Iceland

Þingvellir: Where History and Nature Meet in Iceland!

Whale Watching in Iceland

Iceland’s South Shore: The Dyrhólaey Peninsula and Vik

Filed Under: Europe, Iceland, Travel Journal Tagged With: Akureyri, fjord, food, Iceland, Keflavik, northern town, photo, pylsur, Rekjavik, travel

Goðafoss: The Waterfalls of the Gods and Water Art

15 April 2015 by Raul 4 Comments

Goðafoss, (“Godafoss” for ease of my typing!), or “Waterfall of the Gods“, is one of the must-see waterfalls in Iceland. The Godafoss waterfalls are about 36 ft high (12 m) and are located at the Skjálfandafljót River. It is located somewhere between the northern towns of Akureyri and Husavik. More precisely, it is on the ring road going east from Akureryi, right after the road to Husavik branches off (route 85). The story goes that a key Icelandic chieftain in the year 1,000 AD was trying to decide whether Icelanders would adopt Christianity. After deciding in the affirmative, he returned home and threw his images of the pre-Christianity pagan gods into the waterfall and, hence, the name for the waterfalls.

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The waterfall from the highway

The water was gushing generously, as one would expect a proper waterfall would do. Perhaps this time in June was still a time of heavy melt?

Fast-flowing!

Yours truly

Looking from the waterfall back towards the road along one of the trails

Majestic!

The main part of the waterfall

Not only was the waterfall impressive but the flow over the one closest to me drew my eye as the following pictures attest… I need to figure out how to turn some of these into neat art pieces for my home!

Filed Under: Europe, Iceland, Travel Journal Tagged With: art, Canon EOS Rebel, flow, Godafoss, Iceland, Olympus, photo, travel, water, waterfall

Can’t Beat Whale Watching in Iceland!

7 April 2015 by Raul 2 Comments

A trip to Iceland without whale watching would just be missing something – it would just be wrong. Therefore, on my trip to there last summer, whale watching was part of the agenda though, initially, I was not sure it was my top priority (I was wrong!). As we were going to spend time up north (in Akureyri), we had easy access to a larger fishing town called Husavik, purportedly, one of the best places to whale watch in Europe.

We drive over there to catch a morning boat and spent a good three hours spotting minke and humpback whales. We did not see any blue whales. The morning started slow as we were crossing the bay but, once we were more in open sea (still not far from land as you can see in the pictures), that’s when the show began (and don’t miss the photos of the scenery at the end!).

It was fun to see the whales come up for air a few times and then go down for minutes before re-appearing elsewhere. As you can imagine, there is not just one boat out there so there is a little bit of watching what the other boats are doing as the boats give chase to the whales (or, rather, where they think the whales will re-surface). We had good luck (and/or a good crew) because we got close enough to these giants.

Here is a sequence of one of the whales:

And another sequence with the whale blowing through the hole:

Finally, on the sequences, one that shows how close the boats get to the whales (or, is it the whales to the boats??):

Of course, the magic is done mostly by the crew as this picture shows:

Iceland, sea, whale watching, Husavik, ship, boat, Canon EOS Rebel

The lookouts

Not only was the whale spotting and watching great fun but the scenery was breathtaking too.

A few tips

It may be cold/windy so go ready. Additionally, wearing something waterproof would be a good idea though we did not get wet. Some boats will give you a jacket (notice the pictures with people on a given boat wearing the same color!).
If things go well, you will be close enough to the whales with a regular camera but a moderate zoom can be helpful. The zoom built-in into regular cameras will do the trick.
Bring a snack if you think you will get hungry in the three hours. At the end of our tour, they passed hot chocolate around which was nice.
Don’t stress over getting a “great” spot on the boat. There should be plenty of good sight lines during the tour.
We did not experience any rough seas or anything that could really make us seasick – the waters were calm. However, there is no telling how the seas may vary due to weather or month so check ahead and go prepared if you tend to feel seasick.

So, pretty neat tour – I highly recommend it!!

——– More on Iceland ——–

Þingvellir: Where History and Nature Meet in Iceland!

