a travel log : Iceland : post 3/5

This post covers: West Fjords, Dynjandi Falls, Isafjordur, Heydular, Reykjanes, Holmavik, Blonduos, Varmahlid

This week I'll be writing all about our latest Icelandic adventure.  Enjoy!

 

 

As we entered into the West Fjords of Iceland, we were constantly in awe.  You could see so clearly the route the old glaciers must have taken in melting.  The were vast and so beautiful.  (They were a different sort of beauty compared to say, the Swiss Alps, for example, but in their completely different way, still breathtaking!)  It was amazing how in every little cluster of farms there was a church and at least one big public playground and of course a geothermal swimming pool.  The Icelanders found ways to see color around, too.   The roads were mostly gravel which tells you that they are not very busy.  The roads of the West Fjords are not a typical tourist route but they should be!  We LOVED this part of the trip.

 

The West Fjords in Iceland were absolutely amazing!  They were so beautiful and huge.  We actually drove around most of them which took awhile especially considering the gravel roads but it was really nice.  It was so quiet and it actually felt like we went back in time a couple hundred years.  If you like scenery and space and quiet and don't mind there not  being much else, the West Fjords are the place for you.  It was pure untouched beauty!  

We were really surprised to see how much snow there was.  We drove the longer way which took us on top of a Fjord rather than skipping it all together.  It felt like the North Pole and was sort of lonely there.  We didn't see one car the whole 4 hours or so we drove the high rode.  We saw an arctic fox just strolling around and we thought that was pretty cool.  We finally reached the end of the high road and as we came out of it, we saw some pretty fantastic waterfalls.  I'll tell you, there are hundreds of waterfalls big and small through out the West Fjords.  

 

 We came to the mouth of the mountains and there was this pretty killer waterfall.  Zack had been saying the whole time how cool it would be to sleep next to one of the many waterfalls we saw.  I wasn't too excited though, when he decided on Dynjandi Falls.  It was beautiful but the area was just so desolate.  It felt like it was an old burial ground, that's how eary and quiet it was except it was still so beautiful.  It took a lot but he talked me into setting up our tent at the foot of the mountain where the falls flowed too.  There we slept even though I was terrified.  In the morning it was actually something from my dreams.  The place and scenario were just beautiful and so peaceful.  

 

We were happy to see some small towns but we rarely saw anyone driving or walking around.  The whole time I couldn't help but imagine what life would have been like back in the old days where clothes, transportation and industry were vastly different.

 

Soon we came to Isafjordur.  You can actually fly there instead of taking the 6 hour drive (the short way) from Reykjavik.  We'll totally fly there next time we go, not that the drive wasn't worth it, its just faster and easier and we don't want to be in Iceland and not go to Isafjordur.  Its a pretty little city with a lot of people compared to any other town in the West Fjords.  There were people out walking their baby carriages, rollerblading, biking, walking and jogging.  There is even skiing in Isafjordur.  I was trying to think of what to compare it to but I just don't think anything compares to this or any place in Iceland.  Iceland is just so unique, you really have to just see it to understand and appreciate it! 

 

I've mentioned on the blog before about the restaurant we ate at in Isafjordur called Tjöruhúsið.   It was THE BEST RESTAURANT IN ICELAND.  We absolutely loved the simple place and the rustic vibe.  You pick the type of fish (I think they only serve fish) from a big poster on the wall.  Pretty simple, eh?  I love simple.  Then 15 mins later we had beauty to eat.  It was so tasty and awesome.  If you go to Isafjordur, eat at Tjöruhúsið! 

 

 

The best tea I've ever had, made of local herbs and flowers.  Also, an Icelandic favorite, Skyr + granola.

After the warmth of the water in Heydular, we were determined to hit up some more geothermal outdoor pools.  So, to Hotel Reykjanes outdoor pool we went.  This pool did not disappoint.  It was hot and steaming!  THERE ARE RULES ABOUT GOING INTO THE NATURAL POOLS AROUND ICELAND and we didn't realize it.  They soon let us know that you must shower and wash your self very well because people's bacteria screws up the natural bacteria in the water, makes it hard to clean.  It was so awesome!  You have to go to this pool.

We continued on to get to where we were sleeping that night.  We stopped in Holmavik, known for its origins in witchcraft.  The witchcraft museum was pretty cool.  But we kept it brief and continued on the beautiful drive.  I was always in charge of lunch on the road.  It was quite a feet as I was always the most hungry but, before I ate, I had to feed the baby tiny bites then prep Zack's food as he was driving and then I got to eat.  Above is the spread at lunchtime every day.  It brings back good memories. 

 

We soon joined the ring road and were on our way to Blonduos.  We had a nice dinner at  Hotel Blonduos and the owner was really cool.  He made the baby some Skyr with vanilla sugar (I need to get some of that stuff, so yummy!).  They had the coolest high chairs in Iceland and this one at Hotel Blonduos was super cool.  You put it down and its a car!  After dinner we drove through a really thick fog storm and then found a nice campsite.  Ah, another day down and we still had so many more...  

*  If you have questions or would like suggestions for planning your trip to Iceland, I'd be happy to share what I know.  Also, if you have something to share about traveling in Iceland, please share it in the comments or email me.  I'd love to hear.  You will find more posts about Iceland HERE.  Thanks for reading!