Iceland in the Winter

You have probably heard that Iceland and Greenland have their names switched; that Iceland is actually green and Greenland is actually icy. Well I can tell you that in the winter Iceland is indeed icy! It is also breathtakingly beautiful and absolutely worth visiting. I look forward to visiting again someday! Here are some can’t miss experiences I had!

Hallgrímskirkja

Don’t ask me how to say that! Hallgrímskirkja is the big church in Reykjavík that you can see from just about everywhere. It is architecturally interesting and unique within walking distance from great shopping and restaurants. 

There is a grand organ inside the chapel and lots of historical tid-bits to soak up. Be sure to check out the gift shop for a post card to send home.

Be sure to ride the elevator to the top for a breath taking view of the city. From up there you can see the unique colors of the homes and shops in town. Be sure to dress warm because it is ridiculously cold and windy up in the clock tower.

Loki Cafe

One of my favorite parts of travelling is trying the local food. The Loki Cafe is the perfect place to try a sampling of the most popular Icelandic foods. I tried the traditional Icelandic plate. It included fermented shark, fish jerky, mashed fish, smoked lamb and smoked fish. I also had Loki tea which is made, in part, with Icelandic moss. I really enjoyed everything except the formented shark. If you have heard anything about it you know that it has an INCREDIBLY strong flavor.  Glad I can check it off my bucket list!

There was an awesome mural with Loki’s warewolf son, Fenrir and a beautiful view of the church.

 

Icelandic Ponies

The only downfall to visiting Iceland in the Winter is that some roads can be blocked off due to bad weather. Some roads were closed off when I went but luckily we were still able to find some Icelandic Ponies to visit. They are super friendly and are happy to let you come by and pet them.                                                                                                                                      

The Blue Lagoon

I cannot say enough good things about the Blue Lagoon. The walk into the building is carved through natural stone. The building are all decorated in a beautiful modern lodge style (for lack of a better term.) The gift shop is full of local treasures including animal furs, crocheted wool gloves and jewelry made out of lava rock. The water is a stunning bright blue, the water is warm and the scenery is stunning. There are a few little huts in the water where you go to get your mud mask and there are a couple of swim up bars as well. It was an absolute blast

My experience at the Blue Lagoon was certainly a unique one! It started out as a cold but clear day. As the hours passed it got storm and grey. It was cold and the frozen mist washed the mud mask into my mouth and eyes. While some people might see it as a negative I enjoyed the storm and the unique story it left me with.

Northern Lights

I saved the best for last. We went on a boat tour to find the Northern Lights and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. We were able to see some dim lights to start, just a swirl of green in the sky. The guide on the boat explained that the forecast called for a cloudy night so we might not see much more than that. He also explained that it is most common to see blue and green lights but if you’re really lucky you might see purple or red.  As the boat got further and further from the shore the sky got more and more cloudy until eventually you couldn’t see anything but a layer of grey.

The guide was reading poems about the Northern Lights with the belief that if we read the poems the author, who is now passed on, would turn on the lights for us. The poems compared the lights to foxes running in a field and a couple in love dancing in the night. Light a curtain opening the clouds parted in a nearly perfect circle exposing a goosebump inducing display of nature. There they were, the Northern Lights. They danced across the sky like scarves in the wind. There was green, blue, white, red and purple. At one point the lights resembled a phoenix which was so special to me because I like to relate my journey to mental health like that of a phoenix rising from the ashes.

 

My trip to Iceland was absolutely incredible and I cannot wait to go back again. Please leave your questions or your own experiences in the comments and have a blissful day.

Cassandra