This Summer marks our 10-year wedding anniversary. We also run a business together from home, so this is a BIG DEAL. We are proud. We had been discussing a celebratory “Honeyversary” trip since – well, since our Honeymoon. We had seen an uptick in friends and clients visiting Iceland recently, so we decided to follow the crowd. And although we ELECTED to leave our lovely Spring for rainy, cold Iceland – we picked the right destination.
Iceland reminded me of California. Looking out the window on the highway, you could easily be on your way from L.A. to Mammoth mountain to go skiing. Flat, tree-less plains met by majestic snowy mountains. But Iceland is the opposite of the dry desert it looks like at first glance. Fields of lava rocks are perpetually wet, and covered by a thick squishy layer of moss. Waterfalls peek out of the steep cliffs every few miles, and the sun never truly goes to bed. It was a treat to witness this unique corner of Earth – one which will offer Fall travelers a totally different experience.
Sidenote: we take a lot of pictures. This is what we do. Part 1 is the more urban part of our Honeyversary. Please check back tomorrow for Iceland Part 2 when things get a lot icier!
Not the last hot dog that was consumed. Reykjavik is known for its brown mustard and remoulade-smoothered snappy dogs.Faxa Bay, between the peninsulas of Snæfellsnes and Reykjanes.There was a pleasing architectural color scheme dominated by blue and red. And green. And yellow.This guy was none too happy that the cat outside was getting attention. No shortage of seemingly-stray black cats in Reykjavik.Icelandic runners!Ladies who lunch. What could they be giggling about …Hallgrímskirkja is a Lutheran church in Reykjavík. It is the largest church in Iceland, and among the tallest structures in the country.Leif. The view from the rotating dining room of Út í bláinn inside Perlan. Best cod EVER.We ended almost everyday with Nutella and Skyr (Icelandic yogurt) for dessert.Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center.The Blue Lagoon! A not-often-seen perspective. The lagoon is man-made, fed by the water output of the geothermal power plant Svartsengi. Superheated water is vented from the ground near a lava flow and used to run turbines that generate electricity.Joe versus the volcano. Actually Joe versus the collapsed magma chamber. Kerid likely didn’t form from an explosion as most calderas do. It is thought to have formed when the magma in the center depleted itself, and the empty chamber beneath caved in.The town of Geysir, aptly named. 9 out of 10 houses in Iceland are heated with renewable geothermal energy.Oh good. We had started to miss the snow.The clouds finally pass at Gullfoss! Rain gear is a MUST.Sunset was around 10:30, but it never got much darker than this.This was super weird. Fridheimar grows 18 percent of Iceland’s tomatoes. These plants are about 5 months old, and will be replaced when they are 9 months. The onsite restaurant serves soup, tomato ice cream, tomato and apple pie and the Healthy Mary.The facility uses geothermal energy to heat the greenhouses, and a contained population of bees to pollenate.Stay tuned for Iceland: Part 2 coming tomorrow!!!
