My first night in Reykjavik, I was excited to witness the much-hyped “3 hours of dusk” and was impatient in finding out if it was true.  But, before the sun even came close to setting, I needed to find some food.

I knew the main downtown street (at which the World Cup Final was playing at the western-most tip of the street) would offer a variety of choices and was hoping something caught my eye.

Once the soccer match was over, everyone dispersed down the street, but unfortunately, most all the bars and restaurants were already crawling with people.   I staggered aimlessly as east as I could do on the street until I found a sign on the street that advertised a soup breadbowl and then stairs leading up the a second floor restaurant.  The name of the restaurant was Svarta Kaffid.  I was exhausted from the insanely long first day and it was a bit chilly out, so soup in a breadbowl in a tucked away restaurant sounded glorious.  I could get away from the crowds and heat up at the same time.

So, up I staggered up the steps and there were a handful of tables left open with candles on all of them.  I LOVED the vibe and there was a chalkboard sign that read “No WiFi, SORRY.  Talk to each other and smile.”  I fell in love with the place right then, as you can see the sign below the counter below.

They only had 2 soups on the entire menu, but I was ok with that.  I had the lamb soup with Cod, because almost everything other than lobster has lamb or cod in it in Iceland.  I ended up ravaging through the whole thing in record time, along with a coffee so I could try and stay awake to walk around downtown a bit longer.  It was incredible and I ate the bowl, naturally, as well.  You can see how delicious it looked below.  My first real meal in Iceland.

After completing dinner, I figured I needed to explore a little more since the next night was really the only other night I would really get to spend time in Reykjavik after the Game of Thrones tour.

I had always seen this church in the distance and it’s ringing bells at the hour, and I’d read about the amazing architecture in Rick Steve’s book and other tourism books.  So, I ventured over to what is named Hallgrimskirkja.

The church dominated the city and you could see it from every side you faced.  It was a center point and a telling of geography of where you were in the city.  It rose to the clouds like the Ivory Tower in Never Ending Story.

Upon approach, the monster church had a statue on a pedestal out front of Leifur Eiriksson.  Leifur is probably the best known hero of Viking age Iceland.  Leifur’s voyage to America in the year 1000 preceded Christopher Columbus by half a millennia.  It was a gift from the USA to Iceland commemorating the 1000 year anniversary of Albingi, the parliament of Iceland.

This statue has an identical brother statue in Newport, Virginia.  Iceland asked permission to copy the statue for the 1939 New York World Fair to display in the Icelandic pavilion.  The plaster casts had been saved in the Smithsonian in NY.  After the World Fair in NY, it was decided to place it at the entrance of the Mariner’s Museum in Newport, Virginia, where it still stands.  Both weigh over 50 tons, including 1 ton for the statue itself and 50 tons for the pedestal.

I ventured inside and there is an alter at the far end and behind you as you walk in, is the massive organ.  There is a donation box to help clean the organ pipes.

 After taking in the awe of the interior, I jetted out and headed back to the Airbnb.  It would be an early bus pickup at 9:30a at City Hall and then the tour would start at 10a.

Once back in the Airbnb, it was definitely a challenge to sleep that night with the single window in my room that offered no blinds or drape.  I was correct to buy the sleeping mask, otherwise, I would have had no sleep.  The tiny bed was very uncomfortable and I barely fit on it, but for a couple nights, I would make it work.  I was in Iceland!

DAY 2

I went to bed with light and woke up with light.  One of the strangest, non-hungover, experiences of my life.  But, I was ready to get the day going.  I’ve been a die-hard fan of Game of Thrones for about 2 years now.  I was a little slow in getting started and had to binge watch multiple seasons to catch up.  I’m currently reading the books to fill in the gaps until the next season in April 2019.

I got up and went to shower in the bathroom across the hall in the main apartment of the Airbnb.  The only problem was, there was no shower, only a tub with an extension arm.  This was dire circumstances.  Sitting in a tub in a foreign country in a complete stranger’s condo was not appealing in the least.  I’m sure many would be horrified, just as I was.  But, again, I powered through it and onto the day’s adventure.  I kept focusing on the day ahead rather than the mistake of accommodation.   Luckily, I just had to get past these two nights as the rest of the nights were in great accommodations.

After leaving the Airbnb, I ventured the 7-minute walk down the street, taking a left and then a right and I was in front of City Hall and the city’s bus stop 1, pictured below.  Various tours and the local city buses picked up at this stop, being a very popular spot.  Many tourists were heading out to glaciers or caves for the day.  There were 2 others that were on my Game of Thrones tour with me that I met up with getting picked up at this spot.

The bus showed up around 9:50a in a smaller shuttle.  It was then a 10 minute ride over to the main downtown bus station where we met our guide, Theo, and he took our tickets and we entered a larger Gray Line Bus, the kind we used to travel with on baseball trips in college with TVs.

The tour started promptly at 10a and the guide mentioned you pronounced his name like “Tay-o” rather than “Thee-O” and he was cast as an extra in most all battle scenes of Game of Thrones.  Throughout the course of the day, Theo gave detailed insight to the exact scenes we were visiting.  He thoroughly enjoyed his job and got excited to share the smallest of details.  He had still photos of the scenes we stopped at and even still shots of himself in the scenes.

This bus tour would give me my first true glimpse of the Icelandic countryside and would be 8 hours long.  I didn’t know how far we’d go into the mainland, but figured it would at least be a good 3-4 hours inland.  They are very discreet on where they take you since they want to secure the tours themselves, and also, most all the locations are off the main tourist maps.

The first stop was in the countryside just outside Reykjavik at a horse farm.  They were the stable of many of the horses used in Game of Thrones because Iceland does not allow the import of horses from other countries, even for a TV series filming.

Iceland was used in Game of Thrones filming in every season after season 1.  Most all of season 1 was filmed in Ireland for Winterfell and north of the Wall and they had to CGI in all the mountains and the snow.  So, they decided to make it easier on themselves in season 2 with mountains and snow already in Iceland.  They ended up loving it so much, they shot summer scenes there too and now they have shot more summer than winter scenes in Iceland.

The horses were extremely domesticated and they came up to you right away to be petted.  They loved to be touched and acknowledged and were extremely friendly.  They are smaller horses, but they are not ponies, as Icelanders take offense to.  However, the larger male GOT actors that rode the horses sometimes had their feet touch the ground as they rode them, so they had to shoot at an upwards angle, such as the scenes the involved the Hound.  One tidbit as well that Theo told us was that he was in most every battle in GOT, except the scenes with the Hound since the producer told him he looked too much like him that he’d be a distraction.

