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Published: September 13th 2021
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Iceland - Preamble + Day 1 of 22
Hi all
Long time no blog, which is not surprising given world events over the last 18 months or so.
Before we move on to the blog proper can we just acknowledge those events. Personally, except for the impacts of lockdowns and new precautions, and the need for Pip to take shielding care for health reasons - asthma - during the first lock down especially, we have been fortunate in our avoidance of the worst aspects of covid. No illness for ourself nor do we personally know of any family or friends who have been ill at all.
But we reckon that amongst our readers there will be some who have not been so fortunate. If so you have our kind thoughts and sympathies.
Along with a lot /most of the casual travelling world it has been a long, long time since we travelled abroad. Over 2 years in fact - July 2019 - since we set off for Russia on a trip that finished (via Singapore) with 6 weeks in China in October that year, probably just as covid was incubating in Wuhan. Eeek ?? not that we
Statue to 1st female MP
She - Ingibjorg Bjarnason - entered parliament 1922 knew at the time of course.
We are still travelling light, basically a rucksack each, but there things have also changed. Our preferred "local" carrier - EasyJet - has changed their luggage policy. In an effort to encourage most passengers to check in their luggage for the hold the airline no longer allows a standard fare to include one bag into cabin overhead lockers. You can only take into the cabin a smaller bag capable of slipping under the seat in front of you. To access overhead locker space you now have to pay the extra for the early boarding /extra legroom seats at the front. So we've bit the bullet. The extra was not too bad, and we always feel more comfortable knowing our luggage is under our direct control. But also, as the EJ bag policy is about bag size rather than weight we have been able to take a bit more volume with us - rucksack plus day-bag which helps with clothing layers for the Iceland weather.
Planning and getting to the country is also different at the moment. The morning after the UK government announced the relaxation of travel rules, and introduced green/amber/red countries,
Original house
From the 1800s that survived a city fire we were on the web booking to a place we always promised ourselves we would get back to - Iceland. At the time of booking Iceland had a very lax entry requirement. They had dropped all testing and quarantine requirements, we thought we could basically just walk in. Things have changed since then though. If you are double jabbed, which we both are, you can enter but you need a negative test in the UK. Nicely the Icelandic Govt have allowed either of PCR or lateral flow (but not the free NHS) which takes away some of the time pressures that come with the time it takes for PCR results to arrive - 24 to 36 or more hours - vis a vis how old it can be when you arrive in Iceland.
We booked, therefore, a lateral flow test at a supplier at Exeter Airport. Test taken Saturday morning, which would give us enough time to cancel everything we had booked without incurring any trip costs if we got the worst result.
45 minutes later the results arrived by email - both negative! Phew, we were good to go (the previous week had been a bit nervous
as Paul spent last weekend with 15000 people at the End Of The Road Festival, but he avoided the more crowded tents etc, and we have got away with it).
Originally we booked a Gatwick flight but EJ moved it to Luton. Whilst we took a long day to come over slowly, via the Cotswolds, at the airport the car park /hotel /terminal are within 10 minutes walk of each other. So much more compact than Gatwick.
We did a quick check walk to/from terminal from our overnight hotel - 10 minutes. On the way we passed the Holiday Inn Express. We were curious as to the people hanging around the outside complete with security officers. It eventually dawned on us that they were quite probably Afghanistan refugees/in quarantine.
An early flight this morning, 06.30, meant a very early rise, especially as we anticipated extra levels of checks to get to the flight. We are still a bit old school about this, so despite all documents being on Paul's phone we also print hard copies too. Boarding passes, vaccination certificates, lateral flow test cert and QR code from our Iceland pre-entry registration.
All fine at EasyJet
Harpa Concert Hall
Windows designed to look like fish scales boarding area. We are sure that having vac and test certs on paper are a help. It's always fun to watch people scrolling through their phones frantically to find the individual documents that they need for proof. But this new cabin baggage policy, linking overhead space to the extra seat cost of "speedy boarding" is a bit of a joke. In the holding lounge at least 2/3rds of us passengers must have been in the "speedy boarding" queue. And once on board if you weren't early, which of course many weren't , then most up front passengers were separated by many rows from their overhead luggage which had to retreat further back into the plane to find overhead space.
Entry into Iceland also fine. Just an extra final check on leaving Customs Hall that we had registered in to Iceland Visitor site plus vac and test certs.
We have been to Iceland before, for a few days pre-xmas break, some years ago. That was totally Reykjavík centered with a single Golden Circle day trip, and a session at the Blue Lagoon. This time we are here for 3 weeks, and from Thursday we have a hire car 4x4
for a leisurely 17 day anticlockwise amble around the island's outer ring road. Doable in 10, we have allowed enough time to soak it all in.
As it was a very early flight we have been in Reykjavík since around 09.30 (local time, 1 hour behind the UK). Pleasingly when we went direct to our hotel they checked us in straight away which was wonderful. This gave us a chance for a little rest and freshen up before out to explore.
We have got somewhat out of our travelling habits and it was only late morning when we thought "free walking tour?". We have done many of these and they usually are a good way to get an introduction to somewhere. It turned out there was one at 13.30 which was great timing for a brief walk around, coffee and cake
☕? beforehand.
Although the tour didn't cover a large area of Reykjavík it was nevertheless one of the best we have had over the years. Usually so many random facts pop up. Amongst those today:-
-Iceland compulsory primary school is from age 6 to 16. After that High School is optional but last year 99.8% went
to High School
-No university fees
-All Icelanders can trace their ancestory back to the first settlers around 1000 years ago. There is an online database of all Icelanders that have ever existed, and it numbers less than 1 million. As our guide said there are more sheep in Iceland now, >1 million, than there have been Icelanders in total since the first settlement. By entering his social security number our guide can get a complete family tree back more than 20 generations.
There is a lot of "close breeding" in Iceland. Our guide's parents were related, albeit from 12 generations ago. A bit like Norfolk then (sorry, couldn't resist).
-Take away booze can only be bought at official government shops, not supermarkets, and those shops close at 6pm, so no late decision for a drink with home dinner.
They say that if it rains in Iceland don't worry as the weather will change soon. 4 seasons in a day is not unusual, and today has been one of those days. Wind, then sun, then almost hail, then sun again and on and on... .... each burst barely lasting 20 minutes or so. Clothes layering and delayering can be
"Star Trek hotel"
One for the Trekkies out there a nightmare. Should be fun when we get into the open countryside and get some walking in.
Tonight though we'll go back down to the old harbour in search of a fish meal.
If you are not aware Pip has been trying for a 1000 miles of walking this year ie around 3 miles per day on average. At the moment she is slightly over target and only needs around 2.5 per day for the rest of the year. Today, by the time we go to the harbour and back tonight, we will be on around 8.5 miles for the day. A good start to these 3 weeks.
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Jane Callaghan
non-member comment
Off on your travels again!
I thought that you must have the itchiest feet! It sounds like an ideal opportunity to get back into travelling. Keep giving airport/Covidtips. Have fun!