Whale Watching near Reykjavik
Finally, my first real posting about my trip to Iceland, last year! First I’m going to give you a little overview about the country, as well as some practical travelling tips, and I’m going to tell you a bit about the things that make this country so special (to me). I really have to say that I fell in love with it in a way I don’t often do. If you’ve already followed my Paris postings and now read this you will think that I was a super emotional drama girl, who “totally loves” and gets excited for anything. Actually I think I’m rather a shy and reserved person, I really don’t show emotions all the time. But I have to tell you that I got just SO excited at the plane already and later when driving from the airport to Reykjavik, totally “feeling” the place and how special and exciting it was, and remained like this all the time there. Like in my Paris tips posting I need to tell you that this here is just based on what I know. Of course I checked my information online, but better make sure if it’s still valid, when you need it. And again, please let me know if something of what I wrote is outdated or simply wrong. Thanks a lot!
I’ll better split this here, it became a lot longer than planned….
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Travel - Route:
24.10.2010 Munich International Airport –> London Gatwick –> London Heathrow –> Keflavik International Airport –> Reykjavik –> 26.10. Golden Circle –> 27.10. South Coast Trip to Jökulsarlon –> 28.10. back to Reykjavik –> 01.11 Keflavik International Airport –> London Heathrow –> London Stansted –> Munich
Basic Overview
Iceland is located far up in the Northern Atlantic Ocean, in the North of continental Europe. The polar circle runs just slightly north of the Icelandic mainland and crosses the little island of Grimsey. In the country there is the only place above sea level, where you can see the continental plats of Europe and America drifting away from each other. This causes a high Volcanic activity in the area, which comes with quite some natural phenomena like geysers, lots of sulphur, black lava beaches, hot spots (hot water), earthquakes, and the volcano eruptions themselves, of course. And even apart from that the nature is simply breathtaking. You have the rough Atlantic sea, many impressive and huge waterfalls, Europe’s biggest glacier Vatnajökull, fjords, astonishing rock formation, mountains and the rough, deserted highlands.
The South of the country is dominated by the volcanoes, and there are also the Westman Islands which are totally worth a visit. The East coast bears an impressive fjord scenery and the breathtaking Jökulsarlon glacier lagoon. In the North there isn’t only the closeness to the polar circle, the centre of Blue Whales – watching, but also the second biggest town and cultural centre of Akyrerei, and the beautiful landscape of Myvatn. The Eastern coast is jagged by fjords, again, and bears the capital area of Reykjavik. One peninsula in the East seems mentionable even in this very short overview – the Snæfellsnes. It’s an important place for spiritualists who attribute the area a very strong power, two of those lines of force apparently meet here. And Jules Vernes chose the Snæfellsjökull volcano for the start of his Journey to the Middle of the Earth.
Iceland was discovered and settled during the 9th century AD by Vikings from Norway. Later in history the country became part of Denmark, to which still a strong relationship exists and it became finally a sovereign state in 1918. Currently there are approximately 320 000 people living in the country, about 2/3 of them in capital area, the rest lives around the coast line. The rough Highlands are uninhabitated.
In 2008/2009 the country was severely affected by the Economic Crisis but has pretty much recovered since then.
The vegetation is as you’d find it far up in the North or on high mountains, but yes, there are trees. Why am I mentioning this: Right upon our arrival when we took the bus from the airport to Reyjkavik in the late evening, lights in the bus dimmed, all quiet, Icelandic travellers resting, tourists like us trying to perceive as much as possible of what passed by outside the windows, in anticipation of what the upcoming days will bring, we had that young, English couple sitting right behind us. The girl kept complaining, what a stupid country this would have to be, since there were no trees…………
There weren’t that many bigger wild animals before the country was settled, only polar foxes and occasionally a polar bear which came across the ice from Greenland. Men brought sheep and horses to the island, which live almost wildly nowadays, at least during summer. The Icelandic Horse became known for its „Tölt“ walk. At lot of effort is made to keep the race clean, therefore Icelandic horses may never come back, once they left the country. Around the islands there live many sorts of whales, so Whale Watching became a popular tourist attraction. More controversial: Whale hunting… And there are also loads of birds, mentionable: Iceland’s national animal the puffin.
Another very impressive phenomenon is the Aurora Borealis. The highest possibility to see them is in late fall, so we were luckily successful, what a moment! Over Iceland the Aurora is usually green and its frequency and intensity doesn’t only change with the seasons of the year, but also in accordance with a cycle of some years. Currently it’s relatively strong.
There’s a very vivid culture scene. I’ve been told that Iceland had the highest rate of moviemakers in relation to its inhabitants, and I can only guess that the same thing is true about other cultural areas, especially design. I’m going to tell you a bit about designers and shopping in Iceland, in my next posting, but already have to admit that I actually don’t know THAT much about young designers…. There’s also a lot of band music from Iceland that is very popular at relevant festivals in Europe. Two names I knew before visiting the country were Emiliana Torrini and Björk, of course. Here I can only recommend going with Icelandair, because they offer so much Icelandic music for entertainment on the plane. Once a year there’s the Iceland Airwaves festival near Reykjavik. When searching for something on Google today I found this (German) interview with an Icelandic director, btw.