The horse that stole the show was Arya’s white horse she used after leaving the Hound on her way to Braavos.  The white horse was 28-years-old and featured below.  They told us her name, but I forgot.  Icelandic name that is hard to pronounce, naturally.

We boarded up the bus and then headed out to our next film site.  This site was a scene in season 4 with the dragon Drogon seen here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN1tVhQuzDw

This scene has a waterfall in the distance and the shepherd boy has his goats and sheep and along comes a young, adolescent Drogon and takes one of them home.

It was a gorgeous setting with the waterfall on the right and the open field to the left.  You are on a bluff overlooking the waterfall.  When you look to the right, you see the picture below, the same water the boy was throwing rocks into.

When you turn your head to the left, you see the field that Drogon took the sheep with him.

Theo had still shots of the scene the he described in detail.  Naturally, all the dragon and fire pieces were CGI.

The next site was an hour away, so we stopped for a bathroom break.  Theo would give us insights over the microphone in the bus the entire ride.  The pic below was one of our few stops along the way.  I tried an Icelandic hot dog for the first time and it was fantastic.  It came highly recommended by Theo and it didn’t disappoint.

On the tour, I met a guy who had been to 3 other GOT tours in other countries where they had filmed, including Ireland, Morocco and Croatia.  He said the Morocco tour was a waste of time and horrible.  But, he really enjoyed the Ireland and Croatia tours.  Croatia was where they filmed the King’s Landing scenes.

I also met a family from Ft Worth, Texas that were talking about all the activities they wanted to do in Iceland and one of them was snorkel in the water in-between the two tectonic plates.  It’s the only place you can do that in the world.  But, they had told them their 12-year-old son couldn’t go because you had to be 14 or older.  Another of our group said he did it and it was a blast.  The water was super cold, but you have dry suits on that make it bearable.  I’ll have to plan that for next time in Iceland!

The next stop was an early Viking settlement that they also used in season 4 of GOT.  This scene the Wildlings attack the village south of the wall.  The young boy escapes and becomes a protegé to Jon Snow, for awhile.  Here is the scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmp3esRz4Wk

The scene takes place on the backside of the grassed over building below:

The folks on set created a separate entrance in the back and most all the scene is in the back of the building below:

Here was another of the buildings on the left side of the picture above:

This combined a sense of Viking history in with GOT filming, so was really cool to see.  There were only a couple other tourists in the area, so it was really exclusive to the GOT tour.

As we were loading up the tour bus to leave, the bus driver informed us that the battery had died on the bus.  We all looked at each other in disbelief, but were poking fun at it.  He had called into dispatch but they told him to have us push the bus from behind to see if it would help get it going.  So, out we all went to push the bus, thank god we were pointing downhill!  We all gave a good push and got it going!  Everyone cheered and got back on the bus and away we went.

The final stop on the tour had nothing to do with GOT or a film scene, but a waterfall that Theo loved.  So, we had time for a quick couple pictures before we headed back home.  It was a gorgeous set of two waterfalls that flow into a single pond.  A pic is below:

After the waterfall, we did make one more stop on the ride back to Reykjavik.  We stopped at gas station around the area that Bobby Fisher was buried.  Bobby Fisher was the American Grand Master of Chess that fell into hard times and was wanted in a few countries, but Iceland granted him citizenship because he had friends there.  So, he lived the rest of his final days in Iceland and is buried there.  He became more famous from the great movie “Searching For Bobby Fisher.”

The gas station offered GOT memorabilia that was handmade by a local woodworker.  I bought a GOT wooden wolf bookmark.  I figured it was fitting since I was reading the books to pass the time until next season.

Next, it was an hour or so bus ride back to Reykjavik.  The dropped us off at the main bus station and I tipped Theo 1000 krona, equivalent to $10 and thanked him for the tour.  He is an investor in a business called “Nexus” that he works at on the weekends that offers fantasy board games and action figures and his Facebook page is this link if you ever want to reach him.  The cover photo he has on his page is the same waterfall in the picture you see above, except in wintertime: https://www.facebook.com/swordbiter/

This marked the end of the first major day in the countryside in Iceland and it was breathtaking.  We had a beautiful day and I was anxious to head out on my own the next day to really delve into it further.  I would begin by heading north to Borgarnes.  But first, I could explore more of the downtown Reykjavik city one last time before the 5-day trek.

Right after I was dropped back off at City Hall and bus stop 1, I came to find out that one of the other passengers was from KC as well and she was with her friend from Estonia.  I figure with Icelandair’s nonstop flights, there is going to be a lot more folks from KC there, which is awesome!  We said our goodbyes and each went our separate ways.  I headed back towards the downtown main street for dinner.

I tried heading into the restaurant named for the movie “The Big Lebowski” but I waited for 20 minutes in the bar and no one entertained an idea of taking my order.  All the patrons and staff were too busy watching a movie on the screen in the bar.  So, I figured, if I was going to spend a good chunk on dinner, the least they could do was wait on me, so I left.  They had a ton of burgers on the menu and served tons of different kinds of White Russians, just like in the movie.  Here is the link to the restaurant:   https://lebowskibar.is/

I decided I would just get something quick and easy and not as expensive, so I ventured into Subway.  It is the only American chain in Iceland that I saw, and for that, I don’t know why, but they are all over the country.  I saw them in the north and east.  One catch though, they don’t have meatballs for my favorite meatball sandwich.  So, I ordered an Italian sub, chips and a drink and it was $17 American dollars.  That’s insane for fast food.  But, would have been cheaper than any restaurant.

I walked in a few souvenir stores and bought a couple T-shirts and a few magnets for my fridge that I collect of places I travel to and I was on my way back past City Hall on my way to my Airbnb.  My second night’s sleep wasn’t much different than the first, but it was my last night there, and I was happy.

In the next blog, I’ll begin my venture into the countryside as I begin the 5-day trek around the Ring Road!  Stay tuned!

Until the next adventure…..

I write this on day 6 approx 10 minutes west of Hofn.  I’m not going to lie, exhaustion is starting to creep in and it’s 9:36p.  Luckily, I took a 45 min cat-nap in the early evening after having the best lobster in my life.  But, I’ll backtrack to where I left off in my previous blog on day 1 back in Reykjavik.

