BeautyBug's Blog: 2013

Me admiring Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon

I spent the greater part of August in a dreamscape: Iceland!

I have done quite a bit of European travel and for this visit I wanted to venture to an off-the-grid/non-touristy destination. Iceland is a tiny country in between North America and Europe...the size of Kentucky!

The energy of the ever-changing landscapes takes your breath away, the locals are warm, welcoming, and unstressed. The food is fresh and phenomenal, the cities and towns are immaculate, and the music and shopping scenes are eclectic and unique. To say that the country blew my mind is an understatement. I don't think I had ever cried over sheer beauty before.

Total miles traveled: approx. 1,000

Car driven: Citroën C5

# of driving mishaps: less than 5 + 1 missing license plate

# of hitchhikers picked up: 4

Favorite cities: Reykjavík, Akureyri, Lake Myvatn

Favorite accommodation: Guesthouse Hoffell, a farm cottage with backyard glacier and homemade ginger bread!

Best hotel: The Blue Lagoon Clinic

Best hostel: Akureyri Backpackers...cozy, coffee-shop style, carrot cake!

Favorite sites: Gullfoss, Godafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, lava fields, glacier beaches

Sites to see next time: Skaftafell, Landmannalaugar, Vestmannaeyjar, West Fjords, more hot springs (Leirhnjúkur in Lake Myvatn and Hveragerði near Selfoss)

Favorite foods: warm bread with Smjör butter, homemade waffles, cappuccinos, soft serve ice cream (tastes like marshmallow!), homemade strawberry rhubarb oat bars and whole wheat veggie quiche at Cafe Haiti, chocolate donettes and chocolate-covered rice cakes from Bonus grocery store, Appelsin orange soda, love balls (fried dough) from a tiny cafe in the middle of nowhere called Fjallakaffi

Odd food items consumed: whale, shark bites, monkfish, cod liver oil @ breakfast

Favorite meals: fish & chips at Prikid, creamy ham & chicken pasta w/garlic bread at Ólafshús

Favorite restaurants: The Laundromat Cafe in Reykjavík, Country Hotel Anna in Hvolsvöllur, Kaffi Hornid in Höfn, Gamli Bistro in Lake Myvatn, Ólafshús in Saudárkrókur

Favorite stores: Kirsuberjatred, KronKron, Hrim, Volcano, Tiger, Eymundsson

Favorite Icelandic musicians: Vök, Ólöf Arnalds (had the pleasure of seeing both of them perform in Rey!), Samaris.

Reykjavík!

Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík's notable church.

Charming downtown, clean & quaint.

My Icelandic gal pal, Loa. We are convinced we were viking sisters in a past life. ;)

Kitties everywhere!

Decorative graffiti.

Our driving adventures followed the Ring Road (Route 1), which runs the entire circle of Iceland and connects the most populous parts of the country. Makes navigating super easy!