Iceland Travel Blogs

arrival in the land of vikings and faeries...
Sep 1, 2007 (9 photos)

Ok so we've arrived in Iceland and although I cant send this yet because I'm out of internet reach, it'll go out when im back in Reykjavik.    But I wanted to keep you all current ...I know it'll be a lot of info all at once but, for me, ...

The loop comes full circle...
Sep 22, 2007 (31 photos)

... all over the world offering their couch (or coffee or info) to travelers.  We found it because hotels are so expensive in Iceland that we searched the Internet and there was this site.  Although it's international in scope, it was created by a ...

a deviant berry picker...
Sep 10, 2007 (7 photos)

  So the group is going berry picking...little teeny tiny berries...I try to participate but I'm not much of a berry picker so the activity is short-lived as far as I'm concerned...I quietly sneak away from the pickers and go on a hike...I'd been ...

the final days at Thorsmorck....the rains threaten
Sep 13, 2007 (39 photos)

... away by the fact that I don't know my family tree and that my parents are of two radically different ethnicities....apparently in Iceland they can take the names of two people, pop them into a computer and find out how long ago they were directly related ...

COLD FEET
Sep 5, 2007 (15 photos)

... the legends to life...they're generally tall and blonde and rugged and pretty earthy....and with history describing the formation of Iceland as rooted in legend...a story for everything...   So back to the hike....4 river crossings in and no less ...

Cracks and fissures....
Sep 19, 2007 (38 photos)

... venting the Krafla volcano field - its energy fuels Kroflustod Power Station, one of the largest geothermal power plants in Iceland.  They started to build the plant  in 1973 but were thwarted by something like 9 eruptions in 1975, one of ...

the work begins....getting to know the group...
Sep 2, 2007 (10 photos)

Monday Sept 3 The end of the first weekend....our first task - putting in a trail of volcanic stone in the driving - seriously driving - wind and sideways misty rain , like you're always in the middle of a cloud blowing about 60 mph....I'll be getting ...

A Phallological Museum.......WHAT ON EARTH ?!?
Sep 21, 2007 (18 photos)

... real character...not at all offensive, but entertaining and informative in a very zoological sort of way.  Apparently the tradition in Iceland of using the preserved penis of bulls for whips piqued his attention and so today we have a gem of a museum ...

the volcanos are real??
Sep 9, 2007 (15 photos)

... some volunteers....has interesting stuff to say...apparently there's serious threat of an eruption...and although there's lots of volcanoes on Iceland, there's three most likely to burst and one is right over here...It's called Katla ...now what does that ...

Iceland beyond Thorsmorck...
Sep 14, 2007 (19 photos)

... is misplaced....dealing with that is stressful...American embassy and all....can't imagine why we really need an American embassy in Iceland...but I guess one needs a place to go when the passport disappears...anyway, a plan is in place....we've moved ...

at the top of the food chain eating cookies...
Sep 7, 2007 (10 photos)

END OF FIRST WEEK   The wind blew like hell all night...it's such a striking landscape...every time I  go outside out I'm struck by the vastness and starkness of it...a wide valley of volcanic rubble...lots of large rounded stones with braided ...

Pulled by the VORTEX.....
Sep 24, 2007 (43 photos)

... as well), when they simultaneously built a military airbase for themselves (they cut a deal with the Icelanders).  Iceland has been through some dramatic changes towards modernization over the last century, particularly since WWII.  It's gone ...

ice...ice...iceland...
Sep 16, 2007 (48 photos)

... Stina, who is standing on the opposite end of the spectrum of thought, states that without globalization, the people of Iceland would probably still be living in their grass-roofed huts and stone buildings built into the mountainside, a largely subsistence ...

Akureyri
Aug 31, 2007

asd

Raining in Reyjavik
Aug 9, 2007 (1 photos)

So, lets talk about yesterday..... before the rain came!  I met Stein (family friend) at 13:00hrs at Parliament - I was easy to spot - the grubby traveler amongst the politicians!  Stein is an MP, representing the Left Green Party, hence ...

lost on the moon?
Sep 17, 2007 (33 photos)

... WAY out of the way for...and then we aim the  Yaris in the direction of the highest farm in all of Iceland, Mothrudalur...the rather stone-hearted woman at the tourist info desk in Egilsstdtir, who used far more profanity than I thought appropriate to ...