So, I left the Blue Lagoon and plugged my coordinates into my Google Maps (in which cell service has been fantastic for 80 percent of the Ring Road on the entire journey).  For those that use turn-by-turn instructions, in the areas you don’t get service, which are all mainly in the eastern desolate areas, you can download offline maps with Google maps and they work perfect.  I read this recommendation from Rick Steves and it’s been a total life saver for any areas that might be un-serviceable.  The phone notes that you are offline and continues on as you have routed.   If you need a video tutorial on how to do this, just click here for your next adventure.  All you have to do is select the area in the world you think you might be offline and it will save it for 30 days on your phone:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk0-PTmoaSU

So, I was on my way to my host Anna’s house in downtown Reykjavik.  She was initially extremely communicative and prompt and giving me ideas on bus pickup locations for my Game of Thrones tour the next day.  She was also a chemist and had a daughter so I assumed she was educated and responsible.  However, my last communication was 3-4 months ago.  I tried following up last week seeing if there were any check-in instructions I needed, if a lockbox was supplied, or if she needed a time to meet up.  I originally said 3p but was trying to keep it flexible since I didn’t know how long  I’d want to stay at the Blue Lagoon.  There had been zero response in the last week and zero response a few days leading up the arrival.  I was getting extremely worried about the whole reservation and didn’t know what to expect once I got to the address.  So, I arrived at the house and it’s a huge white building around the corner from City Hall.  I park and there is a ringer for the different levels with the resident’s name on them.  I was relieved to see Anna’s name still on on the ringer, as a thought had crept in that she might have moved without telling me.  Even the Airbnb info itinerary couldn’t populate, so I had assumed she might have deleted the entire account and moved.

So, a gentleman answers the door and I ask for Anna.  He said she had left to go on holiday and asked if I was the Airbnb resident.  I said I was.  He wasn’t the nicest guy in the world, but he was very short and brought me up the stairs and said this room is yours, the apartment and bathroom are in here across the hall.  He gave me the keys and there were 3 of them on there.  One for the front door, one for the apartment for the bathroom and one for my tiny room across the hall.  To say my room was a closet would be an overstatement.  I’ve never slept in such a tiny room in my life.  Yes, you see pictures online of Airbnb’s, but you can never tell the exact size.  Below is what I was dealing with.  I had a tiny sink in my room and a small table and a “bed.”

By the way, if you’ve never ventured outside the USA, make sure you get an electrical outlet converter.  This converter I got on Amazon before I left can handle pretty much any country in the world and includes 4 USB ports and 1 main American outlet charger.  It’s phenomenal and highly recommend and you can buy it here:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0774Q5ZWK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1  This is what you see plugged in to my outlet on the floor.  I was able to charge everything at once.

Oh, and make sure you bring good, sturdy, hiking boots to Iceland.  I had bought an pair of UGGS, yes the male version, years ago before they were popular with women, and now people find it hilarious and this is what happens when you are ahead of the times apparently.  They are the best boots I’ve ever worn on durability and the inside is comfortable.  But, they are oversized boots in dealing with the spiked rocks and water.  They are perfect for KC winter’s as well.

At this point in the trip, I didn’t care how big the bed, but I needed a bed.  With no sleep on the plane, straight to rental car, straight to Blue Lagoon, straight to Airbnb, I needed a nap…so I slept for two hours from 1p-3p, which was really 8a-10a Central Time for me.  But, I knew I couldn’t sleep the rest of the day since this was really the only full day I’d get exploring Reykjavik since I’d be on an 8-hour tour the next day and the day after that I would be leaving to explore the rest of the country.  So, I forced myself to get up.

I immediately walked towards the direction of City Hall.  I wanted to confirm my bus pickup location for the next day and it was on the way to all the restaurants and shops.  While walking towards downtown, on the same street as my Airbnb, I came across the most unique cemetery.  It was tucked into the neighborhood with walls all around it, but low enough to look over.  It was FILLED with trees and tiny gates around some of the tombstones.  It was so unique and reminded me, on a smaller scale, of the cemetery I visited in Savannah, GA called St. Bonaventure’s Cemetery that I had read about in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  It had little trails in it and something you’d envision after reading Edgar Allan Poe.

Continuing on, I found City Hall down and around the corner, a left and then a right.  Probably an 8 minute walk.  I was up for exploring the main downtown street at this point.  So, ventured by some coffee shops, souvenir shops (bought a few magnets for the fridge back home as I collect them of all the places I’ve been).

I then see a gathering down at the end of the street.  I figured it was a local band playing or some spirit fest of some sort.  When I got closer, it was a huge outdoor screen playing the World Cup Final game France vs. Croatia.  There were outdoor vendors selling food and drink and it was starting to mist a bit.  The temp was about 55, so wasn’t horrible as long as the rain held off.  But the diehard soccer fans weren’t going anywhere.  There were probably a couple thousand people there filling the middle section and into the side areas.  So, I ended up watching the entire second half.  The France fans starting chanting their national song and waving their flags.  It was an awesome sight to see since soccer isn’t huge back home as football, baseball, basketball and hockey are our primary sports.  But to see the pride in a foreign country react to the game was something to see.  Iceland had make the World Cup this year, a country of 350k people, and USA didn’t.  They were super prideful of this fact and all the souvenir shops had specials that if you bought an Iceland team jersey, you got a scarf free.  There were posters all over town and in store windows of the Icelandic players.  It was their team.  They ended up bowing out when they lost to Nigeria, but they had tied powerhouse Argentina and Messi, one of the world’s greatest players and then lost to eventual finals team Croatia 2-1.  They had held their own and the smallest country to ever make it to the World Cup.  It was an honor to watch with them.

So, it’s approaching 10:40p in Iceland and I have a huge day of driving 5.5 hours tomorrow, plus stops along the way including Diamond Beach, Selfoss and a couple other waterfalls.  Then, I have to find and check into my Airbnb and then meeting up with KC Area Development Council President, Tim Cowden, for a beer.  He made the journey over with his family for leisure after taking the inaugural flight in May for business.  Good to see more and more KC folks out here.  Hopefully this blog makes more people feel more comfortable with the decision to come.  It’s a land filled with adventure, originality and nature.  Fun for solo travelers like myself or families.  There are pieces for every person and tastes as I’ll outline in the different cities and regions.  All of them are unique, much like the different lands at DisneyWorld.  You beaches, you have mountains, you have glaciers you have deserts, you have rocks and you have countryside.  Iceland has it all.

Until the next adventure…..

Michael

Purity.  That is the one word that comes to mind when friends back the USA ask me to describe Iceland.  This stems from the eco-friendly ways they treat their country from heat, purity of water from glaciers, preserving and protecting the environment, fresh air to breathe, all of it.  It seems you step back in time and in the shoes of the early Vikings and discovering a world that has been untouched by a human hand.

