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“Mum and Son” On Tour
When your adult son asks you to go on an adventure of a lifetime with him, you say YES! A THOUSAND TIMES…YESSSSSSS, without a nanosecond of thought. We have done a LOT of traveling together, but THIS getaway was magnificent on a whole other level. It is wonderful to travel with your child when he is an adult, doing all the adulting things. I soaked up every single moment of it, including the planning stages, like a salve for my spirit. The destination was easily decided upon, as we wanted to go somewhere we had each not yet been. Iceland was always on my list; Faroe Islands was top of his. The latter, being quite remote, is not a popular flight hub but its Vagar Airport can be flown into from Keflavik (Reykjavik), so we merged these destinations together, et VOILA. We had a two country VIKING themed journey in the works! We went at the end of April and into May, which is “Spring” there by their standards, but more like a mild winter by ours, even being Canadian! I hope you enjoy following our adventures….
- IF you are interested in traveling to these places, but do not enjoy researching and planning, there is a detailed ITINERARY, complete with booking links and a budget projection, on the home page for a small fee. As well, visit these helpful features, also on my website: COLD WEATHER PACKING LIST; PREPARATION TIPS; CAR RENTAL & DRIVING TIPS. As well, check out the supplementary STORIES for a real sense of the whole travel experience.
FAROE ISLANDS
A spectacular view from our car driving from the Vagar Airport to Torshavn.
FAROE ISLANDS are self-governing and Danish, with the currency being the DANISH KRONE. The language is FAROESE. They are an ARCHIPELAGO uniquely nestled in the Atlantic Ocean atop Ireland and Scotland and between Iceland and Norway. There is a strong Celtic-Viking flavour. This place is truly one of a kind.
- TIP: If you can, try to go cashless. We used our cards everywhere. We couldn’t buy the Danish Krone in Canada. We opted out of buying at the airport as it would be difficult to exchange back after (would need to find a local bank) because of our flight times. It worked out great.
GETTING THERE: First, we flew DIRECT to Keflavik (Iceland) from Hamilton, Ontario via PLAY AIRLINE https://www.flyplay.com/en-ca, which departs from several countries world wide. We were pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and convenient this Icelandic, low cost airline was! We got our seats for a STEAL (booking about 8 months in advance), and even sprung for 1 piece of checked luggage each. The flight duration was about 6 hours, through the night, so it wasn’t a big deal that there isn’t any in flight entertainment (we just downloaded shows and films to our phones in advance), or that any food and drink service came with a fee. For what we saved on flight fare, we didn’t mind paying for sandwiches (which were quite good). The plane was new, spacious, clean and we would definitely fly with them again! We arrived at the Keflavik airport (near Reykjavik) at 4:30 a.m. and spent about 7 hours there, as we had booked our next flight separately with Atlantic Airways, which was a 1.5 hour flight from Keflavik. https://www.atlanticairways.com/en There were only flights to and from Faroe Islands on Mondays and Fridays, so we had planned for a Monday to Friday stay there, and would finish our adventure in Iceland.
KEFLAVIK AIRPORT
The Keflavik airport is a pretty nice place to stay for as long as we did. https://www.kefairport.com/ We would have had plenty of time to venture out to the nearby town itself, had we not had checked luggage that we didn’t want to drag around with us. Furthermore, we would have had to take a cab or a bus, and we were, quite frankly, TIRED, and we did not want to miss the one flight to Vagar. So, we happily explored the airport, got some breakfast and refillable coffee at Bakad Bakery https://www.instagram.com/bakad_kefairport/?hl=en, on the side BEFORE going through security, which we had to wait on until our gate was listed. It was also the perfect time to get our esims ready for activation for both countries.
- RECOMMENDATION: AIRALO https://airalo.tp.st/NKdH9OjD
- TIP: Check, BEFORE you leave your homeland, if you need anything other than a passport to enter Faroe Islands. Canada has a special agreement (along with Greenland) in terms of entry.
We were spellbound even before landing, as the plane flies right through the mountains, and even from the sky, you can feel the mystique.
Once disembarked, we bought a few bottles of wine at the Duty Free. TIP: Buy your entire stay’s worth HERE. People, mostly locals, loaded up carts. It’s much cheaper AND more convenient, since you can only buy alcohol at government sanctioned stores, few and far between. Next, we pretty easily picked up our luggage and our pre-booked rental car (see the homepage for CAR RENTAL TIPS) at BUDGET. https://www.budget.ca/en/homeWe had reserved a compact car with just enough room for us and our luggage. Off we went! The Faroe Islands are, well, a series of ISLANDS, joined by an intricate tunnel system and/or ferry routes. Therefore, the drive alone was enough of an adventure! From the airport on Vagar Island over to the capital of Torshavn, on Streymoy Island, where we’d be staying for the duration, it was only about 45 minutes if driven straight through, sans stops. But there was so much wonder to take in, that we, of course, stopped a few times for photo ops and amazement. Afterall, we were driving along FJORDS!!! And the cliffs were breathtakingly magnanimous.
The GPS showed TWO routes to Torshavn, and the one that was highlighted for us was via the route at SEA LEVEL (this part will be important when you get to the end of the narrative about this leg of our journey), which was more scenic but supposedly a bit longer, by maybe 10 minutes, which we were cool with as we wanted to see everything. So, to start, we drove mostly at the bases of the mountains, and went through some of the tunnels we had read about in preparation. Although there aren’t many MAIN roads, which would make it difficult to get lost, it is quite important to READ UP in advance on rules of the road etc…. (see the homepage for the DRIVING TIPS feature).
