Travel My Trip Report - Iceland

MountainMan79

😎💩➡️📸
Location
Minnesota
Name
Chris
I thought it may be nice to share a bit about the recent trip I took, if for no other reason than to document it for myself. But perhaps something here can help others in planning their own trip, or maybe it’ll just be an enjoyable behind-the-scenes read.

Background-

I began planning this trip over 2 years ago, when no one had yet heard about the Corona virus. I originally planned a mid-summer trip, where I would rent a camper van from ‘Happy Campers’, and drive across the entire ring road, sleeping in the camper as I went. I planned for about a week on the road, where I would sleep during the day and drive at night (while it was still bright out). With sunset around 11:30pm and sunrise around 2:30am, I’d get two golden hours back to back, and ideally experience less crowds by traveling at “night”. I had saved dozens upon dozens of stops and photo opportunities along the way in Google maps. It all sounded great...until March of 2020 came and brought the plans to a screeching halt.

Two years later, although travel restrictions really hadn’t begun lifting yet, international travel was slowly coming back. I had also recently moved from California to Minnesota, and in Minnesota you have to ‘use it or lose it’ when it comes to your banked vacation time. In California, I consistently just continued to accrue vacation time faster than I could spend it. I was faced with losing almost 2 weeks of vacation time if I didn’t take it by April 11th. So what’s a guy supposed to do? Well, quickly plan a trip to Iceland of course! Should only need a few adjustments, right?

But things have changed. Renting a camper van in the tail end of winter sounded miserable. Potentially trying to traverse the entirety of the island this time of year didn’t sound much better. As it was, I was well aware that I wouldn’t be able to see some of the saved places I had marked for a visit due to impassable roads, although I wasn’t quite sure yet where I may encounter them (For future reference, go here Travel Conditions – Safetravel). So time for a change of plans. Thankfully I had acquired quite a bit of credit card points between Chase and my Hilton Amex, the latter helping to make the decision to more simply rent a hotel in Reykjavik, use it as a base camp, and use a rental car to go as far as I dared and back in a day.

So time to start booking. I was able to book a round trip flight and a rental car (some nonsense subcompact front wheel drive Toyota) completely with Chase points, and book 8 nights at the Canopy downtown by Hilton. My points covered about 4-5 nights, and I paid a little under $700 for the remainder. All the remaining expenses would be food (expensive), gas for the rental car (more expensive), and miscellaneous. All in all, not too bad. I feel I’m ahead of the game so far.

I’m even hopeful. Hopeful that I had just happened to book at the perfect time. Hopeful that I’d have the island to myself. I booked before Iceland lifted travel restrictions (I expected to have to take a Covid test prior to departure, but did not have to). Iceland only had restrictions lifted for about a week or so before Russia invaded Ukraine. It wasn’t long after the invasion that gas prices, and consequently flight prices, sharply rose. Between these two factors, I was hopeful I’d have easy travel, on empty planes, to an empty country. Would I be right?

The Departure - Monday

I imagine some of the reason my flight was easily covered by credit card points was two fold. One, the flight was not ideal. Two, I was most likely booked in the worst class of service possible. Both were mostly true. Although during the summer months I have a choice of carriers for nonstop flights directly from MSP to Reykjavik, during the winter my options were limited. The best option was an 11.5hr layover in the rat infested Boston Logan (I saw numerous rats, including inside the AirFrance lounge). I spent three days adjusting my sleep schedule to try and prepare for the very long day of travel. I awoke at 1:30am so I could drive my car to work, where I could park for free, and get a Lyft to the airport. It’s much cheaper than getting a Lyft from my home, which is further away. I arrived at work around 3:15am, and was soon being shuttled off to the airport so I could meet my 5:30am flight. All went smoothly, short of checking in for my flights. Jet Blue was my carrier to BOS, and Icelandair my carrier to Reykjavik. I was able to check into my Jet Blue flight, and even purchase seats with extra legroom. At this point, I’ve still been unable to check in or select seats for Icelandair. I’m sure this has to do with the class of service my credit card paid for. I guess I’ll figure it out when I get to BOS and can speak with a gate agent. After all, I’d get there at 9:00am local time and have 11.5 hours to try and sort it all out.

Now unfortunately I have trouble sleeping. This day wouldn’t be anywhere near as long as it was shaping up to be if I could sleep on a plane or even just at the airport. But here we go.

Once landing at Boston, first order of business is some breakfast. Then the second order was lunch. Then the third order was dinner. Than the 4th order was selecting seats with the gate agent. Thankfully, as I was hoping, it was a pretty empty flight. I had all 3 seats in a middle row to myself. Enough to lay down in, and check my eyelids for light leaks, as I certainly wasn’t sleeping.

My Priority Pass allowed me to spend a large chunk of time waiting somewhat comfortably in the AirFrance lounge, enjoying free food and drinks. Also free rats.
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Once on the plane to Reykjavik, it quickly become apparent you’re traveling to a foreign country. Messages lead in Icelandic, not English. This was all new to me, as this was my first use of my passport, and first international travel to a country that wasn’t exclusively English speaking. It’s also where the first panic attack of the trip would strike. I used to deal with anxiety disorders in my youth, but it’s been sometime. Why? Why now? And about what? Worried that my baggage wasn’t on the plane? Worried about flying over the ocean? A growing lack of sleep? All of the above? Another reason? Thankfully I had something on me I could take that helped to mitigate this, and I uncomfortably laid across 3 seats for the following 5 hours.

The beautifully confusing Icelandic language while on the plane -
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Next stop, Reykjavik. I’d be arriving at about 520am local time, which felt like 120am for me. I’ve been up for 24 hours.

Welcome to Day 1.
 
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Arrival - Tuesday

So now your in Reykjavik at 530am...what do you do when you can’t check into your hotel until 3pm? Well, first move was to go collect my rental car. After easily navigating immigration, retrieving my luggage, and passing through customs, it was time to find the Hertz desk. I hadn’t spent any money upgrading my seat on the Reykjavik leg of the flight, so I thought it best to ask if there were any upgrades available on the car. Remember, I hadn’t paid anything for the car so far, it was covered with points. I really wanted a small SUV, like a Dacia Duster. How fun would that be?! A car I’ve never laid eyes on, let alone driven! So I asked. And they were out. They did however have a large SUV for only $350 more - a nice, but boring Kia Sorrento. Before the morning was done, I’d be thanking myself for the 4x4 decision. The large size however would make navigating the narrow streets and small parking garages of a cosmopolitan European capital city a little less than easy.

Killing Time -

So I’m in the rental car. One of my first thoughts was immediately trying to take a nap in the parking lot of the rental agency. But alas, I was too excited to do so, so after figuring out Apple CarPlay and getting my stuff sorted and cameras easily accessible, I was off to waste as much time as possible before going to the hotel. I spent this time in the Sudernes region of southern Iceland that surrounds the airport. A very volcanic looking area, with some rugged shorelines, multiple lighthouses, and some unique geological features.

