Iceland

There's no arguing that the scenery is amazing, but honestly, my favorite things about Iceland are their batshit crazy folklore and adorably odd quirks that come from living in a country of only a little over 330,000 people. Yep, the population of the entire country is less than that of Cleveland.

I learned so many fun facts about Iceland during my few days there that I don’t even know where to start. How about with the fact that phone books are listed by first names and that they are followed by your occupation? Actually, you can list any occupation you want. You can be a princess or a jedi or a wizard if your heart is set on it (and you will find those occupations in there). They do have last names in Iceland, but everyone goes by their first name (and if you want to give your child a first name not previously used in the country you must have it approved by the Icelandic Naming Committee) whether they are adults or teachers or the president. Last names are simply the father’s first name followed by either –son or –dottir. For example, if you’re a female whose father’s name is Jon, your last name is Jonsdottir. Easy enough.

Or maybe the fact that due to being such a small country, there is actually an app that lets you touch your phone to another and find out if you are related? Most popularly used by young people in clubs so as not to make the mistake of getting it on with your third cousin. Got to avoid those accidental awkward incestuous encounters.

Iceland has so many fun tidbits, and I have sprinkled them all throughout this blog that I’ve actually really been looking forward to writing.

As far as my trip, I had been wanting to go to Iceland for a long time. When I was in college studying abroad, I looked into flights, but they were super expensive. So when Lewis and I were planning our trip from New Zealand back to Scotland and then the US and he messaged me to say that our travel agent had offered us a free stopover in Iceland, I bounced off the walls for a minute and then said yes with a lot of exclamation marks and possibly capital letters.

That’s a great opportunity if you fly with Icelandair. They will allow you to stop over in Reykjavik for up to 7 days at no additional airfare cost. So if you’re headed to Europe and have the time, look into that!

Day 1 Reykjavik- Home Luxury Apartments & Harpa

We flew into Reykjavik from Glasgow, so it was not a long flight. In fact, the flight was shorter than the commute down to Glasgow. We landed after about two hours, and my first surprise was that it was warm! Warmer than Scotland, at any rate. This was near the end of June, and the weather was mostly sunny and mild for our stay.

We took the Flybus from the airport into Reykjavik. We then took a transfer shuttle to our choice of accommodation, Home Luxury Apartments. It was actually behind another building, Apartment K, where reception for both was located. They took us through a maze of stairs out back to reach our room (although luckily we had a back entrance from the street we could use once we had our key), and it was the coolest! It was like stepping straight into a 70s pad.

Wood-paneled floors, red and yellow walls, tall orange and white floor lamps with dimmers, a pink fridge, cubbyholes, and giant white and orange loungers. Our beds were Tempurpedic mattresses on the floor of a nook up on a little platform in the corner. We also had some nice modern amenities like a wall-mounted flat screen, iPod docking station, and oven/stove that were turned on by using your magnetic key. It was all just super retro and I actually would have rented it out as a real life apartment. One of my favorite accommodations ever.

It was late evening by the time we went out, but Icelandic summers get 22 hours of daylight which is a weird thing to experience. We had plenty of time left to explore.

Our room was in a really central location, and the Harpa opera house was only a couple blocks away. We went there first, mostly just to enjoy the glass-paned architecture and pretty view of the water.

We walked by city hall and around the lake afterwards, where I discovered what is easily my favorite statue in all of Reykjavik.

Don’t ruin the nonsensical beauty of this by asking questions.

We went to some restaurant for dinner, and despite it being happy hour, I could only afford one Stout beer (that is both the type and name of the beer) due to the crazy expensive prices in the country. Iceland is not a place to go when you’re broke. Or a vegetarian, for that matter. I’d had a sub earlier, so I didn’t eat, but I’m not sure I could have anyway. The Icelandic people eat a lot of soup and a lot of meat/fish.

We stopped at a 24 hour shop afterwards to grab some cheaper food items for breakfast the following day, then we walked back to the hotel. It was about midnight and then sun was just slightly starting to sink casting a pretty light off the windows of Harpa.

