2017 in Iceland

December 26, 2017 : took an overnight flight from Toronto (YYZ) to Keflavik Airport (near Reykjavik, Iceland)

"background"

• wanted to go to Iceland for the longest time
• saw Sigur Rós do their rock show in their own homeland
• ring in a new year (2018) five hours early

"the trip"

2017-12-26

• flight from Toronto (YYZ) to Keflavik (KEF)

2017-12-27

• shuttle and self-led walking in Reykjavik
  • hot brew at Te og Kaffi
  • Hallgrimskirkja : big church
  • Harpa : Sigur Rós concert

2017-12-28

• South Coast ride
  • Skogafoss : waterfall
  • Reynisfjara : black sand beach
  • Solheimajökull : ice flow hike
• Northern lights evening ride
  • did not see northern lights :(

2017-12-29

• Golden Circle tour postponed to 12-31 due to misunderstanding
• Shopping and dining in Reykjavik
  • Lucky Records
  • Hereford Steikhús
    • Dinner including puffin and whale steak
• Aurora borealis chasing (did not see northern lights again)

2017-12-30

• Cafe Loki
  • fermented shark tasting
• Norður og Niður ("north and down")
  • indoor music festival

2017-12-31

• Golden Circle tour (originally scheduled for 12-29)
  • Thingvellir : earthly stone walls
    • Icelanders in earlier years would come here once a year to talk about the laws of their island
  • Gullfoss : waterfall
    • the rush of water and the cold was rather thrilling and chilling!
  • Geysir : water spout
    • it spits out a shaft of water about once an hour
• New Year's Eve!
  • Flugbjörgunarsveitin
    • buying fireworks at the "search and rescue centre"

2018-01-01

• Blue Lagoon : earth-heated outdoor swimming pool
  • swimming outdoors on new year's day in the far north!
• chilling around and resting

2018-01-02

• Last look at Reykjavik
  • Alþingi : the "seat thing" of Iceland
• Flight home

"the do-over"

I would have followed this timeline:

• Reykjavik tour (to get in the swing of things)
• Golden Circle (a first sight of Iceland's wilderness)
• South Coast (a higher look at the wilder lands)
• Northern lights chasing (in the winter)
• Go to Harpa
• see more of hinterland Iceland