Hello, one last time.
Iceland. The land of Fire and Ice. Or so they say. What "they" don't tell you, is that this country is more, much more. We have never in our lives seen such landscape, such natural wonder and phenomenon. From enormous glaciers, to marshy fields. Natural hot springs and volcanoes. Horse and sheep filled pastures. One season you have the northern lights, the next, the midnight sun. Amazing.
While in Ireland, we made the decision to rent a car for our ten days in Iceland. Best. Decision. Ever. That blue 1995 Toyota Corolla was our home...literally. With the back seats down, it was a perfect bed for two. I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to sleep as well as I did.
With our little home on wheels, we took 5 days to drive from the airport in Keflavik, to a small town called Höfn (pronounced like "hup"), stopping at hot springs, lagoons, glaciers, National Parks. Pretty much whatever caught our attention.
We started the trip out right with a visit to the Blue Lagoon. Set amongst fields of black lava rock, and fed by water from a slightly eerie and futuristic looking geothermal plant, this is a place for utter relaxation. Add conditioning and exfoliating mineral salts, algae, and silica mud to the perfect 38 degree water, and we have ourselves a party. Not to be missed by anyone planning a trip to Iceland. If only it was free.
After a good soak, we continued on to find a place to park our car and sleep for the night. The scenery was incredibly strange. Volcanic rock covered in grey moss, everywhere. No trees, no grass. It felt more like Mars then Earth.
Forty minutes later we'd found a nice little hideout for the eve. We hung some towels and scarves up on the windows to block the light, and settled in for our first nights stay. Oh, didn't I mention? It doesn't get dark in Iceland during the summer. Strange as it is, we have not seen darkness for ten days now. I've always loved the sun, but at 1:00am it isn't as nice anymore. Be careful what you wish for, right?
The next morning, we were up and heading east towards a town called Selfoss, in search of breakfast and an ATM (still hadn't figured out the conversion from Dollars to Króna at that point...it ends up being about $1 to ikr126). We ventured in to Selfoss, found ourselves a bakery, grocery store, and bank machine and continued on. In about twenty minutes, the scenery went from rock and moss, to marshy, shrub-filled fields.
We made a stop at Pingvellir National park, where we hiked in and around the huge fissures and sat by the falls. Later, we stopped at Geysir. We stood by as the hot, bubbling pools of water slowly gained momentum before bursting up from deep within the ground, like an upside-down waterfall. Counting down the minutes in between each eruption was maddening. Such anticipation. I've never tried so hard to get a picture!
Next stop, Gulfoss, a magnificent waterfall with a double cascade thundering down into a narrow ravine. Major tourist spot, but it was beautiful to see.
We made it to a town called Hella by about 5:30pm, where we stopped for a cup of tea and some wifi access. Later, we had a picnic dinner on the riverside.
Again, we found a good spot to camp out, hung our "curtains" and called 'er a night. We were exhausted!
We woke up and drove to Bakki, where we jumped on a ferry to spend the day on Heimaey Island, the only inhabitable island of Vestmannaeyjar (Westmann Islands). Vestmannaeyjar is made up of 15 looming islands, all but one formed by submarine volcanoes around 11,000 years ago. The one exception rose from the waves in 1963.
Heimaey is spectacular. Puffin-filled cliffs on one side of the busy harbor, and two volcanoes on the other. We spent the day hiking around the top of Herjólfsdalur and I watched as Andrew army-crawled through puffin poop to take some pictures of those brilliant-looking, but not so bright birds. I quite enjoyed it really. Iceland actually has the largest population of Puffins in the world.
We had lunch, and then went to explore the Pompei of the North. In 1973, one of the volcanoes on Heimaey erupted, burying 400 houses underneath it's lava. Thankfully, the town had evacuated before the volcano erupted. It was strange to walk though the flowers and shrubs growing up through the rocks, knowing that someone's beloved home lies beneath.