One of the many tunnels around the islands. This one is en route from Vagar to Torshavn.
The weather, as we had prepared for, was gloomy and rainy, but that in no way dampened our spirits, as this created a veil that made everything seem mystical.
TORSHAVN (the nation’s charming capital)
The population of all of the islands is about 50.000 in total, with Torshavn, which translates into THOR’S HARBOUR, being at slightly over 13,000. We came upon it during what seemed to be rush hour, and it was much busier and bustle-ier than we had imagined, yet, still felt quite intimate, especially when we arrived at our accommodation, a 2 bedroom flat that overlooked the harbour and heart of everything.
This is the view of “Thor’s Harbour” from our balcony. It was PERFECTLY situated up the “hill” from town, and a short walk to all the action in downtown Torshavn.
If you would also like to stay here, in a fully furnished apartment with everything you could need for a comfortable stay, you can click here: https://www.booking.com/Share-181U7b
Once we got situated (there was free parking at the apartment building AND a lot right across the street), we easily walked down into town to do some initial exploring. The weather was cold and rainy. We made sure to bundle up in waterproof layers. It was so picturesque, and reminded us of a blend of Ireland and the East Coast of our very own Canada, but with a Viking touch that we absolutely loved!
We were here just ahead of tourist season, so we didn’t see many other non locals around, which we loved. We tried our hardest to blend in, but not knowing a single syllable of the Faroese language, which even our newly made Faroese friends (more on that later) told us is very difficult to learn and pronounce, made that a little bit of a challenge. We ventured into a local grocery store and enjoyed loading up our bag with local goods; luckily, the cashier did speak some English and seemed pleasantly curious about us. We were now all set for a temporary “live like a local” stay, during which time, we made many treks up and down the hill and stairs to our flat, to and from town, and we not only felt an authentic vibe, but seriously worked out our glutes just doing everyday life.
Here is a collection of pictures, in no particular order, of our time spent in the capital, day and night:
Aidan at “Thor’s Harbour”.
The lighthouse. The photo doesn’t do the steepness of the path justice. It was rainy and slippery, and I was thankful to have worn my “good” hiking boots.
Tradarmadurin (by Hans Pauli Olsen). A bronze statue at Town Hall to honour the men who “cultivated small pieces of land outside Torshavn” (info: VISIT TORSHAVN)
A popular gift store in town, right near the main square, with the Torshavn Cathedral around the corner. This is the 2nd oldest church in the nation, built in 1788, and as most, it belongs to the Evangelical-Lutheran denomination.
Traditional Faroese houses, so charming with their grass rooftops. And around the corner, there is a little alleyway with Parliament Buildings and the Prime Minister’s Office!
FISH SKINS are part of a traditional way here. They have many health benefits and are even used in sustainable fashion.
The harbour at night (darkness fell around midnight) from our window. For an ironic STORY about the AURORA BOREALIS, click here!
A delightful happenstance for me: a Workers’ Day assembly with passionate speeches in Faroese and a band playing traditional music. I sat in the little ampi-theatre amongst a huge crowd of locals and enjoyed their Faroese chatter, also like music to me!
The harbour in a heavy Spring fog that enshrouded everything like a dream.
Two FANCY, not inexpensive and super potent cocktails at a local fave: ESSABARR on TRIVIA NIGHT.. The shot was COMPLIMENTARY!! And it was also potent.
Outside ESSABARR. The patrons seemed to emerge from the mist like ghosts. Or perhaps that was the vodka creating such a lens?
We came across a giant and beautiful mall as we walked aimlessly around the streets of downtown Torshavn. Again, another celebration of Workers’ Day. Live music, mostly traditional, in the mall’s courtyard. It was packed, as schools were closed for this important civic holiday, and there were all sorts of families enjoying the atmosphere and free treats.
LITTLE EXPLORATORY ROAD TRIPS
During our stay of four full days, we planned our itinerary on the fly, weather pending, as it changed REGULARLY and SWIFTLY. We also left room for locals’ suggestions, which we did get. Unfortunately, due to timing (ahead of peak tourist season) and weather, there would have been a lot of logistics to overcome (namely, limited and complicated ferry crossing schedules). As well, unbeknownst to us, with nothing flagged in any of the research either of us did in advance, ALL PUBLIC HIKING TRAILS AND NATIONAL PARKS were going to be CLOSED for several days (May 2 to 4) for the care and preservation of the eco-system. Luckily, my Mum, back home in Canada, had discovered this when she was reading up on our whereabouts, and she immediately notified us. We made sure we got one full afternoon of proper hiking in just one day ahead of the closures. Unfortunately, because of this, we didn’t get out to see much more beyond a 1 hour radius of Torshavn, as everything would have been closed and wouldn’t have been worth the effort at getting there. This is a very important annual closure, though, in an attempt to protect the stunning natural beauty of these islands. Everything is so rugged, pristine, and pure; until fairly recent times, it was all untouched by tourism. In this government sponsored preservation movement, VOLUNTEERS come in from all over the world, to work out on the trails and such. They are accommodated all over the island, with many staying in the capital, Torshavn. It is an honour they take very seriously.
For our first FULL day in Torshavn, we did a little excursion to drive around the countryside to see what we could see, quite literally, as it was drizzly and foggy, so sometimes, visibility was not great. Here are some snaps from that:
A little roadside pitstop. Waterproof and windproof gear is a MUST at this time of year.
Aidan scooping out sheep poop, which was…everywhere. We loved it!
Part of our little pitstop “hike”. The heavy fog made it all a thousand times more magical
These adorable little friends are living the good life in the midst of all of THIS.
