This past summer, I had the opportunity to travel to a place that was fascinating beyond what I had imagined, namely Iceland. Currently, it’s a hot spot for many travelers so my husband Jeff and I wanted to find out what all the fuss is about. We decided to take WOW Airlines with some hesitation, because we heard it was a no frills airline, but we took a chance and purchased WOW BIZ tickets, which is their business class. Essentially, it was quite comfortable with big seats, a meal and a glass of wine and other perks. Upon landing in Iceland, we realized that we were on a very unique journey. We rented a car at the airport, reserved at home, which was no easy task. There were a lot of options to sort through and it was at that point that we realized that Iceland is a very expensive place! Nevertheless, we picked a small, comfy car, since it was just the two of us, that we felt would be able to handle our intention to see as much of the country as possible during our time there.
The Lopapeysa Sweater
Our first experience in Reykjavic involved my purchasing a traditional Icelandic sweater known as the Lopapeysa. This is a beautiful type of sweater with unique designs, handwoven from wool. We had to accomplish this right away because we were told that the best option would be to go to the flea market, which is only open on Saturdays and people who hand-craft these beautiful sweaters would be there. There are many options including a pullover, a button up with a zipper or buttons, with or without a hood etc. So, my goal was to find one with buttons and a hood, essentially a Lopapeysa hoodie. This was not a simple task, which suffice it to say involved learning about authenticity, pricing (they can be very costly) and choosing from an assortment of colors (as I tried to stay open minded about the color). Since my favorite color is Black, I seriously considered other colors, particularly a lovely brown sweater, but as I was going back and forth between the two for a good half hour, Jeff said “you know you’re getting the black one, so why try the other one on repeatedly?” Sure enough, he was right so pictured below is my choice and I love it! It kept me so warm and cozy throughout the rest of our trip and I paid about $195 for it after some haggling. It will last forever and was worth every penny. I layered up under it and wore it as my outer wear for most of the rest of the trip with a light rain jacket over it when necessary. The sweater kept me so warm that sometimes I had to take it off so I was not too hot! We also found some other goodies at the market, which I will discuss later in this piece.
The Meet-up
There were two students from Iceland that attended Palmer Trinity School, the private school where my husband Jeff is a Teacher and the Head Golf Coach and one of the Baseball Coaches, for many years, and the Athletic Director, previously, for a while. Jeff reached out to these, now young men, who are back in Iceland, to see if they could provide us with guidance about their homeland. They were extremely helpful! One of them, Ragnar Gylfason, gave us insight about some of his favorite spots and must do’s and we listened. It was such a pleasure to meet up with him for dinner during our stay and to review details of our itinerary. Spending time with him was definitely a highlight of our experience because we learned a lot about his country and he is so genuinely kind and friendly, which we found to be the case for most people we met there.
Patti and Jeff Rose with Ragnar Gylfason in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Before our meet-up and Lopapeysa shopping, and after we picked up our car at the airport, we had checked into our apartment as we opted to rent from Delta Air BNB since we are Delta Sky Miles members, as we knew we would be on the road most of the time and wanted to try some of the delicacies in Iceland for our picnics on the road and planned to eat out and cook. Our apartment was wonderfully comfortable and in the heart of Reykjavic, the capital city of Iceland. It came with free parking for our rental car. So after getting settled in and completing my Lopapeysa shopping we headed out to explore the city and then the Blue Lagoon, the next day, outside of the city, before taking on other adventures suggested by Ragnar.
Reykjavik
Reykjavic is a beautiful and quaint city so we decided on a self-guided walking tour. We started with the popular, Icelandic hot dog as our first eating experience. Generally, I am skeptical about hot dogs and don’t eat them often but I had to try the Iceland version as I heard it was so delicious and indeed it was. We went to a locale in Reykjavic and enjoyed our hotdogs so much that we indulged in enjoying this tasty treat more than once.
Next, we visited some quite impressive sites including the museum, shops, the well known Sulfor Sun Voyager the beautiful Hallgrimkirkja Church and the lovely Harpa Opera House. We also walked through a fantastic park, which was quite impressive. There was so much more but these were indeed the highlights as depicted below.