Iceland’s South Shore: The Dyrhólaey Peninsula and Vik

Filed Under: Europe, Iceland Tagged With: blue whales, humpback, Husavik, Iceland, mink, photos, travel, whale watching

2014: A Year of Travel and Food in Review

30 December 2014 by Raul 4 Comments

Well, 2014 is now for the history books. Lots happened in this crazy world of ours and, likely, lots in each of our worlds. My year started planning my big trips for the year: Iceland and doing the Camino de Santiago in Spain (the latter with Trekking for Kids, a charity I am involved with and with whom I do a yearly trek somewhere around the world to improve the lives of orphaned children). But the year brought me a few unexpected destinations and a return to some favorites.

Lake Placid – winter wonderland

But my first trip of the year was to wonderful Lake Placid, New York best known for hosting the 1980 Winter Olympic Games.

Lake Placid, Olympic museum, New York, Olympus

Welcome to the museum!

There, I explored local food and beverages at great places like the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, the bar at the Whiteface Lodge, and at Lisa G’s (with its delicious chicken wings!). I also got to skate on the Miracle on Ice skating Herb Brooks arena (after over a decade of not ice skating!), and got to do a luge run in the indoor training facility for the U.S. Olympic team!

New York City

Business took me to NYC but only for an overnight visit. I managed to squeeze in seeing my cousins A and Z and enjoyed a great meal with them. One great outcome of this trip was this neat photo from my business partners’ office.

Picture perfect day!

I might add that the photos/videos from my airplane window seat upon takeoff from La Guardia were pretty neat thanks to the blanket of snow on the ground. I shared some of them here but here is one example of the great opportunity I had on this flight.

winter, snow, New York City, Manhattan, Hudson River, view from plane, New Jersey, photos, window seat

Right after take-off

Washington, D.C.

I worked in DC for two years right in the heart of the city. I so enjoyed being in the center of power, arguably, of the world watching people, exploring the various museums and monuments (surprise find: the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery right by the White House, which I got to visit!), enjoying great cocktails (especially at Le Bar in the Sofitel) and savoring all the great food around town (like at Granville Moore’s or Café Mozart).

Delicious German fare at Café Mozart!

I got to return on a winter weekend in 2014 as I just love the town and I got to attend the travel show held yearly in town. I got to visit my former workplace and say hi to my former colleagues as well which was a nice touch. I finally got to do a slow “walkaround” of Lafayette Square, a place I often went to to eat my lunch during workdays but that I never paid close attention to. And then I got to hang out with a couple of friends and fellow trekkers from Trekking for Kids – icing on the proverbial cake!

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A pile of snow in front of the White House

Finally, I love when taking off from Reagan National airport affords me a neat view!

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A “close” look at the Pentagon

Traverse City

I had not heard about Traverse City ever until a couple of months before I went. How could it be that this world traveler who had also seen a good bit of the States had never heard of this place?? I was pleasantly surprised at all there was to see and do around Traverse City. From good food, great local beer, plenty of nature and outdoors, and excellent drives. On top of it all, I actually ran into Cuban pork (one of my favorite dishes) at a local winery in the Leelanau Peninsula while exploring the area’s wine with the Sip & Savor festival – an event I greatly enjoyed.

But my favorite part of the whole trip was driving around the peninsulas, taking in the vistas and checking out the architecture of the area. I did not get to see the dunes that are not far from Traverse City but that, my friends, will be for a future visit.

My trip to Iceland was special. It is a place I have always wanted to explore but I got to do it with dear friends and their two kids. In addition, one of them had second (or was it third??) cousins there and she connected with them. They hosted us for a great evening of food and wine and, more importantly, warmth and great company!

Sadly, I didn’t take pix of the great spread but here is the table we ate at!

I enjoyed seeing the diverse landscapes of the island. There are not enough posts I could write about it to convey how majestic it is and I am not yet done writing about it (I did write about the South Shore, Reykjavik and its main church, the site of its first parliament, and the Blue Lagoon). But here are a couple of the sights I enjoyed. In the meantime, stay tuned for more posts about Iceland!

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The view from our house in the northern town of Akureyri

Puerto Rico

As some of you may know from prior posts, I moved to Puerto Rico when I was 2 years old until I finished high school when I came back to the mainland U.S. This year I went back to P.R. for a high school reunion. Given many commitments, I had to keep it to a 2.5-day weekend visit centered on the reunion activities and my classmates. Of course, and it goes without saying (or typing), that EVERYONE looks the same. (You never know who is reading these things… best to be careful and say that. LOL).