First stop - sunrise at Holmsberg Lighthouse. Well, almost sunrise. I wish I hung out for about 5 more minutes. There was a heavy, low cloud, but minutes after I left the sun came up and the most spectacular orange rays bathed the ground for about 5 minutes until the sun rose high enough to once again be covered away by the clouds. Nonetheless, it was a pretty first spot to stop. And, already down a crappy unpaved road. Although 4x4 would be considered excessive, a tiny front wheel drive Toyota Auris would have been equally out of place. Nonetheless, already happy for the more suitable vehicle.
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I had brought a lot of gear. A new-to-me Z6ii and 24-200 on loan from Nikon. My tried and true Df, and my X100f for walking around Reykjavik. I also had brought F mount 24-85 (not weather sealed but lovely), a 35mm weather sealed Tamron, a 16-28mm weather sealed Tokina, and a 150-600 sealed G2 Tamron. I also brought a compliment of filters for most of these lenses. I anticipated Iceland would be a game of weather sealing and filters, and I would mostly be correct. But for this precious vacation, I almost entirely relied on my tried and true Df when out and about.

Whelp, 1 lighthouse wasn’t going to kill enough time, so where to next? How about another lighthouse? There are actually two lighthouses at this location- Gardur lighthouse
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Ok - still have a lot of time to kill. How about we check out the bridge between two continents? A unique geographical place where you can observe and walk between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
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Man was it windy here! I could barely open the car door to get out and walk around. It also explained the interesting sticker on the inside of the door, warning you to hold on tightly when opening due to the wind.

Off to the next stop, a cool shipwreck! But first, I saw two pullouts on the side of the road with interesting sculptures, one for Saturn, and the other for Jupiter. Not entirely sure why. Ok, ok, not at all sure why.
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Getting to the shipwreck required navigating through the small town of Grindavik, and finding the start of a 4wd road. Yup. Glad I got the Sorrento.
This was an interesting looking area, with not just a shipwreck, but two. As well as some abandoned buildings and an old lighthouse. Totally worth the short excursion.
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So now what? It’s 9am, I’m quickly beginning to fade, and I’m an hour away from Reykjavik. I guess I’ll drive into town, and swing by the hotel. Maybe I’ll be able to check in 5 hours early and get some sleep? If not, I’ll be sleeping in the car for sure at this point. Hopeful can stay awake for the drive!

Once in town, it became apparent it was not built with large SUVs in mind. I found a parking deck near the hotel. Weird graffiti art? I’m going to like this town...
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FYI- parking costs a small fortune. Well, everything in this town costs a small fortune. But I had budgeted for those things...I neglected to budget for parking. We’ll file this under miscellaneous I suppose.

Time to check in -
The Canopy by Hilton downtown is ridiculously nice. And it is PERFECTLY located. Everything one could want is just outside the main doors. I’d stay here again in a heartbeat, if I could afford it. My room was mostly paid for by points, and I covered the remainder. Off season, that remainder was about $200 a night for a basic queen room. They not only checked me in 5 hours early, they upgraded me to one of their nicest king suites. A room that during the peak season of August would cost over $900 a night!
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By the time I got upstairs, unpacked, and got ready to nap for a few hours, I had been up for 29 hours. This room looked nice enough without being sleep deprived -
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I slept for 4-5 hours and got up around 330pm. After a quick shower, it was off to dinner and then some drinks.

I started at the “touristy” Islenki Barinn (Icelandic Bar). This is the stop of choice for some fermented shark and cod jerky. I would not do either (yet). Instead I’ll take the rare whale steak please! And let me try the Einstok white ale. Oh my. This beer is delicious. And oh my, this whale is delicious too! The onion rings really class up the dish -
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The service and food were great, and although I hadn’t planned on it, I would be back here a couple more times before the trip was over, and I’d even make a friend and go out with him to experience Reykjavik like a local!

At this point I was just wondering the town, and stopping in anyplace that piqued my curiosity. Next up, Session Craft Bar. I had a nice conversation with the employee who worked there, and I’m glad I did. He provided several suggestions for restaurants and bars in other towns, that I did in fact stop at during my trip, and they were excellent. I’m quickly learning to like the locals.
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The night wasn’t getting old, but I sure am and am still pretty tired as I go about my 40+ hour day with 4ish hours of sleep. As I walked back towards my hotel, I saw a bar named after the beer I so enjoyed at my first stop; Einstok. I had to stop in and see, and I am thrilled I did. This became ‘my bar’ throughout my stay. I think I met all 10 people that worked here. Each and every one was incredibly kind to me, made me feel welcome, and I would enjoy many conversations with them over the coming days. I’d even befriend a lovely young lady who I still regularly speak with. This bar was the retail front for the Einstok brewery which is in the north of the island, but they also made fabulous mixed drinks as well. Although I fell in love with the country, the city, the beer and the food, and especially the people... the people at this bar would become apart of some of my fondest memories.
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Ok...time for bed.
 
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So did I mention how nice the Canopy was? Of course I did. But seriously, it’s a gorgeous property, of about 5 buildings connected to each other. It has a restaurant, bar area, multiple lounges, a rooftop deck, and an extensive record collection. Before the trip was over, I took one of the many record players they have for the taking, and took it to my room and had music playing while I was getting ready for an evening out or while relaxing in the room. Breakfast was thankfully included, and I’d recommend stealing some bananas or other easy to consume items for while you’re on the road during the day. I often would return to the hotel before the bar closed at 11pm to enjoy some fine glasses of Spanish red wine, and the ambiance.
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Ok, ok. Enough about the hotel. The only thing it lacked was parking. Sure, the parking deck is just across the street, but again, it costs a small fortune. Just another FYI before choosing this place.
 
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Day 2- Wednesday

Day 2 was a light day, and I’m glad I planned to be here long enough to allow for some light days. The prior 48 hours had been full of exhausting travel, so staying low key and local on day 2 was just what the doctor ordered.

There’s a unique home, actually occupied, called the “recycled house”. This kind of weirdness is right up my alley, so of course I swung by.
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Not only was the house itself unique, but the small shrines and artwork around the property were unique as well. Many paying homage to the old gods.
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Now off to a short hike southwest of the city. I noticed along the way, that there were some good views of Reykjavik to be had from this point. I took a mental bookmark of this, as what could be a great possible spot to capture the aurora overtop the city if she decided to bless me with her presence. Even though I’d be lucky enough for about half my nights there to be clear, I would not be so lucky on this trip.

The hike was to another lighthouse, and then some odd feature I really couldn’t explain. There was what appeared to be a municipal golf course that the trail circumvented, and even in somewhat miserable weather, there were folks out and about smacking balls around. As there is no netting surround the area, my advice would be to pay attention while walking.
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A light afternoon of easy hiking and getting the lay of the city was perfect. Now, off to dinner! I was so hungry I could eat a horse. So off to find a place with horse on the menu!

That place was 3 Coats, or Prir Frakkar.
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Let’s start with an appetizer of course. How about puffin?
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Eating this delicious little bird before I had hoped to see them in the wild may have been the curse, the nail in the coffin, the very reason why I never got to see one. Oh well. Thankfully they taste great! The bird is served chilled actually, and the fresh veggies and spicy mustard compliment it perfectly. Time for the main course...I mean, a puffin is going to fill a grown man after all.
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Yes. This is a horse steak. It is possibly the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten. It has an almost impossible flavor to describe, but I savored every bite. Now before anyone thinks of those adorable Icelandic horses, don’t worry! They don’t eat those horses...they’re a damn national treasure. They breed normal horses just for eating. Really not sure why we don’t take advantage of this. I mean, we breed horses for dog food and glue. Man are we missing out.