The Solgar Sun Boat in Reykjavik, Iceland
Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavic, Iceland
Harpa Opera House in Reykjavik, Iceland
The Blue Lagoon
While in the U.S. , we booked the Blue Lagoon online. It is important to do so because you can end up in Iceland without an opportunity to visit this fantastic place because it is often fully booked if you do not plan ahead. This place is a must do and it was definitely deserving of all the rave about it. We arrived at the Blue Lagoon early in the morning and stayed there until about 8:00 P.M. and honestly, we did not want to leave. It was fantastic! As a person who absolutely loves to soak in hot water this place was heaven on earth. We arrived and were provided with a comfy robe and slippers and headed to the locker rooms and then out to enjoy the Lagoon.
The Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik, Iceland
The Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik, Iceland
It was so fantastic that we could hardly grasp it. We had mud/silicone masks on our faces, soaked in the water, enjoyed refreshing drinks at the bar while in the water, went in the steam room outside within the lagoon rocks and then back in the water. We took a nap in the relaxation area in between experiencing the water and of course we enjoyed a wonderful lunch. Honestly, we didn’t want to leave, ever.
Diversity In Iceland
Our next goal was to get in our car and explore, which we did. But before getting into our wonderful journey, I must mention that while we were at the Flea market, buying my Lopapeysa, we had an interesting cultural experience. We weren’t expecting to see many Black people in Iceland, and indeed, we did not. However, there was a lovely woman from Kenya, selling jewelry and other beautiful east African items at the flea market. We took time to chat with her and I bought a fabulous pair of her earrings as she mentioned that a portion of the sales were to build a school in Kenya and she had information displayed explaining the detail. How wonderful!
We also ran into a fantastic Haitian Café near the port in Reykjavic. It is called Café Haiti and what an excellent surprise. We chatted with the owner and her son, and purchased delicious coffee and food there. We definitely were expecting to see a Haitian café called Cafe Haiti in Iceland but there it was in all of its delicious glory.
As we continued our excursion, after seeing some beautiful sites to be discussed next, we also visited an Ethiopian restaurant that the Kenyan woman from the flea market told us about. Now this was a phenomenal treat. The restaurant is called Minilik, and it is superb! The food was delicious, the atmosphere was incredibly authentic and the owner, who is from Ethiopia, prepares the food with love. It was so nice to meet and greet her and rave over her food with her. The place was very busy so we are so glad we didn’t miss it. There is only one waiter (her Icelandic Husband) so you have to have patience, as you wait for your food, but it is worth the wait!
Patti Rose with the Owner and Chef at Minilik Restaurant,
The Sites and Scenery
Iceland is a place of beauty and wonderment. I know that as I try to tell you about it, my words will never do justice to what we saw with our eyes. The topography is breathtaking. It is almost other worldly in terms of the fantastic rock formations, the valleys of purple flowers, the volcanic rock, the outstanding waterfalls and a vast array of untouched land. We were able to see so much because of limited darkness there. So we were able to spend long days, into the evening, just driving, stopping, looking, and experiencing the beauty of what we had time to see per the The Golden Circle and beyond. Of course, we did not get to see the entire country because doing so in eight days would be challenging. But we saw wonderful highlights as identified by Ragnar, our Icelandic friend mentioned above. At the very least if you travel to Iceland, try to see the meeting-point of the continental plates and site of the ancient Icelandic parliament (Þingvellir), a spouting hot spring (Geysir) and the roaring waterfall (Gullfoss). Below are some of the many sites that we experienced, including but not limited to those mentioned above:
The people of Iceland are just so wonderful too. No matter where we went, we were greeted by kindness and a sense of enthusiasm in showing us their wonderful nation.
The Horses and The Puffins
Before closing, I must mention the horses of Iceland. They are small in stature and unique to the nation, but surely a beautiful site to see. They prance around in open ranges, and at locations where people have the opportunity to ride them (we did not) and add to the sense of beauty of Iceland. They are so graceful and as an avid animal lover, I absolutely adored them.
I found equal joy in seeing the the puffins on Puffin Island. We went whale watching, which was fantastic, where we saw several whales. That alone was great but part of the journey included a visit to Puffin Island. We were not permitted to stand on the land but saw them from a close distance from the boat and they are tiny and fascinating. I couldn’t get enough of them, although I must say, I was so surprised at how small they are. Luckily we had our binoculars, so we were able to look at them very closely and observe their behavior which was great.
Puffin Island and Whale Watching
Whales and puffins in one day, on a boat trip in Iceland was a definite treat and of course we went back to Cafe Haiti at the Port for coffee and then lobster soup at the nearby Saegreifinn restaurant, a delicious lobster/seafood spot. Perfection!
Iceland Dreams
We have traveled many places in the world, essentially, over 50 countries and counting. I would have to say that Iceland is one of the top ten locations because it was so filled with natural beauty. I was a bit worried that we would be very cold, since we have lived in South Florida for over 22 years, and indeed it was chilly. But the beauty of it all, the constant soaking in hot water and the reward of that in the midst of a chilly day, surpassed any concern that we had about the cold. It was a marvelous experience and I highly recommend it. I think when you arrive at the airport and after your experience Iceland, you will realize that the poster depicted below sums it up. Hopefully, you will find my tips below useful when you travel to Iceland.
Tips
Business class on Wow—Try WOW but do your best to reserve WOW Biz. The seats are comfy, you get a meal and a glass of wine. There was some confusion when we got on the plane between two couples and double booking of seats, but once that was resolved, all was fine. If you want to watch movies, bring your own laptop/ipad with downloaded movies, etc.
Reservations for Blue lagoon from home—Reserve the Blue Lagoon from home, online far in advance of your trip. It books up pretty fast. Try to book early in the morning because once you get there, if you love soaking in hot water, silicone masks on your face, a relaxation lounge, drinks at the blue lagoon bar in the water and relaxing extraordinaire, you will not want to leave, ever! If you get there nice and early, you will have all day to enjoy it.
Swim in a neighborhood/public swimming pool—Don’t miss this treat. Iceland has neighborhood, heated, outdoor swimming pools including Jacuzzis and steam rooms at many locations, where the people in the community go to hang out and relax. This is an inexpensive treat (about $10.00 per visit) where you can meet the locals and find out just how kind and friendly the people are. Be prepared to shower naked in open showers, which is mandatory, before you put on your bathing suit and head outside to the pools. Children and adults shower together so don’t be alarmed. It’s family friendly and very normal. Mom’s and their daughter’s and dads and their sons (separate locker rooms and showers for males and females) get very clean in the locker rooms before heading to the pools. It was a wonderful, wholesome, experience and a must try!
Visit the Grocery stores and have the hot dog—I discussed the hot dog above and I also recommend trying an Icelandic grocery store. What a treat! Every time we went out for a road trip we created a picnic basket with food from one of the local grocery stores. Those were interesting opportunities to learn, while shopping, about food options there. One intriguing note there was that that their Cashiers are seated at their registers (which is very common in Europe) while processing your groceries. What a caring concept! You bring your own bags and bag everything yourself.
Darkness is limited bring sleeping masks—Bring a mask or forget about sleep. I had a mask but was up until the wee hours marveling at the “daylight” after midnight. I generally never fell asleep until I put on my mask for a “lights out” experience.
Rent a car and drive around—It seems that the most enjoyable way to experience Iceland is to get a car and drive around with a free spirit with the goal being to see as much as possible.
Try Kropp chocolate, chocolate covered ice cream and fish and chips—I am a chocoholic so there is tremendous bias here but if you like chocolate, I suggest that you try Kropp Chocolate balls and an ice cream cone in the middle of the day, when it is cold. The fish and chips and all of the seafood is just delicious!!
Visit Puffin Island and go Whale Watching—I discussed both of these above. You most likely will see whales and you will definitely see Puffins . Don’t be disappointed when you see how small the Puffins are because they are awesome birds!
