Iceland Day 4, Part 1: Snæfellsness peninsula photo tour

A cliffside house on Snæfellsness peninsula

This morning it was John and Audrey's turn to rise early(ish) with us in preparation for our Iceland Aurora photo expedition to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. After seeing the great reviews, the prospect of gallivanting around Iceland in a superjeep and, moreover, honing our photography skills on a private tour seemed too good an adventure to pass up.

Iceland Day 3, Part 2: Phallological museum and hot dogs? Oh dear.

Iceland Phallological Museum

So, yes.  We went to the "dick" museum. 

It's about what you would expect.  For one thing, there were penises.  (Le gasp.)  They interchangeably jutted from the walls and floated gray, sad, and deformed in formaldehyde-filled jars. 

Iceland Day 3, Part 1: Icelandic horseback riding

Jason and I are up early and grab breakfast, groggy but giddy about the morning's activity: Icelandic horseback riding.

Riding through the Red Hills

We're picked up in the lobby by Sveinn, who helps run Islenski Hesturinn (The Icelandic Horse) with his wife, Begga.  Our hotel is the last stop for the small shuttle bus, already filled with a few others who were picked up elsewhere in Reykjavik.  We converse with an English couple sitting in front of us, sharing our travels and anticipation for the activity ahead.

Iceland Day 2, Part 2: Reykjavik exploration and dinner

We backtrack a ways and duck into the Kolaportið flea market.  Christmas lights dangle from the ceiling, and bright, feathered dreamcatchers sway in the breeze of passersby.  

Iceland Day 2, Part 1: Arrival at Keflavik airport, Rekyjavik exploration

6:45 am.  It’s pitch black outside as we touch down in Iceland.  The plane flight took us up and around in a northeasterly curve, flying first into deep twilight, and then full-on night.

Customs is a fast and groggy affair.  We fight our way outside, leaning against icy rain droplets and blistering wind to the bus pickup area.  It’s a 40 minute drive and still dark outside, so we close our eyes and rest.

Between a bus transfer point for other riders, and stops at different hotels, it’s almost 9 am by the time we’re at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica.  The sky has gradually grown lighter, giving way to spartan, businesslike buildings and a flat landscape.  The combination evokes thoughts of the American Midwest, were it to be combined with Scandinavian-inspired architecture and a generous helping of umlauts and other diacritics.

Iceland Day 1: Flight from Seattle

We just spent 5-or-so days in Iceland with our friends John and his wife Audrey.  It was quite the adventure and I wanted to share.  Enjoy!

Day 1

It’s departure day morning and we’re already exhausted.  Up until near-midnight packing, and still not done.  I’m frenziedly trying to neaten things up while simultaneously chucking the piles of clothes on the floor into gargantuan, XXL-size Ziploc bags, pausing here and there to kneel on them, bearing down until all the air is gone in a great whoosh, and carefully sealing the zipper.  Vacuum-packed clothes: the only way to travel.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming...

...to talk about Iceland.  

I know, you're probably here looking for stories about another country that starts with the letter "I" and ends with "-land", but, alas, we just got back from Iceland and I've been working frenziedly on a trip report before work eats me alive.

So!  I should probably change the title of the blog away from being just about Ireland, but I'm out of clever blog names for now.  Suggestions are welcomed, preferably from those more creative than I.

In the meantime, I hope you (what readers I do have.  You're out there, right?  It's okay if you're shy.) enjoy these posts.  I should have them coming out over the next few weeks.

Ireland posts will begin again after Iceland is out of my system.  (Pssh.  Like that'll ever happen.  Really, I don't know why we're still talking.  You should just go to Iceland right now.  Definitely.)