BRIM

Iceland is full of astonishing landscapes and is the last bit of untouched nature in Europe. However, on the other side, it is one of the most modern countries in the world which utilises several renewable resources for energy production. It is also known to house a high percentage of readers and writers; statistically, every tenth resident of Iceland will write a book once. When you step into that incredible country, you will understand what inspires people who live there.

Iceland is a country where many people will experience several “first time in life” experiences. For example, our family saw geysers, glaciers, and tundra for the very first time in Iceland. It is a place where nature shows its strength, shaping astonishing natural creations which can also be seen as natural art sensations.

We travelled to Iceland in the middle of November. Although it was an unusual time to visit Iceland for most of tourists due to the short duration of daytime, it was the annual November family trip for us.

At Keflavik airport, we rented a jeep and drove 50 km to Reykjavik, which was our first destination. A jeep is a necessity to travel around Iceland, especially during wintertime. It is highly recommended to anyone who is planning a road trip across Iceland. Although it was almost wintertime, we decided to travel a grand circle around Iceland. A jeep is the best option to stay safe on the roads. I must say, it was a very brave decision for us to make, as we were not aware of how the weather would be up north, but thanks to our great jeep, our trip was successful.

We arrived in Reykjavik late in the afternoon, and it was almost dark already. However, we had enough time to visit a few places in Reykjavik to feel the spirit of the city.

First, we visited Hallgrímskirkja – Iceland’s national sanctuary and parish church. With its appearance, it truly presents Iceland’s basalt landscape. It was a nice evening; so, we decided to walk towards Harpa – a concert hall at the Old Harbour. Harpa showed a stunning view as changing colours flashed on the building, symbolising the northern lights. 

The town was full of people and life. Restaurants and bars were full of youths, and tourists roamed the streets regardless of the cold weather. Our first impression of Reykjavik was very positive. The city brimmed with a unique rhythm. Reykjavik is one of the cleanest cities in the world, and everyone can feel it in its fresh and clean air. It also utilises renewable energy sources. We smelt it the first evening in bathroom. This is due to the usage of geothermal energy from the ground, which is used for electricity and heating.

After a restful night and a nice breakfast, we were ready for our trip. At around nine o’clock in the morning, it was still dark outside, but it was time to go. We decided to start with geysers and continue in a big circle around Iceland, towards the north-east and back. It was an ambitious plan in the wintertime, as we had to travel almost 2000 km in seven days. Moreover, the horrendous snow condition towards the north and west of Iceland was another challenge.

 

Our first destination was Strokkur geyser. It is a fountain-type geyser which erupts every 6–10 minutes. The usual height of an eruption is 15–20 meters, but it can also go up to 40 meters. Strokkur is in a geothermal area beside the Hvita River. 

The rest of the day, we managed to visit two waterfalls. We first visited Gullfoss, an astonishingly powerful waterfall located in the canyon of the Hvítá river. The other was Seljalandsfoss, which is located in the middle of a green valley. It is 60 m high and 20 m wide. Behind the waterfall is a cave where you can take beautiful photos.

 

 

By evening, we had arrived in Vík, where we spent the night. We had a very warm and cosy room in a hotel. After spending the entire day outside in the cold and wind, it was nice to have a warm cup of tea. The next morning, we explored Vik’s surrounding area and drove towards the sandy beach, where we had our first little adventure. A wheel of our jeep got stuck in the send. It was a warning that even our jeep had limitations, especially in the type of ground we were driving through. Hence, the next day, we were determined to be smarter and drive only on roads – no more experiments with the jeep!

 

After a two-minute drive from Vik, we reached Reynisfjara beach. It is an impressive beach with black sand. Powerful waves from the Atlantic, along with the cave and basalt columns, depicted before us an astonishing and dramatic scene. Swimming in the ocean was strictly forbidden, as even walking close to it can be dangerous, and there are warnings are all around the beach. We witnessed the power of the waves when a lady who was walking in shallow water got knocked her into the ocean in a second by a high wave. She was lucky that her friends reacted quickly and pulled her out. Once again, it was a warning of the power of nature. Reynisfjara beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world; therefore, everyone wishes to take the perfect photo at this location. Hence, many tourists were posing for photos in summer dresses at -1 degree. Reynisfjara beach is a famous location for filming Star Wars and Star Trek, and it forms the backdrop to one of the everyday scenes in a new series named Katla. 

 

After driving for an hour, we arrived at the next location: Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon. It is located towards the southern part of Vatnajökull National Park. Torn glacier icebergs floating across the lake is one of the scenes that you must see at least once in your lifetime. Large chunks of icebergs were floating, and with time, they melted and their size became so small that they were easily able to drift towards the sea. A few of them were milky white, while the others were bright blue. The colour depended on the level of air trapped inside the iceberg. It was impressive and beautiful, and many Hollywood movies, , including Lara Croft: Tomb Rider, A View to a Kill, Die Another Day and Batman Begins, have recorded some scenes here.

 

Just two hundred meters from Jökulsárlón, there is yet another wonder of the nature: Diamond beach. It is a black volcanic sandy beach covered with icebergs onto the beach by the sea. The contrast of black sand with the several pieces of glaciers in various sizes makes an amazing spectacle that you will remember forever. That was our three-year old daughter’s favourite attraction in Iceland. It was exciting to run away from the waves and hide between icebergs on the black Diamond beach.

 

That night, we slept near Höfn in a hotel located in the middle of nowhere. It was an amazing experience: a mixture of peace, darkness, and cold.