On the walk to and from, I passed some ‘less than desirable’ neighborhoods. But at no point in my entire trip did I ever feel unsafe or uncomfortable in this country.
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Got to love the art!
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Of course on the way back to the hotel, I had to stop by Einstok. Tonight would be the night I met Helga and Addi. I still speak with Helga often, and hope to see her again if I return. They were both easily likable characters, who seemed to honestly enjoy working there. They also both slid me the occasional free drink or shot; I really felt like a local.

Ever meet someone and instantly feel comfortable around them? Feel happy to see them? Feel like you’ve known them forever? That was Helga. But more about Helga and the others later.
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Goodnight day 2. The road trips start tomorrow.
 
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Day 3- Thursday - The Golden Circle

Day 3 marked the first road trip of the vacation, and I had a bunch of spots saved along what’s known as the Golden Circle, a shorter, few hour long loop that starts about an hour or so outside of Reykjavik. I did have some spots saved that I was unsure I’d be able to access, but I would only find out by trying to get there. Although I had downloaded and saved offline maps from Google, it didn’t help with the sometimes obnoxiously incorrect directions being provided. Why would I drive 10 miles down an unpaved F road to do a U turn when I can just turn around now?

The day started at Pingvellir national park for a look at Oxararfoss falls -
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This was a first test using the ND8 filter. Stopped down, it provided just enough coverage to allow for a long enough shot. This was a more popular spot, and I shared the falls with maybe half a dozen people. Not too bad. As I hiked back to the lot, a tour bus full of folks was making their way up. Got out just in time.

After this, I decided to explore another small waterfall; Faxi. Here, the only person I saw was the parking lot attendant who collected about $7 from me. I hiked down and enjoyed the falls all to myself. Something I doubt most people get the opportunity to do. This particular spot will always have a part of me. My hat. I took my hat off and left it there by accident. Oh well.
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This was a small, enjoyable falls, but now it was time to see the big one. The biggest in Europe so I’m told. Gullfoss (Gold Falls). It was windy, cold, and full of icy spray. Long exposure shots were all ruined due to the accumulated water droplets on the filter.
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After this cold experience, it was off to a warmer one. Geysir national park, where the steam leaks from the ground and geysirs regularly erupt. The park was full of nice hiking loops with great views, and a nice gift store and cafe to refuel yourself before getting back on the road.
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After this stop came a series of missed locations as I ventured further into the highlands. All the roads weren’t roads. The ones I needed to take were impassable and snowed in. Even with 4x4, it was not going to happen. So unfortunately I spent a great deal of time hitting dead ends and having to turn around, but the scenery was still beautiful.
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Finally, I visited Kerid Crater for a short hike.
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On the drive back to Reykjavik, I found myself driving through a small town that the bartender at Session had mentioned has a great pizzeria and beer. What the hell, why not?
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Outstanding pizza, and my second favorite beer of the trip - a delicious cream ale.

It would be a few more hours till I made it back to Reykjavik, and I took a walk to grab a second dinner. One of the must haves while in Iceland, the hot dogs at -
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Definitely order them with ‘everything’
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I of course ended my night at Einstok, enjoying good conversation with good people, mostly with Addi tonight as Helga was off, before heading back for a glass of wine at my hotel and calling it a day. I had another, even longer road trip planned for the following day.
 
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Day 4 - Friday

Time for another road trip. This one would take me from Reykjavik out past Vik and back again. This would also prove to be a powerfully emotional day.

But first things first. Can I say that as an American, the most difficult conversion was when it came to buying gas. Not only do we need to think about the currency conversion from USD to ISK, but we need to think about converting liters to gallons as well. It’s all but impossible to do off the top of ones head. What compounds the issue further, is unlike most stations in the US where you can just fill up the tank after prepaying with your choice of card, here you have to essentially guess how much gas you need ahead of filling up, and can only pay with a card that has a pin. So for us Americans, that means no credit cards...you have to use a debit card. The entire process was a little odd. And just for extra fun, they reverse the colors at the pump for gasoline and diesel.

Anyways- this morning I needed to grab some gas before hopping on the main road out of town. While trying to get to the gas station, I was being directed by workers at all the different corners who were diverting traffic, I could see multiple roads closed, and all kinds of trucks and vans parked everywhere. I assumed there was maybe a street fair being set up, but I wasn’t sure quite yet what I was seeing. I would find out later that night. Eventually, I figured out how to get out of town without using the main road.

Once freshly filled and out of town, it was off to the Route 1, crossing over the pass between Reykjavik and Hveragerdi (where I had the great pizza and beer the night prior). Although the day before wound up becoming quite nice, the weather looked more ominous today. Another feeling of dread came over me...again for seemingly no reason. I pulled over for a moment to take in the view from the pass and catch my breath.
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In the hour or so to come as I drove between the cliff side and the ocean, both the weather, and my anxiety began to improve. I pulled over to admire a series of waterfalls and snapped a pic from the car window. I would be back here later in the day. I planned to go to the furthest stop first, and work my way back. But even knowing I’d be back later in the day, the morning light was too pretty to not stop.
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My first stop was a black beach and cave. But not the popular touristy one just prior to teaching Vik. This one is about 10 minutes past Vik. I hoped to enjoy the area to myself, as I assumed less people knew of the area. Boy was I right-
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I had passed a few parked cars at a trailhead before hitting the beach, but once on the beach, it was just me. Let’s put this 4x4 to work! Off I went, sometimes following tracks and sometimes making my own new ones. Go Sorento go! As I approached one of the rocks that jut up from the sand, I found myself going up a slight incline, and on some very, very soft sand. I immediately felt the Kia begin sinking into the sand. Oh boy. He comes that feeling of panic again. I quickly did a 180 and got her pointed downhill again and had just enough momentum to get back onto flat ground. I followed others tracks at this point from now on. That was a little too close. Especially since my cell phone was mostly useless out here. Let’s go find that cave...
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There it is! Pretty sizable too. I spent some time inside and enjoyed the solitude. I used a wide angle Tokina lens for photos here, some of which I’ve already posted elsewhere on this site, but due to a limit of 20 photos per post, I will have to leave just the one above.

So time to start backtracking. I drive into the small village of Vik, and stopped at a church high on a hill that overlooked the town to admire the view.
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After this, I headed through town to go to the official black beach and took a walk along the shore. I only saw a couple other folks strolling along the beach.

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It was past noon at this point, and I had worked up a little bit of an appetite, so time to swing by a brugghus. A brugghus is a place that actually makes beer...like a brewery, whereas a barinn is just a bar. This place was another one that had been recommended to me by the bartender at Session on night 1. I’m glad I stopped. The beer was ok, but the blu cheese burger was out of this world.
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Well fed, it was time to continue to backtrack to the next stop. The giant cave on another black beach. This is the famous and quite impressive one, that I believe has been in several films. This is one of the first places I ran into anything that resembled significant tourist activity.
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You can see how large it is, as there are a few people in the bottom right near the mouth of the cave. There is another smaller cave around the corner from this one, and some really neat geology in the rock structures.

