Craters, tomatoes, horses and a potato

As I type this in the warmth of our hotel room, a glance out the window shows that the light is perfect for photography. But, it's waaay too cold and windy. The temperature is 6C  and the wind must be at least 30 kph. The idea to stroll around the harbour area was quickly postponed until the morning. It's 8 pm and still bright.

The Golden Circle didn't disappoint. Our mini-bus tour was even more than we could have hoped for. The company was friendly and the sun shone on us almost all day. It was on the chilly side and more than a little bit windy, but bright and dry.

Our first stop was at a lava crater. Surprisingly, the earth? crushed lava? gravel? was red. The lake at the bottom of the crater was a brilliant green. We 'circumnavigated' the crater on the walking path that took us up and around and back down. I declined to travel down the stairs to the lake itself - because of the walk back up.

Susan and Ann (wearing Dad's Tilley Hat). We did the walk up the hill and across behind us - about 20 mins round trip.

From there we headed to a greenhouse at Fridheimar, where they grow hydroponic tomatoes. It's quite the computerized operation, but it's all organic. The cherry tomatoes we were given as samples were very sweet and juicy. They also grow plum tomatoes and the regular round red sort.  There are some boxed beehives around the greenhouses for natural pollination. The source of the bees is the Netherlands and they are constantly replenished due to the short working lifespan of the bees. They don't produce honey.

Sunflowers at the greenhouse

We enjoyed a cup of fresh tomato soup - possibly the tastiest I've ever had. That was our lunch although a later lunch stop was part of the tour.

A short drive took us to a geothermal area with bubbling pools and one predictable geyser. With great anticipation, we waited for Geysir to do its thing. This is one of many geysers yet it remains unnamed. It erupts about every 5 minutes. I was able to capture one of its water explosions on video and got one pretty fair still shot. The water in the nearby stream is 80-100C. Geothermal activity throughout the island makes electricity pretty cheap. It provides the warmth to the above-mentioned greenhouses. There are numerous hot springs around the island, the most expensive and best known is the Blue Lagoon. 

Geysir - local spelling

A brief stop enabled us to see Icelandic horses up close. They are a very sturdy breed, somewhat short-legged and they have a special gait that is interesting to watch. The rider doesn't bounce up and down at all. To keep the breed pure, if an Icelandic horse leaves the island it cannot return.

Icelandic Horse

From there we oohed and ahhhed at Gullfoss. The name means Gold Waterfall. It is divided into two levels for a total drop of about 30 meters. I never got to a lookout from which to see the river that runs off at the base. It is fed by a nearby glacier which isn't visible near the falls. The water in the river, just before it drops at the falls, is almost white. 

The last stop was at Pingvellir, the national park that has the only above ground spot where you can see where the North American and Euro-Asian tectonic plates parted company. Not being fluent in geology, I could be corrected. It is also home to the largest lake in Iceland with water so clear you can see 160 meters underwater. It's popular with scuba divers who must wear dri-suits to protect them from the 2C water temperature.

There was lots of driving between stops and this was a whole day adventure. We got back to Reykjavik just after 5 pm. 

There were lots of restaurant recommendations but we just wandered the nearby streets as we are in the heart of the city. Our decision was Grillhusid - the oldest diner in Iceland. Both of us ordered the lamb skewers. The lamb was done to perfection and it was served over salad with a baked potato on the side. I almost ignored the potato but decided to take a bite. When I finished there was no sign that a potato had been anywhere near me. We asked what variety it was as neither of us had ever tried a potato that tasty. It was sweeter than a sweet potato. Turns out it was unique to Iceland. I might have to move here just for the potatoes - and those greenhouse tomatoes which are not exported either. I'm giving serious thought to smuggling one back to Canada.

And so ends a perfect day. We caught up on our missed sleep last night, although falling asleep despite extreme fatigue was challenging. Our room is warm but one window opens a smidge. It lets in just enough air, but also the clacking and rolling of the skateboarders in the plaza below. They must be diligent because they were at it for hours. It's now 9 pm and still bright but definitely the sky is dimming. Bonus - the skateboarders must have found a bar that they like.

WOW - what a day!

The holiday started with a pretty fast flight - just under 5 hours. It took us from hot summer to chilly fall, but we kept the sun. The flight was uneventful if rather bumpy. The pilot had the "stay in your seats and buckle up" message sounding every few minutes. Sleep eluded us completely - as expected. It wasn't stomach-churning turbulence, just bumpy.

On arrival at Keflavik International Airport we disembarked from the back door of our 767, and trudged onto waiting buses. In the terminal it was all pretty orderly, if somewhat of a long trot with none of those lovely moving sidewalks. But our bags showed up and we found our way to a small shop selling various food items. A chicken sandwich and a yogurt came to $12-14 (can't recall exactly). But they hit the spot.

From there we found the FlyBus kiosk and learned that the bus to the Blue Lagoon left at 7:30. It was not yet 7 AM, so we ate and waited and then caught the bus.

Right away we felt at home - there was plenty of construction. By Ottawa standards, the roads didn't seem to me to need improving but construction seems to be in season here, as it is at home. 

