Tag Archives: Stykkisholmur

ICELAND #6:  SCENIC SNAEFELLSNES PENINSULA (PART 2)

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After having four days of sunny and warm (for Iceland) weather, our luck ran out.  We knew it would.  It had to!  We had fabulous weather during our Canadian Rockies trip last summer as well as in Italy this past April.  The same good weather continued during our Utah National Parks trip in May.  For this trip to Iceland and Scotland, we knew it would be expecting way too much for more of the same, so we were prepared.

Although we haven’t checked in luggage since prior to the Canadian Rockies trip (carry-on backpacks and roll-a-boards have become our standard travel choice), we were still able to travel with warm and waterproof gear with room to spare (for chocolate!).  That gear came in handy on this cold, gloomy morning on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.

We visited the entry point to Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, a 1959 science-fiction movie I never saw.  A glacier-peaked volcano, volcanic rock formations, and black-sand beaches are features of this area, and there is also a beautiful brown-sand beach that we visited.

Along the way, we stopped at what was supposed to be a panoramic viewpoint; however, the clouds and smoke from the erupting volcano obscured the view.  I opted to make a beeline to the cute sheep grazing near the road.

(For all pictures, click on the image to see full screen view.)

To get to Budir Beach, we walked past a lovely little church and through the Budahraun lava field.  Off in the distance, we could see the glacier and a handful of waterfalls pouring down the volcanic mountain.  It was so quiet and peaceful; nature at its best!

My favorite part of the day was the four-mile coastal walk we did to see the bird cliffs full of nesting birds, lava fields, and black sand beaches.  I felt like I was walking through a National Geographic documentary!  It was so amazing to see so many birds perched in the crevices of huge volcanic rock formations and to hear their chirping and squawking. 

The walking trail started at this little harbor.

It wasn’t until we arrived at a viewpoint at the top of the cliffs that I realized I had left my spare camera battery in my backpack on the bus, and my battery was about to die.  This is the only shot I was able to take of this cute mom and baby, which turned out a bit out of focus:

Fresh battery in camera, we stopped at the park’s visitor center and were greeted by this little guy acting like he owned the place!  He (she?) flew in one day, and has been visiting on a daily basis ever since.  As soon as they open the front door, he swoops in and takes over the reception counter.  The staff members think he may be somebody’s pet that got away, because he is so tame and will eat out of your hand.  They are hoping to find the owner soon, but if they can’t, he sure seems to be happy in his new home!

Our final stop was to hike up to Saxholl Crater via the Saxholl Stairway.  The top of the crater is 130 feet high, and the award-winning metal stairway was built to prevent further erosion of the crater from hikers.  The 525-foot stairway of 384 steps wraps around the side of the crater and was constructed in modules in such a away that it can be removed without leaving permanent traces.  The hike up was invigorating, and had it been a clear day, the view down into the valley from the top would have been spectacular!  The erupting volcano had caused the sky to fill with smoke, however, so the conditions weren’t best for photography.  Still, I can’t complain; at least it wasn’t raining!

Back in Stykkisholmur, the afternoon was free, so I took advantage of the pool, which I could see from our hotel room window, just across the small park.  Swim caps in hand to give away to the locals, I was off!  Check out the water slide in the link above.  It was beckoning me after my swim workout, and I hadn’t ridden on one since visiting a water park as a kid.  I gave it a try, and it was terrifying and fun at the same time!  It’s not the best thing to do repeatedly when you have Meniere’s, but I couldn’t resist taking a second ride.  After that, I was definitely DONE.

Dinner was on our own, so Bruce and I walked over to the hot dog stand after my swim.  As a pescatarian (for the most part), I eat meat and poultry as little as possible; however, I had to give this Icelandic thing a try.  Yes, Icelandic hot dogs, called pylsa or pulsa in Iceland,have reached cult status. 

This is what makes these dogs different:  First, the main ingredients are a combination of (mostly) locally-sourced lamb, beef, and pork spiced with a unique blend of spices.  Icelanders like to tout their lamb as being the best (just like the Kiwis do in New Zealand).  They graze freely on lush, open farmland; and, the meat is organic and high quality.

The key to properly cooking these dogs is in the timing, so they are firm to the touch and snap when biting into them.. 

As for the toppings, well, they are interesting!  Although hot dog stands offer all sorts of different topping combinations, the iconic Icelandic dog must be ordered with “everything” on it, at least the first time you try one.  This includes fresh and fried onions, ketchup (made with apples and tomatoes for a sweet and tangy flavor), Icelandic sweet brown mustard (“pylsusinnep”), and remoulade sauce.  All of this is loaded into a warm, fluffy steamed bun.

Sound gross?  I thought so.  Was it good?  Yes!  Meistarinn’s dog was so good that we went right back to the window to order another round.  (As a side note, we can’t say the same Baejarins Beztu Pylsur in Reykjavik. They may have been the first hot dog stand in Iceland, and President Bill Clinton helped make it famous by eating there, but they aren’t the best in our book.  The dogs we were served were luke warm, and the toppings were not as flavorful.  We passed on ordering seconds).

