Akureyri to Husavik

The morning started with a trip into Akureyri, the largest city outside of Reykjavik, and often referred to as the Capital of the North. It is a beautiful city overlooking a fjord, with an obviously middle to upper middle class population. There were a lot of large houses, even by Canadian standards. The downtown had a big city feel to it, with lots of stores, coffee shops, and restaurants. We took in some of that, but the real find was the Akureyri botanical garden. Akureyri, even though it is very far north (only 100 km south of the Arctic Circle), it has the most mild climate in Iceland, with 120 frost free days. The botanical garden had a wide array of plant species, including many I would not expect to see here, like poppies, marigolds, roses, and many others. Best of all, it solved the mystery for me of where the bees are in Iceland. THEY LIVE HERE!

We figured they must, but we just hadn't seen any. Not just bees, but insects in general. But you can't have honey without bees, and they love honey here. And the bottles show that it's produced in Iceland from wildflowers. We just haven't been in many areas with lots of plants yet.

After leaving Akureyri, we headed toward Myvatn. Myvatn is the name of a lake in one of the most geologically active areas in Iceland. It sits right on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Nearby is Krefla, an active volcano that last had significant activity in the 70s and 80s. The magma activity in some spots is only 2 km below the surface, reachable by current drilling technology. Even without accessing the magma, the incredible energy bubbling up from below led to the creation of a 30 MW power generation station just outside the closest town, Reykjahlid.

Before we got there though, we stopped at Godafoss, a beautiful waterfall that is accessible on foot. Really accessible. I got so close to it that Sarah said she was gritting her teeth in anxiety the whole time she was watching me. But it was worth it. You'll see it when you see the video I'll upload later.

Myvatn has so much to see, you can easily spend an entire day there. We started by checking out the pseudo-craters known as Skutustadagigar. They are known as pseudo-craters because they are not connected to a magma source underneath. They occur when a lava flow from an explosion nearby starts to flow over a body of water. The intense heat over the water creates steam explosions which is what forms the craters. They look the best from above. From the ground, they are really neat, but you don't get the same effect. And you get marauded by these infuriating little flies that hang around the lake because of the massive population of waterfowl that summer here. There are around 2000 birds in the area this time of year but in spring there are closer to 10000. There are 14 species of duck that breed here, and their density is said to be unmatched anywhere in the world. We stopped at one area and the lake is seriously covered with ducks. I've never seen so many in my life. Apparently in the spring it is like a scene out of Hitchcock's The Birds.

Next was Dimmu Borgir, a collection of unique lava rock formations that form a bleak looking landscape. The name means "dark castles", and it is a suitable name, as you'll see in the pictures. It also happens to be the area where they filmed the scenes for Mance Rayder's camp beyond the wall in Game of Thrones. There were so many to see we walked around for well over half an hour.

Next was Hverir. This is an above ground manifestation of the subsurface magma activity. Here it manifests as a series of bubbling mud pits and steam vents that have so much heat and pressure escaping them that the sound is deafening. Once our pictures are uploaded, you will see the desolation of this area. It was really cool though. There were very well marked paths with lots of warnings not to stray off, as the ground is unstable, and the bubbling mud is at about 200C. Tourists have suffered serious burns in the past when they didn't pay heed to the warnings.

Then we went to the Myvatn Nature Baths. This is like Banff Hot Springs on steroids. And not totally sanitized and sterilized. The water is still very natural, so full of minerals that you cannot see your lower body in the water. Plus, you could probably fit 4 or 5 Banff Hot Springs inside Myvatn Nature Baths. It contains 3.5 million liters of water and is kept at around 40C the majority of the time. Not only was the water gorgeous and the view fantastic, but they will bring you beer right to the pool, and they brought out live music after a half hour. Doesn't get better than that.

By this point, we were so hungry we felt sick. So we checked out Gamli Bistro. The service really left something to be desired, but the food was excellent. Around this area a really popular dish is geyser bread with smoked arctic char. Geyser bread is basically a simple rye bread. When the dough is made, it is put into a container, buried in hot rocks near an active geothermal vent, and left there for 8-12 hours. It is sliced very thin and then spread with cream cheese. On top of that they lay smoked Arctic char. I cannot describe to you the taste. It is otherworldly. And even better, they also use the bread to make a dessert called Hot Spring Bread Soup. It is kind of like bread pudding. The bread is softened with what I imagine is a syrup-like mixture including molasses, and then covered with whipped cream. Unbelievable.

