Blogs from Reykjavík, Southwest, Iceland, Europe

Our intrepid band of 6 set off for Iceland in January to see the Aurora Borealis. We accomplished our mission and had a fun, but cold, three days in the frozen north. The five hours of daylight each day, forced us to pack in as much as possible, before the sun set at 4:15 pm. So, we were off to see the city of Reykjavik, do the thermal baths, and explore the countryside. The first two nights were spent chasing the Northern Lights. The first night was a disappointment, but we did see some lights on the second night. They were not as spectacular as the night before we arrived, but what we saw was still impressive. It made standing out in the wind and bitter cold worth the effort. After two frigid nights standing outside ... read more

SUN, 02 OCT 2022 – Day 7: Snaefellsnes Peninsula/Reykjavik - Continue exploring the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, beginning with the white beach at Budir, then go on to Arnarstapi, where a short stroll along the coastal cliffs exposes you to rich bird life and other wonders of nature. Continue on to the basaltic pebble beach Djupalonssandur. In the afternoon head back to Reykjavik to complete your circuit of Iceland. The rest of the evening is yours for the taking. Perhaps head out for dinner with your fellow travellers and toast with a glass of Brennivin, a savoury schnapps. Total driving distance - approximately 300 kilometres (186 miles), or 4 hours. UNCLE LARRY'S NOTE: On Sunday evening we all participated in an optional farewell dinner organized by our tour leader, Stefano. Hats off to him for a job well ... read more

I had several “housekeeping” items on the London agenda. I had been watching the Iceland weather and saw that the days had been cool and windy and the evenings had been down right brisk and windy. I went shopping again for some sturdier footwear, heavy socks, gloves and a stocking cap. I also needed to update all the upcoming tour information since I really hadn’t even looked at the Iceland trip since I left America. Indeed, I hadn’t even checked what time my plane departed until a couple of days before my flight. Rain dominated the weather forecast for Wednesday thru Friday, so I set Saturday as my tourism day. I set out to visit half a dozen or so attractions that were relatively close to the hotel. Closed access points and closed attractions nixed those ... read more

Most people don't need air conditioning in Iceland, and normally we wouldn't either, but our room is hot even with the windows open and the 50 degree air blowing in. And yes, we checked to make sure the heat was not on. Anyway, it made for a hot night's sleep. We headed out in the morning to the spectacular Blue Lagoon. There we donned our swimsuits and joined in the fun. The water is hot water from the ground and is full of minerals and sicilia. It is very milky looking. We made our way to the bar in the lagoon where we were able to get a free sparkling wine. It was relaxing and beautiful. We came back for lunch and then toured a museum of some of the oldest houses in Iceland. They were ... read more

After getting no sleep on the overnight direct flight from Raleigh, we finally landed in Reykjavík. The five minute border patrol took one hour, they needed to make a new sign. We boarded a bus for the hour-long ride to the hotel where we met four or five other buses from other cruise lines arriving at the same time. What a mess! After a quick breakfast we checked in and took a short rest. However, we don't like wasting even a minute of a vacation, so we headed out to see Reykjavík on foot. We walked the harbor and then headed to the shopping district which had some quaint, Icelandic architecture. In the midst of all of the nice shops was a "Phallus Museum". Needless to say, you don't have to think very hard to realize ... read more