(9/17 – 9/27/2022)
We haven’t been going on family vacations for a while; therefore, we decided to go to Iceland in September 2022. Sister (our daughter) and Cutie (younger son) were excited to be able to travel again after the pandemic. This time even Brother (older son) agreed to join.
Day 1: Arrive in Iceland, drive to Grundarfjordur
Our flight from San Francisco to New York was on time, but the flight from New York to Reykjavik was delayed for more than an hour. Therefore, we didn’t arrive in Iceland until after 10am. The weather was very cloudy. After getting our rental car, we drove directly to Grundarfjordur, where tonight’s lodge was located.
The rental car we got was small for 5 people. Daddy was driving, and Brother rode shotgun as the navigator. Mommy, Sister and Cutie were squeezed tightly in the back seat. Sister claimed that only one person could move at a time at the back. We had to take turns to buckle our seat belts.
The weather remained cloudy with occasional sunshine. We drove along the coastline, and the view was fantastic. Due to the jetlag, the three of them slept most of the way. Therefore, we didn’t stop for lunch on the way.
After getting lost a bit (the GPS wasn’t very precise, and it’s also difficult to handle the language conversion), we finally checked into the Kirkjufell Guesthouse and Apartment. They didn’t have anything that could accommodate 5 people, so we had a room for Daddy and Mommy, and an apartment with kitchen for the three of them.
Cutie said he’s very hungry, so we went out to get food and to do a bit of sightseeing. The lady at the reception didn’t speak English very well; however, we managed to get enough information from her. All nearby restaurants were closed in the mid-afternoon except for a roadside food truck type of eatery. Cutie got a steak-and-fry sandwich, which he claimed was very delicious. Daddy and Mommy also went to a nearby small supermarket to purchase some pastries and fruit.
It started to drizzle a bit when we were reaching Kirkjefell (a.k.a. Arrowhead Mountain in Game of the Thrones). We were able to take photos of Kirkjufell with a rainbow. We then stopped the car and walked in the light rain to take pictures of the Kirkjufell with the waterfalls. Despite the weather, many tourists were there to take the same famed shots that one could see in many tour guides or postcards. (My photo looked a bit foggy because it was raining.)
The three of them weren’t so used to international travel like Daddy and Mommy. They were all falling asleep by the time we returned to the lodging, so we decided to have take-out instead of dining in a restaurant. Daddy went to get lasagne, chicken and cod dishes. Fortunately, he went early and didn’t have to wait long for the food. By the time he picked up the order, the restaurant was full! Brother recovered enough and volunteered to make pasta with the materials in the apartment to supplement the dinner. We had a very good homecooked dinner. Desserts were the grapes and blueberries we bought from the supermarket. They were local produce and were very fresh.
It was still drizzling, and we were all exhausted, so we all went to bed after dinner.
Day 2: West Iceland to Akureyri
Mommy woke up before 5am and felt very hungry. Daddy also woke up early. After the morning routine, we went to the gang’s apartment to use their kitchen to prepare breakfast.
We already bought some cheese bread, Danish and croissants from a supermarket yesterday. Daddy also got milk and eggs. We made coffee, fried eggs and warmed up the pastries, and had a very nice breakfast. Sister and Cutie joined us for breakfast, and later Brother joined too.
After breakfast, we checked out after 8am to drive to the northern part of Iceland. Yesterday’s drive was all on paved road, so we were surprised to find out some portion of Hwy 54 wasn’t paved! Daddy had to drive slowly to avoid any accidents. This stretch lasted around an hour, and we were pretty nervous. Cutie checked the Google map and suggested to have a stop in Búðardalur, where he also stocked up a bag of chips, two chocolate bars and two bags of Haribo candies, in addition to bread and coffee.
The main sightseeing of the day was the Glaumbaer Museum. It’s an old settlement turned museum that had a classic turf farm. The inside of the turf house was very dark. There was a lot of old furniture and equipment. The wooden beds all seem very small.
