2019 ICELAND & NORTHERN LIGHTS PURSUIT

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ICELAND: NORTHERN LIGHTS PURSUIT
December 4-9, 2019
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2019 ICELAND WITH NORTHERN LIGHTS PURSUIT BY GATE 1

FLAG OF ICELAND

Dec 4-5
JFK*REYKJAVIK
Just landed in Keflavik with my traveling companion Perl, an old friend from the University. Here’s hoping we see the Aurora Borealis with 4 nights to have a chance.

December 5
HARPA CONVENTION HALL*BERGMAL*HALLGRIMSKIRJA*PERLAN
Had our breakfast at Bergmal at the Harpa where our tour guide Oli gave us info about Iceland and our itinerary before we began our city tour of Reykjavik. Harpa had its opening concert held on May 4, 2011. The building features a distinctive colored glass facade inspired by the basalt landscape of Iceland.

HALLGRIMSKIRKJA First stop was the Lutheran church Hallgrimskirkja, the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country. The church is named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674), author of the Passion Hymns. Situated in the center of Reykjavík, it is one of the city's best-known landmarks and is visible throughout the city. State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson's design of the church was commissioned in 1937. He is said to have designed it to resemble the trap rocks, mountains and glaciers of Iceland's landscape. Construction started in 1945 and ended in 1986, but the landmark tower being completed long before the whole church was completed.

PERLAN Next is the Perlan, a prominent landmark situated on top of Öskjuhlíð hill. Originally a cluster of hot water tanks in 1991, it was converted to a building open to the public that hosts an exhibition, a planetarium, an observation deck, and a restaurant.

ORKA NATTURUNNAR Drove around the city before we arrived at the ON (Orka Náttúrunnar), an Icelandic power company. ON Power produces and sells electricity to industry and households by harnessing renewable, mainly geothermal, resources.

HELLA*STRACTA HOTEL After a quick lunch we drove to Hella and checked in to the Stracta Hotel. After resting a little before dinner at the hotel, we ventured out in the snow covered hill near the hotel with our new traveling friends Kim and Will. No luck seeing the Aurora tonight.

December 6
HELLA*LAVA CENTER*SELJALANDSFOSS*SKOGAFOSS*VIK
After breakfast we went to the LAVA Center where we saw interactive displays and a short film about the cause and effects of volcano eruptions. Then we went to the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. After lunch (lamb soup) we saw another waterfall Skogafoss. Next we went to Dyrhólaey, a high promontory with a massive arch eroded by the sea. Beautiful black beach and took pictures of the outcroppings lovingly called “trolls” by the Icelanders. Unfortunately we couldn’t see the black basalt columns due to the extremely dangerous waves. We visited the small town of Vik and saw its church.

December 7
GOLDEN CIRCLE TOUR: GULLFOSS*GEYSIR*FRIDHEIMAR
Today is the Golden Circle Tour and the first stop is the enormous waterfall Gullfoss. Unfortunately the wind was so strong. Next stop is Geysir. The nearby geyser Strokkur erupts much more than Geysir, erupting to heights of up to 30 meters every few minutes. There are around 30 much smaller geysers, mud pools, fumaroles and algal deposits in the area. Our next stop was at a geothermally heated greenhouse in Hveragerði where we visited Friðheimar, a greenhouse devoted to intensive tomato production. The greenhouse imports bumblebees to pollinate the tomatoes. We even saw their horses.

THINGVELLIR After lunch at the greenhouse we next visited Þingvellir or Thingvellir, a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance. It lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Parliament or Alþingi (Althing) was established at Þingvellir in 930 and remained there until 1798. Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930, marking the 1,000th anniversary of the Althing. It was later expanded to protect natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. The Althing held its sessions there until 1799, when it was discontinued for 45 years, then restored in 1844 and moved to Reykjavík, where it has resided ever since.

SJAVARGRILLID RESTAURANT Dinner at Sjavargrillid with Perl, Kim and Will. I had an Aperol spritz then cod and lobster appetizer. Main course was lobster and shrimp salad accompanied by a white wine from Argentina. Great dinner!

December 8
BLUE LAGOON*APOTEK*AURORA BOREALIS

BLUE LAGOON Fun time at the Blue Lagoon! 100 degree water and 36 degree air with face mask and procecco!

APOTEK RESTAURANT Very nice dinner at Apotek! Started with Black Death Negroni (Icelandic Brennivin, Campari, Absinthe, sweet vermouth); appetizer of duck confit rillette (with caramelized apples and Icelandic root beer sausce), lamb shoulder (with carrots pickled garlic) and smoked trout (with smoked cream cheese); main course was sea trout on block of himalayan salt (with yuzu truffle mayo, crunchy quinoa and apple). Also had a glass of cava.