But, before I ventured to this unchartered world, which has been experiencing unprecedented tourism growth in the past few years, not only by Americans, but by the entire world, I had orchestrated an itinerary with combined insights from Rick Steves, local Airbnb hosts and a collection of other books and magazine articles.  The end result was 6 pages of day-by-day directions that allowed enough time in between towns, experiences, food and rest. You can’t forget to rest!  I almost pushed myself too far on Day 1 not realizing I wouldn’t get much sleep on the 6 hour 20 minute flight overnight since it was really only midnight Central Time when we landed.  It was then 4:45a Iceland time and the day was beginning and I had a full day of activities.  But, I’ll describe those later in detail.  I want this blog to be more of a “How To” in getting to Iceland, navigating around, best tips and offer up advice based on my readings and now experiences in this unbelievable world.  I will write this in stages just due to the amount of material I want to include and the detail I want to offer.  This is a huge step and decision for many people, including myself, and we want to do it right as we might only get one chance in a lifetime!

I arrived to KCI at 2:45p on Saturday, July 14 preparing for a 5:15p departure time.  Having never ventured internationally from this airport before, I didn’t know what to expect, so I got there early.  The international flight is located in Terminal C, adjacent to American Airlines ticketing.  After arriving, I only saw signs for American and apparently looked dazed and confused and an American attendant asked if I was going to Iceland, and when I responded I was, he mentioned the ticketing was to the right of American, but there wasn’t any signs posted.  The only real notion you got that Iceland was there was smaller LED signs that rotated and occasionally showed the Icelandair logo.  I chalked it up to growing pains.  First flight, we’ll get better.

Arriving to check-in, in which there was only 2-3 other people at the counter, the attendant requested my passport, and I asked for a printed boarding pass.  I had already checked-in online 24 hours in advance with an assigned seat, but I wanted a printed boarding pass.  She printed it off and I asked her how many people were on this flight and if it was full.  She mentioned only 110 were on the flight and there would be plenty of room.  She mentioned the gate wouldn’t open until 3p and there was no concessions in the gate area, but there was a water fountain.  I was the first one through TSA (next time around I will for sure sign up for global entry as my TSA precheck only applies to domestic flights) and into the gate area.  There were plenty of outlets for charging before the flight and they started boarding at 4:35p, which is earlier than most domestic flights of 30 minutes prior.  This is most likely due to checking the passports of everyone before they board the flight as they scan the boarding passes.  I was assigned 16A, which is the exit aisle.  I took the pic below as I waited in the gate area.

Once on board, the attendant told me no bags under the seats were allowed in the exit row during takeoff and landing.  So, I had put store my backpack up top.  There was no one sitting in my entire row once everyone was on board.  Eventually, the couple caddy corner front to me moved back across the aisle from me due to more leg room.  But, I still had the whole side of the row to myself.

You can tell the Icelanders are very prideful with everyone that is involved with Icelandair.  There was a blanket and pillows on every seat and the pillows all promoted the layover opportunity on Icelandair where you can stay up to 7 nights layover before your final destination in Iceland.  There is a TV screen on the back of every seat.  The WiFi is free to use, but you must plug your headset into the back of the chair to listen to the movies and TV shows, you can’t use Bluetooth.  You can also check the progress of the flight at all times on how fast you are going, length of time until arrival and where you are at as the plane progresses.

The attendants are all dressed up properly with top hats and full uniform.  The accent will transform you to places you’ve only seen in movies.  Things were getting real and you begin to immerse yourself into a foreign country bit-by-bit.  All the attendants, and most all Icelanders, speak English.  They learn it in school as a second language, with Icelandic being the official language of the country.  You can purchase food on the flight and water is free.  They hand everyone an Icelandic water as you board.

The flight was short considering how far Iceland truly is.  The flight goes straight north adjacent to Chicago and then over Toronto and into Canada and then veers right over the northeastern tip of Canada and into the Atlantic Ocean.  There is a small period of an hour or so that is over water, then you are back over the southern part of Greenland for 30-45 minutes and then back over the ocean for the final 45 min – 1 hour.  Reykjavik is the southwestern tip of Iceland so you land almost as soon as you see land.

It was misting when we landed and was overcast.  I was praying it wasn’t going to be like this my entire trip, and luckily, it wasn’t.  This was the worst morning weather-wise, and I’m glad it got it out of the way.   The airport was a bit screwy when we landed with lots of nooks and aisles to pass through and into the main airport.  The customs area was bombarded with passengers all of a sudden, so they had to open more gates.  I’m sure more airlines from around the globe had just arrived as well.  I waited in line for 10 minutes or so and then my passport was stamped and I was on my way.  I was on my own now, which was a bit liberating and a bit exciting all in one.

There were no signs for rental car agencies, but I was looking for an exit.  I figured once I exit the airport, the rental car agencies would be close by.  The signs were in Icelandic and English.  The airport had a touch of a modern feel to it, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it was.  It just seemed trendy and hip, nothing like an airport in the USA.  I took a couple photos while I was searching for the exit.  On the follow directly below, the exit was on the left of this picture with a sign and around the corner was an escalator down.

The mural to the right on the wall I found interesting as it was a collection of superheroes.  Thor is a HUGE icon in Iceland, which I never realized.  I am guessing it came from him being some sort of Viking and early settler and they adopted him as their own, kind of a mascot for them.  I also noticed they are BIG into trolls.  I think this also stems from a Viking heritage somehow.

Once I made it downstairs and into the baggage area, I still had to find the exit out of the airport area as I still didn’t see Hertz where I had reserved my rental car.   There are 4 main rental agencies at the airport and Hertz was 1 of 2 American rental agencies.  The other was Advantage/National.  Hertz was by far the best reviewed on my research.  I also wanted to make sure I got an automatic transmission since I don’t know how to operate manual and they had those.  I finally found the exit and it stated “Cannot return” so this was do or die if Hertz was through these doors, and I put my money on yes.  Turns out, I would have bet and won some money, the rental agencies were on the left-hand side of the final exit area before the last of the exit doors out of the airport.

Hertz was on the far right and there were 3 couples in front of me.  There were no lines at any of the other agencies.  I think the other couples had read the same reviews I did.  I waited in line a good 30-45 minutes as they had a single worker handling all these people and he was in no hurry at all, but very pleasant.

The gentleman mentioned to bring the car back with a full tank of gas and that the Toyota Yaris was in row J out in the second parking lot in the back.  The weather outside was cold and rainy and I rushed to row J.  You have to look at the license plate number as they don’t give you a stall to look for within the row.  Once I matched that up, I packed the bags and was on my way.

