Iceland Part III: The Myvatn area: Dettifoss Waterfall, Viti Crater, Namafjall Geothermal Area, Myvatn Hot Baths, Grjotagja Cave, & Godafoss

After leaving Seyðisfjörður and stopping in Egilsstaðir for some quick breakfast, we drove towards Myvatn. Myvatn has a completely different landscape than the East Fjords, or anywhere else in Iceland for that matter. The area is filled with volcanic craters, mudpots, lava formations, and geothermal zones all set around a large lake. It was amazing to see the difference in just a couple hours drive.

A lookout point on the way 

We first stopped at Dettifoss waterfall. This waterfall is HUGE and is said to be the most powerful in all of Europe! It was quite impressive and in my opinion it was one of the most majestic sights I've seen.

There are apparently two different roads to get to the waterfall, one on each side of the river, depending on which direction you come from. We took the long and unpaved path since we were coming from the east, which is only a couple of kilometers long, but took about 30 minutes. Driving up the other side would have been easier, but we really enjoyed the views from the side we came in on and were able to get a full view of the waterfall.

After getting up close with Dettifoss, we followed a 1km path up the ridge to look more closely into the gorge. There are no guardrails so it was up to our discretion to get as close as we wanted. I definitely made Jon back up a few times while he was taking pictures! Further up along the path, which was easy to lose given the terrain (though you really just have to follow the river back), another waterfall Selfoss, can be seen.

We walked back and then up back up to the car park. From Dettifoss we then drove to Viti Crater. We climbed the short, but steep walk to the top of the crater and were rewarded with a bright green/blue pool of water at the bottom!

It was windy and COLD!

A five minutes drive to us to nearby Namafjall Geothermal Area also known as Hverir. This area was very reminiscent of the geysir geothermal area we saw last year. The area has numerous natural steam vents, boiling mud, hot springs, and solfataras. The weather changed pretty suddenly in the five minutes from Viti Crater and we found ourselves in some steady cold rain. We walked around for a little bit, but didn't stay too long because we were getting soaked. We were eager to go to the Myvatn Nature Baths just down the road and warm up!

The Myvatn Nature Baths are known as the Blue Lagoon of the north. It's not as touristy, not as flashy, and not as crowded. Though the baths aren't as "pretty" as the Blue Lagoon, it was definitely a less chaotic process getting into the locker rooms, showering, and entering the baths. It was still crowded and there seemed to be a ton of Americans and Brits around, but we made ourselves comfortable in our own little area. Unfortunately our camera with the waterproof case ran out of batteries as soon as we got into the baths so we have no pictures of our own.

There was still so much to see in the Myvatn area and we tried to hit a few things on the way out. We stopped at Grjotagja Cave, which is a small lava cave with a natural thermal spring inside. The temperature of the spring is around 109 degrees so some people do get in, but most find that it is too hot to sit comfortably. Jon went in to take some pictures of the blue water, while I stayed back. The rocks were wet going down, there was a family of ten pouring in behind us, and being 18 weeks pregnant I just didn't want to take the chance of slipping or losing my balance. I'll post more of the pictures from the inside when I get to Jon's camera.

We drove around the beautiful lake and started to head towards Akureyri, Iceland's second largest city (17,000 people) behind Reykjavik, and our home for the night. On the way we stopped at Goðafoss waterfall, which is a large horseshoe shaped waterfall. It was a pretty impressive sight! And since we arrived there around 7:30 at night there weren't many people around at all and we were able to enjoy the crushing sound of the falls.

Akureyri was about an hour away and we were getting hungry for some dinner. Akureyri is known for its nightlife, cool cafes, hip restaurants, and chic art galleries. We wish we could have stayed here more than one night, especially since our accommodations were the most comfortable of the whole trip! We had a delicious dinner in the center of town and stopped for some Icelandic ice cream on a walk.

View from our room, just outside of Akureyri

Today was such a long and busy day, but we had such a good time in the Myvatn area. Next up a beautiful drive in the far north, the fishing town of Siglufjordur, and Hvitserkur (aka Dinosaur Rock).

 

Iceland Part IV: The Golden Circle, and some great stops along the way!

We woke up to a very windy and rainy morning. Vik is the rainiest place in all of Iceland and we were pretty fortunate to have sunny skies here the past two days... and that we were leaving that morning!

We were about two minutes into our rainy drive back towards the west when we saw a woman on the side of the road with a huge backpack and a sign that said, "Reykjavik". Now before anybody says anything like "I hope they didn't pick her up", Iceland is hugely known for it's hitchhiking tourists and it's actually encouraged! All along Ring Road you will see men and women with signs asking for rides to various places. There are no crimes associated with this and people from all over the country help each other out, though Americans usually don't since it's illegal here and we have some crazies in our country that makes us jaded. Given the bad weather and excitement we had that we could do something that is pretty normal in Iceland, we asked her where she needed to go. She needed to get to Keflavik airport, but since we weren't going all the way there we told her we'd drop her off in Sulfoss, which got her pretty close and was about 1.5 hours away from Vik. She was so grateful to get out of the cold and we felt pretty good about ourselves helping out a fellow tourist. She was from Estonia and left her daughter and husband to travel around Iceland for a week (solely on the use of hitchhiking!) She actually had been to the base in Naples, Italy and in Hawaii since she her best friend is married to a guy in the Navy- what a small world!