OK, not a typical travel pic but I wanted to honor my classmates. Me? The one front & center!

We stayed at a resort in Rio Grande which was OK but did not compare to other resorts in terms of service, cleanliness, or quality of food and beaches. But, what made the weekend perfect was sharing with so many wonderful people – I truly was happy to see them and try to catch up.

I did enjoy two things about this trip besides the reunion: sunset at the resort and the landing in San Juan which was like a trip down memory lane seeing all the places I knew (on my side of the plane), so much so on the latter that I dedicated a post to share the views from the landing! Check it out here.

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The start of sunset. Picture perfect.

Santa Barbara, California

There are so many places you hear about constantly and sometimes you just never think anything of them. Santa Barbara is a name I have heard so much yet never made it a point of going there. That is, until my friends Chris and Wendy invited me to join them on a trip to Cali. I only could take a long weekend not the whole week of their trip but I decided to go with them and explore Santa Barbara with them. I am so glad I did, even if the trip was so short. The trip started with lunch at The Hat in Simi Valley where I enjoyed a delicious hot pastrami sandwich and an obscenely (and deliciously) large bag of onion rings!

pastrami, The Hat, Simi Valley, onion rings, California, food, foodporn, foodie

Look at THAT!

The food, the wine and the company were excellent. But the sights of Santa Barbara were indeed worth the effort: the Presidio, the Old Mission, and -of course- the beach! This is a place I would love to get back to just to relax!

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At the pier, ready to watch the sun set

Spain: Madrid, León, Santiago and the Camino

Oh, Spain! Where to begin. León, where the trip began? Any of the number of towns along the Camino de Santiago, where we walked and experienced a millennial pilgrimage? Santiago de Compostela, where the pilgrimage ends and near where my great-grandfather was born? Or, Madrid, the grand dame of Spain?

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León captivated me

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Detail of the massive Plaza Mayor in the heart of Madrid

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Well, I can’t talk about Spain without talking food!

Morocco

Unfortunately, my visit to Morocco was short as I was headed to Spain to do the Camino de Santiago. I got to experience a little bit of Marrakesh but the bulk of the visit was spent in Essaouira, a town on the Atlantic coast of Morocco – quite an unexpected vibe to a Moroccan city for me (I knew little about Morocco before this visit!). It is a little weird that I am writing about Morocco in the year in review before I have even finished writing about my visit there last summer!

As is usually my reaction to Arab countries, I loved the architecture. The red of Marrakesh was a stark contrast to the white and some blue of Essaouira. And just the same, Marrakesh was intense whereas Essaouira was relaxed – another sharp contrast. I felt like I could live in Essaouira quite easily though Marrakesh would require a significant adjustment. What a neat experience to see these big differences within Morocco!

Marrakesh, Morocco, red, Olympus, travel, photo, architecture, bicycles

The red of Marrakesh in the city’s walls

Essaouira, Morocco, blue, fort, travel, photo, Samsung Galaxy

Essaouira and its blue

The Florida Gulf Coast near Tampa

I visit Tampa where I have a good bit of family a few times a year. Usually, this means hanging out together or doing things nearby. But I rarely go beyond the area of Tampa where they all live. Christmas 2014 was the time, given the length of my visit, to go beyond. We did a couple of day trips to “sample” places like Naples (about 2.5 hrs away from north Tampa), Lido Key, Longboat Key, and Anna Maria Island. The latter seemed like a great community to live in but otherwise, not that charming. St. Armand at Lido Key did strike me as a neat place to go and walk around and sit back and relax. We checked out the park at the southern tip of the key and walk to the beach. Later we drove the length of Longboat Key (pretty long indeed!) but we “broke it up” by stopping at The Lazy Lobster for an outdoor lunch centered on, guess what, lobster!

lobster, Longboat Key, seafood, foodie, delicious, travel, food, Samsung Galaxy

This delicious dish is called the lazy man’s lobster – served all cracked up!

But 2014 was also a year of exploring not only far off places but also places near my own hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.