Nonetheless, too many tourists for me! So off to the next location...a tall hilltop along the shore with a lighthouse and some fantastic views. Possibly the best beach views on the island.
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This was a nice stop, with some short trails and great views in any direction. There is also a cliff side where you could potentially observe puffins, but alas they were still two weeks away, out on the open ocean.
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Now it was time to burn off that beer and burger, and embark on an almost 5 mile round trip hike to the famous Douglas Dakota plane wreck. What a massively boring hike. Thankfully you’re well rewarded with the Dakota at the end of it!
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The weather was closing in on this hike. It was becoming overcast and quite windy. There were a few couples and small groups either coming to or from, but I believe I shared the wreck with only one other person. We both easily managed to stay out of each other’s shots. Now time to slog back to the car. If embarking on this hike, be prepared for quickly changing weather and bring anything you think you may need on for on a 4.7 mile hike.

So now I had wrapped up with the Vik area, and was off to see a bunch of waterfalls, many of the ones I had passed on the way in. But first, I noticed a pullout with a neat looking structure and decided to investigate.
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Yup, that’s a little house like structure butted up against that cliff side. Let’s see what’s inside. It’s a cave! A couple chambers and small, but a cool stop to explore.
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Ok, now let’s go find those waterfalls. I had no idea what was to come. I pulled into the parking lot of Skogafoss, grabbed the tripod and filters, and set up far enough away from the spray to avoid the issues I had at Gullfoss.
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It’s an impressive falls, and certainly grabs ones attention. The above shot shows that. There is no blur on any of the people, as they stood there transfixed. Now it was time for me to get up close and personal. Away went the tripod, and off I went.

As I approached the falls, I grabbed a another shot or two to show the impressive scale of the falls.
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As this person walked passed me, I noticed that I was completely alone again. I had the falls to myself. The thunder and power and spray blasted my ear drums and my face. Within moments of being alone, the clouds very quickly disappeared, a rainbow came out, and I burst into tears.
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I also felt the warm presence of my father. My father, who just exactly two weeks earlier passed away. I think I know where all this “unexplained” anxiety is coming from now. Of course it has to deal with his passing.

What made this moment equally powerful for me, was a comparison to the first time I viewed Yosemite valley from Glacier Point. I was awestruck. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It filled me with joy, but oddly, simultaneously filled me with sadness. I was sad, because I knew there was a very real possibility that I’d never see anything more beautiful in my life. What a depressing thought! To know that it may never get any better than that moment?! Well, for years that remained the case. But now I’m happy to report, that I was wrong. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong. I’ve now seen something more beautiful, and more awe inspiring. Something had topped Glacier Point. And I may or may not see something more beautiful in my life than Skogafoss, but unlike before, I’m not sad about it. Nothing in nature has ever moved me to tears before, and sure, I was emotionally primed to have that happen, but I will forever remember this moment. Standing in front of the most impressive piece of Mother Nature I’ve ever witnessed. The walk back to the car, tears remained in my eyes.

Off to see some more falls. Maybe today will end with a smile?
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This cliff side had multiple falls along its face, and all are great. The main one, Seljalandsfoss has a trail that you can walk behind it. I put some weather proof overpants on, and grabbed my GoPro and went for an awesome walk behind the falls.
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When I was done, and was walking back to the car, soaking wet, I noticed that person after person I passed was smiling and almost laughing at me. That’s when I realized I had the largest, most ridiculous grin across my face. It was so much fun, and a perfect way to wrap up the road trip, and what became a beautifully perfect day.

I arrived back in Reykjavik a bit late, but it was Friday and this place took on a while new vibe. Everyday so far this week was very low key, but it was a nice evening and the town was out in force. Everyone was out and about, dressed in their best, looking to impress. Off to the clubs and bars. Me? Off to my hotel to quickly shower and try to find someplace to eat. I eventually found a small Italian joint, and had an uninspired lasagna and some red wine. At least the wine was good! Every meal I had so far had been amazing, so it was mildly disappointing to have a mediocre meal. No worries though, my day was too fantastic to let some lasagna ruin it.

After eating, I walked up to Einstok. Helga was waiting, and we shared stories of our day. They were both eventful! She had spent the day as an extra in an upcoming Netflix film (Heart of Stone). This was actually why the main road was shut down this morning. They were filming car chases for this international spy flick starring Gal Gadot, that all ended up at HARPA, the main concert hall in Reykjavik. She was actually going to spend the next two days, for 12 hours a day continuing to be an extra, as well as working late at the bar. Poor girl looked exhausted, and she still had her longest days to come.

Now in Reykjavik, the parties last all night on the weekend. Bars and clubs are open till between 3 and 430am off season, and even later during peak season. This, as it turns out, was the only other downside of my centrally located hotel. I could hear club music until 430am. I’d be sure to grab some earplugs from the front desk so I’m better prepared for Saturday.

What an amazing day it’s been. Now time to try and sleep, because tomorrow another road trip was planned.
 
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Day 5 - Saturday

Today I would explore the Vesturland region of the island. I’d take a hike at another crater, see a few waterfalls, and continue to panic for no good reason.

I would see all kinds of weather in Iceland at the tail end of winter. I had beautiful days, snowy days, and rainy days. Today was a rainy day. Very rainy. The roads in Iceland, even the main ones, are typically more narrow than what a westerner is used to, the painted lines are more often missing then present, and the roads don’t drain very well. So driving in the rain meant lots of hydroplaning. The locals seemingly get around this by driving at outrageously unsafe speeds. Perhaps they believe speeding mitigates hydroplaning? When the weather is fine, they all drive quite normal. Well, short of their bizarre roundabout rule where the inner lane has the right of way. Yeah. Think about that one for awhile. Anyway, today would be full of sketchy driving in unfamiliar and unpopulated areas...certainly adding to the heightened sense of anxiety I was already experiencing today. Maybe a hike would do some good. But first I have to drive through a 2 mile long underwater tunnel. Unlike tunnels in the US, that are well ventilated, I would highly recommend recirculating the air in the car before entering. This tunnel has fans on the ceiling, but most were off or broken, and the smell of diesel and exhaust quickly filled the cabin. Again, not great for my anxiety.

Surprise, surprise, I made it out of the tunnel alive, and set my sights and the car towards Grabrok crater for some hiking.
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There was still a lot of snow on the trails and walkways, so it was slow going, but the scenery and views, and exercise was welcome.
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Next up was a nearby waterfall called Glanni. I would mostly have this to myself as well. I did however notice when I was out and about I was typically spoken to in Icelandic. Sometimes I’d let a full conversation transpire before saying “huh?”. Typically Icelanders will greet you in English, no matter where you’re at. I think I was mistaken for a local at least 10 times on the trip. I liked the way that felt. Helga told me it was because I looked like a local. No, I’m not a 6’ tall blonde Scandinavian, but I think she meant more rugged looking. The hat I bought to replace the one I lost a couple days earlier apparently was also very “local” looking. Now it didn’t help when like on this hike, I’d run into a local who greeted me with “Halo”, and instead of responding “hello”, I instinctively responded back with “Halo”. No wonder they think I’m a local. I need to stop doing this.
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From here it was off to what I referred to as Snuffleupagus national park area. At least that became the inside joke with Helga, who originally had no idea who Snuffleupagus was. It’s actually Snaefellsjokull. I wouldn’t make it all the way into the park due to some incredibly sketchy mountain passes, and my nerves, but I would make it to a classic waterfall; Kirkjufellsfoss. The scenery along the way was stark.
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Once at the falls, in the rain, I had to swap my non weather sealed 24-85 for my weather sealed 35mm prime. Unfortunately, it really wasn’t wide enough to capture the scene the way I would’ve liked...guess I’ll just have to come back? I doubt I’ll have the falls to myself, like I once again did here.
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Next it was time to negotiate a mountain pass, socked in with clouds to the point I could barely see, in the pouring rain. More nerve wracking than it should be, especially in a 4x4, coming from someone who’s driven Pikes Peak, Mt Evans, and negotiated a number of treacherous Sierra Nevada passes. But, my damn nerves just weren’t settled. Sure, yesterday had been cathartic, but it hadn’t “fixed” me - It really just revealed to me that I have a lot of stuff that needs fixing.