Finally I shall not forget to mention the world of Sagas. Lots of Icelandic are said to more or less believe in those old stories, and the existence of trolls and so on. I have to say that I totally understand this, considering how strongly nature shows its powers in that country. My friends also told me that sometimes at construction works, machines would suddenly stop working, after a rock was moved which shouldn’t have been moved….. And lately I’ve seen a woman in Iceland documentaries twice, who is said to be able to communicate with those creatures. She seems to be very popular in the country.
at Skaftafell National Park
Glacier lagoon Jökulsarlon
Practical Stuff
Trip organisation
There are many options for trips to Iceland. I spent a little more than one week there, mostly in Reyjkavik, but travelled a little in the South of the country, too. I think spending just a few days in Reykjavik and the nature nearby makes perfectly sense, but if possible I’d recommend (and want to do!) a trip around the whole island. From what I’ve read you need at the very least two weeks for doing so, four weeks preferably…. You can also focus on outdoor sports or hiking, the country offers a lot in this field.
Another very popular option is travelling to the USA via Reykjavik, and spending a few hours up to days there.
Season
Hmm, this depends on how important light and weather is for you. You can never rely on really warm weather, though it can (!) get 20 – 25 + degrees in summer. During summer you’ll also experience the very, very long daylight. On the other hand in winter it doesn’t get as cold as one might guess, considering the location that far up north, thanks to the gulf stream. Temperatures far below zero degrees are an exception, I think. But keep in mind that it will be dark most of the time in December and January. So check sun raise-set diagrams and decide for yourself! I went in late October and still found the conditions very ok, though you could notice even during this one week how fast the darkness became longer and started earlier.
Also keep in mind that a lot of things you might want to use as a tourist are only on service during summer, or also spring/fall. Our last October week was the last week of Whale Watching, I read that some of the horse riding farms closed down in November; and most important, also public transport, bus lines had closed down in September already. Sightseeing tour agencies don’t offer their full programme all year. But with Iceland’s increasing popularity it’s quite likely that this is going to change within a short time.
How to get there
The easiest way to travel to Iceland is by plane, of course. More and more airlines seem to discover the country as a destination, so my informations might already not be valid anymore. When I went there last year, only Icelandair, Iceland Express and SAS were operating Iceland all year. During summer it’s is also a destination of Lufthansa, Germanwings, Air Berlin and many others. Most connections probably go from and to London. Though you have the cheap airlines during summer, Icelandair offers are worth taking a look at, too. I read only very recently that Easyjet has apparently added Iceland to its destinations. Flights from London from thirty something pounds one way! :) When taking the plane one arrives at Keflavik International Airport, approximately a 45 min drive from Reykjavik. From there you take the Flybus which leaves frequently and in accordance to the flight schedules and it stops at Reykjavik bus station and some big hotels.
Another transport option is taking a ferry; one line for example leaves from Northern Denmark via the Faeroer Islands. Very tempting IMO, but for travelling Scandinavia first, then taking the ferry, and then doing an extensive Iceland trip one needs a lot of time and money.
Means of transport
The easiest way to travel the country is by car. There are loads of car rentals and even my friend and I managed to get one, though we didn’t fulfil some of the criteria, which car rentals usually demand. It wasn’t too expensive, either, unfortunately I don’t remember the name AT ALL (it was located at the bus station). For going around the main street a small car will do, but if you’re going to drive away from the coast into the highlands or if you’re travelling during winter, you’d better get a jeep. (and some people even bring their own car from home and take the ferry).
There are also bus lines which go around the country, but since they don’t operate all year, we couldn’t use them, see above. Another option are national flights all around the country, to the Westman Islands, and also to Greenland. And last but not least: ferries which go to islands close to the main one, like to Grimsey at the polar circle and the Westmans. Till summer 2010 getting to the Westman Islands took about three hours of a pretty rough sea journey. Now there’s a new harbour closer to the islands, and it became only a 30 min ride. But the harbour’s location right in the volcano area isn’t a very good one, it often gets blocked by sand which the rivers bring from the mountains.
What to pack
This depends – of course – on what kind of trip you’re planning on doing. But if you’re going to spend at least some time in the countryside (which I suppose everyone’s going to do), you should pack hiking boots, rain clothes and warm clothes for layering at any season. For hitting Reykjavik’s famous nightlife, one ought to move away from the outdoor look. You will probably get away with it at many places, since lots of tourists do so, but it’s not very highly appreciated by the stylish Icelandic nightlife crowd.
More practical info:
Time: Iceland doesn’t change between summer and winter time. During summer it’s GMT -1 (=one hour behind London), during winter there’s the same time in London and Iceland.
Currency: The currency is the Icelandic krona. Find the exchange rates here.
Entry Requirements: Iceland is not part of the EU, but part of the Schengen zone and the EFTA. For details on importing goods, please check relevant websites, but when travelling to Iceland from a Schengen country like Germany you don’t need to show your passport to enter as a Schengen citizen (from the UK you do!).