Iceland Fun Fact

In 2010, after three major banks collapsed and the government went bankrupt, Icelandic citizens elected an anarchist comedian as the mayor of Reykjavik. His name was Jon Gnarr, and he served one term under his made-up political party, the “Best Party”. You can find photos of him online in Obi Wan costumes. There are also photos of him leading the Gay Pride parade in full drag. He made totally outlandish campaign promises like eliminating all of the country’s debt and (more importantly) obtaining a polar bear for the zoo.

Day 2 Skogafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Vik, & Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon

This is one of those cases where I saw a couple super pretty professional photos of a place online and thought it was a must-see while in the area and dedicated a full, very long day to it and wouldn’t necessarily say it was worth it. If you’re road tripping around the country, then yes, go to Jokulsarlon. If it’s winter and you might see the northern lights (although you won’t get a boat tour in the winter), then yeah, that might be worth it too. But we spent about $250 on the tour and it did take up a loooong day, and the lagoon takes less than one hour of those 15 hours spent on the tour. I enjoyed the other stops and all, but if you are short a day and have to choose between this and, say, the Golden Circle, don’t spend your day on this.

Not that this wasn't cool, don't misunderstand me.

We were up at 6:30 AM to get ready for our pickup outside the hotel at 7:30. We went to the main station where all the tours depart and transferred onto a large bus. The drive to Jokulsarlon is four hours each way, and for some inexplicable reason, the bus was air-conditioned and cold.

We passed by the infamous Eyjafjallajokull (Icelandic language is so simple and easily pronounceable) that likes to erupt from time to time and shut down flights all around Europe. When I was studying in Northern Ireland, there was a big eruption that cleared the skies for days. It was near the end of the semester, and I remember French students and others boarding boats to get home because they couldn’t catch a flight.

Our first stop of the day was Skogafoss, a large waterfall that you could walk right up to if you wanted, but the mist poured off in a wide radius and was pretty chilly. We also climbed the stairs to the top for a different view.

We had a lunch stop at a little convenience station where I had a veggie burger and found myself an awesome, warm, reflective winter hat. It was a good thing I did, because I was freezing at the lagoon. It had been so warm in Reykjavik that I figured I’d be fine in a thin turtleneck, Sketchers, fingerless gloves, and a small pleather jacket. I was very incorrect. I was actually so grateful they gave us a lifejacket just to have an added layer, and I was pulling my hat down over my face to keep warm.

Probably the coolest part of Jokulsarlon was seeing icebergs for the first time ever in real life. They were all clear blue and jagged, scattered through the water. We boarded the boat after about ten minutes, one of those crazy land straight to water vehicles. The boat was very crowded for its small size, but it was neat to float between the icebergs. The guide picked up a sheet of ice at one point which we were all able to hold.

We glided around for about twenty minutes before docking back on shore, and we had a little bit of time to take photos on the black sand beach before boarding the bus to head back.

Our first stop on the return journey was a small seaside village called Vik. There was a diner where I had bread and soup (the Icelanders love their soup) and a wool shop where I got a really nice lime green and black jacket. It was over $100, but it was such nice material and warm without being bulky, plus I wanted at least one Icelandic outer wear purchase (not including the hat). I mean, they know how to deal with the cold.

We made one last stop at Seljalandsfoss, a waterfall you may recognize as being the backdrop for many a cliché inspirational quote. There’s a walkway that actually goes behind the waterfall which is the spot most of those photos are taken.

We were too tired when we arrived back at 10:30 PM to do anything else, so we were off to bed.

Iceland Fun Fact

Walking through gift shops, you may see some interesting looking children’s books. In particular, I ran across some Christmas lore. While American children are waiting for a fat guy in a red suit to bring them gifts, the Icelandic children are setting out their shoes in the lead-up to Christmas waiting for each of the 13 Yule Lads, aka terrifying trolls, to either bring them gifts if they’re good or rotten potatoes if they’re bad.

This isn’t even the best part. That was a positive modification to the story because kids were so terrified that the government actually stepped in. The real background is that the Yule Lads are the sons of a mountain ogre troll named Gryla who sent them into town to kidnap children for them all to eat (as a stew, in case you were wondering). The family also had a black cat, aptly named the Christmas Cat (cute and cuddly and starving for human flesh), who would eat any kids who didn’t receive clothing on Christmas.

It’s all just fun. Just fun and terrifying games. What’s Christmas without striking fear into the hearts of small children? I’ll definitely be buying my nonexistent kids a Gryla storybook for the holidays (this probably why I should never have them…).

