Our time in Iceland has come to an end and it is safe to say we are fans. It’s hard not to be impressed by the dramatic environment and otherworldly landscapes but we found people to be very friendly and (fortunately) great English speakers.
Some of our observations:
- Reykjavik felt very familiar to us
After almost seven years of living in Helsinki, Reykjavik seemed like a close cousin. The architecture is a mix of modern buildings, 1950s/60s brutalist architecture, early 20th century apartment blocks and quaint old cottages. The city is easily walkable and pedestrian friendly. And while Helsinki has many more trees than Reykjavik (or Iceland!), Reykjavik felt cleaner as we didn’t need to watch our step on the sidewalks.
- Iceland seems to be very cultural
There were art sculptures throughout the city and we even saw them in suburbs and along the highways. There were at least three branches of the main bookstore chain in a ten block radius of our hostel and they were generally busy with people. Even Icelandair offers audio books in their in-flight entertainment. There is a beautiful music hall as well as many other venues that promote theatre, live music, the symphony and other performing arts.
Even in the main church Hallgrimskirkja, we had the opportunity to listen to the church organist performing (practicing?) on the incredible organ.
- Iceland made it easy to travel with children
Many places do not charge for children under 11 (an age limit both our kids still fit under) and both kids were given free travel bags and meals with Icelandair. Both the hostel and the Blue Lagoon were generous in giving free towels to the kids.
- Iceland is expensive
While we were prepared for Iceland to be pricey, boy is it ever! With minimal manufacturing and local production, as well as the need to import most things, the prices are high for a reason. We tried to economize by buying most of our meals at the local grocery store and making them in the hostel’s shared guest kitchen.
The highlights for us were clearly the spectacular natural beauty of Iceland. We really enjoyed the Blue Lagoon experience and if the weather had been nicer, we would have liked to explore the moonscape around the lagoon more.
The Blue Lagoon is expanding and will soon be opening a new section with additional hotel rooms. Perhaps on a future trip!
The kids even had the chance to taste Icelandic Krap. We found out a few months ago that Slurpees in Iceland were called Krap. Of course, the kids thought that was hilarious and begged us to buy them one when we got to Iceland. Their wish came true and while they enjoyed it, we thought it tasted like it said on the glass!
We also enjoyed the Golden Circle tour that we took. While we aren’t normally “tour people”, having someone else plan the route and drive in the inclement weather, leaving us to gaze out the window, doze and relax in relative comfort was well worth the tour price.
The Golden Circle tour covers:
- Thingvellir National Park with its rift created by the seismic activity between the American and Eurasian continental plates.
It is also an important locale for the Icelandic people as it is where the first Parliament met and many major decisions (e.g. the conversion to Christianity in AD1000) took place. It continues to be a meeting place for significant national events.
- Erupting geysers
While the original Geysír (the namesake of all geysers) has been dormant for many years, we were fortunate to see the one that still erupts. It was very cool!
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From there it was on to the famous Gullfoss waterfall which was truly spectacular. We couldn’t go on the lower level beside the falls due to the weather unfortunately.
Finally, we stopped at a crater lake which was not frozen over as we had feared given the mild winter Iceland has had this year.
All in all, we are very happy to have made the stopover in Iceland on our way to Europe. Apart from some departure hassles, it was a very positive trip and would recommend it to anyone.
Next stop: the UK!