The next day, we drove almost all day. We also had a few bad experiences on the road. At one saddle, it started snowing, and soon, it became very hard to drive. It was a hilly road, fully covered with snow. The snowplough had passed, but it was very dangerous to drive. We were lucky to have the jeep in that situation. Our next location to visit was Detifoss, which was five-and-a-half hours’ drive away from our hotel. 

Detiffoss is one of the best attractions in Iceland and with good reason. It is the most powerful waterfall in Iceland. It is 40 meters high and 100 meters wide, which is very impressive. The parking place was almost crowded. A short walk leads you to the great waterfall. It is a bit frightening to stand at the edge of the canyon, as the water makes loud sounds as it splashes all around.  

For another two hours, we drove on the frozen road. All we could see around us was snow. The road was elevated, and there was a risk that our jeep could slip. It was a landscape which reminded me of the novel The Blue Fox by Icelandic writer Sjón. It is hard to explain to somebody who has not seen it. The snow landscapes were astonishing. It seemed as if the snow dust was moving with the wind. The landscapes appeared to be frozen in time. Iceland is recognizable through literature. People are passionate readers, and books are the most popular gift items for people in Iceland. They are fascinated with sagas. Sagas are still a part of Icelandic everyday life today.   

After one of the most dangerous rides of my life, we finally arrived at Goodafoss. It was almost dark, and we decided that one of us would stay in the car with our daughter while the other takes the 20-minute walk to the floss. Access to the Goodafoss waterfall was a big adventure. Several people had walked towards the waterfall during the day, and the snow path was completely frozen by the late afternoon. If you do not have professional shoes for ice, you would be unable to walk. Therefore, I decided to walk outside of the path, which was also an achievement. I walked for around 30 minutes towards Goodafoss, but it was worth it. The sight of the beautiful, frozen waterfall in the snowy surroundings was very impressive. I was unable to stay long due to the darkness, and so, I tried to enjoy the moment and capture it in my memory.

That night, we stayed in a hotel near Mývatn. It was a new and modern hotel that had been built to watch the northern lights. Every room is equipped with a huge window and place to sit or lie next to the window. The receptionist told us that if the northern lights were visible during the night, he would wake us up. We did not have luck with the northern lights during our trip this time; so, we will have to go to another northern destination in the upcoming years to experience this phenomenon.

The next day, we visited the first crater of Krafla volcano. Krafla is a caldera, and it is one of Iceland’s most explosive volcanoes. It was covered with snow, and hence, we couldn’t see much. The crater of Krafla’s caldera is 10 km wide, and the peak is 818 m high. Krafla is a dangerous volcano, as it has erupted 29 times since settlement first started in Iceland. In addition, its future is unpredictable. Nonetheless, it was impressive to stand at the edge of  the active volcano. 

Our next destination was the geothermal area Hverir. It is one of the most unique areas in Iceland. It hosts steaming vents, hot springs, the smell of sulphur, colourful hills, and mud cauldrons. Many pathways around the geothermal area enable access to this astonishing place.

When we arrived in Hverir’s parking area and opened the car doors, our first reaction was the urge to vomit. The smell of sulphur and ammonia was extremely strong. There were fields of vents hissing steam, hot springs coloured red, yellow, and green, evaporating smelly fog. There was mud all around the trails. All of this demanded a strong will from the visitor to fight the urge to leave that place immediately. Once you manage to tolerate the odour and start walking on the Hverir trail, your next impulse will be to look for your “guide” through Inferno – Virgil.

If you manage to adapt and tolerate the odour, it guarantees the experience of the most impressive memory of Iceland’s nature.

We spent the night in a farm named Midsitja. It was one of the best accommodations we have ever experienced. It was a warm and cosy wooden house, with big windows to watch the Aurora Borealis on the mountainside. It was absolutely beautiful. We were able to experience as a peaceful winter atmosphere. Outside, it was snowing, and a strong wind was blowing very during the night. However, the morning was bright and calm. After breakfast and warm tea, we were ready for our new adventure. Furthermore, in that house, we also received one of the best souvenirs from all our trips ever: a hoof of one of the Icelandic horses. The story of Icelandic horses is very interesting. They sell ponies all around the world, from New Zealand to Slovenia.

 

The next day, we spent our time driving back to Reykjavik. We drove slowly and enjoyed the landscapes, all the while taking photos and having a dinner in a local restaurant. People in Iceland adore children, and in almost every restaurant we went to, we saw that they had a play table with toys and activities for children. This was a very nice gesture, as it relaxed the parents.  

Our last night in Reykjavik was very restful, as we walked, bought souvenirs, and had a lovely dinner.

The next day, we visited the Thingvellir National Park, which was founded in 1930. This is a place which you must visit. The park enables you to walk between two continents. The continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates can be clearly seen here, which is also an Icelandic specialty. It is the only place on Earth for people to walk on two continents simultaneously.

We spent the afternoon in the National Museum of Iceland, which presentsexhibitions of Iceland’s history and culture. A specific thing about museums in northern European countries is that a lot of attention is paid to activities for children. Hence, in this museum, children have a corner with plenty of historical costumes and wooden toys, which ensures that research, presented in a fun way, can begin for little ones at an early age.

We spent the last night of our trip in Keflavik, as our flight back home was early in the morning the next day. Enriched with unforgettable experiences, we were ready to fly home with new memories of the astonishing beauty of Iceland.