Booooooring

Reykjavik was the base for our 3 day trip to Iceland over the last bank holiday in May. We arrived in late, but of course it was still very light; we only had 4hrs of darkness, very strange experience. On our first day we got up early and headed to the modern huge concert church, but unfortunately it was covered with scaffolding. I suppose like most churches in capital cities all round Europe. We did manage to get up the top of the sprier and get a great view across the city. Interestingly there are only 300,000 people in Iceland, so this capital in Europe was relatively small. Thus walking down the main street to the wharf didn’t take us very long. Very soon we were out on the salty sea looking at the delightful little puffin bird. Hilarious little creatures who really can’t land or fly very gracefully, but they sure can dive.

That afternoon we did the express Golden Circle tour, the guide was an American who spent a very long time telling everyone about the Euro Vision final and the fact that Iceland was in the final. Love the Euro Vision. The drive out to Gullfoss and Geysir was spectacular. We visited the meeting of the American and European tectonic plates which provided a stunning vista and also where the first parliament was formed. Gullfoss waterfall is a magnificent site falling in a canyon, water, water. Next we visited Geysir which really does put Rotarua to shame. About 20 people were standing around, camera’s in position, ready to take the best phone, it was tense it was quite. In the midst of the salience some guy yells out….’boooooooooring’, brilliant, I nearly wet myself laughing so much. On the way back we learnt lots about the volcanoes and that the next earthquake was near. 3 days after us leaving Iceland a 6.5 earthquake hit, lucky no one was killed. That evening it was the excitement of Euro Vision, sadly Iceland did not do so well, tipped for the top 5 and not making the top 10.

It was an early start the following morning heading out to Jokulsarlon, an ice filled lagoon. The costal drive to the lagoon was beautiful, one amazing after site after another and one glacier after another, lava fields surrounding. You can tell this country it ‘alive’. We stopped at some of the best looking waterfalls I have ever seen; rainbows everywhere. The lagoon was postcard perfect with seals playing in the river leading out to the sea and massive icebergs were floating out, phenomenal site. We got out there, on the lagoon, and I got to taste the ice, pure stuff. We arrived back in very late to Reykjavik. On our last day we headed to the Blue Lagoon for a long soak, the water was very soothing; there was a mud pack that you can slap on your face which sadly cause a few blemishes (!!) The Lagoon is in the middle of a lava field and next door is a thermal power plant so it is rather a surreal experience, especially given it was cold. We ended the trip with a long lunch and a good bottle of wine. Iceland definitely not boooooooring.

Photos

---

---