Off to one last waterfall and a quick hike before heading back to Reykjavik.
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This was a quick, but lovely hike in the pouring rain. I ran into some locals, who again confused me for one.

A quick stop for some more interesting scenery on the way back “home”.
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The closer I got to Reykjavik, the more my nerves settled. This island is “alive”. You can feel it if you’re listening. It can make you feel alive. It can scare you. It did both to me often. But Reykjavik was already feeling like a safe place to land, and a home away from home.

I of course ended my night at Einstok. Thankfully the miserable weather kept the crowds at bay, and Saturday night was much quieter than Friday. I spent the evening talking with Agnes and Addi, after having a wonderful meal at Mat Bar. Agnes was wonderful and humorous, and I enjoyed conversation with her. Addi was just an all around fun guy, and easy to speak with. I learned quite a bit about life on the island and living in Iceland from each of them. Helga came in late for her shift after filming wrapped. She was exhausted and had a long night in front of her. I kept her company as long as I could manage, at her request.

Tomorrow was going to be a local day, full of museums. Maybe I’d even swing by the movie set too and see if I could catch Helga in action?
 
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Day 6 - Sunday

Today started like most others, albeit maybe a little bit later thanks to Helga and the crew keeping me at the bar a little later than I most likely would’ve normally stayed. I went downstairs to the restaurant for a free buffet style breakfast, which was actually always quite good. No “egg like product” made out of powder to be found here! Now, although I was quite the adventurous eater this trip, I could never bring myself to trying the gravlax. In fact just seeing it sit there was enough to almost lose my appetite.

After breakfast I grabbed my Fuji X100f and tossed it in my ONA Berliner II messenger bag and headed out. I felt good today, but then again, I was safe. I was home. I was in Reykjavik.

The Museums

I started with the one closest to the hotel; The House of Collections. A day pass here also gains you entry to 2 other museums, so I had a fair amount to do already. This first museum was housed in a beautiful older building that I believe still has some of the larger rooms used for governmental functions.
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I saw a couple in this room sleeping. Looks like they got to town early and couldn’t check into their hotel, so as tired as I was when I traveled in, they headed up to the third floor of a quiet museum, found some chairs, and went to bed. Not sure I’d recommend this option, but whatever floats your boat?

Clearly I don’t get “art”-
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Ok, maybe I’m trying to be more “cultural” than I actually am. Maybe I don’t know what I like yet? Sculptures, history, art, photography? Well, the last one I guess I know, but I couldn’t tell you the last time I stepped foot in a museum. Maybe a high school field trip? I guess I thought this would be a good way to see the city, learn some history, and now I’ve went and bought a pass for 3 of them. So come hell or high water, I was getting to them all! Maybe I’d find something interesting today?

While wondering from museum to museum, I snapped the occasional photo of Reykjavik. I enjoyed the feel of this city very much. Street art next to graffiti. Abandoned buildings next to modern ones. Busy locals mixing in the street with lazy tourists.
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My next museum stop was Listasafn Islands. A modern building with art that I once again, didn’t really “get”. There was a cool photo exhibit of people who got their cars stuck in the highlands of Iceland. I found that amusing.
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While I was down in this area, I grabbed lunch at the hot dog place, because man, those hot dogs are pretty darn good. I also swung by the “Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat”. This I “get”. I enjoy the Icelandic sense of humor.
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I was about to head off to my 3rd and final museum when I stumbled upon another. Like a train wreck or car accident, I couldn’t help but wander into the Icelandic Phallological Museum. Now in Icelandic, there is no word for “phallological”. It translates as the “Icelandic D*ck Museum”. Yup. You read that correctly.

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It is as advertised; full of d*cks. From every imaginable animal and species, including make believe ones!

If you need a magnifying glass, and you’re in d*ck museum, it’s an unfortunate state of affairs.
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Thankfully, useful placards would inform you of the mating habits, phallus size, and anything else you may need to know about troll d*cks.
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Totally an odd place, but definitely the best museum of the day. I’d go so far as to say this would be a fun spot for a first date!

The Movie Set-

Now before I went off to the final museum, I was nearby to the movie set Helga was working on. I figured I’d walk down and see what was going on. On the way, only about 5 minutes from the set, I heard an enormous explosion. Did I just miss something cool? Yup, I sure did. They blew up a van in front of HARPA.
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I watched for awhile as they were resetting the set, and bringing in makeshift rubble and mangled ruins to set around the van that blew up. I didn’t see Helga from where I was at, but she would tell me all about her exciting day later tonight at the bar.

Final Museum-

Ok, now off to my final museum of the day; The Artists Home. But more Reykjavik pictures along the way.
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Now at the Home of the Artist, which again, is as advertised. It’s literally the home of this artist.
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Wrapping up the day -

Well a long day of traversing the city was coming to an end, and it was off to find someplace new for dinner. I walked up to Reykjavik Pizzeria and enjoyed a nice meal. Not at all what I ordered, but it was delicious and I was hungry. Most Icelandic folks are very proficient in English. Some are less so. And not everyone gets numbers. Totally understandable. So when ordering a number 27 and you get a number 24, I’m not going to hold it against you. I probably should have pointed on the menu and made sure you had understood.
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After dinner it was back to the hotel. I grabbed a record player from the lobby so I could enjoy a record I actually had purchased at 12 Tonar earlier. A song had played at the pizzeria I was at on Thursday that I instantly loved. I used my phone to identify the artist and album, and was thrilled to find it on vinyl. I played music while getting ready to go out and see Helga at Einstok.
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Have a listen while you read-

Helga was happy to see me when I arrived, and I her. She told me all about her day on set, and showed me a video that she had filmed “just for me”. It was the moment the van exploded. I told her I was just around the corner when it happened, and we went on to exchange photos of the day. The director had her running around after the explosion, pulling people out of the rubble and helping to save other extras, so I have a really good feeling she’ll make the cut, and I’ll get to watch her on the big screen this fall.

I then went on to tell her about my plans for tomorrow. I was going to head to Vestmannaeyjar, the Western Islands. Her eyes lit up. You see, Helga’s father was from this small island of 3,000 people, and she grew up there. She spent her summers as a child collecting orphaned puffins and releasing them into the wild when they were ready. She went on and on with stories from her home, and told me all the best spots to visit. Little did I know how much my level of respect for this woman would increase by this same time tomorrow. Sadly, I wouldn’t see her tomorrow as she was off. This was good though, as she desperately needed to recover from her 3 long days of filming and working.

She again asked that I keep her company, and I stayed till a little after midnight with her. She only had to work till 1:30...she’ll be fine, I thought to myself. I had an early day scheduled, and she’s already fed me too much free beer - it was time to go. We both said our goodbyes to one another, as she wasn’t sure if she would be working on Tuesday and we didn’t know if we’d see one another again.