More of the chicken coop “condo” views
A lovely “modern” church (tin roof) in the middle of a tiny town that we did a quick hiking loop through (there was a trail behind it).
Just one of MANY roadside waterfalls and views seen through my passenger side.
Mum and Son’s DAY OF FUN!
Despite the limiting circumstances for getting out and about to see more of the islands’ offerings, we still had some breathtaking experiences.
Our sweet little ride for our time in Faroe Islands. We named him LEIF, as he took us exploring!
Here are a few snaps from our “Sunday Drive on a Wednesday”. It REALLY is all about the journey!
We saw a whole lot of sheep breeds unlike any we’ve ever encountered. With the hovering fog along the mountaintops, they seemed to have come from ancient times through some sort of magical portal. And they REIGNED this land with moxy! We often had to stop the car to let them cross in front of us, wiggling their fluffy butts!.
The wee lambs of spring dotted the rugged countryside slopes and we delighted in this.
Driving along the single lane roads was not as challenging as we had thought. There are little pull over areas quite frequently.
SAKSUN: BLACK SAND BEACH (Ut a Lonna), and GONGUTURUR Waterfalls.
WOW. WOW. WOW. Are we EVER happy we squeezed this majestic, OTHERWORLDLY gem in exactly the day before it closed for maintenance. It was truly one of the most magnificent, awe inspiring, experiences of our lifetime. EVERYTHING about it was special. After parking our car and walking toward the falls, we paused to look around us. In every direction, we were in the middle of a glorious fairytale of long ago. Aidan asked me why I was so quiet. Was I not enjoying myself?
For one of the few times in my life, Sassie was speechless. My words, and breath, literally taken from me by this beauty (also, taken by the altitude. And the very steep and slippery–from the morning rain–mountainside slope we had attempted to start hiking). I was also fighting back tears, but not successfully. I was completely overcome with the awareness of a force much greater than ourselves. A force that most definitely connected us to each other and to THIS.
That’s why I’m so quiet, my son.
Here are some of the moments from SAKSUN. It was really hard to narrow these down.
GONGUTURUR FALLS and HIKING TRAIL
We only did the very first part of the hiking trail. We decided against attempting more when we saw some legit, hardcore “Viking looking” hikers with all their proper gear heading out ahead of us. What we did do, gave us quite a thrill, though. Also,speaking of thrills, I’m pretty sure the “Viking” hiker was the MOST handsome man I have ever laid eyes on.
Gonguturur Falls. The START of the hiking trail.
Our smiles say it all. BUT, if you would like to hear a little STORY about the endearing Norwegian hiker who was descending while we were ascending (and who offered to take this picture, one of the few of both of us together), please CLICK HERE!
Aidan admiring the farmland and all our little, or not so little, freely roaming sheep friends.
This was the FIRST day since our arrival that we could actually see the cliff tops! We were stunned by how tall they were. I gave up loads of gratitude to Mother Nature for breaking up the rain, fog, and cold to bring us a taste of sunny Spring for this extraordinary day.
This quaint little old church is right smack IN the middle of everything: the beach, the ginormous waterfall, the sheep, the valley, the TOWERING mountain walls. You can see it looking miniscule behind me in the pic above, but it seems to carry something larger than life. We both agreed that if Heaven had a face…this very place was it.
BLACK SAND BEACH (Ut a Lonna)
The hike down to this remote beach is pretty easy, but definitely wear gear that will work with swift weather changes. It is worth the trek. The black sand, created by volcanic activity and unique minerals, is compacted by the tide, which makes walking along it pleasant. NOTE: The beach access is limited to LOW TIDE, so midday is the best time to attempt this excursion. The access is forcefully washed out when the high tide rolls in. Here are some of the picturesque sights en route, and of course, the grand finale: the beach itself…
Black Sand Beach (Ut a Lonna) info sign at the trail’s start.
The very top of the trail down to Black Sand Beach.
The quintessential Border Collie doing his job watching over the herd of sheep. Sigh.
Our descent toward Black Sand Beach. We were extremely curious about these houses. We half expected little faeries to wave at us from the windows. This might just be the MOST pristine homestead EVER. Sigh. Again.
The first part of BLACK SAND BEACH. We ventured a bit further around the bend, but we had already been out for quite a while and thought it was best to head back because we had a late-ish start to our day due to the morning rain and fog. There were about three other hikers who we came across coming back from further out. Since the tide comes rushing quickly in, we didn’t want to chance the path back getting washed out.
Back at the top of the trail. We didn’t want to leave.
FOOD AND DRINKS and NIGHTLIFE
The Faroe Islands are very expensive, which is understandable since so much has to be imported. Although we scored a REALLY cheap flight, my son IS still a uni student who paid his own way for the most part, so I had promised him we would do this vacation on a reasonable budget. For this reason, as mentioned prior, we hit the local grocery store several times and enjoyed cooking breakfast and dinner at “home” most days, and we packed up “picnic” style lunches to bring with us on our road trips. It worked out wonderfully, and our flat’s view of Thor’s Harbour really couldn’t be beat. However, we did treat ourselves out for a Fish and Chips dinner at a popular local place: THE IRISH PUB, situated right in town. https://visitfaroeislands.com/en/whatson/places/place/the-irish-pub0?lang=en
We had a window seat overlooking the boats, and we SHARED a giant sized plate of catch of the day, fries and traditional homemade coleslaw. It was so yummy!! We each had a drink: Aidan a pint and I a glass of house wine. This meal totalled about $60 Canadian, so that was not too shabby.
