We departed England and made it to Iceland and the final, 4-day leg of our 16 week travel odyssey across much of Europe. It’s been an adventure! And also exhausting and exhilarating, in equal parts.
Reykjavik, Iceland
We departed London, England out of Gatwick Airport on April 26th and arrived at Keflavik International Airport in Iceland a quick 2 hour and 45 minute flight later. We picked up our rental car and found our way to the Bergas Guesthouse, an easy 8-minute drive from the airport. I don’t really know what to call the Bergas Guesthouse … it’s a cross between an AirBnB, a youth hostel and a hotel. We have a room with three single beds and small kitchenette, though there is no cooking appliance other than a microwave. We DO have a private bathroom. There are a couple of communal spaces, one with a large television though there is no television in our room. We are in Room 12 and we are only halfway down the hall. There is a housekeeping crew that comes in and gives us fresh towels … they may have made our beds had we not already done so. It is quite unlike anything I have experienced on our travels. Traditional hotels are insanely expensive and the AirBnB’s are snapped up quickly. We were hungry and had arrived in the late afternoon, so once we got settled we went in search of food. We were pointed in the direction of the Kaffi Duus where Keith made happy hour with 5 minutes to spare. We perused the menu and then picked our jaws up off the table. I was prepared for prices being more … just not THAT much more. Our dinner for three which included a main pasta dish for Reece and two starter dishes plus a bread basket for Keith and I came to over 85,000 kronas … and since the krona is about 1000 : 1 ratio with the US dollar, we’re looking at almost $85 for that one meal. I am not sure I have ever paid that much for a meal for the three of us ever. I think, even in Paris, we could get a couple of meals for that amount. It’s the price you pay when you visit new places. Adjust your expectations should you ever decide to visit.
We did hit the grocery store to pick up some breakfast items and such. It was a beautiful evening and we are right on the water which made for a lovely and not-too-cold walk.
Day One
We were struggling with deciding what to do. Part of that stemmed from being days away from the end of 16 long weeks. We were feeling it by the time we hit Iceland and I wondered if we had made the right decision by choosing to add the stopover. However, we did want to see the country but it really is quite spread out. We had a rental car but after all the driving we did in England, we weren’t too interested in driving hours upon hours. And we have to take into account the weather. The next two days are supposed to be nice so we decided to take today to visit the Reykjadajal geothermal river in Haverageroi, about an hour and 15 minute drive from where we were staying.
I put Keith in charge of the driving … it was a little awkward for me after having driven in England these last 5 weeks … different side of the car and the road and there are still traffic circles but you give way to the left instead of the right. I am going to need some practice. I was happy to hand over those duties, however, and help him navigate and simply stare out the window at the beauty of the country. We found the trail head easily enough but that is where disappointment set in. The trail was closed for environmental reasons and no hikers were allowed to enter. We did hike around for a couple of hours anyway but we were all looking forward to the hour hike into the valley and a nice long soak in the river before heading back out. Apparently we just missed the opportunity to hike in by a couple of weeks. The trail is closed until the middle of May.
After meandering around the hillside for a couple of hours, we headed back towards Reykjavik and civilization. We stopped at the IKEA store because I had never been in one and basically every Air BnB that we stayed at that was even remotely updated … no matter what part of Europe … has been outfitted by IKEA. Plus, we were hungry and I heard they have a cafeteria there. In that, we were not disappointed. And spent significantly less than we had the night before. Roasted chicken for me and Swedish meatballs for Keith and Reece.
Day Two
Keith had done a bit of research and discovered that we could purchase a City Pass and gain free entry into many of the museums AND take a ferry ride to Videy Island. In addition, it gave us entry into any and all of the numerous geothermal pools located in the vicinity and free bus transportation within the city limits. It sounded like too good of a deal to pass up so we made our purchase and the next day we headed into Reykjavik proper and City Hall to pick up our passes and go exploring. Since the day was sunny and dry, we decided to head over to Videy Island and take advantage of the decent weather.
Videy Island is the largest island in Kollafjorour Bay and is divided by a narrow isthmus creating the West Island and the East Island. It is accessible by a 5-minute ferry ride and is home to many plant and bird species.
Upon returning to the “main” land, we got a quick bite to eat at Subway … don’t judge us! We were all hangry and quickly in need of nourishment. Subway was a safe bet and reasonably priced, though still a bit more expensive than at home. Then we decided to brave the public geothermal pools and found the nearest one. If parking was any indication, the place was packed but we luckily scored a spot quickly and headed in. This particular pool was an outdoor pool and not as warm as one might expect from a geothermal body of water. The hot tub area was decidedly more our speed and the perfect temperature allowed us to lounge in it for roughly an hour, spending our time chatting and people watching.
Day Three
This day dawned overcast, grey and drizzly. Our last full day in Iceland had us making our way back into Reykjavik and museum hopping from one place to another, walking around town. Being that it was a Sunday, City Center parking was free. So we followed our map and meandered the city.
This was the day we decided to try Icelandic fish and chips. We headed to the water and to a restaurant that had three choices of fresh caught fish … pick your fish and your side dish or choose from one of the daily specials. It was filling and hit the spot, although we all prefer the English style of fish and chips. Now we know.
Final Day
Our flight out of Iceland left at 5 p.m. which meant we had some time to kill on our last day. Since we had the rental car until just before taking off, we decided to head out to The Blue Lagoon to see what all the fuss was about.
The glacier blue color of the water sure looks inviting. There are many smaller pools just outside the facility and have a volcanic rock pathway that guides you around them. The actual soaking area is large and spectacular. We didn’t swim … it cost roughly $100 per person to take a dip and since we were leaving that afternoon, we decided against that but I will tell you, I think I could sit and look at the water all day long. The color is truly stunning and breathtaking.
So that is it … our 16 week travel odyssey has come to a close. Our 7.5 hour flight had us arriving in Seattle at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time. After taking off at 5 p.m. local time from Iceland, it almost felt like we were time traveling. Immigration and Customs was a snap to get through, aside from a little hiccup when the Agricultural dog hit on the back pack that carried the wrappers of food already consumed in flight. But that was relatively painless as well. We easily made it to our gate to board our flight home to Juneau. And we even had an opportunity to make a food stop at Burger King. It’s no Wendy’s but I do like the onion rings. Stay tuned for more blog posts on life in Juneau. But until then … Cheers!
Teresa