VAT/tax refound: Most shops in Iceland offer duty free shopping. You need to ask for the necessary documents in the store, and then when leaving the country you’ll get the tax (Mehrwertsteuer) back, at the airport.
Alcohol: The sale of alcohol is strictly regulated. Apart from bars you only get stronger drinks at special stores and it’s very expensive. Buying alcohol duty-free at the airport might be an idea….
at Geysir area
South shore not far from Eyjavjallajökull
Curiosities and random
- Icelandic people don’t have surnames like we (I suppose most of my readers) do. In Iceland you’ve got at least one first name and then a second name which relates to your father’s first name. For example, if my dad’s name was Eric (it’s close ;) ), I’d be “Cato” Ericsdottir = Eric’s daughter. Ericson for boys. This doesn’t change when one’s getting married. That’s probably the origin of all those Scandinavian –son and –sen surnames, don’t you think? In the telephone book people are listed by their first names, and I think they merely use the first name when addressing or referring to other people – no “Mr. Whosoeversson”, only the first name. I don’t really know how it is seen when a child’s second name relates to its mother, instead of father, for whatever reason. Seems to be quite a stigma, doesn’t it?
- Iceland is very protective when it comes to its language. It’s a very old language, probably very close to what the Vikings spoke and (according to my friends) not understandable for other Scandinavians. But since the population is so small, there’s a constant fear of being overran.To prevent this, they’ve established a public authority which creates Icelandic words for anything which other nations would take over from English. Writing this in English seems not to make much sense, but in German and many other languages you’d call a computer “computer” and a CD-player “CD player”. In Iceland they’d create a new word for it.
- One more in terms of language: The Icelandic alphabet also has some more letters than the Latin one: Æ / æ (pronounced like “I” in English, “ei” in German), Ö / ö like the German “ö” (no English equivalent- French “e” without accent in “ce”), and Ð / ð, Þ / þ, which are pronounced like a soft and a hard English “th” – pretty difficult for me to make a difference in-between on purpose (and not naturally when using English words). The last one stems back from old runes. Since I copy-pasted the letters from wiki, here are links for those who are interested in languages: German and English wiki
- Close to Reykjavik there’s the location of a private American institute, which collects the genetic data of every Icelandic person. They do so for scientific purpose. One hopes that gene issues like congenital diseases could be easier explored like this, since the Icelandic population is so small and moreover was nearly erased From time to time over the centuries due to natural catastrophes, so that every Icelandic stems back from very few individuals. For this reason scientists assume that the gene pool in Iceland was much more homogenous than elsewhere and therefore easier to explore. The whole thing is very controversial in Iceland, and I’m glad that it wouldn’t be legal under German and European law. Maybe you know the Icelandic writer Arnaldur Indridason, who’s currently very popular in Germany. The gene data institute plays a major role in his thriller Jar City (Nordermoor).
- Reykjavik’s mayor is a comedian. His party took part in the elections to make fun of the “real” politicians, at first. In the end they won the elections and he seems to be doing a pretty good job.
- a more profound curiosity: In Iceland you don’t have to pay for water, because there’s simply so much of it. Warm water from the tab (and in the shower) smells of sulphur. Something I had to get used to at first.
- Very unusual for me: You’ll find the President and Prime Minister in the telephone book. Ahh, and Iceland had the first elected female head of state worldwide.
- and again Female Equality: Iceland was found the no. 1 world wide in terms of gender equality this year. (only found last years source). During my week there, there was a day when women stopped working earlier, gathered in the streets and demonstrated against the still existing gap between men’s and womens’ wages. The time they stopped working relates to the difference between the wages. So every year they drop work a little later.
- another thing I don’t really know how to call, but it was so obvious how people were constantly running into someone they knew. Of course this happens all the time in a tiny country like this, but still it’s something I’m just not used to. It already started on the plane. My friend and I were watching how constantly people who just entered the plane met someone by chance! I’ve never ever happened to see a familiar face in an airplane starting from or to my hometown…. Same when we were in town with our Icelandic friends and finally my friend and I made similar experiences. We met people we had seen at a hotel in the South-West later when eating out in Reykjavik, and at the very end of the trip I even managed to run into an acquaintance in London near Liverpool Station! How unlikely is that??!!!
- Icelandic people really do wear those Icelandic jumpers in everyday life! Loved it!
Websites:
Iceland Travel Blog - I wouldn’t call it “blog”, lots of relevant information!
German Iceland website: very useful, too!
Blogs:
Iceland Eyes – beautiful photography!
Snaefell – in German, I’m sorry. He gives a lot of information on what’s currently going on in Iceland, maybe less interesting for people who don’t have a contection to the country, yet.
Island Blog – in German again, diary of German exchange students
Webcams:
Imagine Peace Tower, Reykjavik
Just google, there’s a lot more on the internet.
Store backyard in Reykjavik
Somewhere in the South-West near Jökulsarlon
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