Saudarkrokur to Akureyri

What can I say about today? Today was, quite simply, the best day we've had so far. It was a combination of multiple once-in-a-lifetime experiences that we will never forget.

Knowing that we'd be whitewater rafting today, and knowing that we were woefully unprepared to be doing so on a glacier fed river in cloudy weather with temperatures of around 10C, we went to the local store to find some warm clothing. Ugh, stuff is so expensive here. A pair of long johns was like $60. So Sarah settled for some fleece leggings and we decided she would just wear my clothes. No one cares how snazzy you look when you're freezing your ass off on a raft.

With rafting not starting until 3pm, we had time to kill. And did we ever kill it in style.

We went to the Glaumbaer Folk Museum. Let me tell you. This place is unbelievable. An absolute must see if you're in this area of Iceland. Not going there should be a crime punishable by permanent exile from the country.

It is the site of a very old settlement, with archaeological evidence suggesting signs of organized human settlement as early as 900 AD. The majority of the property that is displayed dates from the 1700s. It is a traditional Icelandic turfhouse.

Now, by using the singular above, you may think I made an error. I did not. That is indeed one house. If you check our pics in the Iceland July 11 album on Facebook, you will see the inside of said house. It is incredible. There were around 11 rooms inside. It was a well to do farm family that lived here, and many generations lived on the farm. There were up to 25 people living in this house at once. They slept two to a bed, and calling the beds twins would be generous.

We were able to overhear a tour guide giving a bit of a spiel to her group. Although this was a well heeled family, they still lived in hard times. They rarely bathed, instead often saving horse urine and washing with that. They would leave it exposed to the air to gas off the more potent components. Apparently it works really good for keeping your whites white. Try it out! In the winter, they often stayed indoors and did much of their work by oil lamp, as there is only full sunlight for about 3 hours.

But it was amazing the accoutrements they had in this house. They roasted green coffee beans and then ground them up right there. They had massive pantries where they stored all their food. An indoor fireplace,, which obviously smoked out the whole house, but which they took advantage of to also smoke the meat hanging in the meat pantry. Apparently the house was still inhabited in the late 40s, at which point it received money from a wealthy British nobleman who loved it and donated money to start a museum foundation for it.

Check out the pics on Facebook. It was a truly fascinating place, and seeing that this was an actual house that people lived in, and how the turf construction was done was fascinating.

Then we went in search of a secret. There is a tiny natural hot pool nearby called Fosslaug (which translates as "waterfall pool") because of its proximity to Reykjafoss (which translates as "smoky waterfall). I read about it online after seeing it inconspicuously mentioned on a local tourism website. The directions given on one blog were a bit sketchy, so I wanted to ask someone local.

When I asked the lady at the tourism info centre where it is, she looked at me kind of funny. She leaned it and got a little quieter and then pulled a map out from under the desk and said "We don't like people knowing about this. But when they ask specifically about it, we will tell them how to find it."

Turns out this little hot pool is on private ranch property. The rancher is okay with people accessing it as long as it doesn't get out of hand and they follow the rules. She showed me the directions (down a back gravel road, to the end of another gravel road, through three gates and over an old wooden bridge) and made sure to drill it into my head that I MUST CLOSE THE GATES BEHIND ME. "Not on your way back. RIGHT AFTER YOU GO THROUGH THEM!!" See the rancher has almost taken the steps of closing it off completely because some tourists didn't close the gates, and his sheep and horses got out. Not cool tourists. Not cool.

What can I say about this place? Unbelievable is really the only word that comes to mind. It is a small little pool that fits maybe 6 or 7 adults. But it is just a hole dug in the ground and lined with rocks. A natural hot spring feeds right into it. The water is about 40C. And if you sit near where the spring enters the pool, it is unbearable. Like so hot that it burns your skin. In fact, the water in the tiny little brook from the spring is so hot it is bubbling. But when it gets into the larger volume of the pool, the temperature is perfect. And you are only maybe 50 feet from a gorgeous waterfall to boot. So you sit there, soaking in this natural hot water, mud between your toes, listening to the intoxicating, hypnotic roar of water crashing down over rocks. It is enough to lull you to sleep.

Sadly, we couldn't stay there forever. The time came to head off to the whitewater rafting base station. The company, Viking Rafting, is run by a Canadian from Montreal. He hires what looked like mostly foreign young men. The main guide was named Zach, and was clearly American. He comes from Idaho, and just bought a one way ticket, got this job, and doesn't know when he's going back home.