Given the high cost of eating out in Iceland, the 2720 ISK ($20) we spent on four hot dogs for the two of us was a bargain.  Besides, it was fun, and a very Icelandic thing to do!

Coming up next: A Day in the Life of an Icelandic Horse Farm

Note: If small group travel is of interest to you, I highly recommend Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). Although Bruce and I travel together, they do not charge a single supplement for those who travel on their own. Singles also get their own room at hotels. If you book, you can get $100 off your trip by providing my name and customer number (Elaine Krugman, #3018126) as the person who referred you. I will also get $100 off future travel– a w

ICELAND #1: SWIMMING IN ICELAND’S COMMUNITY POOLS

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During the last half of July, Bruce and I traveled to Iceland on a small group tour with Overseas Adventure Travel. To begin my blog series on this wonderful country, I am copying in an article I wrote for the upcoming Georgia Masters Swimming Newsletter, as part of my “Elaine’s Tip of the Month” series:

ELAINE’S TIP OF THE MONTH: SWIMMING IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

Is foreign travel in your plans? If so, don’t forget to pack your swim gear and caps! “Caps?” you ask? Wouldn’t I only need to bring one? Well, yes, but I’m not referring to the cap you will be wearing. I’m talking about all those swim caps you have accumulated from swim meets, fitness events, and charity swims. How many of those caps will you actually use?

I had tried to give mine away to coaches to give their age group swimmers, but nobody wanted them. They had plenty of their own to give away. Pleas on the USMS Community (Discussion Forums) and on the Georgia Masters Facebook page were dead-ends. This time, I had 21caps, so I took them with me to Iceland.

Iceland? There are public swimming pools in Iceland? Yes! There are 121(!) public swimming pools in a country roughly the size of Kentucky with less than 10% of Kentucky’s population. Even the smallest towns have a public pool with spas, which serves as the daily meeting place for the community—especially in the geothermal-heated spas where spirited conversations take place. Pools are a vital part of the typical Icelandic small-town community, and children are required to learn how to swim in early childhood.

That brings me to my first tip about swimming in foreign countries. (We’ll get back to those caps later.) First, check out http://swimmersguide.com to locate pools anywhere in the world.

Next (and this is an important one), research the swimming culture in your designated country, so as not to offend the locals.  In Iceland, shoes are not permitted to be worn in the locker rooms for sanitary reasons. There are shoe racks located in the lobby outside of the locker rooms where you leave your shoes before entering. (Two of the pools I swam at had shoe trays, so you could place your shoes in your locker.) Secure lockers were also provided for free, so there was no need to bring a lock with me.

The shoe rack at the pool in Selfoss, Iceland.
They even supplied long shoe horns (on the chain) to make putting your shoes back on a little easier!
The children’s pool and spas had water temperatures posted.  The pool in Selfoss had several spas, each kept at a different temperature.  They even had a cold-water dunk tank.  I passed on that one!  After taking this photo, I learned that cameras and cell phones are strictly prohibited in the locker rooms and pool area.

Most importantly, it is required to shower WITHOUT your suit before you swim in Iceland, and the showers are not private. Naked women and children showered in the shower room without a care, donned their suits, and off they went, leaving their towels behind in the designated towel cubes rather than taking them out to the pool.

I was able to get in four late-afternoon swim workouts in three Icelandic towns during our two-week small group tour, in July.  Although I left my towel in the locker room each time, I did bring my caps out with me to give away.  It was a great conversation starter and a fun way to meet the locals—one of the most enjoyable aspects of international travel for me.  I approached every swimmer I saw wearing a cap and asked if they would like to have a free cap from the U.S.A.  A few were skeptical, but once they understood there wasn’t a catch, they were excited. Many of the swimmers took their own caps off and put on their new one. 

As it turned out, one of the swimmers I met in Akureyri, Gudrun, was elected to the board of the Icelandic Swimming Association—the very organization I contacted about Masters Swimming in Iceland! We exchanged e-mails and are keeping in touch. (By the way, they are looking for coaches, so if you would like to coach in Iceland, let me know!)

Since cameras and cell phones are prohibited inside the pool area, I shot this photo in Akureyri from behind the glass at the street. And, yes, I tried out both water slides. Terrifying!
The pool in Stykkisholmur, photographed from outside the fence after the pool had closed.  This slide wasn’t quite as terrifying.

Swimming in Iceland—and giving away my 21 caps—made my trip to Iceland so much more enjoyable than if I had left my swim gear at home. Give it a try next time you travel internationally and create some memories of your own!

Next up: I finally made it to Iceland!

Note: If small group travel is of interest to you, I highly recommend Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). Although Bruce and I travel together, they do not charge a single supplement for those who travel on their own. Singles also get their own room at hotels. If you book, you can get $100 off your trip by providing my name and customer number (Elaine Krugman, #3018126) as the person who referred you. I will also get $100 off future travel– a win-win!