From outside, the turf farm looked like several separate grass-roofed houses sitting next to one another. However, several were actually connected in the inside. This would make moving around easier during the inclement weather.
It started raining again, so we stopped by the onsite cafe to have some coffee, sandwiches and cakes. The cakes were harder than the ones we used to eat at home, and they contained butter rather than cream.
We were staying in Akureyri tonight. There were two routes from Glaumbaer to Akureyri: the short and direct route took about an hour, and the longer and more scenic route took about two and half hours. It was only around 1:30pm when we left the museum, and we wouldn’t be able to check into tonight’s apartment until 5pm, so Daddy decided that we should take the longer route.
The longer route around the Tröllaskagi Peninsula was indeed scenic. In addition to the fjord view, the nearby mountains were carpeted with very colorful plants. We managed to find a roadside parking and took several photos.
We had a bathroom stop in Siglufjörður. The town had a campsite with free public toilets. Brother and Sister also got some fish and chip from a nearby downtown restaurant. We spent extra time at the waterfront to take photos of the scenery and waterbirds.
We passed four tunnels in total driving on this route. In the first tunnel, there was only one lane! Near the end of the tunnel, we saw a large bus coming towards us! Fortunately, there was a turn-out spot so that we could let the big bus pass. The second and third tunnels both had two lanes, so there were no surprises. The last tunnel started with two lanes, then it narrowed down to a single lane. It was very confusing. Drivers were all very polite and patient waiting for the car in the opposite direction to go first. A couple of times cars from both directions were waiting for each other! This tunnel was quite long too, and we all felt very relieved when we finally exited the tunnel.
There was snow and a glacier on the mountain tops on the route. Daddy commented that the scenery reminded him of Alaska.
It rained all the way until we arrived in Akureyri. We were staying in a three-room Acco Apartment. The apartment was very spacious. There was also a washing machine, but no dryer. Mommy started to wash everybody’s dirty clothes to hang dry.
Daddy, Sister and Cutie went out for dinner. Mommy and Brother didn’t want to go out, so they brought back some food for us. We had the left-over ribs and “black” lobster pasta. They were delicious.
Day 3: The Diamond Circle
After two days of rain, we finally had nice weather today. This was very lucky, because we were doing the Diamond Circle today.
We ordered breakfast from Cafe Berline downstairs (and got a 10% discount for being Acco Apartment guests). After breakfast, we checked out before 9:30am to go to today’s first stop: Godafoss (Gods’ fall). There was a new tunnel outside of Akureyri that was finished not too long ago. Daddy had to pay toll using his phone, which was an interesting experience.
We reached Godafoss after a short drive. There were two large parking lots on both sides of the waterfall. We started from the right side facing the waterfall. The fall was truly amazing, especially with a rainbow visible in front. This was a very popular spot, and there were a lot of tourists. We took many photos before switching to the other side of the fall.
There was a gift shop and WC at that side. We also saw a large tour bus at the parking lot. Mommy thought the right side was more beautiful. However, Cutie preferred the left side. We used the WC and loaded up with candies, chocolate and soda from the gift shop before driving to Husavik.
Husavik was a quaint harbor city facing the Skjálfandi Bay. It’s a popular place for whale watching. We didn’t have time to go on a whale watching tour, but we visited the Whale Museum to learn various kinds of whales and the whaling history of Iceland. There were many whale skeletons in the museum, including a narwhal!
Since Husavik was the only place in the Diamond Circle that’s big enough for a nice lunch stop, we had lunch there. We went to a restaurant very close to the museum and had an outside table. We all ordered different main dishes. Brother had Atlantic char, Cutie had lamb, Sister had fish stew, Daddy ordered cod, and Mommy had fish soup. The food was delicious but a bit too salty to our taste. The view of Husavik harbor from our lunch table was gorgeous!
After lunch we drove to Asbyrgi. We were surprised and annoyed to find there were so many midges in the canyon! Otherwise, the hike in the Asbyrgi Canyon was spectacular. At the end of the canyon, there was a small lake in front of the tall, dark cliffs. There were abundant plants in the area. The fall colors were fantastic and really brightened the scenery. Though Asbyrgi was not on the popular Iceland Ring Road itinerary of most tour companies, we still saw many tourists there.