After getting the safety spiel, we took off with the bus. There were 16 of us in all, plus three guides. One from the US, one from the Netherlands, and one from Nepal. It was about a twenty minute drive to the put in. We had dry suits on, which were a new experience for me. But because I was wearing four layers on top, and two on bottom, I was feeling pretty good. But it was damn cold out. Probably only around 8C and the wind in some areas was crazy strong. Enough to blow your paddle right out of your hand. And keep in mind this is a glacier fed river.

We had signed up for the family friendly tour. Mostly due to timing and cost. So it wasn't the most adrenaline pulsing action packed rafting tour you'll ever go on. But the scenery was breathtaking. It was a very deep canyon with fascinating rock formations on both sides. The water was fantastic actually, even though it was ice cold. And the piece de resistance of the whole trip, was our quick shore stop.

They pulled over to the shore where another natural hot spring bubbled up. They had a bucket of cups stored there. We each took a cup and filled it up with what was boiling hot water from the spring. The guide then took out hot chocolate powder. The kind with marshmallows. Yeah he did. It was seriously epic. And the water was perfect. It didn't have a sulfurous taste that I feared it might.

We continued down the river. Sarah and I were the front paddlers so we had to set the pace. And the guide said we were a great team. Uh, yeah, duh.  Except for the time my paddle got jammed under a rock and pulled under the boat and I almost fell out. I did say almost. I totally owned that damn rock and kept dry. Take that. Stupid rock. Didn't even lose or break my paddle. Boo yah!

One of the best parts of the trip was at the end. We took out at a part of the river bank surrounded by very steep sides. I had no idea how the guides would get the rafts up the bank. Then I saw a little cart. It was clearly handmade, and just big enough to pile the three rafts on. When we got to the top we saw an old tractor. We couldn't have our phones with us on the raft so I couldn't get a picture. But picture this old tractor. Like really old. It's been sitting in the same spot for 20 years, so is thoroughly embedded in the ground. The tire has been taken off the back left wheel, and the drive train has been disconnected from the back right wheel.

A thick steel cable is attached to the back left wheel. The other end of that cable is all the way down the river bank connected to the little cart, on which the guides stack the rafts. The old guy who helps them out, who I think is like in his 70s, has a hat he got in Gimli, Manitoba (a town full of descendants of Icelandic immigrants), speaks very little English, and I'm pretty sure, despite my best attempts to pronounce the Icelandic word for pharmacist, thinks I am a farmer, hops on the tractor and fires it up. That turns the drive train, which turns the wheel, which pulls the steel cable, and pulls the cart along a handmade wooden rail. It was hilarious and impressively resourceful.

Finally when we got back to their base, and we were changing out of our dry suits, I struck up a conversation with a Dutchman. He thought it was awesome that I'm of Dutch heritage, and he knows exactly where our ancestral town (Dalfsen) is and that of much of our extended family (Genemuiden), this despite my complete butchering of its pronunciation. Then when I put on my All Blacks shirt, his young boy went totally googly eyed. Turns out rugby is becoming a popular sport in the Netherlands. His lad has been playing for six years now and is completely obsessed with the All Blacks. He also plays the same position I did in school (prop). Honestly, I think I made the kids day. Especially after I told him that rugby is way better than football, with which his father wholeheartedly agreed. Risky thing to say in front of a Dutchman, but my gamble paid off.

As always, we finished off the night with a great meal, and are staying in an adorable country hotel overlooking the fjord near Akureyri. Akureyri is the second largest city in Iceland. Looking forward to checking out the downtown tomorrow, and then off to the Myvatn area, which is one of the most popular areas for tourism in Iceland. They have nature baths, multiple hot springs, lava formations, craters, and much more. Should be a busy day!

Drangsnes to Sauðárkrókur

Not far from Drangsnes is Hólmavík, a seaside town of only 375. However, the entire region, called Strandir, is known for its history. A good part of that history centres around witchcraft and sorcery, which is why they've made a museum to that effect, the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft. Superstition was rife for many years in Iceland, but sorcery and witchcraft as it is more commonly known started to come to light in the 17th century.