My first stop was the Blue Lagoon.  This was only 25 minutes from the airport and my reservation was for 8a.  The time was only approaching 6a.  I was hoping they would just let me in early once I arrived and opened at 7a.  I should have bought the 7a ticket and saved $10, but wanted to err on the safe side with customs and rental car pickup time.  So, off I went just to explore the area before it opened.  The newness of the land struck you instantly.  There was lava rock on either side of the roads covered in moss that had been growing for centuries.  The water was to the left as I traveled north and east along the coast.  Once I arrived at The Blue Lagoon, I was the second vehicle in the parking lot.  I recognized the other 2 guys in the other car that was on my flight that had just landed.  You can tell in the pics below the lava rock and the moss that covers them.  Icelanders are VERY protective of their natural landscape and any touching of the moss or rock is highly frowned upon as it takes decades, or longer, to grow back.  In Iceland, you stay on the path.

I lined up to enter as the gates opened and they allowed me in early.  It’s an interesting system as they give you an electronic bracelet you wear at all times.  This opens and closes your locker and also allows you beverages for purchase while in the water.  This way you don’t have to carry anything else.  There is a strict rule in Iceland, no matter what public water you enter, you MUST take a naked shower BEFORE entering any public water area.  They also highly stress using the conditioner for your hair as the silica in the geo-thermal water makes your hair stationary.  I noticed this later that day.

The locker system is a bit confusing.  You closer your locker, scan your bracelet, and then it locks.  But, there are about 4 adjacent lockers that use the same scan bar.  So, you aren’t sure if the one you closed is scanning to the correct locker.  Luckily they have attendants right there to help.  They also supply you a free towel and a single free beverage at the water bar and a free mask to put on your face to moisturize (I think).  Once you step outside, you hang your towel on your assigned locker number, so make sure you remember that number, in which I was 95.  This way you can always keep track of who’s towel is whom’s.

My first glance of the Lagoon was one of awe.

They had separate areas for putting on your mask, in-water massages and the bar.

Here is the towel rack and entry to the Lagoon below:

My first task was to explore.  The Lagoon is HUGE and always 100 degrees F.  There are designated wooden boxes up on wooden planks around the Lagoon that constantly regulate the temperature.  So, the closer to those, the warmer the water.  Since it was only just after 7a, I had an in-water massage scheduled for 10a.  The massage area didn’t even open until 9a and I asked if I could start early, and they said they were booked solid.   So, make sure you book ahead of time online if you want an in-water massage.  But, I had some serious time to kill.  While floating around the Lagoon, I met some folks on vacation, including a guy and his gf from Brooklyn and another couple from Sacramento.  The guy from Booklyn was young and advising me against driving 140 km/h+ due to electronic tickets across Iceland with sensors all along the Ring Road.  I told him I’d read about it already, but sounds like he was scared he got one.  The older gentleman and his wife from Sacramento were on a group tour staying in Reykjavik and then they fly for a day to each Icelandic city and he works at Cherry Creek Mortgage, based in Denver.  So, I told him my brother lives in Sacramento and my dad lives in Denver.  What a small world!

I was about done with the Lagoon after a couple hours, but wow, the massage with Emma was so worth it.  She is an athlete and knows the pressure points.  They lay you on a floating mat and she reaches back under you to reach your back while on the mat while slowly floating you around a roped-off area in the back Lagoon.  She massages your back, then both arms, then head.  The one thing I didn’t care for was the dipping your head under water during the head massage.  I felt the water in my ears and knew this was probably going to cause Swimmer’s Ear.  But, I put up with it as the rest of it was spectacular.

After the massage, I was ready to leave.  This is definitely not an all-day event and you are ready to leave after 2-3 hours.  Plus, it started to get packed and so glad I went early.  The lockers were jammed and people everywhere.  High tourist season on top of that and people come from all over the globe for the skin-healing waters.  But, other than it getting packed, it is a must-see item no question!

But, my fingers are getting frozen as the sun sets on night 4 in Husavik.  I’m writing as I travel and recalling a few days ago when I first arrived.  I’ll be writing more soon and complete blogging about day 1!  Until then, more adventures tomorrow!

Safe travels!

 

In still preparing for Iceland, I had a few trips planned prior to that international trip later in the year, so this blog is dedicated to California’s excursion.  My first larger trip would take me to the West Coast Memorial week and weekend to California where my brother resides.  We always seem to cram a lot in a short amount of time, have a blast, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Back towards the early part of 2018, I was deciding a Memorial week and weekend trip.  The previous year, in June, I had visited my brother in California where he recently had moved for work and we had visited San Francisco (where I flew into), Sacramento (where he resides) and Lake Tahoe and had a blast cramming in as many activities as we could, including Royals vs. Giants at ATT Park, touring Google’s satellite office in SF from a mutual friend, boating in Tahoe and Emerald Bay and tremendous food and drink in between.   His girlfriend had since moved out to Sacramento with him and was excited she was going to be able to join us for most of the trip, in working around her work schedule.

The weather in northern California in June 2017 was hot, like extremely hot.  During the days, it was 100 or just a few degrees over.  It’s a dry heat, much like Las Vegas, but sticking your head in an oven is a dry heat too.  This year, however, the weather stayed within 70 degree range, but at the same time, it was earlier in the year than last year.  The days were much more comfortable, but the nights extremely chilly.

Since there are no non-stop flights from Kansas City to Sacramento (something I will continue to voice my opinion to Southwest on) I had to fly to San Diego first and then take a connecting flight straight to Sactown.  Not an awful 50-minute layover, but enough to make you want a direct flight.  So, 3 hours to San Diego, then 1.5 hours north to the capital.  The Sacramento airport is a small, modern and updated airport with a tram that will take you from the ticketing area to the gates.  Very sleek and clean and much nicer than the current KCI airport.  Yet, another reminder the overwhelming vote for a new terminal in KC was the best decision our city has had in many years.

I arrived at my brother’s condo and he possesses one of the most beautiful backyards you’ll ever lay eyes on.   It’s a lake.  I could read, write and sleep for days on his back patio.  A true readers paradise with enough quiet to let your mind’s thoughts run free.  Every so often, you would hear a “thump” in the water and see a ripple result of a fish.  We also noticed multiple turtles, both babies and elder. The occasional airplane would fly overhead taking passengers across the globe and you can’t help but sit and contemplate where they are headed and what is their story.  The hot tub also serves a suitor well on cold, northern California nights.  Needless to say, this was my favorite part of the pad.  The living room opens right open to it and you can see the view as you prepare food in the kitchen.  The whole pad centers around the lakefront view, as it should!

First things first after unpacking was where to eat.  My bro had been to Crawdad’s on the River before, so that was the choice.   A local seafood joint on the Sacramento River that serves incredible Creole Burritos.  If you make it to Sactown, you MUST try them.  They are pricey at $19, but worth it if you can splurge.  Most any food here is a little pricey.  The bar opens up with an inside or outside seating area in addition to tables inside and outside.  There will be a radio remote here Saturday night of Memorial Weekend with 92.5 KBEB The Bull radio station camped out with a party 3p-8p.  We will most likely party there that night again.  A laid-back “come as you are” environment with waitresses that enjoy their jobs and reflect it in their service….not to mention the amazing food.