The Blue Lagoon was a wonderful way to start the holiday. As we were among the first to arrive, the process of trading our voucher for towels, robes and flip-flops and finding a locker, showering and changing, took a very short time. That shower was incredible - very warm and very strong.

And then the real pleasure began. We wended our way down a couple of flights of stairs and took an indoor ramp into the pool. Well, some pool. It was endless. The colour was a light aqua and the water being saturated with minerals, notably silica, you couldn't see your hands once they were submerged about 5 inches. But the temperature was like perfect bathwater. There were a few warmer spots.

Blue Lagoon

Bridges at the Blue Lagoon

Harpa concert hall in Reykjavik

Hot dog stand

Susan enjoying her gourmet dinner

We wandered slowly like a cloud - oops, no daffodils. We meandered through the water of varying depths and temperatures (all warm), under bridges, and if desired through caves.

Eventually, we located the kiosk where we got a handful of white silica "paste" which we dutifully applied to our faces. The large clock on the wall lets you know when your 5-10 minutes is up. I'm not sure if your face falls off if you wait too long to wash it off but we didn't risk it. We're hardly recognizable now and have to ask for senior discounts. [Well, we wish].

After turning into Icelandic raisins, nicely water-withered, we got out - and moved pretty briskly indoors to the towels and robes waiting for us. The outside temperature got up to 12C today. And after a bright but overcast start, the sun came out. It was glorious.

The warm water was incredibly relaxing so we moved from chairs to lounges and proceeded to rest comfortably for quite a while.

The next phase involved getting back into the pool, heading off in another direction, this time to the bar where we enjoyed Strawberry smoothies. You have to experience sitting on an underwater bench, in aqua-coloured warm water, sipping on a cool fruit drink, to really know how lovely it was. Ahhhhh

Then it was time to shower, change and head for the bus into Reykjavic. By this time the sun was still shining on the lava fields, whose main vegetation was moss. But I did detect the odd struggling flower. Vegetation got somewhat lusher as we approached the capital. They even have trees here - not a lot of trees, but enough to be notable. And more flowers. 

We were the last passengers off the bus and found that due to narrow twisting streets, and lots of construction, we finished the journey on foot. Hurray for suitcases on wheels. Arriving at the Center Hotel Plaza, we checked in. The room is very clean and has a lovely shower and the teeniest sparkling clean sink. The two beds are comfy and shall shortly be occupied for what we hope will be a nice long sleep to get over the jet lag and lack of zzzz's last night.

However, there is not a drawer to be found and the closet is full with only 4 hanging items. There are 4 USB ports (thank you), and a huge round post between the bed and the window. Not really a decorating feature I would recommend. The view is lovely and we can clearly see the famous church, whose name starts with H. The crane operator kindly directed his activities away from our view so that we got a couple of decent pictures.

We had a bit of a wander through the shopping street just out our front door. Eventually, we found "the famous hot dog stand" and enjoyed an early dinner, not having had lunch other than the smoothie. http://www.bbp.is/information-in-english There are a number of pretenders to the Hot Dog throne but we got directions to the right one. Cheapest food in town.

Everything is VERY expensive. Coffee is $7. We're still gawking at the coins and wondering how much we actually have when we get change. Purchases other than food are eligible for a 15% tax rebate at the airport upon departure.

At this point, I'm almost cross-eyed and ready to call it a day. It's only 6:15. I have not figured out how to get the pictures from my android phone to my Mac laptop, directly. Sorry the pictures are all together. I'm too tired this evening to put them in place. I'll do better next time.

Some hopeful news on the weather

Having all day to get ready I've been getting as much new Iceland information as I can - notably on the weather. It is supposed to be 12C and sunny-ish on Friday so we've booked a mini-bus tour of The Golden Circle. 

This will cover a popular area that is not accessed on the cruise. They suggest rain gear and hiking boots so I suppose fitness will be tested right off the bat. We have the suggested gear but hope not to need the rain stuff. Just in case, I sprayed all jackets, shoes and rain pants this morning to add a measure of waterproofing. Dad's Tilley Hat will be my headgear of choice. My blue toque will be headgear of last resort if we encounter really nasty cold weather.

We will set out from Windy Ridge at 5 pm to give us enough time to get to the airport for 7 pm, through Toronto traffic. Despite a hiccup of the travel agent forgetting to book our seats, we have that sorted out now. I'll shortly check in online to hopefully shorten the airport experience.

I will probably use some time today to learn a few helpful phrases in Icelandic. Based on the cost of things I can probably start with "which way to the nearest ATM?"

Off to Iceland

I'm back on the wandering trail again - Iceland this time. Departure is set for Wednesday evening with a very early Thursday morning arrival at Keflavik airport. Aside from the airport name and the capital city, Reykjavik, I may not be able to pronounce the name of any other place we visit.

So, armed with a guidebook we shall explore Reykjavik and one lunchtime will line up with the locals for one of the specialty hot dogs I've been reading about. They'd better be tasty as they have a special place in the visitors' guide. We'll let you know.

Check back here from time to time to see what we've been up to. Now, where is that warm waterproof jacket?