When you look at the history presented in the museum, it is very clear that the fear of sorcery and witchcraft, and subsequent accusations, trials, and executions, was really just an effort by a wealthy family or group of families to maintain their wealth and power. They have a very detailed genealogy in the museum that shows that the majority of those accusing and persecuting the sorcerers and witches were from one large family. They even did so to some of their own, likely those who entered the family that other family members did not approve of. Interestingly, in contrast to the history of the witch hunt in Europe and North America, only 2 of the 21 documented cases of execution were of women. The rest were all men.

The museum had exhibits of various books of incantations and wooden plaques called staves into which one would carve certain symbols to carry out a spell of their choosing. There were three particularly interesting things I came across. 

One was an exhibit showing an ancient spell used to conjure sea storms against your enemies. You needed the dead dried head of a ling (kind of like a cod), which you put on a pike, and inserted a special stick with the proper runes engraved in it. You then pointed the head of the ling in the direction from which you wanted the wind to blow. One of the men executed in the region was sentenced because a man he was known to dislike got caught in a terrible storm. After the storm ended, amid the wreckage was a piece of driftwood with runes on it, a dead ling head, and a stick. I wonder how many shipwrecks end up with fish heads and driftwood washing up alongside? But coincidence didn't fly with these folks, so they figured it must be the man they "knew" was a sorcerer, and so charged him, tried him, and executed him.

The second was the necropants. So here's how this worked. You had to make a deal with a friend to allow you to dig up their body when they die. When you do, you flay their corpse, and then step into the skin of their legs from the waist down. You then have to steal a coin from a poor widow and place it in the scrotal sack of the necropants, along with a piece of paper bearing a certain sign called nabrokurstafur. The scrotum will then magically draw money into it, as long as the original coin remains. But you must find someone to take the necropants from you before you die. Good luck with that.

Finally was a cool stone that locals found nearby that had a clear indentation identifying it as a bowl-like vessel. Scientists analyzed the stone with fluorescein, that stuff they use to fluoresce blood in CSI. It glowed slightly around the edges of the bowl but very strongly at the bottom, where fluid would collect. Because it did not glow elsewhere in the stone, it is unlikely the fluorescing was due to contaminants in the stone and so the scientists studying it postulated that it was used to hold blood for mixing things needed for spells.

All in all, the museum was super cool.

We then went to the Icelandic Sheep Museum. This is a museum dedicated to the history of sheep farming in Iceland, which goes back a long way. Long enough that sheep are partially blamed for the deforestation of Iceland. It is highly unlikely they are the cause, but popular history posits that after the Vikings stripped the land bare of all its trees, the heavy grazing of the sheep ensured continued erosion of the land and inability of the trees to reestablish. Regardless, sheep farming is huge in Iceland. Like massive. And they do it very differently. 

They basically let the sheep roam freely in the hills and mountains all spring and summer. Then in the fall the whole community gets together and rounds up all the sheep in the area. They even bring out helicopters. Seriously. They always get their sheep. Each farmer in a region has ear tags that mark his sheep. When they are all corralled, they then go through a sorting process where each farmer has to separate his sheep from the rest. Finally they are taken home and put in the barn for the winter, where they are often shorn twice. It is still a very important industry in Iceland and lamb goes for a very high premium in Iceland's restaurants. They are very proud of the fitness and health of their sheep and the farmers seem to be held in quite high regard. 

Finally we headed off to Sauðárkrókur. But we'd been told there is excellent seal viewing near a town called Hvammstangi on the Vatnsnes peninsula. So we took the drive off the main road. It was kind of worth it. Sort of. There were about 6 seals chilling out on the rocks. But it was SO DAMN COLD that it was hard to enjoy it. 

But we finished off the night in a cozy little restaurant in Sauðárkrókur called Olafshus. I had a delectable minke whale steak that was to die for. And we stayed in a great little hotel called Hotel Mikligardur. 

Isafjordur to Drangsnes

Today we had a relatively short trip to our next stop so decided to enjoy the beautiful little seaside town of Isafjordur.

That, for Sarah, of course included going to the local wool shop. Apparently Lopi wool is renowned among knitters of all persuasions. In Canada, a ball of this yarn is roughly $6. In Iceland, where it is harvested and processed, it is $3. She loaded up. They had great kits to make sweaters with all the required yarn and patterns included.