Filed Under: Travel Journal, Year in Review Tagged With: California, food, Iceland, Morocco, spain, travel, Washington, Wine

Iceland’s South Shore: The Dyrhólaey Peninsula and Vik

15 December 2014 by Raul 6 Comments

The south shore of Iceland is a popular route for visitors to the island. One can do a day trek from Reykjavik (though, arguably, a long day) to see the major sights along the ring road on the south (e.g., waterfalls, glaciers, black sandy beaches). The south shore deserves more than one write-up so I will separate into the waterfalls, the Myrdalsjökull glacier, and the Dyrhólaey peninsula – Vik area. Here, I want to share some of the views from the latter, the Dyrhólaey peninsula and Vik, just a short distance east of the peninsula, where our day trip ended before returning to Reykjavik.

Vik

I will start with Vik, since it is a small place to talk about. Vik means “bay” in Icelandic hence why many towns on the island end in “vik” (Reykjavik, Dalvik, Husavik). It is the southernmost town in Iceland. When I read about Vik, it is called a village – it has less than 300 so “village” seems appropriate. Be its size as it may, it is a scenic spot for sure, even if the time of day I visited was not the ideal light for great pictures (I wish I had been there at sunset though that was likely around midnight!). The basalt rock stacks or towers coming out from the ocean (go straight south and you will not hit land until Antarctica!) are quite impressive.

Vik, Iceland, village, church, scenic, landscape, photo, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

Church in Vik

Vik, Iceland, village, scenic, landscape, photo, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

Beautiful fields of purple

These recall turf houses even if it is not turf on their roofs; note the layers of rock behind them!

Vik, Iceland, village, flowers, scenic, landscape, photo, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

Isn’t this an incredible sight??!! Basalt rock spires in the water.

The Dyhólaey nature reserve

Dyhólaey was declared a nature reserve in 1978. This covered not only the landscape but the incredible wildlife there, mostly birds I assume. We saw plenty of cliff birds perching right along the edge of the cliff and then flying off. The contrast of the white feathers and the black sands below was pretty neat to see. The black sands are definitely a reminder of the impact of volcanic activity in Iceland, especially in the south of the island.

Dyrholaey, peninsula, Atlantic Ocean, Iceland, south shore, cliff bird,travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

These birds are a sight to see as they fly to and from the cliffs.

There is a lighthouse at the top of the peninsula, one of two structures there (the other seems abandoned, maybe a former residence for the lighthouse keeper?). The lighthouse dates from 1910. I am not sure but I suspect no one lives in the property any more.

One can walk down to the beach right at the base of the peninsula where the black sands and smooth small rocks are right at your fingertips.

As you can see the views from the top of the cliff are spectacular and worth admiring – definitely worth the drive over.

Dyrholaey, peninsula, Atlantic Ocean, Iceland, south shore, black sand, basalt,beach,travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Love this lonely stack of basalt

An arch that reminds me of the 12 Apostles in Australia

Dyrholaey, peninsula, Atlantic Ocean, Iceland, south shore, black sand, glacier, volcano, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Looking inland to the glaciers and volcanoes

I agree – the vista is worth soaking it!

——– More on Iceland ——–

Þingvellir: Where History and Nature Meet in Iceland!

Whale Watching

Filed Under: Europe, Iceland, Travel Journal Tagged With: Atlantic Ocean, basalt rock, black sand, Canon EOS Rebel, Dyrholaey, Iceland, lava, lava rocks, lighthouse, Olympus, Peninsula, photo, south shore, travel, Vik, volcanic

Hallgrímskirkja Church: The Young Icon of Reykjavik

4 December 2014 by Raul 1 Comment

Hallgrímskirkja Church in the heart of Reykjavik is a “young” building. It was completed in 1986 but took close to 40 years to erect. Its design, driving up in a pointed way to the sky with its tower, reflects on the landscape of the island country with its lava flows. The structure is not the tallest structure in Iceland but is the tallest church. Though young, it has become the icon of the city due to its highly visible profile and unique architecture.

