The day originally started at 12:47am. The hotel where we are staying, Hotel Geysir, does wake up calls if the northern lights are visible. The phone call to my room made me jump about a foot out of my bed, I think, but in the end it was worth it. I was dressed with multiple layers on and out the door at 12:54, tripod in hand!
When we got out there, the front desk staff told us that they were faint and only visible through your phone camera. This hotel is in a pretty remote area, so all we had to do was walk down the sidewalk/road a bit from the front door to be in more darkness. We were out there a while, hoping they would intensify, but they never got strong enough to see with the naked eye, at least not in color really. Definitely still got some nice photos.
Eventually Ken went back to bed. Pauline and I stayed out a bit longer and then went into the lobby to warm up. We went outside one more time for just a few minutes to be sure we weren’t missing more before deciding to go to bed again for the night. We were out there for about an hour, I think.
I asked the front desk guy how the whole system works. He said they have some sort of software that they check to see if the lights are visible within a 60km radius. If they are, the hotel staff goes outside to confirm they can be seen here. If so, they activate the wake up call system.
When I got back to my room, I was wired and didn’t fall asleep again until at least 3:00.
Then later this morning we met for our hotel breakfast, as usual. They have a giant breakfast buffet, but we didn’t eat as much today because we had an early lunch reservation. After breakfast we went back to our rooms for a bit and met in the lobby at 11:00 to head to lunch.
Lunch was at Friðheimar which is where they grow tomatoes year-round under artificial lighting in greenhouses. They send two tons of tomatoes to the market every day! It is a must-see/taste stop in all of the Iceland tourist info you’ll find. We had an 11:30 reservation, and we ate lunch in one of the greenhouses!
On the way in and out we saw some Icelandic horses. They also breed horses there.
I had tomato soup and bread (all you can eat), both of which are located at this self-serve station. You could cut your own basil to add to your meal…
I also had a veggie skewer.
Dessert options included tomato ice cream, cheesecake with tomato sauce, sorbet, tomato apple pie… We each got something different. I ordered the tomato apple pie.
After we finished eating, we walked around the greenhouse to take some pictures and check out the “Little Tomato Shop.” Pauline did some shopping.
Our server had also said that we may see bumblebees around but not to be nervous because they are working hard and “actually very friendly!”
Then we went to find the Brúarfoss Waterfall. It was on our list for yesterday, but we ran out of time or steam or both! It wasn’t far from the tomato farm. We turned off the main road onto a gravel road for about 3km. Eventually we got to a parking area, and the waterfall wasn’t far. This one is considered Iceland’s bluest waterfall!
Ken and Pauline were kind enough to wait while I hiked down the river to another smaller waterfall called Miðfoss. It was about a 12 minute walk, a gorgeous day (it’s the first day of summer here, and I was warm enough to take off my coat while hiking!), and not only was the waterfall beautiful, but there was a black sand beach down there as well as many beautiful views coming and going.
There were signs near the first waterfall about how this river is a dangerous one and has claimed lives, so there were warnings to be careful. Down closer to the second waterfall, the river actually diverged into two areas, one of which was very calm. Calm enough to stick my fingers in it and feel the very cold water! Refreshing!
Once I’d hiked back to Ken and Pauline (pretty steep uphill coming back!), we went to the car and returned to the hotel for a mid-afternoon nap.
After a low-key rest of the afternoon, we went to dinner at a place called Skjól. It’s connected with a campsite. We had seen it listed on Google the other night but wondered if a camping restaurant would be all that good. Turns out we were pleasantly surprised - it was very good! It was only about a five minute drive from the hotel, although Apple Maps had the address listed incorrectly, so when we first went to it, we were in the wrong place. Once we got to the right place, which we had actually just passed, we were all set. We all ordered burgers, and while we waited, we made a plan for tomorrow. This restaurant also has a “wool market” upstairs which is very cute!
When we got back to the hotel, the light was hitting the mountains across the street perfectly, and the Iceland flag was flying strong. Picturesque!
It was another banner day! Check out Ken’s blog for more insight on our day at worshamsgotoiceland.blogspot.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment