Three Days in Iceland
We had an opportunity to add a stop in Iceland on our way to Paris. Travel tip: If you book on Iceland Air, you can make a stop in Iceland at no additional charge. Iceland can be both wildly expensive or strangely inexpensive depending on how you travel. Almost all of the amazing geological sites are free. Because the country is an island, most of the consumer goods are imports, so if you stay away from shopping you can avoid high costs.
Driving Map of Iceland
(c)MD Rutherford, 2013
Renting a car was interesting given that much of the country is impassable in a passenger car. We kept worrying that we were going to drive into a forbidden area but it never happened. We did see some giant SUVs that take people into the interior of the island. Next time, I want to go in there!
We found an amazing Bed and Breakfast called Minna-Mosfell. They are near the Golden Circle and about 45 minutes from Kevflavik airport. The hosts Gudrun and Valur are warm and inviting. Their reviews on Trip Advisor are the best I have ever seen. They have a place with 3 rooms with a shared bath. Their set up is a lovely shared space with a sitting area and a table as
Fresh baked Icelandic bread
(c)Melanie Parish, 2013
well as a small self-catering kitchen. They have fresh home-made bread each morning as well as homegrown eggs, cheese, and tasty treats. We were able to make some sandwiches to take out on our day-trips which made our visit in Iceland so amazingly kid friendly. They provided a picnic backpack and a thermos for each room. This allowed for considerable savings and we ended up eating out for one simple meal each day. Their hospitality was unbelievable.
The landscape in Iceland is fantastic. It looks like a moonscape when you fly into to town with all the lava. There are very few trees and when we were there in the summer, it was green everywhere with purple Lupines blooming all over the place. Driving around Iceland was so interesting. Our kids had some jet lag so they slept in the car and since the sun never goes down, we didn’t have to get up early, we just got up later and stayed out later each day. I loved the flow of our days in Iceland.
Day 1–
We packed our picnic and coffee and went out, driving the Golden Circle. We saw the place where the American and the European Teutonic Plates meet in Þingvellir (that letter at the beginning is pronounced like a soft “th”), a National Park. Next we went to see Geysir, my first Geyser. In the area where the geyser is, the ground bubbled and boiled. It was stunning. Of our whole 38 day trip, I would say this was the most beautiful day in terms of scenery. Even though it was raining, seeing the terrain in Iceland was spectacular.
Iceland Lupine
(c)Melanie Parish, 2013
Day 2–
In the morning, the kids rode 2 Icelandic Horses at our Bed and Breakfast. Our host Valur was kind enough to bring them up to the house for the boys to ride. We learned that Icelandic Horses always keep one foot on the ground when they run which leads to a very smooth ride. They say you can drink a cup of tea while riding an Icelandic Horse.
After the horseback riding, we packed our picnic again and headed off to the Blue Lagoon. Whenever we talked with anyone about Iceland, they said we had to go to the Blue Lagoon. We ended up lost in Reykjavik at Revkiansesviti, Iceland’s oldest lighthouse. We got out to take pictures and the boys enjoyed playing on the rocks. We finally found the Blue Lagoon and spent the afternoon there. We were there for 4 or 5 hours. It was fantastic. It is a hot spring with beautiful blue water. The boys found French-speaking kids from Switzerland and spent the day playing, delighted to speak French with their new friends. We lounged, rubbed white mud on our faces to make a mud masque, and drank $12 beers in the hot spring. They have a wrist band you can swipe to buy things with which you pay for on the way out which is very convenient. It was an expensive day but we felt like we got our money’s worth. It was an amazing experience. I would highly recommend it.
Blue Lagoon, Bláa_Lónið
From Wikipedia
with permission
Day 3–
The boys rode horses again–Emerson was hooked! After breakfast we headed out to the local public swimming pool. It was a heated outdoor pool. Because of all the geothermal activity and hot springs, heat is very inexpensive in Iceland. This public swimming pool had 3 small round soaking pools heated to different temperatures–hot to very hot. There was a water slide for the kids and an indoor playground. The kids were in heaven and so were we. We spent a couple of hours soaking and the kids blew off some steam. For about $10, this was fantastic entertainment. We had a hot dog for lunch–a popular favorite in Iceland. Mel has a friend in Iceland who invited us to dinner. It was great to have dinner in an Icelandic home and I enjoyed meeting Mel’s friend.
I left Iceland wanting more. I absolutely loved it and would love to take another vacation there with the boys in the future. It is a country made for boys. With the hot springs and the geysers, they were hooked. I think a 2 week vacation around the island would be spectacular. I can’t imagine going anytime except summer, but I would love to go again in a couple of years.
