The first leg of my epic, three-week Scandinavian adventure started in Iceland, a country that’s almost certainly on another planet. After cruising over the North Atlantic for a few hours, we reached the desolate and rocky coastline of Iceland and jumped on a bus. The 45 minute ride took us on a road cut into the volcanic landscape and a little imagination left me feeling like I was on a large Mars rover on the trip between my interplanetary shuttle and the base on the red planet. One breezy walk around the city’s harbor and a beer tasting later, the travel day was over.
The next day, it was time to head up the hill to meet Leifur Eiríksson, who proudly watches over Reykjavik. The Hallgrimskirkja (church), built of concrete has an impressive observation platform that overlooks Reykjavik and it’s harbor.
It was finally time to escape the hustle and bustle of the small capital of Reykjavik and hit the ring road, the two-lane highway that encircles the country. The rain and snow was not particularly welcome, but it was still possible to see the wild landscape between gaps in the fog. Waterfalls seemed to be around every curve in the ring road and I had the chance to hike amongst a few of them. As the sun started to set, we made it to a small village called Vik for a delicious dinner of some of the freshest fish and vegetables I’ve ever had. Settling in the for the night at the mars base hotel, the wind howled against the pre-fabbed structure.
Skaftafell National Park was on tap for day three in Iceland and a quick drive to the park delivered us to the foot of glaciers and waterfalls. Hitting the hiking trails that wind their way through the park, we hunkered down in a traditional Icelandic farmhouse as the fog gave way to a deluge. As the rain lessened, we headed up the summit where the the view of the black sand beaches and the volcanic mountains would have been spectacular had the clouds given way. The rain seemed to lessen a little as we descended the mountain until the trail spilled out into a small ravine with swift moving water running through it. An exploration upstream led to an amphitheater-shaped gap in the ravine, with basalt columns supporting the gorgeous Svartifoss waterfall. Grasses and wildflowers staked out claims in the cracks in the rock, providing a lovely frame for the water feature.
A glimpse of a thin glacial tendril nearly hidden by the fog rounded out the incredible hike before we hopped back in the car and drove towards the ferry that would convey us to the island of Vestmannaeyjar, famous for its dramatic cliffs and cute puffins. On the drive, the weather cleared up a little bit and uncovered beautiful mountains with countless waterfalls flowing from them. Headed off-road on a gravel track, we drove close to the mountain for a better look at the awe-inspiring scenery.
Finally reaching the ferry port, we found the whole place deserted. Two staff members explained that 40 foot swells prevented the ferry from safely making the journey to Vestmannaeyjar Island. Changing our plans, we made our way westwards back to Vik. The town, known for its sleepy quaintness, also features a dramatic black sand beach and soaring cliffs inhabited by thousands of birds. Driving another hour or two, we checked into the Hotel Geysir, just across the street from the famous Icelandic geothermal feature before taking a dip in a naturally-fed geothermal pool.
The next day was spent checking out the Golden Circle, a road trip route through some of the most spectacular landscapes in Iceland. First up was the Geysir, a collection of geysers and related geothermal features. Truth be told, I was a bit disappointed by what I saw here compared to the absolute wonders of Yellowstone National Park. After Geysir, we drove to Gullfoss waterfall. This waterfall was one of the most impressive natural sights I’ve seen. The water has cut an absolute jagged scar into the rock, leaving multiple cascades to enjoy.
The plains near Gullfoss waterfall provided a beautiful landscape to ride Icelandic ponies, renowned for their gentle gait. The sun came out during the ride and we were able to see one of Iceland’s biggest glaciers looming over the horizon. From the plains, we drove to Pingvellir National Park, famous for its natural beauty and it’s historical significance to Iceland’s earliest people. Vikings would meet in Pingvellir each year from all over Iceland to form what is thought to be the world’s earliest democracy. The national park is also known for its geologic features as its one of the places where the European and North American tectonic plates come together.
The Iceland leg of the trip wrapped up in Keflavik, where we had a walk around it’s small harbor area and visited a sleeping (and farting) giant. From Iceland, we flew to the west coast of Norway to explore fjords, goat cheese, and many more trendy Scandinavian cities.
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