After catching a ferry back to mainland, we took a drive in search of a hot spring to relax in before bed. We found Seljavallalaug nestled into the hillside. Hidden from sight if your on the highway, this concrete pool is in the middle of freaking no-where. Its filled by a natural hot spring, and it and the spectacular view is completely free. We soaked there for a while, before setting up our car for bedtime.
In the morning, we continued driving east towards Vik. We stopped along the way to take a walk around Myrdalsjökull, a dirt and volcanic sand-covered glacier.
Once in Vik, we found a cafe, ordered a latte, and sat in the beautiful sun. Yes, SUN! Not just bright grey clouds, but real, hot, sun. We tool advantage of the weather and stayed in Vik for the entire day. We hiked up Reynisfjall, where Andy did some Puffin chasing, and I caught up on some reading. The sun stuck around for us, and we basked in the 23 degree weather (that's HOT for Iceland).
Skaftafell National Park was our next stop. We spent the night there, and in the morning set off on a 6 hour hike through the plateaus, mountains, and glaciers of Skaftafell. Unreal scenery. Ive never seen anything as beautiful and peculiar as an enormous glacier wedged in between two mountains. And the colors; you have black dirt and rock, green grass and shrubs, and in between is the blue-white ice.
We camped out at the Jökulsárlón lagoon that evening. Sitting along the shore and watching the icebergs float and bob through the ripping current was really amazing. Seals popped their shiny black heads in and out of the water, oblivious to us humans watching intently. Andy set up a little trap for his beer to cool in the glacial water, and we watched the midnight sun slowly graze the horizon, before peeking back up again.
Höfn was our next stop, where we spent the day soaking in the outdoor pool and hot pots (hot tubs). We decided to make our way back west towards Reykjavik.
We spent four nights in Reykjavik, and what a city! You'll find everything from quiet book-cafes, to rowdy night clubs. Graffiti-splattered walls to immense concrete churches. The best part was waking up in the morning, finding a new cafe, and then walking the streets of Reykjavik. You won't run out of people-watching or photo opportunities here. The city screams creativity. Local designers set up shops selling clothes, jewelry, photography, and EVERYTHING on between. The food is unreal(although expensive), the people icy, but still friendly, and the music a little bit quirk, a little bit funky, and constantly changing and evolving. The talent is endless. All in all, Reykjavik was a cultural experience we weren't expecting! We spent a coupled evening laying in a park called Heart Square, where different DJ's played on a graffiti-filled stage. Tons of locals hung around there, beer in hand, listening and bobbing their heads to the beat. Ah, it was so great.
Now, here I am nestled in to seat 8D on our flight from Reykjavik to Halifax. You would think the reality of HOME would have set in by now, but it still feels as if we are just flying to yet another unknown country. Another adventure.
With that said, I suppose going home is an adventure. Unknown? No. But are we excited, anxious, and ready? Absolutely.
We're coming home.
A&C
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Saturday, July 07, 2012
Ireland: It's a Pub Life
Hey all, what's the story?!
Upon arrival into the gloriously green country of Ireland, our expectation of the country and the people in it was met instantly. An oddly-light misty rain greeted us, and the reply we got when asking a stranger about the bus whereabouts was "I haven't a clue!" accompanied by a huge, friendly grin. Minutes later we located said bus. After a brief discussion about the weather and where we needed to go with the driver, we were comfortably in our seats.
Ahh, the ease of an English-speaking country.
Our first stop was Dublin, with it's colorfully jam-packed streets and big-city feel. After settling in to our hostel, we threw ourselves into the mass of locals and tourists alike to explore. We hadn't even walked for ten minutes before hearing the various street performers playing and singing their hearts out to some traditional Irish tunes. We even passed by a little man dressed as a leprechaun...yep, that happened.