I bought an adorable children's book about trolls. They love trolls here. For example, in the village we are in right now, Drangsnes, there is an enormous island in the bay called Grimsey, and a large rock formation on shore right next to our guesthouse. The story goes that there were three trolls who were fighting to see who could separate the Westfjords from the rest of Iceland. Two of the trolls were competing and smashed up so much land that they created the uncountable islands in Breidarfjordur Bay. The lady troll stayed around Drangsnes and tried her darnedest but couldn't break a single piece of land. At the end of the night, when she noticed the sun rising, she was furious at her failure and slammed her shovel into the ground. It broke off the piece of land that became Grimsey and she ended up being turned into stone where she stood and still stands, watching over the island she created.

They actually present "evidence" for this tale because the geological layers of the island match those of the mainland perfectly. I guess trolls sheared South America from Africa too :-)

Unfortunately, when we got the book back to the hotel, Sarah noticed I'd bought the German version. They had English, French, and German. I chose the 1 of 3 my children wouldn't understand. Sigh. Thankfully the exchange policy in Iceland is rather liberal.

We had a "light" lunch at Gamla Bakariid. This was a very European bakery specializing in pastries. They all looked so incredible that we couldn't decide which to get. I had a chocolate covered honey cake with strawberry cream filling and Sarah had a delectable rhubarb cake.

Off we went to Drangsnes. On the way we saw many more breathtaking fjords, waterfalls, and mountains, as well as a high mountain pass that almost brought us up into the clouds. Up there were numerous lakes that collect every year from the melt water. Man did they look cold.

When we arrived in Drangsnes, it was SUPER COLD. Like probably 5C plus a nasty wind on top of it. But we still took advantage of the hot tub next door to our hotel. And so apparently did a bunch of Icelanders. They are swim-crazy here. It was absolutely freezing outside but they were just joyful and playful in the pool, including little kids. Meanwhile us "tough Canadians" sat in the hot tub the entire time, right up to our chins.

At the end of the night, we ate in the restaurant run by our guesthouse. It was either the best or second best meal we've had. Sarah had an amazing fried cod. She says she wishes she could figure out how to cook fish like that because if she could, she would eat fish more often. I had fish stew. They have an interesting idea of what constitutes stew. It is not what we think of as stew. It is basically mashed potatoes mixed with fish that's been shredded up. Don't get me wrong. It is phenomenally delicious. But just not "stew" as I think of stew.

Off to Saudarkrokur tomorrow to see the witchcraft and sorcery museum, feed lambs from a bottle, and do some seal watching!

Stykkisholmur to Patreksfjordur to Isafjordur

This was done over two days, the first stretch being from Stykkisholmur to Patreksfjordur, and the next from Patreksfjordur to Latrabjarg and then to Isafjordur.

Day 1: Stykkisholmur to Patreksfjordur

Stykkisholmur is a glorious little seaside town. We had lots of time to walk around and take it in. Instead, we spent that time shopping at Bonus, the Icelandic equivalent of No Frills, which has a logo that looks not unlike a drunk pig. But it rocks there. It's the only place I've found where you can buy food at prices even roughly approximating those in Canada.

And we of course had to go to Vinbudin, the government owned liquor store. Because what's a holiday without ample supply of alcohol?

Our pre-booked boat tour of the Breidafjordur Bay started at 11am. The boat was packed, so it wasn't always easy to get the best view, but everyone was very cordial and made sure to move away once they'd taken their pictures. The purpose of the tour was to see the many birds nesting in the cliffs on the islands dotting the bay. Which we did. We saw guillemots, kittiwakes, shags (related to cormorants) and LOTS of puffins. And from a distance we could see a white-tailed eagle, of which there are only 200 remaining in all of Iceland.

According to the tour guide, something like 80-90% of the known world population of puffins summers in Iceland. There are a lot of them in this bay, in the Westman Islands, and on Latrabjarg, a cliff in the Westfjords that we get to soon.

Although this tour was supposed to be about birds, we got a lovely surprise when they introduced the Viking Sushi component. I didn't understand the name of the tour until it started. They dropped a small trawling rig to the bottom of the bay and dragged it for about 5 minutes. When they hauled it up, it was stuffed full with all kinds of sea creatures, including starfish, sea urchin, crabs, hermit crabs, and most of all, scallops.

Right in front of us, when the haul was dumped out onto the sorting table, the crew was shucking and cleaning the scallops for us. So it was every tourist for himself, grabbing at each scallop as it was presented. I ended up having 3, and they were made all the more delicious by the availability of soya sauce, ginger, and wasabi.