Hallgrimskirkja, church, Reykjavik, Iceland, architecture, design, views, Olympus, travel, photo

Approaching the church from the back, on a slightly gray day

Outside, you can admire the structure from up close which allows for any number of neat pictures from different perspectives. Outside you can also admire the statue to Leif Erikson, allegedly, the first European to reach North America (I mean, who knows if another Viking got there before him?!). Interestingly, the statue pre-dates the church as it was given by the U.S. to Iceland in 1930 to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the establishment of Iceland’s Parliament at Þingvellir.

The statue of Leif Erikson in front of the facade of the church

Hallgrimskirkja, church, Reykjavik, Iceland, architecture, design, views, Canon EOS Rebel, travel, photo

Close up of Mr. Erikson – and the clock tower

A visitor and Mr. Erikson meet – as seen from the clock tower

The inscription that describes the gift from the U.S. of the statue on 1930

A visitor takes advantage of the statue’s base for a shot of the church

We went inside and, as many Protestant churches, the interior was plain. I assume the more so to help the faithful focus on God. Being a tourist-visited site, of course, removes some of that aura but, at the time I visited, there was an organist playing (or maybe just practicing?) which drew attention to the pipe organ at the back of the church.

My favorite part is the observation deck at the top of the church tower. As usual, when it is available, I always go up to gain a birds-eye view of the places I visit. This deck did not disappoint as it helped frame the city of Reykjavik within its setting, hugged by mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. I leave you with some of the views I enjoyed from up high in Hallgrímskirkja!

Detail of the roof above the altar area

View of the neighborhood by the church

Looking towards the area where our apartment was

Hallgrimskirkja, church, Reykjavik, Iceland, Pearl, architecture, design, views, Canon EOS Rebel, travel, photo

The Pearl Observatory (and restaurant)

View a little further away from the church

Looking now further away from the city center

Looking further away in another direction

And now in another direction!

Filed Under: Europe, Iceland Tagged With: architecture, Canon EOS Rebel, church, design, Hallgrimskirkja, Iceland, Olympus, photo, Reykjavik, travel, views

A Stroll around Reykjavik

27 November 2014 by Raul 4 Comments

One of the pluses of going to Iceland, besides witnessing the magnificent statement nature makes there, is enjoying visiting somewhere that is manageable in size. One can cross the island in one day from coast to coast thanks for a great ring road that is in pretty good condition (especially, when one considers the climate). Another pleasant aspect of it being of manageable size is that its capital, Reykjavik, is quite approachable and easily explored on foot – perfect for a stroll to discover!

Pedestrian friendly areas

With a population of about 125,000, traffic in this city is not a problem; one can easily walk around, cross streets, etc.

Reykjavik, Iceland, architecture, travel, street, red, Samsung Galaxy

Walking around Reykjavik is delightful

Reykjavik, Iceland, architecture, travel, street, lone biker, Canon EOS Rebel

Plenty of road space for bicyclists

But Reykjavik has in its city center a nice pedestrian street, Laugavegur. Shops of every kind and a few eateries can be found in this street. We actually stayed right off it in an apartment we rented on Vatnsstigur – a perfect spot central to everything.

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Hallgrímskirkja Church as seen from Laugavegur street

Reykjavik, Iceland, street scene, travel, pedestrian street, Laugavegur, Canon EOS Rebel

Laugavegur is a fun street to walk about!

Reykjavik, Iceland, street scene, travel, pedestrian street, street art, bicycle, blue,Laugavegur, Olympus

Neat way to close up the street to cars!

Looking from one end of Laugavegur – it was a nice “warm” day!

The Old Harbor (which still functions as a harbor for fishermen, etc.) is a place with great seafood restaurants (also has a Viking museum and other places of interest). The one I went to was not fancy at all but it served OUTSTANDING fresh seafood.

Reykjavik, Iceland, Old Harbor, seafood, fishing, travel, photo, map, Olympus

The Old Harbor has been re-vitalized and it’s a great spot for dining.

Reykjavik, Iceland, Old Harbor, seafood, fishing, travel, photo, Olympus

One of the many restaurants in the Old Harbor

Interesting architecture

I found the town to be quite charming even if I cannot say its architecture is overwhelmingly incredible. The type and materials of construction, of course, are designed to deal with the climate the town experiences. But, some of the designs are pretty neat visually, to my untrained eye at least.

Reykjavik, Iceland, buildings, construction, color, architecture, travel, photo, Olympus

Corner door AND sharp color contrast – my kind of place!

