My crazy spring of travel finally ended a little over a week ago. Husband J and I headed to Iceland for a long weekend.
Now before you think I've gone a little crazy, let me tell you that Iceland isn't as far away as you think, especially for those of you living in the Northeast United States and Europe. A little over 5 hours going west from New York City, and you're in Los Angeles or San Francisco. You go 5 hours in the opposite direction, and you're in Reykjavik, Iceland. :) This was Husband J's idea and not mine. When HE says, "Hey, let's go somewhere!", what am I supposed to say? No? BWWAHAHAHA. Not happening.
I know he really enjoyed our trip there, and I think a little peek at Iceland made me realize that I miss traveling in Europe. HOWEVER, it also made me realize that I don't miss the EXPENSE of traveling in Europe. Since it's a far from tropical island nation of about 320,000 people, Iceland imports many goods, and food prices are not cheap.
That being said, I will say that Iceland is a beautiful place and a really pleasant travel destination. Its great roads, natural beauty, art scene (which I didn't really take advantage of), geothermal spas, nightlife (we old folks missed that, too), and wonderful food offerings really make for a cool place for a quick visit. Plus, with a language that I was going to butcher anyway (and most times didn't even both to try to pronounce), many, many people I came into contact with spoke accent-less English. I found out most kids there learn four languages simultaneously.
You could easily spend over a week making a circle around the country (the interior is pretty desolate), but even 4 days will give you a nice introduction to it. Here's a little of our experience in Reykjavik and the parts of the countryside close by that we visited. No Bjork sightings though (Actually she lives a few minutes away from us in Brooklyn).
Now before you think I've gone a little crazy, let me tell you that Iceland isn't as far away as you think, especially for those of you living in the Northeast United States and Europe. A little over 5 hours going west from New York City, and you're in Los Angeles or San Francisco. You go 5 hours in the opposite direction, and you're in Reykjavik, Iceland. :) This was Husband J's idea and not mine. When HE says, "Hey, let's go somewhere!", what am I supposed to say? No? BWWAHAHAHA. Not happening.
I know he really enjoyed our trip there, and I think a little peek at Iceland made me realize that I miss traveling in Europe. HOWEVER, it also made me realize that I don't miss the EXPENSE of traveling in Europe. Since it's a far from tropical island nation of about 320,000 people, Iceland imports many goods, and food prices are not cheap.
That being said, I will say that Iceland is a beautiful place and a really pleasant travel destination. Its great roads, natural beauty, art scene (which I didn't really take advantage of), geothermal spas, nightlife (we old folks missed that, too), and wonderful food offerings really make for a cool place for a quick visit. Plus, with a language that I was going to butcher anyway (and most times didn't even both to try to pronounce), many, many people I came into contact with spoke accent-less English. I found out most kids there learn four languages simultaneously.
You could easily spend over a week making a circle around the country (the interior is pretty desolate), but even 4 days will give you a nice introduction to it. Here's a little of our experience in Reykjavik and the parts of the countryside close by that we visited. No Bjork sightings though (Actually she lives a few minutes away from us in Brooklyn).
The interior of Hallgrimskirkja Church in downtown Reykjavik. The exterior is even cooler.
A Baejarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog. One of the most famous restaurants in Iceland is a hot dog stand. I'm not even kidding.
Iceland is literally a hotbed of geothermal energy (no pun intended). One of the hot springs at Geysir
Hiking Esja, 15 minutes from downtown Reykjavik. It's a long way up, but the views are worth it.
A statue of Ingolfur Arnarson, Iceland's first resident, in downtown Reykjavik
Icelandic food is about fresh seafood (and lamb). Cod and grilled lobster from Sjavargrillid (Seafood Grill)
Husband J says to me last night, "No more trips for awhile, right?" I'll have to think about it, dear. :) Just kidding...well, not really.
Any Iceland lovers out there? If you were to go to Iceland, what would you want to see or do? Glaciers, wildlife, shopping, going out 'til dawn.....?