The first night would take us to $1 hot dog night at Raley Field.  The stadium is right downtown with modern amenities and is home of the AAA team for the San Francisco Giants.  Later in the week, pitcher Madison Bumgarner would be making his first rehab start since breaking a finger in spring training.  The current roster included outfielder Hunter Pence, who would later in the game smack a grand slam that would put the River Cats up for good.

Raley Field had a huge LED vertical board along the left field wall and a main video board in straight away center field.  There was a beer garden in right field with a tent that would host $2 beer night later in the week on Thursday.  Apparently for the $2 beers, you can’t leave the tent area to drink them, in which you can’t see the stadium very well from inside the tent, so might not make the most sense for the avid fan.  But hey, $2 beers are $2 beers.  There was also an alcoholic sweets area that included bourbon in shakes and various kinds of alcohol in ice cream, etc.  Once the sun went down, it became less and less attractive due to the cold temps, but a great idea nonetheless.

We would park our camp in right field at a picnic table after purchasing GA seats in the outfield.  There is a HUGE kids playground in right-center field and the parents wished it could only be open during the entire week for a fee during the days.

The visiting team took an early lead on a few loop hits and walks, but the River Cats stormed back with Pence’s grand slam and there was also a HR right after his for back-to-back HR’s.  In the minors, one pitcher to the next could mean something of a future MLB pitcher to someone in AA just getting a tryout for the next level.  The talent is staggered and unpredictable, which makes it enjoyable to watch in a more relaxed atmosphere…and $1 hot dogs.  After the freezing temps when the sun had gone down, we all headed to the hot tub back at the condo and it was glorious in the middle of the high-40s weather overlooking the lake.  The perfect end to the first day.

The next morning took us to the gym for a quick workout where 24 Hour Fitness downtown Sacramento decides to charge $25 to any non-member FOR THE DAY, which is absolutely ridiculous.  I paid this last year as well and remembered how insane it was.  Their regular monthly memberships aren’t much more than that.  A poor way to try and gain more memberships and take advantage of their current member’s guests from out-of-town.  I gladly told them I was a member of Lifetime Fitness in Overland Park and I would not be joining 24 Hour and never would with how they treat guests.  At Lifetime, each guest has a certain number of guest passes for the year.  That is the best way to approach this.  Needless to say, I wasn’t going to go back for the remainder of the trip.

For lunch, we visited Firestone Public House near where my brother used to live in corporate housing downtown SacTown.   This was a bar with tons of TVs, friendly bartenders and staff and sampler beer flight trays to sample tons of beers.  I did a couple flights and ordered the BBQ chicken pizza that was fantastic.  Highly recommend Firestone if you make it to SacTown.

For the flights, you get any 4 beers at a time.  The only detriment is that a lot of the beers I requested were either out of stock, or stopped serving altogether.  But, there was still a good variety.  The come in a tray holder of 4 and they are mini-glasses that still gain enough to make it worth it.  The Fort Rock was my favorite, but I’m a sucker for the darker ale’s.

After the “flights” of beer and a few hours of sampling, we headed over to LowBrau, which is a German pub, also downtown, that features a very “come as you are” environment with picnic tables in the main area with a few regular tables as well.  Patrons were using wifi with laptops and was dog-friendly.  It seemed very much like a coffee cafe that happened to be a German pub.  There were strung lights hanging from the ceiling all over the place, including huge chandelier’s.  Was a totally different vibe than the Firestone Bar that had a much more “Rock and Roll” feel.  You can see below the amount of lights it had.  I can wager a guess it was much more scenic and energetic at night with the lights.  The staff is very alternative with everything ranging from piercings to colored hair to alternative hairstyles.  A very trendy place that included a front porch.  I hear they sometimes close 20th street for festivals as well, the street is lined with bars.

That night we simply grilled out some burgers on the back patio from the condo overlooking the lake and took it easy.  The next day would take us to Lake Tahoe, a 2-hour drive east into the mountains.

The drive to Tahoe was extremely scenic.  I had never been on a bluff overlooking Emerald Bay before, as we had taken a boat out in the bay the previous year, but had never seen it from above looking back down with a bird’s-eye view.  I was glad we did take the detour over to see it.

The name originates from the color of the water that can turn a turquoise, in which the Emerald is referring to.  The original name of the bay was Eagles Bay from the amount of eagles that fly over the area back to heir perch.   But, was changed many years ago to the current name.  The land was created ten thousand years ago as the end of the ice age and retreating glaciers created the rock formations around the lake.  In the deepest parts of the lake, it can get to 1,600 feet, which is the 3rd deepest lake in the US.  With the water going that low, and getting colder as you go down, the colder water meets the warmer water on the surface, which is why the lake never freezes.  The lower water can reach 38 degrees and the surface water can reach up to 68 degrees in the middle of summer.  Today was definitely not a the middle of summer.  It was cold, but not near the cold it would be the next day with a high of 48 and rain and overcast.  So much for a warm Memorial Weekend in Tahoe in taking the boat out.

We checked into the Hard Rock Hotel and proceeded to do some gambling, making our donations along the way.  Blackjack hijacked my money, but I won it all back with the Royals defeating the Rangers 8-2 with a straight-up bet.  Thank God for Duffy winning his second game of the year.

Our favorite bar that we hit up the previous year is called The Lucky Beaver and is open 24/7 and located in a strip center across the street from the Hard Rock and on same side of the street as the Mont Bleu Hotel and Casino on the Nevada side of the southern edge of Lake Tahoe.  We would spend 5 hours there with the best burgers you’ll ever eat and just a fun environment and you’ll never know who will walk through the doors.  We saw an older couple wearing Royals gear when we sat down, so we knew we were in the right place.  The man in the red plaid shirt below was also asleep at the bar in the middle of the afternoon.  My kind of place!  There are video blackjack machines at the bar while you watch the game or eat to pass the time.  We’d watch the Royals defeat the Rangers from here.  The full menu is open 24/7 as well, just like most restaurants in Vegas on the main strip.  A definite must-stop if you make it to the southern edge of Tahoe.  We hit it every time.  The stories of the patrons and workers are worth it alone.

That night we gambled more at Mont Bleu, did some high-stakes slots and called it a night.  The next day temps were not looking promising, so we were debating going back to Sacramento early and only staying 1 night in Tahoe.  There wasn’t much else to do besides drink alcohol and gamble when the sun wasn’t cooperating.  It’s a very outdoorsy town that relies mostly on the skiing, and that wasn’t in season anymore.