I walked back to the hotel, and hoped that I’d see her again on Tuesday. Fingers crossed.
 
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Day 7 - Monday

I woke up early this day, or at least earlier than I would’ve liked to. My head was a bit foggy, and I was feeling sluggish. Helga gave me one or two too many free drinks the night before. But I had no choice, well, not if I was going to make the ferry to Vestmannaeyjar in time.

I had about a 2 hour drive to the ferry, and they instructed me when I purchased the tickets online to arrive 30 minutes early. In an attempt to minimize any anxiety, I put a 30 minute buffer on top of that. Although I would have plenty of time, my anxiety would be with me most of the day. At least my hangover would be with me for half the day.

The weather was rough today. It’s exactly how you’d imagine the weather would be on a North Atlantic island, bordering the Arctic circle at the end of winter. Windy. Cold. Damp. I have a stomach like a steel trap, and have been on some rough seas before, but boy oh boy was I in for ride.

I arrived at Landeyjahofn with plenty of time to spare, and queued for the ferry. I’ve never done a ferry before. This should be fun. But of course, I was just dealing with mild dread instead. This anxiety was really getting old at this point. Clearly I need to deal with this when I get back to the states.
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It’s always reassuring when the chairs are chained to the floor. Obviously they’re used to rough seas. But am I?
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The answer? No. Even if I wasn't a little hungover this ride would prove to be rough. I should have spent some time outside on deck, as the air would’ve went a long way, but I didn’t. I sat at a chair, drinking a Gatorade I had purchased at the, as Helga referred to it “the crappy cafe”, and tried to keep my eyes on the horizon. The ship tossed and turned, and was definitely airborne on several occasions. The wind howled and the waves pounded the rugged little carrier. Thankfully, traversing the 8 mile channel only takes about 30 minutes, because in about another 10 I would’ve been in the bathroom losing my breakfast.

As we pulled into Vestmannaeyjar harbor, the rough seas of the North Atlantic became still, and the huge cliffs of Vestmannaeyjar jutted out of the water.

Once ashore, I disembarked with the trusty Kia and headed off to the far end of the island, towards the lighthouse. I would later be told, that this was the windiest place in all of Iceland. I would have to concur, as I was physically unable to open the car door to get out. Oh well, not going to catch any puffins up here. Let’s head down off this hill a bit. My anxiety was piqued on this island. I wanted off. I wanted off now. I almost thought about turning around and heading back to the port to exchange my 530ish pm ticket for the earlier 130pm departure. Essentially turning back after a mere hour or so. I felt like if I wasn’t physically blown off the island, that the damn volcano would get me. If Iceland was “alive” and Mother Nature was constantly in motion, on this particular island, she was just plain angry. On this island, winds can blow at over 100 knots and waves 23 meters high can crash against the shores. Angry.
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Looking back at Iceland-
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I did find a somewhat open field, with an area for my car, that I saw some cool sea birds pecking through. The wind was somewhat blocked, but not entirely, and the wind would often catch the large lens hood on my Tamron 150-600 G2 lens, making shooting at long focal lengths even more difficult than normal.
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It was all too much. The wind was unbearable. My unreasonable fears had me blowing right off the island, even while planted safely in my large SUV. What to do, what to do? I know! Helga told me about a really cool museum. Maybe this would be a safe place to get my bearings, and spend some time out of the wind? The weather app had the wind slowing down as the day progressed, so perhaps I could kill some time and wait for the 60mph gusts to slow to 30mph. This was as good a plan as any, so off I went to Eldheimer museum. It also would keep me from running back to the port.

The very impressive museum was in essence a large building that surround an excavated site of homes that had been buried in the 1973 eruption on the island. Unfortunately, I arrived about an hour before it opened. I wandered around the outside for a bit, and was getting in the car to leave when the museum director pulled up and waved me down. She invited me in early, and had me watch a movie about the island and the eruption while she powered up the museum displays. I swear she saw me pull in from her house and rushed over just to let me in! I spent about an hour and a half here, thoroughly enjoying the interactive displays and learning about this island, and the inhabitants incredible past.
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As I was finishing my time at the museum, a large group of local high school aged school kids arrived on a field trip. When I walked out to my car I had to chuckle, as there was no school bus in the parking lot. This group of kids, most with less warm clothes on than I had, walked here. They all walked here from wherever their school was located. Me? I’m irrationally worried about blowing off the island, meanwhile to groups of school kids, and everyone else I saw walking around, it was just another Monday.

After leaving the museum, and working my way across the island to another puffin lookout area, I took in the town and the people that lived here. This wasn’t an easy life. The terrain is rugged, the weather unbearable. Yet this remote volcanic island, Helga looks back on with the fondest childhood memories. She sees the cliffs jutting out of the water and gets the feeling of home. The longing that we all have for our childhood home, family, and friends. Her grandmother still resides here. Helga was larger than life to me now. This place scared me. Yet it was home to her. I couldn’t imagine in a million years what it would be like to grow up here. This delicate young lady I had come to know, was really tough as nails.

Now Helga told me I would be too early for puffins, and she was right. They were still a couple weeks away from making landfall. But I checked the cliff sides out and went for a short hike. The wind was reasonable now, and the scenery intense.
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Who lives here? How do they get here? Who is tending to the dozen or so sheep grazing the hillside?
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Time to grab some dinner before heading back to the port. I swung by the restaurant Helga had recommended, but they weren’t open yet. So I went to option number 2...it was nothing to write home about, so I won’t bother. But it gave me enough energy for the few hours ahead until I was back in Reykjavik. I sat and people watched the downtown area for a bit after my meal.
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Time for the return trip. It was still rough sailing, but better than the way in. I also spent about half the time on the back deck in the fresh air which helped. Just don’t stay to close to the railings and hold on!
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For reference, this is the spot for puffins from about late April until late August. Round trip ferry costs with 1 adult and a vehicle was about $80 USD. Tickets can be acquired online here - Herjólfur

Goodbye Vestmannaeyjar. Maybe I’ll be back? If I am back, Helga will be my guide for the day though! That’s already been decided.
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Time for the 2 hour or so drive back to Reykjavik. Just in time too, as the blustery weather was bringing in a small snow storm. I would spend the evening in Reykjavik with snow falling outside. It was lovely, and my nerves were relaxed, and I was at peace again.
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I needed another meal, as the one on Vestmannaeyjar wasn’t cutting it. I decided to go back to Islenki Barrin, and I was seated at the bar this time instead of a table. What the hell? Let’s do the touristy thing and order the fermented shark meat and cod jerky.
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This appetizer comes with instructions from the bar staff. You have to chew the shark at least 6 times to get the flavor out of it. The more you chew, the more flavor. The flavor, and smell, is pure ammonia. Ever smell your cats liter box and think to yourself, that’s smells delicious? No? I’m not really sure why I ate it all. Or why I chewed so much. The cod jerky however is delicious. It has the texture of a rope, but it’s delicious. The bar staff, which consisted of a friendly gay Portuguese man named Andre, and two attractive and somewhat flirty girls, seemed to never get tired of watching tourists eat this, as they giggled at my facial expressions while taking my first bites. The cod jerky is very much a staple in most Icelanders homes, it’s like candy. The fermented shark? Pretty sure that’s just for tourists nowadays. The appetizers were great, but a full meal was in order. Andre recommended the reindeer burger, and I took his recommendation. It was delicious. Andre was incredibly nice and a great conversationalist. His story was interesting, as I learned what it was like for him to move to Iceland 8 years ago, and attain his permanent residency. I enjoyed my evening with them, and Andre invited me back the following night. I had someone more important to hopefully see tomorrow night, my last night in town, but who knows, maybe I’d be back?

