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Fabulous Iceland Adventure Part 2

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When my friend and part-time travel companion Nancy and her husband Harl said, “Let's go to Iceland!”, I said “yes.” This post has lots of photos from my fabulous Iceland adventure Part 2. (Click the photos to see bigger versions.) See my other post, Fabulous Iceland Adventure Part 1, for a handy map of the country.

We Like Food

The food was plentiful and good. When Icelandic restaurants offer lamb, it's tender and mild like it should be. (Sometimes U.S. venues think mutton and lamb are the same, which they are not.) I will mention that if you're vegetarian or vegan, you might be challenged to find fresh vegetables on restaurant menus. Where possible, we stayed in homes and apartments with kitchens, so we stocked up on vegetables at the local grocery stores, which are rather, um, pink.

Photo of a bowl of soup and a plate of bread rolls on a serving tray. Photo (c) 2023 by Carol Van Natta.
Iceland is famous for lamb soup, and justifiably so. The other ingredients vary a bit, probably based on what else is in the refrigerator.

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Photo of a plate with pieces of spice cake decorated with whipped cream and fresh berries
I love dessert more than is good for me, and Iceland didn't disappoint. This spice cake with whipped cream and berries was excellent.

Fabulous Friends and Cute Animals

My friends Nancy and Harl did all of the driving, including through a couple of exciting one-way tunnels.

Photo of a car dashboard and windshield, with a view of a one-way tunnel in Iceland. Photo (c) 2023 Carol Van Natta.
Tunnels and roads are fairly recent additions to Iceland. One-way tunnels have periodic side pull-offs, but they're fairly anxiety-provoking nonetheless.

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Photo of two people wearing winter coats, seated a bench, with a chilly bit of glacier floating in the water behind them.
My friend Nancy (left) and me (right). The bay behind us has floating glacier bits. This spot is beautiful but windy and cold!

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The sheep of Iceland outnumber the citizens by two to one. They are drama queens who like to pretend they've never seen a car before in their lives. Icelandic horses are wily and sassy, and prefer to stand in noble, highly photogenic photos in places where you absolutely cannot stop to take their picture. Reykjavik, the largest city by far, is famous for cats. I was thrilled to see them; my allergic friend Nancy, not so much.

Photo of two Icelandic sheep on a grassy hillside. Photo (c) 2023 Carol Van Natta.
Icelandic sheep have no predators, so they've lost their herding instinct. As a consequence, shepherds need about three weeks to bring them all in for the winter.

Tourist Adventures in Iceland

Iceland has done a good job of developing its tourist attractions. Their success comes with a price, though, with increased crowds, real estate prices, and trash. We read a wonderful book, The Little Book of Tourists in Iceland by Alda Sigmundsdottir, to help us be good guests.

Photo of author Carol Van Natta standing on the famous Rainbow Walk in Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
Me, standing on the famous Rainbow Walk in Seyðisfjörður, Iceland. The town sits at the head of a fjord, and has the most delightful architecture, plus Nordic Restaurant, a really good place to eat.

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Photo of a famous Icelandic rock sculpture by Páll Guðmundsson that resembles a giant troll. Photo (c) 2023 Carol Van Natta.
This troll sculpture by Páll Guðmundsson was inspired by the legend of Bárður Snæfellsás, mythical protector.

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Photo of a statue of wrestlers, with a man standing behind them. Photo (c) 2023 Carol Van Natta.
My travel companion Harl and the statue of wrestlers at the Geysir restaurant in Iceland. Until then, we had no idea that mud wrestling was a thing in Iceland.

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Photo of author Carol Van Natta standing next to a street sign in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Me, standing next to a sidewalk sign in Reykjavik, pretending to be shocked—very shocked!—at the suggestive language. Icelanders rather like swearing. Me fucking too.
Minimalist illustration of volcanic mountains and birds, generated by MidJourney