The next day, we decided to head back to Sacramento, however, we needed to make one stop for lunch before we left at Basecamp Pizza.  It’s the best pizza place in Tahoe and employed by a staff of snowboarders and skiers that work here in the offseason.  The Basecamp pizza is their pride and joy with pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, red onion.  It’s tremendous.  We’ve stopped here the last two years and it’s located in the middle of their quaint village area on the California side of Tahoe, down the street from the casino’s on the Nevada side.  Order the cheesy garlic bread as well and the marinara sauce is yummy.  A perfect hangover cure from a night out drinking the night before.

Two hours to the minute later, we were back in Sacramento and made great time.  Most people were driving TO Tahoe for the weekend, so we missed a lot of the traffic from the west.  Not sure what those folks were planning on doing in Tahoe, but the weather wouldn’t be allowing them to do much outside once they got there.

After arriving back in Sactown, the hot tub was calling my name again for a relaxing afternoon.  Put the headphones on, watched airplanes fly overhead, soaked in the 105-degree temp and rejuvenated from the cold weather in Tahoe and the 2-hour drive. Memorial Weekend done right.  We were right to have left Tahoe early, and never thought I’d say that, but I’ll be back next year when the weather is warmer and my bro has moved in to his new house he closes on Tuesday.

Later that night, we decided to lay low and take in a movie.  We went and saw Solo: A Star Wars Movie and it was fantastic.  Both my bro and his gf are not Star Wars fans and they even enjoyed it.  It has many references to the main movies 4-6 and was much better than episode 8.  The side movies for Star Wars are overshadowing the current series at a rapid pace.  It started with Rogue One (also tremendous) and now Solo.  I hear Obi-Wan, Boba Fett and Lando stand along movies are in the future as well.  The writing and direction of the current series just isn’t there anymore without the main characters and plot.  The theater we visited was the Century Arden 14 and XD.  This XD screen I had never heard of, but was the largest I’d ever seen.  The perfect spot for a Star Wars flick with reclining chairs in the 3rd row.

The next took me to Starbucks to write this blog and hangout while the rest of the crew worked out at the gym.  Wasn’t paying $25 again for a single day pass!  I’ll use that time to catch up on my travel blog and continue planning my next adventure.  Until next time, I’ll be California Livin’.

 

It commenced with a single passing vote on the night of Tuesday, November 7.  A single, unified, heartfelt and pleading voice from the citizens of KC, MO screaming “Yes, we want want a new KCI Terminal!” The pitch for the new terminal had actually been gaining steam for months.  The Kansas City Area Development Council, the Kansas City Sports Commission and countless other organizations joined forces to help educate  citizens across the region what a new terminal could and would mean to the Kansas City Metro economically.  Even though only Missouri residents could vote, the economic impact would be felt across the region.  And guess what, it worked.  The dream for many years, for many travelers like myself, was finally becoming a reality.  http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article183379336.html

Once the vote passed by a landslide (thank you to all those whose time and efforts will never be forgotten in educating the public!) there was a visit from KCI transportation officials to Iceland in December 2017 to help pitch Icelandair officials that Kansas City needed a Transatlantic flight direct from KCI.  The agreement and announcement was swift on January 9, 2018.  Kansas City had achieved it’s first Transatlantic flight straight to the capital of Iceland – Reykjavik and the Keflavik airport.  The announcement is found on this site:

https://www.icelandair.com/blog/icelandair-is-going-to-kansas-city/

Icelandair is the longest running airline based in Iceland, having been around for over 80 years.  The only other major airline in the country is WOW that is considered a money-saver airline with more a la carte pricing.  Once this announcement was made public, I started envisioning my next international adventure, and to the most sparsely populated European country.  The stage was set, but the questions were now cost, timeframe and what to see and do.  I knew nothing of this isolated land.

One of the first things I remember reading was that Iceland was the film location for “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (even the Greenland scenes) so I went back and watched all those foreign scenes that brought that film to life.  In transporting a man (Ben Stiller) that was seemingly boring and never left his hometown, they brought his character to one of the most breathtaking and adventurous places they could imagine and having him chase down his photographer friend, Sean Penn.  Once I learned this was my destination, excitement grew all over again.  If you get a chance, watch some YouTube highlights of this movie to get a glimpse.  Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HddkucqSzSM

My first step was to check travel dates.  I knew I had planned trips already in early to mid summer, so it had to be towards mid to end of summer.  I have found Icelandair’s rates change pretty drastically from time to time.  When I first looked when the flights were announced in January, there was round trip for $581.  By the time I checked back in February, round trip was in the $800s minimum.  Finally, when I checked again on April 6 and saw the one way ticket for $267 from KC to Reykjavik, I knew it was do or die….so I did, and adrenaline pulsed through my veins.  You don’t get a rush like this on buying many material objects, this is the kind of rush that only an adventure can duplicate.  But, the planning was only beginning.

From the outset, I knew that if I was going solo, I would want to immerse myself in the people and culture of the country.  Staying in hotels only creates more barriers between you and the organic way of life Icelanders live.  So, Airbnb’s was my preferred lodging, converse with the locals ahead of time, and this is where my research would commence.  I’m personally not excited about hostels, but they are all over Iceland.  I’m staying in one, for a single night in a private room in the southeast edge of Iceland, but only because the area is so remote that the couple hotels available are either already sold out or over $350 per night.  It’s a port town of Seyoisfjorour where cruise ships dock from Denmark carrying tourists.  A picture is below.  It’s breathtaking, but I’ll get into this much more as I get into the details of each town.

My flight takes off from KCI at 5:15p and arrives in Keflavik (Reykjavik) at 5:10a.  The actual city the airport is located is called Keflavik with airport code KEF, but this is only a 39 minute car ride to the capital city of Reykjavik, so don’t get confused just because the city name is different.  There is a 5-hour time difference on top of that from USA Central time Zone, so I’m planning on sleeping overnight on the flight, just as I did when I ventured to Italy.  I had read that the Blue Lagoon (bucket list and must-see destination) is only 20 minutes from the airport, so the best planning is either visit from the airport or to the airport.  As you can see on the map below, it’s very close.  The main city of Reykjavik is in the top right corner that you can’t even see.  The drive from The Blue Lagoon to Reykjavik is another 41 minutes.