On the walk back to my hotel, I peeked into Einstok. Helga wasn’t there. But then again I knew that would be the case. Oh well. I had enough time to make it back to the hotel for a glass of wine before bed. My road trips were done for the vacation. Tomorrow would be another local day in Reykjavik. I had more museums saved to visit. Maybe these would be more fun than the first ones? Well, short of the d*ck museum...that was just good old fashioned family friendly fun!

Goodnight, snowy Reykjavik.
 
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Day 8 - Tuesday

Today marked my last full day in Iceland. I awoke to a windy, but otherwise beautiful morning, with a fresh coat of snow covering the ground. The plan was to wander about Reykjavik some more, visit a few more museums, and just see where the day would take me. After breakfast, I grabbed the Fuji and my bag, and walked out the front door.

Now immediately outside the front door of my hotel was a “Viking Portrait Studio”. I’d been walking past this place several times a day for over a week now. In thinking back about my purchases over the previous week, I realized I had only bought a replacement hat, a nice sweater, a vinyl record, and a few trinket souvenirs, oh, and a funny t-shirt from the d*ck museum. What the hell. Let’s go full-on tourist and walk in and see what the deal is.

I walked into the building and up the staircase into the studio. The photographer was posing a couple, but stopped to greet me. We decided I should return in about 90 minutes.

The light outside was stunning, and I walked towards the Sun Voyager on the shore front. It looked much better in this light than when I had visited a few days prior.
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I then headed down towards HARPA. I’d have to come back here again tomorrow for my COVID test prior to boarding, but wanted to see the building again in this lovely light. Plus I had some time to waste still.
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After this, I headed off to find back alleys and less travelled roads. I was really enjoying the walk and I thought Reykjavik looked beautiful with its fresh coat of snow.
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Once enough time had passed, I headed back to Mink portrait studio to meet with Gudmann. He’s an intense little bald man, with Viking like tattoos all over his body and piercing blue eyes. He would later tell me he was in a “clan”. All the costumes and weapons in his studio were handmade by the people in his clan, and done so using the same methods and practices from a 1,000 years ago. It all led to the authenticity of the experience. Gudmann began to look me over, and then set off to pick what he felt was the appropriate outfit for me. I glanced at his walls and saw pictures of him with cast members from the TV show Vikings, and Game of Thrones. He apparently served as a location scout for over 20 years and has worked on some of the biggest films you can imagine. This studio now is where he focuses his time.

Gudmann apparently thought I’d look good in chain mail, which, although I suppose this should be obvious, is incredibly heavy. It was almost claustrophobic to wear. He put me in various poses with different gear and took about 50 photos of me using his Canon 6d. At one point, he set the scene for me to scream while wielding a sword. He asked that I think of a person I really didn’t like, like maybe my boss. I told him that I don’t bother hating people. It takes too much time and energy, and there was no one I could think of that made me angry. He then suggested a situation, or issue that was bothering me. I had one. My fathers passing...and the fact that due to its timing with this very trip, I was unable to go home for the services. It proved somewhat cathartic given the week of issues I’d had to let out a genuine scream.

We then got to chatting about cameras and gear, and I spent a couple hours with him. I think I learned more about the history of Iceland during my time with him than I did at any of the museums I visited. Before leaving, he emailed me the entire set of low res watermarked photos, and I was instructed to select the 6 that I wanted, and to email him back the photo numbers. I decided I would let Helga choose... if I saw her that evening. If not, I suppose I’d let any of the girls at the bar pick the best ones. I guess I’d see what happens.

After this, I walked down to the Settlement Exhibition. It’s in the basement of a downtown building, where the earliest example of human habitation had been unearthed. It was small, but neat, and worth the visit.
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I had planned to have been deeper into the day so far, but who needs a schedule while on vacation, and I wouldn’t give back the time I had with Gudmann. But, I was overdue for lunch. I headed off towards the hot dog stand, yet again, but thankfully another food stand caught my eye. I enjoyed a delicious lamb pita for lunch, and then headed towards the Reykjavik Art Museum.

The damn thing was closed! Apparently they were switching out exhibits. Probably for the best, since I’ve learned that I don’t “get” art.

Thankfully right next door was the Reykjavik Photography Museum. This was an enjoyable stop. They had a small exhibit, but it was supplemented with selected digital media as well, and I spent about 45 minutes here.

After the Photography Museum I walked down the the Saga Museum. This was a relatively large, self guided via headphones, exhibit that detailed the early “saga age” of the Viking settlers. It was full of realistic figurines posed to the story being told on the audio player.
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After the Saga Museum, which I totally recommend, I took a long walk across the westernmost part of the city. I walked by a pretty church en route to the Super Mario Bros wall.
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From here it was up to the National Museum of Iceland. This was an impressive 3 story building, with some amazing pieces of history. I thoroughly enjoyed this museum, and it looks like I’ve found what I like. History! Yay! Their extensive collection of 9th-13th century early Christianity religious artifacts was impressive.
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I spent some time here, until closing at 4pm actually, and then had a long walk back to my hotel, and took the route that went by the large popular downtown park.
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As I was approaching the hotel I peeked into the Einstok windows as I passed by. Helga was inside! And it was early...not even 5pm. Hmmm, she may not be working all night. In fact, she may be out at any time! I needed to quickly get to my room, get ready, and come back down. I was planning to get dinner first, and then go to Einstok, but I had no choice but to reverse that order.

It didn’t take long, and I was walking back to Einstok. As I entered, Helga looked up from whatever task she was performing at the bar and yelled, “Chris!”. I felt like Norm walking into Cheers. I also felt warm and welcomed, like she always made me feel. We immediately got to talking about Vestmannaeyjar and my new found respect for her. Addi was equally impressed, and had no idea that his coworker grew up there.

We caught up on all kinds of items, and tried our best to have conversation. It was difficult however due to the table of about 10 drunk English guys screaming football chants...on a Tuesday. Honestly, I just assumed American tourists were the worst. I was wrong. This was confirmed by everyone working the bar that night, and by another Englishman who came up to apologize for his countrymen. Thankfully they stumbled out shortly thereafter, and it gave me and Helga a little more time to chat. She also went through my Viking photos which she appeared to love, and selected her 6 favorites. Here are two of them.
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I’m glad she liked the one where I was screaming. I didn’t give her the backstory on what was behind the scream however.
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Helga was leaving early, at 7 actually. Unfortunately she had plans with friends and I wouldn’t be able to enjoy her company all evening. At least we had a second chance to say farewell. She came around from behind the bar and extended her hand to me. Yes, I was more than happy to shake her hand, but wouldn’t do so while sitting down. I turned my bar stool away from her to stand up, and when I turned back around her hand was no longer extended, and instead her arms were wide open and she had a huge smile across her face. We exchanged a large hug, and then our contact information, before saying our goodbyes. I miss her.
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Of course Addi jokingly wanted a picture with me now, but I assured him after I got some dinner that I would come back to Einstok to say goodbye. Unfortunately, this was a promise I would break, and I never had the chance to say goodbye to him. I wish that wasn’t the case, and I’d like to see him again some day too.