Otherwise, all other meals were at our home base. When in the grocery store, we paid attention to what locals were buying and we picked that up. This meant several meals of HOT DOGS (quite a thing here!) and roasted potatoes and whatever veggies were available (we scored some carrots). Also, due to the rain, cold, and fog, we opted for a classic standard: RAMEN NOODLES.
We also had our fun “Trivia Night” at ESSABARR (mentioned earlier). For a fun STORY about that night, CLICK HERE! We were there during the week, and not during peak season, so this affected our nightlife. I’m sure had we stayed across the weekend, we would have had more of it. To be honest, I paid $24 Cdn for ONE drink at Essabar (it was delectable, but we would not have been able to buy several drinks each night of our stay), so we were content to sit in our place at night, sipping the 2 bottles of wine that we bought at the Vagar Airport Duty Free upon landing, looking out at the town all lit up in the foggy, mystical evenings, talking and bonding. On that note:
The AURORA BOREALIS: We missed the more fitting time to catch the glory of the Northern Lights, as being Spring, evening didn’t fall until around midnight. And daylight started pouring in again at around 3:00 am. There was not much darkness (TIP: Bring a sleep mask). AND the sky was often foggy. However, one lucky night, at around 12:30 am, I caught a glimpse of some green smears in the sky and I was so excited. I tried to wake Aidan up so he too could see, but he was snoring. I had seen them before in the Yukon and they really are everything they’re hyped up to be, so this might be the only real disappointment of our stay. I wanted him to experience them. However, we were treated to so many other unexpected treats from Mother Nature. It all balanced out.
AND, that’s a WRAP for our time in the Faroe Islands. We got up at 3:30 am on Friday morning to make the 45 minute trek to the airport to ensure we caught our flight over to Iceland. We factored in foggy conditions and time for fueling up at the petrol station and time to return our car, all before checking in at the airport. The GPS did NOT take us the same comfortable, sea level way that we had arrived. Maybe the saucey device thought hey…let’s send these Canucks off with an “adrenaline rush”? If by that, that little a$shat meant panic attack? THAT was a STORY all on its own, so CLICK HERE if you are intrigued (and you should be) and want to hear about an adventure that is terrifying and gorgeous all at once.
Walking along the tarmac to our plane. Even this was spectacular. Is it just me, or is the light breaking through the clouds shaped like an angel? It was hard to say goodbye…
Next leg: ICELAND!!!!
ICELAND!
Iceland, although larger and more populated (approximately 382,000), was settled AFTER the Faroe Islands when Vikings, who had made sailing vessels large enough for oceanic crossings, ventured further past their Faroese settlement. However, the two are not linked. Iceland is an Arctic State, and F.I. is Danish. TIP: The currency is the ICELANDIC KRONA, and it too is hard to buy/exchange in my part of Canada. So, once again, we went cashless and it worked out fine. If you prefer cash, there are currency exchange desks in the airport. Confirm their hours in advance.
We landed at Keflavik Airport at 8:15 a.m. and hit the ground running. TIP: As in Faroe Islands, we bought a week’s worth of wine at the DUTY FREE, for the same reasons. We grabbed our luggage at the carousel and went to find our car rental kiosk. This time, we had pre-booked with Avis, which is linked to Budget. I went through Booking.com. https://www.booking.com/
https://www.avis.ca/en/home (See my CAR RENTAL & DRIVING TIPS feature on the homepage).
Our ITINERARY was not the usual. We were going NORTH straightaway, specifically to AKUREYRI and HUSAVIK (with plans to see their nearby towns) and then back down to REYKJAVIK, where we’d finish up our vacation. We did not have time to do the touristy Blue Lagoon and the entire Golden Circle. We will have to return for those! It worked out that this was not our plan or route, as some of the main roads to those places were CLOSED due to the fairly recent and nearby Grindavik volcanic activity. We drove NORTH without any hiccups to our first stop: AKUREYRI.
DRIVING UP TO THE NORTH
The drive is about 5 and a half hours IF driving straight through. However, we did stop a few times for some photo ops of the spectacular, ever changing scenery. We drove the ENTIRE way through pouring rain, so that added an eerie quality to what we experienced. To start, we could see the active volcano in the far distance. The landscape along the first stretch of highway all the way into the city of Reykajvik, is what I nicknamed “The Badlands” (if you’ve ever read The Chrysalids, you know). The ground is what looks like erupted and shuffled chunks of rock; it is dark and ominous and perfect for a Viking themed movie set in ancient times and is the closest thing to seeing another planet I think we will ever get. Then, once past the Reykjavik city limits, the landscape starts evolving to mountainous, river-y, fjord-y, farm-y pastures with stretches of isolated highway that really makes you appreciate natural, wild beauty. Here and there are randomly placed Cairns, a powerful nod to the Celtic Viking culture and history of warrior-ing. As though to soften it all, the landscape is dotted with gorgeous Nordic horses, roaming freely and nobly. For MOST of this road trip, which was unexpected, we were near or in the mountains. It was glorious.
TIP: The “rest” stations are very few and far between, so we made sure to stop and use the bathrooms and load up on snacks and PETROL when coming across them, although, we learned that with a small compact car, a full tank would have gotten us from Keflavik all the way to Akureyri and then some! But I was a Nervous Nelly, much to Aidan’s dismay, and I insisted on fueling up at every chance.