I rented my 2-wheel drive Toyota Yaris automatic transmission with A/C from Hertz.  There are 4 main on-site rental car agencies located in the arrivals terminal at Keflavik Airport.  Those rental agencies are Hertz, Avis, Budget and Bilaleiga Akureyar/Europcar.  Naturally, I was going to go with a rental agency I was familiar with, so that cut my list to 3.  There are many more rental agencies offsite in which you can take a shuttle bus and save money without airport fees, but I decided to ultimately just pick it up at the airport since I was heading to the Blue Lagoon in pretty short order by 8a.  Rental cars are fairly expensive in Iceland as there isn’t much public transportation.  If you are looking to drive anywhere outside of Reykjavik, you will need one.  The public bus system is few and far between pickup and drop off times and limited locations outside the city.

In addition, the default transmission in Iceland is manual.  So, if you are looking for automatic, like me, then you must make sure it specifically says “automatic” or you could be in for a surprise when you arrive.  Of course, automatic vehicles will be more expensive as well, and very few vehicles have A/C since the temps are cooler in Iceland, but it was included in mine even without really searching too hard.  It will get approx 38 miles to the gallon.  Hertz also receives rave reviews and you can save money by paying in advance.  I wasn’t willing to do that, so I will pay at the counter when I arrive, which is a little more expensive.  So, from renting from July 15-July 22 it will be $880 USD including all the fees.  To get it for that long of period of time with automatic and a reputable rental company, it’s a good value.  There are other rental companies cheaper with poor reviews or offsite of the airport or manual transmission.  So, make sure you take it all into account based on the type of trip you want to have.  You can make your reservation from Hertz here: https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/reservation/  AND WE’RE OFF…….

The Blue Lagoon opens at 7a and you must reserve a time they will expect you and will reserve your locker.  But, once you are in, you are in for the full day.  I’m hearing you are recommended to invest in a waterproof phone case if you want to take pictures, so I went ahead and purchased one on Amazon for $21.  They also have in-water massages available (which I set for 10a and is 30 minutes long for $102 USD), which you also must reserve ahead of time.  I reserved my time for 8a (7a is usually the cheapest ticket since it’s so early, 8a is about $10 USD more, but I figured it was worth it in case I had any trouble picking up the rental car and acclimating to driving in Iceland and take it slow).  There are various Blue Lagoon packages ranging from Comfort (cheapest) to Retreat Spa (most expensive).  I did the Comfort and it was $99 USD for the day.  This includes a drink, mud mask, towel and entrance ticket.  For the next level, it includes all those items including bathrobe, slippers, Algae mask, restaurant reservation, sparkling wine.  This next package is $129 USD for the day.  Being that I just wanted to experience the geothermal spa, I did the cheapest package.  There are other geothermal pools all over the country, this just happens to be the most touristy with a hotel onsite and most glamorous.  You can book your reservation here: https://www.bluelagoon.com/

The Blue Lagoon is created by an adjacent power plant extracting 400+ degree F temp water from deep inside the Earth’s crust.  This water is brought to the surface to heat the country and the excess water is deviated to this lagoon and then regulated with temperature to 99 degrees F.  So, this water is rich in organic minerals that you can’t find anywhere else and tourists flock from all over the world to embrace the healing powers it has over many skin disorders, including Psoriasis.  My aunt has already approached me about buying her cream and product to bring back to her in treating this issue.  But, as I mentioned, there are many more geothermal pools in this country, but this is the most well-known and most expensive.  Many of the locals and Rick Steves will advise against going here and give alternatives, but how often will I get the chance to come back and experience the beauty and atmosphere?

I plan on staying a majority of the day at The Blue Lagoon.  I figure until 2:30p or so in the afternoon and then drive the 40 minutes to Reykjavik and check into my first Airbnb around 3:30p.  This will give me a chance to retrieve the keys and then explore the downtown area.  I chose my first Airbnb in Reykjavik for a variety of reasons.  Out of all the researching I had done, this first 2 nights was the most exhaustive research.  Deciding on where in the city, where the bus stops were located (for my Game of Thones tour on day 2), if was close to the main downtown street of Laugavegur.  Laugavegur literally means “wash road” and used to be the main road that women took to the hot springs to wash their clothing.  This is now the hub of the city, housing everything from restaurants, retail and world-renowned night life.

Her name is Anna, she has a daughter and is a chemist in Reykjavik.  She decided to put her extra room up for rent on Airbnb to welcome travelers from all over the world and make some side money.  She is a 7 minute walk from City Hall and to the local bus stop, (which is fantastic for travelers or tour participants) and apprx 15 minute walk from the famed Laugavegur street that houses a majority of the night clubs, retail shops and restaurants, including the Lebowski bar (and yes, they serve White Russians) but mainly known for their burgers (pictured below).  Alcohol is known to be expensive in Iceland, so if you can, try and go to a liquor store before you head to a bar as they’ll be even more expensive there.  Their website is here: https://lebowskibar.is/

Anna has a private room to rent, which is what I was looking for.  I wasn’t going to be in my room often, but wanted a room with limited windows (sun only goes down for 3 hours in the summer 12mid-3a in Iceland) and close to downtown (walking distance) for a decent rate and something flexible on cancellations (which Anna’s was).  If you are unfamiliar with Airbnb’s, you pay up front and then if you cancel within a certain timeframe, you can be refunded.  Every property is different, so make sure you check the cancellation policies.  I wanted my trip as flexible as possible in case a different adventure caught my eye.  I’ve been emailing Anna sporadically and she even helped me find the closest bus stop for the next day.  She is incredibly helpful and we look forward to meeting in person.  The entrance to Anna’s house is located below

Here is the distance from Anna’s house to the main downtown street Laugavegur and to Lebowski Bar, a 15-minute walk.

I was going to going to start day 2 in this blog, but think I will hold off on that for now….in true Game of Thrones fashion in making fans wait…WINTER IS COMING.  The next day will be an 8-hour film site on-location tour.

Here are some of the film scenes I’ll be seeing listed below and some actual series moments…Jon and Ygritte got it on in the cave above…until next time.

• • Drogon the dragon hunts for goats. S4E06
• • The Hound and Brienne of Tarth fight for Arya Stark. (only visited during summer season). S4E10
• • The Bloody Gate. Lord Baelish (Little Finger) and Sansa Stark on the way to the Eyrie. S4E05
• • The Hound and Arya on the same route. S4E08
• • Wildlings and Thenns attack what is often called Olly’s farm/village. S4E03
• The scenes at The Bloody Gate were filmed at Þingvellir National Park, a World Heritage Site where the Viking parliament was established. Various other scenes were filmed in that area, such as:
  • • Wildlings roaming South of the Wall
  • • Thenns and Wildlings meet in the canyon, Styr is introduced. S4E01
  • • After leaving The Hound, Arya on her way to find a ship to Braavos. S4E10

  Walk around the Settlement Era Viking Lodge in Þjórsárdalur valley where elaborate scenes were shot and a particularly hair raising massacre in the series took place.

• The Bloody Gate is below