The Kumm-Hanson's visit Iceland: final thoughts and tips

A few helpful tips that made our trip a success: 

1. Get a TEP. This is a portable wifi Hotspot. It allowed us to use our phones as GPS devices. It was $10 a day, with unlimited data. 

2. Make sure you have a PIN for your credit card. Most places were fine with a chip reader and a signature, but gas stations require PINs. This was an afterthought for us, but we are glad we did it. 

3. Go swimming as often as possible. Icelandic pools have precise etiquette: take your shoes off before entering locker room, take a full shower without swimsuit, leave towel in locker room near shower & don't use your cell phone in locker rooms or pool. Embrace it & relax. Pools are the main social spot in Iceland and they are spectacular. 

4. Cash isn't really necessary. We picked up a nominal amount of cash in the airport, but really only used it for tipping drivers and small purchases like coffee. And if you need it, ATMs are readily available. 

5. Bring an eye mask. The sun didn't really set in the summer. Regulating our sleep was a real challenge. It was difficult to go to sleep without the cue of darkness. We also took Benadryl a few nights when we were really keyed up. 

Thanks for a spectacular honeymoon, Iceland. This is Greenland from the air upon our departure.

The Kumm-Hanson's visit Iceland part 7: the Icelandic countryside

On our way to Jokulsarlon we saw the south coast of Iceland. We stopped in the town of Selfoss for lunch, which is pretty much the last larger town in order to buy food or other things in larger stores. Most small towns have gas stations (N4 is the common one here) and there are generally cafes and coffee shops also. 

But there are large swaths of countryside with nothing but stunning scenery and lots of sheep. 

We stopped at Seljalandsfoss. Absolutely breathtaking! 

You can hike behind the waterfall. This waterfall is right off the road, so it's filled with tourists and tour buses. There's a food truck and souvenir shop, as well as basic outhouses. 

Next waterfall is Skogafoss, a powerful and tumultuous expanse of water. There's an epic hiking trail behind the waterfall that allows you to access a glacier. 

This appears to be a popular camping spot. You can tent near the trail. There are clean modern restrooms with showers (think KOA), as well as a tiny town with cafes and hotels. 

This is the volcano that caused a worldwide issue in 2010 and got people thinking about Iceland. 

On our return to the city we stopped at Vik, a town on the black sand beach. 

Vik is a good place to stop for gas or food. There's an excellent restaurant (try the seafood chowder!)  as well as what appears to be an Icewear outlet store (Icelandic woolen items). 

And some random beautiful things to look at:

The Kumm-Hanson's visit Iceland part 8: glacier lagoon and Jokulsarlon

We left the city to explore the countryside at the suggestion of our taxi driver, she mentioned Jokulsarlon, which means "diamond beach".

We stayed at Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon, a brand new four star hotel near the lagoon. 

The glacier lagoon was just beyond the hotel and it was incredible. 

Glaciers calve into this lagoon and flow out to sea. It's possible to take boat tours of the lagoon, although that's not something we did. There's a small cafe and coffee shop also. 

The beach has chunks of ice on black sand which look like diamonds. 

The Kumm-Hanson's visit Iceland part 6: Harpa

Harpa is the positively stunning concert hall/performance space on the waterfront in Reykjavik. There are multiple performance spaces inside. We caught a humorous (and historical) play called Icelandic Sagas, which told the story of the mythology of Iceland. 

The Kumm-Hansons visit Iceland part 5: more Reykjavik

We spent a fair amount of time hanging out around Reykjavik. We enjoyed coffee at Babalu (Skolarvordustigur 22). 

And gluten free crepes at Eldur and Is (Skolarvordustigur 2).  

We had a late lunch at The Laundromat cafe, (Austurstraeti 9) I had carrot parsnip soup that I still dream about. 

The Kumm-Hanson's go to Iceland Part 4: Adventuring

We went on a trail ride with Laxness horse farm, located only a short drive from Reykjavik, which also arranges transportation. This is a family run operation, and they clearly love their horses and love the people who come to hang out with them. I highly recommend this company! 

Earlier in the day we went caving in Laederandi, a lava flow cave just outside Reykjavik. It was about a two hour trip, with excellent guides. 

On our way back to the city we stopped to view the fish drying racks, an ancient way of preparing a favorite snack in Iceland. 

The Kumm-Hanson's visit Iceland Part 3: Around Reykjavik

Our first stop of the day was Reykjavik Roasters, Karastigur 1, in downtown. It was fairly crowded, as it was a drizzly day. 

The most recognizable part of the Reykjavik skyline is the Domkirjan, which is said to be the tallest building in the city. 

We had dinner at Hofnin, a seafood restaurant near the harbor. They were extraordinary accommodating of my need to be gluten free. Katrina had Haddock & I had scallop & langoustine chowder. Highly recommended!

The Kumm-Hanson's visit Iceland, Part 1

After an uneventful Red Eye flight from Minneapolis on Delta we landed in Reykjavik. Clearing customs was a breeze and we walked outside to catch our shuttle bus to the city. I booked our tickets in advance on Grey Line tours. They make it very easy to arrange drop off and responded quickly via email when I had a question. We were staying in a friend's home in the suburb of Kopavagur, so we were dropped off at the Hotel Smari and took a taxi to the house. The picture above is the view from the home's balcony. 

Our first day was mostly spent napping and venturing out to get groceries. We picked up food for a couple weeks at Kostur, which appears to be the Icelandic version of Costco, except doesn't require a membership. We were able to purchase a lot of familiar brands, Cheerios, almond breeze milk, etc. as well as some new favorites, Skyr and amazing fresh Icelandic tomatoes and cucumbers. A great option for gluten free groceries is Hagkaup. 

We also went on a long walk in the evening and met this new friend, a yellow lab who followed us for 45 min.