We visited Iceland in February 2011, so there weren’t too
many things we “had” to do. That being said, Tuesday was an extremely lazy day.
We finally left our hotel room to walk a block or so away to get a late lunch
and then went back. We then left our hotel around 9:00pm or so and wandered
down the main street in the city center and grabbed some dinner. Excellent
dinner, mind you. We ended up going to the famous hot dog stand and they were
delicious. (We also went there on our previous trip.) It started to rain on the
way back to the hotel; September in Iceland is still really cold! It didn’t
feel too much different than when we were here on our last trip! We hurried
back to our room and went to bed. Great day!
There were a few things that we could not do or see on our
last trip because of the weather, so on Wednesday we set out to finish them. We
drove two hours to Seljalandsfoss; an impressive waterfall that you can walk
behind. Well, if it isn’t a frozen sheet of ice! The pathways were completely
frozen when we visited in 2011, so we went back to finish the excursion. It
rained quite a bit on the way there, but it cleared off and was sunny and nice.
We were able to walk back behind the waterfall, but with the breeze blowing the
mist back on us, it was cold! We were pretty damp and numb by the time we
walked back out to the front, but it was worth it! We took some more pictures,
climbed back in our car, and headed to the next destination: Geysir, the
original geyser that all other geysers are named after. Geysir itself is rarely
active, but there is another active main geyser, Strokkur, and many steam holes
similar to Yellowstone National Park.
Along the way to Geysir was Urriðafoss, another waterfall
that we visited in 2011. Parts of it were frozen then, so we decided to stop
off and see it now. The water was a very unique, opaque color that we assume
has to do with the still present ash in the area from the volcanic eruption a
few years back. We wandered around a while, taking pictures, and then continued
on our way.
When we visited Geysir in 2011, not only was it frigid cold
and raining, but the winds were howling. The wind was blowing so hard that when
the geyser went off, we couldn’t see anything because the wind blew the steam
and water straight sideways along the ground. It was beautiful and sunny this
time! On our previous trip there were two people at the park, this time it was
packed. Unlike Old Faithful, this geyser went off many times frequently. We
were there only a few moments when it went off, and then we stayed for another
fifteen to twenty minutes and saw it go off a few more times. Some better than
others, but they were all better than before! We then wandered into the food
court and gift shop, but then decided to wait to eat until back in Reykjavik.
It was an hour and a half drive back to Reykjavik and we
didn’t eat dinner, at TGI Fridays, until 6:00pm; the first meal of the day.
Needless to say we were both hungry! We then drove to Nauthólsvík, a geothermal
beach in Reykjavik. While there were many people in the pool, only a couple
ventured out into the man-made lagoon. It was high tide so there was much more
sea water than warm geothermal water making it quite chilly. After checking out
the beach for a short time, we then headed back to our hotel for the evening.
Only one more full day left of our adventure!
The last day of our
trip was another lazy day. At lunchtime we walked to the hot dog stand and ate
another great lunch. We then spent the next couple hours walking around the
city center wandering through shops and art galleries. We made our way back to
our room and relaxed some more. We then went back out for a quick dinner and then headed back to our hotel to watch a little TV and to pack our bags for the last time.
Our flight home is today at 5:00pm, so we had some time to
kill before we left. We slept in and didn’t check out of our hotel until close
to 11:00am, and then we slowly worked our
way toward Keflavik; about 45 minutes away. We drove out through the lava
fields and checked out the continental “bridge” that we visited back in 2011.
We then dropped off our car at the rental agency at 1:00pm and headed into the
airport. After checking our bags and getting through security, we had plenty of
time to eat at the café in the airport and wander through the shops. We are now
sitting around waiting for our flight home as I publish this last post. It has been
quite the ride!
Throughout our trip many people have asked what our favorite
parts were. That is a very hard question! It would be easier if someone asked about the
worse parts. That would be doing our laundry every other day or so in bathroom
sinks, and the showers in Europe. Not counting a couple places, Europeans do
not believe in having showers that keep the water inside. Some did not even
have doors that covered the shower opening, and the shower curtains in most other
showers did not really reach to seal off the doorways. Almost every bathroom
had tile floors that sloped toward the shower drain and the water just slopped
all over the bathroom. We flooded at least one bathroom and had to put up a
towel barricade just outside of the shower to stop the mess. Our bathroom in
Iceland even had a large squeegee to “wipe” the water back toward the drain when we were done!
Craziness! Okay, enough of that, now back to the “favorites.” Each place we
visited had its own “greatness.” The people and places of Norway were fantastic.
The sights and history in Ireland were great. As far as sightseeing and history
though, nothing can compare to Rome. The time we spent with Melissa in Germany
was beyond compare. We did so much during this trip that it is hard to remember
all that we did. When we were in Rome it felt like months or years since we had
been in Inderøy, and it was only a couple weeks before! All of this being said,
here are a few highlights:
Norway: Nothing can be said for how great it was to meet so
many relatives. Not only were they kind and accommodating, they treated us like
family. Of course for me, a family history buff, it was beyond words to be able
to see the places of my ancestors. The natural beauty of Norway is incredible
and seeing so much of the coastline was amazing. Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)
wins the best hike and scenery award hands down!
Ireland: Although this was a “side trip,” it was great to
see the famous Dublin. Our time in Belfast was very short, and it is definitely
a place I want to go back to.
Rome: Without a doubt this was the best part of our trip
when it comes to world history. Nothing can compare to seeing all of the ruins
and other historical buildings of the Roman Empire. Touring the Vatican was an
added bonus.
Germany: Having Melissa let us “hang out” with her was a
highlight of the trip. She showed us some touristy places, but being able to go
out with her and her friends to trivia night, hashing, and festivals was great.
Of course, topping it all off with the Minstrel Festival in Ribeauvillé was an
incredible finale. Plus, just being able to spend time with a cousin that you
do not get to see very often is awesome all of itself!
Countries surround Germany: Although our side trips to the
surrounding countries were a bit of a whirlwind, there were some great places
that we were able to spend a little time in. Going to Dachau was an incredible
experience. It was a bit sobering, but great nonetheless. Seeing the Neuschwanstein
Castle was also another great sight to see. All throughout these countries
there were many castles and old churches that are always impressive. The war
memorials in Luxembourg and Belgium were very nice and something I would
recommend other travelers to visit.
This adventure had so many different facets to it that I
could never pinpoint a favorite. It has been a trip of a lifetime and one that,
although it will take awhile to process all that we did, I will remember for
the rest of my life.
I have definitely learned that traveling can be exhausting,
especially for two months. It is much different than vacationing. Moving to a
different city/town every few days, washing clothes in sinks every couple days
or so, trying to figure out different languages, learning different customs,
guessing on street signs, learning public transportation systems, meeting new
people; although exhilarating, it is also exhausting. I think that after this
trip, I need a vacation! :)
I know I chronicled our journey for my own diary, but I hope
that the few of you that read it enjoyed it and didn’t mind my
longwinded dialogue. I am sending this last blog post from the airport in
Keflavik while we wait for our flight, so as long as our plane makes it home,
hopefully I will see you soon and be able to share our experiences in person. See
you on the other side of the pond, and thanks for taking the journey with us!
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