Once we passed the halfway point of the drive, things started to feel a little bit “adventurous”. We ascended more and more into the mountains, and often, we were looking way, WAY down at a valley or fjord, with only a small barrier, if that, between us. I feel like the drive from Torshavn back to Vagar Island just hours earlier (read that STORY if you haven’t yet) more than prepared us for this, as nothing compared to that. But in the same breath, the scenery was MAJESTIC. And what a thrill to be driving literally across mountain top plateaus, with the ice caps still everywhere. Here are some of the things we saw, both TO and FROM Akureyri:
What I called “The Badlands”. Or…MARS? Volcanic landscapes and lava fields (in the far distance) driving from Keflavik to Reykjavik.
A Viking Monument (aka: cairn) along the highway after passing Reykjavik
Aidan appreciating both the cairn and its surroundings.
This is my favourite of all my Icelandic road trip shots. Imagine the view from the back windows of this gorgeous farm house?!!!
There was a lot more farmland than we had imagined. It is supposedly quite green in the summer. We’ll have to return to see for ourselves!
Nordic horses dot the landscape everywhere. They’re beautiful.
Graffiti art on abandoned farmland
AKUREYRI
We stayed in this perfectly picturesque town, the CAPITAL of the NORTH, for 2 nights. Right from the moment we entered its perimeter, with the rain letting up and the sun bursting through upon its HEART shaped traffic light, we were charmed. So much so, we half expected the legendary ELVES to pop out and smile at us. Did THEY bring the sun?? Just in time for our stay? It is just the right size with just the right amount of things to do.
All the city’s traffic lights were like this.
Our apartment style hotel was pretty much steps away from the main strip, with a peek at the waterfront as the backdrop while walking into the core. If you like the view and short walk, you too can stay where we did.K16 Apartments: https://www.booking.com/Share-EH0kvUv There is a convenient parking lot directly across the street.
The walk and view from our apartment style hotel.
Being we had just had a very LOOOONG and sometimes nerve wracking day of travel, we had a pretty mellow, low key night. We did a quIck walkabout and settled in to dine at the famous AKUREYRI BACKPACKERS Cafe (attached to a well loved hostel/guesthouse), upon the recommendation of one of Aidan’s Icelandic friends. It was relaxed, hip, and had a great vibe, being full of travelers from all over the world. I highly recommend! https://www.akureyribackpackers.com/
The outside of Akureyri Backpackers
The bar inside. It was COLD and damp, so we ordered some nice warm up drinks.
Aidan walking downtown in the partial night (note the light sky. It’s only dark because of the clouds).
DISCLAIMER: Aidan started to feel sick right at dinner. He came down hard with a cold, and it knocked him out for the rest of our first night, and well into the next day. This threw a wrench into our plans for the duration of our stay. Luckily, our flat had come equipped with tea, and we had brought our leftover Raman with us from Torshavn, and I had my medical kit with stuff to nurse him back to health quickly. So, we made the most of it and watched a movie and both got a great sleep.I wanted to keep myself healthy! Luckily, we had two separate rooms for sleeping. We had planned to drive to a local natural hot springs that 2nd day, which is fairly new and has fantastic reviews, but that didn’t happen. However, I am happy to suggest it for you! It’s called FOREST LAGOON. https://www.forestlagoon.is/
Instead, I got up early-ish (for me) and meandered around the town’s centre, and popped into shops, picked up souvenirs, grabbed a coffee and some delicious cinnamon pastries from a local cafe, and admired all the things.
The traditional Icelandic wool is everywhere.
The start of the charming main strip. Definitely LOVE.
Not long after this, there was a giant line up at this hotdog stand and the picnic tables were full. Hotdogs are quite the thing in Iceland (and Faroe Islands)!
This is a few steps down our street, and across from it. The famous AKUREYRARKIRKJA Church (1940), overlooks the town.
SIGLUFJORDUR, OLAFSFJORDUR, DALVIK
When I got back to the room from my solo meandering, Aidan had brought himself back to life. We hit the road for a short day trip to explore 3 little towns within 1.5 hours of Akureyri. It was a lovely day of sightseeing. The mountains continued to take our breath away. It was perfect to take our time “seeing and experiencing”, and the sun was out! A few ADVENTUROUS things: a) single lane cave like tunnels! We had to constantly look out for oncoming traffic and pull into the little stop pads. And at a bend, there was a stop light in Icelandic, which we luckily discerned and pulled over because a car was coming. b) there’s hella heli-skiing here c) Icelandic people are hardcore outdoor enthusiasts! There are random vehicles pulled over alongside the highway, with no people in them, but cross country or hiking tracks in the snow along the mountains. d) People are out biking, horseback riding, sitting outside at cafes, whilst we were bundled up in toques and fleece. And we’re CANADIAN. Here are some of these captured moments:
Our plan was to try and see the first three towns on this sign. We did it!! But don’t ask us to PRONOUNCE any of them. LOL
A little bit terrifying. I don’t even want to know the elevation of these cliffs.
The one lane tunnels. No pedestrians or pedestrians riding horses allowed.
A little bit of spooky fun.
It was worth the terror to see all that we did. Were we in the pages of Nat Geo??!
SIGLUFJORDUR
Breathtaking little harbour in Siglufjordur.
“A memorial for the herring girls in Siglufjörður”. This was inaugurated “on the town’s annual ‘Trilludagur’, where people can fish on the docks and sail and meet and be merry. Anita Elefsen, director of the Icelandic Herring Museum, says the herring girls have paved the way for women in the workplace and that they were salting herring on the pier, day and night, even for more than 24 hours at a time” (source: above and below: ICELAND MONITOR: Fri, July 28, 2023)
Herring girls taking a short coffee break at the salting facility of Sigfús Baldvinsson. From the left: Guðrún Bæringsdóttir, Ragna Jóhannsdóttir and Jóna G. Stefánsdóttir. Photo/Kristfinnur Guðjónsson/Herring Museum
On the road again.