After getting some food and a coffee at a cute cafe, we spent a bit more time roaming the streets before heading back to our hostel. We had a small rest before deciding it was Guinness time. It's not hard to find a pub in Ireland, so we learnt to choose by music. We'd also heard lots about a big pub called Temple Bar, so we walked there to check it out. The pub itself was pretty cool, amd even though it's huge it was packed with people. The live band was unreal. Two guys absolutely-I'm going to be extremely Canadian here-GIVIN' ER on a banjo and guitar. Everyone was clapping and singing along. We were happily drinking our Guinness and relishing in the rowdier side of Pub Life in Ireland.
After our short stop in Dublin, we made our way south to Galway. A smaller city set on the coast, Galway was amazing for it's food and drink choices. One favorite of mine was Cupan Tae. A small and intimate traditional tea house with a simple, but delicious food menu. The tea choices were no bore, let me tell you! We could have sat for days trying to decide. Once you do finally make your choice, you are served your tea in the cutest teapot imaginable. Add some homemade goodies on top of that...heaven. Another great food stop was McDonaghs, where we tried the famous fish and chips. Mmm, perfect for a night of beer drinking. Speaking of drinking, the night scene was very alive! Girls in sky-high heels and wedges and guys in their track pants rule the streets. Shouting, dancing, and drinking their way from pub to pub. If watching that isn't entertaining enough you have a wide array of live-music to choose from. From the streets to the pubs, men and women play everything from Sum 41 hits to Galway Girl (Ps I Love You, anyone?). It makes for a great night out.
We spent a day on a tour of Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. Weather was extremely good to us, with the sun out and the sky clear. 650 ft high, 8 km long, the cliffs are quite spectacular. My camera was busy ;)
We met one old man we'll never forget...Andrew and I were walking along the ocean, and on our way back into town there was a 5 foot-nothin' man clad in wool and thick black-rimmed glasses, sitting on a bench not far from us. He struck up a conversation, and after about 20 minutes of chatting, we had barely understood a word! Andrew got the bits about salmon coming into the harbor, and how they are building a temporary bridge for the summer festivals(I'm pretty sure he called it "craziness"). At one point I brought up how great the history throughout Europe is, his reply? "Aggh, yeeah, the stone age and all that craic". Hilarious. His lack of teeth and strong accent made for an interesting chat. Never-the-less, his friendly manner made our day, "Ahh, I'm sure I'll be seein' yees again".
On a rainy day, I convinced Andrew to come to Bikram Yoga with me. An hour and a half of yoga in the hot room was enough to almost kill us! The good thing is, as we were readying our umbrellas to walk home in the rain, a guy from the class offered us a ride. We happily accepted, and after chatting during the drive we decided to meet for a drink later. After a much-needed shower we met up with Brian (a local from Galway) and his girlfriend Amy (from Wisconsin) in a quirky family-owned pub full, from floor to roof, with artifacts the family has been collecting since the 1800's. We spent the evening pub-hopping and chatting away. At the end of the night Brian and Amy invited us to stay with them. Their house is just outside of Galway, over-looking an old castle and farmers fields. We had such a good time staying with these two. They cooked great meals, Brian sang and played guitar for us, and we all snuggled in by the fire in the evening. It was so homey and comfortable. I cant tell you how nice it was to wake up to tea and crepes in the morning! Amy, you are a gem. They showed us around Galway some more (Brian is actually the one who introduced us to Cupan Tae, McDonaghs, and more great restaurants), from the busy streets, to the harbor.
Our last morning Amy cooked us a traditional Irish breakfast, complete with Black Pudding. They call it the Farmers breakfast. The array of meats and sausages will keep you full until supper! Andrew loved it all, especially the lemon-tasting sausages. Mentally, I, being Miss Picky, didn't enjoy the Black Pudding. As far as taste goes, it was quite salty, but I couldn't help thinking that I was eating dried blood... The rest was great though. And I am happy I tried the infamous Irish Black Pudding.