We stopped for a nice picture

Well, sorry to disturb you! 

After we dropped off our hitchhiker we started our drive on the Golden Circle. The Golden Circle is a really popular tourist route in Iceland and can be done in a day trip. There are three main sights that people see: Gulfoss Waterfall, Geysir Hot Springs, and Thingvellir National Park. We knew this day was going to be our "crowded" day with hundreds of people in tour buses flooding the sights, and while we were looking forward to seeing some cool stuff, we were not looking forward to the hoards of people. The good thing was that we were going around the Circle in the opposite direction, we were getting a later start due to coming from Vik, and we were stopping at other places in between that were off the beaten path.

Our first stop was to Kerid Crater, which is a volcanic crater lake. Surprisingly, this was the ONLY outdoor place in all of the stops we went to that charged an entrance fee (and it was only around $3). Every national park, waterfall, and geysir area has free entrance, which was hard to get used to, but very welcomed!

The crater lake is very colorful and unique! Bjork actually held a concert in the middle of the lake a few years back.

We drove a little bit north and went to Gulfoss Waterfall. The waterfall is on the Hvita River, which is fed by Iceland's second biggest glacier, Langjokull. It was pretty crowded when we arrived here, but we could easily see why. The falls are very powerful and were rampaging over the sides.

We went out to different view points, all in an attempt to try to get away from the mobs of people, but it was hard to do. It's a great stop to have on the tour bus route, but if you're like us you much prefer the quieter tour bus free areas. But just like the Colosseum in Rome, or the Eiffel Tower in Paris, this is one of Iceland's top sights to see so it's a necessary evil. We did very much enjoy looking the intense waterfall though!

The next stop was only five minutes away, the Geysir Hot Spring Area. Because we went to the waterfall first (we passed the hot spring area on the way) we were able to park in a small empty parking lot across from the tour bus area. The Hot Spring Area is a large open area that has more than a dozen hot water blow holes and has been active for more than 1,000 years.

HOT!

Beyond boiling water

Geysir is the original hot water-spout after which all other geysirs are named. Unfortunately the original geysir no longer spews water into the air, but Strokkur is a very reliable geysir within the same area that shoots water 50-100 feet every 5-10 minutes. We watched Strokkur blast some hot water into the air a few times in order to get the perfect picture!

We continued counter-clockwise on the Golden Circle and made a planned stop in Laugarvatn. The small town of Laugarvatn is known for it's geothermal baths (Fontana) and we wanted to experience them. We stopped off for a quick bite to eat and then headed to the baths. The Fontana is a small and intimate area consisting of several choices of shallow and deeper baths, each marked with a temperature rating. You can also go into the lake (with a sign that says, "Dangerous Nature!"). And if you've had enough of the baths you can go into the sauna that's fed by a naturally occurring geyser-like vent below. This was a really nice place to go and unwind after our long day of driving and sightseeing. The temperature outside was in the 50s and it was nice to sit outside in the hot water and check out the scenery. We also ventured into the lake a little bit, though we didn't get too far since the bottom was a bit rocky and it was pretty cold!

Moving on from Laugarvatn, we drove to our last stop of the day, Thingvellir National Park. Because we arrived later in the day and due to the park's size, we were able to avoid the masses and explore this park in peace. The park has a lot of historical significance as the Vikings established the world's first democratic parliament here in 930 (Thingvellir means "Parliament Plains). Now it is a protected national shrine. The national park is also located on the two tectonic plates of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and it's possible to stand (and snorkel) in between the two plates.

There was so much beauty in this park! There were a lot of trails, paths and other walkable areas for us to explore, as well as a beautiful lookout area that had a stunning view of the park and surrounding area.

What a tiring, but great day we had! We still needed to drive an hour to our house that would be our home for the next three nights, but more on the amazing house in the next post! Next up, a day in Greenland and some time in Reykjavik!

The French Riviera: Nice, Cannes, Eze, Monaco

During our time in Europe we wanted to experience the French Riviera. September proved to be a perfect time to go... summer weather is still in full force, but the huge crowds have dissipated (though there were still plenty of people there). The French Riviera (known as the Côte d'Azur in French) is the Mediterranean coastline of southeastern France, including the small country of Monaco. We made Nice our base to explore the area. 

The Promenade di Anglais in Nice

As we made our way to the Old Town from our hotel, we came across a lively market selling fruits, vegetables, spices (both regular and exotic), soaps, paintings, and anything else a local or a tourist might need. We picked up some Herbs de Provence (we had just run out and can't find it by us!), and some other spices that would be fun to cook with.

A variety of salts

After some time browsing the market, we spent our time in the Old Town (Vieux Nice), walking through the old pedestrian passageways and alleys. We made our way to Parc du Chateau, a hilltop park with great views over Old Nice and the beachfront. We also came across an old Jewish cemetery next to the park. 