The last attraction of the day was Dettifoss. There were two routes from Asbyrgi to Dettifoss: the unpaved route 864, and the paved route 862. We took the latter.
There was a large parking lot at Dettifoss, and it’s full of cars and buses since Dettifoss was a famous site. We had to take a short hike to reach the waterfall. The hike wasn’t very easy due to the uneven terrain. We saw a rainbow coming up even before we reached the fall. We were disappointed to find out that the color of the fall was not clear but muddy! However, it was a very powerful waterfall — the most powerful waterfall in Iceland.
There was another trail leading to another nearby waterfall, Selfoss. Selfoss was smaller in comparison, but the water looked cleaner. We didn’t try to reach the waterfall.
Tonight, we were staying in a 2-bedroom cabin at the Dimmuborgin Guesthouse. Daddy and Mommy had a bedroom with two twin beds. The gang shared a backroom with a bunk bed and two twin beds. Sister called the upper bunk bed, Brother took the slightly larger lower bunk bed, and Cutie had both twin beds to himself. Since there weren’t many dinner options, and we were tired, we ordered two large pizzas and a large bottle of Coke from a nearby place and had dinner in the cabin.
Day 4: The Myvatn Area
It rained pretty hard when Mommy woke up, and it didn’t look promising. However, when we were ready for breakfast at 8am, the sky had already cleared up.
The breakfast buffet was included, and there were many selections. There were local options of smoked trout, lamb ham and Iceland waffles. The smoked trout tasted like smoked salmon. We had a very good breakfast.
Today’s first destination, Dimmuborgir Lava Formation, was right by our lodging. We were the first group to arrive. Another couple showed up shortly after us, and that’s basically it. We had a quiet hike. The lava formation was exquisite. Trees in the area have already turned yellow or red. The fall foliage made the scenery look even prettier than just the stark black lava rocks. More people started to show up when we were leaving the site.
Hverfjall Crater wasn’t too far away. It was a very steep hike to reach the crater rim. After we climbed up to the rim, Brother announced that he wasn’t going to hike around the crater. (“Too long!“) Cutie agreed with Brother, so they two returned to the car. Only Daddy, Mommy and Sister walked around the entire crater rim. We were able to see a small dome inside the crater. The hike wasn’t too challenging, but it was indeed pretty long, though the view from above was amazing.
After we returned to the car, Cutie announced that he’s ready for lunch. (He’s always hungry.) However, we decided to stop by Grjótagjá lava cave first.
The cave was a famous Game of Thrones site, which probably explained its popularity. We saw many cars in the small parking lot in front of the cave entrance. The cave itself was under the ground level and required a scrambling down on uneven rock terrain. Many people were gathering in the small area trying to take photos. There was hot water inside the cave, but tourists were not allowed to touch the water. It was quite dark inside. However, the photos we took showed blue water that was eerily beautiful. We could also see steam coming up from the water.
Then it was lunch time. We ordered take-out from Fish & Chip. There was a supermarket nearby, and we went in to buy bottled water (the faucet water in Myvatn had very strong sulfur smell) and soap (the lodge did not provide soap, shampoo or conditioner). Cutie also took the opportunity to purchase more chocolate and Haribo candies.
The picnic tables and benches outside were still wet from this morning’s rain, so we decided to return to our cabin to eat.
After lunch, Brother decided that he already had enough sightseeing for the day, and he’s going to stay in to rest. So only four of us went to Namafjall Thermo Field. This was a thermos terrain with colorful smoking ground. There were many tourists too. Since we have been to Yellowstone and Lassen Volcanic National Parks, we weren’t particularly impressed.
Sister wanted to visit the nearby Bird Museum. Cutie opted out. So, we took Cutie back to the cabin first. When we arrived at our Cabin 3, we saw one of the resident dogs sitting outside guarding our cabin. It was really cute!
