Reflecting on the Magic of Iceland

Earlier in the year when the days were almost at their longest and summer in the UK had arrived with warm sunshine, and long dry days, we left England’s green and pleasant lands. We were headed for a land of Ice, Fire and Magic, and considerably cooler temperatures.  Iceland had been on our holiday wish list for some time, and we were very excited to be travelling with friends (who if I’m honest had done most of the organising) for a week of adventure and exploring.

It is hard to know where to start when writing about a week spent in Iceland.  So much has already been said before about the stunning landscapes, endless beauty and of course the eye wateringly expensive cost of living.  So rather than give you a blow by blow account of my trip, or a ‘how to do Iceland’ post.  I thought as an Iceland first timer and novice I would share with you a few of my reflections, of this weird and wonderful land.

One of the most expensive countries in the planet, vast open, uninhabited spaces, a belief in the ‘little people’ and  half the year in darkness.  Who wouldn’t want to know more?

Natural Beauty

Iceland is otherworldly.  If a unicorn was to appear, or even a flock of unicorns (or whatever the collective noun is for unicorns) it would not be surprising.  In fact, I doubt you would barely bat an eyelid such is the mythical and mystical qualities of this strange land.

This is the land of the puffin.  Despite their appearance on many a tourist menu, this cute bird with the large beak still seems to be in ample supply.  Watching them being buffeted hither and thither by the wind is a surprisingly entertaining pass time.

Not much distance needs to be covered before you come across a waterfall or two.  Waterfalls are everywhere, each one seemingly bigger and better than the last.  Huge sheets of water drop vertically off sheer cliffs. Literally litres of the stuff tumbling down mountains and into rivers and lakes almost every where you look.

In summer, the road side lupins are just as plentiful as the waterfalls.   We came across these dark blue lupins on our first trip out.  It was staggering to see literally 1000’s of these tall proud stems lining roadways and carpeting verges and fields.  In the whole time we were there I never got tired of seeing them, or felt less excited about them.  We struggle to keep just one lupin plant free of slugs in our urban garden.  In the wilds of Iceland they are abundant.   If I lived there ( which for the record I would never want to), I would fill my house with jugs stuffed full of them. Just gorgeous. Oh, and they are always blue.  On only a couple of occasions did we see a rogue white lupin squeezed in amongst the sea of blue.

Wandering off the Beaten Track

Iceland is full of ‘must see’ sights and well trodden paths, and the closer to Reykjavik, the busier these will be.  Of course you won’t want to miss these especially if you are only visiting for a few days. On our trip, which was 8 days we had more time to wander further afield and explore the less explored.  It doesn’t take much effort to find yourself a secluded spot, and we found Iceland to be full of surprises as often at will we wandered off the beaten track.

Sometimes we didn’t have to wander far at all. One evening we discovered a little path behind our hotel, we strolled through swathes of lupins and came across a huge glacier.  A mere stones throw away from where we were staying but completely hidden and virtually in touching distance. As we sat on the edge of the glacier it was perfectly still and just us.

On our way to the much more famous Ice Lagoon, we came across our own ice lagoon.  We veered off the main road and bumbled along a rough track with the promise of some tourist information at the end of it.  The track did not take us to the kind of tourist information centre we had imagined. It took us to a deserted beach, littered with ice and backed by a huge glacier.  Apart from an incident with an overly protective Tern we had one of the the most peaceful and memorable coffee stops of our lives

Other unplanned stops took us to deserted beaches and tiny settlements with picturesque churches and coloured houses.  There is so much more to Iceland than the ever popular Golden triangle.

Ice Magic

Oh the ice, so much ice.  Despite its popularity with tour buses, the ice lagoon is completely magical, and a was a huge highlight for me.  We visited on a day when the sun was mostly sunny and dancing off the lake.  Shards of blue glowing from within.

The Diamond Beach is utterly captivating.  We wandered along it whilst watching large chunks of ice carved from a glacier float past us and head out to sea.  Ice crystals litter the beach like diamonds cast aside by scorned lovers.   After a while we stopped taking photographs and simply marvelled at these natural Ice sculptures, like the works of art they really are.

We were never closer to the ice than when we actually walked on it.  A 3 hour walking trip onto one of the glaciers complete with crampons and ice axe was huge fun.  Also the best way to experience the density and precarious nature of the glacier.  This was of course helped along by the stories told by our hugely handsome Italian guide / action man.

Weird and wonderful

There is no question that Iceland is both weird and wonderful.  A country surrounded by water which spends half the year in darkness is bound to be shrouded in folklore and stories.  The landscape and the manmade structures with in the landscape bear witness to this.

In Bargafjordour, a small and pretty harbour town, we came across the famous ‘hairy house’. A  small red house almost completely covered in grass, so that only the doors and windows, peeking out from its green bushy barnet are visible.  If ever a house was to appear in a fairy story, this is it.

On another day when we found a similarly grass covered church, with its tiny windows poking out through the undergrowth.  As we tried to peer in I imagined there might be tiny people peering out

On another day on a long road with nothing nearby for miles except vast open spaces we found a pea green hut. Erected on the road side with no neighbours for as far as the eye could see it houses a visitors book and a vending machine stocked with chocolate and crisps for weary travellers.  The vending machine is powered by wind!

If further evidence was needed of Iceland’s unique peculiarities,  look no further than the hidden people or huldufólk. They are human like elves who exist but are never seen.  All around Iceland you will see rocks with doors painted on them or small wooden houses. They are all built for the Hidden people.

Endless Days and Nights.

In June, days and nights become one.  The sun barely sets or rises and the short twilight casts an orange glow upon the land as she rests.  Many visit Iceland for the Northern Lights.  We visited for the endless days of summer.  Long days mean ample time for sightseeing and wandering.  We regularly found ourselves leaving our hotel for an evening constitutional around 11pm at night.  There is a magic and energy that comes from being bathed in daylight for so long. The changes in light are subtle.  A golden hue  settles on the land for those few short hours when the sun is undecided on whether to rise or rest.

Lunch

Like any good trip, many of our most memorable Iceland moments are connected to lunch.  We were amply warned of how expensive eating and drinking in Iceland would be.  We went with the expectation of paying exorbitant prices, and yet, we were still shocked. Just as we were recovering from that shock we discovered Icelandic bakeries.  And I don’t think I am exaggerating if I say they transformed our trip.  Stocking up daily on sandwiches or pastries and cakes or cookies from one of the many bakeries led to some wonderful picnics on deserted beaches, in the of shadow glaciers and on roadsides with vast open vistas before us.

As an aside one of the best tips I read before I travelled was to take a thermos with you.  This was inspired as each morning we were able to fill our flasks with coffee, either from breakfast or from the supplies in our hotel room.  Being able to slurp free hot coffee as we sheltered from the wind or sat in the sun on a windswept beach was brilliant.  We  regularly congratulated ourselves on our resourcefulness!

Weather

Changeable, without doubt.  When sunny,  Iceland could not look more glorious, rich green carpeted hills, prisms of light dancing off waterfalls, and skies as blue as cornflowers.  But don’t be lulled into a false sense of security because very soon it is likely to change.  The skies become leaden, clouds descend and a gloom envelopes the land.  Even in mid summer when the days and nights blend into one, it can be very chilly.  Reaching into back packs for  hats and scarves and gloves the moment we exited the car become the norm!

Iceland is magical and beautiful and expensive and despite its small size, vast and quiet, even in the height of the summer. It is a place to visit with an open mind, a sense of adventure and deep pockets!