Day 3 Laxne’s Horse Farm, Golden Circle, & Reykjavik

Sunday was great because it was a lot more fun and a lot less driving. We had signed up for a half-day Golden Circle trek and half-day horse trek. There are loads of options to combine the Golden Circle half-day with different activities, all of which were appealing. There was also an option for a full-day Golden Circle tour, but aside from feeling a bit rushed at Thingvellir on the half day, I don’t think you need more time.

We were picked up out front in the morning at 9 AM to go to Laxne’s horse farm. It was a cute little place with a small wooden bar full of photos of famous patrons adjacent to the room with helmets and riding gear.

After grabbing helmets and gloves, we went into the fenced-in area where the horses were all saddled up. They asked about our riding experience and assigned horses as they went. I got paired with a little brown one named Adda, and Lewis for his first ever time riding got a slightly taller one named Sara.

I say slightly taller, but really, all Icelandic horses are tiny. The breed has barely changed at all since the Viking era because Iceland has very strict policies on animals. To keep the breed pure and free from outside diseases, once an Icelandic horse has left Iceland for any reason (shows or travel, doesn’t matter), it can never be brought back in. Although, surprisingly, the only land mammal that is actually native to Iceland, looking all the way back, is the arctic fox.

Anyhow, we took a trail through the grass surrounded by countryside full of purple flowers that were actually imported from Alaska. There were mountains in the background, we passed by some creeks, and it was all very pretty.

On the ride back, they gave us the option to split into a separate group if we wanted to ride at a faster gait. We had trotted a little but mostly been walking, so I was excited to pick up the pace. We trotted the whole way back, but Adda was a great little speed demon and kept breaking into canters and gallops which I was happy to let her do until we were actually overtaking the guide.

When we got back to the stables after that fun ride, we had a half hour to wait before the shuttle for our Golden Circle express tour. Lewis paid for some soup and bread, and the bread was homemade and really good. We also spent more time with the horses and played tug of war with the stable dog over his own huge bread loaf.

The Golden Circle tour was super enjoyable. Our first stop was Thingvellir National Park, which, as I said, is the only place we could have benefitted from more time. The park sits on the rift valley between the European and American tectonic plates. There’s a bridge crossing the two.

Due to the plates shifting, there are all of these beautiful pools of water throughout the grass, all next to the sea. We walked a short way down into the valley and reached Law Rock where we were told the Vikings would gather to make their decisions.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to get to the cheerful nearby “drowning pool” where the executions from these decisions took place.

Next up was Gullfoss, the largest waterfall in Iceland. We stopped at the gift shop and café before walking down to it to grab a coffee, and that was a great call because it was the only source of warmth we had with all the mist flying at us. In fact (with no facts to back this up), Gullfoss seemed more powerful to me than Niagara, although not as nice to look at.

We started at a lookout point a good distance away and were already getting wet. We then walked up next to it for a closer view. It kind of flows over a small dip before rushing off the side of a huge cliff.

The final stop of the day was Geysir, a thermal area with a few hot pools and, of course, the gigantic geyser that explodes out of the ground every few minutes. It reminded me a bit of Rotorua.

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire bus ride back to Reykjavik because our guide was telling us all of these interesting facts about Iceland that I’ve been relaying to you.

Now actually seems like a great time to tell you my favorite Iceland fun fact. People actually believe in fairies and trolls and elves. They also believe in a group called “hidden people” who were supposedly Eve’s children. They’re hidden because they were dirty when God came to visit, so Eve hid them away and God punished her by making them hidden forever. They’re apparently meant to look like attractive people dressed in medieval style clothing (how anyone has “seen” people who are permanently hidden I never found out).

What’s better is that they think that elves live in boulders. If they find a boulder that they believe is housing an elf, they will draw a little door on it to signify to everyone that it is an elf home. Once, a construction crew was building a road and needed to move a boulder in the way. After two sets of equipment broke down trying to displace this boulder, they realized this obviously was the home of elves, and so they left it and built the road around it instead. The road is now called Elf Hill Road. I can confirm that driving back to Reykjavik that day, I saw multiple boulders along the roadside with tiny doors drawn on the front.

I mean, come on. It’s so adorable it makes me want to cook up a Christmas feast of small children.

