Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Iceland, 11: Reykjavik

By the time we got to Reykjavik on the 26th we had other worries, so seeing the capital city was not a high priority. We'd be back on our return tickets anyway in November. To enter the UK on June 28th, however, we had to book COVID tests on arrival and also complete the passenger locator forms required. After much research, Vicki had booked the tests, at Heathrow, but the government passenger locator forms would not accept the test bookings. Both are required for entry, even boarding. Many tries, emails, chats and attempted phone calls were of no avail. In addition, we'd dutifully had our pre-boarding COVID tests in Reykjavik on the afternoon of the 26th, with results promised in an hour; but nearly half a day passed before there was any word there. It was not until well into the morning of the 27th that all these issues eventually resolved. We were nearly too relieved to go out and do more sightseeing. There was also the ominous issue of packing up and getting the camper ready for our departure. But we persevered and found a few hours Sunday afternoon to walk around the inner city. 

We spent Saturday night at the very nice Reykjavik municipal campground, adjacent to and run by the municipal hostel. Since our departure from Reykjavik was quite early the morning of the 28th, we spent the night before parked outside Lava cars and campers. We had some further issues to address with them too.  

Our walk around Reykjavik was, um, desultory, sort of. We just wandered. I promise to do better in November.

Of course the high point, so to speak, was the
Phallological Museum; we did not go in; maybe
next time



The flea market was relatively large, indoors, and afforded me the
opportunity to sample some Icelandic delicacies I had missed,
e,g,, fish jerky (ick), puffin (tastes like chicken), and assorted
licorices



































Iceland does not have an army, or a navy, or an air force, but it
does have a coast guard; this is perhaps the flagship?



















The national dish, so to speak, is the hot dog, and this is the place
to get it

A combination of beef, pork and lamb; the mustardy substance
is really a sort of remoulade; beneath are both raw and fried
onions; certainly satisfied my curiosity





































Hot dog stand serving apparatus
























We are at ground zero Reykjavik


















Reykjavik tweens


















Gotta get one of these


















Happy hour at the Hard Rock: I finally get to
sample the national liquor, Brennivin; sort of a
schnapps; I'll stick with the Islays


























Gudjon Samuelsson's Hallgrimkirkja, Lutheran
cathedral: very much Iceland's Gaudi; educated
in Denmark, but determined to have his style
speak Icelandic: basalt cliffs soaring to the heavens



















































The Leif Ericsson statue; a gift from the US
celebrating--not the "discovery" of America--
but rather the 1000th anniversary of the founding
of the Althing, the Icelandic parliament (occasionally
we do something right)




























A little color is good

Nearly art deco

Crenellated art deco

Definitely art deco, the national theatre, also designed by Sameulesson


Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Iceland, 10: Snaefellsnes

There was still a bit of wind the next morning, but we were determined to see as much of the Snaefellsnes as we could before returning to Reykjavik. We did, and got back to Reykjavik by late afternoon, in time for our pre-departure COVID tests, and then easily found the large municipal campground.

Next morning at the Grundarfjordur campground


A promising beginning

Just past Grundarfjordur, my re-creation of
Rickie Stevie's cover photo

Volcanic waste, bluebonnets, church, craters, glaciers, mountain
with the curl on top: Snaefellsjokull

Tallest man-made structure in Iceland

Entering the national park

More volcanic wasteland

Being quite poor at fishing, I did not try the stones


Wreckage still all around

On Black Sand Beach


Actually shiny black pebbles

Reminiscent of Dimmuborgir

Perhaps our last picnic table view

And Icelandic coastal scenes...


And waterfalls...

And horses...?


Iceland, 9: Snaefellsnes Storm

By this time, running out of time, we had elected not to do the appendage to Iceland known as the Westfiords. Instead we would do the Snaefellsnes (Sniffles) peninsula, which sounded more interesting, and which was more or less on the way back to Reykjavik. We got as far as Grundarfjordur before a really fierce storm, a Snifflestorm, rain and very high wind, forced us to hunker down. 

En route to the Snaefellsnes

The Gerouberg basalt cliffs; lots of basalt in Iceland, no bapepper,
however

Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk


Basalt picnic area (seriously)

Stykkisholmur harbor

Hungry ferry

Stykkisholmur church

Isles and skerries off the coast

I was bird watching when the big wind came up


We got this close to Kirkjufell before the storm got really bad





Driving in a light-weight van not a good idea in such wind

So we decided to wat it out, first in a resort parking lot

Then at the Grundarfjordur municipal campground




































































Eventually the rain abated, but the wind raged all night; at
least the green chicken curry was good