier lagoon and the beach. It looked completely different than when we had been there before...there were almost no small pieces of ice and all the huge chunks were crowded together at the mouth of the river. The beach had none of the huge icebergs that we had climbed on the first time, and not even that many small pieces...I preferred how it looked the first time we got to visit it, but it was nice to see how it changes so we could better appreciate it.
We spent that night at Selfoss and then returned to Reykjavik the next day to pick up our wristbands for the Airwaves festival and scope out some of the venues. We visited the Iceland Phallological museum, where they house a collection of over two hundred penises from all the land and sea mammals found in Iceland (yes, even human) and the sperm whale penis was taller than Steve. We checked into our Air BnB that afternoon, and it was really nice to be indoors and sleep in a real bed after spending a month in a tent. It was a nice big apartment and only a 10 minute drive from downtown. The best part is $86 a night is way cheaper than any hostel bed in town, and infinitely cheaper than the cheapest hotel.
The Iceland Airwaves Festival started on November 1st and went through the 5th, and over those 5 days we saw over 30 different bands perform and numerous venues large and small all around the city. There were big famous names sharing the stage with little local bands, and we discovered a lot of great new music. Some bands we planned to see ahead of time, but many of them we discovered as we wandered around the city. In between shows we did some shopping and found some unique local places for lunch where we sampled whale steak, ate some fresh seafood and sampled a popular local fish stew. The final day of the festival we woke up to an insane storm with 50mph wind gusts that blew us sideways across the rain-slicked plaza in front of the Harpa center and we only saw a few shows before we went home to get dry. The final headline concert of the festival was Mumford and Sons, and they put on a fantastic live show.
The Iceland Airwaves Festival started on November 1st and went through the 5th, and over those 5 days we saw over 30 different bands perform and numerous venues large and small all around the city. There were big famous names sharing the stage with little local bands, and we discovered a lot of great new music. Some bands we planned to see ahead of time, but many of them we discovered as we wandered around the city. In between shows we did some shopping and found some unique local places for lunch where we sampled whale steak, ate some fresh seafood and sampled a popular local fish stew. The final day of the festival we woke up to an insane storm with 50mph wind gusts that blew us sideways across the rain-slicked plaza in front of the Harpa center and we only saw a few shows before we went home to get dry. The final headline concert of the festival was Mumford and Sons, and they put on a fantastic live show.
On the 6th we checked out of the Air BnB and met our guide Ragnar at noon for our Golden Circle tour before spending the night in the Bubble Hotel, our biggest splurge of the trip. Even though we had already been to most of the places he took us we appreciated getting to see them again, and we were finally able to ask all the questions we'd been wondering about the whole time. Our first stop was Thingvellir National Park where we had gone to snorkel, and he took us to a section of the park we hadn't been to and walked a path in between the tectonic plates (much warmer than swimming), in the same area they used to film the road to the Eyrie in Game of Thrones. We saw where Iceland's first Parlaiment met in 930 AD and the hill where they used to read the laws to the people. Funnily enough, Iceland didn't impose the death penalty on people until after they adopted Christianity...apparently Vikings are more humane as pagans than Christians.
We stopped at Geysir and stayed for several eruptions, and got a much bigger one on film than last time. Then we went to Gullfoss and I really appreciated getting to see it again because it looked so drastically different. It had done quite a bit of snowing by then, and the temperature had dropped considerably so it looked like a completely different place. The mist form the falls had frozen on the rocks and formed long, jagged icicle teeth framing both the upper and lower falls. The pathway to the edge of the falls was closed so it was possible to get some really great photos without hoards of people in them. We ate dinner around 5 at a local restaurant then went to the secret lagoon after dark. It was a nice hot spring that reminded me a lot of Orvis near Telluride Colorado...definitely a man-made pool but with a very natural vibe. They had poop noodles to use so we grabbed a few and had a relaxing float. The sky was clear when we arrived but then a big bank of clouds rolled in and dumped big fat snowflakes for about ten minutes before leaving as fast as it came.
We stopped at Geysir and stayed for several eruptions, and got a much bigger one on film than last time. Then we went to Gullfoss and I really appreciated getting to see it again because it looked so drastically different. It had done quite a bit of snowing by then, and the temperature had dropped considerably so it looked like a completely different place. The mist form the falls had frozen on the rocks and formed long, jagged icicle teeth framing both the upper and lower falls. The pathway to the edge of the falls was closed so it was possible to get some really great photos without hoards of people in them. We ate dinner around 5 at a local restaurant then went to the secret lagoon after dark. It was a nice hot spring that reminded me a lot of Orvis near Telluride Colorado...definitely a man-made pool but with a very natural vibe. They had poop noodles to use so we grabbed a few and had a relaxing float. The sky was clear when we arrived but then a big bank of clouds rolled in and dumped big fat snowflakes for about ten minutes before leaving as fast as it came.
When we got to the bubbles Ragnar showed us the grounds before leaving. There were 8 bubbles scattered throughout a small stand of trees that passes for an Icelandic forest, and a small common bathroom/kitchen hut on a farmers land. They are basically clear plastic igloos on a wooden platform with a queen bed inside and two small lamps. There was a power strip and an electric blanket for extra warmth, but since they were inflated with a constant stream of warm air the temperature was fairly pleasant inside. There were two doors, an outer and an inner and you can only open one at a time or you'll let all the air out and the whole thing will deflate. We chose the one with the most trees surrounding it, and the lamps give off a soft yellow glow that makes the bubbles glow golden between the trees. With the lights off the bubble is crystal clear and we had a great view of the trees all around thanks to the almost full moon, and the clouds had cleared out so we slept under an infinity of stars. It felt like the bubble wasnt even there and we were sleeping in a big comfy bed in the middle of the woods. It was a great experience, and worth all the expense. In the morning Ragnar picked us up early and took us for breakfast at another local restaurant then dropped us back off at the campground. We spent the day packing our bikes back into the boxes and sorting out all of our luggage.
November 8 was our last night in Iceland and we were treated to one more northern lights spectacular before bed. We woke in the morning to our tent covered in frost with sleet and heavy winds, a perfect day to think about heading for home. For our last meal in Iceland on the day of our departure we found a local place serving puffin, one of the only Icelandic foods we hadn't run across on our journey. It snowed to see us off on our way to the airport, and we departed the country as the sun was setting.
November 8 was our last night in Iceland and we were treated to one more northern lights spectacular before bed. We woke in the morning to our tent covered in frost with sleet and heavy winds, a perfect day to think about heading for home. For our last meal in Iceland on the day of our departure we found a local place serving puffin, one of the only Icelandic foods we hadn't run across on our journey. It snowed to see us off on our way to the airport, and we departed the country as the sun was setting.
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