The Kjolur Route
Aug 31, 2007

... was the first ´big metropolis´I been to since leaving Reykjavik (actually it´s the only other big metropolis in Iceland).  There´s a great botanical garden there (better than the Reykjavik garden), a nice harbor, fantastic swimming pools and a ...

More wonderfully strange music out of Iceland
Jul 6, 2008 (2 photos)

I've recently come across the band behind the music. They hail from Iceland and were formed in the mid-1990s. Sigur Ros - Victory Rose in English - create melodic, ethereal sounds woven with the lead singer's falsetto voice. Here's what they sound like ...

Heimaey Island
Aug 12, 2007

... mind this was a good thing, the continuous rain was starting to take its toll and I was beginning (very quickly) to hate Iceland!  I took the road south to  Porlakshofn, 50km that took me through grand lava fields that were covered in moss - ...

Kerlingarfjoll
Aug 31, 2007

assdf

Relaxing in Reykjavik
Sep 5, 2007

... Kerlingarfjoll, Jokulsarlon (Icebergs), the many many swimming pools around the country and the culture in Reykjavik. Greatest thing about Iceland - the feeling of being safe!  I´m not too sure if this is an illusion or not, but people hitch ...

Glaciers and Icebergs!
Aug 20, 2007

... 3-4 hours walking.  Skaftafell National Park sits at the base of Vatnajokull - the huge icecap at the bottom of Iceland.  There´s loads of beautiful walks which include views of the icecap, glaciers, waterfalls and of the beloved sandur.  ...

Iceland on the rocks thanks.....
May 7, 2004 (14 photos)

... posted. Please feel free to recommend me for any medals of bravey - Victoria Cross or Purple Heart will suffice... But a trip to Iceland would not be complete without a visit to the Blue Lagoon. "Amazing", is the only word that I could use to ...

Fizz, bang, bubble and pop
Aug 24, 2007

So, here I am in Myvatn the fizz, bang, bubble and pop capital of Iceland!  The weather has treated me well, so for that I´m grateful - a much needed reprieve from the wind has been well received.  It´s not exactly tropical, but hey I´m only a ...

Iceland for some Northern exposure
Nov 8, 2007 (38 photos)

... (I guess it's about 500km across) and also because of its generally barren, tundra-like appearance. Apparently 80% of Iceland's landmass is glacial waterways cutting through mountainous lava deserts, so despite being a relatively small island, it has a ...

On top of the world
Aug 6, 2007

... family friends (they invited me to stay tonight but I´m having phone troubles.... actually that translates to Susan can´t dial a number in Iceland because she can´t figure out what dialing code to use) and have a look around town.  I know very little ...

Hvolsvollur to Kirkjubaejarklaustur
Aug 18, 2007

... with every gust that the end was about to come.  I spent most of the night with my little torch in my tent plotting my escape from Iceland - I was scared and very unhappy. I was on the road by 7am, keen to get out of there - I had to at least get to a ...

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas......
Dec 25, 2003 (12 photos)

... out and assault your retinas. At night the lights come on everywhere. Even the gravestones are wired up! Ancestry is important in Iceland, much kudos can be gained if you can trace your ancestry back to the first landing of the Ingolfur. The 'Sagas' ...

Oslo and Moscow
May 30, 2001

... As we drove around, we were amazed to see the place, no trees, just mossy like substances. Dinner, was not cheap but this was Iceland. The next day, we drove around to see the Puffins. They were ok, we then had a lunch in a fishing village. The village was ...

Off to Iceland....
Jul 15, 2007 (10 photos)

... ! Needless to say, Jose was NOT happy at this point. After speaking with the tourism desk, we were both feeling negatively towards Iceland. Jose then decided to check and see how much it would be to get the flight tomorrow (Monday), rather than Tuesday. ...