Return to Iceland.....Savor the memory as there is no going back……

Beautiful
That water looks so inviting! It is a place that Bill needs to see with his Icelandic heritage.

Sad about the Blue Lagoon
I didn’t get to the Blue Lagoon when I went to Iceland in 2016, I feel like I missed it now! My employee is going to Iceland on Saturday and was asking me how busy I thought it would be and I wasn’t sure, but as she’s in her 20s, it should be all good for her although I recall it being super expensive when I went!

Timing is everything
When we were in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia together I recall your excitement you were returning to Iceland. But your blog reminds me of the old adage when travelling "Timing is Everything." Our travel experiences can be twarted by insurrection, catastrophic or political events...unpredictable but making one wish we had not delayed travelling there. Or oft it can be if one waits too long the destination becomes 'the flavour of the month' making remote seem crowded like a tourist city in the evening. Makes me think I'll let Iceland quieten down...or maybe (cos I don't like crowds in paradise) it is too late for us to visit there. No matter...the next on our wish list should be remoteness heaven. Yep...timing is everything...the challenge for us is to ensure time does not run out.

Ahh....the Memories
When we have really enjoyed a destination, we romanticize it so much that a return visit could almost never live up to our vision of it in our dreams. I think that is why we have rarely visited destinations twice. Like a lost love from our past, they are often best left in our memories. That being said, Iceland is gorgeous and the photography opportunities are too great. I know we will get there eventually. Enjoyed reading this entry and all your recent travels!

Crowds
Indeed Iceland has changed drastically over the years. I consider myself fortunate to go to Iceland most years with work, but I have noticed the impact of mass tourism in some of the most beautiful parts. Economy vs environment - the struggle continues! Winter in Iceland is just starting to get noticed, but it is still fairly quiet (for now). Keep exploring, Dave.

Stunning Iceland!
Gosh, very inspirational, I love your descriptions of this unique country. Also loved the photos of the velvet clouds and grass-covered houses :) I've often considered revisiting places I've travelled to to rekindle the memories, but very useful to remember that although memories stay the same, the places will always move on, and it would be important to remember this before returning. Thank you for getting me to think about this one.

Blue Lagoon or not!
Yes, it is getting more crowded in Iceland. I think many tourists are doing these short layover kind of trips and so they stay mostly in the Golden circle area. During my June trip this year, I did not see many tourists outside of Golden Circle; except one place near Lake Myvatn where I saw tourist buses with European tourists. But Iceland is a place that beckons due to its natural beauty. Worth taking multiple trips there. As for Blue Lagoon, well, you have to contend with people there trying to soak in the quintessential Icelandic experience!! Photographs in the social media make it look like an other-worldly place.There is no escaping the crowd there! At least you have managed to keep the tourists out of your lovely photographs!

Iceland a popular destination
I've heard that Iceland is fast becoming an extremely popular destination. It is still on my bucket list. The crowds are a bit daunting but I'd still like to explore it. Our son has recently returned from Iceland and he keeps wanting to go back. Lets hope we can get the opportunity before it is too full of tourists. Thanks for the blog and comparison. I agree, no place is ever the same when you return to it, so it's worth savoring the memory.

We also loved Iceland
We also loved Iceland. It was the last trip we did before we joined TB so we don't have any blog entry from there (but our mascots actually have one (https://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Iceland/blog-118494.html). They had their own blog for a while). We will go back in the future and we already look forward to it. /Ake

Gotta love Iceland
Iceland tops my list of favourite destinations too. I'm a Geography teacher so you'd understand where I'm coming from. Very nice to read that you had a chance to stop there again on your way back home :)

Ah Iceland...
...great post guys, brought back many great memories...we too rank Iceland among the top of our list of destinations, really hard to put my finger on it but it somehow it just grabbed hold of me and really hasn't let go...will hopefully make it back some day, we didn't see the northwest and would really like to explore more around Vik...and agreed, Reykjavik is just plain cool...we stayed one night at the same hotel at the Blue Lagoon (night before we left to come home, figured we would treat ourselves and it was closer to the airport) and loved the private thermal pool (despite the enormous cost to stay there!). BL seemed destined to become an overcrowded tourist trap, it was busy when we were there in September, but still cool to see once...cheers! Jeff

Thank You!
As always, your blog inspires and educations in the most delightful way. Happy New Year! Happy Trails! Safe Travels! Looking forward to your next adventure!