After the tour ended, we went back to the hotel shortly to "use the facilities". While waiting for Sarah, I struck up a conversation with the gentleman at the front desk. He was very friendly, spoke impeccable English, and was clearly very intelligent (Icelanders have the highest average years spent in education of all Europeans). We talked about our respective countries, and it was interesting to hear about how his country fared after the 2008 recession. In a word: badly. They were heavily reliant on the financial sector, so their economy really tanked, and inflation hit 20-25%. Since then, the cost of living has gone way up. Thankfully, they threw into jail many of the bankers responsible for some of the crooked trading that went on. But he said, to an extent, the labour participation rate is so high in Iceland, because you can't afford not to work.

Before hopping on a ferry and saying goodbye to Stykkisholmur, we climbed to the top of the island that houses the lighthouse. Sweet merciful crap was it ever windy up there. So bad that you could lean into the wind and not fall over. It was a gorgeous view, but I didn't stay very long.

We finally got onto the ferry around 1600 and started the 3 hour trek across the bay to Brjanslaekur. From there it was a short but mortifying drive to our hotel in Patreksfjordur. The Westfjords are the most isolated area in Iceland, particularly the area around Patreksfjordur. So the roads in the mountainous areas are almost all gravel, and very narrow. Just barely enough room for two cars passing one another. It was quite the experience.

Once we settled into our hotel we ate at the delightful family owned restaurant, Heimsendi. The burgers there were to die for. In fact, burgers in Iceland are just plain better. I don't know that their beef is any better, but they know how to cook it! They cook them around medium I'd say. Just a thin strip of pink on the inside. When you squeeze the bun together, so much juicy goodness comes out. Delicious. And their dessert was outstanding. It came out as what looked like a solid chocolate Death Star on a bed of yogurt. But then the waitress pours a hot caramel sauce on it and, voila! The chocolate melts, revealing two flavours of ice cream trapped inside. Brilliant.

Day 2: Patreksfjordur to Latrabjarg to Isafjordur

First thing in the morning after eating breakfast, we headed out to Latrabjarg. We'd heard that the 60 km trip takes 90 minutes. We didn't believe that until we started driving it. Oh. My. Goodness. The roads were so bad that at one point I caught Sarah on video, as I was filming their frightening state, saying "As soon as I'm done this drive, I'm having a drink!" They really were terrible. And it really did take us almost 90 minutes.

But when we got there, we knew why so many people make the trip. It was magnificent. A 14 km long cliff that is home to nesting birds of all kinds. The gull type birds are probably the most numerous but there are tons of puffins too. It is estimated that during the early summer there are roughly 1 million birds on this cliff. The puffins are surprisingly tame. I was within touching distance of quite a few of them and they just looked at me unfazed. They are beautiful birds and sort of silly like penguins. Some of the terns are not so silly. They form these circling towers in the air around anyone crazy enough to walk on the beach nearby and repeatedly dive bomb them. I saw a few tourists running frantically away from the beach waving their hat violently to get rid of them. The fulmar, if you make it feel threatened, will vomit on you as a way of scaring you from its chicks. Yuck.

Latrabjarg is also the site of the westernmost point in Europe. Iceland is not all part of the European continent, as it sits right on the mid-Atlantic ridge, so part of it is part of the North American continent. But it is politically part of Europe, so they list it as the westernmost point of Europe, about 2500 km from Cape Spear, the easternmost part of Canada.

After Latrabjarg we headed back to Patreksfjordur and then on to Isafjordur, the largest city in the Westfjords, with a population of roughly 2600. On the way, we drove in and out of numerous fjords, which made the drive much longer than one would think. But it was beautiful. Particularly when we came to Dynjandi. This is an enormous water that comes straight down from the top of a fjord and empties into the ocean. It is actually a series of waterfalls, and each of them is given a different name. The whole collection is 330 ft high. It is stunningly beautiful as the moss and lichen in the area grows thickly on the rock surrounding the waterfall, making it a deep rich green. The site was full of tourists but it was still pretty easy to access and take some great pictures. They will go up eventually.

Finally we got to Isafjordur, a beautiful little town that is built on a sand flat. It looks like it would be impossible to build a city there, but the sand flat is large and stable enough, I guess they figured out how to make it happen. Before entering Isafjordur, after traversing terrifyingly high mountain passes, you enter this enormous tunnel that goes right through the mountain and exits to Isafjordur on the other end. I've been through tunnels in the Rockies. This should be easy, right? Well, not when it is single lane traffic. Yeah. Single lane. And you are relying on the goodwill of those driving toward you to pull into the side spaces in the walls. They are frequently placed, but there are no apparent rules for when you have to enter them and when they other driver has to. Thankfully, it seemed like everyone going in the opposite direction was just waiting for our stream of traffic to get through before pulling back out, so we didn't have to stop. It was 6 km of uncertainty, fear, and claustrophobia.