Back in Reykjavik that day, we grabbed kebabs to eat by the lake, then we took another tour around the city. The evening light made everything look gorgeous (including my photos).

We walked to the opposite end of the lake where we had views of the domestic airport and the domed Perlan (The Pearl) in the distance. We also walked past Hallgrimmskirkja, but more on that the next day.

We went up onto the roof at 1 AM to watch the sun just starting to set. Too cool.

Iceland Fun Fact

Ok, I just gave you one like two paragraphs ago, but this is the final fun fact all about Iceland’s low crime rate and prison system. Iceland only has a murder occur about every 6-10 years, and they are almost never premeditated. One just happened this year, and if you search for “Iceland murder” you will see it’s the only case that fills the first page of search results. It’s a rare and shocking occurrence.

Meanwhile, the prisons are like leisure hotels, and there are only around 120 people incarcerated in the whole country. There’s actually a waiting list to get into the men's prison (sometimes guys try to get thrown back in on purpose, and some have to wait years to start their sentence). They get private furnished rooms, radios, flat screen TVs, PCs, games, a gym, and DVD players. A third of the way through their sentence, they can take a leave of absence! And that's not a one-off leave either.

Although I can't find articles to back this up (not that I strained myself looking), our tour guide told us the women's prison in Reykjavik only houses a few prisoners at a time, and they are allowed out every Friday for a day of shopping as long as they're back by 6. Crazy.

Day 4

Blue Lagoon

Our final day was our trip to the Blue Lagoon, but we woke up early to hurry over to Hallgrimmskirkja and go inside. As I said, we passed it the evening before and it's a very intimidating building. It's a tall pointed stone church with cascading sides and big carved doors. You can go in and visit the very top where you get all the picture-perfect views of Reykjavik.

The interior of the church was extremely bare and austere. There was a choir singing when we went in, but it didn't help make it feel any less empty.

We paid the small fee to visit the top and took the elevator up. There are windows on each side and you can look out over the colorful houses.

We then finally stopped into the small grocery store, Bonus, on our way back to the room, and we really should have been going there the whole time. We had a stove and a fridge, and it would've saved a lot more money. We finally bought a few Skyr yogurts too which our guide had told us were very popular in Iceland, and they were good, especially the coconut one.

After getting ready, we stood out front of the hotel to be picked up at 1 PM and head to the Blue Lagoon. It was about 40 minutes away in Grindavik. There are actually buses that do trips to the airport (the lagoon is between the airport and the city), so if you had a few hours during a layover or you wanted to stop on your way from Reykjavik the day you were leaving, it's easy to do so.

Once you're there, they'll give you a blue electronic (waterproof) wristband to wear all day which opens and locks your lockers. (I've never seen so many naked women in one place as I did in that European locker room. It was not as sexy as it sounds.) You can also swipe this to purchase anything you want at the lagoon from spa treatments to drinks and food. At the end, you'll pay for it all at the front.

Lewis and I met back outside, and it was a great day! The lagoon is gorgeous. The water is warm and milky blue with a haze of steam and there are wooden bridges and walking paths all around.

While it is a popular tourist attraction, I definitely didn't feel like it was crowded, and you could easily find secluded corners of the lagoon to hang out in.

There's a rocky cave that you can swim into...

...a waterfall that makes a great shoulder massager...

...a spa section in the water where you could go if you wanted to pay the ridiculous prices for their services...

...stations with white silica clay you could use as a face mask...

...and a steam room and sauna outside the pool.

There was also a relaxation room on the second floor with recliners in front of big windows overlooking the water.

Our pickup time wasn't until 7, so we had five hours to enjoy the lagoon. I made Lewis carry me around on his back for like an hour because it felt like moon walking. At one point near the end, it started drizzling rain, and steam was just pouring off the lagoon and it looked so surreal and pretty.

The Blue Lagoon was on my bucket list for a long time and I was just so happy to finally be there. It was a perfect way to relax and unwind in the warm water after a busy few days, and the best choice to end the trip.

We left the following morning, and I wouldn't change a thing about our Icelandic visit! It was a perfect amount of time, a perfect choice of accommodation, and perfect activities. Just a perfect little country. Book your next visit to Europe through Icelandair and see it for yourself.