DECEMBER 4 - 9, 2014
ICELAND FLAG and MAP
This short tour will fulfill my wish to see the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, if I'm lucky. I have only four nights in Iceland and so I'm crossing my fingers that one of those nights will be my lucky night! Trip includes a City Tour of Reykjavik, the Golden Circle Tour, and the Northern Lights Tour.
December 4-5
New York***Reykjavik
Took IcelandAir Flight 614 from JFK to Keflavik Airport in Rejkjavik to start my Northern Lights Trip. Arrived very early next morning and took the Flybus coach to the Reykjavik Lights Hotel.
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My room was not ready so I looked for a restaurant nearby for breakfast and found Lemon, a very nicely designed cafe. Had cafe latte and oatmeal for breakfast. It was still very dark even though it was already 9:30 am.
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I finally got my room a little after noon and went to rest and went to the sleep. when I woke up it was cocktail time so I unpacked and opened my bottle of Grey Goose and some nuts and crackers. After I showered I went down to the lobby and met some other tourists who were also hoping to catch the Northern Lights. That evening was not good since it was very cloudy and snowy. Went to a nearby Vietnamese restaurant for a nice hot and spicy bowl of Pho and a cold Viking beer.
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December 6
City Tour of Reykjavik
After breakfast I went out to check the neighborhood which was all covered with snow. Got picked up from the hotel and changed at the bus depot for the Reykjavik City Tour bus. First stop was the famous Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran church.
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Next we visited The Pearl, a fantastic dome–shaped, glass building designed by Ingimundur Sveinsson and is supported by six massive hot-water tanks. The observation platform offers panoramic views of the city and its surroundings. Below the dome, between the hot-water tanks, an impressive water feature erupts from the basement into the spacious atrium.
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Höfði is a house in Reykjavík, built for the French consul Jean-Paul Brillouin in 1909 and is best known as the location for the 1986 Reykjavík Summit meeting of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. The next site was the Sun Voyager, a massive steel sculpture by Jon Gunnar Arnason, which may resemble a Viking ship along the waterfront with a beautiful view of Mount Esja.
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The city tour ended at the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center, which houses the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the offices of The Icelandic Opera. Then followed a search for a nice Icelandic restaurant and was very lucky to find the Sjávargrillið. I ordered the "Lobster Feast", a three course meal consisting of golden sea perch and grilled Icelandic langoustine for starters, grilled & deep fried Icelandic lobster and spotted catfish as a main course, and for the grand finale, a delicious créme brulée. A fabulous dinner!
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December 7
Golden Circle Tour***Northern Lights Tour
Today is the Golden Circle Tour and the three main stops are Þingvellir National Park, the enormous waterfall Gullfoss, and the geothermal area containing Geysir and Strokkur. Our first stop was at a geothermally heated greenhouse in Hveragerði, a town which is home to hundreds of greenhouses growing the majority of Iceland’s produce and garden plants. We visited Friðheimar, a greenhouse devoted to intensive tomato production. The greenhouse imports bumblebees to pollinate the tomatoes. Outside is like Winter Wonderland.
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Next stop is Geysir, sometimes known as the Great Geysir, a geyser in southwestern Iceland, in the Haukadalur valley, which is also the home to Strokkur geyser. Eruptions at Geysir can hurl boiling water up to 70 meters in the air but have stopped altogether for years. The nearby geyser Strokkur erupts much more than Geysir, erupting to heights of up to 30 meters every few minutes. There are around 30 much smaller geysers, mud pools, fumaroles and algal deposits in the area.
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Next stop is waterfall Gullfoss in the river Hvítá. Standing at the edge and wallowing in the beauty and the wonder of nature was an uplifting experience. Thanks to Sigríður Tómasdóttir, a daughter of the owner of the land and the waterfall, that we still can uplift ourself with the beauty of Gullfoss, because she was the one who protested so intensely against the plans to build a hydroelectric powerplant.
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Þingvellir or Thingvellir, is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and it lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Parliament or Alþingi (Althing) was established at Þingvellir in 930 and remained there until 1798. Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930, marking the 1,000th anniversary of the Althing. It was later expanded to protect natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. The Althing held its sessions there until 1799, when it was discontinued for 45 years, then restored in 1844 and moved to Reykjavík, where it has resided ever since. The present parliament building, the Alþingishús, was built in 1881, of hewn Icelandic stone.
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Back in the hotel for some rest, cocktails then dinner before getting ready for the highlight of the trip: The Northern Light Tour. Tonight looks promising as it is clear for the first time since I arrived. Ready with my layered outfit, some vodka in my tummy, thick gloves, and the Dr Zhivago mink hat!
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Got picked up from the hotel at 9:30 pm and went to the outskirts of Reykjavik to hunt for the elusive Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. After 30 minutes later we pulled off the road and there it was!
AURORA BOREALIS!!!
What a sight to behold...greens and yellows and blues and reds and purples! All dancing in the skies! Too bad my camera was not good enough to register the marvel that I'm seeing. Though it was bitingly cold we all stayed off the bus in awe of this natural phenomenon. I am blessed to have witnessed this marvel.
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If I had a better camera the following pictures would have been some approximations of what I saw.
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I slept well that night in my warm bed after witnessing a natural phenomenon that was in my "bucket list".
December 8
The Blue Lagoon***LAVA Restaurant
There is one other place to see and experience before I go back tomorrow to New York: The Blue Lagoon, a hot spring spa. The geothermal water originates 2,000 meters below the surface, where freshwater and seawater combine at extreme temperatures. On its way to the surface, the water picks up silica (which causes the water to appear blue when hit by sunlight) and minerals, before emerging at a soothing 38°C (100°F). I reserved the Premium Package which offers enhanced lagoon entry, with all accessories included, plus a reservation at LAVA Restaurant, a special skin care trial pack of skin care samples of Blue Lagoon products.
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Down to my swimming trunks and robe (after showering) I ventured downstairs to the mineral pool which is open to the elements. Braved the light snow and bitter cold, ran to hang my robe and rushed madly into the nice hot pool! Then went to the bar and got my complimentary silica mud pack to slather all over my face. What an experience to be in this hot pool in this extreme cold weather!
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Time for lunch at the LAVA Restaurant. I started with a glass of Kir Royale and I chose the two-course Icelandic Gourmet Menu which started with Arctic Char with sunchokes, apple, and water cress; followed by rack of lamb with celeriac, pearl onion, pear, dill. Head chef Viktor Örn Andrésson was selected Iceland's Chef of the Year in 2013 and the Nordic Chef of the Year in 2014.
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After lunch I went back to the mineral pool and braved the elements again. Very relaxing and soothing and I recommend it to anyone thinking of visiting Iceland.
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These pictures better represent the place.
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Slept like a baby again after such a relaxing day at the spa!
December 9
Reykjavik***New York
Said goodbye to Iceland and wishing to be able to come back in the summertime to see more of this beautiful country. Got to the airport and had a Christmas beer!
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Thanks for viewing my travel journal. To view my other trips please clink this link:
www.jaypee1.blogspot.mx