Everything in Iceland closes at 6pm. Seriously. So early. And it doesn't open until 11am. So once we checked into our hotel, we set out to find a place to eat. Everywhere we went was fully booked. It was crazy. The only place we found was a really expensive place in one of the hotels, but that's what happens when you don't plan ahead. I ate a gigantic plate of fresh mussels from a bay not far from the hotel. They were fantastic. And Sarah had peanut steak. Yeah. I know. It was a vegetarian dish and was actually really delicious.

It was too damn cold (around 6C with a really cold wind) to really walk around town so we decided to save that for the next day.

Reykjavik to Stykkishólmur

I've given up on creating fancy names. It's just too much work. And I'm tired.

The day started off gloriously with free breakfast at Hotel Fron, our home in Reykjavik. Nothing beats fresh muesli and Skyr (Icelandic yogourt). Except when you forget that the white yogourt in Iceland usually isn't french vanilla. Yack. Oh well. Fixed that real quick by mixing it with copious amounts of blueberry jam.

We then got picked up by our rental car company (nope, not Enterprise!). Holy slap me silly with a puffin are rental cars ever expensive in Iceland. We paid for the car itself as part of our tour package. But it is highly advised to get gravel and sand protection, as wind storms come up out of nowhere, especially in the remote areas. I read too many horror stories to not consider doing it. But it cost like $45 a day. Frick.

Oh well. Into the wilderness we march! Or not... because Sarah saw a giant shopping mall. Into the shopping mall we march! After purchasing some new shoes, which in fairness she really needed, we were finally on our way.

And let me tell you, I've never seen anything quite like what I saw today.

This is the route we took. All in all it was around 350 km. But it would be like doing 350 km on roads not unlike the Icefields Parkway. In fact, the whole drive reminded me a lot of the Icefields Parkway. It took us from 10:00 until 18:00 to get to our destination. 8 hours to cover 350 km. Why you ask?

Well, if you look at the pictures on Facebook in the "Iceland July 6" album, or here on Google Drive, you will understand why it took us so long. Every corner you came around there was some other incredible sight to see. But before I get to that, let me tell you about the sheep.

Oh the sheep. The little buggers are EVERYWHERE. And they just roam freely all over the countryside. At one point I almost soiled myself because I suddenly noticed that the lump next to one of the roadside markers was a little lamb all snuggled up having a nap. Later when we were hiking to one sight, I heard a semi driver just blasting away on his horn. When I looked back to see what was going on, I saw that about 20 sheep were crossing the road and taking their sweet time. He was trying to inform them that this was not leisure time and they needed to get their act together. Later, us and three other cars had to stop dead on the highway for a big ram who just stood in the middle of the highway like he owned the place. They are hilarious.

The roads aren't bad. They are all paved. But they are remarkably narrow. Enough so that I was white knuckling it every time I came upon another vehicle.

It was worth it though. We saw so many beautiful sights I can't even describe. From the waterfalls, to the craters, the canyons, rapidly flowing meltwater rivers, climbing up a steep embankment just to see if I can get where the sheep are, cliffs teeming with birds, and a highway so full of birds that there is actually a road sign warning you of the risk of pegging one off with your car. And then there were the adorable seaside towns, the bridges over the fjords barging their way inland, and the outstanding meal we had at a surprisingly gourmet restaurant in a town of 1100 people.

It was a long day, and we did more hiking than I think I've ever done in 24 hours. Some of the sights were quite a way off the road, so you had to hike to them. And some just had to be climbed, like the ancient volcano that made a beautiful crater, and the trail next to the canyon, where the sheep were hiding, just challenging me to climb up to them.

It was incredible, and I can't wait to do it again tomorrow.

Of Vikings and Penises

I've moved my blog back over to my personal blog because for some reason the blog on TravelPod got flagged for violation of their terms of usage? I have no idea why. Whatever.

Today we did what every parent dreams of: slept in until 1 in the afternoon. We were obviously exhausted.