In between towns.
Horseback riding is a popular means of transport in these parts. After seeing so much of this, the “No horses” symbol on the tunnel signs didn’t seem so random.
Heli-skiing is another big thing in northern Iceland.
OLAFSFJORDUR
A popular cafe, Kaffi Klara, in OLAFSFJORDUR. People sitting outside enjoying the sunny, “warm” Spring day.
Aidan awaiting his hot drink at Kaffi Klara and trying to rally back from not feeling great.
DALVIK
The heart of DALVIK: Dalvik Urkirkja.
On our way back into Akureyri, we did a grocery run at the “bargain” chain in Iceland: BONUS (that’s its name. But it truly was a bonus!). Bonus delivered on its name because a handsome Icelandic man smiled at me in the oat milk aisle. BONUS. https://bonus.is/ https://bonus.is/english/
Another BONUS inside of BONUS… We discovered SKYR yogurt and the hype is REAL.
Next up….
HUSAVIK
The view from the dock. Eurovision was partly filmed on location in this quaint town (for which a song was written–”My Hometown”). This is the Harbour (I SEE you) and this is THE iconic church. If only I could have also rung the bells, because I sure felt victorious being here. Sigh.
As cheesy as this sounds, Husavik has been on my Bucket List ever since I saw, and became obsessed with, the EUROVISION film. IYKYK. I treated us to a very special one night stay here, and it was EVERYTHING. It is only 1 hour from Akureyri, so we easily could have just done a day trip, but I just HAD to stay in this northern gem of a town and not feel rushed. So onward and upward we went, even further North.
As you can see, it is an easy commute from Akureyri. And the scenery is, of course, quite something along the way.
We arrived on a Sunday, and in the off season, so it wasn’t busy at all. There were very few tourists and they were mostly daytrippers, there solely for whale watching excursions, so they were contained to the harbour area and the neighbouring restaurants, which were the only businesses (other than the boating tours) open. We had come prepared with some groceries from our Bonus run in Akureyri, so we were content to enjoy looking out the living room window of our gorgeous apartment while sipping wine at night and coffee in the morning. Aidan enjoyed some fresh fish and chips at a place along the harbour called….FISH AND CHIPS, which seemed to be quite popular, prior to our excursion. https://g.co/kgs/6Cccyjj And, I did treat us to one amazing dinner out, which was as I expected, quite expensive (but worth it!). If you likewise want to have this one night stay experience in this charming home right smack in the heart of everything, here is the booking link: https://www.booking.com/Share-4hNsj50
This is our home in the “hometown”. We had the first floor of Bjarnabud. It is perfectly situated right in the heart of the town, directly across from the church (that I delightfully admired while at the kitchen sink!) and steps away from the harbour. There is parking attached.
The idyllic midnight-ish view from our living room window..
WHALE WATCHING (from Husavik)
The ticket office is right next door to our “home”, so we easily booked an early afternoon whale watching excursion on a traditional wooden boat (I had canceled the previous booking I had made through Get Your Guide because Aidan was sick; I wasn’t sure he’d be up for such an excursion and I had a 24 hour window to cancel without having to pay the full amount). Well, this experience was SPECTACULAR and I can’t recommend it highly enough: North Sailing, Husavik. https://www.northsailing.is/ It includes hot chocolate and cinnamon bun snack service and your waterproof, weather gear and educational guides! Also included: a 10% discount at the restaurant I had already planned on dining at!
We were lucky to have FOUR Humpback Whale sightings, which was exhilarating! We could even HEAR them spouting off as they came to the surface, and the way they flipped their massive tails right before their deep dives was something to behold. We also saw several other species of whales, including Minkes, swimming in large numbers around our boat, AND the extra bonus of some Puffin sightings (they were swimming in the sea). To see marine life in the natural environment, playful and happy, was very, very, very special. As well, we saw the coastline and more rugged mountains that we’d not have been able to catch from land. It was the thrill of a lifetime. We put our phones away for most of this, so we could truly be present in the moments, so I didn’t capture too much; it is definitely preserved vividly in my heart, though. Here are some of the moments I did manage to snap:
Our traditional whale watching boat: The GARDAR.
The amazing and very friendly crew. They gave me permission to post this.
All suited up and stylin’.
Another traditional boat circling nearby. This was a scene of a sighting.
After the unforgettable excursion, we freshened up and went for a delectable unforgettable dinner at the cozy Gamli Baukur Restaurant, right on the harbour with a magnificent view. https://gamlibaukur.is/en/
It was a perfect warm up place after being out on the boat in the chilly sea air.
I had Arctic Charr; it was delicious and hearty. Aidan had soup and salad.
The entire Husavik stay was “Ya Ya, Ding DONG!” all that I had dreamed of, and more. It was hard to leave THIS view…
Next, and FINAL, leg…..REYKJAVIK!!!
The approximately 6.5 hour drive back down to the nation’s capital city allowed us more photo ops (as the drive TO Akureyri was rain and fog filled), as we could actually clearly SEE everything this time. We made a few pit stops to stretch our legs and marvel. The first is a hiking trail not far from Husavik.
NOTE: This cliff looks more dangerous than it was.There was a plateau/ledge beneath him way before the big drop off. We’re not into risking our lives for pics.
Never tired of seeing these beautiful creatures and mountainous ranges.
REYKJAVIK
The ICONIC Skolavordustigur Street (aka: Reykjavik Rainbow Street). It signifies acceptance and unity, and is, of course, the heart of Pride Week celebrations. It was bustling most of our stay here. This quiet moment was rare.
