Following Vikings' footprints: Iceland - Aug. '15/Jan. '18

Iceland is surely one of the most authentically preserved of European countries. I had chance to discover it in summer 2015 and, recently, in its “winter edition” last January. The most complete trip of the two was the summer one: driving through the lunar central part of Iceland, we then followed the Ring Road from north to east and then to Reykjavik. Since nature has been kept wild and it is quite influencing everyday life, during my winter stay the activities which could be done were reduced drastically. Due to a wind storm in Reykjavik and its Northern region many excursions were cancelled – so I had chance to deepen my knowledge of Reykjavik itself and heading to the Southern coast during an one-day trip. One of the main aims of my winter trip was to see (again) the northern lights: I was quite lucky to see them last year, in Tromso (Norway) and faced again faith but without success L Anyway, here you can find a brief summary about all places visited in Iceland and the most curious experiences I lived there. Arriving by plane from continental Europe, the main thing that attracted my attention was the shape of the coast and the darkness of the sand and rocks which made it up. The ocean is dark as well, so you’ve the impression from the beginning that the one you’re approaching is a quite wild land. Keflavik airport is about a hour far from Reykjavik center and, since the trip was mainly focused on nature’s spots, we decided not to head to the city yet. After having rented the car and had a short sleep in a motel in front of Reykjavik, the morning after we found out the unearthly beauty of the Blue Lagoon. Even if it’s one of the most touristic places in the whole country, Blue Lagoon is surely fascinating and a relaxing oasis to begin/ end tour trip to Iceland. Entrance fee is quite expensive but, as we discovered while planning the trip and in the first hour in Iceland, everything here is not properly cheap. After a relaxing bath in the blue waters, we were ready to start the journey – direction Geysir. To get there, the road leads you to Thingvellir National Park where you can actually see the junction between European and North-American plaques. This place is of course worth a visit, since here vegetation is very wild and resembles the North American one. After a walk through the park, we finally arrived to Geysir. Every five minutes, geyser Strokkur gives its show to the people, waiting for his eruption in the nearby zone. Strokkur is an example of nature’s perfection, since it has been keeping on exploding every five minutes since the beginning. In 15 minutes walk from Geysir area, you can see one of the greatest waterfalls of Iceland: Gulfoss. After Niagara Falls, Gulfoss ones are the highest in Northern hemisphere. In Iceland , there are around 5000 waterfalls and Icelanders are very proud of them. In sign of respect, they have named all of them ! The second day in Iceland was the most adventurous one. We headed north with our SUV beating a dirt road resembling a lunar environment. During the 5 hours driving north, direction Akureyri, we were isolated from the “real “world and we were surrounded by high mountains, rivers to ford and black rocks and sand. Before arriving to Akureyri, we made an intermediate stop in Glaumbaer , where an example of the original turf houses can be visited. After a quick stop in Akureyri, another interesting and surreal spot was waiting for us: the Geothermal area of Hverir (called “The Hell”). Actually, the reason why this place is called hell it’s quite evident : red sand and hills, geysers and boiling water lakes, rock chimneys. On that day, it was pouring rain, so the atmosphere was creepy and unusual. Near Hverir, there’s also a volcanic lake named Krafla. Wind permitting, you can walk up the volcano and take beautiful pictures of the primordial surroundings. Leaving Hverir area, road gets us down to the south – east of Iceland. On the road, we mainly drove across green canyons and bridges – which connect the different regions and towns. In the south – east area, one of the most picturesque villages is surely Djupivogur – in the Austurland Peninsula. This small gem, is located between foggy mountains and the coast, jagged by three main fjords. Namely for its position, Austurland Peninsula has a huge variety of flora and fauna and, from the small port of Djupivogur, you can take boats to reach the nearby cliffs and watch the birds - especially the puffins , one of the national symbols. In the past, the port of Djupivogur was influent for the marine traffic – handled by German merchants, struggling against pirates from Algeria and Morocco. Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, next stop of our trip, was one of the most fascinating one for me. We attended a guided tour of the “crystal” lagoon with local guides by a dinghy and this experience was adventurous and unexpected! In the lagoon, we managed to watch several seals and (unfortunately) blocks of ice falling from the main glacier. This last event is not good, since it’s a symptom of the global heating – which affected this glacier, as other ones in the world, in a consistent way. For example, in 2015, the glacier retired for over 30 km than 1981. The next part of the trip is the most “filled” one, since many of the most known attractions are located in the Southern Coast. Departing from Kirkjubaejarklaustur, we visited on the same day the black beaches of Vik and Rejnesfjara and the waterfalls Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss . the last one is not so huge, but it’s my favorite one. The legend says that this is the only place in the world were women are allowed to propose to their boyfriends and, presumably and hopefully, they’re going to receive a “yes” as an answer. So, girls, go to Iceland if your next aim is to get married J Our last stop after the beauties of the South is Reykjavik. In 2015 trip, we did not visited the town so well to see all its attractions. I managed to better get in touch with Reykjavik during last trip in January when – due to bad weather conditions and alerts – we cannot attend all the day trips planned. Reykjavik is a town on the sea, with a characteristic old port and touristic spots. If you’re here, starting /ending your tour in Iceland or simply spending there a weekend, you cannot miss Hallgmiskirkja, upon a hill dominating the city, Laugavegur, the old port, the City Hall Place and Lake Tjornin, Harpa Concert Hall and Sun Voyager. Main hotels are located in the city center, along or just near Laugavegur, so strolling around would be simple. Walking down Laugavegur, you’ll see typical shops and restaurants (not so cheap, however!) and at the end of the road you can turn left to watch the suggestive Lake Tjornin, iced in winter and home to many birds. On the shores of the lake, you can see the buildings of the City Hall and several contemporary statues. I suggest to visit this place around midday, when the sun just rose and the light is pinky. A nice stop to have lunch break is the old port, where you can also have the tastiest hot dog of the world (as per President Clinton’s words!) at Baejarin’s Kiosk! After lunch, a walk on the sea promenade is surely worth the visit: along the way you can see the Harpa Concert Hall, which resembles an ice block, and the Sun Voyager – a reproduction in metal of a Viking vessel - celebrating the local history and ancestors. On the way back to the hotel, a visit to the Hallgrimskirkja would be great – to see an example of Expressionist modern art . The Cathedral was built in 1986 and resembles another natural element so important for Iceland –lava. In my opinion, the shape of this building is more similar to an organ pipe – of which a concrete and beautiful example you can see inside. The isle is completely white with arches, no religious figure appears neither in the isle, nor on the walls. The only representation of Jesus Christ is located near the entrance – even if this character looks more like a Viking and not properly like the religious character that we are used to see in our churches. It’s interesting to notice that, in respect of the great pagan and natural faith that Icelanders had and also have nowadays. During the nights, I would surely recommend one of the many tours organized “to hunt” the northern lights. Unfortunately, I was not lucky enough to see them in Iceland this year… but you never know!