Iceland for Christmas

As our kids get older, we have been developing new rituals around holidays and other gatherings. This year, we thought we'd replace a focus on Christmas and presents with travel - in particular a trip to Iceland, one of the most queer friendly countries in the world. So Meg and I got plane tickets and car rentals and an airbnb. Micah and Ivy and Adam got passports. 

We flew overnight on Icelandair. 

We arrived in the dark. I knew it would be dark - but not THAT dark. At 8 am, it was still darker than it ever got when we were there in the summer. The roads were wet, with a freezing rain starting to fall. The tires made a funny sound on the pavement as the studs from the winter tires hit the road surface. 

By the time we got to the pass between Reykjavik and Hveragerði, snow showers reduced the visibility, the plows were out, and the driving was getting difficult. By the time we got groceries and settled at our Airbnb - the whole country was under a yellow travel advisory - and some of the roads we took that morning were closed. We hunkered in to wait out the storm - and enjoy Christmas!

Periodically, we ventured outside for walks through the horizontal sleet, grapple, and wind. The gusts were so strong that it was sometimes a challenge to stay upright!

Days 10&11 (June 4&5): Reykjavik and Greenland

 After 9 days in the sparsely populated parts of Iceland, I was afraid that Reykjavik would feel huge and unpleasant, but it was nice to be in a "city" again. We walked around, visited a museum, and started organizing to head home. 

On the way to return the camper, we stopped for a walk in Njarðvík, and got a nice view of the huge viking ship at Viking World:

We also got a view of the Grindavik eruption from afar - we didn't try to get any closer:

Keflavik airport is nice. The sculpture garden out front reminds me of the Minneapolis cherry: 

And how many airports are full of trolls? 

And just look at these views of Greenland we got on the way home!




And that's a wrap! Iceland was amazing - so much variety. We came home exhausted. 

Day 9 (June 3): Vik to Reykjavik

The new day dawned dry - though still windy. Tired, and tired of the wind, we decided to head straight for Reykjavik 

Deep green hills in Vik:

It felt like we were going through a lot of shoe leather. I guess we were! Pokemon gave me an all-time high - 75 km (which is more like 75 miles in practice) for the week. 

A little further down the coast: Dyrhólaey View

And a bit further - another dramatic waterfall! Skógafoss. And another spot where we got an amazing view while making lunch. 

Meg thinks I need a "I brake for puffins" bumper sticker after I hit the brakes to stop to see this puffin:

And then the big city. A very pretty waterfront:

I wish all cities had campgrounds as nice as the the Reykjavík Eco Campsite. We were on the tent side with plenty of grass and only a few campers. The kitchen/gathering place was spacious and pleasant with lovely indoor cooking/washing up facilities. 

A bonus was the small but delicious ice cream shop less than a block away, SKÚBB Ice Cream. Delicious!

Day 8 (June 2):

 We camped in Staftafell National Park, which was a lovely campground. Trees, showers, washing sinks, and even a free washing machine/dryer, though still no wifi. In the morning, Meg took the hike to the waterfall, and then we both hiked (this time really a short hike) to the nearby glacier. Along the way, we passed some of the native birch trees, which once covered as much as 40% of Iceland. Early settlers cut them down for housing, fuel, and to make room to grow crops. They introduced sheep. All of that led to massive erosion and <1% of the land now covered with trees. They're working on reforestation and it was nice to see the birch up close. 

We drove through the moss desert that day. It looks pretty bleak this time of year, but this stuff is amazing. No roots, so it's VERY susceptible to disturbance. Later in the year, it turns purple. We were standing at an approved overlook:

As we traveled, the winds got stronger and stronger, making it hard to keep the camper on the road. We drove through several dust storms, both from areas of human disturbance, and not. The wind was just really strong. 

So we powered on to get to Vik. At checkin, I asked the guy if these winds were normal and he said they were - but in fact there were yellow wind warnings out all over the country. Normal - but nothing to trifle with! 

The hexagonal building was an indoor kitchen/cleanup/hanging out space. The campground was pretty quiet when we arrived, but more and more and more campers arrived until it was hopping by 10 pm. 

Around Vik:

Day 7 (June 1): Glaciers!

Our first stop of the day was the fishing village of Hofn. Once again, we found a spot to park the camper with a great view of the harbor. 

Next up - Vatnajökull National Park, and a short hike to touch a glacier. There are lots of warnings not to walk on the glacier without professionals and equipment - but as you'll see - that wasn't a problem for us. 

And ... it wasn't a short hike. After maybe a mile, we could finally see the glacier: 

Then came the rocky scramble to reach it, a trail that got more and more difficult:

But we made it! And got to go right up and touch the glacier. It was almost vertical - no worries about trying to walk on it! But very interesting. The gray is not dirt - it's layers of ash from past volcanic eruptions. 

Four hours later, we made it back to the van, and were happy to realize we could drive right up to our next stop: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. We even got an amazing parking spot with a view of the lagoon, where Meg made us lunch. 

This place was amazing - my favorite of the whole trip. Icebergs from Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier float through the blue waters and out to sea. We loved it so much we signed up to "ride the ducks" - the amphibian boat tour - so we could see them from more angles. 

We stayed for hours.