Our entry to Reykjavik was quite interesting! As we came into the city limits, during RUSH HOUR, we were quickly jolted back into city life (after the first ¾ of our adventure being mostly idyllic countrysides and small towns). We were, again, in traffic AND pouring rain. But, we did see a rainbow in our rear view mirror right as we were crawling through rush hour traffic. That was a great sign of what was to come. We LOVED our 3 night stay here. It is lively, colourful, and filled with people from all over the world, even in the off season.
Finding our Airbnb was not hard at all. However, PARKING…now that is a whole other story (see my helpful Driving Tips feature on the homepage). Once temporarily situated, with the parking metre fed via credit card for just enough time to unload (thanks to a helpful Parking Enforcer who happened to be in our vicinity when we pulled up in front of our place. At least, we think she was official? We were glad for her, whoever she was, as parking tickets are STEEP!). We were lucky enough to stay in a perfectly located Scandinavian styled airbnb. Here are a few snaps of the 2nd floor apartment, with a separate bedroom (for me. Aidan got the comfy sofa bed in the living room).
Our flat was right in the heart of the city, within walking distance to everything, and just steps away from the main strip: LAUGAVEGUR, yet just a block or two into a residential zone, so it was pretty quiet at night. I highly recommend it!! Here is the link: https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/51775527?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=a8bbdb4c-93b1-4813-8eba-83a27ba4585b
We walked everywhere (FYI: It’s slightly sloped and stone-y). The corridors off Laugavegur all have sea and mountain views. It poured rain, as in, pelted sideways at my face, our first day and a half here, so I didn’t get many pictures. But then, the sun came out for day 3, and people were out and about everywhere. Outdoor cafes filled with conversations in all different languages. Aidan’s friend, Urdur, a Reykjavik local, spent some time with us, and gave us many inside tips of things to do and she also explained a few interesting things, such as…the drunken graduate high school students wearing matching group theme costumes openly drinking and asking people to do silly things with them (a tradition) like twerk or handstand or sing; tourists being touristy (of course, I’m not guilty of that). The famous Rainbow Street (pictured above) leading to the noble Leif Eriksson monument and the Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral, was alive and thriving. The plethora of shops were open, many of which selling gorgeously traditional wool Icelandic sweaters (very pricey, but of the highest quality) that many of the locals were actually walking around wearing. Of course, I treated myself to one (but a lighter one, more in my price range. I found one for a “steal” at approximately $180 Canadian! (TIP: Taxes are exceptionally HIGH in Iceland, so tourists can ask the merchants for special forms/receipts for any purchase over $12,000 IK. Then, you can take these to the TAX RETURN kiosk at the airport BEFORE you go through security, and you can get a portion of this back. It does take about 6 weeks minimum to reflect back on your credit card, but it does process. I got about $25 Cdn back from my sweater purchase, which was the only expensive thing I bought.) Above it all, the ever present church bells chimed in every hour as though punctuating the liveliness of Spring here with a Hallelujah !!! Here are some pictures, in no particular order, of the city core:
Every side street slopes toward the waterfront and these mountainous views.
The striking HALLGRIMSKIRKJA Church (Evangelical-Lutheran) at one end of Rainbow Street. From the distance, it resembles something from G.O.T.!
I was able to take a seat inside and enjoy the ambiance of someone playing the organ.
In front of the church is this monument to legendary Norse explorer: Leif “The Lucky” Eriksson (Erickson), who is credited with being the first European to land in and settle Greenland and “America” about 500 years ahead of Christopher Columbus! There are Norse remains which quite possibly belong to him and his team to prove a settlement in Newfoundland, Canada. So naturally, I found this fascinating.
It is an annual tradition for high school seniors to celebrate their upcoming graduation by dressing up in themed ONESIES, as seen here: a group of Santas and behind them, Piglets. I paused to watch one tourist in a grand Twerk Off with one of these piglets to the delight of the crowds. There was a lot of cheering all about the streets on this day, and I, for one, thought it was great fun, especially considering the sun finally broke free to mark a real Spring. I did, however, avoid making eye contact with any of them for fear of being “challenged” to join in their shenanigans, especially because they record and post them on their social media, which is not the way I wish to become a social media sensation.
RANDOM FYI: Reykjavik is surrounded by volcanic activity, so therefore, the infrastructure was created to tap into this eco-friendly energy source; all the HOT WATER comes directly from the nearby natural hot springs! Don’t be alarmed when you turn the HOT water tap on (not the cold, though) and there is a strong sulfur smell. Enjoy and embrace it! The sulfur is very good for your skin and has many health benefits.
These two sidewalk friends get locked up inside at night. They had a busy and tiring day after all the Selfies with the high school graduates.
This is the start of the main street LAUGAVEGUR. It is full of shops, restaurants, bars, and is also the Arts District. It was just a few blocks down from our flat.
You can leave your letters to Santa here!
Urdur’s Mum had her new store’s Grand Opening while we were here! AFF CONCEPT STORE. It’s right on the main street and it is filled with unique, beautiful, artsy home decor pieces. https://www.aff.is/
A cool underground museum paying homage to the Punk Rock Era!
This is a little square at the end of the main street: Old Town. It has several charming buildings/stores/restaurants/apartments amidst incredible, vibrant murals.
A must see on Rainbow Street. Apparently, all the sweaters here are hand made by local Grammas! The collection is GORGEOUS. If you have your heart set on one, come prepared with the equivalent of about $400 (low end!) Canadian!
A TEENSY section of a store FILLED with the most beautiful wool clothing you have ever seen.
