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Iceland/Denmark

Autumn 2014

By Julia Stanton

February 21^st, 2015

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Land of waterfalls

And so began our 1931km trip around Iceland. I must have researched hundreds of waterfalls in Iceland only to narrow it down to about 20, or whatever was feasible in a 5 day trip. Of the list I compiled, only 1 waterfall ended up being out of reach: Brúarfoss, or “Waterfall Bridge”, which came recommended from a friend. As it turns out, it’s a hike from the road and is only accessible on foot. We learned the hard way that even with the GPS coordinates, or by following the stream, you were going to run into some private property. My understanding is that it’s named “Waterfall Bridge” because the mist could form a bridge of ice in winter, allowing sheep to cross sides for a graze… I guess it is greener on the other side.

Scroll over the photos to see captions that includes information about each waterfall.

Urriðafoss, heading southeast from Reykjavík

Seljalandsfoss (Be prepared to get wet!)

Black Sand beach & Reynisfjall

It was an adventure trying to find the crashed DC-3 Dakota WW2 plane near Black Sand Beach, Vik. There is no sign. You just have to use geo-coordinates and recognize tracks off of the Ring Road. If you don’t have 4WD, then you’re in for a bit of a walk.

The mountain Reynisfjall and the 3 rocks Reynisdrangar are basalt formations (just like Svartifoss in Skaftafell); it was windy as hell so we didn’t spend too long there. There is a myth that Reynisdrangar were 3 trolls in the sea that turned into stone when they were caught by light.

We spent our first night camping at Skaftafell. As I was cooking sausages with sautéed tomatoes and a mushroom risotto at campfire, we noticed the Northern Lights appear above us. According to one legend, the Northern Lights are the souls of unmarried women.

Vatnajökull

Vatnajökull National Park is the largest icecap outside the poles. Glaciers rest on active volcanoes & mountain peaks, and the lagoons along the Ring Road are full of picturesque icebergs floating into the sea. Jökulsárlón Lagoon is certainly the most popular, but you can find the nearby Fjallsárlón Lagoon and enjoy it all to yourself. At Jökulsárlón Lagoon, you’ll find soup and coffee. Watch closely and you might spot a seal.

Groups of cairns (stacks of stones) can be found throughout Iceland.

Cairns with Vatnajökull in the background

northbound along ring road

After enjoying our first Icelandic hot dogs (Mine had potato salad on it!) at a gas station in Höfn, we began heading north, stopping often to enjoy the scenery—fjords, mountains, farms, and more waterfalls.

We made our way to the charming town of Seyðisfjörður, before pushing onward to Lake Mývatn for the night. The drive was accompanied with another evolutionary performance by the Northern Lights. Upon arrival at the campsite, we set up our own bar complete with whiskey, wine, beer, and beef jerky in our warm rental Landcruiser. As the Northern Lights settled, we climbed a huge mound near the campsite to catch the glow of a distant volcano.

The following day, we completed half of the Diamond Circle Route to include another cluster of waterfalls, most notably, the intimidating Dettifoss. Other sites included the sulfuric mudpools of Hverir and the Krafla Volcano, which appears a sort of crater lake surrounded by a terrain reminiscent of Mars. We lunched at Vogafjós, a restaurant settled on a cow farm, and then we made our way for a quick rest at the Botanical Garden in the “Northern Capital" aka Akureyri.

Tröllaskagi Peninsula

Driving through the single track tunnels was one of the highlights of the Tröllaskagi Peninsula. We chose to drive around the Tröllaskagi Peninsula because we’d read of the dramatic coasts and fjords. It was roughly a half-day detour from the Ring Road to make up for missing the Westfjords. We passed through a couple of towns and went for a stroll in Siglufjörður, a fishing village full of color and development.

closing in on the Golden Circle

We visited Hraunfossar, a waterfall flowing out of lavafield. It’s so long that it can really only be captured by panorama. A short walk away, you can find Barnafoss, or “waterfall of the children”. Legend has it, a natural arch formed a bridge across Barnafoss. Two children attempted to cross the arch without supervision, tragically falling to their deaths. The mother was so devastated that she placed a curse on the waterfall, and the arch was eventually destroyed by an earthquake.

At this point, we decided to take a detour from the Ring Road/Route 1. We hopped on an “F road” (4WD recommended) with views of Langjökull Glacier and made our way to Þingvellir and the northern part of the Golden Circle.

Reykjavík

I came up with a 1-2 hour walking tour of the capital to include the 73-meter tall church Hallgrímskirkja, the Nordic House designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, Reykjavik 871+/-2 an original Viking longhouse, the Harpa cultural center and the Old Harbour. My boyfriend and I then ditched our friends to celebrate our 2 year anniversary with dinner at a restaurant called Snaps. The beef bourguignon was spectacular… almost as unforgettable as the hákarl (fermented Greenland shark) we tried at brunch! Having mapped out a dozen or so bars, we ventured into the night; favorites included Kex Hostel, Kaldi, Kaffibarinn, Bravo, and Húrra.

Copenhagen

I separated from my friends and headed to Copenhagen to decompress by walking the entire city, perusing its art museums, and searching for things to macro at the Botanical Garden. I tried the hot dog, but I preferred the one in Iceland. I even wandered over to Noma to peek at the fermentation lab.

The Louisiana

One evening, I went to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 30-45 minutes north of the Copenhagen by train, with an old friend I met in Isla Mujeres ~7 years ago. There was a great installation/exhibition by Olafur Eliasson. The museum was originally a home that kept expanding; it’s very much a maze with a peaceful garden at back. On a clear day, Sweden is visible from across the sea.

Favorite sites in Copenhagen included the Statens Museum for Kunst and the Botanical Gardens. If you find yourself outside of the bars, Copenhagen is great to photograph at night. I also don’t think the trip would have been complete without a stroll through Christiania. Biggest disappointments? Kastellet, the Little Mermaid, and the Design Museum.