The remaining three of us took the southern route to the Bird Museum. It was longer than the northern route, but we got a glimpse of the Pseudocraters on the way. They looked like giant bowls.
The Bird Museum was very small, but there were many bird specimens. When we pressed a button next to a bird’s name, a blue light would show up to indicate which bird that was. It was very cool and very educational. We were excited to find out some birds we saw during the Antarctic trip (skua, shag) were among the collection.
Later, Daddy, Mommy and Cutie went to the Myvatn Nature Baths. It was more modest compared with the Blue Lagoon (cheaper too). The water was milky white and wasn’t very hot. We spent about an hour there enjoying the hot springs.
They all decided to dine out tonight. After searching and reading reviews online, we decided on Cowshed, a restaurant also recommended by Rick Steves. We got a table with a great lake view. Sister and Cutie ordered hamburger, Daddy and Brother ordered lamb of the day, and Mommy had Atlantic char. (While we were waiting for our orders, Brother went to take a selfie with the cows.) Our food was very good. They also ordered a cake and an ice cream for dessert.
Day 5: Eastern Iceland
After two days of nice weather, it rained again. Fortunately, we would be driving most of the day, and the rain wouldn’t bother us too much. We had the same breakfast buffet this morning. Cutie joined us this time, and Brother made some Iceland waffle for him. (Great Brother!) We checked out after breakfast.
Daddy pumped more gas before we started today’s long drive. The two-hour drive to Egilsstaðir mainly went through desolate terrain. It’s melancholy in the light rain. However, when we were approaching Egilsstaðir, there was a river on the right-hand side, and there were many beautiful waterfalls on the left side. One big waterfall was particularly impressive. There happened to be a small parking lot close by, so Daddy parked the car.
Brother and Sister opted out (“it’s raining!“), so only three of us took the short hike to reach the waterfall. The waterfall was very high and consisted of several small falls. From a sign there, we learned that the waterfall is called Rjúkandafoss. There were a few other tourists there taking photos. We took many photos before returning to the car.
We continued the drive and saw more waterfalls too. Iceland has so many waterfalls, they don’t even bother to name the smaller ones. Egilsstaðir was a good gas and bathroom stop. There was a Bonus supermarket where Cutie again bought a lot of snacks. However, there weren’t any decent restaurants, so Brother decided to eat the cold pizza he packed this morning. Cutie got some bakery and coffee.
From Egilsstaðir we took route 95, which passed through the mountains. The scenery was quite amazing and very colorful with the fall foliage. A section of route 95 was unpaved, so Daddy had to drive slowly. This allowed us to take several great photos on the way.
Then we reached route 1, the Ring Road, which passed through several fjords with great views. One of the fjords was called the Swan Fjord, at which we did see many swans in the water.
We stayed at Hrafnavellir Guest House tonight. The hotel rooms were each in a container-like building. The interior was pretty new and nice. However, this hotel was in the middle of nowhere, and we would have to drive 20km to Hofn for dinner. It was foggy and cold outside with a bit of rain. We felt quite melancholy.
Since we had nothing else to do, we drove to Hofn to have dinner. The gang picked a lobster restaurant called Kaffi Hornid in Hofn. (The “lobsters” in Iceland were langoustines.) When we reached Hofn, the weather was clear, and it didn’t rain.
Brother ordered a reindeer burger, Sister and Mommy ordered lobster pasta, and Daddy had a beer and a lobster pizza. Cutie ordered a beer, a lobster soup and a grilled lobster main dish! (Yes, he’s above legal drinking age.) He was surely an expensive kid! But he promised to share. The dinner was very good. We were too full to have any desserts.
After dinner, we drove back to the hotel. The weather was still terrible; moreover, it got even more foggy. So, we simply washed up and went to bed.
Day 6: Vesterhorn, Glacier Lagoons and Skaftafell National Park
It was very sunny this morning, which was really lucky for us because we planned to do a lot of sightseeing and hiking today. The view from the hotel this morning was gorgeous; it was quite different from yesterday.