Nice contrast between these two neighbors

Reykjavik, Iceland, buildings, construction, color, architecture, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

A propos of it being a seaside city

Nice contrast between the exterior wall and the window frames

Simple is also OK

Typical corner door and “cut-out” above

The picket fence is a nice touch

My favorite corner door and “cut-out”

Don’t forget to look up!

Sharp color contrast

And food along the way

A stroll around Reykjavik is NOT complete without having an Icelandic hot dog.

Reykjavik, Iceland, hot dog, cart, travel, food, photo

One of the many hot dog carts around

There is more to see in Reykjavik, of course, like Hallgrímskirkja Church, museums, etc. But, start with a stroll like this and you will love this northern town too!

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Read and see more about my trip to Iceland:

Thingvellir (or “Þingvellir” in local alphabet) – where history and nature meet
A “post card” from northern Dalvik
The Blue Lagoon – where is Brooke Shields?
Our week-long itinerary

Filed Under: Europe, Iceland, Travel Journal Tagged With: architecture, buildings, church, construction, Iceland, Laugavegur, Old Harbor, pedestrian street, photo, Reykjavik, travel

Postcards from Iceland: Dalvík

14 September 2014 by Raul 1 Comment

Dalvík, in the north of Iceland right at around 12 o’clock, is a small town of about 1,400 inhabitants on the western side of the Eyjafjörður fjord. We drove through this fishing town on the way to our base in Akureyri as we rounded the peninsula where Dalvík sits on route 76 going east after visiting Hólar earlier that day. Route 76 is not part of the famous ring road. It is a very scenic road hugging the coastline and passing through a couple of charming small towns (Siglufjörður and Olafsfjörður) – a drive I would recommend.

We enjoyed some of the views around Dalvík and here I share some of my favorites. What do these images remind you of?

Dalvik, Dalvík, Iceland, fjord, Eyjafjordur, fishing town, mountains, boats, churches, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, travel

Incredible landscape around Dalvík and across Eyjafjordur.

Fishing and fish processing are the key industries in Dalvík

Dalvik, Dalvík, Iceland, fjord, Eyjafjordur, Dalvíkurkirkja, fishing town, mountains, boats, churches, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, travel

Beautiful church (Dalvíkurkirkja) that must almost get lost in winter with it being white!

What seemed to be the main church stands out well against the mountains around the town

——– More on Iceland ——–

Þingvellir: Where History and Nature Meet in Iceland!

Iceland’s South Shore: The Dyrhólaey Peninsula and Vik

Whale Watching

Filed Under: Europe, Iceland, Special Photos Tagged With: Canon EOS Rebel, church, Dalvík, fishing boat, Iceland, landscape, mountains, northern town, photo, scenery, travel

Þingvellir: Where History and Nature Meet in Iceland!

31 July 2014 by Raul 5 Comments

One of the key stops along the Golden Circle in Iceland (a nice day trip from Reykjavik) is Þingvellir (or “Thingvellir”, as the first letter is a “th”-ish sound), in the Þingvellir National Park. It is a site of great importance both because of historic and geological reasons. It was here than in the 10th century, Iceland’s parliament was set up less than 100 years after the island was populated by settlers from what is Norway today And it stayed there until the very end of the 18th century! Setting up this parliament was key in creating a unique Icelandic sense of nation.

The park is also the home of the largest lake in Iceland and it contains the crest of the rift valley in the mid-Atlantic. As you walk in down a paved path, a large cliff wall on your left frames the scene. It is an imposing wall!

As you walk down on it, you are shown to the spot where parliament was founded. It is barely noticeable except for the flag pole and the framing put in place on the actual site – oh, and all the tourists!

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See the flagpole in the distance?

Standing on the spot gives one a great view down to the valley. But walk down to the water, perhaps the church and admire the cliff walls from below.

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Looking up to the site of the first parliament!

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Church below the parliament site

But stop and admire the natural beauty of the site!

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Awesome land!

Beautiful!

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The strata of lava point to the incredible geological uniqueness of Iceland

It was one of the first “sights” I visited in Iceland (after the Blue Lagoon) and it definitely help frame the country for me by marrying its history with its incredible landscapes!

——– More on Iceland ——–