Not to be deterred, we set out quickly, to a quirky little cafe called C is for Cookie. They had delicious sandwiches and their coffee was excellent. In fact, coffee in general is rather excellent in Iceland. In fact, they are the 3rd highest per capita consumers of coffee in the world. And it shows. They make regular drip coffee here as well as cappucinos, lattes, espressos, etc. One complaint I've heard from Canadians when they go to Europe is that "you just can't find a regular cup of coffee anywhere". Well, if that bugs you, go to Iceland. You can find a good regular cup of coffee EVERYWHERE.

After that we decided we just had to visit the Icelandic Phallological Museum. I've been told you can't visit Reykjavik and not go there. This truly unique museum features preserved penises from almost all the species of mammal that can be found on Iceland including, yes, Homo sapiens. A man who died not long ago had willed his penis to the museum and it is on display there in a jar with preservative, just like all the others. Many others have followed his lead and have willed their "specimens" to be given to the museum upon their death. Including one man, Jonah Falcon, who has a rather abnormal specimen, considered the largest known in the world at 9.5 inches flaccid, 13.5 inches erect.

It's hard to know what to make of the museum, because it is simultaneously scientifically serious and utterly hilarious. Regardless, it was well worth the visit.

We then walked along the harbour shore, a path that shows the beautiful Reykjavik harbour, still bustling with marine activity, a massive riverfront condominium and apartment development, the Sun Voyager sculpture, numerous restaurants, the Old Harbour, and Harpa, an enormous and gorgeous concert and conference centre.

Continuing on, we were able to also see a ship being actively worked on by men. It was dry docked, leaving the full body of the ship exposed to passersby. The enormity of the vessel was truly astounding. They look so much smaller in the water that you forget how incredibly massive they are.

Our legs brought us next to the Icelandic Saga Museum. The museum guides you through the ancient history of Iceland using dramatic life like replicas of historical figures. It goes all the way back to the first Norse settler, up to the creation of a functional Parliament, and the arrival of the Reformation. It is an audio-guided tour that took about 30 minutes. The stories were fascinating. A few facts stuck out for me.

-During the Reformation, a Catholic priest was trying to protect the Catholic religion on the island. He was beheaded, but by the time the executioner got to him, he was tired, and it took 7 axe blows before he was fully decapitated.
-Prior to the arrival of the Reformation, leaders in Iceland were trying to figure out whether to govern the country by both pagan and Christian laws. They knew they couldn't do both, but decided that officially the laws would be Christian, but that pagans could continue to practice their religion, as long as it was done privately. That was pretty unique for that era in history.
-It seems like everyone but Americans is fully aware that Christopher Columbus was not the first one to discover the American continent. It is very likely it was Norse Vikings who discovered it first, and also (possibly) that it was specifically Leif Erikson, a native Icelander born to Erik the Red and Thjodhild. Icelanders seem to take great pride in this historical narrative. Whoever it was though, historians agree it was most certainly NOT Columbus.

Finally, we settled down for supper. Sarah came upon a brilliant little restaurant called Islenski Barinn. They had phenomenal burgers, Sarah's of the beef variety and mine of the sheep. Both were delicious. In Reykjavik, you quickly learn to order your main, and skip the drinks, appetizers, and desserts. Otherwise, a meal, even at a moderately priced venue like this, easily runs over $100. Even just with the main, one drink, and a cappucino, it was $70. And that's on the cheap side as far as this city goes.

The day wasn't quite done though. I had an unfortunate mishap with a bottle of shaving cream that decided to erupt in my suitcase. So off to the laundromat we went. The Laundromat Cafe to be more specific. This is a brilliant creation, melding a super awesome restaurant with a laundromat downstairs. Adding to the general family friendliness of Reykjavik, the entire downstairs area also has tables and a giant kids play area for parents with small children. The kids that were down there were just having a ball while their parents ate peacefully upstairs. Brilliant idea.

Sarah had a little cider and I had a delicious bowl of Skyr with blueberries and white chocolate. Mmmm. Skyr.

At the end of the night, we stopped by a bookstore where they sold power converters. But I noticed this awesome little book called Iceland in Figures. Yeah. It's a little pocketbook full of nerdy statistics that I love. So I shall share some of them at the end of each post :-)

I decided it's easier to just post a link to our pictures on Google Drive. Just click on the link and you can peruse through. I don't have descriptions for all of them, but hopefully it'll be mostly self-explanatory. Enjoy!

Nerdy Iceland Statistics
-Iceland is 93% native Icelanders; the second most common citizenship of residents is Polish
-Iceland has the fifth highest fertility rate in all of Europe