The foreigner count is so high, we believe, due to the extensive deals offered from Iceland Air via the Groupon-like online emailer, TravelZoo. In our wanderings, those whom we met had purchased a similar $700/pp deal to spend 3 nights in Iceland, airfaire & hotel included, with several excursion packages too. Twas only an extended weekend and our travel time alone was more than twice the 7-hour flight from Denver. So, 30 hours of airplanes, TSA gauntlets and traffic in exchange for 80 hours of vacation! But it certainly is worth the effort.
It is always a gentle surprise to select an airline that respects their customers and does not treat the non-business traveler with disdain as do the big US domestic carriers. Still no free meals, but a pleasant welcome and a iceberg-shaped bottle of genuine glacier water imported for us from our destination. The drink-of-the-day on this polar route was the hand-crafted Champagne Shower Sour Power, a mix of sweet Vermouth, Vodka, apple vinegar and... pop-rocks! For $12, our flight attendant blended ingredients and shook vigorously for a full minute; all worth the show and taste. Yup, long days with short nights leads to crazy inventiveness!
If you touch down before sunrise on a Saturday, be prepared to roam the streets with fellow arrivals until the kaffitar (coffee shops) open. At that time, quickly grab a seat and order a $5 better-than-Starbucks warm beverage in a cup and a chocolate croissant side. Ah, just the first $20 for food of much more yet to be spent...
Since our hotel, the Center Skjaldbreid in old downtown, would not have a room for us until the afternoon, we began our shopping! We found a Christmas shop and passed on the $80 stuffed white moose in favor of a simple ornament, to become another annual memory of travels long past. Every fourth storefront sells wool goods including the traditional lopapeysa (sweater), which is mandatory attire for all tour guides.
Next stop is the tallest landmark in the city, Hallgrímskirkja, a 244' towering space-shuttle shaped church built in concrete to resemble the hexagonal basaltic lava columns. In classic Gothic style, yet with minimal decoration, the lines and open spaces dominate. For 700 krona each ($6.20), we lift up to the observation deck with wide views across the town sloping down to the waterfront; now, we've seen it all...
With even more time still available, we choose to hit a local hot pot. This term refers to the geothermal spas and pools, which are prevalent across the land, even in the smallest hamlets. We are directed to the oldest one in the city, where only the locals are found; indeed, we are the lone tourists and enjoy a soak in some large hot tubs on the rooftop. Ahhhhh....
Next, a stop at Prikið, one of the oldest eateries in town for lunch: a hamburger for her and fried codfish for him with my first beer, a Viking. Just 25 years ago (in 1989), Iceland ended the final part of their alcohol prohibition to permit the sale of beer; that day is March 1st, so I celebrated the local culture as best I could...
We were certainly blessed to see majestic Northern Lights, the bucket-list objective that launched this voyage overseas. On our first evening, we set sail into the harbor to pull away from the city lights with 100+ passengers; within minutes, we were told to go up on deck (in the chilly air and strong winds) to see the lights! On this initial opportunity, as all were huddled together, we were filled with a combination of gladness to see them tempered with disappointment at how boring they actually were...
"Is that faint grey cloud really the phenom that has brought us here?" "Yes, that's it alright" we are told. In the next 15 minutes, however, that cloud exploded into emerald curtains pulsating with waves across the entire horizon. They move rather quickly changing brightness and drawing shapes ranging from dragons to flowers. Photographs saturate the color and show it much brighter, but the live action is wonderful and awe inspiring. And, then we saw them again the next night (at 1am) from the beach!
Upon our return to terra firma, it is time for a grand arctic tradition - a pylsa (with sweet relish remoulaude) from the internationally famous Bæjarins Bestu (awarded Best in Europe, 2006). We stand in line for a few minutes to get a pair of extremely tasty $3 hotdogs; yummmm!
This is truly a party-town with constant activity through the weekend nights; our hotel provides perfect access to hear it all, like that or not. The next day, we are greeted with the sounds from a local marching brass band playing New Orleans tunes in honor of upcoming Mardis Gras. Then, they added some Bear Necessities from Disney...
On our final evening, we enjoyed a pleasant Italian dinner at Caruso's, a well-received establishment with fine dishes; it is expensive at ~$60/pp but since a simple hamburger can run $25, one must keep perspective on the value received.
The chamber of commerce has created the Golden Circle, which defines a countryside excursion route taking 6 hours to see the wonders of this volcanic landscape: we crossed the tectonic rift between the North American and European plates, viewed a mountain glacier, watched the original Geysir from which the common name is derived, saw grazing Icelandic horses, and braved two frozen waterfall vistas.
The final excursion was to the Blue Lagoon, a converted effluent pit from the electric utility that is more dull green than blue. The waters range from warm to hot (!) and crowds swarm to bathe and absorb the sulfurous liquid. Ah, mother nature at her utmost; it was rather soothing ;-)
The home turf of Leifur Ericson holds wonders, tastes, and vistas that amaze and inspire; a perfect place for a long weekend away...
See more photos here.