The breakfast was included. We went to have breakfast at 8am and were surprised to find many other guests there. It seemed that six out of the seven hotel rooms (we had 2 rooms) were occupied last night. There was a friendly lady at the breakfast buffet. She explained to every guest the breakfast she prepared for us. In addition to the regular bread, ham, cheese and boiled eggs, there were also cinnamon bread, banana bread and Iceland yogurt prepared by the lady. We tried many selections and liked everything we ate.
Cutie had done his research. He informed us that Vesterhorn was very close to our hotel, and it should be our first destination of the day. Vesterhorn was so close that we could actually saw the mountains from our hotel.
There was a 900 Icelandic króna per adult entrance fee at Vesterhorn, and there were several hiking trails. Since we only had time for one hike, Cutie picked the hike to an old Viking village. Vesterhorn was by the ocean. It appeared in many movies and was a pretty well-known place. The scenery was very impressive. There was also a Viking ship by the abandoned village.
Jokulsarlon glacier lagoons were about 45-minute drive away. The glacier lagoons were stunning! There were many small and mid-sized icebergs floating on the lake. We took a group photo there. The place was a must-see for all tours, and it was very crowded with many tourists.
Diamond Beach was only a short walk towards the ocean direction. There were many ice chunks on the beach, thus the “diamonds.” This was again very crowded with many tourists taking pictures.
We also saw several seals in the water between the lagoons and the beach. Only the heads of the seals were visible.
It was already noon, so we decided to have a quick lunch at the cafe near the lagoons.
Since we were already running late, Daddy decided that we should skip the Fjallsarlon glacier lagoon. However, when we were near and saw the fantastic view, Daddy changed his mind and said we should have a quick photo stop.
It took us another 45 minutes to reach the last destination of the day: Skaftafell National Park. We hiked the S2 trail for a mile to see the astonishing Svartifoss, which flowed down from black basalt columns. Trail S2 also led to Sjonarsker Viewpoint and Sel turf houses. However, the gang decided to skip those to directly return to the visitor center. So only Daddy and Mommy hiked the route. It reminded us of our previous trekking trips.
Tonight’s hotel, Hotel Skaftafell, was very close to the National Park. Fortunately, the hotel had an elegant restaurant on site, so that we didn’t need to go out to search for food. The hotel also had a bar, so Daddy and Cutie went to Happy Hour to have some beer before dinner. For dinner, Daddy ordered pork, Cutie had duck, Mommy and Sister ordered pasta, and Brother ordered lamb. They three also ordered desserts there. Our dinner cost around $250 USD.
We signed up to the hotel’s “Aurora Call” when we checked in and got a call around 10pm telling us there were northern lights at the back of the hotel. We all quickly put on our coats and rushed out. The new moon was only a mere sickle. The sky was dark and clear. So, the viewing condition was great. The friendly hotel staff came out to the back of the hotel to show us. The lights started to be weak in the north but were getting strong to form an arc reaching south. The color was pale milky white, not the lighter green color we saw last time in Iceland. Many hotel guests also came out to see and were all very excited to see the aurora dancing in the sky.
It’s very cold outside, so we went back to our rooms to get our hats and gloves. When we came out the second time, the lights were a lot better. The aurora was still pale white, but it covered a much larger portion of the sky. At some point, we were able to see some green lights! Daddy and Mommy couldn’t take any photos. (Time to upgrade the phones!) However, Cutie’s new iPhone and Sister’s high-end camera and Samsung phone worked really well. They took many spectacular photos to share with us. The aurora was green in the photos, and it was much better than what we saw with the naked eyes. Cutie claimed that his photos were the best! Daddy and Mommy had seen northern lights in Iceland three years ago, but this was the first time for the three of them. Everybody was very impressed.
Day 7: South Coast
It rained again this morning, but the rain was light. We had breakfast at the hotel (included) and checked out around 9:30am. At the parking lot, we saw a group of people gear up to go on glacial walks. There were many glaciers in the area, and several excursion companies offered tours.