Before leaving Einstok for dinner however, I began to chat with the man sitting at the bar next to me. David was there under similar circumstances actually. He lost his mother 2 weeks prior. In fact, he actually had her ashes with him and was heading out to the black sand beaches of Vik to spread them. Interestingly, at least as a Trekkie, David had just come from wrapping up filming two episodes of the second season of the new Star Trek series Strange New Worlds. I took note of his character, and I can’t wait to see him in the show.

Look for him in Star Trek -
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For dinner, I decided to take Andre up on his offer to return to Islenki Barrin. Him and the girls were working the bar again and they were happy to see me. We continued our conversations about his immigration to Iceland while I ate another burger. He then mentioned his plans for the evening, which included a karaoke bar downtown. Shortly after he mentioned it, he got a text that his friend was no longer able to go. I offered to go with him, and when his shift was over, the two of us walked down to the club where karaoke was taking place.

The club was packed, and the karaoke was on a serious level. Wannabe rockstars were coming and going off the stage. Nope. I would not being singing Frank Sinatra tonight. Instead, I hung out with Andre and a few other folks that we met. We took turns buying rounds of drinks, and before I knew it the night was ending. As Andre and I walked out of the club, what did I hear? Yeah...the same bunch of drunk English guys were back at it, shouting football chants. Seriously?

Andre and I also exchanged contact information and a hug before he walked towards his apartment, and I towards my hotel. By the time I passed Einstok, it was 15 minutes past closing time. I probably could’ve walked in to say goodbye to Addi, but continued straight back to my room. It was late, in fact this was the latest I had been out all week. I needed to request a late checkout so I could pack my suitcase, and get a little extra sleep. I couldn’t believe my time here was quickly coming to an end. It was a great day, and an even better evening. I was going to really miss this place that I was starting to call home.
 
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Day 9 - Wednesday

Today was my last day in Iceland. My flight home wasn’t till around 5pm, and I needed to have the rental car back at 3pm. The only thing I needed to accomplish was getting my COVID test completed at HARPA, and to top off the gas tank in the Kia. This allowed me a little more time for one last walk.

I started down to HARPA, and was quickly in and out, with an email confirming my negative results arriving within 20 minutes or so. Great. No issues boarding, and I’ll be good to get home. Why not one last museum?

I walked up towards the main cathedral in town, as right next to it is the Einar Jonsson museum, which houses the works of a quite impressive and prolific sculptor. I spent about an hour or so here, and took no photographs inside. I simply admired the work. Afterwards, I walked out back to the garden, which is always open to the public for free, where there are miniatures of his sculptures throughout the garden.
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I had already checked out of the hotel and had the car loaded up before going on my walk. Before heading back to the parking garage I took one last photo of the cathedral.
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I retrieved the car and set off to get some gas, about halfway between Reykjavik and Keflavik. I was running a little ahead of schedule, so I pulled over at my last stop, just minutes from the airport. It’s a small site with old homes, that shows what living in Iceland was like in the 17 and 18 hundreds.
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Departure -

I understand now why all the flights into the country take place early, and all the departures take place late. They essentially reverse all the customs and immigrations and passport validation stations to flow backwards from how you came in. I suppose that makes sense, given the modest size of the airport.

The flight from Reykjavik back to Boston was uneventful.

Goodbye Iceland, I will miss you -
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At one point, I even got to see the rugged southeast coast of Greenland from the window -
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Arrival -

Once back in the States, everything started going downhill. My flight from Boston back to Minneapolis had been delayed almost 3 hours. I was supposed to arrive around 1130pm local time, and now I would come in closer to 230am. Take into account the 5 hour time difference, and it felt like it was 730am, and of course I’d been unable to sleep throughout the return trip.

I was able to get a Lyft back to my car and I ultimately made it home around 4am. When I entered my house, it was freezing cold. About 45 degrees. Great. The furnace went out while I was away. I fought with it for a bit, but was ultimately too tired to deal with it. I put on thermals underneath my pajamas and put the hat I bought in Iceland to good use. Instead of sleeping in and catching up, I’d be getting up in 4 hours so I could get a repair person over as soon as possible for the furnace. At that point, I just remained up all day to get back on a normal schedule. The 40+ hour travel days on each side of the trip were exhausting. Although I very much plan to return (potentially as soon as late summer...still discussing with Helga), I will not do so unless I can fly directly from MSP.

Epilogue -

Nobody likes coming home from a vacation, especially a longer one. The thought of coming back to the “real” world and going back to work is never an enticing one. I however, fell into a deep depression almost immediately. Great. Now I’m depressed too. Another feeling I hadn’t experienced in decades. It’s clear I need to spend some time on my mental health, and I have in fact done so. It’s a work in progress, but I believe I’m heading in the right direction. I look forward to traveling internationally again, sooner rather than later, and look forward to doing so without irrational fear robbing some of the joy out of it.

Now unfortunately, when it rains it pours, and my mental health was not the only thing that was apparently tenuous. Shortly after coming home I began having issues swallowing. This was something that had plagued me infrequently over the past 6 months or so, but was quickly becoming a serious issue. I’m thankful I was able to enjoy all the food and drink that I did while I was away, because little did I know that I would shortly be on a liquid diet for a week. Even swallowing soup was a challenge. Thankfully the situation was quickly diagnosed. Apparently acid has been doing a number on my esophagus for some time now, as I have silent GERD. Within about 4-5 days of taking medication, I’ve been slowly able to begin eating solid foods again. Im still not there completely yet, and it sounds like it may be months until my esophagus heals completely. Looks like this summer just got a little less fun, as I won’t be able to enjoy a red wine for a very long time. Coffee is out too. Same with anything spicy.

I suppose if there is a lesson buried in here, it’s to take care of yourself. I learned this years ago in Colorado when I was climbing mountains and doing tons of hiking. Take care of your feet. Get good shoes. If you want to go see places, your feet are going to take you there. Well, perhaps taking care of your feet is really applicable when talking about hiking, but taking care of your body and mind as a whole is important when talking about anything. I want to go someplace without worry. I want to eat without choking. These don’t sound like big asks, but they are if you’re ignoring problems with anxiety and swallowing. I hope I’ve learned my lesson...even though I’m still in the process.

Ultimately when reflecting upon my trip, once again it’s the people that I met that will be the most memorable part. They always are, and it always somehow surprises me. I have went to some of the most remote places, to get away from people, and without fail it’s always the interactions that I have with people that wind up meaning the most. Maybe there’s still hope for me yet!

Thank you to all the wonderful people I interacted with. Many of which I never enumerated in my story here, as there were just too many. Thank you Addi, thank you Agnes, thank you Andre, and of course thank you Helga for the memories that I’ll hold dear for ever. I hope to come back and make some more memories with all of you someday soon.

If you’ve read all this, thank you too. I hope you took something away from my story. I’m certainly happy to answer any logistical questions if you’re curious about anyplace I visited; just ask!
 
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WOW - I've only just started reading this and very much look forward to going through the whole series in detail.
Wonderfully presented; some great images and very interesting commentary.
Thank you for putting this all together for us armchair travellers, who are unlikely ever to follow in your footsteps there!

Also it's good to see you putting the very marvellous Df to such good use. It's such a beautiful camera, great sensor
 
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