After four days in Galway, we decided to bus it down to Dingle, an even smaller town set on the coast with a beautiful back-drop of grassy hills. We spent two nights in a cozy bed and breakfast, and two nights in a hostel, 15 minutes walk from town. We delved further into the traditional Irish music by night, and walked, hiked, and biked our way through Dingle and the Peninsula by day. It was the perfect place to relax and enjoy the quieter side of Ireland. Our 40km bike ride around the Dingle Peninsula was a major highlight. The day started out cloudy, but slowly the sun peeked out and decided to stay. We took our time biking along, stopping at some of the cute cafes, pottery shops, and amazing viewpoints along the way. It didn't start raining until we were ten minutes from Dingle. We made it to a pub just in time.
We left Ireland extremely pleased with our experiences. The food, the pubs, the locals. It was a comfortable and relaxing country to travel. The vibrant green, sheep-filled pastures will always be picture-perfect in our minds. Ahh and the sun we got...we were kissing Mother Nature right on the lips for the weather she gave us. Luck of the Irish??
Now, I'm sitting in Allora. This old lady has been our home for the past 5 nights in Iceland. She's a dark blue, 1995 Toyota Corolla. With the back seats folded, front seats pushed up, we've created a perfect home in the back.
A&C's adventure is coming to a close, and our emotions are running high. Our excitement to see everyone is building, but there is a form of anxiety that comes with. What will it be like to settle back into life in GP? Our mixed emotions have really got us reminiscing about these last 6 months around the world. The people we have met, the crazy and adventurous things we have seen and done, the lessons we have learned, and the outlook on life we have both created along the way.
It's been a wild ride. Four more days to go.
With love,
A&C
Upon arrival into the gloriously green country of Ireland, our expectation of the country and the people in it was met instantly. An oddly-light misty rain greeted us, and the reply we got when asking a stranger about the bus whereabouts was "I haven't a clue!" accompanied by a huge, friendly grin. Minutes later we located said bus. After a brief discussion about the weather and where we needed to go with the driver, we were comfortably in our seats.
Ahh, the ease of an English-speaking country.
Our first stop was Dublin, with it's colorfully jam-packed streets and big-city feel. After settling in to our hostel, we threw ourselves into the mass of locals and tourists alike to explore. We hadn't even walked for ten minutes before hearing the various street performers playing and singing their hearts out to some traditional Irish tunes. We even passed by a little man dressed as a leprechaun...yep, that happened.
After getting some food and a coffee at a cute cafe, we spent a bit more time roaming the streets before heading back to our hostel. We had a small rest before deciding it was Guinness time. It's not hard to find a pub in Ireland, so we learnt to choose by music. We'd also heard lots about a big pub called Temple Bar, so we walked there to check it out. The pub itself was pretty cool, amd even though it's huge it was packed with people. The live band was unreal. Two guys absolutely-I'm going to be extremely Canadian here-GIVIN' ER on a banjo and guitar. Everyone was clapping and singing along. We were happily drinking our Guinness and relishing in the rowdier side of Pub Life in Ireland.
After our short stop in Dublin, we made our way south to Galway. A smaller city set on the coast, Galway was amazing for it's food and drink choices. One favorite of mine was Cupan Tae. A small and intimate traditional tea house with a simple, but delicious food menu. The tea choices were no bore, let me tell you! We could have sat for days trying to decide. Once you do finally make your choice, you are served your tea in the cutest teapot imaginable. Add some homemade goodies on top of that...heaven. Another great food stop was McDonaghs, where we tried the famous fish and chips. Mmm, perfect for a night of beer drinking. Speaking of drinking, the night scene was very alive! Girls in sky-high heels and wedges and guys in their track pants rule the streets. Shouting, dancing, and drinking their way from pub to pub. If watching that isn't entertaining enough you have a wide array of live-music to choose from. From the streets to the pubs, men and women play everything from Sum 41 hits to Galway Girl (Ps I Love You, anyone?). It makes for a great night out.
