Going to Iceland next week
I mentioned the trip last August in the DU lounge. Up-to-date, I'm starting to pack. I think the temperature will be about the same there as it is here. i have hot flashes all the time, so I don't have a lot of winter weight clothes. Today, I ordered a new bathing suit. I've lost about 50 lbs, and neither suit I have fits me. We got a tour guide/group, so when we land there, we'll have transportation to The Blue Lagoon, which is why I need a bathing suit, and then on to our hotel in Reykjivik. We'll be in Iceland for 5 days, counting arrival day and departure day. We're going to tour the Golden Circle, the South, near Vik, hang out in Reykjivik. Lots of hiking and walking. I think I'm going to be worn out when I get home, but I'm excited to be going. I haven't been out of the country since 2012. I was interested in visiting Iceland because of all of the active geology. I think when we tour the Golden Circle, we'll see Thingvillar, geysers, waterfalls, all kinds of natural features. We'll have an evening tour of the active volcano.
We are taking some little gifts for the elves. Silly, but I was thinking about it and my older daughter told me she was planning to take some elf gifts. She turned 50 the end of last year. Her younger sister wanted to do something to really celebrate the milestone, so she asked for a bucket list. She has planned to do something from the bucket list every month this year. One of the big things is going to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. It was going to be the sisters and their husbands, but they decided to pass. We went on to Plan B, which is I get to go. I won't do most of the other things. Hiking part of the Appalachain Trail, camping overnight is not for me. I love that my younger daughter thought of such a fabulous way to celebrate her sister's big birthday. And I'm glad to be part of it.
My passport expires in August, and I'm planning to renew it. Even if I am not a frequent traveler, so nice to be ready if an opportunity comes along. I flew to Maine last year, and stayed at daughter and son-in-law's camp there, so not unfamilar with recent air travel. Other son-in-law is a commercial pilot, so always a topic of conversation. Taking a break from packing, but I think I am already close to being done. Getting tested for Covid and following the requirements for timing was a big challenge, but thanks to the staff at Rite-Aid, have that worked out. We have to preregister for a test before we leave Iceland to return to the U.S. Hope that works out. We are all vaccinated and boosted, no problem wearing masks.
Any travel tips? Any advice about traveling to Iceland? Thanks for reading. When I get home, I'll post pictures, I hope!
= new reply since forum marked as read
Be sure to wear your Viking hat while you are there, though.
My daughter said the flea market is open on our free day. Excitement! And thrift shops! Our hotel is close to a large church. I haven't read about where we are staying, but one of the gilrs said we were close to a big church you see in all the pictures.
Thanks for the tips. I have eaten different kinds of dried seafood. I am looking forward to any seafood. 
I live in Ohio and fresh seafood is a real treat.
growing desire to see Iceland.
Please bring back lots of pics and exciting stories about the locals and the volcanoes!
In the Haukadular Valley, we can stand on land that belongs to no tectonic plate. Super awesome! Hope you can go and I hope I get good pictures. Somebody posted a live video feed of the volcano/lava that started flowing last year. I watched it and loved listening to the narrator's voice
We landed at the end of a polar vortex blizzard. Several people told us they haven't had that much snow since 2018. You know how Americans get right outside and clear the walks and streets of snow and ice? I don't think they have the same enthusiasm as we do. The vehicles got around ok, and most of the pedestrians. I'm proud to say I was the only one with my daughters who didn't fall. I think if I had gone down, I would've stayed put. I didn't expect so much walking. I had boots, and winter clothes, not much else I didn't know how much walking there would be, at the airport, and other places. The tour drove us right to the Blue Lagoon. I decided I couldn't walk anymore, and said I would wait where the luggage was stored. My daughter found a wheel chair and attendent, who pushed me to the spa. Never did that before. Oh yeah, and the girls saw mw naked, another first! The lagood was beautiful, and felt really good. I ended up going over 24 hours without sleeping. Right then, my favorite place was the wonderful bed and featherbed cover at the hotel. We got up the next day to go out to Thingvillar. I was awed that this group of people, their ancestors, made a commitment to democratic government over a 1000 years ago, and kept it going. The Icelanders I met were so laid back. Almost all of the drivers and pedestrians observed traffic signals. and were very lawful and calm. Most of the stores and restaurants played 80s American rock. My daughter joked that she ordered it special There were a few channels on the tv in the hotel, maybe BBC. They had Storm Eunice to cope with, so that was the main story over the weekend. Maybe the lack of 24/7 news is a btter way to live. Our trip to the south was canceled because of more bad weather. My daughter tried to book another tour in a different part of Iceland, but it, too, was canceled. I had bought city bus tickets, which offered bus fare and free admission to several pools and museums. It said on my eticket that printouts weren't needed, but the first driver didn't let us on. He wasn't from around there. e got on another bus, and the driver waved us to seats. I grew up on Cleveland, and on the bus route I took when I was a kid, you could get the driver to stop. Not this guy. He went past our destination, about several blocks, and parked the bus. We thought we could just go back to the main stop, but he said we had to get off, he had a break. So we were in a desolate commercial area by the bay, with 30 mile an hour winds, and unshoveled walks, and streets, and no more buses. We made it to the Whale Museum, and got warmed up. The had to go back to that bus stop. That day, on the tour that was canceled, we were supposed to hike on a glacier, and tour an ice cave. I told the girls we had traversed urban glaciers. The whole time we were out, the girls both kept urging me on a few more steps. We got to a tavern and got a bite to eat, then went into a flea market, but I had no idea what the exchange rate was, and I had decided early on, I wasn't going to add weight to my luggage! It was a cool flea market. We were supposed to go on a tour at 9:30 to try to see the northern lights. but it was canceled. The next day, we went to a bustling street with lots of galleries and shops, got the biggest meal of fish and chips I've ever seen. One would have fed us all. Got back to the hotel, and later went on the northern lights tour. We didn't see them, but enjoyed meeting people on the tour and listening to the guide. Got back at 2 am and got back up at 8 to eat breakfast and finish packing. We had decided to get me a wheel chair at the airport. I've never had to use a chair, but it really helped. We didn't know that you get express service, so we got ushered to the front of the lines. The girls said they'd travel with me any time. lol Our plane was the last one out of Keflavik before the approaching storm wreaked havoc. We had a safe, easy flight and seeing Greenland from the air was breathtaking. I got a chair when I got off at Dulles, and while I had to walk a little way, it didn't bother me like the longer walks did. We are all safely home, and dropping back into our routines. Thanks for reading. I'll get some pictures posted by the end of the week.