The first destination of the day was the Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon (“Feather-River Canyon”). We were surprised to find many tourists there. The parking lot was overflowing! Originally, we didn’t think this would be a popular place.
We managed to find a spot to park our car. The walk was along the top rim of the canyon. There was a river at the bottom. The walk wasn’t long, and the view of the canyon with moss-covered rocks was fascinating. There was also a waterfall toward the end of the trail.
Afterwards, we drove to Vik to visit the famous Black Sand Beach in the area. It started to rain harder when we reached Vik. Since the weather was bad (cold, wet and windy), we didn’t stop long at the Black Sand Beach. We simply took a few pictures and left.
When we were approaching the Dyrholaey Promontory, it was foggy too! Since we wouldn’t be able to see any views, we decided to skip this stop, and drove directly to Skógafoss Waterfall.
Luckily, the rain stopped when we reached Skógafoss, so we were able to walk to the fall to take pictures. The Skógafoss was tall and broad. It thundered down 60 meters and generated a lot of water spray. There were a lot of tourists there, and we also saw a couple there taking wedding pictures.
There was a stairway climbing up to the top of the waterfall. It didn’t look too difficult, so Daddy, Mommy and Cutie went up. This way was the start of a 2-day trek to Þorsmork. On the way up, Mommy heard dog barking and saw people taking photos. It was a shepherd dog rounding up the sheep!
The top of the waterfall wasn’t something special, but there was another waterfall, Hestavaðsfoss, a short walk up the river! This waterfall was short and broad. It was beautiful.
The next waterfall, Seljalandsfoss, was the one we saw on our bus ride back from Porsmork to Reykjavik a few years ago when we did the Laugavegur trekking. Again, there were many people there (even more than the last one). The giant parking lot there was full of cars, and we need to pay 700 Icelandic króna for parking.
This waterfall was special because one could walk behind the fall (similar to a few waterfalls in the Oregon Silver Falls State Park). The most famous pictures of the fall were taken from the side or the back of the waterfall. It’s an interesting and wet walk.
We stayed in two cabins at the Campground Selfoss. The nice owner let us use their washer and dryer to do the laundry. The cabins were spacious. Each had a living room, a kitchen, a bath and two bedrooms (one with a queen bed, and the other with two twin beds). There’s more than enough space for all of us.
Daddy booked 7pm dinner at Fjöruborðið restaurant, a famous (and expensive) shellfish-focused restaurant. The dinner would be the splurge of the trip. (Daddy wasn’t the only gourmet in the family!) The “lobsters” in Iceland were langoustines. We got a large table near a window. They all decided to order the 3-course dinner, but Mommy only ordered lobster soup as a main dish. There was plenty to share. The langoustine pot was fabulous! We all agreed that it was the best dinner we had on this trip. There were desserts (3 meringue cakes and one chocolate cake) included in the 3-course dinner. The cakes were huge, and we barely could finish them. We were all sated, and Brother announced that we wouldn’t need breakfast tomorrow morning!
We were all very sleepy when we returned to the lodging. It was still cold, windy and wet outside.
Day 8: The Golden Circle
The rain stopped. However, it was super windy. We were doing the Golden Circle today, from Selfoss to Reykjavik. It’s the opposite direction from the last one we did in 2019.
We first stopped at the Geysir Geothermal Field. Strokkur erupted every few minutes, but it was like a quick explosion and would be over in a few seconds. Therefore, one must have the camera or phone ready in waiting and quickly press the button when it erupts. Otherwise, you would miss it and would have to wait for the next one. Mommy missed a couple times before finally managed to take a photo.
There’s a large gift shop on site selling a large selection of merchandise. We checked the prices of chocolate candies there, and they were more than double the prices we found in a supermarket. Since they were so overpriced, we decided not to buy anything in the store, even though Mommy liked some T-shirts the store carried. It turned out to be a mistake not buying from the store, because we couldn’t find similar T-shirts in Reykjavik.