We spent a day on a tour of Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. Weather was extremely good to us, with the sun out and the sky clear. 650 ft high, 8 km long, the cliffs are quite spectacular. My camera was busy ;)
We met one old man we'll never forget...Andrew and I were walking along the ocean, and on our way back into town there was a 5 foot-nothin' man clad in wool and thick black-rimmed glasses, sitting on a bench not far from us. He struck up a conversation, and after about 20 minutes of chatting, we had barely understood a word! Andrew got the bits about salmon coming into the harbor, and how they are building a temporary bridge for the summer festivals(I'm pretty sure he called it "craziness"). At one point I brought up how great the history throughout Europe is, his reply? "Aggh, yeeah, the stone age and all that craic". Hilarious. His lack of teeth and strong accent made for an interesting chat. Never-the-less, his friendly manner made our day, "Ahh, I'm sure I'll be seein' yees again".
On a rainy day, I convinced Andrew to come to Bikram Yoga with me. An hour and a half of yoga in the hot room was enough to almost kill us! The good thing is, as we were readying our umbrellas to walk home in the rain, a guy from the class offered us a ride. We happily accepted, and after chatting during the drive we decided to meet for a drink later. After a much-needed shower we met up with Brian (a local from Galway) and his girlfriend Amy (from Wisconsin) in a quirky family-owned pub full, from floor to roof, with artifacts the family has been collecting since the 1800's. We spent the evening pub-hopping and chatting away. At the end of the night Brian and Amy invited us to stay with them. Their house is just outside of Galway, over-looking an old castle and farmers fields. We had such a good time staying with these two. They cooked great meals, Brian sang and played guitar for us, and we all snuggled in by the fire in the evening. It was so homey and comfortable. I cant tell you how nice it was to wake up to tea and crepes in the morning! Amy, you are a gem. They showed us around Galway some more (Brian is actually the one who introduced us to Cupan Tae, McDonaghs, and more great restaurants), from the busy streets, to the harbor.
Our last morning Amy cooked us a traditional Irish breakfast, complete with Black Pudding. They call it the Farmers breakfast. The array of meats and sausages will keep you full until supper! Andrew loved it all, especially the lemon-tasting sausages. Mentally, I, being Miss Picky, didn't enjoy the Black Pudding. As far as taste goes, it was quite salty, but I couldn't help thinking that I was eating dried blood... The rest was great though. And I am happy I tried the infamous Irish Black Pudding.
After four days in Galway, we decided to bus it down to Dingle, an even smaller town set on the coast with a beautiful back-drop of grassy hills. We spent two nights in a cozy bed and breakfast, and two nights in a hostel, 15 minutes walk from town. We delved further into the traditional Irish music by night, and walked, hiked, and biked our way through Dingle and the Peninsula by day. It was the perfect place to relax and enjoy the quieter side of Ireland. Our 40km bike ride around the Dingle Peninsula was a major highlight. The day started out cloudy, but slowly the sun peeked out and decided to stay. We took our time biking along, stopping at some of the cute cafes, pottery shops, and amazing viewpoints along the way. It didn't start raining until we were ten minutes from Dingle. We made it to a pub just in time.
We left Ireland extremely pleased with our experiences. The food, the pubs, the locals. It was a comfortable and relaxing country to travel. The vibrant green, sheep-filled pastures will always be picture-perfect in our minds. Ahh and the sun we got...we were kissing Mother Nature right on the lips for the weather she gave us. Luck of the Irish??
Now, I'm sitting in Allora. This old lady has been our home for the past 5 nights in Iceland. She's a dark blue, 1995 Toyota Corolla. With the back seats folded, front seats pushed up, we've created a perfect home in the back.
A&C's adventure is coming to a close, and our emotions are running high. Our excitement to see everyone is building, but there is a form of anxiety that comes with. What will it be like to settle back into life in GP? Our mixed emotions have really got us reminiscing about these last 6 months around the world. The people we have met, the crazy and adventurous things we have seen and done, the lessons we have learned, and the outlook on life we have both created along the way.
It's been a wild ride. Four more days to go.
With love,
A&C
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)