View from the top

Le Monument du Centenaire

In Old Nice

Jewish Cemetery

 

Waterfall at the top

Apollo standing 21 feet tall (it was previously banned from the square for 22 years because it was thought to be too well endowed for the public).

Plaza Messena

The water seemed to be calling out to us as we made our way back towards the seaside. After we changed into swimsuits and headed towards the beach we realized why so many people were wearing crocs or other water shoes; the beach was not sandy as it appeared from above while at the park, but made of medium sized stones that were not too comfortable on our bare feet. We took a swim in the clear water and hopefully were successful in our subtlety of glancing at some bare chested women on the beach.

Hotel Negresco

Along the Promenade di Anglais during our run - looks like sand, but it's not!

Along the Promenade di Anglais during our run

After our swim we got in the car and headed towards Cannes. Cannes is mainly known for its celebrity film festival that occurs during two weeks in May, but this town seems to attract tourists year round hoping to get a piece of the glitz that the celebrities leave behind. In all honesty, Jon and I aren't into the whole celebrity and high end shopping scene, but felt we needed to visit here because, well, why not? We took a look at the theater where the festival is held, and walked along a path where celebrities have imprinted their hands into concrete (similar to Hollywood, but not as many). We ate a spectacular lunch on the waterfront consisting of our favorite French sandwich (Croque Madam) with some white wine. We also went to Cannes' historic quarter, and took in some nice views from the top of the hill. 

The theater in Cannes

Sylvester Stallone's hand is huge!

View of the beachfront in Cannes

The next day we went to the ancient village of Eze. Eze lies on a rock 1,400 feet above sea level and centers on the ruins of a 14th century castle. The maze-like, narrow streets are home to some small art shops and restaurants. We found ourselves lost a few times in search of the castle that eventually gave us quite a site over the water and St. Jean-Cap Ferrat. The Jardin Exotique surrounds the castle ruins and consists of different cacti, citrus trees, and tropical plants. Eze was by far our favorite stop out of the French towns that we visited.

View from the top

Some of the gardens

The church

Inside the church

Our last stop on the French Riviera was to the second smallest country in the world, Monaco (Vatican City is the first). Of course our first stop here had to be the Monte Carlo Casino. At first site this casino dominates the view from far away, with beautiful fountains and gardens leading up to it. Before we even went into the casino we spent 20 minutes watching the parade of fancy cars line up, which was a spectacle in itself.  The architecture of the building is stunning and the interior is beautifully decorated. If you're expecting to have a James Bond-like experience though, you will be disappointed. It was basically heaving with tourists and was not very glamorous at all. We had thought about dressing up, but decided not to after doing some research (and I'm glad we didn't!). There is a dress code at night, but nothing as elegant as we would have thought. Even though we wanted to, we didn't gamble here because there were only two roulette tables open, which we weren't interested in, and slot machines, which again didn't peak our interest. We got our gambling fix in Nice though so all was not lost (except for our money of course). Overall, there wasn't too much atmosphere in the casino, but the building was gorgeous to look at.

From afar

 

James Bond?

A nice Ferrari

Overall, we're glad we visited this region, but we don't feel a need to come back again... at least in the near future. While we had a great time, we don't see what all of the fuss is about. Cannes was unimpressive and stuffy, Monaco is good for a quick visit to the casino - otherwise there's not much to do, and Nice while pretty, is similar to other beach cities that we've been to (with a higher price tag and uncomfortable beaches). Eze proved to be a pleasant surprise away from the hustle of the beachgoers and was by far our favorite. Nevertheless, we did get to swim in the Mediterranean, take in the amazing landscape of the mountains, shop at an amazing and vibrant market, and marvel at how some people live everyday!


Giovedi scorso, siamo andati a Nizza. Abbiamo preso un aereo a Genova, poi abbiamo affittato una macchina e abbiamo guidato a Nizza. Mentre eravamo a Nizza abbiamo camminato intorno alla citta, siamo andati al mercato e abbiamo comprato alcune spezie, e abbiamo nuotato nel mare. Abbiamo anche corso sul lungomare di anglais e era bellissimo (faceva caldo!). Molti dei ristoranti a Nizza offrono cibo italiano perche’ e cosi vicino all’Italia, quindi abbiamo dovuto cercare cibo francese! Durante il nostro viaggio siamo anche andati a Cannes, che era solo okay. Abbiamo sentito che dovevamo andare perche’ era li’, ma non e’ niente di speciale.

Il prossimo giorno, dopo la nostra colazione francese, siamo andati a Eze e Monaco. Eze era il nostro paese preferito del nostro viaggio. La citta e’ sulla cima di una montagna e ha vedute belle! Ci sono strade strette senza macchine ma con negozi carini. Eze e’ molto caratteristiche e le persone erano molto amichevoli. Dopo abbiamo camminato fino a sopra ai giardini per vedere le vedute, siamo andati giu e abbiamo pranzato. Poi, abbiamo guidato a Monaco. Siamo andati dentro al Casino’ di Monte Carlo, e poi abbiamo camminato in giro.