Gullfoss Waterfall (“Golden Falls”) was only a short drive away. We started with the Lower Path, but it was too wet! So, we climbed up to the Upper Path, which was a much better place to take photos of the falls because you wouldn’t get your camera or phone wet. We all took many pictures of the waterfall, even though the light wasn’t ideal.
It was very windy outside, so we retreated to the cafe to have lunch. The food there was only so-so, but the latte was good.
After lunch we drove to the Þingvellir National Park to continue our sightseeing. The park was situated between the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates. It was impressive to walk between high rock walls. This place also had a major significance to the Iceland history — it was where the first parliament was held near the Law Rock. Brother and Sister were both tired and didn’t feel so well. Brother decided to return to the Visitor Center after visiting only the first viewing platform. Sister managed to reach the Law Rock before giving up. Only Cutie went with us to Oxararfoss. But then he needed to use WC, so we had to return. (The WC at Parking P2 near the fall was closed for renovation.) Since Daddy and Mommy have visited Þingvellir in the previous trip, we decided to cut this visit short. So, we all returned to the car to drive to Reykjavik.
We stayed at the V54 Apartment on Vesturgata. The apartment had 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, a kitchen and a living room area with a sofa bed. Daddy made an 8:30pm dinner reservation (couldn’t get an earlier one) at the Food Cellar. It was only around 4:30pm when we checked into the apartment, so Cutie suggested that we went out to get food. (He’s always hungry.)
Cutie had done his research very well. Following his instruction, we first went to Baejarins Beztu Pylsur to get a hot dog. This was the place where President Clinton had a hot dog when he visited Iceland. Since then, it became a famous place, and there’s always a long line waiting to buy hot dogs, even though the food wasn’t something special. Cutie also led us to a fine bakery store called Sandholt to buy pastries for tomorrow’s breakfast.
The dinner at Matarkjallarinn (“The Food Cellar”) was good, but the service was very slow. Daddy ordered a tiger prawn appetizer that had 5 tempura prawns, just enough for each of us. Cutie ordered a mixed meat and seafood plate, which he said was only okay. Brother had fishmen soup and duck. Sister ordered lobster salad. Mommy had char and Daddy had tuna. Because it was already late and we were all tired, we decided to skip desserts. Cutie found a gelato shop nearby to have his ice cream dessert.
Day 9: Reykjavik
We made coffee and had the pastries we bought yesterday evening as breakfast before going out sightseeing.
We walked along the coast to reach Harpa (the concert hall). This time we had a quick look inside (last time we didn’t enter) before proceeding to the Sun Voyager sculpture. It was still early morning, and there weren’t too many tourists, so we were able to have some nice pictures there. We also asked another tourist to take a family photo for the five of us. The photo turned out to be the best family picture of the trip. The other family photos were taken using the camera auto setting with a tripod, and they weren’t as good.
Daddy and Cutie had their second breakfast when we were on our way to the Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran Church. The sunlight came from the back of the church, and therefore it wasn’t ideal for photo taking. However, we did have chance for an inside visit.
We went into some stores to check their merchandise, but we didn’t make any purchases, because everything was so expensive even though the US dollar was strong. Then we walked past the lake and took several bird photos before choosing a place to have lunch.
After lunch, Daddy, Mommy and Cutie went to the Blue Lagoon, while Sister and Brother remained in Reykjavik to do their own sightseeing. We really enjoyed the Blue Lagoon though it’s expensive and considered by many as too tourists. The facility was better than the Myvatn Nature Baths. The water was dreamy blue and hotter. There were many places one could simply sit down to enjoy the fantastic views and steamy hot springs. Our comfort package also came with a drink. Since it was expensive, we spent around two hours there to get our money’s worth.
Later we returned to Reykjavik, and they went to the Omnom Chocolate store to buy a large amount of chocolate to bring back for themselves and friends.
We had dinner at Messinn. The five of us shared seafood pasta and three fish dishes. The food was good and not as expensive as the Food Cellar. We were too sated to have any desserts.
We were all tired, so we simply returned to the apartment to pack our luggage. We were going home tomorrow morning.
Amy 'n Rei 