NIGHT LIFE!
Reykjavik has a great deal to offer in terms of restaurants and bars. So much so, that we had a hard time deciding for our one big “bar night”. Urdur came with us for this special night out, which was great because she was our own personal guide and a warm ambassador for Iceland! FYI: She kindly brought us a welcome gift bag filled with popular candies and chocolates. One of them I particularly liked: white icing-like coating with chewy black licorice inside. I didn’t know, before talking to Urdur, that black licorice was very much a big deal in Iceland. DJUPUR candy…I became an addict fast.
NOTE: Being that a Bonus grocery store was steps away from our flat, we had loaded up on groceries, more DJUPUR candy (to bring home to family), and we ate ALL our meals (but one lunch at a…hot dog stand in Old Town) at home.And, we had our wine bottles from the airport’s Duty Free. But, if you have the budget for dining out each night, there is an excellent selection of dining experiences, all within walking distance.
We bundled up, ventured out, and strolled around until we found the right vibe for us. Here are a few pictures of the bar we did settle on: THE DRUNK RABBIT. It’s a known thing: always find the Irish Pub everywhere you are, and you are guaranteed a good time! For a STORY about this, CLICK HERE!
The Drunk Rabbit. This was taken the next day, in the sunlight, as we wore very dark sunglasses and ingested large quantities of coffee and electrolytes. LOL
The ONE round of drinks we had budgeted for (we pre-drank at our flat, like uni students. LOL). Two TALL,very STRONG vodka sodas for Urder and me AND a pint of something on tap for Aidan. So, nothing fancy. Grand Total: $65 Canadian!!
The famous WHEEL (of fortune?). You pay and spin, and get what you get!
MUM AND SON TOUR….the end (almost).
After checking out of our Reykjavik airbnb, we squeezed in some final sightseeing and walkabouts. First…
Thingvellir National Park
A short drive outside the city core, this popular tourist destination, a NATURAL WONDER of the World, really is a must see. Thingvellir, or “Assembly Plains”, is a historical gem for Icelandic people, as so much has transpired here since its establishment in the 900’s! Despite the unexpected crowds which caught us off guard, having spent most of our trip (except for Reykjavik, which was just the right amount of bustling), in more isolated locales, it was lovely. Not having a lot of time, we did a small hike through the famous TECTONIC FISSURE, which really was quite amazing to stand IN. The gorges and cracks are surely every geologist’s dream (as I think all of Iceland must be).
Aidan walking along the tectonic plate fissure.
A waterfall in the fissure.
A view of the fissure from up top, after hiking through it.
Next, we started our drive back to Keflavik Airport, but pulled over on a side road in a little turnaround/photo op area to have a car picnic with our packed up leftover food, and to enjoy watching two paragliders soaring way above us. It was as though Iceland was WAVING “Farewell!!”.
There are random waterfalls EVERYWHERE in Iceland. You can pull off the roads for a picnic and with a little walkabout, come across one!
A final moment taking it in.
KEFLAVIK
Originally a Scottish settlement and a fishing port dating back to the 1500s, Keflavik is now a hub between the airport and Reykjavik.
Keflavik is more than just a convenient resting place by the airport. It is a cute little town with several restaurants and sights! We were en route to return our rental car to the airport by a specific time, so we did a quick drive through it, where we saw The Giantess Cave (based on a popular Icelandic children’s book series) and all sorts of children outside (there was a government holiday of some sort). The streets were alive with happy families enjoying fresh Spring air and their everyday lives, which was very nice to see and a wonderful way to top off what was a pretty authentic experience from start to finish.
The GIANTESS CAVE. There were lineups of children waiting to get in, which was delightful to see and made it seem the storybook had come alive.
We checked into our hotel, HOTEL KONVIN, which was very conveniently located just about 7 minutes from the airport and also close to the town, and dropped off our luggage. I highly recommend this for your final night, for its location, convenience, value (free parking if you keep your car until the morning), and…breakfast, which is included!
Hotel Konvin https://www.booking.com
Finally, we drove to the airport to return our “little car that could “. The process was quite easy as there is a PETROL STATION right in the car rentals’ parking lot (See my Driving Tips on the homepage). From here, we walked to the front of the airport and found the cab cue, and grabbed our ride back to the hotel. This was a short and inexpensive ride (less than $10 Canadian).
We had enough time for a last hoorah of dinner and drinks, but unfortunately, due to the holiday, many of the restaurant options in the actual town were closing early. Otherwise, we would have made the trek along the footpath between the hotel and the town (it’s about a half hour walk based on what we overheard other patrons say). We were too tired and hungry to risk getting there only to discover nothing was available (either due to closing or to being packed with all the families enjoying their holiday together). So we walked through the hotel parking lot to a little place right next door, PUBLIC DELI (www.publicdeli.is) which was perfectly suited for us. We had wine and beer and deli type sandwiches. Then, we had a comfortable, restful night before traveling home.
THANK YOU FOR FLYING WITH US…
It was an incredible, unique, and unforgettable trip together. Sure, there were moments of grumpiness (mostly Aidan. I’m an effen delight!), terror (how many references did I have to the mountainous cliffside driving?), confusion and exasperation (my efforts at pumping gas), sickness, and exhaustion…but MORE SO, there were SPECTACULAR, BREATHTAKING, JOYFUL moments that bonded us tightly. We will forever have these stories to tell and little shared looks of knowing when something reminds us. How wonderful it will be in my rocking chair era, to reflect with twinkles in my eyes and happiness in my heart, on this special, once in a lifetime adventure with my son in these remarkably spirited places.
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